Friday, April 29, 2016

Review & Giveaway: LET ME by Cecy Robinson




Let Me
The O’Brien Family Book Two
By: Cecy Robson
Releasing April 19, 2016
Self-Published


Blurb

Once he was broken beyond repair. Now this MMA contender is fighting to be a better man—for her. RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in Let Me, it is Finn’s turn to discover how love can heal the deepest wounds.


A mixed martial arts star on the rise, Finn O’Brien dismantles his opponents with brutal precision. And yet beneath his fierce persona, Finn is raw from a trauma he’s buried for years . . . until the day his deep-rooted rage erupts and lands him in court-mandated therapy. Finn’s not one to bare his soul, but if talking it out means meeting beautiful women like Sol Marieles, he’ll give it a shot.


Sol is working toward her master’s degree in psychology, and already she feels like she’s in over her head. With an important internship on the line and a scary family situation demanding her attention, the last thing Sol needs is Finn around to distract her. The man is ripped and seriously sexy yet it’s his troubled side that warns her to keep her distance. But their attraction is intense, and he clearly has the heat to see how far and fast their passion takes them.


Alone, Finn and Sol have been fighting to find happiness in their lives. Together, there’s no stopping them as they face their greatest challenges—not in the ring, but in their hearts. 


Laura's Review:

This was the first book by Cecy Robinson I've read - so obviously I didn't read book one in this series, but Ms. Robinson does a great job providing just enough backstory so I didn't feel lost, but not bogged down with other peoples' pasts. Which is good, because Finn and Sol have quite the baggage to bog themselves down all on their own.
Their romance started off as sweet and easy flirtation and quickly grew into something way more intense that neither one really knew how to handle. The darkness from their past (and present) overshadows them throughout much of the book, and I wished we got to see a little more of the light moments that were so fun to read.
Overall, a romance novel that went way beyond a simple romance and pulled you right along through the somewhat dark, but hopeful ride.

LET ME: 3.5/5 stars




Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info
Cecy Robson is a new adult and contemporary author of the Shattered Past series, the O’Brien Family novels and upcoming Carolina Beach novels, as well as the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A 2016 double nominated RITA®finalist for Once Pure and Once Kissed, Cecy is a recovering Jersey girl living in the South who enjoys carbs way too much, and exercise way too little. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, you can typically find her on her laptop silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.


Author Links: Website Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads





Rafflecopter Giveaway (a Cecy Robson Prize Pack, including: Two T-shirts and swag from Cecy’s SHATTERED PAST series (Once Pure and Once Kissed RITA® 2016 Finalists), magnets and pins from both her SHATTERED PAST and award-wining WEIRD GIRLS series, WEIRD GIRLS water bottle, and signed paperback of A CURSED EMBRACE.)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight & Giveaway: Filthy Foreign Exchange by S.E. Hall and Angela Graham




ffe book tour.jpg



ffe now available.jpg


Temptation is ONLY a room away….
Filthy Foreign Exchange is Now live!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1TrwTAB

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SFzcTM

iBooks: http://apple.co/1R8c0wM

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1YOK3Jm





FilthyFE_FrontCover.jpg
Blurb


New York Times bestselling authors Angela Graham and S.E. Hall have teamed up again to bring you a full-length, steamy new romance.


Echo Kelly is loyal to her studies, family, and aerial artistry. She has no time for or interest in anything else, and is heartbroken when her oldest brother, Sebastian, gets accepted to a study-abroad program— exchanging places with cocky, not-at-all-shy foreign exchange student Kingston Hawthorne.


Kingston Hawthorne had the life every twenty-year-old guy dreams of— endless cash, easy women, and fast cars— until his father ripped it all away, shipping him off to the States and placing him temptingly close to the underage virgin who fascinates him in the most challenging of ways.


With Kingston’s bedroom just a connecting bathroom away from Echo’s, the chemistry between them is even more enticing than the notes he leaves for her on the shower door.


How long can you pretend you’re just friends?

ffe teaser 3.jpg

Excerpt


I creep silently into the house and find a tinfoil-covered plate on the kitchen counter: the dinner my mom saved for me, even though I'm sure my father said something along the lines of, “If she wants to eat, she can sit down, on time, with the rest of us.”
I smile to myself at the small victory. My dad may think he rules the roost, but he doesn't call the last shot when it comes to my mom taking care of her babies.
After I finish off the still-warm chicken and potatoes as quietly as possible, I tiptoe past my parents’ bedroom, paying special attention to each step I take—or, more specifically, avoiding the floorboards that creak.
My father's stern voice pierces the darkness. "We'll talk in the morning, young lady."
Damn, he's good. I literally wobbled left to right like a drunk person, nailing the silent boards, and he still heard me.
"Yes, sir," I spit out before hurrying up the staircase to my bedroom.
My grandfather, smart man that he was, built this house after he had children. With the master suite on the bottom floor and the kids' rooms upstairs, there was no getting past the parents. But somehow, Grandpa had forgotten to take into account that our family has studied the art of Aerialism for generations. So once you're up in your room, getting out of it undetected isn't much of a problem—a caveat I know for a fact my older brother Sebastian took advantage of often. Mostly because he used my balcony to do so nine times out of ten.
I head straight for a hot shower, not allowing my overworked muscles to stiffen. The entire time I stand under the spray, I stare through the glass at the closed door on the far side of the room. Sebastian’s bedroom is connected to mine by a Jack and Jill bathroom, but my brother isn't on the other side anymore. Tonight, and every night for this school year, he’ll be in England, his room vacant. The thought is the final blow to my day.
Once I've dried off and tied my robe, I open his door slowly, with tears in my eyes. I’m not sure why—maybe to see the proof of his absence, naively hoping that will help settle my anxiety?
It's dark inside, of course, but the thin drapes are parted and the moon is full and bright after tonight's storm.
My breath hitches, my feet coming to a complete and sudden halt when I spot the large body lying in my brother’s bed. It’s almost comforting at first; I find myself wishing it was Sebastian, but I know it’s not. And I can only assume it’s Kingston. I have no clue why my parents didn’t just drop him at his dorm, or why I’m not turning around to go back to my own room. But now, as I stand so close, my curiosity is piqued.
From this angle and lighting, he could almost pass for Sebastian: dark-brown hair cut short, muscularly outlined back, sleeping on his side. But whereas Sebastian sleeps under the covers, our houseguest has the sheet and comforter shoved down past a tight, perfectly rounded ass that’s filling out his black boxer briefs in a way I find startlingly sinful. He also has his arms shoved under his pillow—another difference that makes it hard for me to pretend.
I creep a bit farther into the room, checking out his luggage—designer and monogrammed, all matching of course, and reeking of luxury and fine leather. Fancy, but mismatching horribly with the black (somewhat sexy) combat boots that—
Umpf,” I grunt despite my desperate efforts to remain quiet, reaching out for anything to brace myself on. But it’s no use. I fly forward, having tripped over the second, not-nearly-as-sexy-now boot.
"I was told you were the graceful one."
His low, gravely taunt comes out of nowhere and startles me further, throwing me backward in the opposite direction, my balance completely lost. With my hands flailing, my only hope now is that the luggage provides a soft landing.
But I never meet it, or the floor. Instead, two strong hands rescue me, snaring my wrists and pulling me down on top of one seriously hard, hot—temperature-wise, I mean—body.
"I'd presume you to be Echo and say hello, but again, not the graceful girl I was expecting. So, you are…?" He looks up at me with a smug twitch to his lip and devastating twinkle in his gray—Are they really gray, or is that the lighting?—eyes.
"I…uh…” I stammer idiotically, dressed only in a robe that’s far too revealing for the position I find myself lying in: across the bare torso of perhaps the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen up close, in person. And we are very up close.
I attempt to push off him, but his hands slide down to my hips and grip tighter.
"Yes," I gasp, before battling for a sense of authority in my next response. "I'm Echo. Sorry I woke you, I just wasn’t…expecting you to be in here.” His brows rise, practically screaming that he sees right through me. “Let me up! I tripped over your big, stupid boots, then you scared me."
"My apologies, Echo.” A quiver plays down my spine at the way my name rolls off his lips in that decadent English accent of his. “Had I known you'd be visiting my room tonight, I'd have taken more care in setting my belongings out of your way.”
“I should’ve left when I realized you were in here, so we’re even. Can you let me up now?”
His grip remains firm as his smile deepens. “I must admit, I am rather enjoying this version of our introduction. Far better than a mere ‘How do you do?’ over dinner.” He’s sporting a full grin now, blindingly bright even in the dimly lit room.
All I can do is stare at him, words failing me. I half suspect I'm dreaming, but I can feel, long and stiff against my stomach, that this humiliation is, in fact, reality.
"I’m quite comfortable, so do feel free to stay as long as you like. And if you really want to give me a smashing welcome, don't be afraid to wiggle around a bit." His smirk grows impossibly wide as he thrusts his hips upward, pressing his erection firmer against me.
And just like that, my speechlessness evaporates.
"Are you insane?" I use both hands to shove hard against his chest, but I'm no match for his relentless clutch on my hips. "Let me go! You're a guest in our home tonight—you can't just manhandle me when the mood strikes!"
"Ah, grace period.” He nods. “Understood. So, tomorrow night, then?"
"Unbelievable!" I seethe, wriggling around in hopes of escape.
His fingers dig deeper, but the ravenous gleam in his eyes softens. "A joke, Echo. My apologies. Perhaps I took it too far."
My anger soothes to a low simmer. He's got a certain playful charm about him, and maybe this is just his very forward way of easing the awkwardness that I instigated in the first place by sneaking into the room in the middle of the night.
But just as I start to form a forgiving smile, he ruins all the excuses I’d just mentally compiled.
"Can I be frank with you?”
“Will you let me up?” I toss back.
“Of course.”
“Then let’s hear it.” I wait for him to say God only knows what—a heartfelt apology maybe?—but instead, his expression sharpens into one of pure lust.
“I’ve lied to you. The truth is…I'd much prefer it if you grinded down on me a bit, Love. Wiggling is for strangers, and we're not strangers anymore, now are we?"
“Ugh,” I growl, propelling myself off him when his laughter loosens his hold. I stomp out of the room, his sounds of amusement lingering behind me.
And that’s how I met our foreign exchange student, Kingston Hawthorne.


View the Filthy Foreign Exchange Trailer HERE: https://vimeo.com/162792461
ffe teaser 2.jpg
Pre-order Filthy Foreign Exchange 2
Releasing June 14th






About the Authors:


S.E. Hall
se hall bio.jpg
S.E.Hall, lover of all things anticipation and romance, is the author of The Evolve Series: Emerge, Embrace, Entangled, Entice, Endure and companion novellas Baby Mama Drama and Guide for Tools Looking to Date My Daughter by character Sawyer Beckett. S.E. also wrote the stand-alone Finally Found novels Pretty Instinct and Pretty Remedy. Her co-written works include The Provocative Professions Collection: Stirred Up, Packaged and Handled 1&2, One Naughty Night and full-length, standalone novel Matched with Angela Graham as well as Conspire, a romantic suspense, written with Erin Noelle.
S.E. resides in Arkansas with her husband of 18 years and 3 daughters of the home. When not writing or reading, she can be found "enthusiastically cheering" on one of her girls' softball games.


angela graham bio.jpg


Angela Graham is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of the Harmony Series. She spent a lot of her childhood hidden away in the aisles at her local public library where she fell in love with reading. It was a home away from home through her youth to her adulthood.
In 2012 she knew she found her calling in the world of fiction the moment she began pounding away at the keys for her first short story. With a baby on her shoulder, she wrote about a year before deciding to try her hand at a novel. It was the best decision she ever made and one that changed her life in ways she never imagined.
Together with S.E. Hall, she has released five novels and one short story together.
Angela resides in Northwest Arkansas with her three beautiful children and a rowdy dog.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Review: Ladies Man (Manwhore, #3) by Katy Evans

Ladies Man
(Manwhore, #3) 

Katy Evans
April 25, 2016




Synopsis: 

Tahoe Roth.
Irreverent, cocky, playful and naughty.
He’s not the guy you date.
He’s the one night stand.
The one your mother warned you about.
The one your body craves.

You’d think the man who called me succulent would want to strip me down and spread me out on his bed—like he’s done with countless others.

But he passed on my offer….

Just like I’d once passed on his.

He’s wary, like I am.

He’s broken, like I am.

And everyone knows two broken parts can’t ever make a whole.

Tahoe and I are strictly friends.

So I distract myself with other men.

He doesn’t think my new man is good enough. This blond blue-eyed beast doesn’t think any man is—himself included.

But the more time we spend together, the more confused I feel.
I'm trying to open myself to love.

Yet I'm quickly realizing that the only man I want is Tahoe Roth.
The one man who will surely break my heart.


***********************************************

Laura's Review: 


Katy Evans has a way of taking non-traditional heroes with baggage and serious flaws and making them into swoon-worthy leading men. Tahoe Roth is no exception to this. His overly cocky, flirtatious behavior and unapologetic promiscuity should have been a big turn off, but instead it just added to his depth and made him feel more real. And Gina is the perfect foil to all that cockiness- unaware and unassuming to the power she holds over him. I absolutely loved watching them fight to try to stay apart when they both just so wanted to give in and be together. And when they finally do give in... it's perfect.

Although this book can certainly be read as a standalone, I highly recommend picking up Manwhore and Manwhore +1 because otherwise you'd be losing out not only on the fantastic romance of Saint and Rachel, but you'd also miss out on the tension-filled origins of Tahoe and Gina which lead us to where we are today.

4.5/5 stars

Note: A copy of this book was provided in exchange of this honest review.


There's a great Katy Evans interview (with a giveaway!) going on over at Harlequin Junkie - check it out!


Tanya's Review:
      Katy Evans has made me fall in lust again, first Remy then Saint and now Tahoe. I am a fan of Katy Evans and have been for a while, I have high expectations when I  read one of her books and this book did not disappoint me. I recall meeting Tahoe and Gina in Manwhore and I enjoyed them and could not wait to hear their story. They had chemistry from the get go, friends first and it was fun to watch them try to be friends and struggle with their feelings. Once Tahoe let his guard down and let Gina in it was just meant to be, they are perfect for each other.  Story felt real and genuine, I had a hard time putting this one down.
   I totally think you should read Manwhore and Manwhore +1 before reading this one, I have a thing with reading series in order, but this book stands on its own and could be read as a standalone. 
   One last thing, Katy Evans has some great covers but I think this one is my favorite, black and white with those blue eyes, he looks playful and dangerous to one's heart. This is a really great read for any romance lover. 

4.5/5 Stars 


Note: A copy of this book was provided in exchange of this honest review.
       

Monday, April 25, 2016

Review: Best Friends With The Billionaire by Colleen Kwan

Best Friends With The Billionaire
(The Rochesters)
Colleen Kwan
April 25, 2016



Synopsis: 
Cassie Cooper has never been the kind of girl noticed for her looks. But around billionaire Kirk Rochester, her best friend from college, Cassie wishes she could turn just one head—his. So when Kirk asks her to be his pretend girlfriend to thwart another woman's unwanted advances, Cassie embraces the opportunity to prove to him that she does have a feminine side.

Disillusioned by a rough marriage that had an even rougher end, Kirk values friendship more than romance. He’s always had a good thing going with Cassie. But he can’t ignore how sexy she is now playing the role of his girlfriend, and soon he’s fighting a dangerous attraction to her. Even though their time between the sheets is scorching hot, he refuses to take it beyond “friends with benefits.” He’s learned the hard way that loving someone is the first step to destroying his heart, and he won’t risk losing the best person in his life by falling in love with her.



************************************************************


Laura's Review: 

This was a pleasant, but not exactly memorable, quick-read of a romance. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, and while there were a few good sexual tension-filled scenes, it seemed to be lacking a bit compared to other books of its kind. Kirk was wonderful - the best part of the book by far - handsome and confident enough to help Cassie get through her unfounded insecurities, mostly created by her awful family.

There were a LOT of similarities to Jennifer Crusie's BET ME, which became a bit distracting as I was reading (BTW, if you haven't read that one yet, it's one of my favorite romance novels.)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Release Blitz & Review: DEEP UNDER by Lisa Renee Jones




DEEPUNDER_RELEASE_BLITZ.jpg






DEEPUNDER_LIVE.jpg

DEEP UNDER is the newest stand alone in the Tall, Dark & Deadly Series by Lisa Renee Jones!

NOW LIVE!

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/22xBrrF





Deep Under.jpg
*This is a standalone book, as with the other books in the Tall, Dark and Deadly series you do not have to read the entire series to enjoy this book.

Kyle, one of the alpha men of Walker Security, is hot, bothered, and intense, and when Myla lands in his line of fire, she'll soon learn her secrets, and her passion, belong to him, from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

Myla is beautiful, a dove with clipped wings, captive by the wolf, a vicious drug lord. One look into her eyes and Kyle could see the pain, the fear...the desperation. Or so it seems. He's been fooled before by a woman and it cost him everything and everyone he loved. He won't be fooled again.



1DeepUnder5.jpg
Excerpt

“Who are you? And I mean really. Who are you?”
My gut tells me that if I tell her right now, in this moment, it will not be well-received. “A friend,” I say, my gaze lowering to her lush mouth and lifting. “And the man who wants to kiss you. Really kiss you. Can I kiss you, Myla?”
“You’re asking?”
“Yes. I’m asking. After all you’ve been through-”
“He hasn’t destroyed me. He hasn’t beaten me and I don’t like that you think he has.”
“I don’t think he’s beaten you.”
“He hasn’t,” she insists. “I’m not giving him that power and damn it, you better not either by treating me like I’m broken and fragile. So kiss me if you’re going to kiss me or let me go, if you don’t want-”
I cup the back of her head, and slant my mouth over hers, my tongue sliding against hers, stroking, caressing, and the taste of her, one part hunger I welcome, but the other part, the torment, I intend to drive away. I deepen the kiss, my hand pressing beneath her tank top, finding warm, soft skin. My fingers splay over her rib cage, while my mind reminds me that no matter how big she talks, she wants this escape for a reason. She has been abused, used, hurt.
I tear my mouth from hers, my breathing and hers ragged, my hands settling at her waist. “Myla-”
“Don’t do this,” she pleads, “Don’t be the kind of hero I don’t need. Give me something good to remember the next time he touches me, something that gets me through it.”
“I told you,” I grind out. “He will never touch you again.”
“You underestimate him.”
“You underestimate me,” I assure her. “You want to forget? Let’s forget.”
“Don’t treat me like-”
I tangle my fingers in her hair and drag her gaze to mine. “Is that too gentle?”
“It is until you kiss me again,” she challenges, and so I do, holding nothing back. My tongue stroking, taking, demanding, and she rewards me by giving me no fear, but rather a soft moan, and a whisper of “Kyle,” when I nip her lip.
“That’s what I want,” I say. “My name on your tongue, not his. My tongue on your body, not his.”
“That’s what I want too,” she dares, and when she adds, “very much,” there is this sense of her claiming something outside of a world she’d accepted but hated that empowers me, to help her go there, be there. I reach down and pull her tank top over her head, tossing it away. And she is not shy, timid or scared. She tugs my shirt up, but my shoulder strap and weapon, hold it in place. I’m far from detoured though, unhooking her sports bra and dragging it down her arms, my gaze raking over her high full breasts and pebbled pink nipples. And the minute our gazes collide, the fire between us ignites, and we are kissing again, my hand flattening over her back, melting her naked breasts to my chest.
She tries a new approach to getting me naked, shoving at my jacket and I shrug it over my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground, but when her hand goes for the clasp on my shoulder strap, my reaction is automatic. I grab her hand and stop her. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t get your shirt off while your gun is on,” she says, and then gives me an unhappy look. “Did you think that I was going for your weapon?”
“Programming,” I say. “Protect your weapon, always. And you aren’t the only one with a bad relationship baggage.”
“I can accept that and understand it, but now it’s my turn to say quid pro quo. I’m opening the door to trusting you. You need to do the same and trust me.”
She’s right. A hand for a hand. I let mine fall away now, leaving hers at my strap, a move from my gun. She closes her hand over the butt of my gun, daring me to challenge her, her chin lifting, gaze meeting mine as she says, “If you were him-”
My hands slide around her neck, dragging her mouth to mine. “Obviously I need to fuck you fast and hard before I go slow and sexy, just to get him the hell out of this room.” I kiss her, a deep, demanding, stroke of tongue on tongue, I end with a challenge. “Do you want me or my gun?”
“You,” she whispers, her hand sliding away from my weapon. “I want you.”


1DeepUnder6.jpg

Laura's Review:
This series holds some of my favorite Lisa Renee Jones books! I was so excited to finally get to read the next installment, and I was not disappointed - I missed those Walker boys! Packed with Ms. Jones' signature mix of action and sexiness, Deep Under is a perfect addition to the Tall, Dark and Deadly series! 

Deep Under: 4/5 stars

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange of this honest review.

New to the Tall, Dark and Deadly series? Experience the New York Times bestselling books that have sold almost one million copies! Read about the previous books and order them here. Each is a STANDALONE book.





About the Author:
lisa renee jones.jpg

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.