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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Review: Making Chase by Lauren Dane







Making Chase
by Lauren Dane




2.5 stars
**


 This book was not my cup of tea, unfortunately. This was my first read by Lauren Dane, after friends raving about her, and I was definitely disappointed. 

This is Tate and Matt's book. Tate is a hairdresser/salon owner, raised in a trailer park by an abusive, alcoholic father and a mother who is gone stepping out on her father half the time. She has raised her younger brothers and sisters and made something of herself now. Matt is a fireman and the youngest and last single Chase brother. His wealthy family is the golden family of the town. The two work across the street from each other, but don't meet until Tate is hit by a car on the street and Matt comes to the rescue. They become friends and one day Matt realizes he actually is interested in her romantically. She is very skeptical, pushes him away a lot and has terrible self esteem, but they begin dating. They have so much pushback from the townspeople that they must overcome, but it all works out in the end. 

My issues with this book were many. This book hinges on, harps on, bashes the readers over the head with two things: 1. Tate is "fat" or "heavyset". People talk about her weight or she talks about it on pretty much every page. Tate's poor self esteem was also harped on so much. There was way too much and it was overdramatic. 2. Tate is poor white trash from the trailer park and not good enough to date a Chase. 

The townspeople were all against Tate and Matt being together, going up to them wherever they went to confront them about it. That continued to very end. What century was this? It was not at all believable, understandable or relatable that a whole town cared so much about two people dating simply because of a supposed class difference. It annoyed me so much. That was pretty much the focus of the whole book- the couple fighting against the mean townsfolk and it hurting Tate's feelings, contributing to her poor self esteem. It was very repetitive. 

This book also has so much OW drama and it bothered me so much. Women Matt used to date come up to her wherever she goes to make fun of her and tell her she is too fat or poor to be dating Matt. He also used to date his SIL, before she married his brother. He even wonders in the first few pages of the book if he lost his "one" in her. I felt like Matt was just desperate to get married to anyone because his brothers were all married. And the SIL is around all the time during the rest of the book and Tate has to be around her. Of course, SIL is beautiful and thin, while Tate is "fat" with poor self esteem. Matt was also the SIL's best friend and he blows kisses at her whenever he sees her. What guy does that, anyway?

Also, I felt the writing was poor. The book felt long and drawn out. This book is written in 3rd person and we get both hero and heroine's thoughts, but it was sometimes in the same paragraph, which gave me whiplash. I didn't feel any chemistry, emotion or love between the couple. I felt like the general story had potential, but the execution ruined the book for me. 

Overall, this was a miss for me. I guess this author just isn't for me. 


****

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599987597/ref=x_gr_e_nl_newreleases_sin_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_e_nl_newreleases_sin_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1599987597&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2



Blog Tour: Protected by Lexi Blake + Review & Excerpt!




 



  




Their first chance at love ended in heartbreak 


 Wade Rycroft fell in love with Geneva Harris when she was the smartest girl in his class. The rodeo star and the shy academic made for an odd pair, but their chemistry was undeniable. They made plans to get married after high school. Those plans changed when Genny broke his heart. Joining the Army gave him a chance to leave that life behind. News that Genny married the town’s golden boy let Wade know that he could never go home again. A chance encounter rekindles an old flame Fifteen years later, he’s found his place in the world and tried to forget the woman who left him standing in the rain. After leaving the Army he forged a new life as a bodyguard at McKay-Taggart, but he still feels incomplete. When his brother’s wedding brings him home to Broken Bend, Texas, he walks into a storm of scandal. Genny’s marriage has dissolved, the town has turned against her, and someone is making threats. Seeing her again reawakens feelings he thought were long gone, and he worries that staying close enough to help her could be too much to bear. Their reunion just might kill them both After an attempt is made on Genny’s life, Wade can’t refuse to help her. Watching over her day and night, it’s clear that having her back in his life could be the thing to finally make him whole. When the danger follows them back to Dallas, their second chance at love could be over before it even begins.    


AMAZON | AMAZON PRINT


Coming to other retailers October 29, 2018


        




EXCERPT:



   “Don’t. Don’t tell me how to feel. I know you’ve worked through this, but I don’t know how to.” “It helps to admit that we were all children back then.” “My mother wasn’t.” He needed to talk about this with her. “No, but she wasn’t the same after your dad died. She was lost and I’ve forgiven her,” she replied quietly. “You can’t spend your life being angry.” “You’re angry with me.” For a moment he thought she would ignore him. Then she turned to him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “Maybe. It’s hard to figure out how I feel about you. For a long time, I dreamed about you at night. You were the only man I ever loved. Brock killed that. I think he might have killed the part of me that can love someone other than my son. I didn’t feel a lot when my father passed. But then he was the one who told me to suck it up. I went to him after Brock hit me the first time. He told me to not make my husband mad.” “Genny, he should have killed him. I would have. God, I should have.” That sorrow that had been building inside him threatened to spill over. Anger was there, but it was overshadowed by the terrible pain he felt at the thought of her being alone and afraid. “It’s funny,” she said, studying him in the silvery light. “I went over pretty much every possible scenario I could, and this wasn’t the way I thought you would handle it. It’s why it took forever for me to talk to you. I thought you would either not care at all or that you would be so angry you went after everyone. I hesitated because I thought I might unleash a beast.” He could give her this. Since the moment he’d learned the truth, he’d genuinely forced himself to think about how he reacted. It would be selfish to act out in anger when she needed him to be calm, to think about what was best for her. The drive from Broken Bend to Dallas with Ash had made that clear to him. They needed someone who would thoughtfully protect them, not a raging animal who fed his own needs. “You’ve had enough anger in your life. It’s there. God, it’s there, but I swear I won’t act on it because I won’t do anything that could hurt you. I’ll try to handle him in every legal way I can and if I have to take him out, I’ll do it in a way that can never come back on any of us. You don’t need my rage. You do need me though.” “I don’t want to.” “Because you think I’ll let you down again.” It wasn’t a question. “Because I don’t want to love anyone again,” she admitted.  



   




REVIEW:

3.5 stars
***


This book was pretty good, but it had a few hiccups for me. This is Wade and Genny's book. They were high school sweethearts. Wade graduated before Genny and joined the army. They made plans to get married as soon as he got back from training. But something terrible happens leaving them broken up. Now, many years later, Wade is back, for the first time since, in their small hometown for his brother's wedding. Genny is a guest at the wedding and currently divorced from a very rich, evil man in their town. Wade is very hurtful towards her but she wants to ask him for protection from her ex. The two have a lot to work through, misunderstandings to get over, but are able to work their way back to each other.

I liked the story in this book. I was curious about Wade's story after reading about him as a side character in other books in the series. In general, I liked Wade and Genny, but I had a hard time with both characters at different points. I didn't feel very much chemistry between them either. Wade was very cruel to Genny at first when they met again. It made it hard for me to forgive him. I needed way more grovel sooner, once he understood the situation and everything she had been through. We do get some grovel later, anger on Genny's fault and her forgiveness, but I need it sooner, even if I did eventually forgive him myself. There is a two month separation at 82%, which I hate because it stops the momentum of the relationship. The pacing was definitely off for me in general in this book. I ended up liking the first half better than the second. The romance built up a momentum but it petered out and I never really felt the love again.

Besides the romance issues, I had a few other issues. Genny has a thirteen year old son that doesn't act his age. I understand that he was supposed to be an old soul, but he acted like a grownup and was often treated like one. The suspense storyline involving Genny's ex is built up throughout the book, but is resolved very anticlimactically.

Overall, while I liked this book, I didn't totally love it. Still, I do love this series and I can't wait to find out what happened to the Lost Boys in future books. Looking forward to more from Lexi Blake in the future!




         NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   

Teaser Tuesday: Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell

 


Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell


Release Date: August 21st






Pre-Order Today! Amazon: https://amzn.to/2GcGChh




BLURB

To catch a thief…or fall for one?

All Nick Norton wants is to stay on the straight and narrow…and never get caught stealing again. Then he lays eyes on her: Stella Peretti—100 percent sexy and absolutely irresistible. Especially when he sees her smooth moves lifting a two-karat diamond. Nick realizes he’s found the sparkling woman of his dreams—one so perfect for him it’s almost criminal.
The Shimmy Shimmy Bangs are master jewel thieves who are planning the heist of the century. And Shimmy leader, Stella, isn’t about to let anyone—even if he is a hunky, tatted-up studmuffin—get in her way. But when two of her girls are put out of commission, Stella realizes that Nick isn’t just a red-hot distraction. He might be the answer to her pilfering prayers.
Now, Nick and Stella are putting everything on the line for one last job. But when two thieves have this much chemistry, it’s only a matter of time before somebody’s heart gets stolen.




About the Author

Bestselling author Nicola Rendell loves writing naughty romantic comedies. After receiving a handful of degrees from a handful of places, she now works as a professor in New England. Nicola’s work has been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After and the Huffington Post. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. Her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady, but she’s totally okay with that. She is represented by Emily Sylvan Kim at the Prospect Agency.


Connect with Nicola


New Release: Protected by Lexi Blake + Excerpt!

  




  



Their first chance at love ended in heartbreak 

 Wade Rycroft fell in love with Geneva Harris when she was the smartest girl in his class. The rodeo star and the shy academic made for an odd pair, but their chemistry was undeniable. They made plans to get married after high school. Those plans changed when Genny broke his heart. Joining the Army gave him a chance to leave that life behind. News that Genny married the town’s golden boy let Wade know that he could never go home again. A chance encounter rekindles an old flame Fifteen years later, he’s found his place in the world and tried to forget the woman who left him standing in the rain. After leaving the Army he forged a new life as a bodyguard at McKay-Taggart, but he still feels incomplete. When his brother’s wedding brings him home to Broken Bend, Texas, he walks into a storm of scandal. Genny’s marriage has dissolved, the town has turned against her, and someone is making threats. Seeing her again reawakens feelings he thought were long gone, and he worries that staying close enough to help her could be too much to bear. Their reunion just might kill them both After an attempt is made on Genny’s life, Wade can’t refuse to help her. Watching over her day and night, it’s clear that having her back in his life could be the thing to finally make him whole. When the danger follows them back to Dallas, their second chance at love could be over before it even begins.    


AMAZON | AMAZON PRINT

Coming to other retailers October 29, 2018



       




EXCERPT



   “There’s no reason for you to be jealous of Hutch. He gave me a few kisses, that’s all.” He dropped her hand, turned, and started back toward the office. Hutch’s truck was still here. He would kill the little fucker and that would teach him. He would torture him first. Hutch liked computers. Wade would see how much he liked them when they were shoved hard up his ass. “Wade.” Genny ran after him, her laughter a musical sound he didn’t want to hear right now. “Wade, come on. I was joking. He let me raid his desk for chocolate. Those kind of kisses. Please don’t murder him.” He stopped, completely embarrassed. He hadn’t been thinking. She was used to being around a man who took out his temper on her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She grinned up at him, her hand on his arm. “You didn’t scare me. Why would you… Wade, I know you’re not Brock. I’ve always known that. I’m not terrified of all men. Hell, I’m not afraid of Big Tag. He’s kind of funny once you let him know where the boundaries are.” “You gave Tag boundaries?” He’d been afraid to leave her alone with Ian. Not because he thought Ian would hurt her, but because he could be intimidating at times. Now that he thought about it, Big Tag was actually perfect for Genny to start practicing her newfound sass on because he would like her more if she gave him hell. “Very firm ones, but I also offered him something in exchange. We’re going to get along fine, Tag and I. And Hutch and I are only ever going to be friends. He talks way too much about Game of Thrones, but he does have a lot of candy so it evens out to a nice friendship.” She moved her hand up to his shoulder. “I’m not interested in Hutch, but there is this guy who works in the office I am interested in.” His whole body went on full alert. He had things to tell her, things that were important, but was here really the place to do that? Here was the place to talk about work things and who she was interested in. Interested in seeing? Interested in spending more time with? “Who might that be?” Her eyes met his, heating up. “He’s in the bodyguard unit and he told me once that if I ever want a real kiss, I should ask him.” He could feel the erection coming on like a runaway locomotive. He’d spent the last few months going without. The scene at Sanctum had gotten boring for him. At first it had been filled with excitement, but watching all his friends settle down had made him look at his life in a different way. Having Genny back in it made him absolutely sure he didn’t want casual sex. He wanted a woman who belonged to him, who he belonged to. He wanted disgusting, nasty, utterly committed sex. “Then you should definitely ask.” “Wade, will you kiss me?”        




    



            NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   

Monday, July 30, 2018

New Release: Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid

DSB_RBBANNER



Dr. Strange Beard, an all-new standalone in the bestselling, romantic comedy Winston Brothers Series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Penny Reid, is LIVE!



DRSB_LARGE



Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe Winston remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.
Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.
But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .


Dr. Strange Beard is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a stand-alone, and is the fifth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Winston Brothers series.



LIVE02





REVIEW:



4 stars
****


This was a good addition to the Winston family series! This is Simone and Roscoe's story. Simone and Roscoe grew up together as best friends in their small Tennessee town. But their friendship ended abruptly as young teens and they haven't spoken since. Now, Roscoe is a veterinarian living out of town, but he comes home often to see his family. Simone has a big secret. Her work has brought her back to her hometown, but she can't tell anyone about it or why. I can't explain a lot more without spoiling the book, but I can say - Circumstances bring the two together again. They work out the misunderstanding between the from the past and begin to face a future together, all while dealing with some danger and conflict from outside sources.

I really enjoyed this book! I really liked Simone and Roscoe. They were best friends growing up but a misunderstanding ended their friendship unexpectedly when they were young teens. They both hold some resentment and hurt over their past. But once they spent time together in the present, it was obvious to see they were meant to be together. Simone was practical, focused on work and afraid of feelings. But she was also sweet, funny and smart. She had to fight her ambition and fear of feelings to let love in, but she softened as the book went on. Roscoe was swoony. He cares about his family, is sentimental and romantic. He adored Simone. The book is not too angsty. There is a bit of a slow burn. There is a good suspense subplot.  I liked the FBI aspect, too, as well as catching up with the rest of the Winston family.

There was a lot going on to further the series story arc. I don't want to give too much away so I won't go into detail. There are a few questions answered, but a lot more questions come up. I'm really not sure how Ms. Reid will go with the remaining book to wrap up the series, which seems to be Billy and Claire's book (but you never know!). There is also so much room for more stories set in this world with side characters.

Overall, Dr. Strange Beard was a great addition to the Winston world! I enjoyed Roscoe and Simone's journey to love. I can't wait for more from Ms. Reid and this fun series!





Download your copy today!

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2KvoGwA


HeadshotMeet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.


Connect with Penny:

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Cover Reveal: Fighting the Fire by Laura Kaye

 


From New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye, comes the next standalone title in her Warrior Fight Club series, FIGHTING THE FIRE. Check out Laura’s note below and the beautiful cover! Then join the Warrior Fight Club world today!



A note from Laura Kaye:



I love enemies-to-lovers stories because they’re so much fun to write and absolutely delicious to read! And Sean Riddick and Dani England from my upcoming Fighting the Fire are absolutely incendiary together! They’re both bad asses in their own right—both veterans, both fighters, both stubborn as hell. And boy does this cover art capture them so well—the intensity, the passion, the push and pull. Gah, I hope you love it as much as I do!

If you haven’t started my wounded Warrior Fight Club series yet, you can jump in anywhere because they’re all sexy standalone romances! So start at the beginning with Fighting for Everything or grab the about-to-release Fighting for What’s His. 



And here’s where you reserve your copy of Sean and Dani’s hot, hot story:



PRE-ORDER on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo



Add to your Goodreads



Coming in ebook, paperback, and audiobook









About FIGHTING THE FIRE (Warrior Fight Club #3, 10/16/18):



The more they fight, the more desire consumes them…


There’s only one thing firefighter Sean Riddick doesn’t like about Warrior Fight Club, and that’s Daniela England, the sexiest, snarkiest, most irritating woman he’s ever known. But MMA training keeps the Navy vet grounded, so Sean’s not about to give it up, no matter how many times he goes toe to toe with Dani—or how bad he wants to take her to the mats.

A former Army nurse and the widow of a fallen soldier, Dani is done with the military and with military men. Fight club is the only thing that eases her nightmares, which means she has to put up with Riddick. He might be sex on a stick, but he’s infuriating and everything she’s vowed to avoid.

But when an accident throws Sean and Dani together, all that fight bursts into a night of red-hot passion. Now they’re addicted to the heat and must decide if the one person they’ve most resisted might be exactly what they’ve both been looking for.


 

PRE-ORDER on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo


Add to your Goodreads


   


Check out the whole Warrior Fight Club Series:


Fighting for Everything – Available now!

Fighting for What’s His – August 7, 2018 – Preorder!

Fighting the Fire – October 16, 2018

Worth Fighting For – March 12, 2019



      About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty-five books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Coming Soon: Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell

 


     
Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell
Release Date: August 21st


Add To Goodreads:


       


     
Pre-Order Today!


                

  
BLURB

To catch a thief…or fall for one?

All Nick Norton wants is to stay on the straight and narrow…and never get caught stealing again. Then he lays eyes on her: Stella Peretti—100 percent sexy and absolutely irresistible. Especially when he sees her smooth moves lifting a two-karat diamond. Nick realizes he’s found the sparkling woman of his dreams—one so perfect for him it’s almost criminal.
The Shimmy Shimmy Bangs are master jewel thieves who are planning the heist of the century. And Shimmy leader, Stella, isn’t about to let anyone—even if he is a hunky, tatted-up studmuffin—get in her way. But when two of her girls are put out of commission, Stella realizes that Nick isn’t just a red-hot distraction. He might be the answer to her pilfering prayers.
Now, Nick and Stella are putting everything on the line for one last job. But when two thieves have this much chemistry, it’s only a matter of time before somebody’s heart gets stolen.



           

        
About the Author

Bestselling author Nicola Rendell loves writing naughty romantic comedies. After receiving a handful of degrees from a handful of places, she now works as a professor in New England. Nicola’s work has been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After and the Huffington Post. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. Her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady, but she’s totally okay with that. She is represented by Emily Sylvan Kim at the Prospect Agency.

     
Connect with Nicola

Thursday, July 19, 2018

New Release: Church by Stylo Fantome









Title: CHURCH.
Series: Church Duet #1
Author: Stylo FantĂ´me
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: July 20, 2018



Blurb

A broken girl.

An unusual boy.

A beautiful face that hides a dark secret and an ugly past.

Sealed lips which hide wicked words and dangerous thoughts.

She would kill for him to love her.

He just wants to kill.

Maybe, if Emma Hartley prays hard enough, Church Logan can make both their wishes come true.

Fuse, meet match. 






Purchase Links

99c for release week only!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio



Crazy woman from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.

I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.

Yeah. I think that about sums me up.


Author Links

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Cover Reveal: Mercenary Princess by Setta Jay

COVER REVEAL_MERCENARY.jpg


Mercenary Princess, the first in a thrilling, new erotic contemporary romance series by Setta Jay is coming August 16th!



MercenaryPrincessCover.jpg




A crown princess living a dangerous double life and a sinfully sexy Russian billionaire with a ruthless penchant for collecting secrets: a match set for disaster.
For years, one man has ruled Sophia’s fantasies. The harmless obsession keeps her warm on the nights her double life starts to take its toll. She, unfortunately, gains his attention at the worst possible moment, when she’s in the middle of a dangerous job. Now, she’ll be forced to protect her heart along with her life of lies.


Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2K5X2G8


About Setta:


Setta Jay is the author of the popular Guardians of the Realms Series. She's garnered attention and rave reviews in the paranormal romance world for writing smart, slightly innocent heroines and intense alpha males. She loves creating stories that incorporate a strong plot with a heavy dose of heat. An avid reader her entire life, her love of romance started at a far too early age with the bodice rippers she stole from her older sister. Along with reading, she loves animals, brunch dates, coffee that is really more French vanilla creamer, questionable reality television, English murder mysteries, and has dreams of traveling the world. Born a California girl, she currently resides in Idaho with her incredibly supportive husband. She loves to hear from readers so feel free to find her on social media or send her an email and she will happily reply.


Connect with Setta:

Facebook Reader Group: https://bit.ly/2Lhn6Sq
GoodReads Reader Group: https://bit.ly/2JxLfzn

Stay up to date with Setta by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2NWUagZ

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Cover Reveal: Timid by Devney Perry

  



  



Willa Doon has always been shy. Her quiet demeanor was something she’s always embraced. That is, until Jackson Page moves to town. The one man she desperately wants to take notice struggles to remember her name. Year after year, Willa stands by, watching as the bartender slash playboy drowns his demons in beer and sex. Then one night, he shows up at her door, suddenly aware that the girl he’s seen around Lark Cove is now a beautiful woman. Except what he doesn’t remember is that this visit isn’t his first. They spent a night together once before. A night he’s forgotten, thanks to a bottle of tequila. A night that crushed a timid girl’s heart, and set a broken man on the path to heal them both. 

 

PRE-ORDER

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo



     




       Devney is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jamison Valley series. She lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories. Devney loves hearing from readers! 

Connect with her on social media.

Monday, July 16, 2018

New Release: Siren Beloved by Lexi Blake

 



 



Aidan O’Malley walked away from his fiancĂ©e, Lexi, and their best friend, Lucas, after a night of passion left him shaken to his core. Years later, Aidan returns home from Iraq haunted by all he has lost. The enemy broke his body, destroying his dreams of a career in music. Worse still, he lost Lexi and Lucas. That damage he’d done all by himself. While he can’t restore what combat took from him, he’s determined to reclaim the two loves of his life. Lucas Cameron is a changed man. After connecting with his brother, he found the discipline to get his life on track. His legal career is flourishing, but his love life is a train wreck. The woman he loves is spiraling out of control. After Aidan abandoned them, Lucas and Lexi clung together but no matter how hard he tries, Lucas can’t find a way to heal the wounds that Lexi carries. Lexi Moore feels like a jigsaw puzzle with too many missing pieces. Losing Aidan was hard, but the true reason for her shattered spirit is a secret she only shares with her beloved Lucas. She knows she is drowning and the time has come to heal, but the holes in her heart hold her back from moving on. Shedding the burden she carries is her only hope for a happy future, but she fears she will never have the strength to reveal her secret. When Aidan walks back into their lives, Lucas and Lexi know everything is about to change. But as they fight to reconcile their past and reclaim what they lost, a vicious predator stalks Lexi. In order to stop the killer, all three must confront the secrets they’ve carried…before they’re buried by them.      



AVAILABLE NOW


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EXCERPT:


 Lexi realized she was in serious trouble the minute the words left Lucas’s mouth. Hell, she’d realized she was in trouble the minute she opened her mouth. What was she thinking? She knew damn well how to behave in a dungeon, but something about this Master made her want to push him. Damn it. She’d been this way all of her life. She had to push. She thought about taking a step back, but before she could make her feet move, Master A had her in a fireman’s hold. “Hey!” She shouted as her world upended. She turned her head up to throw a desperate look Lucas’s way. Lucas stood there, a stony cold look on his face. In that moment, he was all Dom, and she’d never seen him look hotter. There was a confidence about him she had rarely seen when he was around her. Lucas was utterly in command at work, but his surety faltered when she walked into the room. Even when he performed a scene with her, she knew he worried about her comfort. He didn’t look worried now. He looked ready. Her heart started to pound as Master A turned, and she lost sight of Lucas. “I need a chair, Lucas.” The words came out of the Master’s mouth like a judge delivering a sentence. “Yes, Sir.” Lucas’s words were silky smooth. There was not a hint of hesitation now. She could hear him moving to do Master A’s bidding. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, though she was a bit less hostile now. She’d fucked up. She was glad Julian wasn’t around to witness it, though Leo would probably tell him. Tears pricked her eyes. Damn, she was proving to Leo she couldn’t handle the lifestyle. “Look, Sir, I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to be rude to you, but I was merely pointing out that Lucas and I had a plan for tonight.” Reason. She could reason with him, surely. It worked on all the men in her life. Of course, usually she was looking at them instead of trying to plead her case to a group of back muscles. The muscles were unbelievably tight, but his skin—oh, his skin had been decimated in his lower back. It was a mess of white, puckered flesh, and she could see both neat, surgical lines, and jagged edges. She reached out to touch the mass of scars, but she was jerked back over his shoulder and set on her feet before she could make it. She wobbled on her heels, but Master A’s big hands held her shoulders. “I don’t think you understand how this is going to go, sub. I am the Master, and you are the one being punished. I won’t put up with a spoiled princess telling me how her punishment will go. It will go the way I say it will go. First, you will pay for the insult to me, and then we’ll proceed to the sawhorse.” “I don’t like the sawhorse.” The words came out breathy and small, because she was beginning to understand that this was serious. Master A didn’t look like he was planning on giving in. And she hated being called a spoiled princess, but a part of her worried that he was right. The last few years, she’d allowed herself to become spoiled and dependent. She’d fled from everything that hurt her. She’d hidden. She’d let her stepfathers and Lucas coddle and provide for her so she didn’t have to face the truth. Master A didn’t flinch. “I don’t care. Lucas has done the best he can, but the truth is he wasn’t trained to be a Dom. He might enjoy it from time to time, but he prefers bottoming. You require a firm hand. If you don’t want it, then you’re free to leave. No one is holding you against your will. This is all about consensual play, so you have to make the choice. Do you want the session to continue?” She hated this part. This was the part that she’d never understood. She had to make the choice, and she couldn’t put it off on anyone else. She wanted for him to simply do it. Then she could blame him later, but that wasn’t what The Club was about. She’d been coming here for over a year, and she finally had to decide to make the choice—stay and put herself in the hands of a stranger, or go and never know what it was like. And then there was the fact that Master A was right. Lucas needed something she couldn’t give him. She cast her eyes down submissively. How bad could it be? “Yes, Sir.” “Then strip.”  




   




REVIEW:

4 stars
****



This was a pretty good book. This is Aidan, Lexi and Lucas's book. Aidan and Lexi were engaged and happily in love, but one night they shared a threesome with their best friend, Lucas. That night scared Aidan so much that he left Lexi, cut off all contact and joined the army. Lexi struggled for years after that, drinking too much and acting out. Her friendship with Lucas turned into a semi-relationship and they played at the BDSM club, but both felt like they were floundering without Aidan. Then Aidan comes back and shows up at the club, having trained to be a dom because he knows that is what Lexi and Lucas need, ready to start a relationship with them again. He knows he screwed up and has a lot to make up for. All of them still love each other and there are hurt feelings on all sides so there is a lot of emotions to work through, as well as some family drama and a suspense storyline, but they do finally get their well-fought-for HEA. 

I liked the story going on here. But I felt like the details of the past were not clear or were glossed over. I understood that Lexi had been in love with, dating for years and then engaged to Aidan. That they were both best friends with Lucas. But I didn't know how many years she was with Aidan and friends with Lucas. I didn't know how long they were separated either or even how old any of them were. I didn't know how the three of them came to have a threesome in the first place in the past. Whose idea was it? I just had a lot of questions that kept me from quite understanding the feelings of the characters. Still, I did like all three characters and felt the love between them. Lexi was frustrating at first, but she settled down after a while. This book was emotional, but not too angsty, with some funny moments and lots of sexy ones. I enjoy this series and look forward to more from Lexi Blake in the future!





       NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

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