Monthly Archives: November 2017

An Interview with Fitness and Cover Model Zack Salaun

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An Interview with Fitness and Cover Model Zack Salaun

Zack Salaun 1TRC:  Hi Zach and welcome to The Reading Cafe. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Zack: Instagram / Facebook /

Zack:  Well, I grew up in Northern California and later moved to Southern Cali where I have stayed since I was 18. I have always loved being active and hated being told what to do. I have always questioned the commonly accepted and asked “why” and that attitude along with a love for life has led me to where I am today.

TRC:  What were your dreams and aspirations growing up?

Zack:  I always wanted to be a professional motocross racer. My first love was always dirt bikes.

TRC:  What first sparked your interest in modeling? Is there a defining moment where you knew that modeling was something you were interested in pursuing?

Zack Salaun trio 1

Zack:  Modeling was never my interest, but the idea of waking up to a life I loved was always my goal. I just want to be excited to wake up every day and do whatever it is I have to do. Happiness is all about loving your push. Modeling was simply the first thing that allowed me to get paid to be fit, travel and meet new people.

TRC:  Have you ever had a photo shoot that went completely wrong?

Zack: Not really. I am pretty selective when choosing who I shoot with so I generally have chemistry, or if they are new, I make the chemistry 🙂 I love people.

SingeTRC:  Nudity in modeling or acting can be controversial. Some pictures can cross the line between sexuality to pornography. What would you tell young models/actors /body builders just entering the business about nude modeling and photography?

Zack:  I don’t think there is anything inherently right or wrong about nudes. There are tasteful ways to do it and trashy ways to do it and there are both benefits and advantages to baring it all. What I would say is that there are consequences to all our actions and with today’s internet, some will choices will never go away. It all comes down to who you want to be and where you want your career to go. Some of the greatest models have done some wild shit that made their career, and there are some other incredibly talented models that did some questionable things that halted their career right where they stood. That being said, I believe anything can be overcome if you work hard enough. Again, it all comes down to who you want to be and how hard you are willing to work?

TRC:  The modeling industry exposes you to many people and sometimes it can be very stressful. What do you do when the stress becomes overwhelming?

Zack:  Have a meltdown… I joke, but that does happen. I turn to doing the things I love like mountain biking, climbing, surfing, MMA and other things like that. Its also incredibly important to build your circle of friends and loved ones with care. They are your rock and foundation. The modeling and fashion worlds can be strangely caustic, so its important to have people that help ground you.

Zack Salaun trio 3

TRC:  At times, there has been a ‘stigma’ surrounding the male model and the romance-cover industry but the popularity of the romance story line has skyrocketed in the last few years especially with the erotic and sensual cover images. What is your opinion about the recent popularity and the very busy industry of the ‘romance cover model’?

Zack:  I think its wonderful that this niche is growing. I think it would be even better if it grew large enough to allow the models to make a full time living doing it, which isn’t the case now. As for the genre itself, I believe that if people are entertained and enjoy it, then it belongs in this world.

TRC:  Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Zack Salaun 2Zack:  Absolutely. I can’t speak for the readers, but the genre is based on fantasies. If the cover model happens to fit someone’s ultimate desire the book is simply a way to further bring it to life and experience it on a more intimate level. I am sure there are plenty of cases where readers just love the style of the author, but I would wager that many of those relationships began because a cover caught someone’s eye.

TRC:  Do you remember the first romance cover on which you appeared? Do you have a favorite?

Zack:  Actually, I can’t 🙁  I’ve been on quite a few over the last few years and I keep myself quite busy with my business. I’m honored and grateful for all of them. The fact that someone wanted my silly face on their work of art is a beautiful thing. I’m still not used to the whole thing. Picking a favorite would be tough. There are so many great ones. Wander and Andrey do an amazing job with the photos and then the cover art happens. I’ve had a few that I love, picking one just isn’t possible.

TRC:  Do you know the number of novel covers that your image has appeared?

Zack:  oooo…I’m not totally sure but its over 30 at this point.

Zach Salaun duo 1

TRC:  What do you do to relax?

Zack:  What every guy does…write or read generally (you thought I was going somewhere else with that 😉 Swimming always helps too.

TRC:  😉

TRC:  What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Zack:  The 3 things I will accomplish in the next 5 years:
Bring my business to a 7 figure passive, residual income annually.
Finish the book I am writing
Own 5 investment properties

TRC:  What is something that few people know about you?

Zack:  I value time far more than money

Zack Salaun trio 4

TRC:  Who or what are your inspirations?

Zack:  I am inspired by life and living it uncaged. Happiness and beauty begin when we are genuine and to live truly as ourselves we have to be free from the common barriers we allow to hold us back, like money, jobs, fear, and normal…whatever that is. I am inspired by those that have done that before me and those that are willing to risk everything for the chance to live life completely on their own terms.

TRC:  What type of music do you listen to? What songs are on your current playlist?

Zack:  Oh I listen to a ton of different stuff. Classical, classic rock, alternative rock, instrumental, electronic, dubstep, trance, rap… it really depends on my mood, but the common theme is whether it is saying something worth listening to.
Led Zeppelin, Chevelle, TOOL, Blackmill, Glitchmob, Atmosphere, RHCP, Mac Dre….list goes on

Zack Salaun 6

TRC: On what on your currently working?

Zack:  I am currently focused on my business. I teach active people how to create passive income so they can do more of what they love. Its my passion and I love waking up to it.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Zack:  Only that I am grateful for everyone out there that reads this and supports me. It means the world to me that anyone wants to hear what I have to say. So, Thank you.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: How can you pick one?

Favorite Dessert: I usually eat too much dinner

Favorite Movie: Snatch

Favorite TV Show: Rick and Morty

Last Movie that you saw: Liar Liar

Secret Celebrity Crush: Allan Watts

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark

Do you have any pets? Not anymore 🙁

Pet Peeve: Fake people or Being rude

TRC: Thank you Zack for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success.

Zack Zalaun duo 2

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Corsair’s Cove Chocolate Shop – The Complete Set (Volume 6) – Review

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Corsair’s Cove Chocolate Shop – The Complete Set (Volume 6) – Review

 

Corsair's Cove Chocolate ShopAmazon

Description
The sweetest life is the one you make together … Corsair’s Cove has a reputation for being one of the most haunted places in the Pacific Northwest. It also has a way of drawing to itself the people who need it most—like the Blackthorne cousins. When Great Aunt Ruby passes and leaves them her chocolate shop, it comes with a few extras she forgot to tell them about—such as a talking parrot and a pirate ghost! Cursed by an angry ex, Daniel Blackthorne, the Wolf of the West, must help the last descendants of his family find true love before he’s banished forever on Hallowe’en night. But even a skilled sea captain will encounter heavy weather when he tries to get Prudence, Livy, Brynn, and Eloise—four cousins with everything but romance on their minds—into the arms of their soulmates before the clock strikes midnight

Review:

The lovely Sharon Ashwood, author of the terrific Four Horsemen and Camelot Reborn series, has collaborated with three equally fine authors, Lee McKenzie, Rachel Goldsworthy, and Shelley Adina to create a charming anthology series titled Corsair’s Cove Chocolate Shop. Set in a Pacific northwest town, four formerly inseparable cousins reunite, for lamentable reasons, to reestablish bonds and contemplate HEA. Not only are there paranormal elements nestled within the Blackthorne family folk tale, but the swoon-worthy love stories are sure to sweeten your life. Dive in to taste their calorie-free goods! 🙂

KISS AT THE COVE by Lee McKenzie

Prudence delivers Happily Ever Afters as a wedding planner and Spencer is a scientist who disproves the unfounded. What’s more confounding than love? How can this possibly work?

When great aunt, Ruby, the matriarch of the family, passes away, life is upended for Pru. Ruby’s untimely death ultimately brings to life plans for business expansion that Pru had always envisioned, but it’s unseemly to rejoice. Just when opportunity presented itself,

“Ruby had been wise to name all four cousins in the will, even if Pru hadn’t seen that at first. And what better way to remind the cousins of their bond than to physically bring them together in Corsair’s Cove.”

Amid the uncertainty of livelihood, and common goals gone awry, Pru gets a “crash course” in all things romantic. Spencer is on a sabbatical of sorts, mostly affecting matters of the heart, and when he makes contact with Pru, swearing off women sounds like the most preposterous of plans. This pair works. It’s an effortless attraction that may, or may not, have been given a supernatural shove in the right direction.

KISS IN THE WIND by Rachel Goldsworthy

The romance continues to build with Pru’s cousin, Livy, a food chemist, newly arrived to honor Aunt Ruby’s wishes. When she meets Mack, local tavern owner, real salt of the earth kind of guy, relocating to Corsair’s Cove was practical magic!

While this love story may have simmered a bit longer than the first, there was immediate impact upon meeting. Chill-inducing energy!

Can two independents step outside of their own comfort zones to make a go of collaboration? Enchantment inside and outside the kitchen is much more than chemistry!

KISS ON THE BEACH by Shelley Adina

The third novella involves another Blackthorne descendant, Brynn, and her unrequited high school crush, Jamie. Jamie is a homebody who stuck around after high school, built a name for himself in carpentry, and envisioned his future dream home, albeit harbored. You see, he’s pined after Brynn for time immemorial.
When Brynn arrives in Corsair’s Cove to settle her share of Aunt Ruby’s estate, something akin to a dine-and-dash act, life takes on new perspective. Surrounded by family, enveloped in quaint town magic, when did she become so adverse to HEA?

“It was as though she was a part of something larger than herself. Part of a heritage that actually belonged to her. Something else she’d never thought about before. It was this place. Give the Cove an inch, and it took a mile, darn it.”

Brynn’s return has certainly stirred up old feelings for Jamie. An executive though she might be, her demeanor belies an inner turmoil. A longing, Jamie hopes, to preserve tradition, to create new memories with her cousins…and to finally set fire to their romantic spark of old.

KISS IN THE DARK by Sharon Ashwood

The quartet of this lovely series, and sexiest, delves deeper into the Blackthorne curse (excellent paranormal activity!) and the details of his sin. A crime of passion as it were, but Daniel Blackthorne, the legendary pirate ghost himself, has the opportunity to break said curse and, surprisingly enough, find some HEA of his own.

Eloise, the “flake of the family”, arrives with a lot to prove. Fresh out of business school, she’s tasked to promote a fundraising ball that will enhance the shop’s productivity as well as sustainability. Discovering her spectral roommate is none other than Daniel Blackthorne, the legend, the heart of Corsair’s Cove, their lives become entwined forevermore.

Will Eloise yield to the charms of a ghost (the undead have game, trust me!) and undo the blight clinging to him or will a nefarious character shatter hope and bring ultimate despair?

Not only are the love stories delectable, but each author is allowing her main character, a grand-niece, the ability to reconnect with Aunt Ruby; to make peace as she designed. The touch of paranormal, we are talking about ghosts after all, shifts and develops with every novella. You’ll enjoy every revelation, every step to victory. Corsair’s Cove came to life with every author’s depiction. Every sweet and savory concoction sampled at Red Gem’s Chocolate and Confections sounds as tantalizing as pirate Blackthorne himself. Beginning to end — a thoroughly tasty treat!

~~~~~

But wait! What’s that I hear?? Why wedding bells, of course! Pru and Spencer are near solidifying their unending love when ghosts, of course ghosts!, return to haunt Corsair’s Cove.

A revival of Pru’s history at the altar does not a marriage make. What could possibly prevent this promise of forever? Cold feet? Too easy. All the answers are available in Kiss at the Altar, each sweet chapter an author cooperative. Line forms here for Corsair’s Cove Orchard series!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy supplied for review

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Dirty Filthy Fix (Fixed 5.5 / 1001 Dark Nights) by Laurelin Paige-Review and Excerpt Tour

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DIRTY FILTHY FIX (Fixed 5.5) by Laurelin Paige-Review and Excerpt Tour

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DIRTY FILTHY FIX
Fixed 5.5 / 1001 Dark Nights
by Laurelin Paige
Genre: Adult ,contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: November 21, 2017

Dirty Filthy Fix

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2017

I like sex. Kinky sex. The kinkier the better.

Every day, it’s all I think about as I serve coffee and hand out business agendas to men who have no idea I’m not the prim proper girl they think I am.

With a day job as the secretary to one of New York’s most powerful men, Hudson Pierce, I have to keep my double life quiet. As long as I do, it’s not a problem.

Enter: Nathan Sinclair. Tall, dark and handsome doesn’t come close to describing how hot he is. And that’s with his clothes on. But after a dirty, filthy rendezvous, I accept that if we ever see each other again, he’ll walk right by my desk on his way to see my boss without recognizing me.

Only, that’s not what happens. Not the first time I see him after the party. Or the next time. Or the time after that. And as much as I try to stop it, my two worlds are crashing into each other, putting my job and my reputation at risk.

And all I can think about is Nathan Sinclair.

All I can think about is getting just one more dirty, filthy fix.

••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY FILTHY FIX by Laurelin Paige is instalment 5.5 in the author’s contemporary adult FIXED erotic, romance series, and the latest installment in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights novella series. This is Hudson Pierce’s (Fixed Trilogy) thirty five year old professional assistant Patricia ‘Trish’ Bisceglia, and forty five year old Nathan Sinclair’s –millionaire advertising executive, Creative Director for Reach, INC – story line. DIRTY FILTHY FIX can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary. Some of the events of Dirty Filthy Fix cross-over with Dirty Filthy Rich Love (Dirty Duet #2).

Told from first person point of view (Trish Bisceglia) DIRTY FILTHY FIX follows the sexual escapades of our heroine Patricia Bisceglia, PA to billionaire businessman Hudson Pierce, and a woman who isn’t afraid to explore the kinky side of her sexual proclivities. As an unauthorized member of the Open Door ‘rotating’ sex club our fiercely independent heroine owns her sexuality, adhering to a specific set of rules including no penetration, never go home with anyone, never give out personal information, and never remove her mask until the night Nathan Sinclair catches our heroine’s eye, and all bets are off. What ensues is Nathan Sinclair’s slow seduction of a woman who steadfastly remains committed to controlling every aspect of her life, and the eventual fall-out as Trish begins to ease up on the rules that kept her sexual life out of the public eye-Patricia Bisceglia-professional assistant by day; T by night.

DIRTY FILTHY FIX is a quick, erotic and sexy story line. Trish Bisceglia does not do relationships or commitment but enjoys the sexual freedom of the kinkier aspects of sex and everything it has to offer. Nathan Sinclair is a man who likes to watch, a voyeur, who likes what he sees in our story line heroine, and intends to seduce said heroine into something more. The premise is sexy and hot. The characters are colorful and dynamic but the character building is limited- we know very little about their backgrounds or history prior to their fateful and unexpected meeting. The romance is spicy and edgy; the club sex scenes are dirty minded and erotic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Sensual couple touching at each other

excerpt

I wore satin that Saturday night, a long blue slip dress with slits up both sides. I never wore underwear to the parties. They were too much of an inconvenience, and the few times I had worn them, I’d just ended up giving them away as souvenirs. I liked nice lingerie. I preferred to keep most of it.
The shoes I wore—simple heels, easy to slip off—were also standard for an evening at the Open Door. But somehow I felt simultaneously more dressed up and more naked than I had in a long time. I left my hair down, and it fell long past my shoulders in dark, nearly black waves. It felt less like I was going to a weekly party and more like I was going on a date. A glamorous date.
It was a signal that I should not go.
But I went. Nothing could have kept me away.
I spent the beginning of the night as a voyeur, camped out on the settee watching as the Doms paraded their submissives around the room, entertaining everyone with their tricks and commands.
I had a few invitations to play from the regulars—Andrew, who’d shown up with a girl I’d never met before. Of course, Chuck Richard was there, wanting to fondle and stroke my skin. But I shooed them all away, feigning an introverted mood, when really I was just looking and waiting for one person in particular.
An hour went by. Then an hour and a half. After two hours, I kicked myself internally a bunch of times before realizing that I was in a place where people would gladly do that for me. So when Andrew suggested a game, an adult version of Spin-the-Bottle, I decided to join in.
An oddly shaped circle was created, some people choosing to sit on the floor, some on the furniture. I curled up with my knees to one side on the floor, and when I finished straightening my gown around me, I looked up to find that the man sitting on the ottoman across from me was Nathan.
And suddenly the room felt so much brighter than it had a few minutes before. Like there’d been too many plugs shoved into one outlet and finally someone had tugged one free, the power had surged, and the lights glowed.
Everyone disappeared around me and the only face I could see was his, handsome and rugged, his grin directed at me. His eyes lit up like they were the source of the glow, and they were the only things I could see.
Somehow I was sure I’d just broken one of my rules. I didn’t know which one, and I didn’t even care.

About The Author

Laurelin PaigeIn 2013, Laurelin Paige self-published her first novel. Her husband was just laid off, she had three kids, one with special needs, and they had just filed for bankruptcy so she needed this novel to work. Less than 1 year later, her debut novel, Fixed on You, was at the top of the bestseller lists and was named one of the top ten selling books of 2014 by Publishers Weekly (the only self-published book to do so) and a Top Ten Favorite Read of 2014 by People Magazine. Her successive self-published novels have been smash hits with readers.

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters.

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The Attraction Equation by Kadie Scott – a Review

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The Attraction Equation by Kadie Scott – a Review

 

The Attraction EquationAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
FBI agent Max Carter lives his life by a strict set of rules—rules that don’t allow for distraction, deviation…or a relationship. But tell that to his matchmaking mama. To avoid yet another set-up, he announces he has a girlfriend. And now has to produce said girlfriend at Christmas dinner. Maybe Santa has a suitable actress in that red bag of his…

Gina Castillo is about to break her building’s iron-clad “no pets” policy to give her little brother the perfect Christmas gift—a dog. Too bad Max, the most inconveniently sexy tenant in the building, catches her red handed. Gina expects to be evicted, but instead finds herself blackmailed into playing the role of his girlfriend.

Two lies plus one dog should equal a hot mess of a holiday, but attraction and Christmas magic might just defy the rules…

Review:

I’ve read Kadie Scott before ( The Wrong kind of Compatible book 1 in this series), so jumped at the chance to read The Attraction Equation, and I wasn’t disappointed. The sarcasm is there, the witty one liners are there, and the well written characters are there too. 

Max is a neat freak, in fact, if it’s not tidy he doesn’t cope well. I hate to use labels (OCD) and he always has a plan and a back up plan. But he’s dropped himself right in it with his family, he’s told them he had a girlfriend, and they in turn want to meet her (oooops) he’s sick of being the butt of the family jokes. And when he meets Gina, his mind works overtime and comes up with a plan. 

Gina thinks it’s blackmail ?she only wants to hide a present for her brother, but after getting caught, she has no alternative but to say yes to the “fake relationship”. Gina is a free spirit….. goes with the flow, jumps in with both feet first. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. People only see the flighty silly female, but she wants to create beautiful stage sets, maybe a little organisation is what she needs. 

The time they spend together is hilarious. Each learning about each other and themselves, yes we know the outcome, buts it’s a romance story, so it’s a forgone conclusion. 

But the journey there was half the fun, punchy one liners and pages that made you smile. 

The series is loosely connected, so you can read it on it’s own. 

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher

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Second Best by Noelle Adams-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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SECOND BEST by Noelle Adams-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

 

SECOND BEST

by Noelle Adams

Release Date: November 14, 2017

Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Second Best

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

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About the book: Release Date November 14, 2017

We meet every other Wednesday night in a downtown hotel. No dates. No commitments. No hearts or flowers. Just his body and mine.

Maybe I’m his second best. He’s definitely mine. But second best has never felt so good.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: SECOND BEST by Noelle Adams is a contemporary, adult, stand alone erotic, romance story line focusing on the contracted, sexual relationship between real estate developer Sean Doyle, and attorney Ashley Simon.

Told from first person point of view (Ashley Simon) SECOND BEST follows the building relationship between thirty-eight year old real estate developer Sean Doyle, and twenty-eight year old property attorney Ashley Simon. Having met at a business get-together Sean Doyle will offer Ashley Simon the deal that would forever change her life-a sexual relationship, no strings attached, no business, no questions-every other Wednesday at a local, expensive hotel. Throughout their months long affair, we get up close and personal with a man whose previous relationship and love was destroyed by a bullet that came close to ending his life; and a woman who believes she is in love with another man –fellow attorney John Cooper-a man who is barely aware of our heroine’s existence. What ensues is the every-other Wednesday sexual encounters between Ashley and Sean, and the potential fall out as Ashley continues to focus her attentions upon someone else.

SECOND BEST is a quick read originally released as a serialized newsletter novella focusing on a mutual ‘arrangement’ between two people looking for sex, companionship, and nothing else. What started out as a potentially, cold and calculating business-like arrangement soon heats up as our hero begins to want something more, and our heroine learns that no other man compares to the reality of what she already has.

For an educated and informed woman Ashley Simon is a bit of a fool as it pertains to her attraction and love for a man she claims is her happily ever after. Her attraction to a co-worker is purely physical yet she continues to act as though ‘he’ is the one regardless of their, yet to be established, friendship or introduction. In this, Ashley’s actions are immature, adolescent and questionable.

The relationship between Sean and Ashley begins as a contracted agreement; a physical and sexual affair never intended to go beyond the sex but an affair that begins to show signs of emotional involvement, jealousy and love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

There secondary and supporting characters are limited to Ashley’s ‘crush’ and fellow attorney John Cooper, as well as Sean’s grandmother, a woman who sees more than her grandson realizes.

SECOND BEST is a story of one man’s heartbreak and inability to let go of the past; and one woman’s obsession with another man. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the romance is seductive and edgy; the characters are colorful, charismatic and dynamic although I have to question the stupidity of our heroine’s ‘obsession’ for another man.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Second Best Teaser 1

excerpt

After I turned the water on to get hot, I pulled my hair back into a messy bun and dropped my clothes onto the floor, feeling almost decadent—like I wasn’t just a normal girl with a normal job living a normal life. I loved the specialty bath wash the hotel provided—deliciously scented with lavender and honey—and I scrubbed up and rinsed off at a leisurely pace.
I wondered what Sean was doing.He probably had a meeting run late or else something urgent came up at work.I was going to be very disappointed if the front desk called up to tell me he wasn’t going to be able to make it after all.I’d been waiting for two weeks for tonight. I didn’t want to miss out.When I felt an unexpected blast of cool air, I turned to see what caused it. I squealed loudly when I saw a man getting into the shower with me. I raised my hands instinctively to beat him off.

You understand I wasn’t thinking through any of this. All I’d processed was the sudden appearance of a man where I hadn’t been expecting one.

“Hey,” Sean said, laughing as he grabbed at my flailing wrists. He was as naked as I was. “I expected a warmer welcome than this.”

I relaxed immediately, flushing with embarrassment and the aftermath of my shock. “You scared the crap out of me!”

He was still laughing. “I can see that. Who did you think was getting into the shower with you?”

“I don’t know. I thought you were running late.”

He moved so he was completely under the shower spray, the water soaking his short brown hair and streaming down his high cheekbones, strong chin, and sexy mouth. “I was. But I rushed over so you wouldn’t start without me.”

“Start… without…?”

I didn’t finish the stilted question because he’d pulled me into a kiss.

I had no objections to kissing him. In fact, it was one of my favorite activities. No one kissed like Sean Doyle did—with those clever lips, agile tongue, and dedicated skill. But I’d put my hair into the bun on purpose, and I didn’t want him to pull my head under the water, so I backed away, saving my hair from getting soaked like his.

He frowned when I broke the kiss and reached for me again. “Why are you all standoffish?”

“I’m not.” I giggled as I evaded his hands. “I just don’t want my hair to get wet.”

“Why not?”

I stared at him through the steam-thickened air. “Why not? Do you have any idea what it’s like to go around with wet hair as long as mine? It takes forever to dry and it gets everything wet.”

He frowned and stepped forward, pushing me back against the shower wall. “Fine. If you insist on focusing on practicalities, how’s this then?” He kissed me again, and this time I didn’t have any desire to pull away. My head was safely away from the fall of water.

“Not bad,” I murmured against his lips.

“Not bad? That’s all you can say after two weeks without kissing me?”

“What did you expect me to say? That your kiss is the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced in the universe.”

He nuzzled the side of my face, his tongue darting out to taste my skin in little, unexpected licks, each one causing a quick jolt of pleasure. “That wouldn’t be a bad start.”

About the Author

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Connect with Noelle:
Website: http://noelle-adams.com/Home_Page.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572847.Noelle_Adams

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Lips Close to Mine (Wherever You Go #2) by Robin Bielman-Review Tour & Giveaway

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LIPS CLOSE TO MINE (Wherever You Go #2) by Robin Bielman-Review Tour and Giveaway

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LIPS CLOSE TO MINE
Wherever You Go #2
by Robin Bielman
Release Date: November 20, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Lips Close to Mine

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / ibooks /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 20 2017

I wasn’t supposed to see Levi Pierce ever again. A few months ago, he charmed the pants off me and we spent one incredible night together.

End of story.

Only it wasn’t. Pretty soon everywhere I turn, I see him. Our best friends are dating. My mother mistakenly—and happily—thinks he’s my plus-one to my cousin’s wedding. And he’s the guy I have to work with on the most important job opportunity of my life.

Here’s my problem: I like Levi. I like his killer smile and his dreamboat eyes and definitely the way he makes me feel in bed. But I’ve sworn off relationships. So when the sexual tension reaches epic proportions and we fall back into bed together, I tell myself it’s temporary. When I start to feel more, I tell myself it’s over.

Only Levi isn’t a forget-it kind of guy. When his lips are close to mine and he swears he’s always wanted me, my defenses disappear. But some things in life just aren’t meant to be.

Or are they?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: LIPS CLOSE TO MINE is the second instalment in Robin Bielman’s contemporary, adult WHEREVER YOU GO erotic, romance series. This is photographer and cameraman Levi Pierce, and twenty three year old Harper McKinney’s story line. LIPS CLOSE TO MINE 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 first person perspectives (Levi and Harper) LIPS CLOSE TO MINE follows the building relationship between photographer and cameraman Levi Pierce, and Harper McKinney, a woman struggling with ghosts from the past. Harper and Levi were childhood friends but somewhere along the way, they grew up and went in opposite directions. Several months earlier Harper and Levi reconnected for a sexy one-night stand, a night neither one is willing to forget…but Harper doesn’t do relationships, and Levi’s heart was destroyed by a previous love. A chance to work together brings Levi and Harper back into one anothers radar, and the proverbial sparks continue to fly. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and relationship between Levi and Harper, and the potential fall out when Levi’s past comes looking for a second chance, and Harper’s darkened memories continue to plague her days and nights.

Harper McKinney struggles with a direction in life. An Olympic swimming career that was sidelined by an accident and loss finds our heroine aimlessly searching for that one thing to bring her back on line. Levi Pierce battles between his head and his heart-a heart that begins to beat for our story line heroine but a heart destroyed by a previous love.

The relationship between Harper and Levi is one of second chances, of a sort, between childhood friends who reconnect following a one-night stand; whose roommates, best friends and siblings are all interconnected making for some uneasy moments in the palpable sexual attraction between our story line couple. The $ex scenes are intimate, seductive and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Mateo and Teague (Talk British to Me #1), as well as a large number of acquaintances, friends and family-extended or otherwise, Harper’s old swim coach Brad Halloran, and Levi’s roommate Elliott.

LIPS CLOSE TO MINE is a story of friendship and love; memories and loss; forgiveness and moving forward with moments of humor and fun, conflict and tears. The premise is sexy, edgy and impassioned; the characters are colorful and charismatic; the romance is heartwarming and emotional. LIPS CLOSE TO MINE reveals the tortured secrets of two people who have loved and loss but are willing to take a second chance on love-once again.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Talk British to Me
Lips Close To Mine

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Lips Close to Mine teaser

About the Author Black and rose

Robin BielmanRobin Bielman

USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons, and one crazy-cute dog who loves to chew on everyone’s socks. When not attached to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also likes to run, hike, eat cupcakes, and dip her toes in the ocean. Writing is a dream come true, and she still pinches herself to be sure it’s real.

Places to find Robin Bielman:

Website /Facebook /Twitter /Goodreads/

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The Big, Bad Billionaire (Billionaire Fairy Tales #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

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THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE (BILLIONAIRE FAIRY TALE #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

The big Bad Billionaire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2017-11-18

An intensely sexy Billionaire Fairy Tales standalone novel by Jackie Ashenden that is billionaire romance meets Little Red Riding Hood with a happily ever after.
Wicked. Ruthless. Obsessed.

Sent away from his family as a boy because he couldn’t be controlled, Rafe DeSantis’s new guardian turned him into a monster. One who wants only two things out of life: To get revenge on the father who destroyed his life. And to possess the woman who was kept from him. Ella Hart has been his obsession for years, and now that he’s her guardian he’s finally in position to black mail her into his bed. And once he has her there? He’s going to eat her up.

Innocent. Alone. Hunted.

Ella has been living with her grandmother since the death of her parents when she was a child. She’s learned to pour her grief and pain into dance, and it’s become her escape. Her passion. Now she’s set her sights on a prestigious dance school in Paris. But there’s one problem. Ella was so young when her parents died, her money was left in the hands of the DeSantis family…and it’s now controlled by Rafe. A man she’s always found compelling and terrifying at the same time. Rafe offers her an ultimatum: Give herself to him, body and soul, and she’ll get the money she needs.

Ella isn’t in a position to refuse, though she tries to resist the sexy billionaire. It feels good, until her heart becomes involved. Does the big bad billionaire want to capture her heart? Or does he only want to own her body?

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is the fourth instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary adult BILLONAIRE FAIRY TALE erotic, romance series focusing on the DeSantis’s siblings-Xavier, Nero, Raphael, Lorenzo and their sister Olivia. This is thirty two year old CES of DS Corporation Raphael DeSantis, and twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart’s story line. THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE 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 (Rafe and Ella) THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE focuses on the building by acrimonious relationship between twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart, and her guardian, billionaire CEO Raphael ‘Rafe’ Desantis. Eighteen years earlier, a then two year old Ella, adored the man she has now come to hate- a man whose once violent temper forced his father to send Raphael away to teach the young teen a lesson-a lesson that came back with a vengeance as Raphael took control and possession of DS Corp’s CEO.

Throughout the years, Rafe never forgot about the young girl who would one day grow into the woman that stole his heart but a series of painful losses found our heroine the sole keeper of her elderly grandmother, as she herself struggled between her head and her heart, and the prospect of dancing in Paris France. When our heroine is accepted into the prestigious European ballet school she is forced to confront the man who now controls all of her money. Enter Rafe DeSantis, Ella’s new guardian and financial controller, and the man with whom Ella will fall in love. What ensues are Rafe’s terms (and manipulation) for funding Ella’s European adventure; the building romance between Ella and Rafe; and the potential fall out as Rafe has yet to come to terms with the demons from his past.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a modern retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD with all of the fairy tale markings including Ella’ bedridden, elderly grandmother, a ballet production of Red Riding Hood, and a hero who considers himself more wolf-like than human. Raphael DeSantis’s brutal and abusive childhood formed the man who would one day take down the father who all but gave up on our story line hero but childhood memories that now control every aspect of his adult life. Rafe and Ella’s fathers were best friends, and as such Rafe was a part of Ella’s early life but our heroine does not remember the good times with the man she would grow to love.

The relationship between Ella and Rafe is enemies to lovers; a second chance, of sorts, for two people whose earlier years were destroyed by heartbreak and sorrow, abuse and suffering, loss and revenge. We learn of Rafe’s overwhelming need to rekindle his friendship and relationship with the woman who has now become the focus of his fantasies and dreams; and of Ella’s unresolved and indeterminate hatred for the man she once loved and adored. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense. The sexual attraction is palpable.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a story of betrayal and trust; redemption and fractured family dynamics; second chances and falling in love. The premise is enchanting and imaginative; the characters are broken and tragic; the romance is dramatic and passionate.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
The Billionaire’s Virgin
The Billionaire Beast
The Billoinaire’s Intern
The Big, Bad Billionaire

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Christmas at the Tycoon’s Command by Jennifer Hayward – Review & Giveaway

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Christmas at the Tycoon’s Command by Jennifer Hayward – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Shy Chloe Russo is dreading her first Christmas running the family business. Working with Nico Di Fiore is the last straw! Once, Nico’s kisses promised Chloe every sensual delight, until he coldly rejected her. Now he’s her very commanding, very arrogant boss!

Control is paramount to Nico—after his father’s bankruptcy lost him everything, nothing will distract him from succeeding. He’s always kept a tight rein on his craving for Chloe, well aware she alone has the power to disarm him. But now, unable to deny their connection, Nico is determined to reclaim control and take Chloe as his own!

 

 

Review:

Christmas at the Tycoon’s Command begins with Chloe Russo being  summoned back to New York by her “boss”, Nico Di Fiore.  She knew the time had come to assume her duties at her family’s company, but that didn’t make it a task she looked forward to.  Her parents, who were killed in a terrible accident, had built the company from the ground up and it was time to take her rightful place in the company, after burying herself in her work in their Paris lab.  To say she was not looking forward to it is a huge understatement.  It still galled her that her father had named Nico to head the company instead of her Uncle Giorgio.  But what galled her even more was Nico’s rejection years earlier.

Nico thought that he had readied himself for Chloe’s return.  He was all about controlling everything and everyone in his world.  However, once he sees Chloe, he worries that said control will be even harder to control.

During a board meeting in which pitches are made for the Christmas season, Chloe unveils her ambitious plan to put her company, Evolution, back on top.  Even though Nico is not convinced that she can pull it off, he gives her the okay to test the waters with the unveiling of her new product.  Once he green lights the program, he makes it his mission to guide Chloe in order to help her come out of her shell and assume her place in the company. 

As Chloe gets her campaign off the ground, a PR nightmare ensues.  She and Nico have to work hard to handle everything thrown at them.  However, when secrets are revealed and feelings are hurt, Chloe is afraid of not only losing her campaign, but Nico as well.  Not that she ever thought he’d be hers to lose….. And, his actions are proving that thought true.

Christmas at the Tycoon’s Command is another wonderful  addition to Hayward’s long list of enjoyable stories.  The chemistry of the two main characters is amazing.  Chloe has always been a shy behind-the-scenes kind of girl.  I loved seeing her come out of her shell and facing all of her fears head on.  Nico, however, is the one who surprised me.  In one sense, he’s your typical alpha billionaire type, but it is his back story and his justification for the things that he’s done that will pull you in.  This one, more than any other written by Hayward, in my humble opinion, was more of an emotional read.  Christmas at the Tycoon’s Command will pull you in at the very beginning and keeps you turning the pages faster and faster.  It also does what, to me, signifies a great author:  leaves you wanting more.  I absolutely can’t wait for the next one.  Well done, Jennifer Hayward!  Very, very well done!!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy supplied for Review

 

giveaway

Jennifer is graciously offering a $10 Amazon Gift Card to (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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8. Giveaway open Internationally

9. Giveaway runs from Novemberf 21 to 25, 2017

 

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