Category Archives: Cori’s Reviews

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

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THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

D604B564-898F-471D-8094-7871F29A4E4BA heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

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Cori 4.5 Stars

Loved this book! THE KISS QUOTIENT is Helen Hoang’s Debut novel and left me with  all the feels. It’s one of those books I want to pass on to all my girlfriends so I can to them talk about it. I just loved it! The characters, the storyline and the writing made this book unique and truly enjoyable. I’ll be following and adding this author to my buy list and recommending her to everyone. I recommend this book for contemporary romance lovers looking for a new author’s series to stalk with me and a great summer read.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.  

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Excerpt

“You’ve watched Pretty Woman too many times. Kissing doesn’t mean anything, and it’s always best if you’re not thinking too much in bed. Trust me,” he said.

Her mouth thinned into a stubborn line. “This is too important for me not to think. I’d rather not kiss anymore if you don’t mind.”

Michael’s irritation redoubled, and he forced his hands to relax before he popped all his blood vessels. How the hell had he gotten himself into this? Ah yes, he’d been worried about his escort colleagues taking advantage of her. Stupid of him. His life was complicated enough without worrying about his clients. This was exactly why he had the one-session policy.

He would have backed out—it was tempting—but he’d promised. He always carried through on his promises. It was his way of balancing out the universe. His dad had broken enough promises for the both of them.

“All right,” he made himself say. “No kissing.”

“Do the other plans look okay?” she asked.

He forced himself to read them and found them pretty similar, only she’d moved from hand jobs to blowjobs and changed the sexual positions.

Amused despite himself, he said, “I’m surprised you used the terms ‘doggy style’ and ‘cow girl.’”

Her cheeks went bright red, and she adjusted her glasses. “I’m inexperienced, not clueless.”

“Your plans are missing something important.” He held his hand out, and she placed the pen in his palm with wary motions.

She tilted her head to the side as she watched him write FOREPLAY at the top of all the plans in capital letters. As an afterthought, he drew a box in front of each iteration with hard stabs of the pen.

“But why? I was under the impression men don’t need it.”

“You do,” he said flatly.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “You don’t have to bother with me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “It’s not a bother. Most men like foreplay. I do. Getting a woman hot is satisfying as hell.” Besides, he was not having sex with her if she wasn’t ready. No fucking way.

Swallowing, she stared down at the menu. “So you’re saying I don’t have a chance to improve.”

“What? No.” His mind scrambled to figure out why she might say that and came up with nothing.

“You saw how I reacted. It was one button.”

“And then you slept with me all night. You were basically naked, and you cling.”

“Are you two ready to order?” the waitress interjected. Judging by the amused glimmer in her eyes, she’d caught the last part of their conversation.

Stella perused the dinner options, her nails picking at the fabric edging of the menu.

“We’ll have the special,” Michael said.

“Wise choice. I’ll leave you to it.” The waitress winked, gathered the menus, and disappeared.

“What’s the special?” Stella asked.

“I have no idea. Let’s hope it’s not woolly.”

A troubled frown bracketed her mouth, and she leaned forward hesitantly, meeting his eyes for the briefest second. “What exactly do you mean by ‘cling?’”

Michael grinned. “It means you like to cuddle when you’re asleep.”

“Oh.”

She looked so horrified Michael couldn’t help laughing. “I confess to liking it.” Which was the truth, and unlike him. Cuddling was an obligatory thing he did for his clients because he understood they needed it. He usually spent the time counting the seconds until he could leave and go home to shower. Holding Stella had been nothing like that. They hadn’t had sex, so there’d been nothing to wash away, and the trusting way she’d curled into him had made him feel things he didn’t want to think about.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback 

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Giveaway

THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

Enter on Facebook Post HERE

*Winner will be announced Saturday (6/16) by 6PM EST. Paperback provided to Reading in Pajamas by Penguin Berkley Romance.

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About the author

3F7E6A93-13DA-42CE-8D42-A58F9CA3DEEBHelen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since.

In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT, which comes out in June 2018 with Berkley.

She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish.

Helen is represented by Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary Agency.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: SOMEONE TO CARE: A Westcott Novel by Mary Balogh

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SOMEONE TO CARE: A Westcott Novel, Book 4 by Mary Balogh

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance

Synopsis

CA55DCC4-EAF2-48D4-ADBF-F9E7FCBCDE3BOnce the Countess of Riverdale, Viola Kingsley throws all caution to the wind when adventure calls in the form of a handsome aristocrat. . . .

Two years after the death of the Earl of Riverdale, his family has overcome the shame of being stripped of their titles and fortune–except for his onetime countess, Viola. With her children grown and herself no longer part of the social whirl of the ton, she is uncertain where to look for happiness–until quite by accident her path crosses once again with that of the Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr.

Marcel Lamarr has been a notorious womanizer since the death of his wife nearly twenty years earlier. Viola caught his eye when she herself was a young mother, but she evaded his seduction at the time. A prize that eluded him before, she is all the more irresistible to him now although he is surprised to discover that she is as eager now for the excitement he offers as he is himself.

When the two defy convention and run away together, they discover that the ties of respectability are not so easily severed, and pleasure can ensnare you when you least expect it. . . .

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Cori 4.5 Stars

I loved SOMEONE TO CARE and it’s a one of those stories that will stick with me for a while. It is the fourth book in Mary Barlogh’s Westcott Series, a Historical Regency romance series. I just moved and this was the first book I read after I got settled in. It made a great escape after all the stress from a long distance move. I enjoy Mary Barlogh’s writing style and she creates characters readers can relate to. I fell in love with Marcel, the charming rake and I was cheering for Viola on when she was finding herself for the first time. I really loved this story! I recommend this book for historical romance lovers looking for a good regency romance this summer.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Excerpt

It felt like a lifetime. Or like something from another life altogether. But here he was, fourteen years older and fourteen years more attractive, though there was a greater hardness now to the handsome, austere features. She wondered, as she had wondered at the time, why he had taken her literally at her word. He did not seem like a man who took kindly to being told no. But she had told him to go away and he had gone. His feelings for her, of course, had not run more than skin-deep. Or groin deep, to be more blunt about it. And there had been plenty of other women only too happy to jump to his every command.
“I stand corrected,” he said in that soft voice she remembered well. He had never been a man who needed to raise his voice. “Was there a time limit?”
How did one answer such a question? Well, with a simple no, she supposed. There was no time limit. She had sent him away and had intended that it be forever. But here she was alone in a room with him fourteen years later, and he had spoken to her again and asked a question. He did not wait for the answer, though.
“Now how am I to interpret your silence?” He strolled to the table nearest the door, pulled out a chair, and sat on it, crossing one elegantly booted leg over the other as he did so. “Having sent me away once, you have nothing more to say to me? But you have already said something. You have corrected my defective memory. Could it be, then, that you hate to repeat yourself by inviting me yet again to go to the devil? Or could it be that you do not wish to admit that company—any company, even mine—is preferable to none at all when one is stranded in a godforsaken village somewhere in the wilds of England? I assume you are stranded and have not come here with the express purpose of jollificating with the locals and helping save them from being rained upon on Sunday mornings?”
The mere sound of his voice sent chills up her spine. Just because it was so soft? And because he spoke unhurriedly, with the absolute certainty that no one would dream of cutting him off?
“Jollificating?” she said. “Is it a word?”
“If it is not,” he said, his eyebrows lifting, “then it ought to be. Perhaps I should give serious consideration to writing a dictionary. What do you think? Do you believe it would rival Dr. Johnson’s?”
“With a one-word entry?” she said. “I very much doubt it, Mr. Lamarr.”
“Ah, but you do me an injustice,” he said. “I could think of ten words without having to frown in thought and pummel my brow. But why is it you will not answer a direct question? Was there a time limit? And are you stranded? All alone?”
“The axle of the carriage in which I am traveling came perilously close to breaking,” she said. “The coachman does not believe we will be able to resume the journey until tomorrow morning at the earliest.” Why was she explaining?
“I took a glance out into the innyard before stepping in here,” he said. “There is no sign of a private carriage. Has yours by chance made off without you, the imperiled axle story just one big hoax to be rid of you? But that is unlikely, I must admit. You did not—surely—arrive here in that apology for a conveyance that is listing hard to the northwest and looking for all the world as though it will not be fit to go anywhere for the next eternity or two. Or did you? A hired carriage, Lady Riverdale?”
“That is no longer my name,” she said.
“A hired carriage, Miss Kingsley?” He sounded pained.
“How are the mighty fallen?” she said. “Was that your meaning, Mr. Lamarr? Then why not say so?”
Long, elegant fingers closed about the handle of his quizzing glass, but he did not raise it to his eye. “Riverdale was a blackguard,” he said. “If it was your idea to completely disassociate yourself from him, even in name, then I congratulate you. You are better off without the connection. Kingsley is your maiden name, I assume?”
She did not answer. She looked down at her coffee in order to break eye contact with him. There was still half a cup left. It would be cold by now, though. Besides, she was not sure her hand would be steady enough to lift the cup without revealing her agitation.
“Miss Kingsley,” he said after a few moments of silence had passed. “Are you going to send me away again? And spend the rest of the day alone?”

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback 

Amazon Series Link

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Giveaway

Winner’s Choice of Paperback in Mary Balogh’s Westcott Series

ENTER GIVEAWAY ON FACEBOOK HERE

Winner will be announced Sunday (5/6) by 6PM EST. Paperback provided by Berkley Romance.

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About the Author

Mary Balogh is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly novels: Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful, and Slightly Dangerous, as well as the romances No Man’s Mistress, More than a Mistress, and One Night for Love. She is also the author of Simply Love, Simply Unforgettable, Simply Magic, and Simply Perfect, her dazzling quartet of novels set at Miss Martin’s School for Girls. A former teacher herself, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada.

Website | Facebook | Amazon

Review & Excerpt Tour: ROME’S CHANCE: A Reapers MC Novella by Joanna Wylde

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ROME’S CHANCE: A Reapers MC Novella by Joanna Wylde

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

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D0A72D52-1F5B-4B57-8767-FD63E2CF0F7EFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna Wylde comes a new story in her Reapers MC series…

Rome McGuire knew he was in trouble the first time he saw her.

She was sweet and pretty and just about perfect in every way. She was also too young and innocent for the Reapers Motorcycle Club. He did the right thing, and walked away.

The second time, he couldn’t resist tasting her.

Gorgeous and smart, fun and full of wonder, she jumped on his bike and would’ve followed him anywhere. Still, she deserved a shot at happiness somewhere bigger and better than a town like Hallies Falls. Walking away wasn’t so easy that time, but her family needed her and he had a job to do.

When she came around a third time, he’d had enough. Randi Whittaker had been given two chances to escape, and now it was time for Rome to take his.

This time, the only way Randi would be leaving Hallies Falls was on the back of Rome’s bike.

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Trailer

https://video214.com/play/j4ZSZPCtAFucKXE2CwIXfA/s/dark

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Excerpt

Chemistry.
This was pure chemistry, and we’d had it from the very first. Our eyes had met across that keg and it was all over… Now Rome’s eyes found mine again, and that same spark I was feeling flared in their depths.
“F*ck, you’re beautiful,” he said, his face softening. I blinked, every bit as mesmerized as I’d felt at the grocery store. He leaned forward, still sitting on the bike, and caught my hand, pulling me toward him. “I’m gonna kiss you.”
“Yes, please,” I whispered, brain fully disengaged. His hand came up and caught the back of my head, then our lips met and I died a little.
He’d kissed me twice before, years ago. Those kisses had been soft. Devastating and intense, but very gentle. Sweet.
This was totally different. This came hard and fast, his mouth overwhelming mine with a powerful, masculine hunger I hadn’t expected. His tongue thrust against the seam of my lips, and when I didn’t immediately open, his teeth followed, nipping just enough to startle me. I gasped, and then he was inside.
There was nothing sweet about him right now.
Rome’s hand twisted in my hair, holding my head captive as his tongue pushed inside my mouth. Fire exploded through me, a deep well of heat settling between my legs. My hands reached up to catch his shoulders and then I was all in, giving as good as he gave me.
His other arm came around my waist, crushing me against him. This wasn’t nearly as awkward as it should’ve been, considering he was still on the bike. Maybe we could just skip dinner. Go straight to the fun part of the date…
A loud honking and the sound of someone screaming “Wooohooo!” from a passing car jolted me out of the moment. I pushed against his shoulders. Rome let me step back, although he kept his arm around my body. His eyes were smoky with lust, and I thought I saw the hint of a flush showing underneath the tan of his cheeks.
Yup, the feeling was definitely mutual.

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Cori 5 Stars

I loved Rome! ROME’S CHANCE is a novella in Joanna Wylde’s Reaper MC Series, but it can be read as a standalone. The characters in this novella were in Reaper’s Fire though. If you haven’t read the series you can try this one and if you like it I’d recommend starting at the beginning and binge reading it in order. I love all of the Reapers because they’re hot bikers that fall hard for their women with some strong alpha traits. Rome was a surprise and a different kind of hero than the previous Reaper heroes. He was more romantic and sweet. Don’t get me wrong, he was still smoking hot and definitely an alpha, but I fell a little harder for him because of the romantic side he showed. I highly recommend this entire series for readers looking for a hot biker series. The Reapers are addictive and I can’t get enough of them!

*Review copy provided by the Inkslinger in exchange for an honest review.

 

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Buy Links

Kindle $2.99 | Amazon Paperback $8.99

Amazon Series Link

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✿Reapers Motorcycle Club Series by Joanna Wylde✿
✦#1: Reaper’s Property ➢ Amazon
✦#2: Reaper’s Legacy ➢ Amazon
✦#3: Devil’s Game ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦#4: Reaper’s Stand ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦Silver Bastard (Silver Valley) ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦#5: Reaper’s Fall ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦#6: Reaper’s Fire ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦Shade’s Lady ➢ Amazon | Review 5 Stars
✦Rome’s Chance ➢ Amazon

Amazon Series Link: http://amzn.to/1OPnuOl

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Joanna Wylde started her writing career in journalism, working in two daily newspapers as both a reporter and editor. Her career has included many different jobs, from managing a homeless shelter to running her own freelance writing business, where she took on projects ranging from fundraising to ghostwriting for academics. During 2012 she got her first Kindle reader as a gift and discovered the indie writing revolution taking place online. Not long afterward she started cutting back her client list to work on Reaper’s Property, her breakout book. It was published in January 2013, marking the beginning of a new career writing fiction.

Joanna lives in the mountains of northern Idaho with her family.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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 Check out this Guest Post from Joanna Wylde:

 ✦S.I.L.V.E.R. Bastard Blog Tour – V is for Villain Guest Post from Joanna Wylde http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-2hk

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Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE WORLD’S WORST BOYFRIEND by Erika Kelly

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THE WORLD’S WORST BOYFRIEND by Erika Kelly

Publication Date: April 3, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance

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F61B6518-D53C-443F-908B-ABBF4D5469CCSix years ago Fin Bowie made a decision that cost him the love of his life. Now his ex is coming back to town for her brother’s wedding, and he can finally make things right. Except, right before the event, a text he sent goes viral. Overnight, he becomes an international meme. And it’s hard to win your woman back when the whole world’s calling you The World’s Worst Boyfriend.

The last thing on Calliope Bell’s mind is getting back with Fin. Not when her life’s just gone sideways, forcing her to spend the summer in Calamity, Wyoming. She can’t be away from the New York art world this long, so she comes up with the idea to turn the hottest pop culture event of the moment into a museum exhibition.

The two have every intention of avoiding each other–until the county judge sentences Fin to community service…helping her exploit the meme he’s trying to make go away.

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Excerpt

The sight of Fin Bowie standing in her foyer hit like opening the door to a surprise party. That disheveled hair and facial scruff, his big, muscular body and moody expression, made Callie’s heart flip over.

His black leather jacket hung open, exposing a white V-neck T-shirt. Faded jeans encased powerful thighs, the frayed hem bunching over black leather boots.

“Hey.” Did she have to sound so out of breath? Her heart pounded like she’d just been chased through the woods at night by a bear.

And it didn’t help that his gaze took a slow roll up her body, from her red-tipped toes to her bare legs—her upper thighs covered in ruffled cotton sleep shorts—to the pink long-sleeved T-shirt covering her chest. When he finally reached her eyes, his nostrils flared, and his expression turned carnal. A zing of awareness shot through her.

And then he smiled. And when Fin Bowie smiled it was like the finale of a fireworks display. “What’s up?” She hated the slight tremor in her voice. Worse, she hated the fuse he lit inside her.

“Let’s take a ride. I’ll wait for you in the truck.”

The last thing she wanted to do was get in that truck with him, but they were going to work together, so they had to get some things resolved. As she followed him out the door, she tried to reclaim her composure, but her paralyzed hands couldn’t grasp it and, as she climbed down the porch steps, the bridge of time collapsed, plunging her into freefall.

Images flew at her, immersing her in a tumult of sharp, vivid emotions.

The thrill of Fin unhinging the basement door she’d locked after he’d told her he couldn’t go to their junior prom because of his brother’s skiing competition. So much anger—no, outrage—expressed in a furious fight that had ended in desperate, raw sex.

The naughty pleasure of riding him in his truck, her fingers clutching the back of his seat, her hips slamming down and grinding. That wild imperative to get closer, deeper, to meld with him.

The boundless joy as they’d leapt off the cliff together, hands joined, her smile stretching so wide it felt stupid. Plummeting into ice cold water. And the indescribable happiness when they’d popped up and reached for each other—her legs wrapped around his waist, his arms cinching her tightly. She’d never felt anything like it since.

And the pure relief of slamming into the wall of Fin’s chest in the hallway after she’d found out Piglet, her little runt of a mutt, had been struck and killed by a minivan. The deep satisfaction, when she’d collapsed into his arms, of knowing her soul had a harbor, and it was Fin Bowie.

He’d been there for her more times than not, but the times he’d let her down stuck in her joints like burrs, reminding her with sharp twinges every time she so much as rolled over in bed.

Blocking out the good memories had been easy…until she’d come home. Here, they were everywhere. She breathed them in at night in her childhood bed, and she ate them for breakfast at the kitchen table.

Fortunately, when she closed the front door behind her, the cool mountain air rushed over her skin and snapped her back to the moment. The hints of sage from the surrounding meadow and smoke from the town’s nightly bonfire woke up her senses.

It was okay to remember. Important, actually, because she’d never resolved anything. She’d just thrown herself into work, into survival mode. Finals, projects, hurrying to the diner, the bar, racing to get errands done in stolen moments…all of it had kept her on the run.

She never would’ve stopped, would she? If Julian hadn’t dumped her, forcing her to live at home for the summer, she’d still be on the lam from a past that demanded reconciliation.

She’d take this ride with Fin, confront the memories, and then she could finally let them go. Let himgo.

She’d finally be free.

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Cori 5 Stars

Loved! Oh my goodness y’all this book gave me all the feels! I haven’t been this excited since I read Erika Kelly’s first book. This new series is going to be awesome. I’m obsessed with the Bowie brothers! Obsessed and addicted! THE WORLD’S WORST BOYFRIEND is the first book in Erika Kelly’s new series that will feature the Bowie brothers. I fell hard for Fin. If you have read Erika Kelly’s Rock Star series you know she can deliver some great heroes and I’ve had some favorites in the past but Fin might be topping my list now. He just tugged at my heart-strings and he never gave up. Fin and Calli’s story is a second chance love story. I loved their story and couldn’t put it down. Go grab this book and fall in love with Fin. If you haven’t read Erika Kelly’s books I highly recommend all of her books. She’s an author I usually recommend if a reader asks me for a feel good romance recommendation because she delivers a happy ending.

*Review copy provided by the Inkslinger in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback

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✿✿✿ ADDITIONAL SERIES ✿✿✿

✿Wild Love Series by Erika Kelly✿
✦1. Mine For Now ➢ Review 4.5 Stars | Kindle
✦2. Mine for the Week ➢ Review 4.5 Stars | Kindle

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✿Rock Star Romance Series by Erika Kelly✿

✦1. You Really Got Me ➢ Review 5 Stars | Kindle
✦2. I Want You To Want Me ➢ Review 5 Stars | Kindle
✦3. Take Me Home Tonight ➢ Review 5 Stars | Kindle
✦4. More Than a Feeling ➢ Review 5 Stars | Kindle

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Giveaway

eCopy Set of MINE FOR NOW, MINE FOR THE WEEK, and MORE THAN A FEELING for 3 winners (US and Canada Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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IMG_7511Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life—she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: ON HART’S BOARDWALK: An On Dublin Street Novella by Samantha Young

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ON HART’S BOARDWALK: An On Dublin Street Novella by Samantha Young

Publication Date: March 20, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

9CBB1EC0-8402-4A2F-9924-1704B03CA2F3One of New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young’s most beloved couples returns for the first time in a brand new novella set ten years after her blockbuster bestseller Before Jamaica Lane…

Nate and Liv have a great life together but they miss the spontaneity and freedom they enjoyed early on in their romance. Careers and their children have inevitably kept them busy, so when Nate discovers Liv is feeling disconnected from him, he plans an anniversary trip to the idyllic seaside town of Hartwell, Delaware. There he hopes they will have the opportunity they’ve been craving–a chance to reinvent themselves and fall in love all over again.

With each new day comes a new adventure, from wedding crashing at the five-star boardwalk hotel to pretending they are two strangers having a chance encounter at the boardwalk bar. In the midst of this daring, sexually-charged game of romantic rediscovery, Nate and Liv discover the only constant they need is each other.

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Cori 4.5 Stars

This novella gave me all the feels! It was just what I needed. I loved catching up with Nate and Liv! ON HART’S BOARDWALK is a novella in Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street Series and features one of my favorite couples in the series, Nate and Liv, the couple in BEFORE JAMAICA LANE. I’d recommend reading BEFORE JAMAICA LANE before picking up this novella because the story takes place after the couple is married. The series features different couples in each book and they’re all great. Hot romance, great characters and feel-good love stories make this series addicting. I recommend this series for all contemporary romance lovers.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.  

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Excerpt

Although Nate had agreed to wait to have sex until we played out our little strangers in a bar fantasy, I could tell he was disgruntled. For some reason his irritation made me want to torment him even more. After we showered (separately) and dressed, I grabbed his hand when we walked down to breakfast, trailing the fingertips of my free hand over the skin on his forearm exposed by his T-shirt.
Walking down the stairs he frowned at me. “You’re doing that deliberately.”
“Are you saying I don’t get to touch you at all until tomorrow night?”
“No.” He suddenly stopped and pressed me up against the wall of the stairwell, his mouth inches from mine. His hand, the one not holding mine, slipped under my sundress, his fingertips caressing their way up my inner thigh.
“Nate,” I gasped, looking down the stairs to make sure the entrance was empty.
“You tease me, babe…” His hot breath whispered against my lips. “I tease you tenfold in return.”
I fought with the desire flooding me and the concern over disrespecting our very nice inn owner. My concern won out and I reached for his wrist under my dress and forcefully removed his hand with a flash of ire in my eyes that made him smirk in triumph. “Not here.”
“Just playing your game.” He stood back and then began leading me down the stairs like nothing had happened.
There was only one other couple in the dining hall that early in the morning, an older couple who smiled warmly at us and greeted us ‘hello’ as we grabbed some coffee from the buffet area.
We’d just taken a seat at a table when Aydan came out of the kitchen and beamed at us. “You two are up early. Jetlag?”
“Yeah,” I said, fighting off a yawn. “I’m still kind of feeling it actually. But this will help.” I raised my coffee cup.
“So will some food.” She handed us each a menu. “I’ll be back in a minute to take your order.”
We were looking over the small menu and I was trying to decide between scrambled eggs, potatoes, and bacon; pancakes, maple syrup and bacon; or waffles. “I forgot how good breakfast is here.” I glanced over at my husband, who seemed less excited than me about breakfast. “You’re getting the egg white frittata, aren’t you?”
Nate used to indulge more food-wise but he’d found, as we all found, that he couldn’t metabolize crappy food as well as he used to. So, he only indulged every now and then.
“Aye.” He nodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He knew it bugged me that he had more willpower than I did.
“I’m getting the waffles,” I immediately decided.
Nate laughed and leaned over to caress the top of my ass, which thankfully was hidden by the back of my chair from anyone else’s few. “You eat whatever you want, babe. We’ll both enjoy the fruits of that labor.”
I should have glared at him for feeling me up in the breakfast room of this quaint inn, but I couldn’t, because it felt like I had my old Nate back. The guy who made me feel sexy and wanted no matter what. So instead I gave him a soft smile.
For some reason my reaction made his gaze turn liquid with heat and he impulsively leaned over, cupped my face in his hand and kissed me. Hard. Deep. Quick.
When he let me go I couldn’t even think long enough to be embarrassed that he’d just Frenched me in front of an elderly couple who were trying to eat their breakfast. I could only blink, dazed, my lips wet and waiting for more. “What was that for?”
“Because I love you.” He shrugged, like it was most obvious answer in the world.
Before I could say anything else the sound of Bailey Hartwell’s raised voice met our ears from somewhere near reception. “It’s ridiculous that’s why!”
Nate and I shot each other amused looks, and pretended to peruse the menu even though I knew were both listening in. Nosy buggers.
Her voice was lower now, and the fact that we hadn’t heard another voice reply suggested
she was on the phone. “Vaughn, we have a house,” she hissed. “We don’t need another… why would you sell it? It’s beautiful… we don’t need to buy a house together to be together… it’s a waste of money…” there was a longer stretch of silence. “Okay, if you’re that intent on wasting money why don’t we just strip the house out and make it the way we both want it… it sits right on the water…. Stop being romantic when I’m trying to be practical, you know it confuses me… Stop it, I’m at the inn.” Her voice dropped even lower. Her breath seemed to catch. “You’re going to pay for that, Tremaine… no… no… Vaughn… okay, fine…. I love you too, you, handsome bastard.”
That seemed to be the end of the conversation, and I turned to Nate, laughter bubbling in my throat. “That sounded familiar.”
He grinned. “Didn’t it.”
“I don’t think our inn owner is going to Scotland anytime soon.”
“No?”
“No. If she’s got what I’ve got, she’s staying put.”

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Buy Links

Kindle $2.99 | Amazon Series Link

I recommend reading BEFORE JAMAICA LANE before this novella

Samantha Young’s Amazon Page

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Giveaway

Paperback Copy of EVERY LITTLE THING by Samantha Young

Enter on Facebook Post HERE

*Paperback provided by Penguin Berkley Romance.

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About the author

Samantha Young is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series, including Moonlight on Nightingale Way, Echoes of Scotland Street, and Fall from India Place, as well as the standalone novel Hero. She resides in Scotland.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Review, Guest Post & Giveaway: HIGHLAND CONQUEST by Alyson McLayne

D32F608B-5CFA-412E-9BD8-51DFC9A9A15A HIGHLAND CONQUEST (The Sons of Gregor MacLeod Series, Book 2) by Alyson McLayne

Publication Date: February 6, 2018 

Genre: Historical Romance  

Synopsis

DDE2B59F-1183-4685-B89B-4A5831186572HE WAS LOOKING FOR VENGEANCE
INSTEAD HE FOUND HER

Laird Lachlan MacKay never planned on leading his clan, but when his older brother was murdered, he was left with no choice. His vow to avenge his brother has led him to the MacPherson clan—and their bewitching healer, Amber.

Amber MacPherson is desperate. Dressed as a boy to escape her clan’s treacherous leader, she runs right into Lachlan—who orders her detained. At first she causes him nothing but frustration, especially when she blackmails him into helping her clan. But when she’s threatened by the same man who murdered his brother, Lachlan will do whatever it takes to keep her safe—and by his side.

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Cori 4.5 Stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this highlander romance. HIGHLAND CONQUEST is the second book in Alyson McLayne’s The Sons of Gregor MacLeod Series, but it can be read as a standalone. I’m a huge fan of highlander heroes and this book definitely satisfied my obsession. HIGHLAND CONQUEST captured and held my attention. It was a good mix of danger, passion, humor and romance. This is the first book I have read by Alyson McLayne and I’ll definitely be reading more. I have the first book on my kindle and I added the next release to my TBR. I recommend this series for historical romance lovers looking for their next highlander fix.

*Review copy provided by Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback

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Amazon Series Link

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Author Guest Post

February is fast approaching, and with it come several big events in my life. Not only do my kids turn 6 at the end of the month, but on the actual 6th, my historical romance, HIGHLAND CONQUEST—book 2 in my series THE SONS OF GREGOR MACLEOD—releases to the world! This is a book I can’t wait to hit the stands. The love story between Amber and Lachlan is one of my favorites. Amber is the MacPherson healer who’s had to pretend to be a witch in order to stay safe from her depraved laird while she heals her people. Lachlan’s the laird of his own clan who attacks the MacPhersons in order to bring their laird to justice for killing Lachlan’s brother. When the MacPherson laird escapes, Amber blackmails Lachlan into sticking around and helping her people. She’s outspoken and strong-willed and doesn’t hold anything back in her dealings with her new laird. Lachlan doesn’t hold back, either, and the two of them begin a tumultuous relationship that dances around their physical and mental attraction and drives both of them just a wee bit batty.

February also brings us Valentine’s Day, a favorite holiday of many romance readers! So I decided to celebrate the release of HIGHLAND CONQUEST on February 6th, and Valentine’s Day eight days later, by revealing my top 6 favorite romance couples of all time!

1. Anne & Gilbert

When I was ten-years-old, my mom gave me the first three Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maude Montgomery. I got hooked on Anne’s adventures and all the different characters in Avonlea, including her nemesis, Gilbert Blythe. When they first meet, Gilbert pulls Anne’s braid and teases her about her red hair, calling her “carrots”. She responds by smashing her slate over his head. Thus the relationship between Anne and Gilbert is born, and a rivalry and enmity develops between them that takes years for them to overcome. Along the way Anne refuses Gilbert’s declaration of love and almost becomes engaged to another man. But finally she realizes she loves Gilbert too, and wishes with all her heart that he’ll say the words again. Which he does, bringing me my first ever Happily Ever After—warm fuzzies and a heartfelt sigh included.

2. Arwen & Aragorn

Just saying those names leaves me sighing and feeling a little teary and mushy inside (in a good way!). Theirs is a romance for the ages, portrayed beautifully by Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson’s filmed adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings. Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, is an immortal elf who falls in love with the mortal Aragorn, heir of Isildur and rightful claimant to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor. In order to be together, Arwen has to give up her immortality and know that she will only die after Aragorn has died. Aragorn tries to dissuade her from being with him, but Arwen will not be swayed, saying: “I would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.” Sigh…

3. Mac & Barrons

If I had to pick a book boyfriend it would be Barrons from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. He. Makes. Me. Shiver—in a good way. He is the epitome of Alpha—strong, dominant, smart, whose only saving grace is that Mac is his everything…even if she doesn’t yet know it. There is no greater bad boy in my opinion. You just know that his reserve and icy control shields a raging inferno beneath. When Mac & Barrons finally get together at the end of book four (and yes, I do know they were together when she was Priya, but that doesn’t count), it’s like he unleashes himself on her. He devours her and she devours him right back. And what makes their love story even twistier, adding more layers to their relationship through the first four books, is discovering in a later book (Burned, I think) that Jericho Barrons and MacKayla Lane have done the wild deed once before—all night long—and Barrons used magic to erase Mac’s memory of it. Bad. Boy. And here’s the other thing I love… they still call each other Barrons and Miss Lane, same as they always did, unless they’re having sex or in near-death situations. Then it’s Jericho and Mac.

4. Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy

How can I write a list about my favorite couples and not include Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the first classic novels that I read and I kept the book in my backpack for many months reading it over and over, when I was at university. Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth about halfway through the story is a shock because he’s been nothing but aloof and haughty toward her and her family—in fact, the proposal is filled with condescension about Elizabeth’s lack of social position and wealth compared to his, and he claims it’s an obstacle his love has had to overcome. The scene where Elizabeth rejects him is a favorite of mine—especially the rain-soaked version between Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. What I love about this scene, is that Mr. Darcy is undone by her. He takes her opinion of him to heart, even though some of her accusations against him are unfounded. She opens his eyes to his lack of kindness and grace and it changes him for the better—makes him into a man that Elizabeth could love.

5. Han & Leia

I contemplated putting Han Solo and Princess Leia at the top of the list. My brother took me to see Star Wars when it first came out, so technically they were the first couple I met—but at seven, I was too young to truly appreciate the sigh-worthiness of Han and Leia. This is a romance that builds…and builds…and builds amidst verbal sparring and sarcastic jabs until finally near the end of The Empire Strikes Back they kiss—just before Han is yanked away from Leia and frozen alive in carbonite.  Irrepressible bad boy that he is, when Leia says a heartfelt, “I love you,” as they’re securing Han for freezing, Han looks back at her and simply says, “I know.” Gets me every time.

6. Claire and Jamie

Seeing as I write Highlander romance (and love Highlander romance—big shout out to some of my favorites: Julie Garwood, Monica McCarty, and Karen Marie Moning!) it would be impossible for me NOT to include Claire and Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. She’s created this unforgettable, iconic romance between Jamie and Claire all wrapped up in some of the most interesting and tumultuous times in Scottish history. I’m going to choose to focus on book three, Voyager, for one big reason: the REUNION. Le sigh. You begin the book, knowing that Claire and Jamie will reunite after so many years apart, and then you have to wait…and wait. Or was I the only one who didn’t jump ahead? Finally, Claire walks into Jamie’s shop, and they kiss, but we still have to wait as Jamie grabs the drunken Mr. Willoughby from the pub, gets chased, and takes Claire back to a whore house, before…the moment. It starts with an awkward kiss and nose bump before Jamie takes control and says to Claire, “Give me your mouth, Sassenach.” Excuse me while I melt.

Do you like my list? Did I miss any of your favorites? Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my top 6 favorite romance couples!

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Giveaway

2 Copies of HIGHLAND CONQUEST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

CFC9B66B-E33F-4D45-B4B6-EE2D9786BD25A stay-at-home mom of twins and award-winning writer, Alyson McLayne is a dog lover and cat servant with a serious stash of dark chocolate. After getting her degree in theater at the University of Alberta, she promptly moved to the west coast where she worked in film for several years and met her Prop Master husband.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: THAT KILLER SMILE by Juliet Lyons

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THAT KILLER SMILE (Bite Nights, Book 3) by Juliet Lyons

Publication Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

E8CF8059-7072-40F2-BF61-34CD1FC3DACETHERE WILL BE HEAT…

Vampire Catherine Adair gave up trying to find her perfect match ages ago. But that didn’t stop her from founding London’s super successful vampire dating site. When a smoldering vampire overlord from her past launches an interspecies speed-dating service, Catherine vows to crush the competition….

WHEN THESE TWO COMPETE

Ronin’s new venture is purely about getting Catherine’s attention. He hasn’t stopped thinking about her ever since the night she gave him the cold shoulder. Nobody gets away from Ronin McDermott that easily…

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Excerpt

For a few seconds, I’m lost for words. But as I stare between the bag on the floor and Ronin’s chiseled face, it all becomes clear.
“This is about you wanting me to owe you, isn’t it?” I hiss, fixing my gaze on his left ear. It’s a trick I learned from the last time we met. If I don’t look directly into his eyes, there’s less chance of being drawn into their swirling, blue depths.
He smiles, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable, do you know that?”
“Pfffft,” I erupt. “I’m unbelievable? I’m not the one trying to tank my business by spreading rumors and launching a dating service. I’m not the one going out of his way to ensure our paths keep crossing in the worst possible ways.”
He frowns, displaying the first sign of irritation since I crashed into the room. “I’ve already told you, mo chridhe, it wasn’t me who started those rumors. And as for the speed dating, well, it was a free country last time I checked. I’m offering you the cash because the fella was injured in my club. Which means technically he’s my responsibility. If you don’t take the money now, I’ll have someone deliver it to his lawyer’s office later. I have their address now, after all.”
He waves the letter in the air like a victory flag.
“I’ll call them up,” I blurt out, voice quavering. “I’ll tell them you’re a madman and not to accept it. I’ll say it’s not your money at all, that you conned the life savings from some poor old man with dementia.”
Ronin arches a brow, tucking the letter into an inside pocket of his jacket. “That’s some novel you’re writing there, Catherine, but I doubt they would argue if I write them a Coutts check, do you?”
I’m all out of ammunition. “I loathe you.”
For a split second, his cocksureness wavers, the steely-blue eyes darkening. But only for a moment. “The problem isn’t me, Catherine,” he says, edging closer. “The problem is you.”
I straighten up. “That’s the most irritating thing about you, Ronin—you always think you know better than everybody else. I’m not sure whether it’s because you’ve been around longer than the rest of us or because you’re just a massive asshole. Either way, you don’t know the first thing about me.”
He flashes a cocky grin, raking his gaze over me as if he has X-ray vision. “You don’t loathe me, mo chridhe. You just can’t get over the fact you’re an uptight puritan who loved the kind of sex I gave you that night we spent together.”
I let out a high-pitched laugh. “That’s right, Ronin. Let’s not forget for one second that the world revolves around you and your penis. Actually, I’m surprised you’re even bothering to get dressed these days. I would have thought you’d have developed a penchant for silky, red pajamas and slippers by now.” I motion to the cigar on the carpet. “Looks like you’ve nailed the smoking part, and God knows the Playboy bunnies must be hiding around here somewhere.”
He scoffs. “Jealous?”
“Please, you’re not that good in bed.”
Except he is—or was. Better than good. But I can’t think about that right now. Or ever again, actually.
“Paulo was right about you,” he murmurs. “You are a mad bitch.”
I close the distance between us in a single stride and smack him across the cheek. It’s like hitting stone. He doesn’t so much as flinch. For some bizarre reason, this ignites a hot stab of lust in the pit of my stomach. His scent—a masculine blend of whiskey, leather, and woodsmoke—infiltrates my senses. I’m transported back to that night some years ago when we went at it like two wildcats in his bed.
I never wanted to come up for air.
I’m standing too close to use the ear trick. His eyes drag me in, two penetrating blue flames, dark with anger. I gulp, allowing my gaze to wander over his chiseled-from-rock cheekbones, rosy Celtic skin, copper hair slicked back from a noble forehead. He may be an asshole, but there is no denying his beauty.
For what feels like an eternity, neither of us move. We remain locked onto each other, energy—good and bad—swirling between us like thick fog.
Quite without thinking, I hiss, “Fucker.” After spending my human life afraid to speak, I never managed to rewire the connection between my brain and mouth.
His blue eyes flash. At once, his lips are on mine and his arms are around my waist. Instead of struggling, I mold myself into the hard contours of his body, my tongue sliding over his, my hands pulling him closer, and I hate myself—Lord, how I despise myself—for how good it feels. It’s as though he brings a magnifying glass up to all the base urges I long to forget, including this—an utterly ridiculous sexual attraction to a demon playboy who’s murdered God knows how many during his thousands of years on earth.
I don’t pull away. I can’t. He absorbs me like a drug. Before I can help myself, my fingers are tangled in his thick, red hair and I’m allowing his hands to cup my ass, grinding against the hard rope of an erection bulging beneath his trousers. We devour each other, eyes and mouths open, until I’m no longer sure where he begins and I end.
But then he takes his mouth from mine, trailing kisses from jawline to neck. Along with the rasp of stubble, I feel a scrape of fangs, sharp as knives, glide across my skin. I shove him away, panting slightly, averting my eyes to the lacquered walnut desk in the center of the room. If I don’t stop this now, I’ll end up sprawled across that table just like all the other women he’s had in here. The worst part is, I’d enjoy it.
“Consider the debt paid,” I say.

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Cori 4 Stars

THAT KILLER SMILE was a fun and sexy read! It is the third book in Juliet Lyons paranormal series, the Bite Nights Series, but can be read as a standalone. The series is about a dating service for vampires and humans and in Juliet Lyon’s frictional world humans are aware of vampires. THAT KILLER SMILE was just a fun read and I enjoyed the characters. I recommend this series for paranormal lovers looking for a fun vampire series.

*Review copy provided by Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Series Link

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BITE NIGHTS SERIES BY JULIET LYONS
Amazon Series Link
✦1. DATING THE UNDEAD ➢ Kindle | Review
✦2. DROP DEAD GORGEOUS ➢ Kindle | Review
✦3. THAT KILLER SMILE ➢ Kindle

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Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of the first book in Juliet Lyons’ Bite Nights series, Dating the Undead

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Juliet 2 web_ photo by Sharan Rai PhotographyJULIET LYONS is a paranormal romance author from the UK. She holds a degree in Spanish and Latin American studies and works part-time in a local primary school where she spends far too much time discussing Harry Potter. Since joining global storytelling site Wattpad in 2014, her work has received millions of hits online and gained a legion of fans from all over the world. When she is not writing, Juliet enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA by Chanel Cleeton

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NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA by Chanel Cleeton

Publication Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Women’s Fiction

Synopsis0F3ACD31-89E2-4426-BD78-912DDE6B8135After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity–and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution…



Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba’s high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country’s growing political unrest–until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary…

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa’s last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth.

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba’s tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she’ll need the lessons of her grandmother’s past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

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Cori 5 Stars

NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA is the book I’m going to be telling all my friends, all my relatives, random people on the street and anyone else who will listen to me, to read this year! I absolutely loved it! The characters, the story, the setting, the imagery and all the other little aspects Chanel Cleeton put into this book, made it something beautiful and epic. The present day story is told by Marisol when she travels to Cuba to spread her grandmother, Elisa’s ashes. Then we also get Elisa’s story in Cuba in the 1950s. I don’t want to go into details about the plot because it has some surprises I don’t want to ruin. Their stories will live with me for a long while. I truly loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone. Pour a glass of wine, set some music and curl up with this book. You’ll enjoy it.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review. 

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Penguin Random House

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Giveaway

Kindle Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 8 GB

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

D06E0055-9D78-4818-95BC-A53C0344260AOriginally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Learn more about Next Year in Havana including downloading the book club guide and more at: http://www.chanelcleeton.com/next-year-in-havana/

Add Beatriz Perez’s story WHEN WE LEFT CUBA on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38193131-when-we-left-cuba

Praise for Next Year in Havana:

Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year In Havana is a flat-out stunner of a book, at once a dual-timeline mystery, a passionate romance, and paean to the tragedy and beauty of war-torn Cuba. The story of sugar heiress Elisa, watching Cuba fall into revolution as Castro rises, is intertwined with the modern-day tale of Elisa’s granddaughter Marisol as she returns to Cuba after Castro’s death. Both women fall for fire-brand revolutionaries, but Cuba itself emerges as their true love-interest, threatening to break both women’s hearts as Elisa and Marisol each grapple in their own way with what it is to be Cuban, what it is to be an exile, and how to love and live in a homeland riven by revolution. Simply wonderful!
– Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

Cleeton has penned an atmospheric, politically insightful, and highly hopeful homage to a lost world. Devour NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA and you, too, will smell the perfumed groves, taste the ropa vieja, and feel the sun on your face. Just a wonderful and educational book!
– Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter

A vivid, transporting novel. Next Year in Havana is about journeys– into exile, into history, and into questions of home and identity. It’s an engrossing read.
– David Ebershoff, author of The Danish Girl and The 19th Wife

An evocative, passionate story of family loyalty and forbidden love that moves seamlessly between the past and present of Cuba’s turbulent history— how one young woman’s sacrifice becomes the key to her granddaughter’s future—how culture and spirit survive against all odds. Next Year in Havana kept me enthralled and savoring every word.
– Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Beach

In Next Year in Havana, Chanel Cleeton’s prose is as beautiful as Cuba itself, and the story she weaves–of exile and loss, memory and myth, forbidden love and enduring friendship–is at once sweeping and beautifully intimate. This is a moving, heartfelt, and gorgeously realized story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
– Jennifer Robson, USA Today bestselling author of Somewhere in France

Review & Giveaway: BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE by Lorraine Heath

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BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE: A Sins For All Seasons Novel by Lorraine Heath

Publication Date: January 30, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance

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F8999629-6515-4FB3-A3C9-AA80AFAC6814In New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath’s first, unforgettable novel in a breathtaking new series, one man’s plan for vengeance turns awry when he falls hopelessly in love

At birth, Mick Trewlove, the illegitimate son of a duke, was handed over to a commoner. Despite his lowly upbringing, Mick has become a successful businessman, but all his wealth hasn’t satisfied his need for revenge against the man who still won’t acknowledge him. What else can Mick do but destroy the duke’s legitimate son—and woo the heir’s betrothed into his own unloving arms…

Orphaned and sheltered, Lady Aslyn Hastings longs for a bit of adventure. With her intended often preoccupied, Aslyn finds herself drawn to a darkly handsome entrepreneur who seems to understand her so well. Surely a lady of her station should avoid Mick Trewlove. If only he weren’t so irresistible…

As secrets are about to be exposed, Mick must decide if his plan for vengeance is worth risking what his heart truly desires.

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Cori 4 Stars

This is the first book by Lorraine Heath I’ve read and I’ll definitely be reading more after reading BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE. I was sent a copy in the mail and picked it up because I loved the cover. I know, I know, but come on…it’s a beautiful cover. It turned out to be a really great story as well! I loved the characters and the storyline. The plot was unique and the story was well written with great imagery. Lorraine Heath delivered a beautiful romance that left me smiling. I recommend BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE for historical romance lovers. I’ll be picking up the next release.

*Review copy provided by the Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle | Amazon Paperback

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Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s prestigious RITA. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Historical Romance Prize Pack

Enter on Facebook Post HERE 

Winner will be announced Saturday (2/17) by 6PM CST.
Reading in Pajamas is responsible for this giveaway. Some books were provided to Reading in Pajamas by Avon and some were purchased by Reading in Pajamas.

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Review: BABY, I’M HOWLING FOR YOU (Alphaville, Book 1) by Christine Warren

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BABY, I’M HOWLING FOR YOU (Alphaville, Book 1) by Christine Warren

Publication Date: January 30, 2017

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

13FE36E1-1BCA-4CCA-A8D8-69D5D7A9EC7AWELCOME TO ALPHAVILLE, where the she-wolves and alpha-males play. . .for keeps.

Renny Landry is a wolf on the run. Pursued by a shapeshifting stalker and his slobbering pack of killer coyotes, she is forced to flee her job as a librarian to find sanctuary in the wooded hills of Alpha, Washington. A well-secluded safe space for troubled shifters, Alpha is Renny’s last hope. But the first person she meets there is a gorgeous alpha male with fiery eyes, fierce tattoos, and one ferocious appetite—for her…

Mick Fischer thought he left his past behind when he moved to Alpha. But fate has a way of biting him in the tail when a female wolf shows up on his property. Wounded, desperate—and disarmingly hot—Renny brings out the snarling, protective alpha beast in Mick like no other woman he’s known. Can these two haunted, hunted wolves manage to mate for life…even as the deadliest past demons howl at their heels?

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Cori 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a great start to Christine Warren’s new series, Alphaville, which is set in the same world as her Others series. You don’t need to read her Others series before picking this one up though. I highly recommend the series though because it’s a great paranormal mix of vamps, shifters, fae and demons. The Alphaville series is a set in a town that is a haven for shifters and Renny, the heroine of the story, heads to the town on the run from a stalker and runs into her Mick, an alpha and her fated mate. The story was full of danger, some humor and hot romance. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next release. I recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers looking for a new shifter series.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback

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About the Author

E137D1A6-580A-48B3-9A3E-C9D298193B4AChristine Warren is the author of the Novels of the Others, including New York Times Bestsellers Big Bad Wolf, Walk on the Wild Side, and One Bite with a Stranger. Born and raised in coastal New England, Christine Warren now lives as a transplant in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing (as if that ever happens), she enjoys horseback riding, playing with her pets, identifying dogs from photos of their underbellies, and most of all reading things someone else had to agonize over. She has been assimilated by Twitter (as @ChrstineWarren) and Facebook, where you can follow her thoughts and witness her being ridiculous firsthand, and she always enjoys hearing from readers via email sent to Christine@ChristineWarren.net.

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