Review: Reclaim by Beth Yarnall

Brimming with angst and sensuality, Beth Yarnall’s Recovered Innocence series kicks into high gear as a hotheaded P.I. unleashes one lawyer’s deepest passions—and greatest temptations.
 
Nolan: Nothing’s ever come easy for me, especially not my dream job at Nash Security and Investigations. Righting wrongs is what I’m meant to do . . . except I manage to blow the very first chance I get. So why don’t they fire me on the spot? Hell, I’d fire myself if I could. Instead, my boss hands me an assignment that’s too important to screw up—and partners me with Lila Garcia, a gorgeous attorney with curves so distracting they should be illegal.

Lila: Like my client, a grieving mother charged with the murder of her own son, I know how quickly the American dream can become a nightmare. If anybody can help me clear her name, it’s Nash Security and Investigations. But Nolan Perry is a wild card. Bending the truth, breaking the law—that’s his business. I need to focus on the evidence. Not on how Nolan’s body fits so perfectly against mine. With a case this personal—and this dangerous—losing control is simply not an option . . . no matter how badly I want to give in.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: July 5th 2016 by Loveswept 

Series: Recovered Innocence #3

Genre: Romance

Kristine's Thought:

** I received an advanced readers copy form Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an hones review. Thank you!**

Reclaim is the third instalment in the Recovered Innocence series but can be read as a stand alone. All of the instalments can be read as stand alone but this one even more than the first two. Even though there are recurring characters this one focuses more on one that only had a tiny role in the last book.

As is the theme with this series, the book focused on Nash Security and Investigation and freeing an innocent person from prison. Nolan and Lila were paired together in an effort to free a mother who was accused and convicted of killing her son. Nolan was the investigator from Nash Security and Lila was the lawyer working with the Freedom Project.

There were basically two stories happening in this book. There was an investigation and there was a romance. I was drawn to the investigation right away. A mother convicted of killing her son even though it was ruled an accident...how is that even possible? I wanted to know more and the deeper they would dig the more my curiosity took over.

The romance or should I say lust between Nolan and Lila started almost immediately. In fact, they shared their first steamy kiss in the parking lot of the prison when going to meet their client for the very first time. After that it didn't take long to fog up the pages a lot. Now I'm no prude and I enjoy reading a little between the sheets action just as much as the next guy but I struggled with it in this book. I just didn't feel the chemistry enough between the two of them to find it all that sexy. Perhaps it was because it started out too quickly... I don't know. A little more build up and anticipation would have definitely added to the chemistry. It felt a little too much like what I like to describe as the wash, rinse, repeat cycle. Instead of heating up after their first sexual encounter it kind of fizzled for me. Also, the sex distracted from the investigation which I was feeling way more than the romance.

This book was a quick and easy read and the anticipation that I was craving was really not realistic for a book of this length that also had a mystery to solve. Although I wanted more, I appreciated the entertainment value and liked the fact that I could finish it quickly with my busy schedule.

About the Author

Best selling author, Beth Yarnall writes romantic suspense, mysteries and the occasional hilarious tweet. For a number of years, Beth made her living as a hairstylist and makeup artist and co-owned a salon. Somehow hairstylists and salons always seem to find their way into her stories. Beth lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their dog where she is hard at work on her next novel.  

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Release Blitz & Giveaway: A Summer to Remember by Marilyn Pappano

FIRST LOVE NEVER FADES . . . 



A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

Tallgrass Series #6

Marilyn Pappano

Releasing June 28th, 2016

Forever

FIRST LOVE NEVER FADES . . . 



It's been a long time since widow Fia Thomas felt the spark of physical attraction. But from the moment she meets Elliot Ross one stormy night, she yearns for a fresh start, for him to make her feel whole and well again. With his broad shoulders and a warm smile crinkling his dark eyes, he could finally offer her the solace she's been seeking. And she's willing to give him anything in return . . . except a promise that could break his heart.



Now that Elliot is out of the Army, he's looking for a place to call home. Tallgrass was just a stop to stretch his legs, yet one look at Fia halts him in his tracks. In her sweet, sassy company, he finds the soul mate he never thought he'd have. But Fia is holding something back-something that keeps her from making any plans. Elliot's new mission: gain Fia's trust...and convince her that summer's end can mean a new beginning.

 “Go on. Sing more.”
 
He did, and she listened with her eyes half closed. The tones were sweet, the emotion fierce, the quality hands-down better than the singer on the radio. Everything she learned about Elliot was adding up to an extraordinary man.
 
While she remained plain, average Fia. With “issues.”
 
“Beautiful,” she responded when the song ended. At about the same time, he turned into her driveway.
He came around and held hands with her to the stoop and up the steps, where he propped open the storm door with his boot while she unlocked the door. She set her purse on the floor inside the door, then faced him. “I’m not going to invite you inside because you’ve got to get up early.”
 
“Darn.” He moved a step closer, fitted his hands to her waist, and leaned toward her. She met him in the kiss, her mouth parting, her hands sliding around to the back of his neck, combing through his silky hair. Dear Lord, she’d forgotten how good a kiss could be. She nibbled at his lip, pausing only when his tongue thrust between her teeth, invading, exploring, rousing a long-unsatisfied need deep inside. Moving intuitively, her hands glided over soft cotton that covered the lean muscles along his spine. When they reached the rougher texture of jeans and leather belt, the tips tingled, like the briefest touch of a live wire, singeing and searing and sparking pleasure through her body.
 
When she stroked a few inches lower to slide her palm over his erection, his breath caught, and so did hers. It had been so very long . . .would be so very easy . . . back up one step, don’t let go, take him to the bedroom or, better, the couch, strip off their clothes . . .So easy. So perfect. So wrong.
 
Even the thought of that last word was wrong. It jangled in the midst of nerves humming with need. It pulled her out of the haze of what she could do, of the incredible satisfaction she could have, and brought back all the ugly uncertainty of her life. Elliot might be Prince Charming, but she was no princess, and her life was no simple, sweet fairy tale with a happily ever after.
 
Tears seeped into her eyes—disappointment, weariness—and she opened her eyes to blink them away. Apparently sensing the change in her, Elliot ended the kiss with another tiny, sweeter kiss, then clasped her hands in his. For a long time, he studied her face with an intensity that rippled along her skin, then he took a step back, putting breathing room between them.
 
When he spoke, he sounded as if he’d done a long hump with a heavy ruck on a hot day. “You never did tell me.”
 
“What?”
 
“Is Fia short for something?”
 
“You never did ask.” She didn’t sound much better. “Sofia.”
 
He laid his palm gently against her cheek, repeated her name, then backed away even farther. “Thank you, Sofia.”
 
“For what?”
 
“Being in that parking lot Friday night. For liking me and my dog. For kissing like—” Breaking off, he grinned and shook his head. “Damn.”
 
“It takes two.”
 
His grin strengthened, then slowly faded. “Good night.”
 
Leaning against the door jamb, she watched him go to his truck, get in, and drive away with a final wave. Sighing deeply, she stepped inside the house, closed and locked the door, and stumbled, hitting the floor with a solid thud.
 

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Known for her intensely emotional stories, Marilyn Pappano is the USA Today  bestselling author of nearly eighty books. She has made regular appearances on bestseller lists and has received recognition for her work in the form of numerous awards. Though her husband's Navy career took them across the United States, he and Ms. Pappano now live in Oklahoma high on a hill that overlooks her hometown. They have one son and daughter-in-law, an adorable grandson, and a pack of mischievous dogs.

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Review: How Not To Fall by Emily Foster

In her witty and breathtakingly sexy novel, Emily Foster introduces a story of lust, friendship, and other unpredictable experiments. . .

Data, research, scientific formulae--Annabelle Coffey is completely at ease with all of them. Men, not so much. But that's all going to change after she asks Dr. Charles Douglas, the postdoctoral fellow in her lab, to have sex with her. Charles is not only beautiful, he is also adorably awkward, British, brilliant, and nice. What are the odds he'd turn her down?

Very high, as it happens. Something to do with that whole student/teacher/ethics thing. But in a few weeks, Annie will graduate. As soon as she does, the unlikely friendship that's developing between them can turn physical--just until Annie leaves for graduate school. Yet nothing could have prepared either Annie or Charles for chemistry like this, or for what happens when a simple exercise in mutual pleasure turns into something as exhilarating and infernally complicated as love.

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: June 28th 2016 by Kensington

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 28th, 2016.

Dude....I wish I could say I loved this story but unfortunately it fell short for me.  More to come on the word dude. 

The synopsis of the story sounded solid and it appeared to me a good NA read.  First  warning.  I would not classify this as NA, it definitely falls in the erotica genre so those who are faithful to one genre need to be aware.  For me, I am not opposed to Erotica, however certain conditions must be met for my enjoyment.  There must still be a firm plot outside of the sex scenes to keep me invested. I found that aside from having sex, the only other thing that occurred in the story was rock climbing.  This left me without investment in either character.

When looking at Annabelle, she was a highly intelligent student on her way to med school. 

With this comes a certain amount of intellect.  She instead read as a teenager without any social skills.  Here use of the word dude was both annoying an overused.  Dude I want to jump your bones is not sexy!

Then come Charles.  He was supposed to be an awkward yet hot doctor yet put him in the bedroom and he is all in charge and to be honest kind of creepy.  Who gets turned on by having their partner recite data from medical textbooks?  Not I.

I feel some time must be spent discussing the sex scenes. Warning a vent and potential spoiler coming up.  I feel like a significant amount of effort went in to trying to make sure that the sex scenes were original.  For this I give Foster kudo's as it did differ from others I have read thus far.  Where I do have issue is in the believability factor.  Why oh why did Annabelle have to be a virgin before meeting Charles?  I feel like this has been played out a thousand times.  Not only was she a virgin, when she did hop between the sheets she fell in to it like a pro who has been doing it for years without any of the awkwardness that should accompany your first time (and perhaps more).  I just don't see the appeal of the whole losing virginity thing only to be so acrobatic that you need to run .out and join a circus.  Just my honest opinion.  For once I would like to see the woman be less innocent and therefore a more equal player in the kinky games.

For those interested there will be a second story in this series.  Dude..I think I may have to skip it.  I need a little more originality in the storyline.  This however is only my opinion and peaking at the reviews thus far, it appears to be well liked.

About the Author

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Pure Torture by Tania Sparks

Tasty Book Tours is thrilled to share the upcoming 

Super Sexy, Rock Star romance from Tania Sparks...

PURE TORTURE

Oblivion on Tour #3

Tania Sparks

Releasing July 29th, 2016

Cody’s the sexy drummer extraordinaire of the hard rock band Oblivion.

Kitty’s the little sister of one of Cody’s band mates and she’s had a secret crush on him for years.

When the band are back home for a few days, the chemistry between them is both unexpected and undeniably off-the-charts.

She quickly realizes that the prospect of having what she’s always fantasized about is a very real possibility.

He quickly realizes that although he feels this mind-blowing attraction towards her, she’s the little sister of one of his band mates - he would get his ass kicked from here to hell if he ever laid a finger on her!

But can Kitty convince him? After all, no one else needs to know, a one-time hook-up might suit both of them…or could it ruin everything?

 We’re all sitting around, drinking our beers. I’m slouched down on one of the armchairs that I’ve claimed as my own. I’m still twirling my drumsticks and tapping away on my legs and the surrounding furniture. I’m a couple or three beers in when I hear the door to the suite open. I glance across to see Nikki, our rhythm guitarist and his girl Trixie strolling in jovially, Nikki’s arm is draped over her shoulder and she’s securely tucked into his side.
 
I lift my head and somberly greet them, “Hey.”
 
Nikki bobs his head in acknowledgement and Trixie waves her hand to say hi. I expect them to close the door but instead the most stunning girl on the fucking planet glides in behind them. She has smooth jet black hair that flows down her back and it’s so long it reaches her ass. She’s tall, probably almost as tall as me and her body rocks. She’s slim, but has nicely rounded hips and amazing tits. Her emerald green eyes are sparkling boldly as she scans the room confidently. I immediately jump up from my chair, drop my drumsticks to the floor and feel an undeniable rousing in my pants. Hell, maybe my day won’t be so bad after all. I feel better already!
 
The other guys all stand up too. Fuck off cock-suckers, she’s mine.
 
I take a step forward as the raven haired beauty suddenly shrieks in an oddly familiar voice, “Oh my god, hi guys, I’ve missed y’all so much!”
 
Fuck, fuck, fuck! My muddled brain suddenly clicks and makes the connection as I realize that the hottie that has my body vibrating like a god-damned amplifier is Kitty, Nikki’s little sister. Holy Crap! Somebody turns the music down and everyone starts walking towards Kitty. My heart is beating so damned loud that I’m sure the whole room can hear it.

What the hell happened to Nikki’s little sister? I remember her as being a sweet little girl that we used to tease and let hang around the band. She’d bring us beers and dote over all of us, but especially me. Sure, she’s always been pretty and downright cute, but I’ve never thought of her as the unmistakable sex kitten she is now. She’s definitely grown up and she’s a complete and utter babe. She’s the perfect embodiment of everything I find totally irresistible in a chick. I want!
 
Shit, maybe I’ve had more to drink than I thought, but I definitely shouldn’t be thinking this way about Nikki’s little sister and I don’t know how to handle these sudden irrefutable cravings. My hand twitches and strums anxiously on my leg as the adrenaline courses through me and makes me want to jump around like a fuckin’ crazy person.

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Tania Sparks is a romantic at heart who genuinely believes in true love and soul mates. She met her husband while still at school, she was sixteen, he was seventeen. They are high school sweethearts who more than twenty five years later are still very much in love and are happily married with two beautiful daughters.

Tania does have a full time job, but in her spare minutes enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and reading. She's an avid reader who tends to chomp through a large volume of books, mainly in the romance genre. Her other major 'hobby' is writing steamy rock star erotic romances!

In 2014, after finding herself constantly being inspired by numerous romance novels, she decided to try her hand at writing. After penning her first scene she discovered that she enjoyed it immensely and so resolved to continue with the rest of the story that was swirling in her imagination. That story resulted in her first novel, Heaven Sent which is the first book in her Oblivion on Tour Series. This was soon followed by Bolt From The Blue and Pure Torture. Each book in the series is a stand-alone story which follows a different band member from a hard rock group called Oblivion - and of course the feisty ladies that steal their hearts! The other books in the series are at various stages of completion.

Now-a-days Tania finds it very difficult to control her imagination and swears that her rock stars are constantly chanting their stories in her head. She can't wait to share them with you...

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Review: The Last Time She Saw Him by Jane Haseldine

n Jane Haseldine’s gripping and brilliantly crafted debut, a reporter searching for her kidnapped son must untangle the connection to her brother’s long-ago disappearance.Julia Gooden remembers nothing about the worst night of her life. Thirty years ago, her nine-year-old brother Ben—the person who promised he would always protect her—was abducted from the room they shared. Try as she might to recall any clue or detail, there is a black hole where Julia’s memories of that terrible event should be.

Now a crime reporter at a Detroit newspaper, Julia tries to give others the closure she’s never found. But guilt and grief over Ben’s disappearance have left her fearful that whoever took her brother is going to come back. Nowhere seems safe—not the city, not the suburbs, not even the secluded lake town where she plans to raise her children. And then, on the anniversary of Ben’s disappearance, Julia’s worst fears are realized when her two-year-old son, Will, is snatched from his bed.

Convinced that the crimes are related, Julia tries to piece together memories from her final day with Ben. Are the sudden reminders of her brother clues that will lead her to her son’s abductor, or merely coincidence? Julia knows she has hours at best to find Will alive, but the deeper she digs, the more personal and terrifying the battle becomes, and an undying promise may be her only hope of saving herself and her son.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Expected publication: June 28th 2016 by Kensington
Series: Julia Gooden Mystery #1

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Thirty years after Julia's brother disappeared without a trace, her son was taken from right under her nose. With the discovery of an arrowhead under both beds, all signs suggested that the two cases were related. Using her skills as a crime reporter and her desperation to get her son back, Julia stopped at nothing to get the answers she needed.

This book started out strong by grabbing my attention and making me want to know more. Were the two cases relates and how? Why was someone going after Julia? All of the questions that form in my head when I am reading a good mystery were there and kept me turning the pages. Not only was I turning the pages but I was turning them at record speed. I had to know what happened.

It's not to say that there weren't issues with the book because there were. It was narrated in the first person which was fine and I had no issues with that but I did find the dialogue between the characters quite choppy and a little unnatural. At times they would be explaining things to each other that were unnecessary in what I can only guess would have been to make the reader understand. It felt uncomfortable and unnatural.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book and was super sleuthing (in my head) as I tried to figure out the answers to all of my questions. Setting the issues with the dialogue aside, I was really enjoying the story. However, as the story progressed I did find that Julia got on my nerves a little and the story lost some its believability. The way she nosed her way into the investigation was a little far fetched and the events that occurred late in the book were even harder to believe. Some of the events I found to be physically impossible and highly unlikely to ever occur in a real situation.

For a debut suspense novel I think that Haseldine shows great promise and I have no doubt that the kinks will be smoothed out as the series continues. I have every intention of following the Julia Gooden mystery series to see what she uncovers next. Even with the kinks I really enjoyed this story.

About the Author

Jane Haseldine's debut suspense novel, THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM, is coming June 2016 from Kensington Publishing. She is a journalist and former crime reporter, city editor and newspaper columnist. Jane is a Syracuse University alum and currently resides in Southern California but also lived in Boston, San Francisco, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and a few other places in-between. Her second book in the Julia Gooden mystery series will be published by Kensington in April 2017.

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Review: Game On! by Dani Jace

It's time to take it to the next level.

Heath Lancaster's happy to be on the practice squad of a professional football team, but instead of a lucky break taking him to the next level, a league-wide strike leaves him unemployed. Until he finds a new semi-pro league in Virginia Beach, where a bikini-clad hottie snags one of his passes on the beach and offers him a tour of the area . . .

A scandalous affair turned Jordan Kelly into media fodder--and in no hurry to get back into the dating game. But the easy going tight end of the new Triton's team unleashes an inhibited wild streak in her and has her tempting him with a game of her own. But when she finds out who the owner of the Tritons is, she's wondering if she'll repeat her mistakes . .

ebook, 75 pages

Expected publication: June 21st 2016 by Lyrical Press

Terri's Thoughts

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This book has just been released.

This is the second in the Seaside Heat series.  Although I have read the first story, this can definitely be read as a stand alone story.  Due to its short length, I will not divulge any of the plot as I feel the synopsis does a good job in describing the plot.  Instead I will get a little philosophical.

This is the classic case of instant attraction where two people think they can succumb to the physical attraction without any emotional investment.  This of course is never the case as feelings always come in to play no matter how objective the players try to be.  One must be crazy to think that they can keep a relationship physical only.

On that note, there is quite a bit of sexy time packed in to this short story.  For those who like their reads steamy and detailed, this would be a good choice.  There is not a whole lot left to the imagination and it seems to be the main focal point of the story.  I expected this after reading the first in the series.

Overall this was a fast and steamy read.  While it does not offer any surprises it was a good distraction.

About the Author

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Release Blast & Giveaway: Man of Action by Janie Crouch

He was a man of action—especially when it came to 

protecting his new undercover partner…

MAN OF ACTION

Omega Sector: Critical Response #4

Janie Crouch

Releasing June 21st, 2016

Harlequin Intrigue

He was a man of action—especially when it came to protecting his new undercover partner… 

At nineteen, Andrea Gordon's life was forever changed. After proving herself instrumental in a bank hostage crisis, she became one of Omega Sector's top agents. Four years later, her skill at reading people is unrivaled—until she meets fellow profiler Brandon Han. Paired together to track a serial killer who has been targeting at-risk women, the two become entangled beyond the case. Their mutual attraction deepens as they get closer to the truth. But when Andrea's own sordid past surfaces, they will both be forced to question everything about the assignment…and each other. 

This whole thing was a terrible idea. Going back to Buckeye? Terrible. Going back with the likes of Brandon Han? Even worse. The plane hit some turbulence at thirty-five thousand feet, as if nodding in agreement with Andrea’s conclusion.
 
Brandon didn’t want to work with her on the case. He’d made that abundantly clear in Steve’s office. She wanted to assume it was her fault, that he knew about her shortcomings and lack of education as an Omega consultant, but forced herself to stop. He’d mentioned liking to work alone. She could understand that, too. Andrea liked working alone, but for different reasons.
 
Brandon’s irritation had been pretty tangible when she’d sat down next to him at the airport. It had just grown as they waited for their flight, first when she’d mentioned him being complicated, then when they were both looking through the case files.
 
By the time they got on the plane, about an hour after their scheduled departure time, Brandon was hardly even talking to her. He was mad—she had no idea why—and she was awkward—as usual around someone she was so attracted to. Good times.
 
Andrea tried to pretend she was reading the files when he handed them to her, but she wasn’t. She knew better than to even try. Her dyslexia made reading simple books difficult, although she had learned some exercises to help with that. But reading handwritten notes and case files often written in different fonts and sizes—that pretty much just led to a headache and frustration.
 
She’d had an extra hour at her apartment so she’d used the special software on her computer to scan a few pages so they could be converted into audio clips. She’d found that listening worked much better for her than trying to read. Unfortunately she hadn’t had enough time to scan all the files as she normally would.
Listening to the files on audio clips had just made Brandon more irritated. Andrea had no idea what to do about that, so she ignored it. She would listen to the clips she had, then spend  this evening—all night if she had to—reading through the files in her room, when she was alone and it was quiet. She refused to go into that meeting with the local police tomorrow unprepared.
 
She didn’t want to go back there at all. If it wasn’t for Steve asking her to go, Andrea wouldn’t have done it, serial killer or not.
 
Maybe they wouldn’t run into anyone she knew. Or maybe the people in Buckeye wouldn’t recognize her. She’d gone to great lengths to look nothing like the girl who had worked at Jaguar’s. Her blond hair was shorter, cut in a flattering bob; her makeup was tasteful. She’d learned how to dress and present herself in a professional manner.
 
She doubted her own aunt and uncle would recognize her. Not that she planned to drop in on them. She hadn’t seen them since the last time her uncle, in a drunken stupor again, had awakened her with a backhand that had sent her sprawling from her bed to the floor when she was seventeen. Another punch had sent her hurling into a glass table. She’d gotten away from him and hidden that night, wrapping her cut arm in a T-shirt.

The next morning she’d told her aunt, who’d looked the other way again during all the commotion, that she was going to school.
 
Andrea hadn’t gone to school. And she hadn’t gone back home. Ever again.
 
She hadn’t gone far, just to the other side of the town she’d only ever known as home, but they hadn’t come looking for her. Had probably been relieved that she’d left.
 
So yeah, no joyous homecoming in Buckeye.

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Nominated for the 2014 & 2015 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, and a finalist in multiple other Romance literary awards, Janie Crouch loves to read – almost exclusively romance – and has been doing so since middle school. She cut her teeth on Harlequin (Mills & Boon) Romances when she lived in Wales, UK as a preteen, then moved on to a passion for romantic suspense as an adult.

Janie recently relocated with her husband and four children to Germany (due to her husband's job as support for the U.S. Military), after living in Virginia for nearly 20 years.  When she’s not listening to the voices in her head (and even when she is), she enjoys traveling, long-distance running, movie-watching, knitting and adventure (obstacle) racing.

She teaches online communication classes for an American college part time, and writes full time. Most of all, she loves to laugh and smile and count her blessings. And her blessings are many.

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Review: Good Girl by Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne brings all the unpredictable heat of her USA Today bestseller Blurred Lines to an all-new cast of characters! Country music’s favorite good girl is hiding away from the world—only to find herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.

Kindle Edition, 243 pages

Published May 17th 2016 by Loveswept 

Series: Love Unexpectedly #2

Genre: Romance

Kristine's Thoughts:

Lauren Layne is an author that I love to read and rarely do I check out the synopsis. I know that I am going to enjoy the book regardless what the story is about. It took me a little longer to get to this book than it normally would but it didn't disappoint.

I've said it a million times but Lauren Layne writes with a humour and sarcasm that is so real and believable that it feels like it came out of my own mouth. I relate to it on so many levels and it makes her characters feel like they are coming off the page. Did I mention that they are all so likeable too?

Noah and Jenny were both keeping things from each other yet there was an undeniable love/hate relationship going on between them.  It certainly sounded like dozens of other romance books but Layne lends a chemistry that made it uniquely hers. From the quirky banter to the battle of the dogs (big dogs all the way!) I was glued to the pages and routing for them the whole time.

Good Girl was a quick and easy read that provided me a couple hours of pure entertainment.

About the Author

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals. 

Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).

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Review: Ready to Fall (Lovestruck Librarians #4) by Olivia Dade

Elementary school teacher and part-time librarian Sarah Mayhew has the perfect plan: show off her cycling skills at her school's bike retreat and attract her oblivious coworker in the process. Her end game? Fall in love. Only one problem: she needs to find someone to teach her how to ride a bike pronto. But when she catches sight of Chris Dean's gorgeous physique, her best laid plans are about to go off track . . .

Chris is not looking for a girlfriend. He's getting over his last one by focusing on his bike repair business. So when a feisty, sexy schoolteacher urges him to help improve her cycling skills, he does it strictly for the money. He vows he won't repeat history, even for a blonde bombshell like Sarah. But when the two find themselves alone on the road, they can't help taking a detour straight into each other's arms . . .

ebook, 85 pages

Expected publication: June 21st 2016 by Lyrical Shine

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 21st, 2016.

This story is the fourth instalment in the lovestruck librarian series.  While I have not read all the stories, I have read most.  That being said, it would not be necessary to read them in order as this can be read as a standalone.

There are two things that I really liked about this story.

One...the length.  I don't always have the time to invest in a long story and the short length of this ensure that I could get some reading enjoyment in without the time commitment.  This is perfect when I am having a crazy week at work yet feel like I am neglecting my reading time (which I have been).  Perfect solution.

Two....Sarah.  I loved her sense of humor.  The way she described a bicycle as a death trap had me in stitches.  Her strong sense of who she was and her attitude when she wanted something is something we all could learn from.  I loved that she was so feisty yet so tiny (height). 

I will not divulge any plot details, the synopsis does a good job.  This story came to me a good time when I was looking for something short and it did not disappoint.  Dade does a good job of creating characters which are more "real life" than a lot of stories in this genre which makes it enjoyable.  I will continue to follow her group of librarians as long as she keeps writing about them.

About the Author

(From Dade's Goodreads profile.  I will continue to put this bio in here every time I read her work as it is one of the best IMHO that I have come across)

While I was growing up, my mother kept a stack of books hidden in her closet. She told me I couldn’t read them. So, naturally, whenever she left me alone for any length of time, I took them out and flipped through them.

Those books raised quite a few questions in my prepubescent brain. Namely: 1) Why were there so many pirates? 2) Where did all the throbbing come from? 3) What was a “manhood”? 4) And why did the hero and heroine seem overcome by images of waves and fireworks every few pages, especially after an episode of mysterious throbbing in the hero’s manhood?

Thirty or so years later, I have a few answers.

1) Because my mom apparently fancied pirates at that time. Now she hoards romances involving cowboys and babies. If a book cover features a shirtless man in a Stetson cradling an infant, her ovaries basically explode and her credit card emerges. I have a similar reaction to romances involving spinsters, governesses, and librarians.

2) His manhood. Also, her womanhood.

3) It’s his “hard length,” sometimes compared in terms of rigidity to iron. I prefer to use other names for it in my own writing. However, I am not picky when it comes to descriptions of iron-hard lengths. At least in romances.

4) Because explaining how an orgasm feels can prove difficult. Or maybe the couples all had sex on New Year’s Eve at Cancun.

During those thirty years, I accomplished a few things. I graduated from Wake Forest University and earned my M.A. in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I worked at a variety of jobs that required me to bury my bawdiness and potty mouth under a demure exterior: costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, high school teacher, and librarian. But I always, always read romances. Funny, filthy, sweet—it didn’t matter. I loved them all.

Now I’m writing my own romances with the encouragement of my husband and daughter. I found a kick-ass agent: Jessica Alvarez from Bookends, LLC. I have my own stack of books in my closet that I’d rather my daughter not read, at least not for a few years. I can swear whenever I want, except around said daughter. And I get to spend all day writing about love and iron-hard lengths.

So thank you, Mom, for perving so hard on pirates during my childhood. I owe you.

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Review: The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn

Is it better to live with a lie, or risk everything for the truth?

“Heartbreaking and heroic. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough!” --Romily Bernard, author of the Find Me trilogy

In Pintip Dunn’s gripping and timely novel, a young woman whose life unravels in the wake of her mother’s alleged suicide sets out to clear her name.

“The mother I knew would never do those things. But maybe I never knew her after all.” Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death resurface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

Kindle Edition, 256 pages

Expected publication: June 28th 2016 by Kensington 

Genre: Young Adult/ Mystery

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

This book had all of the things that appeal to the young adult audience. There was high school drama, the mean girl, a new boy and a love triangle of sorts. On top of all that, there was an edge of your seat mystery surrounding the death of CeCe's mother after a sex scandal with one of her students.

This book began six months after the death of CeCe's mother as CeCe tried to move on. Trying to fall under the radar was difficult when her mother was accused of having sex with a student and then committed suicide three days later. All CeCe wanted was to lay low and get through each day unnoticed but a new boy in the school and questions about what really happened to her mother made it impossible. When CeCe started receiving unusual text messages she could no longer ignore the possibility that her mother's death might not have been a suicide at all.

I have to say that this book is definitely written with a young audience in mind with the school bullying and cute new boy. However it doesn't mean that someone older (like myself) could not enjoy and appreciate it. Where I was all over the mystery, younger people would also appreciate the budding relationship that went hand in hand with it.

The story was well developed and kept me guessing from early on. With all the usual suspects I was able to narrow it down to two people and I am happy to report that I was on the money with my guess. I don't think that it was made obvious at all in the book but I made a lucky guess. So not only was I intrigued to find out what happened and who did it, all of my questions were answered by the time I turned the last page. There were no loose ends to leave me confused and frustrated.

I really enjoyed this YA mystery. It was quick and easy to read and delivered everything that I was hoping it would. It was the first book by this author for me but it certainly won't be the last.

 

About the Author

When her first-grade teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, Pintip replied, “An author.” Although she has pursued other interests over the years, this dream has never wavered.
Pintip graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL.
Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.

Connect with Pintip

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