Monthly Archives: June 2015

Wicked Ride (Realm Enforcers #1) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

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WICKED RIDE (Realm Enforcers #1) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

Wicked Ride

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 23, 2015

Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she’s not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.

Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he’s landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He’s all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he’s one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks…

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: WICKED RIDE is the first installment in Rebecca Zanetti’s new, paranormal Realm Enforcers romance series-a spin off from her Dark Protector series. This is supernatural enforcer / witch Kellach Gideon Dunne, and Seattle vice cop Alexandra Monzelle’s storyline. You do not have to have read the original series to understand or enjoy Rebecca’s new Realm Enforcer spin off. Kellach was first introduced in the Dark Protectors installment HUNTED.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Alexandra and Kellach) WICKED RIDE focuses on the latest designer drug to hit the streets of Seattle, Washington-Apollo-a deadly injectable solution that renders its’ users in a state of god-like euphoria with super human strength, eventually leaving the abusers a seething mess of pyrotechnic ash. Alexandra Monzelle is working the streets as an undercover cop in the hopes of discovering the supplier. Enter Kellach Dunne-the number one man on Alexandra’s list of suspects but a man whose position in the supernatural world will pit our leading couple against one another as both are trying to ferret out the same information but in differing ways.

Kellach Dunne is a 350 year old male witch; a realm enforcer with superior skills and the ability to use fire and flame. Meeting Alexandra finds our hero drawn to the spunky cop who is unwilling to give up control of her current investigation. What ensues is a battle between Kellach and Alexandra when Alex refuses to back down in the hunt for those responsible for supplying the new designer drug.

The relationship between Kellach and Alexandra is one of immediate attraction. Kellach mistakenly ‘claims’ Alex as his mate, and in doing so places Alexandra in the direct line of conflict as it pertains to the supernatural world. Alexandra easily accepts the existence of the paranormal species but her reluctance to back down from her investigation places everyone in danger. The $ex scenes are intimate and hot- a little too hot for the condoms of modern man. 😉

The world building brings together witches, demons, vampires, and humans with latent supernatural powers. The ensemble cast of characters include Alexandra’s sister-singer Tori Monzelle, as well as a number of fellow police officers and detectives including Donny Masterson, working the Apollo investigation. We are also introduced to Kellach’s large extended family including brothers Adam and Daire; their cousin Simone- a member of the Coven Nine of Witches; the Titans of Fire Motorcycle Club president Pyro and VP Duck; and as well as a big, cuddly shifter known as Bear- the head of the MC club known as the Grizzlies. A number of characters from Rebecca’s Dark Protector series make cameo appearances including King of the Realm and vampire Dage Kayrs and his mate Emma; and Dage’s nephews vampire Garrett and demon Logan.

WICKED RIDE has a little bit of everything: love, romance, and seduction; magic, mayhem, and destruction; paranormal beings with supernatural powers; and a premise about a deadly problem plaguing the world-designer drugs and the people in charge. Rebecca mixes some humor and fun into a storyline where two people from different ‘worlds’ find love and a happily ever after in the face of surmounting obstacles-the biggest obstacle being Alexandra’s inability to see anything beyond the black and white. At times, Alexandra’s personality and dogged determination were a bit of a distraction to the overall enjoyment of the storyline-her issues with trust overrode her ability to see the truth.

Rebecca Zanetti’s WICKED RIDE and her new Realm Enforcers series is imaginative, intriguing and a delight to read. Her characters are colorful, charismatic and breathtaking; the premise is captivating and fun; the happily ever after an inspiring story of fated love.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Bengal’s Quest (Breeds Series #30) by Lora Leigh-a review

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BENGAL’S QUEST (Breeds #30) by Lora Leigh-a review

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 23, 2015

He was a shadow, ever shifting and insinuating, able to blend in everywhere and anywhere. The elusive ideal conceived and created by the Genetics Council, he went by just as many names as he had identities—the last one being Gideon.

Now calling himself Graeme, he hides in plain sight, terrifyingly close to his goal. A rogue Bengal Breed, he has loyalties to no one but himself. And he has a need for vengeance that surges hot and swift through his veins.

Graeme plans to exact an extreme and ruthless vendetta against those who wronged him—Breed and human alike. All will suffer his wrath: those who created him, those who pretended to love him, and those who betrayed him.

That includes the one at the center of it all: a seductive, enigmatic woman helpless against the man whose desire is just as desperate as his need to destroy.

And he’s on her scent…

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BENGAL’S QUEST is the thirtieth, full length installment in Lora Leigh’s adult, contemporary BREED erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on a government experiment that went horribly wrong. Years earlier, trying to create the ultimate warrior, scientists combined animal DNA with human embryos resulting in a species that has been feared and tortured since their inception. This is NOT a series about animal shifters, but a series about a hybridized species of human and animal. With the release of BENGAL’S QUEST we are introduced to the newest development in the Breed creation whose DNA has been altered following birth. This is Gideon/Graeme, and Cat/Claire’s storyline. Both of their stories have been building throughout the series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Cat was born human with a genetic defect but through injection of Bengal DNA, Cat’s own DNA began to change. Using Navajo magic, the soul and personality of a dying young girl was placed into Cat thus rendering our heroine with a dual personality and the introduction of Claire. Through the years, Gideon has been tortured in both body and mind, and in this our hero’s dual personality leaves questions about his true identity and his personal quest. One side of Gideon is a warrior named Graeme; the other side is a beast who is determined to destroy everything that threatens his mate and the people he loves. What we have is a storyline about one lifelong search for the truth; two people fated by DNA, and four personalities that will see heartbreak and dissolution of family and friendships.

Told from dual third person perspectives BENGAL’S QUEST follows Gideon as he continues to protect the woman he claims as his mate, while keeping his true identity a secret from the people in charge. Gideon has been working behind the scenes to wreak havoc and vengeance upon the Genetics Council that destroyed so many lives, but disguised as his alter ego Graeme, he continues to work closely with Bureau of Breed Affairs in their attempts to locate the other missing Breeds. What ensues is a dark and dangerous game of push and pull between Gideon and Jonas; and Cat’s determination to prove that she is capable of protecting herself from those wishing to do her harm.

The relationship between Cat and Gideon begins four days following Cat’s birth. Gideon fell in love with the small child he had sworn to protect, and through the years Cat’s dependency upon ‘G’ was that of a child to a parent; a sister to a big bro. But Gideon knew Cat was his mate from a very early age, and our ‘anti-hero’ walked away in the hopes of protecting Cat from future harm. The $ex scenes are erotic, intimate and animalistic. Gideon’s need to claim Cat will be met with trepidation and heartache.

BENGAL’S QUEST is the culmination of several storylines where the truth behind Gideon’s secrets and past life are revealed. Gideon has been a shadow; an enigma throughout the series. He is a Bengal Breed whose nature has been changed by experimentation and torture, but a man whose desire to help comes across as interference and threatening. The ensemble cast of characters brings together several of the previous storyline heroes and heroines including Jonas Wyatt as the acerbic director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs. Jonas’s position as Director is often questioned but rarely denied.

With the release of BENGAL’S QUEST and RULE BREAKER (#29) Lora Leigh has answered many questions, and revealed the truth behind the secrets and lies that continued to build throughout the series. If you are a fan of Leigh’s BREED series, these two books are must reads; the previous revelations, identities, and cryptic clues will be acknowledged, answered, and disclosed-that is not say that everything will fall into order, but with this particular ARC of the series, many questions have finally been answered.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Dark and Damaged Anthology Book Barrage-Promotion and Giveaway

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Dark and Damaged Anthology Book Barrage-Promotion and Giveaway

Dark and Damaged

ebook boxset ONLY 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

 

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set is now available worldwide for a special introductory price of only $0.99!

 

This ebook boxed set features all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times and USA Today best-selling romance authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

 

Here’s more about this fantastic eight book boxed set, including an excerpt from one of the stories.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romanceis available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

••••••••••••••••••••

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance

By Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak and Colleen Gleason

LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley

Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar…

 

BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane

Vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions. But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past …

 

HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton

Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

 

TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison

A powerful dragon shifter has waited six hundred years to avenge the loss of his family, but the beautiful mediator sent to prevent violence among the Bloodkin doesn’t want to be his key to discovering the murderer—in fact, she wants nothing to do with dragons at all…

 

REBEL’S DESIRE by Laurie London

A jaded Iron Guild warrior cares about nothing except battling a ruthless enemy, but when a beautiful woman literally runs into his arms, he realizes she holds the key to his success. As passion ignites, he must decide whether to sacrifice the woman he’s falling for or dare to trust his heart again.

 

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn

Trapped in the body of a human, the Reaper is about to fall in love with a woman he was never meant to have… When a reaper is trapped in Maggie’s estranged husband’s body, she knows only that the man with her husband’s eyes feels like a stranger… a compelling, seductive stranger who touches her in ways her treacherous husband never could. She wants to trust him, but what about the ghost who haunts their home, implicating him in a gruesome murder…

 

REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak

A cursed alpha wolf promises to free an enslaved Mage if she mates with him so he can sire an heir, not realizing she can destroy the dark secret keeping his pack alive.

 

RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason

After the vampires Max Denton hunts brutally murder his wife, he is nearly destroyed himself and spends the next ten years living a life of violence and revenge. But when sensitive information about his young daughter falls into the hands of the vampires, Max is forced to team up with the woman whose father ultimately caused the death of his wife. Savina Eleaisa has secrets of her own, and she’s determined to do whatever it takes to clear her father’s name: even if it involves seducing the most dangerous of vampires–with or without the help of the arrogant, brooding Max Denton.

 

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romanceis available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

excerpt

EXCERPT FROM THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn

“It’s not a game, Maggie.”

She shook her head, but her gaze had fixed on his mouth and the Reaper took the chance before she changed her mind. Her lips were soft and silky. Against his, they felt like nothing he’d imagined and everything he’d imagined. There were no memories of this in Sam’s banks and he was glad for that. He wanted this experience for his own. Sensations shot through him in sharp, hot waves, a torrent of passion and lightning.

She made a soft sound of surrender in her throat, murmured something that sounds like, I’m a fool, and then her arms twined around his neck and she kissed him back.

The feel of her; the smell of her, the sweet intoxicating scent . . . All of it filled him, pushed out the vestiges of the man Sam had been, overwhelmed the foundation of the Reaper inside, and forced them both into the moment that was now. Here. Her. Him.

Maggie tugged at his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans, then took his hand, leading him up the stairs and into the bedroom she’d banned him from. The door closed behind them. She locked it.

“I want you so much that that I can hardly breathe,” he said, that hint of accent that only appeared at rare times adding a husky rasp to his voice. “I’ve been thinking about this since I opened my eyes. Since I came to life.”

There were more words he should say, feelings begging for a voice, but the swamp of emotion made speaking an impossible feat.

He took her face in his hands, kissing her like this life that he’d never expected to have depended on the breath he stole from her. She tugged at his shirt once more and he stepped back only long enough to strip it off.

Her eyes molten, her pulse beating away at her throat, she stared at his bare chest with a hunger that threatened to consume him. His hands were big and clumsy as he gently pulled her shirt over her head when he wanted to rip it off. He dropped it on the floor and simply stared at the perfection he’d unveiled. Her skin was as smooth as alabaster, flawlessly beautiful. A bra the same shade as her skin held her breasts in an embrace of lace and satin. He touched one gently, groaning at the weight, the softness. He bent his head and covered it with his mouth, sucking the hard nipple, letting the lace rasp against his tongue, acting on instinct he didn’t question.

“Take it off,” he asked, his voice so deep it throbbed against the quiet.

She arched back, hands meeting between her shoulder blades as she unfastened the bra and shrugged it off. The stretchy pants came next without him even asking. She stood before him in dainty pearlescent panties and his body went up in flames.

He’d never imagined that just looking at someone could make him feel so many things. He wanted to take; he wanted to give. He wanted to stroke, to bite, to kiss, to lick . . . to worship.

He lifted her up and turned her, laying her out on the bed so he could follow her down to the soft mattress. Her body yielded to his and the perfection in the feeling wrenched another groan from him. She was beautiful, inside and out. He kissed her deeply, trying to slow his racing his heart. Trying to experience each second, but everything came at him at once. The sensations, the passion, the desire to please her.

He had her in bed, where he’d wanted her from the start, and he needed her like he’d never needed anything before. She was gloriously naked and in his arms, where he felt she’d always belonged. But fear suddenly crept in. He’d never done this before and though he’d managed to toe the line between human and Reaper, he knew in a deep place that had been growing since the moment he’d opened his eyes, the time had come.

Reaper or human? He couldn’t be both.

One came without the heavy burden of emotion, of mortality, of humanity.

The other came with Maggie.

Blog-tour-schedule-white

The complete book tour schedule can be found HERE

Giveaway -black and white

Erin Quinn is offering ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe an eBook of one of the titles from her backlist (winner’s choice) of books.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) 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. Please LIKE and Follow Erin Quinn on Facebook

4. Please FOLLOW Erin Quinn on Twitter

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to international readers.

9. Giveaway runs from June 22-26, 2015

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Dirty Thoughts (Mechanics of Love #1) by Megan Erickson-Review and Book Tour

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DIRTY THOUGHTS (Mechanics of Love #1) by Megan Erickson-Review and Book Tour

Dirty Thoughts

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 16, 2015

Some things are sexier the second time around.

Cal Payton has gruff and grumbly down to an art…all the better for keeping people away. And it usually works. Until Jenna MacMillan-his biggest mistake—walks into Payton and Sons mechanic shop all grown up, looking like sunshine, and inspiring more than a few dirty thoughts.

Jenna was sure she was long over the boy she’d once loved with reckless abandon, but one look at the steel-eyed Cal Payton has her falling apart all over again. Ten years may have passed, but the pull is stronger than ever… and this Cal is all man.

Cal may have no intention of letting Jenna in, but she’s always been his light, and it’s getting harder to stay all alone in the dark. When a surprise from the past changes everything, Cal and Jenna must decide if their connection should be left alone or if it’s exactly what they need for the future of their dreams.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY THOUGHTS is the first installment in Megan Erickson’s adult, contemporary Mechanics of Love romance series focusing on the Payton brothers from Payton and Sons Automotive-a spin off from Megan’s ‘Bowler University’ series where Max Payton (the youngest Payton brother) was the male lead in book two-MAKE IT RIGHT. This is eldest Payton brother and mechanic Cal Payton, and public relations specialist Jenna MacMillan’s storyline. You do not have to have read MAKE IT RIGHT to understand the premise and background of DIRTY THOUGHTS.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Cal and Jenna) DIRTY THOUGHTS is a second chance romance storyline that sees Jenna returning to her hometown of Tory after ten years in New York. Her father’s company MacMillan Investments is undergoing a crisis of faith following Jenna’s brother’s discrimination lawsuit and the media fall out that ensued. To boost employee morale and play spin doctor with the media, Jenna has been hired by her father’s firm as their new public relations representative. But Jenna’s return to Tory is not without some heartache. Ten years earlier, to protect the man that she loved, Jenna agreed to her father’s terms never letting Cal Payton know why she walked away.

Cal Payton has always been in love with Jenna MacMillan but when she left for New York without a backwards glance, Cal’s heart hardened towards Jenna and her family. Jenna’s family was well to do and employed a number of people in the town of Tory, while Cal’s family struggled with their automotive repair shop and an emotionally absent father who preferred the bottle to his sons. When Cal was only six years old, he became both mother and father to his younger siblings when his mother walked away leaving her husband with three young boys to struggle on their own. Cal’s life has centered on raising his brothers and in this, he believes he has failed as both a parent and older brother.

The relationship between Cal and Jenna is one of second chances but there is a history between Cal, and Jenna’s family-one that broke Jenna’s heart when she was forced to walk away to protect the man that she loved. Jenna’s brother is a bit of a ‘douche’ and in this Dylan MacMillan continues to be a spot of contention between Jenna and her family, as well as a problem between Jenna and Cal. Cal will continue to push Jenna away at a time when he needs her the most. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative.

DIRTY THOUGHTS is an ensemble storyline with a large cast of secondary and supporting characters including Cal Payton’s three younger brothers-Max, Brent and newcomer Asher; as well as Cal’s parents Jack and Jill Payton (yep, Jack and Jill). We are also introduced to Jenna’s best friend Delilah who owns a high end second hand clothing store called Delilah’s Drawers; and of course, the requisite evil comes in the form of Jenna’s brother Dylan MacMillan. Jenna’s mother is all about making impressions, and Jenna’s father is caught between keeping his family happy and fixing what ails his once stellar company.

DIRTY THOUGHTS is a fast paced, heartwarming and sexy romance with a palpable sexual attraction between our leading couple. There are moments of emotional highs and lows; betrayal and revenge; family and commitment. Megan Erickson has the amazing ability to pull you into a storyline with a little bit of everything for everyone. Your heart will break for a man who believes he is not worthy of a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

Cal Payton sighed and braced himself as the opening guitar riff of “Welcome to the Jungle” reverberated off the walls of the garage. Sure enough, several bars later, his brother, Brent, began his off-key rendition, which didn’t sound much different from his drunken karaoke version.
Which, yes, Cal had heard. More times than he wanted to.
He growled under his breath. Brent kept screeching Axl Rose, and if Cal wasn’t stuck on his back under this damn Subaru, he’d be flinging a wrench at Brent’s head. “Hey!” Cal yelled.
There was a blissful moment of silence. “What?” Brent’s voice came from somewhere behind him, probably in the bay next to him at the garage.
“Who sings this song?”
“Are you kidding me?” Brent’s voice was closer now. “It’s Guns N’ Roses. The legendary Axl Rose.”
“Yeah? Then how ’bout you let him sing it?”
There was a pause. “Fuck you.” His brother’s footsteps stomped away. Then the radio was turned up, and Brent started singing even louder.
Cal blew out a breath and tapped the socket wrench on his forehead, doing his best to tune out Brent’s increasingly loud voice. Cal vowed to buy earbuds and an iPod before he murdered his brother with a tire iron.
He turned his attention back to the exhaust shield he was fixing. The customer had complained of a loud rattle when his car idled. Sure enough, one of the heat shields covering the exhaust system under the car was loose. It was an easy fix. Cal used a gear clamp to wrap around the pipe of the exhaust system to prevent the shield from making noise.
It didn’t necessarily have to be done, but the Graingers were long-time customers at Payton and Sons Automotive. And they always sent those flavored popcorn buckets at Christmas. He and Brent fought over the caramel while their dad got the butter all to himself.
He finished tightening the hose clamp onto the pipe and then banged around the exhaust system with the side of his fist. No rattle.
He slid out from under the Subaru and patted it on the side. He squinted at the clock, seeing it was almost quitting time. Their dad, who owned half of the shop—Cal and Brent split ownership of the other 50 percent—had already gone home for the day.
Cal put away the tools he’d used, purposefully ignoring Brent as he launched into a Pearl Jam song. Cal rubbed his temple, wiping away the bead of sweat he could feel rolling down his face. The back room had a small table and a refrigerator, so Cal made his way there to get a water.
In the summer, they kept the large doors of the garage open, but the air was thick and humid today. The American flag outside hung like a limp rag in the still air.
Cal wore coveralls at work and usually kept them on to protect his skin from hot exhaust pipes and any number of sharp tools lying around. But as he walked back to the lunchroom, he stripped his upper body out of the coveralls so the torso and arms of the clothing hung loose around his legs. Underneath, he wore a tight white T-shirt that still managed to be marked with grease and black smudges from the work day.
In the back room, he grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and leaned back against the wall. After unscrewing the cap, he tilted it back at his lips and chugged half the bottle.
After the Graingers came to pick up their Subaru, he was free to head home to his house. Alone. That was a new luxury. He used to live with Brent in an apartment, and it was fine until he realized he was almost thirty years old and still living with his younger brother. He was tight with his money, which Brent teased him about, but it’d been a good thing when he had enough to make the deposit on his small home. It had a garage, so he could store his bike and work on it when he had free time. Which wasn’t a lot, but he’d take what he could get. If his father would quit dicking him around and let him work on motorcycles for customers here, that’d be even better. But Jack Payton didn’t “want no bikers” around, ignoring the fact that his son rode a Harley-Davidson Softail.
Cal’s phone vibrated in the leg pocket of his coveralls. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It was Max, their youngest brother. Cal sighed and answered the call. “Yeah?”
“Cal!” Max shouted.
“You called me.”
“What’s going on?”
“Workin’.”
“You’re always working.” Max huffed.
Cal took another sip of water. “That’s what people do.”
“Hey, I work.”
“You play dodgeball with a bunch of teenagers.” Cal knew Max did a hell of a lot more than that at his physical education teaching job at a high school in eastern Pennsylvania, but it was fun as hell to get him worked up. Cal smiled. One of the first times that day.
“Hey, I had to hand out deodorant and condoms to those teenagers this year, so don’t give me that shit,” Max said.
“Condoms?”
“Yeah, they’re kinda liberal here,” Max muttered.
“Huh,” Cal said, scratching his head. They sure never handed out condoms in school when he was a teenager.
“Anyway,” Max said.
“Yeah, anyway, what’dya need?”
“How do you know I need something?”
“Why else do you call?”
“I want to hear your pleasant voice?”
Cal grunted.
“I just wanted to know if you had any plans for your birth—ouch!” There was rustling on the other line, some mutters, and a higher-pitched voice in the background. Then Max spoke again. “Okay, so Lea punched me because she said I’m doing this wrong.”
Cal smiled. Lea was Max’s fiancée, and she was a firecracker.
“We wanted to come visit you and take you out for your birthday. All of us.” Max cleared his throat. “And you can bring a date too. If you want.”
A date. When was the last time he’d introduced a woman to his family? Hell, when was the last time he’d had a date? “The five of us should be fine.”
“So that’s okay? To celebrate? I mean, you’re turning thirty, old man.”
Cal let the old man comment roll off his back. “Yeah, sounds good.” He paused. “Thanks.”
Max seemed pleased, chattering on about his neighborhood and how he was enjoying being off work for the summer. Cal drank his water and listened to his brother ramble. Max hadn’t always been a happy kid. Cal had tried his best after their mom left the family shortly after Max was born. Their dad was pissed and bitter and immersed himself in working at the garage. So as the oldest brother, Cal scrambled to hold the reins of his wild brothers.
He hadn’t done such a great job, he didn’t think. His brothers survived in spite of him, not because of him, he was sure. Brent was still a little crazy, and it had taken Lea to straighten Max out in college. Cal tried not to dwell on his failure and instead appreciated that at least they were all alive and healthy.
It was why he valued his own space so much now. His alone time. Because he’d been a surrogate father at age six, and he was fucking over it.
Although, by the time he hung up the phone with Max and slipped his phone back into his pocket, he had a warm feeling in his gut that hadn’t been there before his brother had called.
He was flipping the cap of the water in his fingers and finishing the last of the bottle when Brent poked his head in the back room. “Hey.”
Cal raised his eyebrows.
“Someone’s asking for you.”
Cal tossed the empty bottle in the trash. “The Graingers?”
“Nope, they just came and got the Subaru and left. This is a new customer.”
Cal threw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, turned off the light to the back room, and followed his brother out to the garage. “We’re closing soon. Is it an emergency? Are they regulars?” He pulled a rag out of his pocket and began to wipe his dirty hands. He thought about washing them first in case this customer wanted to shake hands.
Brent didn’t answer him, didn’t even look at him over his shoulder.
And that was when a small sliver of apprehension trickled down his spine. “Brent—”
His brother whirled around and held his arm out as they walked past a Bronco their dad had been working on. “I think it’s better if you take this one.”
Cal squinted into the sun and when his eyes adjusted to the light, her legs were the first thing he saw. And he knew—he fucking knew—because how many times had he sat in class in high school staring at those legs in a little skirt, dreaming about when he could get back between them? It’d been a lot.
His eyes traveled up those bare legs to a tiny pair of denim shorts, up a tight tank top that showed a copious amount of cleavage, and then to that face that he’d never, ever forget as long as he lived.
He never thought he’d see Jenna MacMillan again. And now, there she was, standing in front of his garage next to a Dodge Charger, her brunette hair in a wavy mass around her shoulders.
Fuck.Okay, so admittedly Jenna had known this was a stupid idea. She’d tried to talk herself out of it the whole way, muttering to herself as she sat at a stop light. The elderly man in the car in the lane beside her had been staring at her like she was nuts.
And she was. Totally nuts.
It’d been almost a decade since she’d seen Cal Payton, and yet one look at those silvery blue eyes and she was shoved right back to the head-over-heels in love eighteen-year-old girl she’d been.
Cal had been hot in high school, but damn, had time been good to him. He’d always been a solid guy, never really hitting that awkward skinny stage some teenage boys went through after a growth spurt.
And now . . . well . . . Cal looked downright sinful standing there in the garage. He’d rolled down the top of his coveralls, revealing a white T-shirt that looked painted on, for God’s sake. She could see the ridges of his abs, the outline of his pecs. A large smudge on the sleeve drew her attention to his bulging biceps and muscular, veined forearms. Did he lift these damn cars all day? Thank God it was hot as Hades outside already so she could get by with flushed cheeks.
And he was staring at her with those eyes that hadn’t changed one bit. Cal never cared much for social mores. He looked people in the eye, and he held it long past comfort. Cal had always needed that, to be able to measure up who he was dealing with before he ever uttered a word.
She wondered how she measured up. It’d been a long time since he’d laid eyes on her, and the last time he had, he’d been furious.
Well, she was the one who’d come here. She was the one who needed something. She might as well speak up, even though what she needed right now was a drink. A stiff one. “Hi, Cal.” She went with a smile that surely looked a little strained.
He stood with his booted feet shoulder width apart, and at the sound of her voice, he started a bit. He finally stopped doing that staring thing as his gaze shifted to the car by her side and then back to her. “Jenna.”
His voice. Well, crap, how could she have forgotten about his voice? It was low and silky with a spicy edge, like Mexican chocolate. It warmed her belly and raised goose bumps on her skin.
She cleared her throat as he began walking toward her, his gaze teetering between her and the car. Brent was off to the side, watching them, with his arms crossed over his chest. He winked at her. She hid her grin with pursed lips and rolled her eyes. He was a good-looking bastard but irritating as hell. Nice to see some things never changed. “Hey, Brent.”
“Hey there, Jenna. Looking good.”
Cal whipped his head toward his brother. “Get back to work.”
Brent gave him a sloppy salute and then shot her another knowing smirk before turning around and retreating into the garage bay.
When she faced Cal again, she jolted, because he was close now, almost in her personal space. His eyes bored into her. “What’re ya doing here, Jenna?”
His question wasn’t accusatory. It was conversational, but the intent was in his tone, lying latent until she gave him reason to really put the screws to her. She didn’t know if he meant, what was she doing here at his garage, or what was she doing in town? But she went for the easy question first.
She gestured to the car. “I, uh, I think the bearings need to be replaced. I know that I could take it anywhere, but . . .” She didn’t want to tell him it was Dylan’s car, and he was the one who had let it go so long that she swore the front tires were going to fall off. As much as her brother loved his car, he was an idiot. An idiot who despised Cal, and she was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. “I wanted to make sure the job was done right, and everyone knows you do the best job here.” That part was true. The Paytons had a great reputation in Tory.
But Cal never let anything go. He narrowed his eyes and propped his hands on his hips, drawing attention to the muscles in his arms. “How do you know we still do the best job here if you haven’t been back in ten years?”
Well, then. Couldn’t he just nod and take her keys? She held them in her hand, gripping them so tightly that the edge was digging into her palm. She loosened her grip. “Because when I did live here, your father was the best, and I know you don’t do anything unless you do it the best.” Her voice faded. Even though the last time she’d seen Cal, his eyes had been snapping in anger, at least they’d showed some sort of emotion. This steady blank gaze was killing her. Not when she knew how his eyes looked when he smiled, as the skin at the corners crinkled and the silver of his irises flashed.
She thought now that this had been a mistake. She’d offered to get the car fixed for her brother while he was out of town. And while she knew Cal worked with his dad now, she’d still expected to run into Jack. And even though Jack was a total jerk-face, she would have rather dealt with him than endure this uncomfortable situation with Cal right now. “You know, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ll just—”
He snatched the keys out of her hand. Right. Out. Of. Her. Hand.
“Hey!” She propped a hand on her hip, but he wasn’t even looking at her, instead fingering the key ring. “Do you always steal keys from your customers?”
He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at her. There was the smallest hint of a smile, just a tug at the corner of his lips. “I don’t make that a habit, no.”
“So I’m special, then?” She was flirting. Was this flirting? Oh God, it was. She was flirting with her high school boyfriend, the guy who’d taken her virginity, and the guy whose heart she’d broken when she had to make one of the most difficult decisions of her life.
She’d broken her own heart in the process.
His gaze dropped, just for a second, and then snapped back to her face. “Yeah, you’re special.”
He turned around, checking out the car, while she stood gaping at his back. He’d . . . he’d flirted back, right? Cal wasn’t really a flirting kind of guy. He said what he wanted and followed through. But flirting, Cal?
She shook her head. It’d been over ten years. Surely he’d lived a lot of life during that time she’d been away, going to college, then grad school, then working in New York. She didn’t want to think about what that flirting might mean, now that she was back in Tory for good. Except he didn’t know that.
“So, you think the bearings need to be replaced?” Cal ran his hand over the hood. From this angle, all she saw was hard muscle covering broad shoulders, shifting beneath his T-shirt.
She shook herself and spoke up. “Yeah, it’s making that noise—you know, that growl.”
He nodded.
The only reason she knew was because she’d spent a lot of weekends and lazy summer afternoons as a teenager, lying in the grass, getting a tan in her bikini while Cal worked on his car, an old black Camaro, in his driveway. She’d learned a lot about cars and hadn’t forgotten all of it. She wondered if he still had that Camaro.
“Want me to inspect it too?” Cal was at the passenger’s side door now, easing it open.
“What?”
He pointed to the sticker on the windshield. “I can do it now, if you’d like. You have to get it done by end of next month.”
She opened her mouth to tell him sure, but then she’d have to give him the registration and insurance card, and then he’d know it was Dylan’s car. “No, no, that’s all right.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“I just . . .”
He opened up the passenger’s side door and bent inside.
“What are you doing?” She walked around the car, just as he pulled some papers out of the glove box. She stopped and fidgeted with her fingers, because he’d know in three . . . two . . .
He bent and tossed the papers back in the glove box. “I’ll have it for you by end of the day tomorrow.” He started walking toward the office of the garage.
He had to have seen the name, right? He had to have seen it. She walked behind him. “Cal, I—”
He stopped and turned. “Do you need a ride?”
“What?”
“Do you need a ride . . . home, or wherever you’re going?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to walk across the street to Delilah’s store. She’ll take me home.”
His gaze flitted to the shop across the street and then back to Jenna. He nodded. “All right, then.”
She tried again. “Cal—”
“You picking it up or your brother?”
The muscle shift in his jaw was the only indication that he was bothered by this. “I’m sorry, I should have told you . . .”
He shook his head. “You don’t owe it to me to tell me anything. You asked me to fix a car—”
“Yeah, but you and Dylan don’t like each other—”
That muscle in his jaw ticked again. “Sure, we don’t like each other, but what? You think I’m going to lose my temper and bash his car in?”
Uh-oh. “No, I—”
He shook his head, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “You didn’t have to keep it a secret it was his car. I’m not eighteen anymore. I got more control than I used to.”
She felt like a heel. And a jerk. She wasn’t the same person she was at eighteen, so she shouldn’t have treated Cal like he was the hothead he’d been then. “Cal, I’m so sorry. I—”
He waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it, Sunshine.”
That name—it sent a spark right through her like a live wire. She hadn’t heard that nickname in so long, she’d almost forgotten about it, but her body sure hadn’t. It hadn’t forgotten the way Cal could use that one word to turn her into putty.
He seemed as surprised as she did. His eyes widened a fraction before he shut down. “Anyway”—his voice was lower now—“we close tomorrow at six. Appreciate it if you’d pick it up before that.” He jingled the keys and shot her one more measuring look, and then he disappeared into the garage office, leaving her standing outside the door, her mind broiling in confusion.
She should have known Cal Payton could still knock her off her feet.


 
About The Author Black and Red

Megan EricksonFollow Megan: Goodreads / Website/ Facebook/ Twitter/Pinterest

Megan Erickson grew up in a family that averages 5’5” on a good day and started writing to create characters who could reach the top kitchen shelf.

She’s got a couple of tattoos, has a thing for gladiators and has been called a crazy cat lady. After working as a journalist for years, she decided she liked creating her own endings better and switched back to fiction.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. And no, she still can’t reach the stupid top shelf.

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GO ! (Hold On ! Season 2) by Peter Darley-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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GO! (Hold On ! Season 2) by Peter Darley-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

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GO!
(Hold On Season #2)
by Peter Darley
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense

Go

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2015

Brandon Drake has escaped from Leavenworth, aided by a new player who has entered the game. Tyler Faraday is the heir to an empire––and Brandon’s long-lost brother. Tyler enables Brandon’s reunion with his lover, Belinda, but Brandon is no longer the man she once knew. Haunted by memories of a life that never happened, he succumbs to the lure of alcohol.

Tyler has discovered he and Brandon have another sibling. Having been raised in a convent, their sister, Emily, has a crisis of faith and flees. On the road, she is kidnapped by a ruthless human trafficking organization run by a mysterious kingpin called Sapphire. Brandon, Tyler, and Belinda learn of Emily’s plight and begin their search for Sapphire’s location, hampered by Brandon’s growing alcohol dependency.

Meanwhile, Andrew Wilmot, new leader of a rogue government faction, seeks to use Brandon for his own nefarious plans, and hunts him down.

Brandon, Belinda, and Tyler’s quest leads to Los Angeles, where they search for the only one who knows Sapphire’s location––a former captive known only as Siren, and who may not even exist. Their quest is destined to lead to the most explosive action in the series so far.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: GO! is the second installment in Peter Darley’s high energy, Hold On romantic, suspense series focusing on former soldier Brandon Drake. Two years have passed since the events of book one-Hold On-wherein Brandon found himself sentenced to Leavenworth for crimes against the US government.

Told from several third person perspectives, GO! finds Brandon and Belinda on the run. After escaping Leavenworth Prison, an injured Brandon finds refuge with a brother he barely knows, and the woman he hasn’t spoken to in almost two years. What ensues, is Brandon’s recovery; Tyler and Brandon’s search for a missing sibling they knew nothing about; and the hunt for Brandon and Belinda by a rogue government faction who has other plans for Brandon’s special skill set and ability to evade his captors. The search for Tyler and Brandon’s sister places our heroes on a path to uncover a human trafficking ring wherein our hero’s intrepid brother goes undercover as a high stakes bidder for human sex slaves.

GO! is an ensemble storyline with a large cast of supporting and secondary characters whose actions directly affect Brandon and his search for Emily Drake. From rogue government agents, the FBI and CIA, to friends and enemies of Brandon Drake, everyone is suspect and no one can be discounted as a potential threat against Brandon’s mission to find the sister he hasn’t seen for over twenty years.

The action and suspense of the hunt are the primary driving factors that continue to push the storyline forward. Brandon has some personal and emotional issues that he has to overcome, and in this, Brandon has some traits of the anti-hero when life begins to overwhelm and everything appears to be crashing around them. But Brandon is a man without a past and there are some things about Brandon that are both frightening and dangerous to everyone around. He is a reluctant hero-a man epitomized by the American public for his acts of bravery, and fight against corruption and government crime. Brandon is an enigma; a man with deep flaws and a darker history. We will question the limits of Brandon’s moral integrity, his insecurities, and his ability to get the job done.

GO! is a storyline with military style action and adventure; a tale of suspense and intrigue, espionage, murder, and drama. Peter Darley’s GO! is an action movie set to ‘virtual’ paper; an intense look at one man’s need to save the people he loves, and the world around them.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

Hold On !
by Peter Darley
Release Date: July 7, 2014
Genre: mystery, suspense, action,romance

Hold OnClick HERE for Sandy’s review of HOLD ON !

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 7, 2014

Two lovers! A deadly conspiracy! A race to freedom!

When Carringby Industries, a government-contracted arms manufacturer, is raided by what appear to be terrorists, the CEO’s secretary, Belinda Reese, is rescued by Brandon Drake, a dashing young AWOL soldier. Using an experimental test aircraft, he flees with her to his remote, isolated cabin in the mountains of Aspen.

While assisting in the design of military weaponry, Brandon discovered a plot within his own government to attack its own facilities, under the guidance of immoral politician, Senator Garrison Treadwell. Belinda’s body was not found among the dead at Carringby Industries, and Treadwell suspects that Drake was responsible for rescuing her. In an effort to entrap him, Treadwell arranges for an all points bulletin to be placed on Belinda

Deeply in love, Brandon and Belinda attempt to escape from America, only to endure one harrowing experience after another as they try to evade and expose Treadwell’s corrupt faction.

But on the run, with danger around every corner, Brandon makes a discovery so devastating that it shatters the very foundations of his reality.

Guest Post

Go! and the Cliffhangers Behind the Scenes

Hi everyone. It’s great to be back at The Reading Café. ☺ With what’s happened since the last time I was here, the fact that I made it back makes this even more special.

Go! – Hold On! Season 2 is the latest instalment in my novelized, hypothetical TV thriller series. I began writing Go! in 2012 in reaction to the excitement I felt when its predecessor, Hold On!, was picked up for the first time by a publisher in Michigan. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. A week before Hold On! was due to be released, my publisher folded, and my agent retired. It was then tentatively picked up by Fifty Shades of Grey’s original publisher – who went silent without explanation, after four months of us working on the book. Go! was still being written through all this, and the uncertainty of the future of the series seriously impaired its completion.

Several weeks later, in late 2013, Hold On! was picked up by a publisher in New York, which, at the time, gave me some incentive to complete Go!. What ultimately happened with this publisher was a total nightmare – which is a story I will get to in a moment.

The story in Go! was a work in progress for some time. Many have commented (and even complained) that Hold On! ended on a cliffhanger, and yet I never saw it that way. When I originally completed Hold On! back in 2011, I had no concept of a sequel. It ended on an apparent HEA. There was an opening for a continuation, but I didn’t feel it was essential. I believe that the ‘cliffhanger’ so many were vexed about was an optical illusion created by the excerpt from Go!, which was published on the page after Hold On! ended. It was down to the mere fact that a sequel had arisen. I do believe that the original version of Hold On! could have stood alone without Go!.

With the release of the second edition of Hold On! (now called Hold On! – Season 1) that has changed. There are definitely cliffhangers at the end now. This is mandatory for this idea, really. All thriller TV show seasons end on the essential ‘season finale’ hook. For that reason, I added the ‘Season 1’ subtitle in order to give my readers a heads-up from the outset.

In the story of Go!, I had to consider the human factor, and how such circumstances would affect real human beings. Brandon Drake is an extraordinary, enigmatic hero, but he’s also a man. He isn’t a machine. Hold On! and the early chapters of Go! illustrate what he goes through. It’s extreme, both emotionally and physically.

In order to be credible, it was important to contemplate how all of this would affect someone? Soldiers on the battlefield often suffer PTSD, which can lead to extreme, self-destructive behavior. For this reason, I wanted to keep Brandon real, and he becomes an alcoholic. In turn, this alcohol plotline made for an entirely new type of cliffhanger. In Hold On! Brandon would get them out of a tight spot, but this time – he’s utterly useless. How are they going to get out of it now?

Continuing to explore the myriad types of bullies and controllers in the world, I picked up the story exactly where Hold On! left off. The government conspiracy storyline continues, along with a human trafficking subplot.

In Hold On! it was revealed that Belinda had been sexually abused by a priest when she was a child. In Go! I gave a deeper exploration of what she went through. I had reservations about her flashback scene, and it wasn’t easy to describe something so ugly without it seeming graphic and exploitative. Nevertheless, I am confident that I succeeded, basing a non-graphic, purely ‘audible’ memory on the accounts of actual victims of this crime. My intention was to show the harm that it causes to the individual, and its far-reaching consequences. In my opinion, crimes such as this should be exposed, and not swept under the rug.

A new cast is introduced in Go!. We get to meet Brandon’s long-lost brother as they risk everything to rescue their sister from a brutal human trafficking organization. Along the way, we share Brandon’s struggle to overcome his alcohol addiction and restore himself to his former greatness. All plot threads build toward an explosive finale, which leads into the final book in the current story arc: Run! – Hold On! Season 3. We are currently working on the final touches of Run! in preparation for its release on August 17th.

After Hold On! was signed, my former publisher accepted Go! and sent me a publishing contract for it in April, 2014. Before long, I noticed that their promotional measures were virtually none-existent, and there was an insensible complacency in them. None of the promotional efforts I was making, or even Hold On! having picked up a sterling celebrity review, seemed to be of any interest to them. Any asset which would have propelled the visibility of the book was discarded by this publisher, who seemed to be comfortable with all of their books languishing at the bottom of the Amazon rankings.

Whatever their business model is, it does not explain this blatant aversion to success. Whether you run the village bakery or if you are an international arms dealer, the bottom line of any business – is profit. If profit is not the agenda here – what is? Could it have been set up intentionally to make a loss in order to reduce the tax liability on another venture? I just don’t know.

On my publisher’s author ‘support’ blog, I bore witness to threats, by an editor, to authors who dared to question this complacency. Soon, I would find myself on a chilling excursion into utter insanity.

I was in preparation for a major promotion of Go!, into which I would have been investing almost $1,000. It should be noted that my publisher would have reaped the majority share of the proceeds from this. Before I went ahead with it, I needed them to add the sequel’s release date to the end of the first book, and upload the amendment to Amazon. I’ve done this myself, countless times by now. It takes exactly four minutes. With the expenditure involved, their silence and complacency was beginning to agitate me.

My subsequent discussions with my publisher became heated. In retaliation, this person claimed that Go! required ‘major revisions’, wouldn’t tell me what those revisions entailed, and all communications between my editor and I were blocked. Lies and false accusations – that I had asked to be released from my contract, and that I had rejected cover art (that I had designed!) – ensued. All attempts at reasoning with this person failed. In breach of our contract, I had a termination agreement for Go! forced on me – while they stated they were going to keep Hold On! (which would have remained at the bottom of Amazon’s rankings, without my input.) I could do nothing with the sequel without Book One. I was also accused of not ‘acting in good faith’. If that were true, wouldn’t it also have applied to Hold On!?

Extremely creepy commentary came back from my publisher: “We are cancelling your sequel, but we are still willing to work with you on Hold On! so you can still be a part of our ‘family’.” And “Read back through this thread and you will see why ‘this is happening’.” I’ve kept all of the emails, read through them, had them vetted, and nobody can decipher what this was supposed to have meant. To me, it was all a bit ‘Twilight Zone.’

Ultimately, it cost me close to $800 to buy Hold On! back from them. (This was preferable to an estimated $100,000 in transatlantic legal expenses.) It’s interesting that they threw in the cover art as part of the deal, when previously they’d claimed I’d rejected it. Why would this person think I’d want something I’d allegedly rejected?

But what had I got myself involved with? If they are not a business in pursuit of profits, what are they? And why do they seem so intent on such vindictive behavior? I am now extremely wary of publishers. Authors seek them, largely as a result of having no knowledge of marketing. The truth is – neither do many publishers.

I have since set up my own outfit. With my new cover designer, Harris Channing, and my editor, confidante, and dear friend, novelist Patricia Harreld, I am taking the Hold On! series all the way to the end. Patricia has been amazing. Through a series of deep discussions, leg-pulling, and practical jokes, we have become the best of friends. I am also acting as consultant on her new sci-fi thriller novel, DASH, which involves a magician. I’ve never disclosed this in a writer’s forum before, but I actually am a professional close-up magician (the David Blaine type), so this collaboration between Patricia and me has worked out beautifully. ☺

At the conclusion of Hold On!’s first major promotion on Amazon after its re-launch, it reached #1 in young adult, #1 in thrillers, #1 in romance, mystery and suspense, and #2 in ‘all books’. Its reviews and ratings have been overwhelmingly positive, with only a negligible number of naysayers. The reviews and ratings for Go! seem to be even better than for Hold On!. (So much for ‘major revisions required’.)

I am hopeful that this pattern continues so that I can take the Hold On! series into the next wave after Season 3. Maybe all of this will, ultimately, have a HEA. ☺ I don’t think I handle any more cliffhangers (lol.)

The links for the Hold On! and Go! video trailers are:

Hold On! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM3ZRKoYNhE

Go! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fA0ufEp-MU

 ~~Peter~~

 

About The author

Follow Peter: Blog / Twitter / Facebook /

peter-darley1Peter Darley is a British novelist, whose professional history is in show business. He is a graduate of the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, and studied television drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA.) Peter’s television credits include guest-starring roles in UK productions such as BBC’s Crime Limited, Stanley’s Dragon for ITV, The Bill, Sky One’s Dream Team, and numerous TV commercials. He also worked as a model, presenter, and voice-over artiste for ten years, and has been an agent for several variety acts.

Peter’s lifelong admiration of heroes, and love of roller-coaster-style thrills have been a huge influence on his writings. He is also a professional close-up magician, a keen athlete and body builder, and lives with my wife in rural England.

 

Giveaway

Peter is offering an ecopy of HOLD ON! and GO! to ONE(1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe. ONE commenter will win a copy BOTH ebooks.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) 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. Please LIKE and Follow Peter Darley on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from June 21 – 25, 2015

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A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner – a Review

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A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner – a Review

 

A Friendly EngagementAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Omar Esterly is married to his job. But when Omar sets his sights on a potential, family-oriented client, his confirmed bachelorhood becomes a problem. Fortunately, his friend and employee, Devi Boss, has the perfect plan…

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly Devi’s plan to become her friend’s fake fiancée. Lies aren’t her style. However, Omar offers her a big, beautiful raise—enough to track down the missing father she’s never known—and Devi reluctantly agrees to the whole engagement hoax…

This was supposed to be a no-strings-attached win-win for both Devi and Omar, but when they cross the line between friendship and…well, something more, Devi realizes she’s made a huge mistake that just might cost her both job and friend—falling for her fiancé.

 

Review:

A Friendly Engagement by Christine Warner is the first book in her Friends First series. When old friends and work colleagues get together, you can always rely on drama and tears.  Within the first few pages, I thought Omar was half in love with Devi, he wants to be more like her. She is free spirited, but has a great work ethic, work hard, play hard on the weekend.

Omar was brought up with the ethics of work hard, work harder on the weekend. He wants his father to be proud of the achievements he had brought to the family company. He wants the contract that his father never could. The only problem, the contract will only work with family orientated businesses.

So Omar plans to get an invite to a week long ocean retreat, and show this company what they are missing. Omar and Devi’s relationship starts out as mutual friendship. They like each other, they work well together, so why shouldn’t they pretend to be a couple, it’s all for the greater good.

But Devi isn’t convinced, she hates lies, and liars. She might live her life as a free spirit, but Devi isn’t comfortable lying.  Omar has it all planned out, and in his head it all sounds perfect, what could possibly go wrong ????   Devi grudgingly agrees. And an engagement is announced, from there it all goes …..not exactly to plan.

Omar starts looking at Devi in a different light, he is wondering why now, why does he feel the need to hold her in his arms and the fierce need to kiss her !?  This could complicate things, he wants the contract, but I don’t think he wants it at the loss of his friendship with Devi.

The week long retreat starts, and both Devi and Omar realise that their mission to snag the new contract might be harder than they thought. Trying to pin the boss and talk to him was proving harder than Omar thought. And what with his untoward feelings for Devi, poor Omar is in a bit of a bind. And if he had realised that Devi had thinking the same thing, I think he would have taken a few more chances. And when they finally get together, the sparks flew and everything was glorious.

They decide to continue this new development,(neither want to say relationship) both wanting each other, but afraid to say what’s in their hearts.   The fall out when it happens isn’t a pleasant one !!!  There are a few twists and heartache that soon follows, family betrayal soon threatens to tear the new couple apart. Will they survive, how do they go back being just friends? You will need to read this book to find out. 🙂

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher

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Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Born of DefianceAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Born an Outcast, Talyn Batur has spent the whole of his life fighting against the prejudice of his people. An Andarion without a father is not something anyone wants to be. But when his companion’s brother draws him into a plot against the Andarion crown, he finds himself torn between the loyalty to their planetary government that his mother has beaten into him and his own beliefs of justice and right. Now, he must decide for himself to remain a pawn of their government or to defy everything and everyone he’s ever known to stand up to tyranny. It’s a gamble that will either save his life or end it. And when old enemies align with new ones, it’s more than just his own life at risk. And more than just his homeworld that will end should he fail.

 

Story behind the story;
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

For those who are wondering about the order reversal of Born of Betrayal (Fain) versus Born of Defiance (Talyn), I originally intended to write Fain’s book first and then go back in time to do Talyn’s. But as I was writing Fain’s book, I realized that because Talyn’s book takes place first there were too many spoilers in Fain’s book for Talyn. Too many things that needed to be revealed in Talyn’s story before we had Fain’s. Not to mention the Andarion political unrest and how Cairistiona regained her freedom and overthrew her mother, which is the plot for Born of Defiance (Talyn), plays directly into the plot of Born of Betrayal (Fain). So, it was only natural that they come out back-to-back in chronological order. I know it sounds a bit confusing when I try to explain it in vague terms to avoid spoilers, but it isn’t confusing in the books themselves. Just as in movies and TV shows, sometimes you have to go back in time to show how certain things develop and how some relationships are formed to give the audience a full understanding of the world where everything takes place.

As to why Talyn is considered a Gen 1 book and not Gen 2 (aside from the fact that it takes place a little before Born of Night) there’s only sixteen years between Fain and Talyn, and Andarions age slower than humans do. To put their ages in perspective, Fain is only a couple of years older than Dancer and Talyn is only a few months younger than Darling and Maris, i.e. Darling would have only been one grade ahead of him in school, and Talyn is a lot older than Adron, Jayce and the rest of the Gen 2 characters.

When it comes to the Gen 1 and Gen 2 designations, age has nothing to do with the separation. What makes a book or character Gen 1 or Gen 2 is where we are with The League at the time they are taking place. Gen 1 is under the old League rule and Gen 2 is under new League rule after the war between The League and The Sentella. I won’t tell you how that war ends as we’re in the middle of fighting it. But eventually, the war will end and Gen 2 begins when it does. There will be many surprises about the war and both factions in upcoming books, so please stay tuned.

 

Review;

Okay, after all that info, Sherrilyn Kenyon rocks!!! I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy, as I bow down before her. In all the years I’ve been reading Ms. Kenyon’s works, she never ceases to amaze and blow me away with her imagination, creativity and ability to create worlds and characters you swear could be real. She is just that good at her craft in my honest opinion and Born of Defiance is an excellent example. Once again she pulls us into her League series that’s filled with many creatures/species all vying for supremacy by being deceitful, sneaky, underhanded and unfair to anyone who stands in their way. There are no means that some of these characters won’t go to in order to gain what they want. We get an in depth look into Andarian culture in Born of Defiance and I have to say that Ms. Kenyon appropriately named this book because Talyn definitely defies all the odds and everything thrown his way. No matter what happens to him in this book, one thing very clear is that he has a will of iron and will always stand strong no matter what. He didn’t get the Ring name Iron Hammer for nothing baby!!

As Sherrilyn Kenyon explains a bit in her ‘story behind the story’ the events in this book take place before and during Nykyrian’s book(Born of Night-book 1). I will admit there was some confusion on my part due to certain events that take place, but it didn’t derail my ability to love this book. I absolutely loved Talyn’s character. I have no idea how Kenyon can write compelling character after character but she does. Just when I think another one of her characters can’t worm their way into my heart they do. There isn’t a single thing about Talyn you won’t love. Aside from being drop dead gorgeous according to his female Felicia, he’s also strong, brave, trustworthy, honourable, loyal, intelligent, and one Andarion you’ll always want on your side. Even though he’s born an outcast thanks to actions on his father’s(Fain Hauk) side, he doesn’t let it stand in his way no matter what. Sure nothing comes easy for him, but he eventually winds up earning everyone’s respect, even those who always looked down on him due to his caste. What’s a caste you ask, well according to Andarion culture, how you are born determines your worth in society you pretty much can say. So since Talyn was born without a father and family name to claim, he’s seen as an outcast in society and not worth anything. Anything Talyn has ever achieved he’s had to earn through blood, sweat and tears. Hence his Ring fighting career, which you could say is equivalent to our UFC fighting. Only on Andaria you fight to the death in most matches. Thanks to Talyn’s caste he can’t even marry and have a family of his own, so he turns to a companion service(kinda like an escort service only a bit higher up) and meets his female Felicia, who you will love as much as you love Talyn. These two really are sweet and just perfect for one another. Many times my heart was breaking for these two as we see all the garbage they have to deal with daily.

Along with learning about Andarion culture and events that lead up to present day in this series, once again Sherrilyn has some very interesting and surprising reveals we don’t see coming as usual. We have reveals about Talyn himself and Jayne, which we will see relates to Talyn, Jayne’s husband Hadarian, and Nero who’ve meet in previous books. We also learn why Fain did what he did and that it wasn’t all his fault. Thanks to Nykyrian’s fraternal twin Jullian, his grandmother, and relatives, poor Talyn was dealt the life he’s had to deal with. There were so many times I was disgusted by their behaviour towards Talyn and his mother I wanted to step into the Splatterdome and tear into them like the Iron Hammer could do. They’re an awful group of Andarians, and like I said, there are creatures/species who will stop at nothing to get what they want and this is exactly how Jullian, his grandmother and relatives act towards anyone they see as a threat to themselves, including their own blook, Nykyrian. We’re also given more information regarding Nykyrian’s treatment from his family. All these reveals just blew me away. Tack on the Iron Hammer’s Ring matches, the fights between the Tavali and Andarions, battles between Tayln, his mom and Jullian and company it makes for a very action packed story.

Born of Defiance is another great installment to Kenyon’s The League Series. There was never a dull moment in this book. It has everything any Kenyon fan has come to be familiar with when reading one of her stories. There’s action, adventure, tons of emotion rolling off the pages, well developed plot lines and characters, fun and and imaginative worlds and stories within stories that keep us occupied from beginning to end. To my fellow Kenyon Menyon I promise Born of Defiance does not disappoint, and for those who aren’t a fan yet, I promise you will be after your read this one. However, I do suggest going back to the beginning of the series first.

Until next time, happy reading!!

Reviewed by Marcie

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Trusting the Boss (Billionaires in the City 1-4) by Mallory Crowe-Reviews and Book Tour

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Billionaires in the City Series 1-4 by Mallory Crowe-Reviews and Book Tour

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Trusting the Boss
Billionaires in the City #4
by Mallory Crowe
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: June 19, 2015

Trusting the Boss

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

TRUSTING THE BOSS (Billionaires in the City #4) by Mallory Crowe

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 19, 2015

Billionaire heiress Emma Devaroux has been living a safe-yet-mundane existence in Georgia for too long, but when she learns her sister, Joslyn, has been arrested, she heads to New York City to find out what really happened. Unfortunately, as an unemployed debutante, she’s not exactly qualified to be leading an investigation. But help is at hand in the form of the handsome, former military man Jace Lance who happens to be the one who got her sister arrested in the first place.

Jace thinks Emma is crazy for even considering working with him since he’s the one who stopped Joslyn from killing his former client. However, he can’t deny that the sexy southerner is in over her head when her tycoon cousins try to hire him to make sure Emma doesn’t find out the truth about what really caused her sister’s murderous actions.

As they begin to uncover the truth together –and get to know each other intimately – it becomes clear that the more answers they get, the more danger Emma is in. Jace is determined to protect her, but how can he keep her safe when her whole family is in on the conspiracy?

••••••••••

REVIEW: TRUSTING THE BOSS is the fourth installment in Mallory Crowe’s contemporary, adult Billionaires in the City romance series. This is billionaire heiress Emma Devaroux, and security specialist/former SEAL Jace Lance’s storyline. TRUSTING THE BOSS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives TRUSTING THE BOSS focuses on the aftermath of the attempted murder of billionaire businesswoman Victoria Green. Emma Devaroux’s sister Joslyn has been arrested and is awaiting trial in New York, and Emma is determined to uncover the truth about her sister’s psychotic motives. When Emma is unable to get an appointment with Victoria Green, Emma finds herself hiring the man who was witness to the attempt and the events leading to her sister’s breakdown, in the weeks before. Jace is caught between a rock and hard place, when Emma’s cousins hire Jace to keep Emma from uncovering the entire story.

The relationship between Emma and Jace begins acrimoniously. Jace was Victoria Green’s bodyguard, and in this he considers his current dilemma an act of betrayal against his former client. But Emma wants information about her sister’s secret life, and Jace has the connections and mindset to get the job done- but Jace is also working for her cousins, and when found out, his betrayal and deceit will break Emma’s heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and hot.

The secondary characters include Emma’s cousins Michael and Luke, who currently own and operate DevX-a billionaire dollar enterprise that provides cyber protection software to some of the largest defense companies in the world. We are also (re)introduced to FBI agent Evelyn Price whose involvement in the investigation reveals little to no information to the reader. The requisite evil comes in the form of Joslyn Devaroux-herself- as she continues to manipulate the family (behind the scenes) ; and David-a man who has been hired to get information from Emma that she knows nothing about.

TRUSTING THE BOSS is a fast paced story of betrayal, romance and suspense. The central characters are charismatic and determined; the premise engaging and captivating; the romance, not without some steamy bedroom moments. Mallory Crowe’s BILLIONAIRES IN THE CITY is an entertaining and pleasurable series but there are always some questions that have yet to be answered.

Copy supplied by the author through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to turn around and go up those stairs. Once you’re out of here, you’re going to forget you ever met me and pretend that there’s nothing Victoria Green can tell you that you don’t already know.”
A deep anger settled in her gut at the idea of this virtual stranger telling her what to do. “And if I don’t?”
Jace leaned in, until his face was inches from hers. “Well, for starters, I will throw you over my damn shoulder and carry you out of here until you’re far enough away I’m sure you’ll leave me alone. Think I’m bluffing?”
For a long moment, Emma debated the merits of slapping Jace right in his smug face. Screw slapping—punching would be much more effective.
“What’s it gonna be, Georgia? Are you walking out on your own or do you need assistance?”
Emma shook her head. Jace wasn’t worth the bruised knuckles. “I’d rather avoid being touched by a Neanderthal, thank you very much,” she said in her sweetest voice, laying her natural accent on a bit thicker than normal.
If he wanted to get rid of her, fine. She’d leave gracefully. Her anger simmered just beneath the surface as she walked up the stairs. Let him win the battle. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to give up and when all was said and done, she’d win the war.


 

Interview

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Well this was a character built story. Jace was a small side character in TEMPTING THE BOSS and I liked the idea of giving this badass guy more to do and I needed a woman who could handle him, but also was in need of his skills in some way. So in creating a heroine for him, I ended up creating this entire family that the next four books are going to be based around.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My biggest source of inspiration is music, by far. When I hear a great new song, my mind just takes it as a jumping point to creating an entirely new world or universe. I also have different playlists to listen to depending on the mood of my story, be it a really dramatic, sexy or sweet scene I’m writing.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’d say the most challenging part of writing is staying focused on the story I’m trying to write. I get a lot of new ideas and only a small fraction of those would be viable stories. So I need to push all these new plot bunnies out of my mind and stay focused on the love story at hand.

What are your current projects?

Currently I’m working on my next book in the Billionaires in the City series which will be about Emma’s cousin Michael and a girl from the IT department at his company who gets in over her head. On the side, I’m slowly going through some paranormal romance manuscripts I wrote a few years ago and hoping to get them cleaned up for a 2016 release.

Tell us about your first book. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?

My first published book is Book One in the Billionaires In The City series. I’d say the biggest difference would be that with each manuscript I write, I have (unintentionally) ramped up the suspense. I love a very strong external conflict and nothing is sexier than a protective guy, so the danger aspect of the books have increased with each new one. I don’t think I’d call TRUSTING full on romantic suspense, but there is an element of danger added for sure.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I don’t write anything with a particular message in mind. I write because I want to entertain my readers and give them an escape for the few hours that they are invested in my characters. That being said, I do tend to sneak a lot of rescue dogs (which are a passion of mine) into the books and I also try to have strong independent women who fall into love even if they don’t NEED a man.

Does music play any type of role in your writing?

I LOVE music and some songs are hugely inspirational to me. Sometimes an entire song will have me thinking up a new idea or it might just be one lyric or even the tone I get from the beat. The first book in the Billionaires in the City series was actually inspired by a slowed down version of a rap song. The song is about the rapper offering to get his girlfriend anything she wants, be it expensive champagne or extravagant trips. For some reason, my mind turned that into a secretary running all around New York getting her playboy boss anything and everything he asked for and eventually she gets fed up and leaves. And that’s the set up for book one.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?

I actively avoid basing anything in by books on real life. That being said, I’m a CPA and come from a business background, so that really helps with writing business and corporate based romances.

Thank you Mallory for the wonderful answers. Congratulations on the Billionaires in the City series.

Trusting the Boss Promo

 

Billionaires in the City

TEACHING THE BOSS
(Billionaires in the City #1)
by Mallory Crowe
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Teaching The BossABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 11, 2015

FREE ebook: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

STAND ALONE CONTEMPORARY BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE

Business-school student April Morgan is ready to graduate–from school, from the secretary pool, and from never-gonna-happen fantasies involving Sam Hunt, her hunky billionaire boss. But when Sam’s girlfriend of the week pushes her too far, April finds herself quitting on the spot with only a mountain of student loan debt to keep her company. In steps Sam’s worst enemy, his father, with a job offer she can’t refuse.

Sam was born into privilege, but refused to live life with a silver spoon in his mouth. After a decade of hard work, he’s on the verge of taking his business public and proving to his tyrannical family that he can make it without their help. When he finds out that April is working for his father, he knows she’s been turned into a pawn in his father’s twisted games.

Despite Sam’s warnings, April is determined to prove she doesn’t need him to make in New York City. But when she finds documents that could lead to Sam losing everything he’s worked for, April realizes that she and Sam have to work together to save the empire they’ve both worked to build.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: TEACHING THE BOSS is the first installment in Mallory Crowe’s adult, contemporary Billionaires in the City romance series. This is business school student/ professional assistant April Morgan, and billionaire businessman Sam Hunt’s storyline. Each book in the novella series can be read as a stand alone although some of the characters will cross over between installments or be introduced in the preceding storyline.

Told from dual third person perspectives (April and Sam) TEACHING THE BOSS focuses on April and Sam’s business relationship that will spiral out of control when Sam’s current flavor of the week becomes jealous of April’s presence in Sam’s life. April has focused her entire career on helping Sam get ahead, and her payback is betrayal and heartbreak. Desperate for employment, April gets an offer she cannot refuse from Sam’s father whose personal interest in his son’s business may or may not be everything it seems to be.

Sam’s relationship with his father has been strained most of his life. April is well aware of the animosity between father and son, and in this Sam’s friendship and relationship with April will be stretched to its limits when April takes the position with Donald Hunt. April refuses to play their games but will become a pawn in a war between father and son.

The relationship between April and Sam begins as employer and employee but April has always had a crush on her boss. Watching the numerous beautiful women come and go in Sam’s life has relegated April to the friendship zone and in this April has made the decision that she will no longer be a part of Sam’s life. April has been more than Sam’s personal assistant; she has been instrumental in many of Sam’s business opportunities and acquisitions. It is not until April resigns her position with Sam, does Sam want something more. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the over the top erotic factor. There is little to no graphic or sexually explicit language.

The secondary and supporting characters include April’s fellow classmate Annabelle, whose connection to Sam brought April into her life; Sam’s father Donald Hunt whose actions speak louder than the words he is unable to say; and April’s best friend Jessica who isn’t afraid to point out the obvious; and of course the inter office gossip and mole who relays all of the important information to an outside source. We are introduced to business consultant Simon West who will work behind the scenes to help Sam get revenge on the father, he believes, tried to destroy his life. Simon needs something from Sam but Sam isn’t quite willing to take it up to the next step. Simon’s story will be told next in book two-TEASING THE BOSS.

TEACHING THE BOSS is a fast paced story of forbidden romance between employer and employee, corporate take over and espionage, and a look at the dysfunctional family dynamics between Donald and Samuel Hunt. I did have a few concerns as it pertained to the reality of several situations including business dealings and takeovers which where mostly glossed over; and April’s access to important documents and files. As well, the relationship between April, Annabelle and Sam was a little disconcerting under the circumstances and what had transpired years before.

TEACHING THE BOSS has a little bit of everything; $ex and romance; betrayal and heartbreak; mystery and suspense. The characters are an interesting mix of good vs evil; the romance is passionate and ends with a happily ever after. TEACHING THE BOSS is a delightful and enjoyable read from Mallory Crowe.

________________

Teasing The BossTEASING THE BOSS
(Billionaires in the City #2)
by Mallory Crowe
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date March 11, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

STAND ALONE CONTEMPORARY BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE

Premier business consultant Simon West can turn around any struggling billion dollar corporation in New York City, but he can’t get what he wants most: revenge against Mark DuFord. The slick investment banker’s shady dealing led to Simon’s best friend’s suicide. Wealthy, and well-protected by the political influence he’s been able to purchase, DuFord has become untouchable—or so he thinks. But when DuFord’s former girlfriend asks Simon for help, he knows that Grace Bell is the weapon he needs to finally destroy his enemy completely. All Simon has to do is pretend to love her.

Grace Bell knows that approaching hot-shot Simon West to save her business is a long shot, but she’s desperate. After growing up with a family that expected her to be a happy housewife, she’d proved them all wrong when she became the go-to event-coordinator in New York City. But after the tabloids took a completely innocent picture of her with a married senator and misinterpreted the situation, she’s losing clients left and right. When she approaches Simon and begs for his help to resuscitate the business she put her heart and soul into, she never expects him to agree. Or that the payment would be posing as his lover as an excuse to get close to her ex.

Simon knows if he goes forward with his plan, it’s only a matter of time before Mark realizes what they’re up to and Mark’s enemies have a way ending up broke, in jail or six feet under. As Simon and Grace grow closer, Simon must decide if putting her in the line of fire is worth avenging the past.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: TEASING THE BOSS is the second installment in Mallory Crowe’s contemporary adult Billionaires in the City romance series of novellas. This is business consultant Simon West (first introduced to the reader in book one-Teaching the Boss), and event organizer Grace Bell. TEASING THE BOSS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives TEASING THE BOSS follows Grace as she attempts to clear her name in a scandal involving a married US senator. Caught by the paparazzi in the arms of said US senator hit Grace in more ways than one-her business as an events coordinator starting dropping off as she became persona non-grata in the social circles, and the reputation as the woman who broke up a senator’s marriage. What no one knew was that Grace has been set up as the fall girl for another one of the senator’s wrong doings. Enter Simon West-a business consultant whose clients required a no nonsense approach to getting the job done.

When Simon discovers that Grace knows the man that Simon has been trying to take down, he offers Grace a deal she cannot refuse. Simon’s best friend committed suicide following an investment scandal that went horribly wrong, and Simon has spent months researching and investigating investment banker Mark DuFord and his connections to a billion dollar financial scheme. Simon and Grace will pretend to be lovers, with no strings attached, but the plan hopelessly fails when Grace begins to fall for the man in charge.

The relationship between Grace and Simon begins as a business arrangement: Grace needs help repairing the damage brought about by the lies and tabloid innuendo, and Simon needs Grace to help him retrieve inside information about Mark Duford. What begins as a tentative friendship soon becomes something more but Simon knows that his relationship with Grace is only a temporary job, and in this Simon will begin to push Grace away when Mark shifts gears and aims his financial and political clout against Simon and Grace. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and hot without the over the top erotic feature but the sexual attraction between our couple felt off-everything seemed to be part of a business arrangement. I didn’t feel the need; the want; or the desire. Once again, there is little to no graphic or sexually explicit language.

I want to add that I had a few issues with the lack of condom usage throughout the series, thus far. It is not enough for the female heroine to be on the BC pill, as our hero’s like to believe, because as we know, the only thing the BC pill prevents is a pregnancy –and even that isn’t 100% effective. In this day and age, I think the authors should be proactive with their storyline characters as it pertains to safe sex and the potential for sexually transmitted disease.

The secondary characters include several of Grace’s clients, her co-workers and assistants, as well as a few new friends we will meet along the way. We will be introduced to Grace’s all-around go to guy Dean Carey, and billionaire businesswoman, and a friend of Simon’s, Victoria Green whose life will begin to fall apart as her father lies dying, and her ‘brat’ of a brother tries to regain control of the family business she saved from ruin. Dean and Victoria’s story will be told next in TEMPTING THE BOSS.

Mallory Crowe’s world of self made billionaires looks at the not so pretty side of big business and the corporate world of high finance and power. Money makes for some strange bedfellows; greed forces men to choose; and betrayal is but a phone call away. The characters are colorful; the premise fast paced and revealing. A enjoyable read for a lazy afternoon.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

________________

Tempting The BossTEMPTING THE BOSS
(Billionaires in the City #3)
by Mallory Crowe
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

As the CEO of a multi-billion dollar retail chain, Victoria Green isn’t used to asking for help, especially not from too attractive for their own good repairmen like Dean Carey. After Victoria is attacked at her own party and Dean fights off the culprit, she’s forced to tell him her secret: Victoria’s father is on his deathbed, and her brother, who nearly ran the company into the ground, might be willing to do anything to make sure controlling interest goes to him.

Dean wants nothing to do with the ice princess CEO, even if he can’t keep his eyes off certain… assets of hers. He’s got enough on his plate between trying to get enough work to pay the bills and raising his little sister who’s growing up much too fast for his liking. Despite his misgivings, when Victoria offers him a blank check if he will keep his mouth shut about what he saw and shadow her until she can hire a more qualified bodyguard, he can’t bring himself to turn down that kind of cash.

Over the next few days, Dean learns Victoria isn’t as cold as he first thought and Victoria realizes that Dean is so much more than a handyman. But someone wants her dead and if they don’t figure out who and stop them, they might never get their happily ever after.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: TEMPTING THE BOSS is third stand alone novella in Mallory Crowe’s adult, contemporary Billionaires in the City romance series. This is CEO/billionaire businesswoman Victoria Green, and repairman Dean Casey’s storyline. We were first introduced to Victoria and Dean in book 2-Teasing the Boss. TEMPTING THE BOSS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. There is some timeline crossover between book 2 and the current storyline.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Dean and Victoria) TEMPTING THE BOSS focuses on the attacks against Victoria Green and the investigation into who is responsible. After saving Victoria from an attack at a business function organized by event planner Grace Bell (Teasing The Boss), Dean declares himself Victoria’s personal bodyguard until otherwise notified. When a trip out of town results in another attempt at Victoria’s life, Dean begins to suspect someone close. What ensues is Victoria’s denial of what Dean believes is the obvious, and Dean’s attempts to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love.

The relationship is one of immediate attraction but Victoria and Dean travel in completely different social, economic and personal circles. Victoria is billionaire businesswoman whose father is gravely ill; Dean is a repairman who has been raising his younger sister since the death of their parents, years before. What ensues is a sexual relationship that comes with an expiry date if and when Victoria’s attacker is caught. Mallory Crowe kicks up the $exual eroticism in TEMPTING THE BOSS-the $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include cameos from Grace and Simon (book2) as well as Dean’s younger sister Katy; Victoria’s brother Terry and his new fiancée Joslyn Devaroux return home to sit vigil over Victoria and Terry’s dying father. One of Victoria’s personal bodyguards Jace Lance will find himself the victim of an assault-Jace’s story will be told next in book four-TRUSTING THE BOSS.

The world building continues to focus on the billionaire CEOs, and the men and women that they love. Each storyline is a stand alone but are interconnected through a crossover timeline or characters, who will be introduced in a previous novella story. There is always a threat that must be extinguished; and a happily ever after to be found.

TEMPTING THE BOSS is another fast paced and interesting storyline of insta-love between two people from differing social and economical backgrounds. There is mystery and suspense; romance and love; family loss and personal grief. Money and power may not pave the way to happiness but there is always somebody hoping for more. Mallory Crowe continues to put her spin on the billionaire storyline and it is nice to finally see a female at the head of a billion dollar corporation.

Reviews by Sandy

About The author

Mallory CroweMallory Crowe has lived in Michigan her whole life and has been in love with romance ever since she’d skip to the end of every novel, just to make sure the hero and heroine survived and ended up together. She lives with her husband and three dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s spending too much time in front of the TV, hiking, or working with various animal rescues.

Website: http://www.mallorycrowe.com/home.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/croweink
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005600806967&fref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13623321.Mallory_Crowe

 

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