Blog Tour: “Beautiful Liar” by Tara Bond

SYNOPSIS

Reliable
Nina Baxter has her life all mapped out. She wants to work hard, take care of her younger sister and not end up like her drunk of a mother. Most of all, she plans to stay away from bad influences.

Reckless
Alexander Noble doesn’t give a damn about anything or anyone. The heir to an unimaginable fortune, he’s never had to do a day’s work in his life, and devotes himself to pleasure and partying.

When opposites attract…
From their very first meeting, Nina knows Alex is bad news, and vows to stay away from him. But as their paths continue to cross, she can’t help being drawn to him – especially when he makes no secret of his interest in her.

Can they resist the pull?
For the first time ever, Nina is on the brink of following her heart. But can she believe Alex when he tells her to trust him? Or is he just another beautiful liar?

ADD TO GOODREADS

My Review

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I would like to begin this review by stating that this is not your typical “good-girl-meets-millionaire-bad-boy” if that is what you are thinking after having read the blurb. Obviously, I will not spoil the plot for you, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how the story of Nina and Alex progressed, and that I was fully invested in it until the very end.

Nina Baxter is young, responsible…and desperate. Her life with an alcoholic mother is, to say the least, less than stabile, and the way Nina struggles to make ends meet while upholding some sort of normalcy of the life of her sister, Alice, felt very realistic to me. And when Nina finds her situation to become worse than it already is, she is forced to make a decision that she does not want to. But is that not always the way when we are at the lowest point in our lives?

Nina turns to the one person she is reluctant to meet which puts her in the footpath of Alexander Noble: a very rich, high society playboy, who she, quite clearly, should steer away from. However, certain events occur that force her to become better acquainted with him, and a budding attraction between them forms between them and grows by each encounter. Eventually, this makes Nina long to toss her control and rules away for once. To stop being the responsible daughter and merely live. The trouble is if she can trust Alex with her heart…or not?

There is no doubt about the fact that Nina and Alex are complete opposites, but as you read the book, you learn that they may not be that different from each other where it truly matters. And while I applauded Nina for being so good at taking care of her younger sister, for doing her utmost to keep them together, I was also happy to see that she, in some ways, is just like any nineteen-year-old girl: that things can become too much for her. The fact that even she yearns to be selfish from time to time instead of the grown-up only adds credibility to her character, in my opinion.

Alex is an interesting character; and one that is a bit difficult to get a handle on in the beginning. He has secrets – or that is what it seems like to Nina – and he leads a life that is so far away from her own. But I have to say that the more I got to know him, the more I was able to empathise with the person he truly is, and what I saw made him rather endearing to me. Yes, he does have the “bad-boy” persona, but he is still different from other BBFs I have come across lately, and I like that.

Miss Bond manages to convey the differences between poverty and wealth very well in her book; her imagery is very vivid, and her vocabulary is vast. Her writing is engaging, easy, and emotional, and I was fully immersed in ‘Beautiful Liar’ until the very end. Granted, there are also a lot of steamy scenes which is part of the reason I read romance novels – why beat about the bush? – and I liked that I did not get all the answers handed over to me on a plate right away. There are a few twists and turns that I did not see coming but which I believe only heightened my reading experience, and I liked the pace and setting of it very much as well. I do wish, however, that the ending had not seemed so rushed as it did, but that is just my personal opinion, of course.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to seeing more of Miss Bond’s work in the future.

 

 

UK PURCHASE LINKS:

EBOOK

Kindle / iBooks / Nook

PAPERBACK

Waterstones

Amazon

Foyles

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Bond grew up in Surrey, England. She read History at Cambridge University, before working in various sensible office jobs. She lives in London with her husband, and loves reading and writing, as well as watching movies and TV box sets. Her guilty pleasures are cocktails and chocolate desserts.

SOCIAL LINKS

Website

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Cover Reveal: “Sweet Sinful Nights” (Sinful Nights #1) by Lauren Blakely – Preorder Links, Author Message, Excerpt & Giveaway

We are beyond excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Lauren Blakely’s SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the first title in Lauren’s new erotic romance series, Sinful Nights! Lauren Blakely is well known for writing sexy, heartfelt and humorous contemporary romance as well as deeply emotional new adult stories — one commonality in all her books is the scorching hot sexy times. You can expect nothing different from her upcoming Sinful Nights series! Starting with Brent and Shannon, SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS is sure to give you thrilling and sexy moments alike!

Available June 30th!!!

 

Cover designed by Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS Preorder Links – Coming June 30

✦ Amazon US ✦ Amazon UK ✦ Amazon Paperback ✦ iBooks US ✦ iBooks UK ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo

 

Message from Lauren:

Dear Readers:

I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Many of you have been patiently waiting for SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the story of Brent Nichols and the woman he loves. Many of you already know Brent since he’s the younger brother of Clay Nichols, from NIGHT AFTER NIGHT….The good news is this-SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS is Book One in a new erotic romance series, Sinful Nights, written in the high-heat, high-stakes, high-glamour style of the Seductive Nights series that readers know and love, but heading in a new direction with a new family that’s full of drama, checkered pasts and dangerous life-and-death secrets.

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS kicks off this new series with a fiery, passionate, and suspenseful story of two lovers reuniting after ten years. Each book in this series follow a new couple and will be set against the backdrop of sin, money, sex, greed, passion and love in the city of Las Vegas. Brent’s love interest is Shannon Paige, and she has three brothers. Yep, you guessed it – each of her brothers will be getting a book! And while each book in the Sinful Nights series follows a new couple, get ready for a storyline that will carry across the entire series — a story of danger, risk and high-stakes suspense.

Q&A about the Sinful Nights series:

Does this take place after the events in the Seductive Nights series?

A: Yes. This story begins one year after the final Seductive Nights book.

Can I read this if I haven’t read the Seductive Nights series?

A: Yes! You won’t miss a beat if you start with SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS. That’s why it’s Book One!

Brent is Clay’s brother. Does this mean Clay will be in SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS?

A: Why yes! He will indeed appear in a handful of scenes!

Is this series similar to the Seductive Nights series?

A: Absolutely. The hero in book one is a Nichols man! Nichols men are known for being dirty, passionate and fiercely loyal! You can also expect scorching hot sex scenes, dirty talk, high-class and glamorous settings, and passionate love. Have I mentioned the heat :)?

 

 

EXCERPT from SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS:

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, Book One in a brand new erotic romance series, Sinful Nights! In the high-heat, high-stakes, high-glamour style of the Seductive Nights series…

She turned around and pushed hard on the ladies room door. But she felt his hand around her wrist, and he yanked her back, spinning her in one quick move, so she was chest to chest with him. She felt his breath on her.

“It did work out well for me. I’m also not the same person I was ten years ago,” he said, then did that thing again — that thing where he undressed her with his eyes, where he fucked her completely with his hot, dirty stare. “And you obviously have become a different person too.”

He tugged her, pulled her closer. His heart pounded against her breasts. His hand gripped her lower back.

He felt so good that she didn’t resist because her stupid body was stuck in the past, was living ten years ago when he alone was the one who could help her, who could free her, who could take away all the pain in one touch.

But he hadn’t, had he?

He’d caused more in his wake.

In his cruel exit.

She jammed a hand against his chest. His strong, firm chest that she knew intimately. The fucker. “I had reasons. Real reasons. Life and death reasons,” she said in a low hiss.

He shut his eyes briefly, looking pained. He sighed heavily, then somehow his arms were around her, and this time his touch wasn’t sexual. It wasn’t lustful. It was an embrace. From someone who knew nearly everything about her.

“Are you okay? Are you safe?” he asked in a whisper into her hair.

A tear had the audacity to slip out of her eye. To slide down her cheek, and fall onto his shoulder. It was a Pavlovian reaction. Too many tears had fallen on that shoulder.

“Yes,” she said quietly, with a nod. “I am. It’s fine. It’s all fine.”

He pulled back, tucked a hand under her chin, and lifted her face. She was so close to him she could trace the outline of his jaw, could run the pad of her finger over his stubble, his unbearably sexy eight-o-’clock shadow. She could drag her fingernails through his hair, soft, thick strands that simply had belonged between her hands. She could look in his eyes as he moved in her, those deep, soulful eyes that understood her. Somehow, he was rough and gentle, he was charming and fierce, he was funny and dirty. He was the man she’d wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

“Are you sure?” he asked, so much tenderness and worry in his tone.

She gathered herself, and willed that obstinate organ in her chest to stop beating in double time. She informed her traitorous body to stop trembling just from being near him. “Yes. I’m sure.”

He let her go. He tipped his forehead back to the bar. “I should get back out there. They’ll start wondering. See you in a few.”

And he walked away.

Just like the last time she’d seen him.

She pressed her lips together, and breathed out hard. She pushed open the ladies room door, walked to the sink, dropped her hands onto the cool tile and let out the longest, hardest breath. She hoped to hell this was the only time she’d have to deal with Brent Nichols.

When she was near to him like that, she couldn’t think straight. She could only feel. And that was far too dangerous for her heart.

 

 

SINFUL NIGHTS Series

About SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS:

A sexy, suspenseful new romance novel from Lauren Blakely, author of the New York Times Bestselling Seductive Nights series….

She was the one who got away…

Ten years ago, Brent Nichols let the love of his life slip through his fingers. It’s his greatest regret, especially since she’s all but disappeared. But when the gorgeous and captivating woman walks into his life unexpectedly, he’s determined to win her back. Whatever it takes, he won’t make the same mistake twice.

Easier said than done…

Shannon Paige has hardened her heart to the man she was once engaged to be married to. After the way he left, and after the hell she’s been through with her checkered family, there’s no way she’s letting him into her life again. The problem is, the second she sees him, he’s more handsome and charming than before. And she’s torn between wanting to fight with him and wanting to sleep with him – maybe both. Soon they fall into each other’s arms, consumed with a desire that burns through the years.

But if these two fiery lovers are going to have a real second chance at this kind of intense, passionate, bone-deep love, he’ll have to give her his whole heart, and she’ll have to give up all the secrets from her messy past.

And that messy past is about to spill over into her carefully constructed present…

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS is book one in SINFUL NIGHTS, a four-book series. Each book will follow a new couple.

 

And be sure to watch for the next titles in the Sinful Nights series!

 

SINFUL DESIRE – Sept 29

http://apple.co/1JqMPNe

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25384172-sinful-desire

SINFUL LONGING – Jan 2016

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25384178-sinful-longing

SINFUL LOVE – March 2016

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25384184-sinful-love

 

About Lauren Blakely:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she

thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Caught Up in Love, Seductive Nights, No Regrets and Fighting Fire. She recently released Forbidden Nights, a standalone novel in her New York Times Bestselling Seductive Nights series that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. Her next book is 21 Stolen Kisses, a new adult romance filled with angst and romantic tension, releasing in May. This summer she’ll release Consumed by You, her next title in her NYT Bestselling Fighting Fire series about sexy firemen and the women they love, and Sweet Sinful Nights, the first book in her new series Sinful Nights. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS Goodreads | Lauren Blakely Goodreads

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“There You Stand” (Between Breaths #5) by Christina Lee – My Review

Title: “There You Stand” (Between Breaths #5)

Author: Christina Lee

Genre: New Adult / M/M Romance

Release Date: 21st April, 2015.

Publisher: Penguin/InterMix

SYNOPSIS

From the author of All of You and Before You Break comes a new Between Breaths male/male standalone romance about the silent, inked up skateboarder and the tattoo artist who unravels him piece by piece…

Tattoo artist Cory Easton has worked long enough at Raw Ink to know, just by looking at a dude, what his body art reveals, what makes him tick, what even makes him scared. Until he meets the quiet and remote Jude York—so unreadable, so unreachable, and so unlike anyone else, he can’t help but arouse Cory’s curiosity.

As captivating and complex as his ink, Jude is a mystery—and Cory’s falling fast and hard under his spell. Against his better judgment to steer clear.

The rumors of Jude’s past overshadow him—whispers of prison and an unmentionable secret that’s kept him in the protective shadows of a local motorcycle club. As Cory probes deeper, he wonders how much he really wants to know. Especially since Jude has awakened something inside him that has been buried too long—and has him feeling completely alive for the first time in forever…

ADD TO GOODREADS

My Review

Complimentary copy received by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I have not really ventured into m/m romance until now, but not for the lack of wanting to. I am a firm believer of ‘love is love’, no matter your gender or race, so please do not misunderstand me. But you know what it is like to remain in your comfort zone instead of trying new things – or, in this case, genres – and taking a leap of faith? Well, most people – including me – are creatures of habit, thus making it difficult to expand our horizon from time to time. This, of course, also manifests itself in the books we choose to read.

But I am thrilled and actually very excited about the fact that I will now be picking up more m/m romance novels because of “There You Stand” by Christina Lee.

Cory and Jude are both young men marked by their pasts, and while their issues stem from different tragic events, the question is if they really are that different from each other? Obviously, I will not ruin the plot for you – that would be cruel – but what I do feel is acceptable to say is that these two men, as well as their connection, are probably some of the most beautiful souls I have come across in a long time.

I adored getting to know Cory, the sexy tattoo artist, and the way he yearns for Jude, the British and secretive skateboarder, made me fall a little bit in love with him myself. I became invested in their story from the very first page, and I love when that happens! And Jude…oh, Jude: what a truly sweet, sensitive man. I wanted to reach into my Kindle, haul him out of it, and hug him so hard! I realise that these are fictional characters, of course, but while reading their story, they felt incredibly real to me.

The mystery surrounding Jude had me very intrigued, and there was never a moment when I felt that the story was unnecessarily drawn out – to put it bluntly: never was there a time when I got bored. Quite the contrary, in fact, because I have been thinking about this book a lot ever since I read The End. Yes, a book hangover set it, and it has not really left me even though it has been weeks since I finished it.

I have been a fan of Miss Lee’s for a while now, and I adore her storytelling skills; she writes with passion, heart, and compassion, and it is always clear to feel all the emotions her characters go through. She also writes some of the most sensual and steamy sex scenes I have ever come across, and I would be lying if I said that is not part of the reason why I pick up her books. 😉 Ultimately, though, the love stories she writes are why I call her one of my all-time favourite  authors, and I want to applaud her for stepping out of her own comfort zone: writing a m/m romance novel and make it realistic. That, to me, is talent.

To sum up my review: if you, like me, are new to m/m romance, I would say that this book is a great starting point. The characters are genuine, the pace of the story is perfect, and the hotness factor is off the charts! The secondary characters compliment the main story as well, there are some pretty laugh-out-loud moments involving a specific dog, and it just gives you that feel-good vibe we all want to experience when reading romance novels.

So why not take a leap of faith and try something new?

Miss Lee: thank you for a fantastic reading experience! I truly love this book, and I just hope it will be available in print someday so that I can put it on my favourite books shelf. ❤

PREORDER LINKS

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(from Goodreads Author Profile)

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys.  She’s addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.  Author of the Between Breaths series from Penguin. ALL OF YOU, BEFORE YOU BREAK and WHISPER TO ME available now, PROMISE ME THIS on October 7th, 2014.  Also Adult contemporary romance TWO OF HEARTS coming from Peguin/NAL on May 5th 2015.

SOCIAL LINKS

Facebook

Goodreads Author Profile

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Blog Tour: “Confess” by Colleen Hoover – My Review

 

 

Title: “Confess”

Author: Colleen Hoover

Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 10th March, 2015.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Tour Host: The Hot Bed

SYNOPSIS

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

My Review

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

One of the difficult aspects of being a book reviewer, in my opinion, is when you sit down to write one of a book from one of your favourite authors: because how will you be able to put all your thoughts and feelings down of a book you loved when you feel that your words will be inadequate? It is not merely enough to say that you loved it, of course.

“Confess” by Colleen Hoover is, without a doubt, a wonderful story about loss, love, heartbreak, hope, and, to me at least, a story about finding your inner strength and let it shine. It is a story about how two individuals – Auburn and Owen – cross paths in a seemingly coincidental way, and how that one meeting ends up being the catalyst of future events. In some way, I am tempted to believe that there actually is such a thing as fate even when I am not usually the type of person to believe in it, but this book has made me rethink my beliefs a bit. And that is the power of a great storyteller: when the author makes you question and reconsider previously unwavering thoughts on a concept. It seems to me that Colleen Hoover always manages to make me do this, actually.

The title itself will instantly make you intrigued as to the plot of this book, and I believe that the many twists and turns will also make your heart constrict because you will be surprised on more than one occasion. The main characters, Auburn and Owen, have secrets. Some are of the light-hearted kind whereas others are more complicated. It would be a great disservice to you if I were to reveal any of them, obviously, so I will not do that. But I can reveal a few confessions of my own as to the feelings I went through while reading this book:

Confession #1: The prologue had me in tears.

Confession #2: Auburn and Owen made me chuckle, laugh, cry, and swoon.

Confession #3: The many facets to the characters had my head reeling.

Confession #4: This is not a “simple” love story; it is complicated; it is difficult; it is uplifting. In short: it is realistic.

I am of the firm belief that you will fall head over heels in love with both Auburn and Owen; they are easy to love. Auburn has quite a battle on her hands, but nothing will stop her from conquering it, and you have to admire that kind of tenacity. Furthermore, her sweet yet stubborn character traits made me really enjoy getting to know her: this woman does not give up.

Owen also has a battle to fight – and you quickly learn why that is – and it was at times very difficult to read how he chooses to handle it. It was, however, never something that made me less sympathetic towards his character. His passion for his art is evident, the driving force behind it quite unique. He is sweet, caring, and funny…Not without faults, of course, but that is what makes him a believable character in my eyes.

There are quite a colourful and interesting cast of secondary characters appearing in “Confess”, and I have to say that I would like to get to know some of them even better. Not that they pull your focus away from the main story, of course. But I do wonder about them, and I love when that happens in a book.

No one, in my opinion, can doubt the very unique penmanship of Miss Hoover’s. Her at times no-nonsense kind of writing – including the dry humour many of us have come to associate with this author – as well as the love story which will make you cry are all evident in this book. If you are already a fan of hers, I believe that these are a part of the reason why you love her books as much as I do.

I realise that this is a somewhat different kind of review from the ones I usually write, and maybe I have even confused you a bit. I am sorry if the latter is the case. But like I told you in the beginning of my review, I have been very uncertain about how to write it. And this is, I am afraid, the best I can come up with.

Miss Hoover, I loved every moment of “Confess” – I know I will read it many times in the future, and I hope you will never run out of heartbreaking – yet hopeful – love stories to tell us. ❤

 

UK PREORDER LINKS

Ebook

Kindle

iBooks

Kobo

Nook

Pbook

Amazon

Waterstones

Foyles

WHSmith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(from Amazon.co.uk)

Colleen Hoover lives in the United States with her husband and three children. She loves to write in her spare time and prefers stories that are both humorous and heart-wrenching. Her goal through writing is to give readers a pleasant experience that will leave them viewing life from a slightly different angle. To read more about this author, visit her website at http://www.colleenhoover.com

SOCIAL LINKS

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Release Day Blitz: “A Stone in the Sea” (A Bleeding Stars Novel #1) by A. L. Jackson – My Review, Teasers, Excerpt & Giveaway

Title: “A Stone in the Sea” (A Bleeding Stars Novel #1)

Author: A. L. Jackson

Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 23rd Febuary, 2015.

SYNOPSIS

He wanted nothing at all…

Until he found she had everything to give…

Sunder lead singer and guitarist Sebastian Stone has everything—fans, fame, and fortune. He also has a heart full of bitterness and a reputation for a short-fused temper. But an outward reputation rarely reveals the true man inside. Facing assault charges after trying to protect his younger brother, Sebastian is sent to Savannah, Georgia to lie low until the dust settles in L.A.

Shea Bentley is beautiful, kind, and hiding from the very lifestyle Sebastian has always embraced.

When the mysterious, tattooed stranger begins hanging out at the bar where she works, Shea is quick to recognize he is nothing but trouble, but she’s helpless to the way her body lights up every time his intense gray eyes tangle with hers.

They both soon find themselves drowning in a sea of desire and passion that won’t let them up for air.

Sebastian knows firsthand secrets never die, and he’s not the only one who’s hiding them.

Loving someone always comes with a price. But will it be Shea’s past that costs them everything?

ADD TO GOODREADS

My Review

Complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

There is something about A. L. Jackson’s penmanship that always manages to draw me in immediately when I read her stories. I may not have picked up every book she has written – yet – but only because of a severe lack of time (always an issue for a bookaholic, eh?). However, I am a massive fan of hers, and I have actually no idea how I will write this review without revealing spoilers…I will try, though, to do my best.

With “A Stone in the Sea”, Miss Jackson introduces us to a slightly sexier side to her writing – that is how I feel, at least – yet you have no problem identifying her trademark evocative storytelling skills at the same time.

Sebastion Stone is, to the outside, the typical rock star, but this is, in fact, a man who feels everything, which is why he completely stole my heart; he is difficult, perhaps, but all artists are to a certain extent, and once you become more and more acquainted with him, his family, and his secrets, you will understand why that is. He is so loyal and protective to those he loves, and these are only admirable traits, of course.

Shea Bentley is guarding her own secrets, past hurts and heartaches, but she cannot deny the attraction she feels towards Sebastian. She has a beautiful soul, and she almost always chooses to see the good in people. But do not let that deceive you because she is far from naïve: this is a woman who is so much stronger than she appears to be, and I loved how she is not afraid to go to battle for Sebastian.

I always enjoy when authors include the POVs of both of the main characters, but more so now than ever: the complexities of these two people run deep, and I loved delving into their hearts and minds, allowing me to see the real persons underneath the masks they show to the outside world.

Now, even though this is a story filled with anguish and heartache, it is also incredibly funny and uplifting. I am not afraid to admit that I even snort-giggled from time. I will also have to confess, though, that the story did break my heart a bit…I will not divulge why that is, of course, but just be prepared to cry while reading this beautiful, deeply emotional love story.

I realise that this review is quite shorter from the ones I usually write, but I fear that I will reveal too much if I write anymore. Suffice it to say, I ADORED this romance because of all the feelings I went through while reading it, and I simply cannot wait until Miss Jackson releases the next book in the series. ❤

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

iBooks

Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT

With a smile, I turned around, then froze when my sight registered the obscured figure leaning against the wall. A strangled gasp caught in my throat, and my heart took off at a sprint, blood pounding hard in my ears.

Pushing from the wall, he stepped from the shadows, his hands again stuffed deep in his pockets.

My heart rate only increased, the energy radiating from him almost as strong as the disappointment he’d left me with when he’d gone.

I pressed my hand to my chest to try to still the panic thundering against my ribs. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” The words were soft. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”

But he did. I was scared of what he was capable of doing to me, the way I knew he held the power to trounce all over this hammering heart, to hold it in his hand and crush it into a million unrecognizable pieces.

“What are you doing here?” I asked on a shaky breath.

He looked to the sky and exhaled heavily, before he leveled his gaze back on me. “The same thing I’m doing every night, Shea. Thinking about you and wondering why the hell I can’t stop.”

My stomach flipped, and I gulped for air.

“What do you want from me?”

He laughed, lifted his elbows out to his sides in a helpless gesture without pulling his hands free. “Dinner?”

Nonsensical laughter shot from me. “At three in the morning?”

“Breakfast?” he amended, a coy smile pulling at his full, crooked lips.

Tingles spread across my skin, and I ran my hands up my bare arms. “I already told you I don’t have time for distractions.”

“Come on, Shea. It’s just food. Go out with me. Just tonight.”

Somehow I knew it was a lie, even though he wanted to believe it was true.

Nervously, I glanced to the back door all the while being inexplicably drawn to this man I didn’t even know. I knew I should make a break for it, run for the safety of my little world and give him no opportunity to rip it apart.

“I am hungry,” I found myself saying. After a long night of work, it was true. But it had nothing to do with the reason I was giving in.

Because I just wanted to…

I shook my head.

That was it. I just wanted. I wanted to be in his space. I wanted to understand why he had this pull on me. I wanted him.

Even though I’d never allow myself to have him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including If Forever Comes, Pulled and When We Collide, as well as the New Adult Romance Come To Me Quietly due out January 7, 2014.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

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Cover Reveal: “Step-Lover” by Bella Jewel – Synopsis, Teasers & Giveaway

 

Title: “Step-Lover”

Author: Bella Jewel

Cover Design: LM Creations

 Release Date: March 9, 2015

 

Synopsis

You’ll only ever have one forbidden love.

Care to know why?

Because when you find it, forbidden love that is, you’ll forget everything else.

You’ll forget your first kiss. You’ll forget the first boy who made you smile. You’ll forget all the bad, and remember all the good. You’ll forget that it’s wrong.
You’ll forget that it hurts. You’ll forget everything that came before him.

Forbidden love, it has a way of changing you. The secrets. The lies. The guilt.

You want something so much you no longer care about the world around you. The passion takes away the pain.

I’ve felt it. I’ve lived it. I didn’t need it, but it chose me.

I met him before I knew. I loved him before I knew.

I didn’t know that he was my stepbrother. I knew I had stepbrothers, but I didn’t know he was one of them.

Now I know, I have to walk away. My mom, she deserves this happiness so much more than I do. If she ever knew…it would destroy her.

You have to understand why.

I saw my father die right in front of my tiny, eight year old eyes. He took my sister with him. All that’s left is my mother and I. She’s found her happy place, the
only place she’s had since our worlds were destroyed.

So you see, I can’t have him.

I can’t want him.

But there’s this problem with passion, and love, and destiny.

It doesn’t give you a damned choice.

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Author Bio

Bella Jewel is a self published, USA Today bestselling author. She’s been publishing since 2013. Her first release was a contemporary romance, Hell’s Knights, which topped the charts upon release. Since that time, she has published over five novels, gaining a bestseller status on numerous platforms. She lives in North Queensland and is currently studying editing and proofreading to further expand her career. Bella has been writing since she was just shy of fifteen years old. I

n Summer 2013 she was offered an ebook deal through Montlake Romance for her bestselling modern day pirate series, Enslaved By The Ocean.

She plans to expand her writing career, planning many new releases for the future.

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“Withering Hope” by Layla Hagen – My Review

Title: “Withering Hope”

Author: Layla Hagen

Genre: Contemporary / New Adult Romance

Release Date: 19th February, 2015.

SYNOPSIS

Aimee’s wedding is supposed to turn out perfect. Her dress, her fiancé and the location—the idyllic holiday ranch in Brazil—are perfect.

But all Aimee’s plans come crashing down when the private jet that’s taking her from the U.S. to the ranch—where her fiancé awaits her—defects mid-flight and the pilot is forced to perform an emergency landing in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

With no way to reach civilisation, being rescued is Aimee and Tristan’s—the pilot—only hope. A slim one that slowly withers away, desperation taking its place. Because death wanders in the jungle under many forms: starvation, diseases. Beasts.

As Aimee and Tristan fight to find ways to survive, they grow closer. Together they discover that facing old, inner agonies carved by painful pasts takes just as much courage, if not even more, than facing the rainforest.

Despite her devotion to her fiancé, Aimee can’t hide her feelings for Tristan—the man for whom she’s slowly becoming everything. You can hide many things in the rainforest. But not lies. Or love.

Withering Hope is the story of a man who desperately needs forgiveness and the woman who brings him hope. It is a story in which hope births wings and blooms into a love that is as beautiful and intense as it is forbidden.  

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My Review

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

This is such an incredibly beautiful love story I hardly know where to begin. It is a story of despair, of love, of hope. And it is about a love story that is filled with beauty amidst a cruel setting. I cried, I laughed, and I swooned while reading “Withering Hope” by Layla Hagen, and I dare you to not do the same when you pick it up.

I have only admiration for the heroine, Aimee Myller: she seems to be a strong, determined young woman, and I think that her zest for life is portrayed really well. She has a deep sense of loyalty, too, and the way she feels guilty as she begins to develop deeper feelings towards Tristan Bress feels very realistic and genuine. I would also like to add that the fact that she does everything in her power to be an asset to Tristan, instead of a liability, in the Amazonian jungle is what made me fall in love with her completely.

“I thought the bond between us here in the rainforest was one of friendship. But maybe it’s more. Maybe I feel more for this man who’s not only the strongest person I’ve met, but who also seems more determined to keep me alive than himself.” (Aimee)

Tristan is a very complex, mysterious, and such a closed-off character – in the beginning of the book, at least – and I admit that I was so invested in peeling away his secrets, layer by layer, that I forgot all about the time and that I simply kept reading until the clock struck two in the morning! (This does not happen often, by the way.) Once Tristan’s past and secrets were revealed, my heart broke for him, and I loved seeing how his love for Aimee changes him in many ways. This man has such a beautiful soul, and I love how the author surprised me: what you see is definitely not what you get when it concerns this man. Not in all matters, anyway.

“I wish I could take care of her and make her happy in the way she deserves. I wish I could start fresh with her.” (Tristan)

I have to say that I was a bit sceptical about the setting of this book when I first started reading it, BUT my doubts were very soon put to shame. The fact that most of this book does not involve any secondary characters at all is a bold move by Miss Hagen, but she managed to keep me enthralled throughout the entire book. The imagery in the book is very vivid and lifelike. Miss Hagen possesses a gift of transporting me into her world, and her storytelling skills are simply amazing: she truly made me believe that I was in the rainforest with Aimee and Tristan. Moreover, I have to applaud her for writing such a unique and well-researched love story.

It should not come as a surprise that being the sole survivors of a plane crash makes Aimee and Tristan form such an incredibly strong bond. The fact that their connection ends up being such a profound and meaningful love – one that defies logic, perhaps – is told in a very unique way, and that is why I give the book my highest rating: 5 stars.

“Those terrifying months in the rainforest were, in a way, a gift. Maybe it’s true what they say, that without darkness, you can never truly appreciate the light.” (Aimee)

I loved every page of this romance novel: it is different, the characters complement each other extremely well, and the environment is portrayed in a realistic way. To me, the pace of the story is perfect, and the manner in which Aimee and Tristan’s love for each other develops is remarkable, yet realistic. The ending and the epilogue made me sob – not something that happens often, I might add – but not in a sad way: no, I was a very happy bookaholic because of the beauty of it.

Miss Hagen, thank you for such a wonderful reading experience! “Withering Hope” is most definitely an all-time favourite book of mine. ❤

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Layla Hagen and I am a New Adult Contemporary Romance author.
I fell in love with books when I was nine years old, and my love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.
I write romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.
And I drink coffee. Lots of it, in case the photo didn’t make it obvious enough

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“Held Against You” by Season Vining – My Review

Title: “Held Against You”

Author: Season Vining

Genre: New Adult / Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (US Macmillan Publishers)

Release Date: 13th January, 2015.

SYNOPSIS

Accused of a horrible crime and on the run, Kat has been rejected by everyone she loves. She’s a fugitive from her past, flitting from town to town with nothing but the clothes on her back. Until she meets a man who literally stops her in her tracks.

This notorious bounty hunter, with his stunning good looks and powerful instincts, never fails to capture his prey. But there’s something about his newest mark that gets under his skin–and it’s not just the naked innocence he sees in her eyes. Behind his ice cold demeanor, he has his own secrets… and now his lively, vulnerable captive is about to crack him wide open.

As they drive across the country together, neither of them can deny the spark of attraction between them. Will their journey force these two passionate opposites together…or will their dangerous secrets be too much to bear?

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My Review

ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

It has been a while since I read a romantic suspense novel – you know what it is like when you are a bookaholic: you have a tendency to jump between genres, reading a certain one for a while before feeling you need a change of scenery. I believe that “Held Against You” by Season Vining will appeal to other readers of this genre, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

I see no need to hatch down the book and write a synopsis of it – the blurb tells you a lot about it already – but I will endeavour to write a spoiler free review of it.

One of the things that appealed to me about Kat, the heroine of the book, is the fact that she owns up to her crime; she knows that she should pay for what she has done, but, at the same time, she is terrified of going to prison. Her emotional state of mind is very believable to me, and I do believe that most of us would try to make a run for it if we were to find ourselves in the same position.

Another thing I want to touch upon is Kat’s personality: she is quite the character! Her love of the eighties, her zest for life, and her geeky nature made me laugh a lot; but her defence mechanism is to use humour, it is her armour, and I really loved it whenever her mask slipped and I got to see her vulnerable side as well.

The bounty hunter – and he shall remain nameless – is a very closed-off, mysterious, and actually also a very sad kind of person. The life he leads is a lonely one – by his choice, of course – but he carries so many demons within that you, like Kat, want to see unravel…You really want to get to know him on an intimate level. So his character had me very curious all throughout the book.

You cannot help but wonder how Kat’s fate can ever have a happy outcome, but I found myself hoping and praying that, somehow, she would be able to escape prison; otherwise, her personality, I believe, would be crushed in such an environment.

Miss Vining has an appealing way of telling the story of Kat and the bounty hunter; she manages to paint a very vivid picture of the situation and the surroundings, the way her characters think and feel, and I must say that I am glad she has chosen to write the book in dual POVs; it allows us, the readers, the chance to fully connect with the characters, and you all know how important that is.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who, like me, enjoy a bit of fun in their romantic suspense novels; both Kat and the bounty hunter are very complex characters, and I like the many layers of the plot. The writing is engaging, the pace flows really well, and there are also a couple of interesting secondary characters which are an asset to the story as a whole.

I will most definitely be reading more of this author’s work in the future.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(from Goodreads Author Profile)

SEASON VINING is an author, a designer, a philanthropist, a bookworm, a cook, inked, and a night owl. She loves John Hughes films, tattooed boys, and celebrating anniversaries of her 29th birthday. She lives in Louisiana, where she likes to spend time with her corgi, Chap.

Season is a graphic designer by trade and adores all form of art. She’s a fan of live music, vintage cars, and people who know the difference between their, there, and they’re.

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Book Blitz: The Fading Trilogy by E. K. Blair – Special Box Set Release!

Hello, gorgeous people!

I have loved The Fading Trilogy by E. K. Blair from the very beginning – all three books are on My Favourite Books Shelf – and I am thrilled to see that it is now released in a special box set!

The trilogy box set will release at a special promotional price of only $0.99 for a limited time only, and it includes 3 full-length novels along with 2 bonus short stories!

Below each book, you will find the link to My Review – and if you are new to this series: Read it! Now!

Also, be sure to enter the giveaway!

Enjoy!

SYNOPSIS

Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?

Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered. 

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens. 

At what point do secrets become lies?

MY REVIEW

Fading by E.K. Blair book trailer from Novel Idea Inc. on Vimeo.

SYNOPSIS

Knowing who you are and accepting who you are come at different prices. 

Jase Kinrick grew up in your typical, all-American household. But after the death of his sister, his parents shut down, forcing him to deal with everything life throws his way alone. Terrified of the person he’s discovering himself to be, Jase has his way with every willing girl to try and rid himself of what he fears he is—gay. 

Escaping California and moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, Jase frees himself to the reality that he likes men. Never staying with any guy long enough to get to know them, he doesn’t realize that he’s still hiding from who he is until he meets Mark. Scared of having real feelings for another guy stirs up the questions and fears he’s fought hard to bury. 

To strip away the barriers to the heart of what is real, and to be okay with what lies underneath, will be Jase’s moment of truth. But he’ll need Mark to lead him there.

 

MY REVIEW

FREEING by E.K. Blair book trailer from Novel Idea Inc. on Vimeo.

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes it takes someone else to show us what we are truly capable of becoming.

Suffering from years of violent abuse, Ryan Campbell has learned how to keep people from getting too close. But when you shut yourself off, people get hurt along the way. Never caring much about others, Ryan creates a world in which he doesn’t have to feel.

When Ryan meets Candace Parker, all of his walls slowly begin to crumble. Not sure of the truth of who she is, he feels his mind is playing tricks on him. Unable to force out the thoughts that consume him, Ryan is haunted by visions that torment him every time he looks at her. He finds himself swallowed by guilt and blame, but he’s unwilling to turn his back on the one person that could possibly save him.

 

You’ve heard Candace’s story in Fading, now hear Ryan’s. 

MY REVIEW

Falling by E.K. Blair book trailer from Novel Idea Inc. on Vimeo.

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Find The Fading Trilogy on Goodreads

Fading (Fading, #1)

Falling (Fading, #3)

 

Freeing (Fading, #2)

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Release Day Blitz: “Sometimes Moments” by Len Webster – Excerpt, Teasers & Giveaway

 

 

Title: “Sometimes Moments”
Author:  Len Webster
Release Date : January 12th, 2015

PROMOTED BY: Book Empire Promotions 

COME JOIN SOMETIMES MOMENTS RELEASE PARTY

SYNOPSIS

One blink,

One breath of air,

One moment in time …

Could change your life forever.

Growing up, Peyton Spencer fell in love with the boy across the road, Callum Reid. As the years went by, it only made sense that they would wind up being completely and utterly infatuated with each other. That was, until the morning Peyton wakes up to find Callum packing up and leaving the small town they lived in.
Left heartbroken and with no explanation, Peyton spends the next four years of her life without him, ensuring they never cross paths again.

At seventeen and months after Callum leaves her, Peyton buries her parents—feeling more alone than ever before. Now at twenty-one, she’s inherited the Family hotel, The Spencer-Dayle. Just when she thinks life couldn’t get more complicated, the one person that shattered her heart, soul and belief returns.
For Peyton, his return opens up all her old wounds and resurfaces the memories she’s tried to forget.

He’s not the same boy she once fell in love with. He’s guarded and keeps secrets close to him. Peyton knows her life will begin to unravel.

Untold truths will finally come to light. Whether or not Peyton wants to hear it, the truth will undoubtedly break her heart all over again. 

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Enjoy the excerpt! 

 

Peyton listened until Jay’s familiar laugh rang high and then she breathed out. His laugh was a form of remedy for her. Though he was so much like Peyton and Graham, he was far different from them. Jay was comfortable with his life. For Peyton, she was just managing.

Shaking her head, Peyton looked down at the papers sprawled on the table. The sound of a chair scratching caught her attention. When she lifted her gaze, she was irritated to see none other than Callum Reid sitting in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest.

Peyton closed her eyes tight and sat properly in her chair. It was a talk Callum wanted, and Peyton had thoroughly avoided it since his return.

“Peyton,” Callum acknowledged in a dull tone.

“Callum,” she said, mimicking the lifeless pitch in his voice.

His lips pursed and he eyed her. Silence was exchanged between them, suffocating her. When it reached an unbearable quota, Peyton started to collect her work.

“Why does everyone in this town love you so much but hate me? I grew up here too.”

His question startled her, causing Peyton to lift her head and glance at him. His eyes swept over the pub, filled with disbelief.

He really doesn’t get it.

“Because you left, Callum,” Peyton stated.

He slowly turned his head until his eyes met hers. Callum’s jaw locked as if he were attempting to control his emotions around her.

“So did everyone else,” he pointed out.

“Everyone had their reasons.”

Callum’s eyes flashed and he abruptly leant forward. “And I didn’t, Peyton?”

“Yes, you did. But you didn’t give me a reason. They all left because they gave a reason. They told the town. They let people know. But you? You just up and left, Callum. You didn’t tell me.”

Callum flinched like her words had hurt him, which Peyton found ridiculous. “I had my reasons, Peyton,” he said through clenched teeth. “But that doesn’t explain why these people I’ve grown up with can’t even look at me.”

This time, it was Peyton who flinched. Her eyes burned. He still didn’t get it.

“Because you didn’t come back!” she shouted, tears running down her cheeks. That façade she had hid behind crumbled. She no longer used a fake smile. For Peyton, this was as raw and as naked as it got for her.

His eyes grew sadder, but she didn’t care. Around them the voices had started to hush until the pub had silenced around them.

“Look around you, Peyton. Nobody else came back!” Callum raised his voice.

Her heart clenched at the truth he spoke.

“But they did,” she sobbed.

Callum shook his head. “No, they didn’t.”

“But they did when I needed them the most!” Peyton cried before she wiped the tears from her cheeks, hating the weakness she was showing.

“What?” he breathed.

“They all came back—every single one of them. The town hates you because you didn’t come back. Everyone came back, Callum. My parents’ funeral—they were all there…except for you!”

Her lips trembled as the heat burned through her chest.

“Peyton,” he said almost apologetically.

“No! That one day. Their funeral. That was the day you could have redeemed yourself, Callum. I don’t care if you couldn’t love me. I needed you then. I lost them and you didn’t show. It was their funeral, Callum. They died. My parents, they loved you. Don’t you get that? They loved you! They wanted meto forgive you, but I couldn’t, and when they died, I knew I could never forgive you. You didn’t have to be there for me. You could have been there to pay your respects or to say goodbye, but you didn’t. The moment I buried them, I buried any hope of you redeeming yourself.”

“I’m—”

Peyton shook her head. “Save it. If you had just come back, I would have forgiven you for breaking my heart. I don’t care if you couldn’t love me back. I just needed your support and for you to acknowledge their deaths. They all came back. The only person who didn’t show was you.” Peyton sniffed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

That was the day she had vowed she would never let him back into her life. The last glint of hope had died with the very last breath her parents had breathed that day all those years ago.

AUTHOR BIO

The truth is, Len Webster is a romance-loving Melbournian with dreams of finding her version of ‘The One.’ She calls Australia home, but secretly wishes a man with a beautiful accent would whisk her away. She’s been called a hopeless romantic and a firm believer of happily ever afters, which she doesn’t object to.

Having just completed her Bachelor in Business and Commerce, Len can be found daydreaming of her next Europe adventure or swooning over Mr. Darcy. Her best friends are a hot cup of tea, red velvet cupcakes, a warm jumper and her MacBook, ready to write to her heart’s content.

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