COVER REVEAL: Broken Lullabies by Nicole Simone

Cover Design: Okay Creations

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 parentÕs 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.

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~Excerpt~

I should have done more.

I should have stopped it

Those two thoughts ran in my head like a 24-hour film reel, which didn't do anything except sink the hatchet into my chest further. 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 mute point. Once the grenade lands, you only had seconds before it blew. You just had to close your eyes and hoped you made it out alive with all your limbs intact.

Nicole Simone works in digital media by day and at night, penÕs 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)

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

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~Giveaway~

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BOOK REVIEW: Rebel by Kim Linwood

~Synopsis~

I married my stepbrother. 

Yeah, no one’s more surprised than me. I can’t f*cking stand him. 

All I wanted was a quiet summer before starting college. Catch up on my books. Maybe get a summer job. Then he dropped into my life. 

His name’s Gavin Caldwell, and he’s stupidly rich. Cocky. Arrogant. Ridiculously, panty-meltingly hot. 

And he’s parading around our bridal suite shirtless. Pantless. 

He has no freaking shame, and I have to pretend to be in love with him. 

I hate him. 

So why can’t I stop thinking about him?

~Book Review~

4.75 Stars

An almost club hook-up acquaints Stanford bound pre-med student Angie Wilson with tattoo clad rich boy Gavin Caldwell. Though she gets an eyeful, she hasn’t seen the last of him.

The first line of the synopsis (see above) was my hook for this book. There’s a ton of step-brother romances on the market right now and while the initial premise (girl meets boy; unbeknownst to boy and girl their parents meet; girl and boy find out they are going to be stepsiblings) was typical of many step-sibling stories, where the plot goes from there was what made this story a fun and enjoyable ride…or cruise.

It’s kinda like contemporary step-sibling romance meets Love Boat.  Except Captain Stubing is an adventure (tall) telling silver fox; Gopher is young, awkward, and has bad timing; Isaac might spit in your glass; there’s no Julie or Doc. And I kept wondering what guest star might play Mabel and Joyce (I'd vote Betty White). ;-)  Either way, the love at sea aspect is all there along with plenty of scenes that would have been way too hot for TV in the ‘80’s. 

“Angie’s writhing on my lap like a cat in heat. My hot little pussy. I knew she had it in her, and I want to rip those panties off and f*ck her silly…”

Gavin is the dirty-whispering, arrogant, spoiled bad boy who becomes quite the book boyfriend as the cruise sails along.   

“‛I’ll have to settle for dreaming of you on our wedding night. On all fours, with your gown up around your waist.’”

Angie is a cute and likeable heroine. She’s a little naïve at times, but she also knows how to push Gavin’s buttons. As he does hers. They are exactly what each other needs, but it takes them being “secluded” together on their parent’s marriage cruise to discover that. And that’s exactly what I loved about the story. There’s no angst, no clichéd jealous schemers trying to keep them apart.  Love is a journey, about getting to know each other, feeding that exciting but confusing spark and turning it into an eternal flame. Rebel follows that course...with a boat-load of fun and flirty scenes that kept me glued to my Kindle from the time I one-clicked till I reached the last page.

I don’t want to spoil the details of the “marriage” but I will say it was one of my favorite parts. This is what light-hearted romance is all about!  It’s sweet; it’s sexy; it's sweet-n-sexy little moments; it’s go with the moment fun that makes new adult stories so full of possibilities.

How will Angie and Gavin’s parents react when they find out what they’ve done?  Is their own parent’s relationship even based on stable ground?  What will it take for Angie to finally lose her v-card to the cocky boy who wets her panties but might soon be her big bro?  And how will they handle the new family roles once they dock on shore? Find out what goes on behind cabin doors and how love floats on this boat. 

“I know exactly what kind of brotherly love he has for me, and chivalry has nothing to do with it.”

Rebel is a fun, pack your sunscreen and bikini, steamy, shower spraying, spanking, new adult contemporary romance to jump on board with. Plus, no Titanic endings here.

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Kim Linwood is a sucker for bad boys, billionaires and alpha males. If they're all three at once, that's even better. When she's not writing about romantic conflicts and witty dialogue, she's herding two growing boys (who are of course not bad) with her husband.

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REVIEW/INTERVIEWS: Badass by Alana Albertson & Linda Barlow

Genres: Action / Adventure, Contemporary, Erotic, New Adult, Romance

~Synopsis~

Badass: A Stepbrother SEAL Romance
I f**ked a SEAL—the human kind, the kind who shoots terrorists, sports rock hard abs and tattooed biceps, and scores an easy lay with every girl he ever wants.

I should’ve known better. I should be studying harbor seals’ breeding habits, not conducting my own research into mating rituals of the Navy variety.

He’s a jackass. An arrogant, womanizing, patronizing, Harley-riding jerk.

A one-night stand. One night of the most incredible sex I’ve ever had. Shane is trained to kill with his bare hands in 300 different ways—and he knows 300 ways to f**k me, too.

Now my father is engaged to his mother. And we’re heading to Mexico for the wedding. The prick is blackmailing me. He’s threatening to ruin their big day if I don’t surrender to his demands.

Quit is not in his vocabulary. I hate him, but I know he’ll never give up until he gets everything he wants.

Screw that! I won’t give up—I’ll never submit to America’s cockiest badass.

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Amazon

~Book Review~

4.5 Stars

Shane is the badass. He’s a no-commitment navy SEAL guy. Cassie isn’t interested in anything serious either. She’s a grad student studying Marine Biology.  When a sea lion (yes I said sea lion) brings them together this book is off to a hot, dirty (read super steamy) start.

Shane rocks the cocky, alpha bad boy hero role.  

“I could hold my breath for five minutes—a useful skill for stalking pirates. Also came in handy when eating pussy.”

Cassie, meanwhile, is sweet, shows a vulnerable side, but is also feisty. That makes a fun female lead.

“If people fell in love, they fell in love. There was nothing Mr. Super SEAL could do about that. Suck it up, Sand-Boy.”

Though they think their worlds are only going to collide for one sexy night, it turns out they are about to get more…familiar. As in family familiar. Related!  But before things become too incestuous, the pair attempts to get it all out of their system before their parents wed in Mexico.  

This book has one of my favorite things. Hangman time: First word start with an R_ _ _. Second word starts with a T_ _ _.  Road trip!   

“’We take the bike. You can be my old lady for a few days. Yeah. I love that idea.’”

The sexy times go on the road for an adventure that will either fill their erotic scrapbooks or bring them closer together.  Unfortunately, there was one attempted incident on the trip that crops up in fiction far too often for my tastes. Sigh. I won’t go into a long spiel to avoid spoilers and thankfully it is just a close call.  

Movin’ right along…. Overall this was a fun, sexy story about two ‘no time for relationships’ people finding their way. And despite their non-committal mantra, I was relieved that this story was just about the two of them.  As far as the dynamics of their relationship goes, it’s not just the whole forbidden step-sibling thing that stands in their way; Cassie and Shane must address the reasons behind their own commitment issues and a few hang-ups on Shane’s end.  Which, he was actually kind of funny in regards to his distaste and discomfort with the rich. It made the tough guy a little vulnerable too.

In regards to the whole step-sibling ting, it was nice to see the parents addressed/developed as sometimes they are a bit over-looked in some step-sibling tales. But that is not the case here. Even though Cassie and Shane are adults, the authors do a nice job of showing their feelings in regards to their parents getting remarried and the personal responses that raises for them. They don’t come off selfish or immature; simply adult children with real feelings in regards to their family and past.  

Told via Cassie and Shane’s alternating first person point of view, it’s easy to understand both characters.  And as far as chemistry goes, their sexual attraction oozes off the page. And by the last page, I still couldn’t get enough of them.

Want more Cassie and Shane?  Keep reading for the blog’s character interview….

~Character Interview~

“5 Questions with Shane and Cassie from Badass”

Welcome Cassie and Shane to the Book-Bosomed Book Blog! (*Discreetly ogles Shane’s hard SEAL body.* Yep, hot just like Cassie described.) *clears throat* Okay, so readers can learn a few more interesting tidbit about you two fabulously intriguing and adventurous people, here’s five sentences for each of you to complete about yourself. Feel free to chime in to each other’s responses.

Q1. I can’t live without…

Cassie: The naughty answer is that before Shane, I wouldn’t have wanted to live without my BOB, but now I don’t need it! But seriously, I love the ocean. I want to live where I can hear the sound of the waves while Shane and I are making love. That was one of the things I loved about our road trip!

Shane: Cassie’s pussy. And my Gerber tactile tool. Has blades, scissors, pliers. Perfect for torturing terrorists, or anyone who harasses my woman.

Q2. I’ll do anything to avoid….

Cassie: Earthquakes! I guess that’ll be hard now that I live in California, but I hope I’m never again so close to the epicenter of a Big One.

Shane: Talking about my feelings. Even to Cassie. Not gonna happen.

Q3. My best quality is….

Cassie: My curiosity, I think. I love to learn about new people and new things. Of course, that gets me into trouble sometimes, too.

Shane: My loyalty. My trust is hard earned, but once you get in my tight circle, I’ll lay down my life for you.

Q4. My worst habit is….

Cassie: Well, I guess I can be a bit snarky at times. Shane, stop agreeing with me!

Shane: Cassie’s definitely a smartass. I’m stubborn.

Q5. You’d never guess this about me but…

Cassie: Even though I’m a vegetarian, I secretly miss a good, rare, juicy steak.

Shane: When I was younger I wanted to be an animator for Disney movies.

Thanks Cassie and Shane! Now let's have a little Q&A with authors Alana Albertson and Linda Barlow.....

~Author Interview~

“5 Questions with Alana Albertson & Linda Barlow”

Q1. The story flowed seamlessly. Your writing styles must blend well. How did you two come together as a writing team? And how do you divide up the writing/editing, etc work?

Linda: First of all, thank you so much! We worked hard to get our writing to blend, going over and over each scene until we got it right. We brainstormed the overall plot and the various scenes together, working out the problems as much as we could in advance. Since we have both our main characters’ points of view, we split it up so that Alana wrote Shane’s chapters and I wrote Cassie’s.

Occasionally we switched, if one of us knew more about a particular subject. We each went over the other’s chapters and offered suggestions for changes or improvements. Then we looked at the book as a whole and fixed everything that didn’t seem to work.

As for how we met, Alana and I have an internet romance! We met online, and one of these days we hope to meet in person, but we live 3000 miles away from each other. We both like smart, fast-paced, sexy books with solid plots and sympathetic characters, so that’s what we tried to write. We both welcome criticism if it makes our writing better, so we could be honest with each other about anything in the book that didn’t quite click. We edited and re-wrote a lot of stuff until we both felt it was right.

Alana: All true! Linda answered my email to join a paranormal Christmas anthology I was putting together. I was so star struck since she’d won a RITA (romance equivalent of the Oscar). She’s such an amazing writer and my own writing has grown so much since working with her. I’m honored to cowrite a book with her. Writing Badass with her was like taking a master class.

Q2. Shane is quite the drool-worthy hero, though demanding and cocky of course. What was your inspiration for his character? Was he purely fictional or based on a real SEAL?

Linda: I’ll let Alana answer that one.

Alana: Uh, I plead the fifth. No seriously, in my 20s I dated a Navy SEAL who was an instructor at BUD/S. Shane is an amalgamation of many SEALs I met, as well as my dream badass hero.

Q3. I was struck by a lot of the details of their road trip and their professions. How much research did you have to do for the story? Have either of your traveled their Baja journey route?

Linda: I have traveled extensively in Mexico, and one of my earlier novels is set there, but I haven’t taken that particular road trip. I watched a whole lot of YouTube videos of folks on motorcycles who traveled through the Baja peninsula to get a feel for what each day on the road would be like. I also spent a lot of time researching wilderness survival and how to find water in the desert.

As for Cassie’s profession, I’ve done graduate work in biology myself so I know a lot about fish and marine biology. I also used to go trout fishing in Montana, so I know Molly and Shane’s hometown and the Big Horn River, where Molly is a fishing guide.

Alana: I live in San Diego and have driven to Tijuana, Ensenada, Puerto Nuevo, and Cabo. As for the SEAL research, all of that came from my personal experience dating a Team guy.

Q4. Do you each have a favorite scene?

Linda: I love how Cassie and Shane first met. I also have a couple of favorite scenes that are in the second half of the book, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I’m a huge fan of all Alana’s Shane scenes, though. He is SO hot!

Alana: Thanks Linda! I adore Cassie! She’s a strong, smart, kickass chick. My favorite scene is when Cassie sees Shane schooling the BUD/S candidates. BUD/S training is such a hot, sexually charged, masculine environment. Picture 200 hot, wet, and sandy men on the beach. I felt it was a great way for Cassie to get a taste of what Shane did for a living.

Q5. What new projects are on the horizon for both of you? Will Badass be a stand-alone or can readers expect more books? Perhaps some featuring Shane’s colleagues or trainees where we might get future glimpses of Shane and Cass? (That might be a not so subtle hint. lol)

Linda: We are hoping to do at least two more sexy romances together, tentatively titled Hardass and Kickass. But they are in the planning stages. I also write contemporary romance (TheDangerous Hero, Uncover Me) and shifter romance (TheZrakon’s Bride, The Zrakon’s Curse). I wrote a novella, My Mile-High Mistake, for the Summer Fire anthology which is about to launch on May 26, and I have a novel coming out in July for the Bad Boy Alphas series of paranormal romances.

Alana: I love writing with Linda and can’t wait for our next two projects. As for Shane’s buddies, all of them have books out or planned. Pat is the hero of Invincible. Grant is the hero of the Seven Deadly SEALs Serial, the first one Conceit is out now, Chronic will be out next month, with the final 5 to follow this summer. And Kyle’s book Invaluable will be out in June. I promise Shane will make cameos!

Thank you for having us!!! Book-Bosomed

-You're very welcome! Thanks so much for the interviews!!! Really enjoyed hearing how the story came together!

About Alana Albertson

Alana Albertson is the President of RWA Contemporary Romance Writers, former President of RWA's Young Adult and Chick Lit chapters, and the founder of Academe Advantage, a college admissions & test preparation company. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

About Linda Barlow

Linda Barlow is the author of 25 novels, with more on the way. She lives in New England with her mysterious spouse (who sleeps during the day, which has often made her wonder if he's a vampire) and their equally enigmatic and nocturnal cat.
Linda has written in various genres, including historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, New Adult romance, family sagas, and general mainstream fiction. Publishers have included Doubleday, Dell, Penguin, Warner Books, Hachette, New American Library/Signet, Berkley/Putnam, Silhouette and Harlequin.
Linda is a USA Today bestselling author. She's proud to have earned a few awards over the years, including the Rita from Romance Writers of America for Leaves of Fortune; New Historical Novelist of the year from Romantic Times for Fires of Destiny; and a Career Achievement award from RT.

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BLOG TOUR: Spencer by Kerry Heavens

~Synopsis~

@TheSpencerRyan exudes confidence,

I mean, have you seen him???

His dark good looks and tattooed muscled perfection are too much.

He's hot. Lickably hot.

And he has a way with words that leaves me breathless.

But cocky doesn't even cover it,

this guy is so arrogant you have to fight back.

But God he's so lickable!

The thing is though,

he looks like sex but he'll taste like jackass.

@OMGJazzyP is a sexy, annoying ball of rage in fuck-me heels

and she hates me.

Although her nipples would tend to disagree.

It's a deadly combination.

She’s a princess.

And when I say princess, I mean intolerable, spoiled brat with a tiara.

Sure she's got that curvaceous goddess thing going on,

but that mouth of hers...

God it needs something in it to shut it up.

#GotJustTheThingRightHere

This is not your average British romance.

It's a tale of high heels, hot tattooed bad boys and

sex oranges, all wrapped up in a coating of chocolate.

It's 'love' in a social media world,

where not everyone is who they seem

and where some people’s bios should carry a warning.

#JustSayin

~Book Review~

4.75 Stars

Spencer Ryan aka @TheSpencerRyan is social media man-whore with a fondness for selfies and a fetish for women’s shoes. He’s a pretty self-absorbed single guy just looking for some fun.

Jasmine Parker aka @OMGJazzyP or Jazz or “Princess” is in need of a time-out to regroup after her professional life turns to disarray.

Their worlds collide both in the virtual world and in the real world which sets the stage for some hilarious moments as well as a pretty sweet and extremely hot and dirty story.  This is a tale of fantasies vs. realities and finding the true person beneath the surface. It’s kinda like the 2015 version of “You’ve Got Mail” for us smut-lovers if you will ;-)

Though it took me just a tad to get into it, once their Twitter banter began I was hooked and it became an addicting read that I couldn’t put down! I enjoyed Spencer and Jazz as well as the supporting characters of Mags and Will (side note: I hope they get their own story). Spencer and Jazz are perfect examples of characters that grow and evolve so when the story nears its finish, you are left with a smile on your face.  There’s no unnecessary drama. Everything that happens is for fun or to fuel the character development.  And as this fiesty duo wrestled with their feelings of lust and love, it was refreshing that the romance stayed focused on each other as they found their way. 

Spencer initially comes off as a jerk, but there are sufficient hints that there’s more beyond the surface and it’s those moments where his vulnerability slips through that makes him an endearing character.  

“Spencer Ryan is not a man you fall in love with. He’s a man who can rock your world as long as you can resist the urge to stab him. And when the urge finally gets too much, you walk away before you get yourself a criminal record.”

Spencer and Jazz’s banter is truly entertaining, providing the page-turning quality of the book. 

“‛Face it, Princess, my biggest crime today was making you come too hard…Guilty as charged.’”

This is a great love/hate relationship where the dirty talk is phenomenal. Meanwhile, I loved how Jazz was such a strong female character, and I laughed out loud at her attempts to get the upper hand. Their tricks and antics with each other made this a fun erotic romantic comedy that kept the story fresh and light-hearted. 

Oh and I may never look at a tray of chocolate truffles the same way again. ;-) #justsayin

#oneclick #mustread #hotdirtytalker

 Amazon US   Amazon UK   Amazon CA

~Character Interview~

"5 Questions with Spencer and Jazz" 

Welcome Spencer and Jazz! Great to have you stop by. Let's have a little fun today!

Q1. Since your relationship is a product of social media what Hashtag would you use to describe your last sexual encounter together?

Spencer: #Alfresco

Jazz: #Freezing

Q2. Spencer, if you got a new tattoo to represent your relationship with Jazz, what would it be?

A viper...I'm kidding! *winks* Probably a #, that would be quite representative wouldn't it? Maybe I should get it.

(Interviewer: We'll be waiting for the selfie with that one)

Q3. Jazz, if you designed a chocolate treat in honor of Spencer, describe the recipe.

Orange, naturally. Then there would have to be some spice. Star anise, cinnamon, cloves. Some cinnamon liqueur, maybe? Wrapped in dark chocolate. And I think it would have to be called the Sex Orange

Q4. You have one hour alone together in a shoe store; detail the adventure in 140 characters or less each.

Spencer: You try on heels until I can’t take anymore and bend you over that little stool to fuck you, holding your ankles up so the heels dig in #Win

Jazz: It’s just too easy to get you to do what I want. Just strut around in some shoes and bam! P.S. We’re gonna have to pay for that last pair

Q5. Lastly, for the both of you, leave us with one round of Two Truths and a Lie to keep readers (or each other) guessing. ;-)

Jazz:

I own more pairs of shoes than I do knickers

I can do the splits

He thinks he was my first online encounter

Spencer: Princess, you suck at this game, it's not supposed to be obvious which is the lie.

Jazz: I'm better at this game than you think Spencer. You think on that a while.

Spencer: Wait, what?

Jazz: Your turn *smiles sweetly*

Spencer: *Frowns* This game sucks.

Jazz: Don't be a baby, just get on with it.

Spencer: FINE

I got my first tattoo while blind drunk in Thailand. I have no idea what it says.

I took my driving test seven times.

SHE would be surprised to know how much I really care.

Jazz: Aww, that's so sweet!

Spencer:*Smirks* Yeah...or not...

Jazz: *Frowns* Hang on...

Spencer: Not such a fan of the sucky game now are you? *Pops my collar*

Time to close the interview before a lovers quarrel erupts. A big thanks to Spencer and Jazz...and Kerry Heavens! 

The sight and smell that greets me is just the same as it was yesterday. Bowls and utensils everywhere; and an incredible smell of chocolate and trays with neat lines of rolled truffles. Except today, I notice it. How did I miss all this crap yesterday, chocolate usually comes above everything!

Oh, but yesterday I was on a mission.

Drooling, I head around the counter and pick up a ball of chocolate from one of the trays, savouring it as the flavours explode in my mouth. Dark chocolate with some kind of boozy fruit flavour. God, it’s good.

And she did this?

She’s dangerous.

A woman who looks like her, thinks like her, wears those shoes, gives me shit and makes stuff like this, is a danger.

If I had a heart, I’d be falling in love.

I come to a big bowl of soft looking chocolate goo with a spatula sitting in it. I dip my finger in the gooey goodness and lift it to my mouth.

Holy hell! That is fucking amazing. It’s ginger and dark chocolate with some alcohol. Damn. I want to put my face in the bowl. I glance around, then shrug. Lifting the spatula out, with a decent scoop, I lean against the counter and take a good long lick.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she barks as she comes into the kitchen.

“Just having a taste, Princess,” I reply, turning to let her see me take another lick.

She storms over, trying to grab the spatula out of my hand. Good luck with that sweetheart, this is me and chocolate. You ain’t getting it back.

“You can’t just wander in here whenever you feel like it.”

“The door was open.”

“Give that back!” she demands, catching hold of it. For a second we both pull at it, but then I see an opportunity and let go. Chocolate splatters her face, neck and chest and stops her dead in her tracks.

I choke on a laugh.

She looks at me, mouth open, “You did that on purpose!”

I shrug.

She glances down at the mess on her chest and my eyes follow, locking in on her begging nipples, visible through her dress. She looks embarrassed.

“It’s ok, Princess, I know they like me even if you don’t. Happens whenever I’m around.”

“It does not!”

“Mmmm-ok.”

I step closer. She backs off, but I catch her arm and pull her close.

“What are you doing?” she gasps.

“I don’t waste chocolate,” I reply softly and then lean in and swipe my tongue over her temple.

She wriggles, but it’s a weak effort. “Get off me,” she demands.

“Hold still, Princess, it's all over you.” I take another lick at her cheek and move down to her neck.

“Ok, that’s enough,” she snaps, her breath catching in her throat as I suck in her earlobe.

I lick her neck just below her ear even though there’s no chocolate there and the way her head falls slightly back in surrender makes me swallow hard. “It’s never enough,” I murmur.

What the f*ck?

I shake the sappy shit out of my head before I grow a vagina, and pluck the spatula out of her hand, painting a trail down her cleavage. Dropping the spatula on the floor, I grab her by the arse and lift her so that I can lick it all off. She yelps and struggles and I plonk her down on the kitchen counter, leaning forward and feasting on the stripe I painted between her breasts. Her dress is ruined, shame, I quite liked it.

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~Kerry Heavens~

Terrible wife

Mediocre mother

Appalling housewife

Fashion graduate

Wedding co-ordinator

Sex toy salesperson

Shop manager

Designer

Font collector

Romance addict

Fancier of nice men

Ok, fancier of almost all men

Awesome cupcake baker

Incessant singer

Film buff

Friend

Writer

Facebook / Twitter / Website

RELEASE/RELEASE: Just Say When by Kaylee Ryan

~Synopsis~

Saving myself for marriage, not hardly. 

Saving myself for someone who will make my heart race, most definitely.

In theory it's a good plan, however even the best-laid plans fall through. Seeing him, being around him, alerts all my senses and I dream about being his, wrapping myself in his arms and never letting go. The only problem – he sees me as his sister.

My name's Ava Evans and I'm in love with my older brother's best friend, Nate Garrison. 



Burying myself in work for the past two years, avoiding any thought of her, has worked, until now. She's everywhere, in my dreams, in my gym, and in my heart. I'm not sure when I fell in love with Ava Evans, but I am completely in love with my best friends baby sister.

At first she was too young for me and that made it easy to stay away. Now, it's a struggle to keep my distance.

How am I supposed to resist her when I can’t escape her? If he ever found out, it would ruin our friendship. Even with that knowledge all she would have to do is... 

Just Say When.

Goodreads

~Book Review~

3.5 Stars

Ava Mae Evans and Nate Garrison have been crushing on each other for years. When their paths cross again, they find the same pull they had since their teen years.  

This is a pretty sweet, angst-free story of two old “friends” that get the chance to reconnect and have a real relationship, their only perceived obstacle being her older brother, his best friend.

I have to be honest; their “perceived obstacle” grated the feminist side of me. Ava is a college student, turning 20—an adult. Why she needs her big brother’s approval on whom to date simply felt archaic.  I get that most brothers don’t want to see their little sister taken advantage of, but this was simply not the case here nor were we given any indication that Nate had been a man-whore in the past to which he wouldn’t be trustworthy with her heart.  On top of that, her brother isn’t even around, and when he does show up…well to avoid spoilers I’ll just say he’s not someone, based off his attitude, whose opinion I’d value.    

If you enjoy a bit of an old-fashioned love story, then you won’t have any issues with this one. However, if you prefer a strong female lead who doesn’t let her life be run by putting other people’s overbearing ideas ahead of her own feelings, then Ava Mae will certainly disappoint you.  As for Nate, his personality was a little too “she’s mine” right off the bat—I think I craved either a little more background or build-up— but as the story reached its climax, he seemed to be the one with the most common sense. Overall, an okay read. 

AMAZON US / UK

iBOOKS / KOBO

~Excerpt~

I reach the table just in time to watch as Kara pulls Ava to the dance floor. They stop right at the edge as if they cannot wait a second longer to move to the beat. We watch them in silence, enjoying the show they’re putting on. That is until two guys join them. At first, it looks innocent enough, but when the one closest to Ava puts his hands on her, I know I have to squash this. 

“We can’t let them have all the fun.” I motion to the dance floor. I’m pissed off this guy is mauling her, and I’m pissed off at Zach. I can’t believe he let his groupies pull him away from Ava. He doesn’t deserve her. 

Tanner grins. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” He places his now empty water bottle on the table and heads straight for Kara. 

I’m hot on his heels. I stop in front of Ava and she smiles hesitantly just as the song changes to “Talk Dirty.” The guy who was trying to make his move on her is no longer touching her, which is in his best interest. Ava seems nervous as to where she should touch me. This is new for us. I take her hands and rest them on my shoulders as I move my hips to the beat. I keep an eye on the jackass to make sure he knows she’s unavailable. I don’t want him touching her again. 

I pull her tight little body close to mine, not caring that this is Ava Mae, my best friend’s little sister. She’s forbidden, but for tonight, for this time in which I actually have her in my arms, I don’t let it stop me. Instead, I pull her close and pretend she’s mine. Ava rocks her hips against mine and I tighten my grip. Her big brown eyes find mine and her stare is intense. If I didn’t know better, I would think that she wants me just as fiercely as I want her. Pulling her as close as I can get her, I bury my face in her neck and match the rhythm of her hips as they grind against mine. I wish like hell she were mine.

Kaylee Ryan has had a passion for reading since she was a little girl. That passion has slowly led to spinning romantic tales, and a one-click addiction. When she doesn’t have her nose stuck in her kindle or fingers glued to the keyboard, you
can find Kaylee hanging out with friends and family. She loves all genres of music, and enjoys scrapbooking. She lives in Ohio with her husband (her real life happily ever after) and their rambunctious little boy.

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~Giveaway~

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RELEASE/REVIEW: Breaking Noah by Missy Johnson & Ashley Suzanne

Publisher: Loveswept

~Synopsis~

I wasn’t always this jaded. I had a clear head, things I wanted out of life, and a concise plan on how to get there. For being only twenty-one, I pretty much had it all figured out. Until the day my cousin died.

I spent months going over all the details surrounding her death, trying to figure out how I missed the signs, and the only thing I could come up with was she would still be alive if it wasn’t for one person: her professor. So I transferred to his college, enrolled in his class, and set my new plan in motion.
 

First I’ll seduce him. Then I’ll ruin him. I’ve just got to stay strong and not let his charm and my emotions get the best of me. Because someone has to pay for her death. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to break Noah.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2 Stars

Zara Hamilton is a 21 year old college student on a mission to avenge her cousin’s death. Professor Noah Bain, 26, is the object of her wrath. The scenario hinted at an engaging story but to be honest, it felt forced and rushed right from the beginning.

For starters, readers are never given a glimpse at what Zara is really like before she sets out on this life/career destroying mission against a person she’s never met. What we do see of her is a reckless, arrogant, conniving nutcase with no self-respect who changes her whole life around based off speculation derived from a somewhat vague suicide letter. (Don’t even get me started on why the cousin would go about it that way).  Noah comes off as clumsy and dense. He’s clearly only thinking from below the belt because any educated adult could see through Zara’s immature and absurd seduction tactics.

Sometimes I thought Zara was headed for crazy town. The way she acts and the things she says to Noah are just so over the top that it’s eye roll worthy. (The 50 Shades references and Britney Spears bit to name a few).  Despite her loss, it was difficult to believe that any sane person would sacrifice her own college career and pimp out her body to expose something that she could have done by other means.  

Readers who are turned off by cheating will not enjoy this one as it’s basically every characters MO in this story.  (And what was up with Noah not wanting to bother with a condom when he knows she’s sleeping with Dillon too? Yuk!) No one is really likeable and the reader is served the pathetic, lame excuse that it’s easier to stay with someone rather than leave them even when you’re unhappy and/or your mate is a two-timing abusive jerk.

I simply couldn’t find any real chemistry between Noah and Zara. I’m sure their relationships with other people didn’t help. Anything they felt for each other seemed more like desperation and insta-lust than any kind of basis for love. Honestly, I didn’t see that Zara had any self-respect or maturity to actually function in a real relationship.

Meanwhile, the teacher-student interactions felt forced. Their roles felt contrived. And many of the supporting characters felt one dimensional. What I assume is to be the story’s biggest plot twist I figured out by chapter 3. All you have to do is read those chapters carefully and then it’s pretty obvious.

I wish I could find some positive things to address but honestly it was a struggle to get through. The plot unfolds like a soap opera and a teen angst drama. The concept had potential to be a deep, engaging read but the plot overpowers character development at every turn.

*ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

AMAZON US / UK

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Missy Johnson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia, with her husband and her confused pets (a dog who thinks that she is a cat, a cat who thinks he is a dog . . . you get the picture). When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

FACEBOOK   TWITTER   GOODREADS   WEBSITE

Ashley Suzanne has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a youngster, she was always creating stories and talking to her imaginary friends. Thankfully, her parents also carried this love of fiction, and helped her grow into the
bestselling author she is today. When Ashley isn’t coming up with her next story, you’ll most likely find her on the couch, telling her husband all about her new book boyfriend, or spending quality time with her two gremlins . . . er, adorable children.

FACEBOOK  TWITTER    GOODREADS  WEBSITE

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~Giveaway~

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