Monthly Archives: August 2013

Seduced (Lost in Oblivion .5) by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott-a review

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SEDUCED (Lost in Oblivion 0.5) by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott-a review

Seduced

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Released July 5, 2013

Twenty-three year old Nick Crandall has one focus in his life: Oblivion, the band he formed with his best friend Simon Kagan. With gigs coming up and the band members lacking focus after losing their drummer to rehab, they’re out of ideas. Until Oblivion’s bassist, Deacon McCoy, poses a surprising suggestion.

Bring in someone new. Two someones.

One You Tube video gone viral later, Oblivion is poised on the brink of stardom. With their new hot drummer chick — who comes in a package deal with a talented guitarist who happens to be head over pick in unrequited love with her – it seems like everything’s falling into place. Or will the band Nick and Simon have fought to keep together disintegrate before their eyes?

Four guys & one woman + more success than they ever bargained for = trouble, of the sexiest kind.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SEDUCED is the first storyline in the contemporary New Adult series Lost in Oblivion co-authored by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott. As an introductory storyline SEDUCED reveals the history and background and the bands stormy rise to success. We are privileged to watch as Oblivion goes from a house band playing local gigs for beer to a platinum-selling rock group with demons and secrets not quite buried in the past.

The characters are flawed and rough. There is no holding back in this particular storyline: booze, woman, sex, fights, jealousy and graphic language. The band’s rise to fame from virtual obscurity is fraught with bitter regret and rivalry, one-night stands, broken promises and broken hearts.

Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott bring the reader up close and personal into the life style that is the legend of rock and roll. We watch as two best friends come to blows over the direction of the band as well as the choices each has made. And in doing so they will come to the realization that there must be more to life than sex, drugs and booze. But for one or two, it will take a little longer to see their way through the fogged haze of a lifetime spent on the edge of oblivion.

LOST IN OBLIVION is an introductory novel that is gritty, graphic and reflects the ugly side of a life style in which many try but fail to succeed. The characters are flawed; some of their choices have failed or proved wrong; but like many in the music industry, they keep plugging away until the final note is played.

The storyline is well written and fast paced. There is always something happening or someone reflecting on the what ifs and whys. To say the characters are likeable would be stretching the truth due to the nature of the storyline, but each member of the band has a story to tell; a past they regret; and a history of demons that need to be excised or controlled.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Avalon by Lee Souleles-A Review and Giveaway

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Avalon by Lee Souleles-a review and giveaway

Avalon

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About the Book: Release Date April 28, 2013

It’s 1984, and Alex Wakefield is in Mexico, on a mission to avenge the death of his partner, DEA Special Agent Nicholas Locklear. Beautiful Sofie Davis is an alluring complication he never anticipated. Sofie is on a mission too. Recovering from a failed relationship, Sofie has returned to Mexico, looking for direction as she plans her future. She’s hoping to reconnect with her family-especially her mother’s memory-before she returns to California in the fall. After four years of focusing most of her attention on a college education, Sofie enjoys spending her days in a tropical Avalon. One sultry summer night, she meets Alex, her cousin’s new business associate. Taking a risk, she asks the gorgeous guy to dance. In the violent and corrupt world of Mexico’s emerging drug cartels, Sofie and Alex forge an unrealistic pact. They soon find love and heartache, and discover the true meaning of family loyalty and forgiveness.

••••••••••••••••••••••

AVALON by Lee Souleles was a surprise read for me. I remember the 1980’s in Southern California very well. Too well! I could have been in college classes with our heroine Sofie! I was not really interested in revisiting some personal memories, but this novel opened me up to a world that I didn’t fully understand at the time. AVALON touched my heart in a profound way. It is a wonderful novel about family loyalty, forgiveness and love.

Sofie meets Alex Wakefield, an undercover DEA agent in Acapulco Mexico. She has returned to Mexico to heal from a broken heart. She is reconnecting with her large, wealthy Mexican family before she returns to California. Alex and Sofie are drawn to each other, but Alex has some big secrets. He is undercover to investigate her family. Alex needs to find out if Sofie knows about her family’s drug cartel. Their relationship is as hot as a sultry night in Mexico! Mixing business with pleasure is risky and someone is bound to get hurt.

The parts of the story that I loved the most were the descriptions of Mexico and its rich culture! The readers are shown both its beauty and its harsh poverty. All of the characters are so dynamic and they came alive for me. There are even some great life quotes sprinkled throughout the novel that I had to highlight! One that I loved was this life advice from her favorite Tia: “We’re each the captain of our own ship, not the master of the seas..……Life will bring the hurricanes, don’t go searching for rough weather”. The writing is poetic and the story is so rich and meaningful. I never thought that I could enjoy reading about America’s war on drugs, but I was wrong. AVALON was a very fulfilling read. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Jules

Copy supplied by the author.

giveaway

Lee is offering a paper copy of AVALON to one lucky reader at The Reading Cafe.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Giveaway is open to USA and Canada only.

4. Giveaway runs from August 12 to August 16, 2013

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Falling Into You (Falling #1) by Jasinda Wilder-a review

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FALLING INTO YOU (Falling #1) by Jasinda Wilder-a review

Falling into You

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 14, 2013

I wasn’t always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way. Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn’t teach me how to live. He didn’t heal the pain. He didn’t make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

•••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: FALLING INTO YOU is the first storyline in Jasinda Wilder’s New Adult contemporary series Falling. If you have not read this series, be prepared for a heartbreaking storyline of love, loss, death and more loss. Book one focuses on Nell, Kyle and Colton Calloway but the next book takes an abrupt turn and follows Nell and Kyle’s high school friends who must overcome some trauma of their own.

Falling Into You is a new adult storyline that is told from Nell and Colton’s POV and in the beginning it is Nell who will introduce the reader to the early years where Nell and Kyle have bonded from birth. Their mother’s were best friends, who gave birth within days of each other, and therefore Kyle and Nell have been inseparable ever since. Until the night that fate took Kyle’s life and Nell will never forgive herself or forget what happened to the only boy she has ever loved.

Kyle’s brother Colton is reintroduced into Nell’s life by way of the funeral and, mutual pain and sorrow. Nell will begin to withdraw into herself and it will be two years later that Nell and Colton reignite a passion that started as comforting sorrow with each other.

Colton and Nell both have secrets and demons that have been buried and resurfaced over the years. Colton’s past is mired in family betrayal and heartache that left a young man-barely able to survive-on his own in a strange city with no support or money. When Nell drifts back into Colton’s life, he pursues her relentlessly and it is this relationship that will bring both of them full circle. They must face their demons, their pain and sorrow together, and in doing so will discover more about each other than anyone could ever have known.

This is a story of love and hate; loss and pain; sorrow and grief; but it is also a story of finding the one-the one who knows the suffering and betrayal first hand, as well as the pain of losing someone that it feels as though you can no longer breathe without them.

The writing is simple. There is nothing complicated or awe-inspiring about the premise, but it is a story that will probably bring you to tears and break your heart. This is also a story of family; two well to do and connected families who cannot fathom the anguish these two young adults have suffered until it is too late. And it is also a story of moving on and letting go. Forgiveness may take more time.

The relationship between Kyle and Nell is sweet, pure and innocent. From friends to lovers, the build up takes years until in one fateful night Kyle is killed and Nell will forever never be the same.

Colton and Nell begin their relationship as two people grieving a loss and not necessarily with the same emotional attachment as Colton learns that the past begins to replay over and over at each turn. Colton is good for Nell as he is willing to push her beyond the boundaries of what little self esteem and control remains within Nell, and it is Nell who will accept everything Colton has to give and the man he has become. The sexual heat is palpable as their love making goes from gentle to firm, to all out aggressive-but saying that-it is something they both need to help bury the demons.

If you like a storyline of heartbreak, sorrow and finding the one person who will start you on the road back to emotional health, than FALLING INTO YOU is the story for you. The world building is smooth and the character development is paced throughout the novel: and you cannot help but feel sympathy for our leading characters.

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10) by Gena Showalter-a review

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The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10) by Gena Showalter-a review

the-darkest-craving

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Lords of the Underworld – Book 10

About the book: Released July 30, 2013

Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

Review:

I’m not quite sure where to begin with this review. To say I’ve been looking forward to Kane’s book would be a gross understatement. He’s been trapped in hell, literally, for quite a while. He endured horrible torture and was rescued, not by the Lords, but a half-human, half-Fae woman. Okay, she does have the power to absorb others’ powers, which makes her very powerful, if only for a brief time. And once she gets him out of hell, a couple of the Lords do show up and take him back to the fortress, only to have Kane obsess over the petite Josephina. His demon, Disaster, rebels when Kane thinks of Josephina as his, but that doesn’t quell his overwhelming feelings of finding her. Once he makes his decision (which is heartbreaking) to leave and find her, William decides to accompany him to aid in his quest.

There are a couple of factions in play. There is a Phoenix hunting Josephina (Tinker Bell or Tink as Kane has nicknamed her) and her Fae family. She has escaped the Fae realm with her own quest…..to die. And, Kane had promised to kill her when she rescued him in hell, but Kane didn’t count on developing feelings for her. Seems she is the one who has to take the punishment that her father, the king of the Fae, doles out to his other, “legitimate”, daughter when said daughter commits a punishable offense.

Once Kane, and William, find Tink and enter into the Fae realm, Kane discovers just how horrid she is treated there. The queen despises her due to the fact that she is the daughter of one of the king’s mistresses, who died a long time ago. Instead of having a life of luxury like her other siblings, Tink is a servant to the royal family and is shunned at every turn. That does not sit well with Kane. The Lords are revered in the Fae realm and Kane is treated like royalty. Once the king decides that Kane will marry Tink’s half sister, Kane manipulates the situation so that no more harm will come to Josephina and has her, basically, turned over to his care. Kane, at first, has every intention in marrying the king’s daughter, but soon decides that that will never happen. His growing feelings for Tink, and hers for him, have him scrambling for some sort of resolution. And, what a resolution it is.

I liked Darkest Craving. The rub with that? I usually LOVE Showalter’s books. I was so so happy that we got to see a lot of the other Lords and their mates in this book. And, William. He plays a big part in Kane’s story, as do his “kids”, Red, Black, Green and White. Loved the banter between he and Kane.

However, the banter between Kane and Josephina was almost juvenile. I don’t quite know how to describe it. It was just…..lacking. It did get better towards the end of the book, but I was so worn out by then, I was just ready for it to be over. Where I normally read a LOTU book in a night or two, it took me several to get through this one. There are subplots going on as well. Torin, keeper of Disease, and Cameo, keeper of Misery, have things going on throughout this book, and while I know that she did it to build up to her next book, it fell short for me. Literally left me scratching my head wondering what in the hell was going on. Showalter’s writing style has changed over the past year. Whereas I don’t read these books for the sex, the fact that they don’t consummate their relationship until page 316 didn’t work for me. You get used to an author’s writing and storytelling style, and when they veer off from that, it is a letdown. At least for me it is. Don’t get me wrong, there were some great scenes in this book and we get to see what’s going on with the others as well, which is always a plus in my book. But I just expected more from Kane after having been trapped in hell for so long.

All in all, it was a good book, but not great for me. It is a necessary read in the continuation of the storyline due to things that happen that can be a game changer for the others whom yet to have their story told. Showalter has a huge fan base, and I know that as some of you read this review, you’ll totally disagree with me. That’s the beauty of reviews, in my humble opinion. We all read the same thing and come away with something different. Unfortunately, I came away feeling slighted.

Reviewed by Vickie M.

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Hard as You Can (Hard Ink #2) by Laura Kaye-cover reveal

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Hard as You Can (Hard Ink #2) by Laura Kaye-cover reveal

Hard as You Can

PRE ORDER ORDER LINKS:
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Avon is proud to announce the publication of Laura Kaye’s second book in her hot Hard Ink series, HARD AS YOU CAN (On Sale: February 25, 2014).

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn’t want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can-and never let go.

About The Author beige

Laura Kaye-21Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Running on Empty by Colette Ballard-Cover Reveal and Giveaway

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Running on Empty by Colette Ballard-Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Running on Empty

Running On Empty
by Colette Ballard
Release Date: November 25, 2013
Recommended: 16 years and up
Cover Design: Marie Romero
Publisher: Tulip Romance ( an imprint of Spencer Hill Press)

What does it feel like when you die—in those final moments? Do you feel the physical pain, or just the pain of your regrets? What does it feel like when you realize you can’t answer these questions because you’re not the victim? You’re the killer?

River Daniels lives an ordinary life as a high school junior growing up in the confines of rural Texas until her boyfriend’s brutal attack leaves her both a murderer and a fugitive. When River’s closest girlfriends come to her aid, they make a hasty decision to not only help her, but leave their own troubled lives behind and join in her escape. The girls manage to elude police for months, but with every near-miss, River’s life spirals further out of control, until she finally hits rock bottom.

Realizing she must stop endangering her friends and find evidence proving she acted in self-defense, the girls decide to make a risky return to Texas. Her return means more than facing her ugly past, she must also face the one person she was protecting the night her world caved in, the guy she has loved for as long as she can remember.

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The publisher is hosting a rafflecopter giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift card and 5 signed bookmarks (US only)

The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the publishers.

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The Silver Chain (The Unbreakable Trilogy #1) by Primula Bond-a review

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THE SILVER CHAIN (The Unbreakable Trilogy #1) by Primula Bond- a review

The Silver Chain

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 15, 2013

Bound by passion, she was powerless to resist.

One dark evening in London, photographer Serena Folkes is indulging her impulsive side with a night-time shoot. But someone is watching her – mysterious entrepreneur Gustav Levi. Serena doesn’t know it yet, but this handsome stranger will change her life forever…

Serena is fascinated by Gustav, the enigmatic owner of the Levi Gallery, and she soon feels an irresistible pull of attraction. The interest is mutual, and Gustav promises to launch Serena’s photographic career at his gallery, but only if Serena agrees to become his exclusive companion.

To mark their agreement, Gustav gives Serena a bracelet to wear at all times. Attached to it is a silver chain of which he is the keeper. With the chain Gustav controls Serena physically and symbolically – a sign that she is under his power.

As their passionate relationship intensifies, Gustav’s hold on the silver chain grows stronger. But will Gustav’s dark past tear them apart?

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE SILVER CHAIN is the first storyline in Primula Bond’s new contemporary erotic Unbreakable Trilogy written in the same styling as Fifty Shades of Grey and the Crossfire series. Primula will take the reader on a journey where one man learns to let go of the past and one woman will come face to face with her future. It will take a forgotten room and all of its’ demons to unleash the truth and power behind forgiveness and love.

The storyline premise focuses on Serena Folkes, a twenty year old woman looking to start a new life, on her own, away from the small town and the painful memories that continue to follow her where ever she goes. Meeting Gustav Levi, will set a series of plans into motion that will see Serena become the toast of the art world and the heart and soul of a man who believes he could no longer love.

Gustav is an enigma. A man very few people know and even fewer people who will ever get close. He is darker and more dangerous than many of the billionaire heroes in similar storylines and series-in fact I wasn’t sure if Gustav was entirely human in the initial stages of the book. Throughout the story we learn about the intimate and heartbreaking details of his past as Serena begins to break down the walls, and the people, in which Levi has surrounded himself. Serena’s past is divulged through her thoughts and memories as well as a series of childhood journals that she hopes to exorcise from her life.

The plot and story outline is fraught with mystery as we never know what are Gustav’s intentions towards the woman whom he has chained to his heart. He is aggressive yet kind; strong yet vulnerable; beautiful yet mired in betrayal of the worst kind. And it is the betrayal that has hardened his heart and closed the door to any chance of a future.

The Silver Chain is well paced, with the usual number of secondary characters that add to the colorful history of one man’s life. The similarities to Fifty Shades and Crossfire are undeniable in fact the book is promoted for those who loved these two series. We have a billionaire with a dark and secreted past; one mired by the betrayal of both love and family, as well as the forbidden and exotic world of BDSM. And a heroine, who although is not innocent, is undeniably out of her element as it pertains to Gustav Levi and the demons he keeps hidden away.

The sexual attraction between Serena and Gustav is hot, yet our broken hero is reluctant to test the intimate waters lest he fears losing control of both his body and his heart. But Serena will cross into dangerous territory that will force Gustav into a place he never wanted to return.

THE SILVER CHAIN is another fascinating look at a billionaire recluse with a dark and stormy past and, a heroine who is willing to sit out the storm for the man with whom she is falling in love. Gustav never promised her forever, in fact, he only promises her a couple of months; but in the end it is Gustav who never wants their arrangement to end.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson-A Review and Giveaway

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KISSING MY OLD LIFE AU REVOIR by Eliza Watson-A Review and a Giveaway

Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir

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ABOUT THE BOOK: July 15, 2013

Event planner Samantha Hunter is prepared for a few challenges when escorting a group of good ole boy beer distributors to Paris, the city of haute cuisine and fine wines. However, she doesn’t foresee being passed up for a promotion because she is too professional and doesn’t knock back beers with her clients.

Her focus soon switches from landing the well-deserved promotion to finding her free-spirited sister, who lives in Paris and has disappeared, leaving behind family secrets to be uncovered. A sexy puppeteer helps Samantha search for clues to her sister’s whereabouts and teaches her to embrace her inner child. And a funeral-crashing psychic demonstrates the importance of living life to the fullest. It takes Samantha’s life spiraling out of control for her to finally get a life.

REVIEW: KISSING MY OLD LIFE AU REVOIR is a contemporary storyline focusing on event planner Samantha Hunter as she encounters a new life rich in French culture, family betrayal and the possibility of a future with no job.

In France, on business, Samantha will discover that family secrets and hidden betrayal run deep. Her sister’s lifestyle and the people she meets force Samantha to make decisions that will affect her job, her personal life and the future. And the future involves a major change in direction for everyone involved. When Sam meets her sister’s neighbor Luc, her imagination and fantasies will soon become her new reality and possibly her future.

Samantha is a woman who had to grow up quickly when her father abandoned the family and was never heard from again. Her mother’s emotional and psychological disorders forced Samantha into the role of mother to her younger sister and has shaped her personality and focus on all things personal and business. The glass ceiling and work place double standard are an eye opening slap in the face, when Samantha learns that the promotion she was hoping for will be given to someone who can ‘party with the big boys’,

KISSING MY OLD LIFE AU REVOIR is a fast paced, detailed storyline that reveals the many different levels of family dysfunction and work place discrimination. Secrets from the past are revealed that open old wounds and cut deeply when Samantha learns the truth behind her sister’s life in Paris and the reasons she left home. But it will be Samantha who once again, must pick up the pieces and put everything and everyone back together.

Eliza pulls the reader into a storyline fraught with heartbreaking betrayal, sorrow and the knowledge that perhaps the only one you can trust is the person in the mirror.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Giveaway -black and white

Eliza Watson is offering a copy of KISSING MY OLD LIFE AU REVOIR to one lucky reader at The Reading Cafe: a signed print copy for US/CANADA or ecopy for international.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email with your comment.

3. Giveaway is open to US/CANADA for signed paper copy OR e-copy for INTERNATIONAL

4. Giveaway runs from August 11 to August 15, 2013

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