Monthly Archives: July 2016

The Burnt Fox by Neil Grimmett-a review

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THE BURNT FOX by Neil Grimmett-a review

The Burnt Fox

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 20, 2016

‘It really is this place and not us. There’s a dark power in nature here. Some residue left over from its great, cruel past.’

With an overwhelming desire to escape from the council estate and fearful for his marriage, frustrated author Eliot decides to move his wife, Donna and Son, Bradley to the countryside. He takes a job at the grand and sprawling Cloothill estate. Eliot does his best to fit in while working for the aristocratic Compton family. However, it quickly becomes apparent that country life may not be as idyllic as he hoped.

Eliot and Donna’s marital troubles are exacerbated when farm worker Tobias sets his sights on Donna and Eliot begins to fixate on the Compton’s young au pair, Rebecca. The couple gradually begin to lose sight of themselves as life at Cloothill consumes them.

Unflinching and sexually charged, The Burnt Fox is a startling depiction of the unsavoury side of life in rural England.

•••••••••••

NOTE: Author Neil Grimmett passed away in November 2015 following a brief illness.

REVIEW: THE BURNT FOX by Neil Grimmett is a stand alone, dramatic story line focusing on frustrated author Eliot Barnes, and his long suffering wife Donna. Told from third person point of view (Eliot) THE BURNT FOX follows Eliot and Donna as they struggle to regain control of their floundering marriage. When an opportunity presents itself to move to the English countryside, Eliot and Donna jump at the chance to leave the noisy and frustrating city life behind, hoping for a fresh start working for a reclusive couple and their small child. What ensues is a dark and conflicting series of events that pull the couple deeper into a world that is slowly closing in and destroying their lives. The seductive allure of peace and quiet blinds the couple to the truth about the people and places they have now come to call home.

THE BURNT FOX is a well written, slow building (mostly) narrative that follows two people whose lives have spiraled out of control, consumed by the darkness, and yet feel helpless in the face of the oncoming disaster. Like watching an accident about to happen, the reader is caught in the maelstrom and chaos without the ability to walk away or stop the ongoing fallout when temptation beckons behind closed doors.

Neil Grimmett has written a passionate, intimate and imaginative story; a disturbing look at the dark side of country life; the pitfalls, the dangerous passages, the controlling power of a segregated people who live life by their own rules. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the characters are controversial and tragic.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

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His Royal Secret (His Royal Secret #1) by Lilah Pace-a review

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HIS ROYAL SECRET (His Royal Secret #1) by Lilah Pace-a review

His Royal Secret

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /  BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 19, 2016

James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he’s keeping a king-sized secret…James, next in line for the throne, is gay.

He’s been able to hide his sexual orientation with the help of his best friend and beard, Lady Cassandra. Sometimes he feels like a coward for not coming out, but he daren’t risk losing the crown. If he did, the succession would fall on his deeply troubled younger sister, Princess Amelia. To protect her, James is willing to live a lie.

While on holiday, he meets Benjamin Dahan—a rugged international reporter with a globe-trotting, unattached life—who catches far more than James’s eye. And when Ben is transferred to London, it seems fate may finally be smiling on James.

But what began as a torrid fling grows into something far more intimate and powerful. Soon James will have decide who he is, what he wants from life and love, and what he’s willing to sacrifice for the truth.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: HIS ROYAL SECRET is the first installment in Lilah Pace’s contemporary, adult HIS ROYAL SECRET M/M romance series focusing on the fictional Prince of Wales and the British Royal family. This is heir to the British crown Prince James, and journalist/reporter Benjamin Dahan.

NOTE: HIS ROYAL SECRET is a M/M story line with M/M sexual situations.

Told from dual third person perspectives (James and Ben) HIS ROYAL SECRET follows the building but forbidden relationship between the British Prince of Wales and heir to the throne James of the House of Hanover, and reporter Benjamin Dahan. While on assignment in Kenya, Benjamin comes face to face with the Prince of Wales, and within minutes is acutely aware that the young prince is hiding a secret, that if revealed could destroy any chance of ascending to the throne. James is a closeted gay using his best friend Lady Cassandra as his beard, and a man desperately lonely and looking for love. What ensues is a friends with benefits relationship that must remain hidden lest the British people, and the world, discover that the heir to the British throne is gay.

The relationship between Ben and James is fraught with issues of secrecy and trust. James and Lady Cassandra ‘pretend’ to be in a relationship but Cassandra’s numerous sightings with another man begin to destroy the façade that James had been building for years. Along with the need to keep their affair a secret, James must also contend with his younger sister whose emotional health is slowly beginning to unravel. The $ex scenes between James and Ben are intimate and hot; our couple switch between dominate and submissive at different points throughout the story.

We are introduced to several secondary and supporting characters including Lady Cassandra, and James’s long suffering younger sister Princess Amelia (aka Indigo), and several other members of the Royal Family including James’s uncle Richard whose line to throne is pushed further away. James’s personal assistant Kimberly, and his butler Hartley who keep James’s personal life a secret; Benjamin’s boss Fiona and co-worker Roberto , as well as some personal and private emails from Ben’s ex Warner Clifton who may be a future source of trouble.

The world building focused on the relationship between Ben and James-their growing love, and their need to keep secret the affair behind closed doors. Most of the conflict comes in the final pages of the book, wherein James has come to a decision about his relationship with Ben, and the secret he is going to reveal. I did have one issue, as it pertained to James’s coming out to the Royal family-the reader is not privy to the reveal; we are told and not shown, which is a bit of a let-down considering several members of the Royal family are stuck in the past.

HIS ROYAL SECRET is a slow building story line with a little bit of heartbreak, romance, lots of $ex, and two young men caught between falling in love or letting go. The premise is easy going and entertaining without too much angst or over the top conflict although I suspect book two HIS ROYAL FAVORITE will up the conflict and anxiety factor. The characters are colorful and interesting; the romance is a struggle towards a happily ever after-for now.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Sapphire Affair (Jewel #1) by Lauren Blakely-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR (Jewel #1) by Lauren Blakely-Review,  Book Tour & Giveaway

The Sapphire Affair

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 12, 2016

Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hires him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.

Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.

Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.

But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR is the first installment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult JEWEL romantic suspense duology focusing on bounty hunter/ recovery expert Jake Harlowe, and Island Adventure Tour operator/owner Steph Anderson.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Jake and Steph) THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR focuses on the hunt for the truth. Steph Anderson is hoping to uncover the truth behind the embezzlement accusations against her stepfather- a man she considers her father but the same man who destroyed her mother’s heart. Enter Jake Harlowe, former military intelligence specialist, and a man seeking the identical information as our story line heroine. What ensues is a partnership between Jake and Steph that leads to a romantic liason where the morning after is anything but expected.

THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR is a fast paced, romantically charged, and suspense filled story about two people searching for answers and the whereabouts of millions of dollars in missing money and diamonds. Steph Anderson hopes that the rumors about her step father are not true but all clues point to an illicit operation where missing money is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg in the Cayman Islands.

The relationship between our couple is one of immediate attraction; palpable sexual energy that is driven by a vow to remain professional and friendly. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and seductive. The premise is entertaining and will keep your attention from the very start; the characters are energetic, real and driven; the romance is hot and steamy. Betrayal, heartbreak and a lack of trust fuel the fires for the next installment. THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR ends on a cliffhanger-you have been warned.

Lauren Blakely takes the reader on a tropical island adventure where intrigue, suspense, and a game of truth or dare are but a betrayal or ten million dollars away.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

The Sapphire Affair Teaser 2

excerpt

Jake’s eyes drifted briefly to the blond guy who hadn’t quite gotten the message. He was standing far too close, so Jake tugged her near him. “A woman like you doesn’t need a frat boy,” he said in a low voice, just for her.
She arched an eyebrow. “Is that so? What does a woman like me need?”
The guy flubbed his lips and walked away. Mission accomplished.
Jake could walk away, too.
But he didn’t. He was mere millimeters from her, and that coconut scent was in his damn nostrils again. Reminding him of how her skin tasted. How she smelled when he’d kissed her. And how goddamn much he wanted to wrap her legs around his waist.
Digging his thumb into her hip, he answered her. “Someone who knows how to savor a stunning marine biologist.”
That earned him a sparkling smile. She raised her chin as the music pulsed from the stage. “Savoring is your specialty, I take it?”
While he hadn’t cut across the floor to flirt, he found himself unable to stop. Being this close to her short-circuited all his brain cells. “Oh, believe you me. I am excellent at that pursuit,” he said, letting go of her hip, so his fingers drifted across the fabric of her dress to her belly.
“How would you do that? Savor me, that is.”
He flicked her belly button ring through the material, and her breath caught in response. “I’d run my tongue across this ring, then properly kiss you all over. Every inch. That’s what you need. That’s what you deserve.”
“Proper kissing? Everywhere?” she asked, her voice breathy and low, but he heard every word because they were only for him.
He splayed his palm over her flat belly. The club goers crowded them in, crushing them closer together, and the press of bodies and the tightness of the space made it so hardly anyone could tell who was with whom. “Everywhere,” he said as his thumb dropped lower, tracing a line along the waistband of her panties, making his intentions clear. “Everywhere along your beautiful body.”
She shivered, and her lips parted, but she said nothing. Maybe she was wondering why the hell he was saying these things when they’d agreed to cool it. Hell, he was wondering, too. “You deserve someone who craves the taste of your lips. The feel of your body. Most of all, a woman like you deserves a man who understands the three-to-one ratio.”
She scrunched her brows together. “What’s that?”
He brushed her blonde strands away from her ear, cupped a hand over it, and whispered, “I would make sure you come three times before I even do once.”

About The Author

Lauren BlakelyLauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and she has had eight books on the New York Times Bestseller list and fifteen on the USA Today Bestseller list. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire. She recently released SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the first novel in her new sexy romance series Sinful Nights that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. Her new adult forbidden romance, 21 Stolen Kisses, hit e-readers in May and landed on the USA Today Bestseller list. In January, she’ll release BIG ROCK, a standalone contemporary romance sure to make you swoon. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).

 

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Billionaire Blackmail by Alison Aimes – a Review

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Billionaire Blackmail by Alison Aimes – a Review

 

Billionaire BlackmailAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
After a childhood spent on the streets, ruthless billionaire Nik Valenti has had his share of dealing with crooks. He thought that was behind him. Until the woman he’s been casually dating turns out to be the biggest con artist of them all. Now, with pride, money, and his company’s survival at stake, he won’t rest until she’s experienced his own brand of justice.

Sara Turner knows she’s no angel, but a few deliberate omissions…well, compared to the rest of her family, that’s choir girl behavior. But now the one man whose heart she’d hoped to steal is accusing her of embezzling from his company. Worse, he wants answers. And he’s come up with a foolproof way to ensure he gets them. One Sara must accept if she doesn’t want to end up in jail. 

Nik might be trying to save his company, but he has a tough time ignoring the way Sara makes him burn. The passion between them is all-consuming, and each time he peels away a layer, he discovers there’s more to her than first meets the eye, but he can’t give in to his need. Nik will put everything on the line to find the truth…except his heart. 

 

 

Review:

Billionaire Blackmail by Alison Aimes centers round both Nik and Sara, who come from difficult backgrounds.  Both were neglected as kids, and because of that, they became stronger characters….. Nik became a ruthless business man, but Sara, she got to continually bail her brother out of bad situation after situation. 

We join the story AFTER their break-up (which was a twist on the usual read) Sara needs to find money quickly to bail her brother out of a really bad deal, and possibly put him into a rehabilitation centre. 

Nik wants Sara, but not for what we think! Oh no, he wants her to pay after stealing from him……

The story picks up with Nik accusing Sara of embezzling a lot of money from him. And after almost kidnapping her from the hospital (she was visiting her beaten up brother) he offers her a deal …… 

Misunderstandings and distrust at first, each waiting for the hammer to fall. Old wounds keep them wary of each other, and their childhoods keep them at arms length. Each trying to get rid of their past, and move forward. 

Nik wants Sara, but he isn’t willing to risk his heart, but as the story progresses, he doesn’t really have much choice, she wiggles under his skin and wedged herself into his heart, but trust is a big thing to Nik, and he can’t let go, he is waiting to prove to himself, that Sara was just another con artist. 

Sara, fell in love with Nik, but she was always being put on hold, her insecurities wouldn’t let her truly open up to Nik. She works to let him all the way in, but too many people had let her down. 

Yes, we all know they will get it together …..  But boy did they leave it close ?

It was really well written, and the author took us in a few different directions.  The characters were well rounded, and you felt sorry for both Nik and Sara. And the others characters in the book weren’t neglected. You felt disgust at Sara’s brother. And sad that both the main characters had such a poor start in life. No child should ever be or feel neglected. 

It was a great read, and I’d recommend you download and chill out ?

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan – Review & Giveaway

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The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan – Review & Giveaway

 

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The Waking FireAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
The Waking Fire is set in a vibrant new world where the blood of drakes—creatures similar to dragons—is valued beyond reckoning, and can be distilled into elixirs that grant fearsome powers to those who are “blood-blessed.” The novel follows an unregistered blood-blessed as he searches for an elusive variety of drake so potent, its capture would mean unrivalled riches; the second in command of a blood-burning ironclad ship; and a young woman in a lifelong contract to a trading syndicate, whose espionage mission places her on the front lines of a newly declared war. As empires clash and arcane mysteries reveal themselves, these characters are tested again and again and soon discover that the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.

The Draconis Memoria is a remarkable new epic fantasy series with steampunk flavor, full of the phenomenal worldbuilding and non-stop action that have gained Anthony Ryan a global fan base.

 

 

Review:

The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan is the first book in his The Draconis Memoria series.  This series is an epic fantasy, with an amazing world building, that includes magic, agents, war, ships, thieves and dragons.  Though the dragons are a major part of the storyline, it is the blood blessed humans who drink the blood harvested from dead dragons that give them the magic to perform many amazing powerful feats.  The story revolves around a war &  finding an unproven myth of a White Dragon that is more powerful than any of the other dragons (Black, Red, Green, Blue), and therefore, the white blood will be more powerful. 

The Waking Fire centers on the pov of three interesting and different main characters, who are sent on separate missions, which will bring them to the same resolution, finding that dragon and saving the world.

Lizanne:  she is a agent and spy for the Ironbound Protectorate.  Lizanne had been trained to be a top assassin since she was a young child, and is considered one of the best.  We see how good she is when she manages to get herself out of difficult situations.  Lizanne starts off as somewhat cold as she is efficient early on; this will change as the story evolves.  

Clay:   He is also blood blessed, but not as powerful or registered like Lizanne.  He is an adventurer and thief, who is forced to help his uncle on a mission to find out the truth of the mythical White Dragon, which Lizanne’s superior, Madame Bondersil  has assigned them on.  Clay by drinking bue blood, allows him to communicate with Lizanne mentally from far away, keeping her up on what is happening on his assignment.

Hilemore:  He is a naval officer, who was just assigned to be on a new warship.  In a short time, he will earn the respect of his ship mates, and when faced with war, will take over command.  He has little interaction with the others main characters, but we can see at the end, this may change in the next book of this series. 

With an epic fantasy type of book, there will be many characters, and The Waking Fire had quite a few memorial ones: Lizanne’s superior, who ruled those with an iron fist; Clay’s uncle and other people on their trek into dangerous and unknown territory; Tekala, a young girl, who will eventually open up Lizanne’s cold heart;  Hilemore’s ship mates, including the captured pirate queen; the missing academy  member, Ethelynne Drystone, who was presumed dead after leaving years before to look for the mythical White Dragon.   Ryan did create some wonderful and complex characters.

The entire book had a lot of action, with many battles against the attacking dragons.  Why are they all of sudden coming after the humans in full force?  Is the White Dragon real and does this have something to do with the attacks?

The Waking Fire was very well written by Ryan. I did think early on it was a slow, but as normal in the start of an epic fantasy, there is a lot of world building and character introductions.  I liked the element of blood blessed drinking Dragon blood to give them more powers, but I would have liked to see more Dragons that were good, or even talked.  I loved seeing one that communicated and helped protect Ethelynne.  I hope they utilize this more in the next book.  The Waking Fire ends with more to come, and the main characters to continue the quest to save the world. If you like fantasy, world building and a big book, I suggest you read The Waking Fire. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Hottest Mess (S.I.N. #2) by J. Kenner-Review and Book Tour

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HOTTEST MESS (S.I.N. 2) by J. Kenner-Review and Book Tour

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Hottest Mess

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Amazon UK | Amazon AU

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| iBooks UK | iBooks AU

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 12, 2016

No one can know about our love—and hiding only makes it hotter.

Dallas Sykes has a reputation. He is known for his parties, his money, and the countless women on his arm. Yet the Dallas I know is a different man—darker, smarter, and unbearably sexy. Just one look from him can leave me breathless; the anticipation of his touch can make me lose control.

Inextricably bound by our past, we keep each other’s secrets. And while there are people who have the power to hurt us, it’s the truth that threatens us most of all.

Dallas can be mine only behind closed doors, our passion as searing as it is forbidden. Yet nothing in this world has ever felt so desperately, deliciously right.

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: HOTTEST MESS is the second installment in J. Kenner’ contemporary, adult S.I.N. erotic, romance trilogy focusing on adopted siblings Dallas Sykes and Jane Martin. Dallas is the heir to a billion dollar enterprise, and Jane is a child advocate, and author. The S.I.N. series is a spin off from J.Kenner’s STARK series. Dallas Sykes is reintroduced to the reader in the novella DEEPEST KISS (March 2016). HOTTEST MESS should not be read as a stand alone as the premise builds upon the events of book one DIRTIEST SECRET.

Told from first person point of view (Jane) and third person perspective (Dallas) HOTTEST MESS continues to focus on the forbidden relationship between Dallas Sykes, and his adopted sister Jane Martin. Seventeen years earlier, Dallas and Jane were victims of a brutal kidnapping that left our couple emotionally and psychologically scarred but none more so than Dallas Sykes. In the hopes of capturing the people responsible, Dallas and his former SEAL buddies are the founding members of a vigilante organization known to use alternative measures to exact revenge, and all information points to someone close. As Dallas and Jane’s relationship builds, there are those who are willing to destroy everything in their path. What ensues is the search for the truth; too many secrets that remain closed and dark; and two broken people whose pasts refuse to let go.

HOTTEST MESS is a sexually graphic story line about forbidden love; about the psychological and emotional damage for two people whose lives were destroyed by someone else’s greed; and the need to reveal the truth –consequences be damned. Dallas is a man trapped in the past and unable to let go; Jane is determined to save the man she has loved most of her life but a man who believes he cannot be saved. The love between our couple is tempered by the taboo, but behind closed doors, their secret affair is heartbreaking and passionate.

The world building focuses on the darkness that is slowly engulfing our leading hero. The dangerous ramifications of a man determined to destroy those who destroyed his life; and the possibility that the person (s) responsible is someone they both know. Although not a major premise of the story, the BDSM trope is, once again, called to attention when our hero is unable to let go of the past.

HOTTEST MESS reveals the heartbreak and pain of betrayal; the need for revenge; and the dark and dangerous secrets revealed and those yet to be revealed. The premise is gripping and consuming; the characters are passionate and intense; the romance is provocative, tragic and ill-fated. HOTTEST MESS ends on a cliffhanger – so – you have been warned.

Reading Order and reviews

Dirtiest Secret
Hottest Mess
Sweetest Taboo-October 2016

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Hottest Mess Teaser

About The Author Black and yellow

J.KennerThough known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

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No Pants Required by Kim Karr-Review,Book Tour & Giveaway

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NO PANTS REQUIRED by Kim Karr-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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NO PANTS REQUIRED
by Kim Karr
Release Date: July 11, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance, stand alone

No Pants Required
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About the book: Release Date July 11, 2016

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/25HONZb

I, Makayla Alexander, am on a mission to reinvent myself. So when a super hot guy boards the plane and flashes his rock hard abs, I pay attention. When he sits next to me and offers me his nuts, I can’t resist. But when I choke on them and he tells me I need to work on my gag reflex, I realize I might be in over my head.

Before I know it we’re in the lavatory and attempting to join the Mile High Club. Let me just say this…anyone who tells you it’s easy to get it on at 37,000 feet isn’t telling you the truth. After the flight attendant busts us for getting frisky in the air, the only thing that can ease my total and complete mortification is the simple fact that I am never going to see him again.

Hours later, I can’t help but wonder if fate will ever allow me to become a new version of myself.

Because Fate, she’s a fickle bitch.

Case in point…my seatmate is my new next-door neighbor.

Can two people hell-bent on finding themselves realize the search should have ended the day they met? Find out in No Pants Required—a sexy, funny, romantic stand-alone, that will have you hurrying to grab your bathing suit and rushing to the beach to check out every lifeguard on duty.

••••••

REVIEW: NO PANTS REQUIRED is a sexy, stand alone, erotic romance story line from author Kim Karr focusing on lifeguard Camden ‘Cam’ Waters, and jewelry designer Makayla Alexander.

Told from dual first person points of view (Makayla and Cam) NO PANTS REQUIRED follows the building relationship between Makayla Alexander and Camden Waters. Makayla’s move across country follows the recent break up with a man she once considered the one but catching him with someone else, sent Makayla in the other direction to start a new life in sunny Laguna Beach, California. Enter Camden Waters, a man she meets on the plane almost becoming a member of the ‘mile high club’, then to discover he is her new neighbor and the man who stars in all of her erotic fantasies. But to complicate matters, Makayla has already seen Camden in a compromising position back home-one that she wishes she could erase from her mind. What ensues is the push and pull of attraction as Makayla endeavors to complete a to do list of self discovery including a nude selfie, reading an erotic novel in public, and sex on the beach, taking Camden along for the ride. Makayla needs to loosen up and let her hair down, and to do so, a move to California is in the cards. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and provocative. Camden likes to talk dirty both inside and outside of the bedroom.

Camden Waters struggles with demons from the past: a father who betrayed him; an ex who continues to stalk and prowl; and a loss so devastating he blames himself for not seeing the truth. Makayla Alexander is every thing he has ever wanted in a woman but Camden needs to find himself, and he needs to find it alone making for some uncomfortable moments between our leading couple.

We are introduced to Makayla’s best friend and new roommate Maggie May, Camden’s sister Amelia, and Cam’s roommate Brooklyn James. Maggie is a woman who wants to stop serial dating, and Brooklyn is a wanna-be reality star looking for the next big thing. There is a building story between Maggie and Brooklyn.

The world building focuses on letting go and moving forward. Camden Waters is unable to move on with his life until he acknowledges the demons from his past, and is able to accept that he is not responsible for what other people do. Throughout the story line Camden and Makayla read aloud an erotic romance book -Summer’s Menage- that adds to our couple’s already sexual tension and attraction.

NO PANTS REQUIRED has a little bit of everything-fun, romance, $ex, angst, personal demons, and conflict. The premise is enjoyable and heartwarming; the characters are electric, passionate and fun; the romance is moving and seductive. Kim Karr writes entertaining, realistic and encouraging story lines with plenty of sexy on the side.

Copy supplied by the tour promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

No Pants Required Teaser

About The Author Black and Red

Kim Karr 2I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

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Into The Blue (Wild Aces #2) by Chanel Cleeton-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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INTO THE BLUE (Wild Aces #2) by Chanel Cleeton-Review,Book Tour & Giveaway

Into The Blue Banner

INTO THE BLUE
Wild Aces #2
by Chanel Cleeton
Genre: adult, contemporary, military, romance
Release Date: July 5, 2016

Into The Blue

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks /Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 5, 2016

Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.

Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.

Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

•••••••••

REVIEW: INTO THE BLUE is the second installment in Chanel Cleeton’s contemporary, adult WILD ACES military, erotic romance series focusing a group of U.S. Air Force fighter pilots known as the Wild Aces. This is fighter pilot Eric ‘Thor’ Jansen, and attorney Becca Madison’s second chance story line. INTO THE BLUE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous installment is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person points of view (Becca and Eric) INTO THE BLUE looks at the rekindling romance between attorney Becca Madison, and fighter pilot Eric Jansen. Ten years earlier Eric walked out of Becca’s life when his decision to join the Air Force interfered in Becca’s plans to go to law school. A broken engagement, and their plans for the future shattered until Eric’s return home to South Carolina ten years later, following a devastating loss that affected everyone on his team. Coming home meant coming back to Becca, and the possibility of starting over with the woman he has always loved.

Eric and Becca had been high school sweethearts with a promise for the future but different goals, different directions in life, and Eric’s need to find himself found our couple at opposite ends. When neither one was willing to compromise, the ‘it-couple’ from South Carolina were no longer an item, but their love always simmered in the back of their minds. A rekindling romance, and the potential for change allows for the possibility of something more. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of Eric’s fellow fighter pilots including Jordan and Noah (book one). Noah is currently stationed in Korea but Jordan’s return home comes with exciting news. Alex ‘Easy’ Rogers returns pining for a woman who lost her heart to another man- a man who will be not be coming home. Easy’s story will be told next in ON BROKEN WINGS.

The world building continues to focus on the fighter pilots: their assignments; their missions; their family and their lives. There is always the possibility that not everyone will return, and in this the couples struggle with the potential of broken hearts and broken lives.

INTO THE BLUE is an emotional story line. The reader is pulled into the heartbreaking aftermath of one man’s decision to walk away from the woman he loves. The premise is passionate and compelling; the characters are fascinating and real; the romance is a second chance at forever. INTO THE BLUE is not as intense as FLY WITH ME but you can’t go wrong with a sexy fighter pilot who goes for what he wants.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-FLY WITH ME

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Into The Blue Teaser

 

excerpt

Eric’s hand felt warm against mine—warm and big. He squeezed, and even though he touched my fingers, I swore I felt an answering tightness around my heart, as though the power to crush it lay in the palm of his hand.
I wanted to pull back, had never intended to let him get this close, but here we were, and I didn’t move. The temptation was just too strong to ignore and it felt too good to have him hold my hand.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, his voice and eyes full of an emotion that spelled trouble.
This time I did pull back, too close to losing my heart. Too much time had passed, too much between us. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that this could be something again, of letting old feelings confuse me.
“I need to go.”
“Can we get dinner sometime, or coffee, or something?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I know I don’t deserve for you to let me in again, not after what I did, but what if we just gave it a chance. If we took things slowly? What if we started as friends?”
I didn’t know how I was supposed to answer that one, what slow was with people who had the kind of baggage we did. We’d been engaged; I didn’t know how to pretend we were just two people getting to know each other. At the same time, I didn’t really know him. Not anymore. But what was the point of getting to know him if he was just going to leave again?
“What’s changed?”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s changed?” I repeated. “You’re back here, but what’s different? What’s the point? You’re going back to Oklahoma in a few weeks, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Then what?”
He shifted in his seat, his expression guarded. “Well, we have the deployment coming up, and then I’ll probably go on to my next assignment. I don’t know where yet.”
Yeah, I’d been here before.
“So nothing has changed. Not really.”
“I’ve missed you.”
I’d missed him, too. It wasn’t enough. It had been ten years. We’d been apart longer than we’d been together. It wasn’t like we could just hit “Play” and pick up where we’d left off.
“We still want different things.”
He didn’t answer me for a beat. “What if we didn’t want different things?”
I froze. He knew me too well, knew just how to worm his way back in.
“Don’t try to make this about me. Don’t come back here with your ‘maybes’ and your ‘what-ifs’ and expect me to hang my future on it. I’ve been here before. I know how this goes. You’ve been back, what, a day? Do you honestly think that after everything we’ve been through, I’m going to trust that you want a future together? That you’ll actually choose me?
“I’m not going down this road with you again. I’ve been there and all it did was give me years of heartbreak. I don’t trust you anymore. There is no us. Not anymore.”
I grabbed my wallet, putting some cash on the table for my breakfast. I got up on shaky legs, not giving him a chance to respond, not sparing him another glance.

about the author

Chanel CleetonOriginally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure.

Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her husband.

Chanel writes contemporary romances, women’s fiction, and thrillers. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, Assassins, and Wild Aces series.

Website: www.chanelcleeton.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorchanelcleeton
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1545366192398558/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chanelcleeton
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/chanelcleeton
Newsletter: www.chanelcleeton.com/mailing-list/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chanelcleeton/

 

giveaway

Chanel’s publisher and The Reading Cafe are offering a paper copy of INTO THE BLUE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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

3. Please follow Chanel Cleeton on Facebook.

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

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8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from July 13-18, 2016

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