Until You (Bachelor Brotherhood #2) by Denise Grover Swank-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Sandy

UNTIL YOU (Bachelor Brotherhood #2) by Denise Grover Swank-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway

UNTIL YOU
Bachelor Brotherhood #2
by Denise Grover Swank
Genre: adult,contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: May 30, 2017

Until You

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Add Until You to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2lz7p9a

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 30, 2017

Never settle down. Ever.

Workaholic Lanie Rogers lives a completely nomadic lifestyle. Her job keeps her on the move, and relationships are a complication she doesn’t need. That is, until she meets Mr. Tall, Dark, and Hotness at a pre-wedding party. Complicated? Maybe. But lately, Lanie’s life has been missing a little something—and sexy playboy Tyler Norris offers something she definitely can’t refuse.

Tyler has always been a little too popular with women for his own good. Ever since he and his buddies vowed to remain bachelors, Tyler figured he was safe from temptation. Lanie and her gorgeous brown eyes are about to prove him so, so wrong. With one kiss, the heat is intense. After one night, it’s pure combustion. It was supposed to be a no-strings fling—until these two commitment-phobes each discover the one undeniable exception to their rule.

••••••••••

REVIEW: UNTIL YOU is the second installment in Denise Grover Swank’s contemporary, adult BACHELOR BROTHERHOOD erotic, romance series focusing on three friends (Kevin, Tyler and Matt) who call themselves The Bachelor Brotherhood. This is Kansas City attorney Tyler Norris, and Atlanta-based retail specialist Lanie Rogers’ story line. UNTIL YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lanie and Tyler) UNTIL YOU follows several paths including the secret relationship between attorney Tyler Norris, and retail specialist Lanie Rogers. Tyler and Lanie have been paired together in their mutual friends’ wedding-Brittany and Randy-but Brittany has a bad habit of interfering where she doesn’t belong. Brittany is a woman determined to match-make all of her friends, and Lanie refuses to have Brittany interfere in her private life. Enter attorney Tyler Norris, who offers himself up as a ‘secret friends with benefits’ when Lanie begins to panic about Brittany meddling ways. What ensues is the building romance and love between Lanie and Tyler, and the potential fall –out when Tyler’s latest client is in direct competition with the woman with whom he is falling in love.

Lanie Rogers is determined to keep her relationship with Tyler a secret. Brittany’s continuous need to set up all of her friends pushes Lanie out of her comfort zone, and our heroine does not want Brittany to find out about her affair with Tyler Norris. Tyler is a man who is falling for our story line heroine but Lanie refuses to acknowledge the relationship in public. The ongoing lies and secrets begin to build throwing Lanie Rogers into a spiral from whence she may never recover. Lanie’s need to keep their relationship a secret makes for many uncomfortable situations. Her actions are questionable; her continuing reluctance to reveal the truth exacerbates the already slow building story line.

The relationship between Lanie and Tyler is one of immediate attraction but Lanie does not want Brittany interfering in her life, and continues to push Tyler into a temporary arrangement. The back and forth, secrets and lies continues throughout most of the story all to keep Brittany from interfering in her friend’s relationship. The $ex scenes are intimate, intense and seductive without the use of sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to the bride and groom-Brittany and Randy- as well as Tyler’s younger brother Eric, and one of Tyler’s former girlfriends –Celesta-who is determined to make Tyler her own; Lanie’s co-worker and friend Stephanie, as well as her best friend Aiden. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the return of Matt and Kevin, and Kevin’s wife Holly Vandemeer.

The world building focuses on the upcoming wedding of Brittany and Randy; Tyler and Lanie’s attempts to keep secret their relationship, as well as Lanie and Tyler’s potential fall out when Tyler’s latest client interferes in Lanie’s plans.

UNTIL YOU is a slow building story line where I struggled with the heroine’s need to keep quiet her relationship with the leading hero-sometimes too much is too much especially when the lies begin to compound adding more conflict than necessary. The premise is sexy; the romance is provocative; the characters are colorful and energetic.

Reading Order and Previous Review
Only You
Until You
Always You (November 2017)

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Until You Teaser

Q & A

TRC: Hi Denise and welcome to The Reading Cafe

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Denise: I’m a lover of wine and Netflix, mother of six, and an author of over thirty books. (Not necessarily in that order.) I’ve written romance, urban fantasy, and mystery. I’ve hit the New York Times list with seven different books (most are with my Rose Gardner mystery series).

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

Denise: I started out intending to publish traditionally but after three books and still no agent or book deals, I indie published Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes, the first book of my Rose Gardner Mystery series. I loved being in charge of my own career and went on to publish quite a few indie books. I am now hybrid published with both Amazon imprints (47 North and an upcoming mystery series with Montlake), my YA romance with Blink, and my Bachelor Brotherhood series with Grand Central, but my most successful books have been indie published. I’ve sold about 2.2 million books.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of UNTIL YOU and the Bachelor Brotherhood series?

Denise: The Bachelor Brotherhood is a spinoff of my indie published The Wedding Pact. In the Wedding Pact three friends made a vow to marry by the time they were thirty, but only one of them takes it seriously. In the Bachelor Brotherhood, Kevin Vandermeer, the brother to Megan in The Substitute, forms that Bachelor Brotherhood with his two best friends. All three men have had disastrous relationships and they vow to stay away from women. Tyler is the second bachelor—a recovering player—who gets thrown off his game when he meets the career driven Lanie.

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Denise: That’s always a struggle with any book, but I try to look at what’s probably expected and got the opposite direction.

TRC: Thank you Denise for taking the time to answer a few questions. Congratulations on the new release.

Denise: Thanks for having me!

about the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese, which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty (in her own mind) Facebook comments and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

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Forever romance

Forbidden Promises (The O’Malleys #4) by Katee Robert-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Sandy

FORBIDDEN PROMISES (The O’Malleys #4) by Katee Robert-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

FORBIDDEN PROMISES
The O’Malleys #4
by Katee Robert
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

Forbidden Promises

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 30, 2017

All Sloan O’Malley ever wanted was a simple life—and now she’s finally got it. She’s left everything behind in Boston—her family, her money, even her name—and set herself up in a tiny seaside town in Oregon. What she doesn’t plan for? Her mysterious and painfully attractive neighbor, Jude.

Jude MacNamara has been many things in his life—pampered son of a prestigious family, only surviving heir to a lost legacy, hit man—but now he’s out for revenge on the man responsible for the death of his father and brothers—Colm Sheridan. He’s tracking Colm’s sister when he encounters Sloan living with her in her beach house. He’s a patient hunter and he’s willing to sit back and wait for his prey…he just doesn’t expect for this woman to give rise to emotions he hasn’t felt in years.

He doesn’t want to see Sloan hurt, but in order to protect her, he will have to turn his back on the one thing he’s spent his life pursuing—revenge. Even then, there’s no guarantee either one of them will make it out alive.

•••••••••

REVIEW: FORBIDDEN PROMISES is the fourth installment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult THE O’MALLEYS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on three warring underground families of the Boston’s Irish mob, and the Russian mafia run by the Romanov family. This is mercenary for hire Jude MacNamara, and Sloan O’Malley’s story line. FORBIDDEN PROMISES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary although I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

Told from several third person perspectives including Sloan and Jude FORBIDDEN PROMISES follows the forbidden romance between Sloan O’Malley and Jude MacNamara. Sloan O’Malley is on the run from her own family, and a father who is determined to marry off his daughters to men of his choosing. Sloan knows that both of her sisters have defied their father’s demands, and our heroine is determined not to fall ‘victim’ to her father’s ways. Hiding in plain sight, Sloan will fall for her neighbor, Jude MacNamara, never realizing that Jude’s history with the Irish mob is deadly and dark. What ensues is the building relationship between our leading couple, and Sloan’s determination to protect the family she loves from a hired gun.

Jude MacNamara is h*ll bent on revenge, hoping to take down any surviving members of the family that destroyed his life. But meeting Sloan O’Malley puts all things into focus when Sloan reveals the truth about the people Jude is hoping to destroy.

The relationship between Sloan and Jude is one of instant attraction between a woman on the run, and a man keeping secrets about his intentions and goals. Their quick building romance is spicy and sexy; our heroine was a virgin until Jude MacNamara came into her life. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and intense.

There are a large number of secondary and supporting characters including most of the O’Malley clan: Teague and Callista O’Malley (The Marriage Contract #1): James Halloran and Carrigan O’Malley (The Wedding Pact #2),; head of the O’Malley caln Aiden O’Malley, and their sister Kiera, as well as the return of Dimitri Romanov who continues to seek vengeance against the O’Malleys and the Sheridans. There is a quick introduction to former police officer Charlotte Finch. Charlotte and Aidan’s story is next in Undercover Attraction.

The world building continues to look at several underworld families, and sins of the past: revenge, vengeance, betrayal and loss, and the interconnected lives for everyone concerned.

FORBIDDEN PROMISES is a passionate story line; an intense and fated romance; a suspense filled look at two people whose destinies collide on diverging paths. The premise is energetic; the characters are colorful, spirited and tenacious; the romance is rebellious, impulsive and captivating. FORBIDDEN PROMISES reveals the depths of familial honor when one of their own falls in love.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Marriage Contract
The Wedding Pact
An Indecent Proposal
Forbidden Promises
Undercover Attraction-November 2017

Copy supplied through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest Post

KEEPING THE STORY LINE REAL WITHOUT SACRIFICING CONTENT

There’s a line in contemporary romance that most authors have to dance around. With paranormal and fantasy and sci-fi, the author has the ability to create the world and the rules within the world. With contemporary, we’re putting together stories in a world that the readers already know intimately. There are rules, and we have to follow them or we’re in danger of readers throwing the book across the room in a fury (and rightfully so).

So how do you keep the story line real without sacrificing content?

The trick is grounding the story in details that we all recognize. It allows people to enjoy the story and embrace some of the less likely elements, because the line of disbelief hasn’t been crossed.

In Forbidden Promises, the story is grounded in the heroine, Sloan, trying to find her feet after living with her family for her entire life. She’s faced with trying to find a job she’s not qualified for, moving to a town she’s not familiar with, and attempting to make friends and find a place for herself. All these are elements that the average person has dealt with at one time or another. We recognize the struggle to fit in, the fear of where the next paycheck is coming from, the click when we find our place.

Those elements make it easier to accept the more fantastical ones that show up—mainly that her next door neighbor (who never seems to wear a shirt) is a hit man who is just as connected with the Boston underworld as she is.

It’s a delicate balance, but it’s so much fun to play with. In the midst of exterior threats closing in, there are quiet moments of two people slowly falling

~~Katee~~

Forbidden Promises teaser

excerpt

Forbidden Promises Excerpt
Copyright © 2017 Katee Robert
“I won’t hurt you, Sloan. I promise.”
There was no logical reason for her to trust him, but he’d been careful with her up to this point. Perhaps he’d be careful with her with what came next. She nodded mutely, watching as he rolled on a condom that he’d retrieved from his pocket. Her body hummed in anticipation and trepidation, but she didn’t let it show as he moved back to join her on the bed.
Jude palmed her between her legs, his big fingers exploring her. It didn’t seem possible that he could spark pleasure with a few specific touches, but it didn’t take much to have her relaxing, letting him once again take the lead. He kissed her neck. “Feels good, huh?”
“Well, I—oh.” Her eyes went wide when he pushed a second finger into her. It stretched her, the feeling not entirely pleasant at first, but he merely waited, pulsing the slightest bit, until pleasure took hold once more. She clutched his shoulders. “Kiss me again. Please.”
“You don’t have to ask twice.” He took her mouth like he owned it—like he owned every part of her. Jude slid between her legs, his body rubbing deliciously against hers. His hard length slid through her wetness, creating a friction that sparked a tide of desire deep inside her. Again? I couldn’t possibly…
He nipped her bottom lip and then soothed the slight ache with his tongue. “Ready?”
There was no mistaking his meaning. She nodded. Despite the earlier orgasm and how good it felt to have him moving against her, she was so incredibly empty. Instinct had her hooking a leg around his hips and arching up to meet him, needing more, so much more.
Jude reached between them, and then he was at her entrance. He kissed her, tongue twining with hers as he pushed into her, just a single inch. It was too much and not enough and she couldn’t help but thrash, pinned in place by his big body, overwhelmed by her helplessness and what he was doing to her. “Jude, I—”
“Shh. I’ve got you.” He rolled, taking her with him. One second she was on her back, finding it hard to breathe, and the next she was straddling him where he sat with his back against the headboard.
Sloan looked down, daunted by the sheer size of him. “I don’t know if this is going to work. You’re too big.”
He laughed, deep and full-throated, the sound rolling through her like the tide. “You can take every inch of me, sunshine. I promise you that.”

About The Author
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.