Category Archives: romance reviews

Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: Bonded: The Cavanaugh Brothers by Laura Wright

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Bonded: The Cavanaugh Brothers by Laura Wright

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

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imageThe New York Times bestselling author of Brash returns to the Triple C Ranch in River Black, Texas, for more cowboys, romance, and danger…

Ranch hand Blue Perez’s once simple life is spinning out of control. He’s discovered he has three half-brothers, and they’re not ready to accept his claim on the ranch. Also, Blue’s girlfriend may have betrayed him in the worst way possible. And after one evening of drowning his sorrows at the bar, there’s someone he can’t get out of his mind, a woman who says she’s carrying his child.

Following a night of breathtaking passion in the arms of a man who now rules her dreams, waitress Emily Shiver is contemplating her next step. Blue is determined to be a part of her life, yet she would rather raise the baby on her own. But when she becomes the target of someone’s dark obsession, Emily must let Blue in—to both her heart and her future.

imageI love this series so much and this fourth and final book in Laura Wright’s Cavanaugh Brothers series answers all the questions involving the murder of the Cavanaugh brothers’ sister. Bonded is a story of intrigue, loss and love. I loved every minute of it and fell even more in love with Blue. He struggles to work through all the pain he’s going through and at times I wanted to shake him but he overcomes everything that’s been thrown at him. The chemistry and romance between Blue and Emily was hot and I enjoyed their interactions. If you’ve been reading this series from the beginning you’ll enjoy the conclusion and if you’re haven’t read them yet you should start at the beginning because there is a mystery that spans the series. I highly recommend this sizzling cowboy series.

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

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“I want you to know,” he began. “I’m here for you and this baby.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.
“Things started how they did,” he continued, “and that can’t be changed. Hell, wouldn’t want it changed. But like I said last night, I want to be around.”
“I know, Blue.”
What was that? he wondered. In her eyes? Sadness? Worry? He was trying like hell to alleviate some of that. “Not just a few hours here and there either.” His gaze dropped, momentarily settling on her flat stomach. “I want to see it grow. I want to feel it move.”
She released a breath. Weighty. And a sudden softness touched her expression. “I would like that, Blue.”
A bit of her hair had escaped her braid and was sort of covering one eye. She looked so damn beautiful. Without thinking, he reached up and tucked the strand behind her ear, then let his fingers drift down her cheekbone. She had the softest skin.
Her breath caught and she leaned into his touch.
His eyes searched hers. “What? What’s wrong?”
“How do we do this? You? Me? The baby?”
His nostrils flared and his chest expanded. “We’ll figure it out.”
She didn’t say anything.
“Yeah?” he prodded. He needed to know she believed him.
She nodded, her cheeks going pink again. He couldn’t help himself. He ran his thumb over that cheek once again. Oh, yeah. Softest goddamned skin on the planet. Christ, he wanted to kiss her. Just a taste. The bottom lip . . . that full one . . . just one taste; then you let her go. Without thinking too hard on it, he leaned in. Right away, she closed her eyes. Parted her lips. Pink and full, and so ready. Blue stared at her mouth. Seconds ticked by. What was wrong with him? The breeze off the meadow came rushing into the barn. The Triple C’s barn. Shit, what was happening to him? His entire body humming with a need he hadn’t felt since that night . . . that night they’d created the life inside Emily.
Overtaken with far too many emotions he refused to deal with – not now anyway – Blue eased back, releasing her.
Instantly, Emily opened her eyes. And when she realized what had happened—and what hadn’t—she turned bright red.
Blue’s chest tightened. He was such an ass. He wanted to kiss her. Like a drowning man wanted air. And she’d wanted him too. So what was he doing pulling back?
She moved away from him. “I should go.” Her voice was slightly breathless.

image Kindle: http://amzn.to/1LMi3Sk
Amazon PBK: http://amzn.to/1SIZfUH
B&N: http://bit.ly/1GVTSzM
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1MFPG7K
iBooks: http://apple.co/1ErxXx8

image ✦Book 1: Branded ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Review 5 Stars
✦Book 2: Broken ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Review 5 Stars
✦Book 3: Brash ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Review 5 Stars
✦Book 4: Bonded ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo

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Paperback Copy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

image imageNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Laura Wright is passionate about romantic fiction. Though she has spent most of her life immersed in acting, singing and competitive ballroom dancing, when she found the world of writing and books and endless cups of coffee she knew she was home. Laura is the author of the bestselling Mark of the Vampire series and the USA Today bestselling series, Bayou Heat, which she co-authors with Alexandra Ivy.

Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two young children, and a menagerie of pets.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Books

Review: Primal Force: A K-9 Rescue Novel by D.D. Ayres

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Primal Force: A K-9 Rescue Novel by D.D. Ayres

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Suspense

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

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imagePassion is always worth fighting for…

Jori Garrison trains dogs for Warrior Wolf Pack, which provides service animals for disabled veterans. Four years ago, she was wrongly convicted of a crime-thanks to her no-good ex- fiancé. Now she just wants to live her life in peace with her beloved dogs. No men, no complications. But it’s hard to play it cool when a lethally hot male is on her tail-and the attraction is fierce, mutual, and dangerous….

Lauray “Law” Batisse is a Military Police veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. Haunted by the loss of his K-9 partner in combat, he’s reluctant to accept a service dog named Samantha into his life. But once he meets her trainer-the gorgeous Jori Garrison-he can’t fight his primal instincts. And neither can Jori. This sexy alpha male might be the only man strong enough to unleash her desires. And when unseen enemies start hunting them down, he and his new K-9 partner might be her only hope…to survive.

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I liked Law and Jori from the start and couldn’t help but get caught up in the steamy hot romance as well as everything going on around them. Getting Sam’s perspective on things was an added bonus that I enjoyed very much. I think D. D. Ayres wrote a well-rounded story so that the danger and excitement did not overwhelm the budding relationship of not only Law and Jori but Law and Sam as well. It made me laugh, tear up and get tense. I loved it.

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

IMG_3308 Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

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K-9 Rescue Series by D.D. Ayres
1. Irresistible Force ➢ Review | Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo
2. Force of Attraction ➢ Review | Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo
3. Primal Force ➢ Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

image imageA veteran author of romance and women’s fiction, D.D. Ayres is new to Romantic Suspense. She believes the lure of romance is always the human connection. Put that connection in physical jeopardy, and and we learn a bit more about who we really are.

With her K-9 Rescue series, D.D. hopes you will enjoy her sexy, suspenseful portrayals of K-9 teams at their best. D.D. lives in Texas with her husband and a soft-coated Wheaten terrier named Zoe.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: DELAYED PENALTY (Pilots Hockey Series) by Sophia Henry

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DELAYED PENALTY

Pilots Hockey #1

Sophia Henry

Releasing September 1, 2015

 

Genre: Contemporary/ New Adult Romance

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imageShe closed her heart long ago. He just wants to open her mind. For fans of Toni Aleo and Sawyer Bennett, the debut of Sophia Henry’s red-hot Detroit Pilots series introduces a hockey team full of complicated men who fight for love.

Auden Berezin is used to losing people: her father, her mother, her first love. Now, just when she believes those childhood wounds are finally healing, she loses something else: the soccer scholarship that was her ticket to college. Scrambling to earn tuition money, she’s relieved to find a gig translating for a Russian minor-league hockey player—until she realizes that he’s the same dangerously sexy jerk who propositioned her at the bar the night before.

Equal parts muscle and scar tissue, Aleksandr Varenkov knows about trauma. Maybe that’s what draws him to Auden. He also lost his family too young, and he channeled the pain into his passions: first hockey, then vodka and women. But all that seems to just melt away the instant he kisses Auden and feels a jolt of desire as sudden and surprising as a hard check on the ice.

After everything she’s been through, Auden can’t bring herself to trust any man, let alone a hot-headed puck jockey with a bad reputation. Aleksandr just hopes she’ll give him a chance—long enough to prove he’s finally met the one who makes him want to change.

 

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I’m pretty sure there were only two ways Crazy Hair could have looked better than he had at O’Callaghan’s. The first was as he did right now: sitting on a bench in the locker room wearing nothing but the lower half of his uniform, including his skates, sweat rolling over his sinewy pecs and creating a happy trail all the way into his hockey pants.
The second way—I can only assume—would be if he were completely naked.
“Aleksandr, this is Auden Berezin. She will be your translator.”
“I don’t need a translator.”
I almost laughed, because he’d said he didn’t need a translator in Russian.
“You must talk with the media at some point, Sasha. They’re riding my ass to get better answers from you than ‘was good game.’ ”
Aleksandr Varenkov, hot Russian hockey god, laughed, showing the perfect set of white teeth I’d noticed at the bar.
“You have your teeth in, but you haven’t even showered yet?” Orlenko asked.
Was Orlenko a mind reader? I sure hope not, because I would be fired for thinking about my client naked.
“I wanted to look good for pictures.” Aleksandr winked at me. Then he stood, and drops of sweat raced down the hard planes of his chest.
I’d never been so envious of perspiration in my life.
“Sometimes I talk in the shower. Will she translate for me in there?”
My cheeks began to burn, so I averted my eyes, lowering them to the black Cyrillic script tattooed down his sides, then thought better of that line of sight and studied the soiled beige carpet below my feet.
“Aleks—” Orlenko sighed, rubbing his forehead.
“Zhenya,” Aleksandr began. “You know I’m kidding, yes?” He shoved a towel onto the shelf above his nameplate and walked away without waiting for an answer.
“Yes,” Orlenko hissed. He’d said it under his breath, but I heard him and wondered what my grandpa had gotten me into. “Well, that was Aleksandr Varenkov, your client. He’s a talented player and a good man. But he can be a little—”
“Douchey?” I offered in English. I shouldn’t have said it, considering Grandpa’s professional reputation was in my hands. Then again, Evgeny Orlenko was Grandpa’s friend first, so maybe he wouldn’t be too hard on me. Besides, Grandpa knew what kind of mouth I had, and he’d sent me for the job anyway.
Orlenko laughed, and continued in Russian. “Wild was the word I was looking for, but your adjective may not be that far off.”
“I’ve got it, Mr. Orlenko.”
“Are you sure?” He inspected me through thick black-rimmed glasses that were too small for his puffy face.
“As a college student with an active social life, I’ve learned how to handle arrogant douche bags.” This time I was being paid to handle one.
“I shouldn’t be having this conversation about one of my clients,” Mr. Orlenko said, his lips quirking up, then back into a tight line. At least he was trying to keep a straight face. “You’re like a breath of fresh air, Audushka. I hope you stay that way even with his off-ice antics.”
Off-ice antics? What the hell did that mean and why would I have to deal with them? “Will I have to hang out with him outside of the arena? I thought I was here to translate for media interviews after games and some practices.”
“Aleksandr speaks very little English. He’ll need your assistance in all aspects of his career; interviews, community service. At least, until he gets acclimated. Vitya said you were here for the month, is that correct?”
“Yep. All of winter break.”
“You’ll be putting in a lot of hours.”
“I’m a hard worker. And I need the cash. Got cut from the soccer team, and I have to replace the scholarship money I lost.” I was running my mouth again. Maybe I did need to tone it down.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that. The being-cut part.” He cleared his throat. “Here’s my card. I wrote my cell number on the back. If you have any trouble or if Aleksandr makes you uncomfortable in any way, please give me a call.”
“Thanks.” I scanned the card wondering if I should try to memorize his number now, since I wasn’t sure how stable this client sounded.
After Orlenko left the locker room, I realized I hadn’t asked him what I should do next, and he hadn’t given me instructions as to where I should wait while Aleksandr showered. Since I wasn’t part of the media, I was extremely aware of being the intruder standing in a room of half-naked men. A shower shouldn’t take very long, so I dug my e-reader out of my messenger bag and sat down on the stool that Aleksandr had just vacated.
“Ewww.” I jumped up and skimmed my palm against my damp backside. Hadn’t even thought about any runaway sweat that might’ve dripped from Aleksandr’s lean, hard body onto the stool.
Stop. Just stop thinking about the shiny, wet flesh covering his impeccably carved frame.

******

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Delated Penalty was a quick fun romance. It’s a standalone new adult romance with a sexy Russian hockey player and a fun heroine. I enjoyed both characters and their interactions. Their relationship happened quickly but the Loveswept Ebooks are generally novella length. Sometimes you want a quick story though. The writing style was easy to read and I enjoyed the plot.  I recommend Delayed Penalty for new adult romance lovers looking for a sexy and fun story. Plus who doesn’t love a hero with a sexy Russian accent?

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

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$2.99 Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

 

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Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

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imageSophia Henry, a proud Detroit native, fell in love with reading, writing, and hockey all before she became a teenager. She did not, however, fall in love with snow. So after graduating with an English degree from Central Michigan University, she moved to North Carolina, where she spends her time writing books featuring hockey-playing heroes, chasing her two high-energy sons, watching her beloved Detroit Red Wings, and rocking out at concerts with her husband.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Cocky Bastard by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

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COCKY BASTARD

(A Contemporary Romance standalone novel)

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Authors Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

RELEASE DATE: August 17th, 2015

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Kindle http://amzn.to/1JbVB4H
iTunes http://apple.co/1PffE2J
Kobo http://bit.ly/1UxCSUO
B&N http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY

Add Cocky Bastard to your TBR list on Goodreads!
http://bit.ly/1LzjOng

Read Chapter One of Cocky Bastard HERE: http://bit.ly/1MCrJk9

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He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.

A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.

I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

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A knock at the door made me jump.
With a huff, I got out of bed and stood on my tiptoes to look out the peephole. Why were those things always so high on the door anyway? I was surprised to find no one standing on the other side. Maybe I’d imagined it.
Another knock.
I flicked on the lights. The sound wasn’t coming from the entrance door. It was coming from an interior door I hadn’t even noticed before.
Chance’s door.
I unfastened the top lock and cracked it open just enough so I could see what he wanted. And there he stood.
Shirtless.
Wearing only dark gray boxer briefs that hugged him like a second skin.
It took a minute to understand what he was doing there, even though he was holding up a toothbrush in question.
“I thought we had established I wasn’t a serial killer already.”
I opened the door wider.
He smiled.
Oh lord. Stop that. Right now.
“I must have left my toothpaste in my saddlebag in the car.”
I swallowed hard. “Uh huh.”
He cocked his head to the side, and his brows dipped in. “Can I borrow yours?”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.”
He walked past me and let himself into my bathroom. I waited at the door.
“You got an awful lot of girly crap in here for one night,” he said with a jumbled mouth full of toothpaste from the bathroom. “Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia.”
He was reading my Estee Lauder perfume bottle.
I heard him rinse and spit. Then there was a gargling sound. He used my mouthwash, too. Sure, help yourself.
He walked out and flicked off the bathroom light. “Is tuberose a rose?”
I shook my head, still confused by the whole situation going on.
“That’s why,” he murmured.
“Why what?”
“I couldn’t figure out what you smelled like all day. Not sure I ever smelled a Tuberose before.” He shrugged and walked back into his room but not before turning back. “Even those little black lacy underwear smell like tuberose.”
My eyes bulged. I’d taken off my bra and panties and left them on the bathroom counter.
“You…you—”
“Relax. I’m teasing. Do I look like an underwear sniffer to you?”
Yes.
No.
Maybe?
“Night, Aubrey.” He graced me with a dimple and disappeared.
AH-BREE. Damn him.
I locked the door and checked it twice, unclear if it was for my safety or his. His voice saying my name was on audio replay inside my head, getting softer and softer like a soothing lullaby with each breath as I drifted off to dreamland.
Until the knock came again.

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Cock Bastard is a fun and sexy romance! This is a feel good summer read that will make you laugh and fall in love with a cocky Aussie. Chance was just what Aubrey needed to get over her ex and what starts off as attraction and friendship between them on a road trip turns into deep feelings.  I loved this book!  Without giving anything away there was a part of the story that dragged a little for me that I thought could have been cut down and that’s the only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 stars. This was a great story and I highly recommend it for romance lovers looking for a feel good summer read with some laughs. 

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

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IMG_3312-0 $100 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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imageABOUT VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!
Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

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ABOUT PENELOPE WARD

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Social Media Links: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Additional Books from Penelope Ward

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Blog Tour, Review & Guest Post: Exposing the Heiress (A Once a Marine Novel) by Jennifer Apodaca

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Exposing the Heiress

(A Once a Marine Novel, Book 3)

by Jennifer Apodaca

 

Publication Date: August 4, 2015

 imageA Heroine You Want to be Friends With
Jennifer Apodaca

Thank you to Cori and Donna for having me here on Reading in Pajamas. It’s been a wild summer with releasing two books and sticking a trip to New York in between those events. In case anyone is wondering, I’m a California girl, and I tend to stick close to home and write. So when I have to travel…that requires, you know, pulling out my adult, professional clothes. And hoping they still fit! I may have a well-documented weakness for wine and chocolate <g>.

But today I’m here to talk about my latest release Exposing the Heiress. I’ve loved Hunter Reece, the hero, right from the beginning. I mean what’s not to love? He’s former military, sizzling hot, protective, a little tortured, has a kind heart…and he sculpts. Nothing hotter that a tatted up bad boy type who sculpts, am I right?

The one who surprised me is Alyssa Brooks, the heroine. When I first pitched the book, I knew she was an heiress who was so much more than the media had made her out to be. And yet, I really didn’t see Alyssa and I being friends. Then I started writing and by the end of the first chapter, I adored her and wanted to hang out sometime. Of course, it’d look pretty strange if I went to coffee with a fictional character who lives in my head, and now on the pages of a book, LOL!

What I loved about Alyssa is that she’s been through some tough times, forced to make a hard choice (one I’m not sure I’d have the courage to make myself), yet she’s not jaded or cruel. And when she realizes the hero needs her as much as she needs him, she puts her heart on the line for him.

What heroines have you met in a book that you’d like to hang out with in real life?

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Comment and answer the question above to win an EBOOK copy of Exposing The Heiress by Jennifer Apodaca.

****WINNER IS RACHEL SALZANO****

We’ll select a winner tomorrow (8/15) by 5PM Central. EBOOK will be gifted from Amazon or B&N and paid for by Reading in Pajamas.

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IMG_3306 imageThis Marine will protect her at all costs…

When wealthy heiress Alyssa Brooks finds out her stepfather has been paying her fiancé to marry her, she’s humiliated and betrayed. She quickly breaks the engagement, only to be blackmailed by her now ex-fiancé, who threatens both Alyssa and the son she gave up for adoption. With nowhere to go, she turns to the one man she can trust.

Former Marine sniper Hunter Reece’s lethal skills could save Alyssa’s life. But his little sister’s best friend has turned into a woman, who is an irresistible mix of secrets and sexiness. And while Hunter can trust himself to protect her, he can’t trust himself to keep his attraction hidden…or even pretend to be the man that Alyssa remembers.

Because the only way to keep the lovely heiress safe is to become the one thing he knows she could never love…a killer.

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 I know when I pick up a book written by Jennifer Apodaca (Jennifer Lyon) it’s going to be good. Exposing the Heiress was great! The Once a Marine Series features a different former marine and a woman in need of protection in each book. Alyssa turns to her friend’s brother Hunter for protection when she finds herself in danger. I loved Hunter and Alyssa together! I wasn’t sure I was going to like Alyssa at first but Jennifer Apodaca creates heroines that are both strong and vulnerable. The reader falls in love with the hero and roots for the heroine. Exposing the Heiress was an emotional and sexy romance that captured my attention and held on to it. I recommend this book and this series for romance lovers looking for hot romance with protective alpha males. I love this series!

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

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$2.99 Kindle | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads

image ✿Once a Marine Series Book by Jennifer Apodaca✿

✦Book 1: The Baby Bargain ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Review 5 Stars

✦Book 2: Her Temporary Hero ➢ Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Review 5 Stars

✦Book 3: Exposing the Heiress ➢  Kindle | B&N | Kobo

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imageAward winning author Jennifer Apodaca grew up in Southern California and met her very own hero at the dog pound. She worked there, he came in on business, and it was puppy love. They married and had three wonderful sons.

While her husband worked on his master’s degree, Jen did the mom thing by day and went to college at night with the intention of pursuing a marketing degree. But her true passion was writing. With time at a premium, she had to make a choice.

Choosing writing, and with the full support of her husband, she poured herself into her dream. A mere eight years later, she published her first book DATING CAN BE MURDER. In her career, Jen has written a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances. Taking the pen name of Jennifer Lyon, she also created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and most recently, The Plus One Chronicles, an emotional and sexy adult contemporary series.

Jen has achieved many of her dreams except for attaining a self-cleaning house, a latte delivery service, and finding the holy grail of nonfattening wine and chocolate. She can live with those disappointments as long as she can keep writing the stories she loves to share with readers.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

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Pump Up Your Book Presents Exposing the Heiress Virtual Book Publicity Tour! 

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Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: SCANDAL NEVER SLEEPS (The Perfect Gentlemen, Book 1) by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

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SCANDAL NEVER SLEEPS
(The Perfect Gentlemen, Book 1)
by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

Publication Date: August 18, 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Suspense

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imageThey are the Perfect Gentlemen of Creighton Academy: privileged, wealthy, powerful friends with a wild side. But a deadly scandal is about to tear down their seemingly ideal lives…

Maddox Crawford’s sudden death sends Gabriel Bond reeling. Not only is he burying his best friend, he’s cleaning up Mad’s messes, including his troubled company. Grieving and restless, Gabe escapes his worries in the arms of a beautiful stranger. But his mind-blowing one-night stand is about to come back to haunt him…

Mad groomed Everly Parker to be a rising star in the executive world. Now that he’s gone, she’s sure her job will be the next thing she mourns, especially after she ends up accidentally sleeping with her new boss. If only their night together hadn’t been so incendiary—or Gabe like a fantasy come true…

As Gabe and Everly struggle to control the heated tension between them, they discover evidence that Mad’s death was no accident. Now they must bank their smoldering passions to hunt down a murderer—because Mad had secrets that someone was willing to kill for, and Gabe or Everly could be the next target…

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I’m hooked! Scandal Never Sleeps had everything I look for in great story! It was a sexy thrill ride with a mystery that kept me guessing. Scandal Never Sleeps is the first book in Shayla Black and Lexi Blake’s new series The Perfect Gentlemen. The series will feature a group of powerful men than met in boarding school. I love the characters and  I’m excited about all the possibilities for the future books in this series.  I can’t wait to read each Perfect Gentlemen’s story. In this first book, Scandal Never Sleep, Gabriel Bond and Everly heat up the pages and work together to uncover a mystery. I recommend this book for romantic suspense lovers that want a hot love story with the mystery. This series is a new favorite and I’ll be stalking the next release!

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

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“What are your plans tonight, Eve?”
That was a loaded question. Her current plan included going to a lonely apartment where she could worry about her future and try to figure out if someone had murdered her friend. She could be alone with her fear and doubt . . . but she didn’t really want to. “I was getting ready to leave. What about you?”
“So was I. I thought I’d get some dinner before I called it a night. I don’t think the food here is going to be any good. Giovanni’s is one block over. Italian might be nice. I can promise you won’t have any trouble getting a glass of wine there.”
“You’re asking me out?” It was a little surreal. She saw much more attractive women still in the bar. Why had he chosen her? Maybe he liked a curvier girl. Some guys did.
His face settled into a polite mask. “I don’t know that I would call it a date.”
“What would you call it, then?”
He stepped closer, into her personal space. “Eve, I want to be honest with you.”
Eve. She wasn’t Everly to Gabriel. Which meant that he didn’t expect her to be a good, polite girl. She didn’t have to be shy about what she wanted.
She stood a bit taller and met his beautiful blue eyes. She could see the five‑o’clock shadow darkening his jaw and wondered what it would feel like to brush her fingertips over his face, to run her thumb across that full bottom lip of his. “Honesty is good.”
She wasn’t being entirely honest with him, but it didn’t matter. They were sharing a moment out of time. She wouldn’t see him again. She didn’t even know his last name.
“I’m looking for an escape tonight. I can find it in the bottom of a bottle or I can take you out of here and try to make us both feel good. Why don’t you let me buy you dinner and plead my case?”
He was asking her to sleep with him. A one-night stand. She’d never had one. She’d slept with two men in her whole life, and they’d both been her boyfriends. Sex had been all right, but something about the look in Gabriel’s eyes told her this would be far better.
He wanted to escape. She wasn’t sure from what, but she glimpsed a world of worries and sorrow in his expression that drew her. She understood loss and longing. She knew what it meant to need a few hours of escape. Hadn’t she been wanting that herself?
A single memory pierced her in that moment. Two days before he died, Maddox had shaken his head over her nonexistent dating life. He’d tried to persuade her to let him set her up on a blind date, but she’d said she didn’t have time. She’d needed to get some reports done and go through the purchase orders on the new hard drives and security systems. He’d rolled those piercing eyes of his.
You need to live a little. Your whole life can’t be spent behind a computer screen. Life is often about taking risks. Sometimes you have to leave yourself to figure out who you really are.
She didn’t have to be herself. Not tonight.
“Kiss me.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She was never bold or brazen when it came to men. She’d never demanded anything sexually of a lover, but she wanted Gabriel to kiss her. She wanted to see if that spark she felt translated to something truly physical.
She expected some discussion, and when he hesitated, she was more than willing to admit that she’d been hasty. Everly was about to shake her head and try to laugh the incident off when he cupped her face and his body brushed hers. He tilted her head up and his mouth descended.
Soft. His lips were soft on hers. Gentle. He moved with predatory grace. His fingers sank into her hair, and her hands seemed to naturally find the lean muscles at his waist. Even through his crisp dress shirt, she could feel the heat of his body. It practically poured off him and into her, warming her skin and making her come to life.
He was gentle, but Everly knew precisely who was in charge. His lips locked onto hers, leading her. A little tug on her hair told her which way he wanted her to move.
Everything about him—scent,taste, feel—made her melt. She forgot where she was, forgot that they were in public. The noise of the bar receded until all she could hear was her own heart beating furiously in her ears. Nothing mattered at all but the feel of his body under her hands, the masterful way he moved her.
“Is that what you wanted, Eve?” He breathed the words against her mouth. “You wanted to see if I can kiss? I can give you more. I don’t simply want to kiss your lips. I want to strip you down and find out if you’re as sweet and soft everywhere as you look. I want to run my tongue over your skin until I memorize how you taste. I want to kiss you so long and hard that you’ll forget you were ever kissed before.” He lifted his head up and dragged in a breath. “So what do you say? Will you have dinner with me?”
She swallowed. His words made everything but her need fall away. “It’s not dinner I’m interested in anymore.”

Posted by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Shelley Bradley, LLC and DLZ Entertainment LLC, 2015.

 

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imageShayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal and historical romances. Shayla has received or been nominated for the Passionate Plume, the Holt Medallion, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and the National Readers Choice Award. She lives in Texas with her family. Visit her online at shaylablack.com, facebook.com/ShaylaBlackAuthor

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. Lexi lives in North Texas with her family. Visit her online at LexiBlack.net.

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Hotter You Burn (The Original Heartbreakers) by Gena Showalter

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THE HOTTER YOU BURN

(The Original Heartbreakers, Book 2)

by Gena Showater

 

Publication Date, July 28, 2015

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*****

Also check out Book 1: The Closer You Come (The Original Heartbreakers) by Gena Showalter
Review 5 Stars | Kindle | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

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New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a sizzling Original Heartbreakers tale featuring a troubled playboy and the woman he can’t resist…

Beck Ockley is ruthless in the boardroom…and the bedroom. He’s never been with the same woman twice, and vows he never will. With a past as twisted as his, meaningless sex keeps the demons at bay. His motto: One and done. No harm, no foul.

Harlow Glass is the most hated girl in town. The beautiful artist is penniless, jobless and homeless. When she sneaks into Beck’s home—her ancestral estate—for food, she’s shocked by his early return…and her immediate, sizzling and intense attraction to him.

For the first time in Beck’s life, he can’t get a woman out of his mind. All too soon, friendship blooms into obsession and he’ll have to break her heart…or surrender his own.

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I loved getting swept up in Beck and Harlow’s story! The Hotter You Burn was a fun, sexy and emotional love story that is set in a small town. Beck and Harlow both had scars from their past that they had to mend. They seemed to be made for each other though. Beck’s playboy ways made me want to shake him a few times but I fell in love with him as I read his story. The chemistry between Harlow and Beck was scorching hot and their interactions were fun. The Hotter You Burn is book 2 in Gena Showalter’s Original Heartbreaker series and can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first book too because the characters overlap. I highly recommend this series for contemporary romance lovers. It would make a great summer read. If you’re a fan of Gena Showalter’s paranormal series I think you will enjoy this contemporary series too. It has the sexy, possessive alpha males and the fun character interactions that Gena Showalter is know for. I can’t wait for the next book!

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

IMG_3307-0“I’d like to hire you to paint my portrait.”
Harlow almost bounced out of her seat, but caught herself with a single thought. Can’t appear too hasty. “Okay,” she said, playing with the edge of a piece of paper. “If you insist. And if the price is right.” She’d drawn countless images of Beck, but the thought of painting him to scale and seeing him in full color intoxicated her. She could play with different shades of gold, brown and bronze, and even a wealth of greens to get the emerald flecks hidden so deeply in his eyes just right.
Maybe Kimberly had nailed it. Maybe Harlow had stared at Beck for reasons that had nothing to do with the job.
“Name a figure.” He slowly, leisurely, walked back to the couch and eased down, the whiskey in hand. “Whatever it is, lollipop, I’ll pay it.”
The new endearment startled her, considering he hadn’t used one these past three weeks. The fact that he’d gone with lollipop, something sweet and edible he’d never called the others…
I’m special to him.
Oh, no, no, no. Red alert! Red alert! That was the true danger of him. Somehow, he made everyone feel special.
“That’s a daring thing to say,” she stated quietly.
“But true nonetheless.”
She placed her elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “Very well. The price is…” Inspiration struck, and she smiled evilly. “You can’t have sex for a week.”
His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, but he appeared far from angry. “Why do you care about my sex life?”
“I care about you, and I think abstinence will help build character.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “You care? Very well, I accept.” No time to celebrate. “With two caveats,” he added. “The week won’t start until the painting is done.” He smiled now, and it was a wicked one. “Also, I want the painting to be a nude.”
Her breath caught in her throat, only to exit on a gust. “I…you…excuse me?”
“A nude. Meaning I won’t be wearing any clothing. If you want to strip down, that’ll be okay too.”
This was punishment for daring to impede his sex life, wasn’t it? “I’ve never actually painted or even drawn what you’re suggesting, and I’m not sure I have the skill.” Or if she would survive.
“I have complete faith in your ability. And as an artist, a professional, I’ll expect you to view me strictly through objective eyes. You can do that, can’t you?”
“Of course,” she said. She could absolutely, one hundred percent view him through objective eyes…if he wore a cloak of invisibility. But even then it would be iffy. “Why do you want a nude?” she demanded, hoping to shame him into retracting his request.
“Maybe I enjoy the thought of disrobing for you.” His voice had gone low and husky, a caress of unfettered temptation, making her shiver. “Maybe I like the thought of your eyes on my bare skin and your hands forming the shapes of my body.”
She gulped. Having only ever dealt with boys, never with men, she had no idea how to respond to so blatant a statement.
“Or,” he said, his voice returning to its normal fun, flirty tone. “Maybe I’m narcissistic and want to immortalize every inch of myself. How is one to know?”
How indeed. “When would you like to start?”
“Tonight.”
I’m going to hate myself for reminding him of this, but… “What about your date? I can’t—won’t—hurt Kimberly.”
“I think we both know she was about to cancel on me. Which makes me wonder what the two of you were discussing.”
Shifting uncomfortably, she said, “I will never betray a confidence.”
“I could change your mind, but I won’t. I admire your mindset.” His gaze dropped to the pulse fluttering in her neck. “I’ll arrive at seven, and I’ll bring dinner.”
“Yes. I’d like that.” A lot. And it wasn’t the thought of food that made her heart race, but the thought of having him in her space. Alone…naked. Within reach.
She sucked in a breath. Oh…crap. The worst had happened, hadn’t it?
Kimberly had figured it out, but Harlow had done her best to deny it until the truth practically vibrated in her bones. How had she ever fooled herself into thinking she could fall for West…when she’d already fallen for Beck?
“What’s wrong, dove?” he asked gently. He came around the desk and sat at the edge, turning her chair to trap her between his legs. “You were twinkles one moment, sullen the next.”
He always read her so well, while she always struggled to make sense of his moods. Life wasn’t fair. “It’s nothing I want to discuss right now,” she said, refusing to lie to him. But she had to talk to someone about this.
Who? She had no confidants, and any secrets she revealed to others could be used as a weapon against her. A game of “humiliate Harlow for sport.”
“What will it take to get you to trust me, hmm?”
Was he serious? “Beck, for the past three weeks you’ve treated me like I’m a carrier of cholera. Why do you want my trust?”
“You’re my friend.”
But I want to be more. “Yes,” she said, and cleared her throat. “You’re right. I am.”
“So talk to me like a friend. Share your past with me. Tell me what changed you in high school.”
Her mouth went dry. Always they circled back to this. “Forget I agreed to be your friend. We’re enemies.”
“You’ll tell me what’s easy, but nothing that’s hard.”
“I don’t like to think about what changed me. It hurts.”
“Pain fades. Rip off the bandage and give the wound a chance to heal.”
“No.” If she told him, she’d have to show him. If she showed him, he’d never want her again. And right now he wanted her. He had to. The way he was looking at her…
He leaned down until his nose almost brushed against hers. “One day, Harlow, you’ll open up to me.”
“One day,” she whispered. “Maybe. But probably not.”
He cupped her nape, the heat of him making her gasp. “Definitely. And in more ways than one. I’ll make sure of it.”

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Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories”, while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Website | Twitter | Goodreads 

 
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*Winner will be announced today (8/7) by 5PM Central. EBOOK will be gifted from Amazon or B&N and paid for by Reading in Pajamas.

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Spotlight, Review & Excerpt: Strong Enough (Tall, Dark and Dangerous) by M. Leighton

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Strong Enough (Tall, Dark and Dangerous) by M. Leighton

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: August 4, 2015

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imageFrom the author of the New York Times bestselling Bad Boys novels comes the first in a dark, sexy contemporary trilogy.

Is she strong enough to trust the most dangerous man she’s ever met? And is he strong enough to let her?

How would I describe myself? Well, I’m Muse Harper. I’m a twenty-something painter who loves red wine, quirky movies, and men with a fatal flaw. But that was before I met Jasper King. He became my fatal flaw. Eight months ago, I had a choice to make—abandon everything I’ve ever known to protect my family, or stay and risk someone getting hurt. I chose the former. My plan was working just fine until I found out my father had gone missing.

That’s when I met Jasper. A bounty hunter with the eyes of a tiger and the nose of a bloodhound, he was supposed to help me find my father. What I didn’t know was that meeting him was no accident. Hunting people isn’t all that Jasper does. And helping me was only part of his plan. I just wish I’d found out sooner, before my heart got involved. But even then, I don’t know if I’d have done things differently.

Now, I have another choice to make—trust the man that I’m falling in love with and hope that he’ll do the right thing, or run as far away from him as I can get.

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I loved this book! I’m obsessed with Jasper and I’m obsessed with the rest of the special ops guys that will be getting their own books later. Strong Enough is the first book in this series and with the series title alone it grabbed my attention. Tall, Dark and Dangerous? Yes, please! Strong Enough starts off with a bang. M. Leighton will rip your heart out, shred it and then sew it back up and hand it back to you all repaired by the end of the book. Jasper and Muse’s book is an emotional, beautiful and scorching hot love story. It’ll be one of my top favorites of 2015. This is a standalone book and each book in the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series will be about a different member of a special ops team. I recommend you grab a copy of Strong Enough and fall in love with Jasper. I’ll be stalking the next book in the series!

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

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image I watch her lush lips part, her breathing already shallow. She’s off-kilter. Just the way I like. “Are you Tracey’s friend?” she asks, finding a coherent thought and clinging to it.
“I am,” I reply, reaching around her to lay the pencil on the desk. The action brings my face to within an inch of hers and our arms brush. I hear the soft gasp of her inhalation.
“Why didn’t you just tell me? You didn’t have to pretend to be a customer.”
Anger. It rushes in to clear away the cobwebs. I can see it in the way her sleepy green eyes start to flash like two fiery emeralds.
“I wanted a few minutes alone with you before you went on guard. Like you are now.”
“Why? Am I being interviewed or something? I thought I was the one hiring you.”
“You are. But I like to know who I’m working for when I take a job like this.”
While the look on her face says she doesn’t approve of my tactic, she’s too curious to let it go. “And?”
“And what?”
“And what did you find out? What do you think you figured out about me in ten minutes of silence?”
I hold her gaze for long, quiet seconds before I speak. I sense how uncomfortable it wmakes her. I’m used to it. Such directness makes most people uncomfortable, but that doesn’t stop me. Keeping others off balance is always a benefit to me. “I don’t need to interrogate you to learn things about you. Being with you is enough.”
“Yeah, right,” she scoffs, trying for casual.
“For instance, you’re a hard worker who takes her job seriously, even though I don’t think it’s really the job you want to be working. You’re good at this, but you’re not quite at home here, which tells me that this isn’t permanent. You looked sad and distracted when I came in, like you might be missing someone. Maybe that is where home is. And then there’s the fact that you’re trying to hire me. I’d say that accounts for the worried frown I keep seeing between your eyebrows.”
Her mouth drops open for a few seconds before she snaps it shut. “Is that all?” she asks sarcastically, pulling her vest tighter around her middle like she feels naked. I’m used to that, too. No one likes to feel exposed, like their secrets aren’t theirs to keep anymore.
“No, that’s not all, but I doubt you want to hear the rest.”
She eyes me warily for a few seconds before she raises her chin, eyes locked bravely onto mine. “Of course I do.”
She’s courageous. Ballsy. I like that.
“Well, just off hand you have a good eye for color, which makes me think you’re artistic. Artists are usually very . . . emotional. I’d say that when you’re not consumed with concern you have a tendency to throw yourself into the way you feel regardless of potential outcomes.”
“You can’t possibly know that.”
“I can. And I do. Just like I know you wash your hair in something that contains lilac.” Her eyes widen, but she says nothing so I continue, leaning in ever so slightly. “And then there’s the fact that you’re attracted to me. You don’t want to be. You probably even think that you shouldn’t be, but that’s like catnip for you, isn’t it?”

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

If you’d like to know more about me…like MUCH more…like more than you’d ever really want to know…you can read my story here.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Review: Without Restraint (Southern Shields) by Angela Knight

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Without Restraint (Southern Shields) by Angela Knight

Publication Date: August 4, 2015

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Erotica

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The first novel in the explosive new Southern Shield series from New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight explores the intoxicating games between a female cop and a Navy SEAL—and the killer instincts of a secret enemy watching every move they make.

Atlanta deputy Alexis Rogers and Navy SEAL Frank Murphy know all about power and restraint, necessary force, and pushing their limits. When they meet in the darkness of a BDSM club, their skills are put to use. With each successive night comes a new adrenaline rush, and while they’re falling into something perilously close to love, their games are still too private, too extreme, and too daring ever to be exposed.

But their intimate lives are upended when a fellow deputy of Alex’s is killed. It’s not a tragic hazard of the job. It’s cold-blooded murder. And he’s not the last to be taken out. Now Alex and Frank have found themselves more vulnerable than ever—and exposed to a killer with a twisted vendetta who turns desire into the most dangerous sensation of all.

imageThis novel hit all the checkmarks for me; romance, hot sex and explosive danger. The best part was that nothing overshadowed the other and it all flowed believably throughout the book. I liked Alex and Frank right away and their chemistry was a foregone conclusion. The BDSM was not too hard for the casual reader and I liked the imaginative interplay between the two. That made it fun and slightly different than the usual BDSM novels. The murder mystery and danger was a real page turner as well with a bad guy you love to hate. A very fun book that has me excited for the next installment in the series.

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

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Alex drove down the bumping, rutted track as it curved through the trees, the Dom right on her tailpipe. Finally he flashed his headlights at her again. She stopped and threw her car into Park. They were well into the woods, thoroughly screened from the road.

“Why, Officah,” Alex purred aloud in her best Scarlett O’Hara drawl, “whatevah do you have in mind?”

She rolled down her driver’s side window as he swaggered up to the car. Big, brawny, and black-clad-her fantasy Bad Cop come to glorious life. He even wore a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses and a menacing scowl. “Get out of the car, please.”

Her panties were already soaked, and he hadn’t even started yet.

Alex put on her best Don’t give me a ticket, I’ll do anything expression. “But, sir, I wasn’t speeding.”

“I didn’t say you were,” he told her coldly. “Get out of the car.”

She gave him big, worried eyes as she obeyed, closing the car door as softly as she could to keep the sound from carrying to his neighbors. “I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything!”

“Quit trying to play me, lady. There’s a warrant out for your arrest.” Grabbing her wrist, he dragged her to the trunk of her car, then spun her around so her back was to him. “It says you’re armed and dangerous.” He pulled her little .38 from the pancake holster on her belt, and displayed it with a threatening flourish. “And look here-you are.”

Alex swallowed. Had he been anybody else, she might have broken out into the giggles right about then. But this was Frank. Something about him made this silly fantasy scenario feel a lot more real than it should have. “I can explain.”

“I’m sure you can.” His voice hardened. “Hands on the trunk, feet apart.”

Before she could obey, he planted his palm between her shoulder blades and forced her to bend over as he kicked her feet wide. “I said, hands on the trunk, feet apart!” Automatically, she caught herself on her palms.

He started searching her. Never mind that no male cop ever searched a female suspect if he could avoid it; that was why there were female cops. And this was why they had that rule.

What Frank did wasn’t a crude grope-he understood the fantasy too well for that. Instead, he ran his hand down her body in twin slow caresses. Until he reached the curves of her ass.

Pausing, Frank cupped the sensitive flesh through her jeans, squeezing gently, with just enough force to arouse. Breathless, Alex waited for him to circle around between her legs.

He sank to his haunches to continue the search down her legs in that same lazy way. Instead of guns, knives, or drugs, Frank’s clever fingers sought bundles of nerves she hadn’t even known she had. And made them fire messages of lust and arousal and pleasure until it was all she could do not to writhe.

Regaining his feet, Frank swept his palms around her rib cage to the underside of her breasts. He slid his hands up and around, dragging her bra out of the way, baring the curve of her breasts for his cupping palms, exposing her nipples to plucking fingers. The raw delight of the contact was so intense, it seemed to sting. She moaned, unable to bite the sound back.

“Like that, do you?” he growled, ducking his head down until he could speak in her ear.
“Let’s find out how much.”

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Kindle $5.99 | Amazon PBK | B&N $7.99

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imageAngela Knight is the New York Times bestselling author of books for Berkley, Red Sage, Changeling Press, and Loose Id. Her first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. A few years later, she read The Wolf and the Dove and fell in love with romance. Besides her fiction work, Angela’s publishing career includes a stint as a comic book writer and ten years as a newspaper reporter. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name.

In 1996, she discovered the small press publisher Red Sage, and realized her dream of romance publication in the company’s Secrets 2 anthology. She went on to publish several more novellas in Secrets before editor Cindy Hwang discovered her work there and asked her if she’d be interested in writing for Berkley. Not being an idiot, Angela said yes.

Whatever success she has enjoyed, she attributes to the marvelous editors she’s had over the years. David Anthony Kraft and Dwight Zimmerman at Comics Interview taught her the nuts and bolts of fiction writing. Alexandria Kendall of Red Sage discovered her talent for romance writing and encouraged her to believe in herself. And she will be forever grateful to Berkley editor Cindy Hwang, who has been unfailingly supportive.

Angela lives in South Carolina with her husband, Michael, a polygraph examiner and hostage negotiator for the county’s Sheriff’s Office. The couple have a grown son, Anthony.

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Books

Review: Fatal Pursuit (The Aegis Series) by Elisabeth Naughton

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Fatal Pursuit (The Aegis Series, Book 3) by Elisabeth Naughton

Genre: Romantic Suspense / Thriller

Release Date: July 28, 2015

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Five years ago, Aegis Security op manager Marley Addison’s lover died in a South American raid gone horribly wrong…or so she thought. When she receives a phone call telling her that he is still very much alive and in danger, she vows to bring him home safely, even if Aegis CEO and former Navy SEAL Jake Ryder has kept her out of the field for the last few years. Then Jake shows up in Colombia to help her, leaving Marley annoyed…and more than a little distracted by her alarmingly handsome boss.

As things between Marley and Jake heat up in the wilderness, they discover their rescue mission is filled with treachery. Now the domineering Jake has to rely on Marley for survival. But can she depend on him when their mission takes a shocking and deadly turn?

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I dove into this story right away and loved Marley’s attitude and personality. The action flowed well with some real twists and turns. One part was a little improbable but that was part of the enjoyment and the catalyst to the hot and steamy romance with Jake. If you’ve read my reviews then you know I don’t care for long drawn out “I want you, I don’t want you” stuff and this book carried that through the whole thing. It got on my nerves but not enough to quit reading. I just had to find out what happened. I am looking forward to the next in this series.

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

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Kindle $3.99 | Amazon PBK $6.72 | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Amazon Series Link

Aegis Security Series Information 

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imageBefore topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Besides topping bestseller lists, her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA® and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads