BLOG TOUR: Broken Lullabies by Nicole Simone

 Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 25, 2015

~Synopsis~

His eyes as black as the the devils tongue

His melodic voice more tempting than a siren's call

Three years ago, Camille Barker was held at knife point but her attacker wasn't the one who haunted her dreams. No, it was the man that stood a-washed in the yellow glow of the street light, his stare observant but heedless. A witness to the senseless act. The venom that dripped from his twisted lips saved Camille's life and set her soul ablaze. Reemerging from the ashes, she set upon the well worn path her parent's always dreamed she would take.

That is until rock n roller, Matthew Lee, shows her that you can only bask in the sun so long before the monsters come out to play.

~Book Review~

4 Stars

“‛I’m the darkness in your dreams

You’re the moon that lights my starless sky

I’m the crow by your windowsill that sings — a broken lullaby.’”

One devastating night sealed Camille Barker and Matthew Lee’s fate when they were strangers. Now they meet again. Only time has blurred the image and instead of the emotionally abusive monster that Camille saw that night, she now sees the gorgeous likes of rock star and lead singer Matthew Lee of The Five Guys. 

“Now here she was, dropped into my life like a goddamn grenade. I wanted to dismantle it and avoid the wreckage Camille’s presence would cause, but it felt like a moot point. Once the grenade landed, you only had seconds before it blew. You had to close your eyes and hope you made it out alive with all your limbs intact.”

Both Camille and Matthew struggle with that night when they were different people.  It’s colored the way they see themselves, and it’s made them both feel like a lesser person. 

“What I had to remember was that angels don’t fall in love with the devil.”

Camille is actually a pretty feisty, strong willed character, but she’s been broken by the night of her attack and still wrestles with nightmares, anxiety, and feelings of insecurity—both physical and emotional.

Matthew is equally as tormented by the same night and his role in it. As a result he struggles with his identity.  In actuality, there are many sides to Matthew which an agreement to help Camille live life to the fullest again allows her and the reader to see. In the meantime, they must also wrestle with the attraction they feel towards each other and the boundaries they aren’t sure should be crossed. 

“‛I don’t care if we f*ck upside down, sideways, or on all fours…’”

Told via Camille and Matthew’s alternating first person POV, this story is about learning to move on from the past, finding your true self—the person you want to be, and living your dreams.  While the premise sounds somewhat dark, the message is positive and the angst is pleasingly minimal.  

Once again Nicole Simone does a great job of taking a “hero” who has made some majorly wrong choices against the heroine and turning him into a guy that you still root for. Speaking of which, Luke and Marlene from Love of a Rockstar and To Cherish and To Hold  make appearances as minor characters in this one. And band mate, Sean, will be featured in the next book, Melody of Truth. (A sample is included at the end). Still Broken Lullabies can be read as a stand-alone so choose either title to get started in this series today!

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~Excerpt~

I couldn’t be the reason she’d found happiness again when I was the fucking person who’d bestowed the nightmares and misery on her in the first place. I knew this would happen. I knew if I gave into my desires, the trigger would be pulled. It was only a matter of time before the damage of my actions followed. Anguish clawed at my throat as Camille’s beautiful face fell.

Her voice hardly above a whisper, she spoke. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

It would be an honor to hold her sunshine in the palms of my hands, but it was an honor I didn’t deserve. This – whatever this was -- had to come to an end, which pained me as much as getting my leg blown off would have. Camille would be fine though. She would move on, find a nice guy, get married, and move to a house with a white picket fence. The whole nine yards. Because she deserved it. I would be a distant blip in her memory. But if we continued down this path, Camille would eventually see the monster that lurked inside me. And that would be worse than missing a leg. That would be equivalent to having my heart blasted to smithereens.

Nicole Simone works in digital media by day and at night, pens character driven romance novels that will make your mama blush. She lives in Los Angeles, C.A with her fat bulldog named Humphrey. She loves hearing from her readers and can be reached at authornicolesimone@gmail.com

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Love Of A Rockstar (Love Of A Rockstar, #1)

BOOK REVIEW

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To Cherish And Hold (Love Of A Rockstar, #1.5)

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~Giveaway~

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REVIEW/RELEASE: Quarter Mile Hearts by Jenny Siegel

Genre: Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~

Following an accident injuring her dad, twenty-four year old Leigh Storm returns home to the town she was once so desperate to escape.

It is only a matter of hours before she runs into Max 'Manwhore' Morgan. Dark eyed and dangerous to her heart, he is the very last person she wants to see. It might have been four years since she saw him last, but there's no denying the chemistry between them is as potent as ever. Max makes it clear he isn't about to let her run again, even if he is the one thing Leigh vowed to herself she
would never date: a street racer.

After racing tore apart her own family and left a path of destruction in its wake, Leigh decided long ago that it is not the life she wants for herself. But when a wager gone wrong threatens her dad's livelihood, Leigh must go against everything she believes in.

This time there's more at stake on the quarter mile that just the family business-She's risking her heart as well. 

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~Book Review~

4 Stars

  

Leigh Storm returns to her hometown after four years when a street racing accident lands her father in the hospital. She isn’t home long though when old sparks that were never extinguished flare up again between her and racer Max “Manwhore” Morgan.

Street racing has torn her family apart and Leigh proclaims to want no part of dating a street racer even if her panties are still wet from the one night she spent with her supposed nemesis Max.

“‛Do you still remember how it felt to have me inside you?’”

Leigh and Max have chemistry right from the beginning and Max, while appearing to be a bit of a womanizer, is pretty panty-melting when he interacts with Leigh.  The author does a good job with presenting Leigh’s dilemma and making her relatable.  If I was in her shoes too I would have been torn between Max’s reputation and the way he made her feel/the connection they seemed to share.  But thankfully Max is more of a flirt than a true manwhore so this isn’t a story about him breaking her heart but, in fact, about him winning it!  He’s actually a pretty swoon-worthy hero and makes quite the book boyfriend. I just love stories where the guy is focused on getting his girl and that’s some of the best scenes of the book. 

“Did you have to go there? Seriously don’t talk about you bending over in that dress or ever. I can’t deal with the mental images that conjures up.”

This is a story about returning to your roots and looking past appearances and pre-conceived misperceptions. The supporting characters, Leigh and Max’s friends and family, round out the story well and are all likeable additions to the plot. There were a few places where it felt like the plot had some loose ends but overall it’s an enjoyable read.

 Amazon US   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   Amazon AU 

Jenny Siegel writes new adult romance. When she's not writing (or entertaining two little terrors) Jenny is glued to her Kindle, or plotting (also known as daydreaming) about hot tattooed heroes that will sweep a girl off her feet.

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BOOK REVIEW: Better When It Hurts by Skye Warren

~Blurb~

Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy. And my foster brother. Now he's back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It's payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.

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~Review~

4.25 Stars

Hannah is a stripper, hiding behind the heels and lipstick persona of her stage name Lola. Hannah’s life has known mostly abandonment and loss. And the one boy she ever really connected with back in foster care she betrayed. 

“He looks like an avenging angel, and I’m the devil who needs to be slayed.”

Blue suffered the consequences of Hannah’s lie and now he’s back in her life for revenge. He wants atonement from Hannah and he’s willing to accept that in the form of her body—that’s all for him and him alone. 

“‛You’re going to walk down that hall and go inside my apartment. Then you’re going to strip. I don’t need to watch. I see you do that any night of the week. What I want is what comes after. You. On the couch. Facedown, ass in the air, ready to take whatever I give you.’”

The first half of the story is pretty light on any “romance.” Their interactions are gritty, harsh, steeped in long standing issues of betrayal and coated in bitterness. Both Hannah and Blue are broken people, damaged souls who feel their connection but don’t feel worthy. 

“I need him to forgive me, to redeem me. I need him to hurt me at the same time I fear it. That’s why I’m here—as much for me as for him. I shake with wanting it, with needing him, with longing for release.”

As they attempt to settle the score though, their encounters transform, becoming sexier, steamier as they are less about revenge and more about healing. 

“What he does to me is deeper than that. He roots out every old wound I have. And the salt is the tender way he kisses my mound, an intimacy that has everything and nothing to do with sex.”

The prose is well composed, at time beautifully depicting their emotional states and the demons they wrestle with. However, the shift from revenge to redemption isn’t entirely seamless. The edges of the story, like the characters, are a little rough and the ending feels a little rushed.  I felt a bit of a disconnect somewhere that I can’t entirely pinpoint.  Told via Hannah’s first person POV, Blue’s feelings are somewhat of a mystery in the beginning, keeping the reader guessing on his exact end goal, which added a page turning quality to the story. But by the later half I felt like it would have been helpful to get a few chapters from his POV to make their transition from “enemies” to true lovers smoother, and I really wanted to see Hannah explain herself both to Blue and the details of their back story to the reader better.

But, all in all, it’s an engaging, steamy read and if you like alpha males and some edgier love scenes, this is one to check out. 

*Read an excerpt from the Release Blitz: HERE*

Amazon • Nook • iBooks

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

Books in the Stripped series

½. Tough Love (prequel)

1. Love the Way You Lie

2. Better When It Hurts

3. Pretty When You Cry

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

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BOOK REVIEW: Badass in My Bed by Rae Lynn Blaise

4.75 Stars

“Rachel-who-is-moving” is a good girl cellist leaving Chicago for a job with the Boston Symphony. “Dylan-with-no-last-name” is the tattooed hottie she meets at a bar in her final days in town. He emanates that bad boy vibe, and he’s exactly what Rachel’s friend thinks she needs in her regimented, no thrills lifestyle. 

“Something tells me he knows exactly how to make things fit. And style isn’t really an issue when no one’s wearing clothes.”

Mesmerized by his presence, Rachel takes a chance and takes Dylan home. And then things turn steamy, their already simmering chemistry burning hot. 

“‛Pretty soon, I’m the one who’s going to be giving the orders….Don’t worry so much, Rachel. I might not be nice, but you’re going to like it. I promise.’”

It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, finding similarities where appearances highlight only differences. For a shorter read, this one really packs the punch both with the steamy scenes sprinkled with hints of romance and character development that endears you to both characters. There’s clearly more below the surface for both of them. Told via Rachel’s first person point of view, Dylan is a bit of a mystery man to Rachel and though readers should be able to connect the dots, it’s a lot of fun to see where this is going. I’m definitely looking forward to part 2.

   

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BLOG TOUR: More Than Water by Renee Ericson

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

~Synopsis~

It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel wrong. It just...feels.

EJ Cunning, an art history major, dates musicians. Foster Blake, a chemical engineering major, can’t sing a tune. They’re not each other’s type. They’re coworkers.

Then, one night leads to sex—sex between friends—which leads to an agreement. It all seems so simple—but nothing ever is.

Many layers build a person’s facade.

Look into the depths for what’s hidden within.

It’s more than water. It’s a story—a living and breathing substance beyond the reflective surface.

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~Book Review~

5 Stars

Evelyn Jane “EJ” Cunning is a senior Art History major who really wants to be an artist but her rich socialite parents don’t exactly “support” the arts. EJ is a bit of a free-spirit (with the exception of the suppression she suffers from her uptight mother), speaks without filters, and changes her hair color with the seasons. Foster “Fozzie” Blake is a senior Chemical Engineering major completely focused on his studies. To the point he doesn’t date! He sports comic book t-shirts and glasses, enjoys the occasional periodic table drinking game, and dirty talks in chemical elements. (Yes, you read that right.) If it weren’t for their shared library work study job, they’d probably never have met since their interests are in far different fields.

But after one drunk night at the bar (a very cute page-turning scene, btw) the seemingly nothing-in-common pair hook up and to their surprise they’re more compatible than they think. (Forget the Bunsen burners, this is where things start to heat up!) 

“‛That’s quite an impressive beaker you have…’” –EJ

“‛You were checking out my instrument?’” –Foster

Told via EJ’s first person point of view, she is such a refreshing female character with healthy self-esteem and who isn’t timid or intimidated easily.   

“I’m adopting a new rule until morning. If I feels good, it is good.”

Foster is…ah Foster.  I’m completely in love with nerds after reading this book!  As a contemporary romance hero he’s quite original with a whole new spin on the studious science guy stereotype. He’s smart; he’s witty; he’s attentive. Foster is the all-round good guy who knows his way around the bedroom just as well as the chemistry lab. 

“He’s making me hot and bothered. That’s what he’s doing. My wet panties are accumulating the evidence.”

EJ and her Fozzie have some serious chemistry together (no pun intended), and they have plenty of cute banter both as friends and friends with (exclusive) benefits.

The author does a great job of incorporating details of each of their majors into the story and the romance. Art and chemistry comes together in an intriguing way that unfolds (along with the title) through the course of the story.  This is a fun, light-hearted new adult steamy romance about following your heart and standing up for your dreams.

There is no insta-love here as the characters’ relationship develops naturally and time wise realistically. And while they agree on a no-strings-attached arrangement I adored how they only had eyes for each other.

When I closed the last page I wasn’t quite ready to stop reading about EJ and Foster. I really enjoyed them both, and I highly recommend them! Science has never been so sexy J Heck, I might have even tolerated chem in college if I’d have had a Fozzie of my own ;-)

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~EXCERPT~

“Ow. Fuck,” I cry out in protest.

“Sorry.” His sinful mouth drops to my neck, distracting me from the recent injury. “Do you want me to get some ice?”

“Only if you’re going to get kinky with me.”

“Are you into that sort of thing?”

“Not ice. That shit’s cold.”

Foster drops us to the bed, half-falling on top of me with a mistimed and misjudged thump.

“No ice,” he confirms, righting himself a bit. “Got it.”

He removes his black frames, and I grab them from his hand before he has a chance to stash them away. I settle them over my face. The prescription on the lenses is so minor that my already drunken vision is barely distorted.

“Do I look smarter?” I ask, playfully pointing my index finger to my cheek.

“Definitely.”

Ducking his head, Foster connects his lips to the skin on my neck and then the space under my chin while slipping his hand under my blouse and over my bra-covered breast. I fumble with the hem of his shirt tucked into his pants. Then, I pull his clothing upward, and like a total amateur, I manage to get it stuck around his neck. He lets out a half-gagging, half-choking sound before rescuing me from my sloppy seductive efforts by removing the layer of fabric himself.

My hands are like magnets being drawn to his firm chest, and they connect with his comforting skin.

Skin. Skin. Skin.

Warm skin.

Toned.

Fucking sexy-as-hell and all-over-me skin.

I-want-to-feel-more-of-it skin.

My mouth runs along his collarbone.

He tastes good, too—a combination of man and mint.

Foster lifts my top over my head before dropping it to the bed, and then he reaches behind my back. I sit up to assist him in the effort of de-clothing me. He tugs at the hooks on my bra a few times.

“Fucking girl clothes,” he says, flustered, yanking at the force field of intimate apparel. “These damn hooks.”

“You can formulate a hydrogen bomb, but you can’t undo a bra?”

“The university doesn’t offer classes on this shit.”

“I’ll complain to the dean.”

UPDATE: Get the short story holiday sequel!
More than Kisses
Book Review

Renee Ericson is the author of the These Days series. Originally from the Midwest, she now resides in a small town just outside of Boston with her husband and three children.

Most winters, Renee can be found on the slopes of the White Mountains skiing with her family. During the summer months, she likes to spend every spare minute at the beach soaking up the sea air. All those moments in between, she is talking to imaginary characters and caring for her children.

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BOOK REVIEWS: Vipers Den (1-3) by J.B. Heller

Vipers Den: Part One Piper & Kade

 4 Stars

Piper runs an edgy beauty salon, the Vipers Den.  Kade Benson is a hunky computer geek and her brother’s best friend since high school.  Piper thinks she can’t stand him or maybe she’s jealous of his friendship with her brother, but either way the initial proposition of being his fake girlfriend is not something she’s ever coveted.

Till she gets a taste of him.

“Apparently it wasn’t so much that I loved to hate him, but more so I hated that I loved him. It was a revelation that was for sure.”

Kade has a clingy stalker ex on his tail and he needs to send her a message. He also has a long standing crush on Piper so why not kill two birds with one stone. When a fake relationship turns the tables on their real one and opens Piper’s eyes, things get steamy!

“Every thrust meant something, it told her what I couldn’t say out loud.”

This is book one in a novella series so it’s a quickie stand-alone read, but it still serves up a cute story.  Piper is a strong, independent girl, running her own businesses and not cowering at the threat of Kade’s creepy stalker.  It was refreshing to see a heroine with balls who confronts the enemy head-on rather than being a weak, scared victim of jealousy.  Kade is quite the sexy book boyfriend. He’s cooks in the kitchen and takes control in the bedroom. What more could you want?

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Vipers Den: Part Two Pixie & Jake

3.75

Pixie Cole is Piper’s elfish stylist at the Viper’s Den but she was once Tia Malone. But the life she ran away from threatens to return the day Jake Kennedy walks into the shop.  A blast from the past, Pixie isn’t ready to face all the memories Jake evokes.  But Jake wants her back.

“We were a pair; it was destiny that pulled us apart, but it was also destiny that brought us back together.”

This second novella in the series isn’t as light-hearted as the first, and Pixie doesn’t have the brass that Piper does, although Piper and Kade do make appearances as the supporting characters this time around.  On one hand I felt like the backstory on Pixie was a little vague and yet what was hinted at probably wasn’t something I really wanted to read about so maybe it’s best that way.

There’s a little bit of a love triangle in this one, but Pixie just has to follow her heart and let go of her fears.  The question is can they take it slow.

“’Trust me when I say I would rather have you pinned against that wall, sinking my length deep inside of you, than be having this conversation.’”

Overall, a sweet story of overcoming the past, building a new life, and finding a place where you belong. 

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Vipers Den: Part Three Tay & Nate

3.5 Stars

Taylor Jane Seymour, 33, is a stylist at the Viper’s Den.  Nate Summers is a nail technician there.  They’ve both had the hots for each other for years but neither has stepped up to the plate. Till now.

Now being Tay’s decision to have a baby on her own. That revelation propels a streak of possessiveness in Nate that he’s never felt before with a woman, and he’s ready to volunteer for the sperm donor job. 

“’I don’t want another man’s baby growing inside your beautiful body, I don’t want another man touching you full stop…’”

I thought Tay and Nate had a lot of initial chemistry. More so than Pixie and Jake in the previous one. Things seemed to be really heating up. 

“’You sure I can’t just slip it in right now? I can feel how wet you are for me, Tay, you’re so wet it’s seeping through your underwear.’”

But that’s where the budding romance and heat factor took a turn. Tay was so set on her “plan.” I honestly felt her “method” took away from the potential steam factor. I really wanted to see her lead more with her heart and emotions instead of trying to making it so “clinical.”  There’s was a great build-up that fizzled out and honestly made me lose interest in the story.  And while these are novellas, the ending felt a bit abrupt, the premise of the story not seen the whole way through. I hope we get more glimpses of Tay and Nate in future books, but I really felt this one should have carried them through to term. 

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BOOK REVIEW: Hold Me by Anna Zaires

4.5 Stars

  

“There’s no need for words. I saw her, I wanted her, and I took her.”

That’s how Nora and Julian’s story started in Twist Me. Here’s where the story concludes.  Hold Me picks up where Keep Me left off.  It continues the psychological journey that Julian’s abduction of Nora sparked for the both of them while introducing new obstacles for them to overcome.

There more role reversal again this time, though of a different nature than in Keep Me. While Julian toys with his good side:

“…the emotion I felt was so foreign that I didn’t recognize it at first. It was joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.”

Nora wrestles with her bad side:

“I know it’s ironic that the man who brought all the darkness into my life is helping me cope with it, but it’s been that way from the beginning.”

Nora remains a fully cognizant captive heroine, always evaluating her situation, questioning the dichotomy of her existence—her life before and after Julian; and this allows her character to grow and evolve rather than exist as a one-dimensional female victim, not that Nora’s character ever was, even in book one.   

“Nora’s middle-class sensibilities are clashing with her instincts. She knows what society dictates she should feel, and it bothers her that the actual emotions she’s experiencing are quite different.”

Nora encounters moments of self-loathing; Julian expresses emotions of guilt, regret, and love? Julian’s character in this final installment exhibits a deeper range of emotions than we've seen before while still keeping his hard, dangerous, sexy edge that readers and Nora feel in love with. 

“I know exactly how cats feel when they play with mice; this kind of thing is fun.”

In subtle scenes and through twists of the plot, controversies such as Stockholm Syndrome, Nora and Julian’s sexual first encounter, and Julian’s initial intentions are all addressed and perhaps finally put to rest. The questions raised in this book concern the future of Julian and Nora’s relationship when the past started out as it did.  

“I want to believe in the illusion of his caring, in the mirage of his twisted love, and so I let the dark memories fade, leaving me in the brighter present.”

As with the previous books, Hold Me delivers an engaging story, Nora and Julian’s romance pulling you into the pages, despite its dark nature.  There’s plenty of erotic scenes, emotional scenes, a few heartbreaking ones, and sufficient twisted humor moments to make a roller coaster ride.

The previous book whetted my appetite for more interactions between Julian and Nora’s parents, and this one delivers on developing the Leston’s as characters and exploring their responses to Julian and Nora’s situation. 

“Seeing Julian in my parents’ house is a bit like encountering a wild tiger in a suburban mall—it’s bizarre in a scary way.”

The only drawback for me came in the later half. While the climax/violence of the previous books fit with the background plot of Julian’s profession, the enemies this time felt a little too coincidental and slightly contrived, though the action scenes no less exciting. The “fall out,” though handled well, left me disappointed alongside Nora and Julian. (Trying really hard to keep this spoiler free.) I understood how the plot-point operated to get Nora and Julian to a point where they needed to be to move forward as partners, yet I still felt cheated on reading about their next stage in life. It felt a little like book three ended at a similar place as book 2 with future life events still unseen.

None the less, it's still a really good story, and I feel that fans of Nora and Julian will enjoy it and be happy with the tone of the ending. 

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If you haven’t started the series yet, no better time to 1-click now! Here's my praise of the previous titles.

#1 Twist Me remains my favorite! I loved how perfectly it ended, setting up book 2 yet still giving it a bit of a feel of a standalone. You could stop there but you’re so engrossed in Nora and Julian that you’ll want more.  I loved the suspense aspect of this book. Though all three books have twists, this appeals to the mystery lover in me as well. At times I wasn’t sure what to think and for that it wasn’t predictable and kept me on my toes….and up late at night reading ;-) 

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#2 Keep Me definitely delivers on giving more of Nora and Julian, developing both their characters and their relationship.  I loved how this saga continued to twist perceptions, making Nora become stronger despite and possibly because of her captive status. That’s deliciously twisted and amazingly refreshing.  And it’s a rare find. Many captive stories present either weak, victimized heroines or brazen ones that come off reckless rather than strong.  Nora instead shows acts of strength while still enlightening us with her inner monologues of fear and confusion that keep it real.

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~About the Author~

Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.  Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process. In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.

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Read the blog's previous interview with Anna Zaires: HERE

BLOG TOUR: The No Asshole Rule by Ashley Erin

Series: The Rule Series #1

Genre: NA Romance

Release Date: May 19, 2015

~Synopsis~

Andie has one rule she lives by, no assholes. She doesn’t befriend them and she certainly doesn’t date them. Upon transferring to Parkland University, she is irritated to discover her neighbor is not only an asshole, but an attractive one that her body and mind can’t seem to ignore. Can Andie let go of the one rule that safeguards her heart?

Lucas doesn’t date. Ever. At least not anymore but the sexy, distant woman across the hall intrigues him and the draw is more than he can resist. Will he like what he finds hidden deep inside her wounded soul?

They both fight to keep their rules, but the pull is irresistible. As Andie struggles with the demons from her past, old wounds open. Both Lucas and Andie will need to decide what is worth fighting for.

Some rules are meant to be broken. Are they up for the challenge?

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4 Stars

Andi Burke, 19, has a bad history with men. Because of it she’s quick to judgment. So when her new neighbor, hottie Lucas Jensen, barrels past her, leaving her in the dust with heavy luggage, he doesn’t make the best first impression. Or make Andi doubt her “no asshole rules.”

But it turns out Lucas is really quite the prince. (Forget book boyfriend, every girl needs to find a boy like him in life!) A reformed teenage manwhore, Lucas, 22, hasn’t had sex in four years. Yes 4! (Refreshing— you don’t find that too often in contemporary romance).  It seems that Lucas has had his own family issues that have made him reevaluate relationships, and until Andi he hasn’t been interested in them.

Andi lacks experience with trustworthy boys. Lucas lacks experience with committed girlfriends. So how does that all turn out?...Well, Lucas is a total prince. (I said that already didn’t I?) Can’t really say it enough.

“I can’t lie and say I won’t make mistakes, but they will never be anything unforgiveable. I might say the wrong thing, or forget something maybe I shouldn’t, but I swear there is no one else. I swear I will never judge you for whatever has happened in your past.”  — Lucas

Aside from one little overreaction (that honesty felt out of character for Lucus) he’s the doll of the book. Andi on the other hand…well largely she’s likeable, taking into account all that she’s been through. She is quick to jump to misunderstandings though, but thankfully she has a great support system of characters who make up the supporting roles of the story.

Speaking of the supporting characters, they definitely add to the story and seem to set the stage for future books. I’m definitely interested in Dax’s story, especially with the person he’s hinted to be with.  Family, friends, and making a serious relationship work are all themes of the story.

I received an ARC for an honest review for the blog tour so I’m hoping it was simply an uncorrected proof. There were quite a few run-ons and comma splices that required some sentences to be re-read in order to follow, but aside from those grammatical issues the story was an enjoyable new adult read.

Told via Andi and Lucas’s alternating first person POV, if you enjoy coming of age romances that focuses on the characters and the couple as they make their journey and grow, then you’ll want to check this one out. 

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~Except~

“Are you alright?” My body shudders in pleasure at the sound of his deep voice. Dammit, why couldn’t he have a nasally voice. No, it has to be panty wetting, shiver inducing, come right then and there sexy. Fuck. My. Life. Figures I would be sexually aroused for the first time in forever by some random stranger who pisses me off.


~About the Author~

Ashley has a degree in Psychology and has worked in the Human Services field for five years. She loves reading romance, new adult, paranormal and fantasy novels.

She lives in Spruce Grove, Alberta with her boyfriend, two dogs and four cats. She also has a horse she loves with all her heart. When she is not working with the horses, reading and writing, you can find her on social media.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Hold Me by Anna Zaires

 ~Blurb~

Captor and captive. Lovers. Soul mates.

We’re all that and more.

We thought we were past the worst of it. We thought we finally had a chance.

We thought wrong.

We’re Nora and Julian, and this is our story.

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~Excerpt~

“What did you dream about?” I ask softly. “Was it Beth?”

“No.” She shakes her head, and I see that her breathing is beginning to return to normal. Her voice, however, still holds echoes of horror as she says hoarsely, “It was you this time. Majid was cutting out your eyes, and I couldn’t stop him . . .”

I try not to react, but it’s impossible. Her words hurl me back to that cold, windowless room, to the nauseating sensations I’ve been trying to forget for the past several days. My head begins to throb with remembered agony, my half-healed eye socket burning with emptiness once again. I feel blood and other fluids dripping down my face, and my stomach heaves at the recollection. I’m no stranger to pain, or even to torture—my father believed that his son should be able to withstand anything—but losing my eye had been by far the most excruciating experience of my life.

Physically, at least.

Emotionally, Nora’s appearance in that room probably holds that honor.

It takes all of my willpower to wrench my thoughts back to the present, away from the mind-numbing terror of seeing her dragged in by Majid’s men. “You did stop him, Nora.” It kills me to admit this, but if it weren’t for her bravery, I would probably be decomposing in some dumpster in Tajikistan. “You came for me, and you saved me.”

I still have trouble believing that she did that—that she voluntarily placed herself in the hands of psychotic terrorists to save my life. She didn’t do it out of some naive conviction that they wouldn’t harm her. No, my pet knew exactly what they were capable of, and she still had the courage to act.

I owe my life to the girl I abducted, and I don’t quite know how to deal with that.

“Why did you do it?” I ask, stroking the edge of her lower lip with my thumb. Deep down, I know, but I want to hear her admit it.

She gazes at me, her eyes filled with shadows from her dream. “Because I can’t survive without you,” she says quietly. “You know that, Julian. You wanted me to love you, and I do. I love you so much that I would walk through hell for you.”

I take in her words with greedy, shameless pleasure. I can’t get enough of her love. I can’t get enough of her. I wanted her initially because of her resemblance to Maria, but my childhood friend had never evoked even a fraction of emotions Nora makes me feel. My affection for Maria had been innocent and pure, just like Maria herself.

My feelings for Nora are anything but.

“Listen to me, my pet . . .” My hand leaves her face to rest on her shoulder. “I need you to promise me that you will never do something like that again. I’m obviously glad to be alive, but I would sooner have died than had you in that kind of danger. You are never to risk your life for me again. Do you understand me?”

The nod she gives me is faint, almost imperceptible, and I see a mutinous gleam in her eyes. She doesn’t want to make me mad, so she’s not disagreeing, but I have a strong suspicion she’s going to do what she thinks is right regardless of what she says right now.

This obviously calls for more heavy-handed measures.

“Good,” I say silkily. “Because next time—if there is ever a next time—I will kill anyone who helps you against my orders . . . and I will do it slowly and painfully. Do you understand me, Nora? If anyone so much as endangers a hair on your head, whether it’s to save me or for any other reason, that person will die a very unpleasant death. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” She looks pale now, her lips pressed together as if to contain a protest. She’s angry with me now, but she’s also scared. Not for herself—she’s beyond that fear now—but for others. My pet knows I mean what I say.

She knows I’m a conscienceless killer with only one weakness.

Her.

Twist Me (Twist Me, #1)

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Book Review

Kidnapped. Taken to a private island.
I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.

Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful – a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty. My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him – a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.

My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.

Keep Me (Twist Me, #2)

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Book Review

Abducted at eighteen. Held captive for 15 months.
It reads like one of those headlines. And yes, I did it. I stole her. Nora, with her long dark hair and silky skin. She’s my weakness, my obsession.

I’m not a good man. I never pretended to be one. She can love me, but she can’t change me.

I can, however, change her.

My name is Julian Esguerra, and Nora is mine to keep.

Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.

Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.

In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.

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Read the blog's previous interview with Anna Zaires: HERE

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