Monthly Archives: September 2013

The Lonely Lords Series: Beckman/Gabriel by Grace Burrowes-a review

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THE LONELY LORDS SERIES: Beckman/Gabriel by Grace Burrowes -a review

4.5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

The Lonely Lord series by award winning author (and one of my faves) Grace Burrowes once again did NOT disappoint. This review consists of books number 4 (Beckman) and 5 (Gabriel). These two were just as yummy as Darius, Nicholas and Ethan and totally swept me off my feet once again! If you love a solid historical romance (1800’s) where gentlemen were expected to be gentlemen, ladies were ladies and all the rules are thrown out the window then seriously check this series out!

Let’s get on with it shall we .. I have two more men for you to get to know! 😉

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BeckmanBOOK 4 – BECKMAN Lord of Sins

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DESCRIPTION-Release Date July 2, 2013

Beckman Haddonfield is ready to live again…

Beckman finally emerges from the shadow of his wife’s death by agreeing to restore a family estate…and embarking on a dalliance with the quiet, mysterious housekeeper who resides there. But she is not who she seems…

Riveting and refreshing, Beckman is an unforgettable story about love’s power to overcome grief and guilt. Award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’s gorgeous writing and lush Regency world will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

REVIEW

We have never really met Beckman, though he is mentioned several times in the previous books. Beckman is the younger legit brother of Nicholas and Ethan. He is also very complex, spare to the heir, underestimated and misunderstood. He is the baby of the family who is easily brushed aside, and left ignorant to some family matters (although he still caught on regardless of his families intentions).

Beck has lived a full life for a man his young age. He’s been married and widowed, been wild with the ladies and gambling, has fallen so far off the edge of a cliff in the opium house that it was amazing he was able to bounce back. He has also been sent away by his dying father (this is where I should mention that this book is written parallel to Nicholas book) to fix up an old family estate (Three Spring Estates) that belongs to his grandmother (his father doesn’t want Beck to see him die). Beck understands why he is sent away (he deeply loves his father and I would like to believe seeing him die would throw him back in his recovery) and decides to tackle the estate with vigor.

He meets Sara who is a housekeeper at this Three Spings along with her daughter Allie and sister Polly. The man working as the steward (Gabriel) is also there playing the role of grouch, let’s get this done, I have no time to waste (he gets his own story ..lol). Beckman finds himself immediately captivated by Sara and realizes that there is so much more to this woman than housecleaner extraordinaire. Sara has secrets, and Beck wants to figure them out but in the process cannot help but fall in love with this complex woman.

Sara is running from a past that if discovered, can effect her entire future. She just wants to live a simple life in the country, fix up the estate and be left alone. Well all was going well until she admits Beck into her bed. The passion between these two sparks up the pages as does the sensitivity to each other and the budding friendship.

As Sara’s past comes to the forefront we are taken on a ride of suspicion, action, intrigue and ultimately happily ever after (duh .. this is Grace Burrowes we’re talking about ..lol) Can Beckman live with what Sara is hiding? Can Beck make it through his father’s death unscathed? Will these two put aside their stubborn streaks to be each other’s forever?? You know the answer, but reading how they get there is the best part! LOL

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GabrielBOOK 5 – GABRIEL Lord of Regrets

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DESCRIPTION-Release Date September 3, 2013

Gabriel North has spent two years allowing his family to believe him dead, while he assumes the identity of a hardworking steward on the neglected Three Springs estate.

When Gabriel falls in love with Polonaise Hunt, cook at Three Springs, he realizes that until he solves the mystery of who tried repeatedly to kill him, he cannot ask any woman to share his life.

Gabriel resumes his proper identity as Marquis of Hesketh, only to find that Polonaise has also resumed her calling, that of talented portrait artist, and she’s been commissioned to paint Gabriel’s heir.

While Gabriel tries to untangle the mystery of his attempted murder, he finds Polonaise has been keeping secrets of her own. She can capture Gabriel’s likeness on canvas, but can he capture her heart?

REVIEW

I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! LOL

We first met Gabriel in Beckman’s book as the grouchy, no nonsense steward of the estate. It is there that you begin to understand that there is more than meets the eye to this man .. well this book it all comes out!

Gabriel is really a titled man. Actually he is the Marquis of Hesketh and has been in hiding, assumed dead for the past couple of years. You see someone attempted to kill Gabriel two years ago, and he suspected his brother (who currently is holding the Marquis title). As time has passed, Gabriel has kept his eye on his brother and has come to realize that perhaps he wasn’t involved in his attempted murder. He decides to come out of hiding.

Gabriel reclaims his title (kind of) and happens upon a certain artist that he left behind at Three Springs Estate but has never forgotten! POLLY! Polly has been commissioned to paint portraits of the Hesketh family members. Little does she realize that her beloved Gabriel is not the steward she fell in love with but in fact a titled man. Considering all, she takes it all in quite nicely. The flames still burn hot between these two and before they know it, they are giving into their desires for one another knowing that the future holds nothing for them. Why would a Marquis want a simple artist?

In the midst of all this romance, there are frequent abnormalities going on that sabotage the functioning of the Hesketh estate. Gabriel is in danger as someone is still trying to kill him. He wants Polly away from all the danger, but begins to realize that he cannot live without her. After he comes to terms with this, he needs to convince her.

We have a side romance going throughout this story as well! Gabriel’s brother and his wife begin to blossom as the pressure of being the Marquis and Marquess is lifted off their shoulders a tad, and answers to questions must be answered. I have to say I enjoyed their story as much as I did Gabriel’s.

Of course there is so much more than what I say in my reviews to these books. I hate spoilers and have to be careful on what I can or cannot reveal here! LOL I really wanted to give 5 out of 5, but I am seeing a repeated formula with this series that is predictable now. We have a powerful man who seems to be the most loving and understanding of men. We have the woman who is not innocent and agrees to the loving physical affair with our main man. We see them really become friends and not just lovers. Don’t get me wrong, this formula works for Grace Burrowes books, but I would love a little mix up in there! This is 5 books in now.

A WONDERFUL historical romance series and one that I am going to remain current with.

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copies supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

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Everything For Us (Bad Boys #3) by M.Leighton-a review

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EVERYTHING FOR US (Bad Boys #3) by M.Leighton-a review

Everything For us

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 3, 2013

When it comes to passion this hot, it’s all or nothing.

Olivia Townsend’s wealthy cousin Marissa had everything a girl could ask for—a great job, a privileged life, and all the friends she wanted. Or, at least, all the friends money could buy. But one case of mistaken identity has turned her privileged world upside down.

An abduction gone wrong lands her right in the lap of the sexiest, most dangerous man she’s ever met. To Marissa, he’s an enigma, but one to whom she’s irresistibly, inexplicably drawn.

With him comes a new world of freedom and passion, of dark shadows and dangerous secrets, a world where nothing is what it seems—except for the blind passion that Marissa can’t escape—or maybe even survive.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: EVERYTHING FOR US is the third installment in M.Leighton’s contemporary, new adult Bad Boys series focusing on the Davenport men and the women they love. This is Nash and Marissa’s storyline.

Everything for Us is a revealing look at the previous seven years in Nash Davenport’s life on the high seas. Through flashbacks and intimate recounting we learn that following the death of his mother and his subsequent run from those responsible for the explosion, Nash is forced into some pretty dangerous positions and ‘assignments’. Returning home, to find his brother Cash had been living a double life, did not sit too well. Hoping to reveal the truth behind their mother’s death, Nash appoints himself the person to do the job. But, Marissa needs a guardian to protect her from those hoping to draw Nash into the open, he steps up only to find himself falling for the beauty who was once a thorn in many people’s side.

Marissa is a character who has done a 180 in the series. Once a spoiled, pampered young woman who graduated (summa cum laude) from law school, Marissa has learned her lessons the hard way. And falling for the bad boy was never in the plans. She will begin to pull away from the only life she has never known, but a life that has left her less than whole.

EVERYTHING FOR US is a story of forbidden love, heartbreaking revelations and uncovering the truth. It is also a story of one man’s struggle to right the wrongs of the past, although some wrongs can never be undone. M. Leighton pulls the reader into a storyline that is emotionally cathartic for the leading characters as both felt incomplete and that something was missing from their lives.

READING ORDER
1. Down To You
2. Up to Me
3. Everything For Us

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Review by Sandy

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Real (Real, Raw and Ripped #1) by Katy Evans-a review

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REAL (Real, Raw and Ripped #1) by Katy Evans-a review

Real new cover

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About the book: April 8, 2013

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

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REVIEW: REAL is the first storyline in Katy Evans’s contemporary, new adult series that focuses on underground fighter Remington ‘Riptide’ Tate and physiotherapist Brooke Dumas. The story is graphic, gritty and leaves nothing to the imagination.

Remy is a fighter in the world of illegal underground boxing. His persona is that of Jekyl and Hyde and he is the first to admit that during certain episodes in his life, he makes the lives of those closest to him, unbearable and dark. He is an enigma-a man with two distinctive personalities and he has paid dearly throughout his existence.

Enter Brooke Dumas. A recent graduate who, one night, attended an underground fight and her life would never be the same. Remy spies Brooke prior to a fight and offers her a three month position as his personal masseuse and physiotherapist. When ensues is a story of forbidden love, heartbreak and sorrow, a hidden history of a painful past and a need to claim one woman as his own. But Remy has a dark side and he fears that losing Brooke will finally push him over the edge.

The novel is a story of a building relationship between two people who are desperately attracted to one another but also about a man who pushes the people away who care for him the most. The relationship is one of sexual frustration, blatant attraction and sensual acts that can only be described as claiming one’s mate.

The storyline is slow to build as the author pulls the reader into a construct of a relationship when background information about our couple is revealed on a need to know basis. Each has a painful past, but Remy’s psyche and emotional health are in the balance when the woman with whom he falls in love, is pushed away one too many times.

The writing style is simple and there is a bit of redundancy as it pertains to Brooke’s thoughts and emotions but in retrospect the author is trying to show the enormity of the character’s feelings and pull toward the one man who could break her heart.

The is plenty of sexual tension as the couple dance around each other for a good portion of the storyline and there is also tension in the building of the story because you know that at some point Remy will jump the precipice and never look back. The sex scenes are hot, descriptive and palpable.

Katy Evans has written a story that is dark and emotional as is the leading character of Remington Tate. You will experience the highs and lows of one man as he tries to win back his life as well as win the girl of his dreams. I am looking forward to book #2 MINE as their story will continue.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Darker Days by Jus Accardo – a Review

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Darker Days by Jus Accardo – a Review

 

Darker Days Aug 2013
Links to order Darker Days: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course…

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they’re recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing…

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything.

 

Review:

Darker Days by Jus Accardo is the first book in her YA The Darker Agency series.  This is the first time that I have read anything by Accardo, and was for the most part pleasantly surprised.  I’m not sure what I expected, though the premise is what drew me to the book, but Accardo has a knack for putting snark in her leading character, and I found myself laughing quite a few times.  Jessie Darker is our heroine in this story, and she reminded me a little of Charley Davidson (Darynda Jones), or my all time favorite, Buffy.  What makes those series so good, is the humorous or sarcastic comments.  When we first meet Jesse her quips were either funny, or at times downright silly. Though there was some comparison to Charley or Buffy, Jessie Darker isn’t quite there yet, but she does have potential.   

Darker Days is a young adult paranormal story, with Jessie and her mom running a private investigation agency for the unusual, like demons.  Jesse is only a teenager, but she has learned from her mom, her family history, and her own growing ability.  Jess does become too flippant at times, causing her mom to chastise her often. We meet Jessie as she handles a dangerous ghost, and a demon dog; fixing the problem.  Jessie’s mom prefers Jessie to live like a normal teenager, but the Darker family for hundreds of years,  have always been involved with fighting supernatural beings.  

It is at this time, we meet our hero, Lukas Scott, who comes to the agency to talk to Jessie’s mom asking for help.  It seems a box that contains the seven deadly sins has been opened, with the sins on the loose creating havoc all around town.  They are able to possess any human body, especially those that have some of their traits…for example Greed.  They have 5 days to find the sins, and get them back into the box, or they and their human body will be reclaimed, thereby causing the death of those humans. It turns out that Lukas is a human, who has been locked in the box as Wrath for almost 150 years.  He manages to keep Wrath in somewhat control most of the time, and wants to help get everyone back into the box without harming the humans.  Of course, Lukas wants to find a way to free himself.

What follows is an exciting adventure with Jessie and Lukas working together, and Jessie’s mom working separately with the help of Jessie rarely seen demon father.  During the race against time, both Jessie and Lukas come up against the major villain, who is a very powerful witch; who has her own agenda.  The witch is also the one who forced Wrath into Lukas, putting him away for all those years.  With all the danger surrounding them, including friends that have been infected, Lukas and Jessie become closer.  At first Lukas, who didn’t ‘get’ Jessie’s constant slang’s, was confused, but then he found himself attracted to her, as she as unlike anyone he had ever known; and he wanted to have a chance to find out more about her. Will they be able to save Lukas from spending the rest of his life in the box? 

Personally, I am not a fan of declarations of love in a matter of days. I prefer a slow buildup, with substance, and found this romance to be ok. Though I really liked both Lukas and Jessie individually; I just didn’t feel like their romance was real, but there is a lot of potential.  Will Lukas and Jessie’s relationship have a chance?

There were a lot of surprises, twists, action and danger in the last 1/3 of the book, as they race to the final day. As this is a series, we can expect to see a lot more of Jessie Darker.  I enjoyed this book, as Jus Accardo has created a great new heroine in Jessie, who is a fun kick assed heroine.  For the most part, I loved her snarky comments, but I also think some of them need to be toned a bit.  If you enjoy Young Adult; a fun and tough stubborn heroine; and a hot hero, then Darker Days is perfect for you.

Reviewed by Barb

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Hunter’s Heart (Alpha Pack #4) by J.D.Tyler-a review

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HUNTER’S HEART (Alpha Pack #4) by J.D.Tyler-a review

Hunter's Heart

ORDER:  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 3, 2013

The Alpha Pack series features a team of special ops heroes who are shifters with Psy abilities, and use their powers to track the world’s most dangerous predators. Each of our heroes will find his mate, and each will be hotter and more dangerous than the last.

A group of former Navy SEALS, the Alpha Pack is a top secret team of wolf shifters with Psy powers combating the greatest dangers in the world. And when the battle gets personal, their wild side is unleashed….

Ryon Hunter sees dead people—spirits that beg him for help in ways he can’t understand. He’d do anything to end the torment, until a beautiful spirit appears to him with a plea he can’t ignore: Help me…I’m alive. The woman is wildlife biologist Daria Bradford, mortally wounded after encountering a white wolf, calling to Ryon through a rare Psy gift.

When Ryon locates Daria in the Shoshone National Park, it is almost too late, but nursing her back to health at the Alpha Pack compound brings a new complication—Daria is his destined mate, and Ryon is afraid of what will happen when she discovers what he is, and what he had to do to save her life. But the biggest threat of all is still loose in the forest, leaving a merciless trail of death behind it. The Alpha Pack goes on the hunt for the mysterious white wolf, determined to stop the murderous rogue… only to find that the most lethal creature of all is the one they can’t see coming…

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: HUNTER’S HEART is the fourth full length novel and fifth storyline in J.D.Tyler’s Alpha Pack series focusing on a top secret team of shifters with Psy powers and abilities. This is Ryon and Daria’s story. For a more detailed character breakdown, check out J.D. Tyler’s website HERE.

As the blurb states, Ryon sees dead people-he is a channeler and a telepath. Following a near fatal injury, Ryon will find himself face to spirit with the astral projection of his future mate. Only his future mate has been injured and time is running out.

As the storyline proceeds, Ryon and the Alpha Pack will uncover a much more sinister monster created by their one time nemesis and in doing so will begin to understand that during the search and rescue months earlier, someone or something, escaped. When Ryon and Daria are sent on a mission to locate the missing piece of the puzzle, they will find themselves confronting an all too familiar face.

HUNTER’S HEART and the Alpha Pack series premise are similar to Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalker Series. A group of psychic Navy Seals has been biologically enhanced and experimentally forced into a lifestyle not of their choosing and in doing so, must hunt for the people responsible. Along the way, each will find the one person who is their soul-mate, their bond-mate and their happily ever after. But before any of this is possible, our heroes and heroines will face their ultimate fear-betrayal and mistrust.

The relationship between Ryon and Daria is quick to develop as Ryon knows that Daria is his mate. Daria readily accepts the psychic research facility and all of its people, as well as her new found ability to shift. There are moments when Daria feels betrayed but because of the bond-mate tie, there is little question that they belong together. The sex scenes are sensual, erotic and hot.

The storyline is fast paced and the writing style is simple. J.D.Tyler, by way of character recounting and flashbacks, keeps the current storyline connected to the series with reference to previous incidences and plots which allows the reader some cohesion between books and a buildup of potential future novels. In this, a new reader to the series is not necessarily struggling. But I would recommend checking out the Alpha Pack character guide on JD Tyler’s website as a refresher. I like that JD includes much of the backstory and history of the Alpha Pack with each storyline but I would recommend reading the series in order.

Alpha Pack collage

Primal Law
Black Magic
Savage Awakening
Black Moon
Hunter’s Heart
Cole’s Redemption (March 2014)

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author

FOLLOW J.D.Tyler: Website/ Goodreads/ Twitter

Jo DavisNational Bestselling author J.D. Tyler is best known for her dark, sexy paranormal series Alpha Pack, and the Firefighters of Station Five series under her pseudonym Jo Davis. PRIMAL LAW, the first book in her Alpha Pack series, is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award in Paranormal. She’s also been a multiple finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and has been two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense.

J.D.’s books regularly appear on the Neilson Bookscan, Barnes and Noble, BooksOnBoard, and Amazon bestseller lists, among others, and she was recently named by BooksOnBoard as their #1 Bestselling Romance Author.

When she isn’t writing, J.D.’s idea of a good time certainly isn’t cleaning house (sniff), bungee jumping (not in this lifetime, or the next), or camping (her idea of “roughing it” is a slow bellboy). She enjoys reading, being pampered like the diva she is, and spending time with her awesome family. J.D. lives in Texas with her two teenagers. Visit her website at www.JDTyler.com.

 

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An Interview with Melissa Foster

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An Interview with Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Melissa Foster as our guest today.

Melissa is here today to discuss her first book in her new Love in Bloom series, Sisters In Love, which was released last week.

Let’s meet Melissa.

 

 

 

TRC: Hi, Melissa.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to The Reading Cafe.

Will you please tell us about yourself?

Melissa:  **Waves** If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you probably know that I’m addicted to optimism. I love to help others see the positive side of life, and I feel like the luckiest person on earth because I get to do what I love on a daily basis. Writing feeds my passion for creativity, and for giving something to others. I’m also a mom to six great kids and I’m married to an incredibly supportive (and really hot) hubby who puts up with me falling in love with fictitious characters.

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing?  Have you always liked to write?

Melissa:  I have always been interested in writing on one level or another, but about 25 years ago I really got the “bug” and then I waited until all of my kids were in school full time to begin writing as a career.

TRC: How did you come up with the idea of your new The Snow Sisters series?  Can you please tell our readers the premise of this series?

Melissa:  I’m still wondering that, myself! Danica and Blake came to me when I was thinking about writing a happy, light-hearted women’s fiction/romance. I was thinking about the people I would want to write about and knew that Danica’s character had to be a deep thinker, and then Blake appeared, giving her all sorts of wonderful—and different—things to think about. They found me, I didn’t find them.

SISTERS IN LOVE is the story of two sisters; Danica, a practical, even if a bit boring, therapist, who has always been there to bail out her promiscuous, larger than life sister, Kaylie. Both sisters are ready for a change, but they don’t realize it at the onset of the story. Blake Carter is a player—always has been, and thinks he always will be—until he bonks Danica in the nose, and for the first time he’s blown off by a woman he’s attracted to. Then his best friend dies and he begins to reevaluate his life.   When Blake seeks a therapist’s help and unknowingly walks into Danica’s office, sparks fly…

Sisters in LoveTRC:  Sisters in Love is the 1st book in your Snow Sisters.  Can you give us a brief description of the book?

Melissa:  Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister.   As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

Links to order Sisters in Love: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

TRC:  Do you have a schedule of when we can anticipate book 2 & 3 of this series?

Melissa:  Yes! There are three books in the Snow Sisters series, and at the end of book three, you meet the Bradens, a family of six hot, wealthy, and lovable characters. Both the SNOW SISTERS and THE BRADENS are in one series umbrella, LOVE IN BLOOM. The publishing schedule is as follows:

LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES:

Sisters in Love, (Snow Sisters) September 9, 2013
Sisters in Bloom, (Snow Sisters) October 10, 2013
Sisters in White, (Snow Sisters) November 9, 2013
Lovers at Heart, (The Bradens), December 9, 2013
Destined to Love, (The Bradens), January 9, 2014
Friendship on Fire, (The Bradens), February 9, 2014
Sea of Love, (The Bradens), March 9, 2014
Bursting with Love, (The Bradens), April 9, 2014
Hearts at Play, (The Bradens), May 9, 2014

TRC:  We see that you have another series upcoming, The Bradens, some of whom we get to meet in the Snow Sisters series.  What can you tell us about this series?

Melissa:  As mentioned above, The Bradens are a family of six hot, wealthy, and lovable characters. Their series is a bit different, as each character has their own book/romance. The Snow sisters appear in many of the Braden books. The two families grew up in neighboring towns, so readers will recognize locations in both books. **PLEASE NOTE** These series are not my typical type of writing. They include sexual content, and The Bradens are a very sexy crew, so be ready!

The Bradens are adult characters that have already established their careers. Their mother passed away when they were young, and their father, a Colorado Rancher, raised them. Each of these sexy character’s stories are about finding their forever love.

TRC:  When you were writing the Snow Sisters, did you come up wit h the idea of The Bradens, or was this already in your planning process before you started either series?

Melissa:  The Bradens was going to be a separate series, but when I was writing the second book in the Snow Sisters I realized that Kaylie Snow had already met Treat Braden, and it became clear that the characters who grew up in neighboring towns had more too much in common to be separated.

TRC:  How many books are you planning for The Bradens?  When can we anticipate the first book being released?

Melissa:  The Bradens will include six books, and the schedule is noted above 🙂

TRC: What are you working on now?

Melissa:  I’m completing the last books in The Bradens series over the next few weeks, and when those are complete, I’m moving onto my next series (working title) Starfish Girls.

TRC:  In your spare time, you are very active in helping others.  You are involved in multiple sites.

* The Women’s Nest is your brainchild for helping women better themselves.  Can you tell us more about this community for woman, and how you became involved in this?

Melissa:  Women who stay home with their children, women who work, women who work from home, disabled women…we all experience the same types of ups and downs in life. Our issues may very with regard to specifics, but the impact on our emotions and lives are very similar. I opened The Women’s Nest as a place where all women can come together, feel like they fit in, and support other women by sharing advice, motivating each other, and celebrating the highs of life, while helping each other through the lows.

* The World Literary CafÊ and Fostering Success are sites to help authors publish and promote their books.  Would you like to tell us more about this?

Melissa:  The World Literary CafÊ (#WLC) is an online community that bridges the gap between readers and authors, with the mission of paying-it-forward in the literary field, promoting great literature, and bringing together the literary community. The WLC offers helpful promotions to authors, reviewers, bloggers, and editors by creating avenues to bring them together under one umbrella in an easily navigable venue.

TRC:  Being a prolific writer, with many books, how do you have time to be able to participate on these other sites?

Melissa:  I’m one of those weird people who does best under pressure. I divide my time between writing, running the sites, and my family. There are never enough hours in the day, and I have an awesome staff at WLC—without them, WLC could not function. Staff: http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/content/meet-staff-wlc

TRC: What is your writing process? Do you have a favorite spot or time? Do you like to outline your stories or just go with the flow?

Melissa:  I’m a real lover of rituals. I write daily from 8:45 until 4pm and then if I haven’t hit my word count, I write into the evening. I adore my office, which has large windows and a view of a field (not very romantic, but it’s better than looking at concrete). My office is filled with colors and textures, and my own quirky decorations of motivational sayings, a writer’s clock, and an enormous painting of a Zebra. My cat is my writing buddy.

I am a terrible outliner. I think I am the definition of “panzer” – and when I try to outline it’s painful and my story takes off in a different direction than what I had plannedJ  I am usually forced to go with the flow. My characters seriously have a mind of their own and I’m only along for the ride.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melissa:  I really want to say thank you to my readers and the friends, family, and authors who find time and energy to support me. I’m inspired daily by Facebook posts, Tweets, and other ways that people reach out. I’m honored to write for each of them.

LIGHTNINIG ROUND

Favorite Food: Hands down, mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin and Robbins

Favorite Dessert: Tiramisu

Favorite Movie: That’s a tough one. Mama Mia and Dirty Dancing (a tie)

Favorite TV Show: I only watch TV out of duress (would rather be writing)

Milk or Dark Chocolate: MILK!!!

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you: I have so many, but tonight I feel like it’s Susie Salmon from The Lovely Bones. I read it years ago and she’s still with me.

TRC: Thank you, Melissa for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you again in the future.

Melissa:  Thank you for sharing your virtual space with me! I look forward to chatting with your readers and here’s to a long friendship xox

Giveaway

Melissa has graciously offered to give two members of The Reading CafĂŠ an e-copy of her recent release, Come Back to Me.

TRC Note: For those of you who are not picked as winners, you still have a wonderful opportunity to buy Come Back to Me at a special price of $.99 from September 9 – 14

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from august September 9 to September 12, 2013

 

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Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster – a Review

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Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster – a Review

Sisters in Love

Links to order Sisters in Love: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

SISTERS IN LOVE is a light, uplifting work of women’s fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes.

 

Review:
Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster is the first book in her new Love in Bloom – Snow Sisters Series.  This is a story about two sisters, who are very close, yet totally different.  Danica Snow is a psychologist (therapist), who is immersed in her career and is good at her job, but she has forgotten about enjoying her life.  Though this is Danica’s story, we do meet Kaylie, her younger sister, and she is the total opposite of Danica.  Kaylie is a singer, who just wants to have fun, no commitments, and constantly talks about her busy sex life with her sister.  Danica is more conservative, and is the older sister to both Kaylie, and Michelle, who is Danica’s ‘Little Sister”, in the Big Sisters program.  Each have their own problems, and since Danica is so good at giving advice, she is the one they come to, and poor Danica has no real life other then her career and those she watches over.  But she seems content, until she meets Blake Carter.

Blake is a well known player, someone who has a different woman every night.  His best friend Dave always teases him about his daily conquests.  Then one morning while on line at the local coffee shop, Blake turns around too fast, and accidentally elbows Danica in the nose. With those around her trying to help her with her bloody nose, she sees Blake eye a pretty woman leaving the shop, and becomes incensed. When Blake tries to apologize or help her, she treats him very coldly. Of course, he doesn’t understand why. 

Kaylie convinces Danica to join her and friends at the club that evening, and while there she sees Blake, and ignores him.  Kaylie immediately is attracted to him, but Blake is not interested in Kaylie, which is hard for Kaylie to accept, as all men are attracted to her. 

There are many stories within the main story, with one being Blake losing his best friend, who got killed in a skiing accident.  With the added burden of trying to help his friend’s family, Blake finds himself rattled, and unable to get past his friends death.  He goes to see a therapist that was recommended to him.  To his surprise, he ends up meeting with Danica.  What follows is a wonderful slow to build romance between two people who disliked each other from the start.  Blake finds himself looking at Danica differently then other woman, but she will not let herself become attracted to him (though she is and is fighting it).  Danica does help Blake comes to terms with his life, as well as his friends’ death.  Along the way, they both sense their attraction, but Danica is steadfast in not becoming involved with a patient, as it is career suicide. Will Danica succumb to Blake’s charm?

Danica is also involved in helping Michelle, a teenager who lives with her grandmother, as her mother is an alcoholic.  Danica, being the Big Sister, meets with Michelle every Sunday, as they go out together, and Danica tries to help her move forward in her life. 

Then there is Kaylie, who meets someone whom she really does care about, but is afraid of commitment.  Will Kaylie be able to rise above her fears to open herself to love?

In between helping everyone she cares about, Danica finds herself changing, as her attraction to Blake is becoming more difficult to control each day, and she needs to find a  way to act on her feelings without harming her professional life.  Blake too has changed, knowing he now wants one woman in his life.  Will Danica be that woman?

Sisters in Love is a wonderful simple story of family, love, friendship, fears and finding a way to put the pieces together.  Danica made a wonderful heroine; and Blake, who was already hot, becomes the perfect man.  Melissa Foster has created a wonderful story that has you invested in each of her characters. I look forward to the next book in this series, Sisters in Bloom, coming in October, 2013.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

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Indulgence – Entangled Publishing Imprint Spotlight

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Indulgence-Entangled Publishing Imprint Spotlight

Indulgence 2

Indulgence is the latest ENTANGLED Publishing Imprint and we are helping to promote and spotlight four of September’s new releases.

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LOVE LOST AND FOUND
by Michele de Winton
Release Date: September 9, 2013

Love Lost and Found

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Felicity Williams can’t remember the last five years thanks to an accident that wiped out her memory. She fled her old life in hopes of starting fresh and found refuge working on a cruise ship. But her past is coming for her…

Rick McCarthy awakens after a climbing accident to discover that his business partner and fiancée has quit her job and disappeared. He’s trying to accept that she’s run out on him, but now he needs her signature to close a deal that could literally be life or death. He’ll go to any extreme to get what he needs…even if that means becoming someone else to win her back.

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WINNING THE BOSS’S HEART
by Hayson Manning
Release Date: September 9, 2013

Winning the Boss's Heart

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Mason Christian has twelve weeks to flip something old into something new for his Japanese client, and then he’s getting the hell out of Footsteps Bay, New Zealand. Not even his temporary cook and secretary—the feisty, luscious Billie McLeod—will deter him. There’s no denying she makes him feel alive. More alive than he’s felt in three years…

Billie has one dream: save enough money to go to college. That’s why she’s agreed to work for hard ass, all-business-no-pleasure Mason Christian—a man who has every intention of destroying through “modernization” the town’s most cherished historical home. But before she can say see ya, she realizes she’s signed the dotted line and is contractually bound for eighty-four days.  Working with male perfection every day is awesome with a capital A—as long as they can stick to a hands-off policy that gets harder every day…

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REFORMING THE COWBOY
by Marisa Cleveland
Release Date: September 9, 2013

Reforming the Cowboy

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Country singer Billy Hardy needs to get back on the charts. His manager assures him headlining the opening of a cafe in South Beach is his best chance at getting back to the big time. If he fails, his career is over for good this time.Lacey Durant can’t believe opening night includes the country singer she crushed on through college. And her customers agree he’s dreamy. But his playboy reputation threatens her cafe’s image and she can’t afford that. She insists Billy stay with her so she can keep an eye on him, and thwart overenthusiastic fans.Billy’s charms and Lacey’s sexy curves prove more than either can resist, but she refuses to be just another lyric in his well-known songs of heartbreak.

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HOT KNIGHT IN PARADISE
by Sofia Harper
Release Date: September 9, 2013

Hot Knight in Paradise

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Stranded in paradise with no way to get home, Leah Smith needs a miracle, and fast. Instead, she gets Marshall Jackson, surely the sexiest man alive. Too bad he’s got an emotional wall around himself–and her only hope of getting off the island … Marshall has a strict no damsels in distress policy, but there’s something about Leah that makes him want to break his own rules. He agrees to let her work in his bar until she earns enough to get home. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny the scorching attraction between them. Soon hot island nights provide balm to their wounded souls, but will these two flawed exiles make peace with the past in time to claim the future they deserve together–or will paradise be lost?

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