Monthly Archives: March 2018

Rock King (Nothing But Trouble #1) by Tara Leigh-Review & Giveaway Tour

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Rock King (Nothing But Trouble #1) by Tara Leigh-Review & Giveaway Tour

ROCK KING
Nothing But Trouble
by Tara Leigh
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Genre:adult, contemporary, rock, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20,2018

I’m not who you think I am.

Shane Hawthorne has it all. At least, that’s what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money – and women – than I know what to do with. But what you don’t see is the wreckage I’ve caused. The memories and pain I can’t escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold.

I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn’t work. It hurt me and – worse – it hurt my band. That’s the last thing I want to do, so I’m cleaning up my act… starting with Delaney Fraser.

Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice – Delaney is the perfect “girlfriend.” When I’m with her I don’t have to pretend. It’s like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that’s dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn’t actually exist. He’s a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.

And it’s impossible to love a lie, right?

The Nothing but Trouble series:
Rock King
Rock Legend-TBA
Rock Rebel-TBA

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: Rock King by Tara Leigh is book one in the Nothing But Trouble series.

Shane Hawthorne is the drop dead gorgeous lead singer of the world famous Nothing But Trouble rock band. He is complete legendary rock star status. But what the world doesn’t know is behind the public facade he struggles to keep it all together. Previous drug, alcohol and sex addiction is the least of his past worries. He has a secret that he has struggled years to hide. And no one – absolutely no one can find out about it.

Delaney Fraser is beautiful, smart, and drama free. But she is not living the life she wishes she was. She dreams of returning to school to finish her degree and freeing her father from jail. When she gets invited to celebrity agent Travis Taggert’s party – she knows immediately that she is out of her league. Travis invited her because she is exactly the type that rock star Shane Hawthorne goes for. And he was right – from the moment Shane meets Delaney – he realizes he must have her. And not just for the sex but he sees the absolute good in her and thinks that she will do amazing things just being around him. He pursues her to be his “fake girlfriend” for his next tour. Having her there will keep him away from the drugs, alcohol and be a buffer between him and the groupies. But Delaney is hiding from a past and has secrets of her own. When their two worlds collide what culminates in the end could either be revealing and releasing or it could end in utter chaos and broken hearts.

Shane Hawthorne is pure cocky rock god. Or at least that’s what he portrays to the public and his fans. But Shane hasn’t been honest with his fans or anyone else for that matter. He isn’t who anyone thinks he is. He is really Sean Sutter who is running from a past he has regretted and ran from for years. But very few know the truth. When he meets Delaney he can’t help but open himself to her completely. He tells her everything – every detail that he has ran from for years.

But Delaney has her own secret that sent her dad to prison for a crime he did not commit. He makes her swear to never tell the truth of the accident, and to never come and see him in prison.

But in one fell swoop – it is released to the public that Shane hires fake girlfriends for his tours. In the fallout from that, he must come face to face with the fact of who he really is and what he has done in his past. And with the urging of Delaney he faces his past head on.

Just when Shane thinks his life just can’t get any better, his world collapses as he finds out that Delaney has been lying to him and with-holding facts about her life. Will he be able to get past the lies that she told and love her completely? Or is it all too much for him to handle, and can he even walk away?

I have never been a fan of “rockstar” romances. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. The characters were real and true.

I felt their guilt and fears and relief when the revealed their truths. Its a glimpse into the lives of rockstar’s and what exactly life on the road and maintaining a relationship really means. I enjoyed the development of the relationships and even enjoyed the sub-characters.

Although I am still on the fence on how I feel about Travis. I hope there is redemption in his future. Shane and Delaney made me swoon and left me wanting more. Would recommend to anyone that loves a good romance with hot and steamy sex scenes thrown in.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin

Tara Leigh attended Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia Business School in New York, and worked on Wall Street and Main Street before “retiring” to become a wife and mother. When the people in her head became just as real as the people in her life, she decided to put their stories on paper. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children and fur-baby, Pixie. 

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New Jersey Noir by William Baer-Review & Guest Post

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NEW JERSEY NOIR (The Jack Colt Murder Mysteries #1) by William Baer- Review and Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 26, 2018

On the bridge over Paterson’s Great Falls, a retired state trooper is murdered by a girl in a grammar school uniform. The victim was the beloved uncle of Jack Colt, a private investigator descended from the inventor of the revolver. While investigating his uncle’s murder, Colt realizes that it is intertwined with two other cases of his. These involve the family secrets of extremely powerful New Jersey figures, including the governor, a judge, and a mob boss.

  In New Jersey Noir, William Baer reinvigorates the detective genre while exploring the Garden State’s rich cultural history, glamor, and gore. Baer’s novel is fast-paced and utterly gripping, brimming with intrigue and suspense.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: NEW JERSEY NOIR is the first instalment in William Baer’s complex and intriguing contemporary, adult THE JACK COLT MURDER MYSTERIES focusing on private investigator and descendant of the inventor of the Colt revolver Jack Colt.

Told from first person point of view (Jack Colt) using present day and memories from the past, NEW JERSEY NOIR follows Jack Colt as he hunts for a killer. When his beloved uncle, a retired state trooper Tom Colt, is murdered along side a man with a criminal past our protagonist Jack Colt begins an investigation of his own wherein murder continues to follow in the wake of his discovery and research.

New Jersey has a densely rich population of crooked individuals: incest to adultery, betrayal and revenge, secrets and lies, and corrupt politicians such that Jack Colt, with his PA Roxanne Faulkner, uncover and decipher the backgrounds and histories that connect victims to survivors with dark and complicated pasts. The reader is inside the head of a man whose own nocturnal dalliances are questionable but there is no denying his ability to expose the truth, and unwrap the tightly wound secrets of everyone involved.

NEW JERSEY NOIR is a decadent look at an elaborate and multi-layered orgy of murders and revenge. The premise is intriguing imaginative and startling: the characters are numerous, dramatic and edgy. Like watching a crime drama unfold but the reader becomes one with the man in charge.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Influences, Mysteries, and Noirs by William Baer

Before my family moved to New Jersey when I was twelve, we lived in the Bronx, not far from Poe Cottage, and Poe has remained a primary inspiration in my life. At the time, when I was reading Poe, I was also reading Alfred Hitchcock’s various collections of mystery stories and watching reruns of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Twilight Zone. Eventually, I started reading Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, along with the other classic mystery writers (Agatha Christie, etc.). I enjoyed them all, especially the noirists, Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon) and Raymond Chandler (The Long Goodbye), but my absolute favorite was (and is) Ross Macdonald and his Lew Archer novels (The Chill and The Galton Case). Macdonald was a master plotter and a masterful writer, and I still consider him one of the best novelists of the twentieth century, along with Graham Greene, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner (who also wrote mystery stories!).

By the time we moved to New Jersey, I’d also discovered film noir, which I was able to study much more closely years later when I attended U.S.C.’s Graduate School of Cinema. My favorites were John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon and Jacques Tourneur’s Out of the Past. (I also loved Tourneur’s weirdly atmospheric horror classics, I Walked with a Zombie and Cat People.)

Much of my adult life has been spent as a literature and creative writing professor, and my books have been quite varied (short story collections, translations, interviews, plays, and poetry collections). But I’ve always wanted to write mysteries, especially in the noir mode, and when I’d finally created the opportunity, I realized that New Jersey was a natural setting for a noir mystery. Like California (where Hammett, Chandler, and Macdonald set their mysteries), New Jersey has beautiful countryside, lakes, mountains, beaches, etc., but it also has cities that, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, have a noirish underside. I believe that I was even more aware of this than most people since my younger brother Robert is a criminal lawyer and a former New Jersey prosecutor and judge.

For the initial setting of the book, I chose the New Jersey city that I know best, Paterson, which was once an important industrial center and was originally founded by Alexander Hamilton. The novel’s main character, Jack Colt, is a direct descendent of Samuel Colt, whose gun factory was once located in Paterson. As Jack attempts to unravel three concurrent mysteries, he travels to many other parts of the state, but he always returns to Paterson. I must admit that I had a wonderful time writing New Jersey Noir, and I hope readers will enjoy it as well.

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William Baer, a recent Guggenheim fellow, is the award-winning author of twenty-two books, and his various plays have been produced at over thirty American theaters.  He grew up in the Bronx and Wayne, New Jersey, where his family was actively involved in “little theater.”  A graduate of Rutgers (B.A.) and New York University (M.A.), he completed his dissertation in creative writing at the University of South Carolina under the direction of James Dickey.  After attending the Johns Hopkins’ Writing Seminars (M.A.), he served as a Fulbright at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.  He then attended the University of Southern California’s Graduate School of Cinema (M.A.), where he received the Jack Nicholson Screenwriting Award.  The recipient of a Creative Writing Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, he currently lives in North Jersey.

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Fighting Dirty (Blind Jacks MC #2) by J.C. Valentine-Review Tour & Giveaway

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FIGHTING DIRTY (Blind Jacks MC #2) by J.C. Valentine-Review and Giveaway Tour

FIGHTING DIRTY
Blind Jacks MC #2
by JC Valentine
Release Date: February 22, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, MC, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au/ B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /iTunes

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 22, 2018

What happens when an outlaw biker’s obsession puts him between a beautiful nurse and her vicious stalker?

Ryder

When a brutal attack sent him rolling on a gurney into a beautiful nurse’s life, the chance encounter seemed like a dream come true. She patched him up and gave him a reason to believe in love again, shining light into his dark and dangerous world.

There’s only one problem… She’s on the run from a violent past that’s about to catch up with her in the form of an ex-husband who’s used to getting what he wants—no matter what stands in his way. It might get him killed, but Ryder’s never backed down from a fight, and this is one he’s determined to win.

Tiffany

Starting over isn’t easy. Years of learning new towns, new people, and new jobs have left Tiffany tired, lonely, and ready to give up. Until a hot, sexy, bad-boy biker barreled into her life and she fell…hard. Latching onto the over-protective biker seemed like a good way to escape her daunting past, but life is never that simple.

Club life isn’t what Tiffany imagined it to be, and she soon realizes that her hot new man has a long and wild history that may be more than she bargained for. Between the women and rumors of violence, she finds herself caught between a psychotic ex bent on her destruction and the man who isn’t what she thought him to be. When things quickly begin to unravel, Tiffany doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: FIGHTING DIRTY is the second instalment in J. C. Valentine’s contemporary, adult BLIND JACKS erotic, MC, romance series focusing on the men and women of the Blind Jacks MC. This is Sargent-At-Arms Ryder Staunton, and registered nurse Tiffany Stone’s continuing story line. FIGHTING DIRTY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Tiffany and Ryder) FIGHTING DIRTY follows the on-going relationship between Ryder and Tiffany as Tiffany becomes embedded in the MC lifestyle unsure of what the future will hold. As her past slowly begins to encroach upon the present, our heroine makes a decision to move on with her life. Hoping to protect everyone that she loves, Tiffany embarks on a mission of her own that will bring her face to face with a man who threatens her very existence. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

Meanwhile, a rival gang begins to impinge upon the Blind Jacks territory in the hopes of procuring money and power. Club president Darwin ‘Darkness’ Dawson doesn’t do well with blackmail or threats when a familiar face presents a bigger problem then anyone could have expected.

WE are introduced to club president Darwin ‘Darkness’ Dawson, Hickory, Knave, prospect Cork, and of course, newest member Jeremy ‘Ace’ Strond, and club wh*re Alyssa; as well as Ryder’s parents Ven and Lily, Ryder’s younger sister Rose, and Tiffany’s mother Sarah Donovan. The requisite evil comes in the form of a woman from Darkness’ past Abigail Andrews; the new president of the Seven Devils MC aka Devil; and Tiffany’s ex Stuart Chamberlain.

The world building continues to look at the dark and gritty MC lifestyle. The energy is crisp but threatening; the future is fated by circumstance and on-going threats; most of the women are nothing more than throw-away toys and wh*res.

We learn what precipitated Tiffany’s life spiralling out of control but the conflict resolution leaves much to be desired. I have to question the direction of this particular part of the premise which began with a backstory about an abusive and controlling ex but somehow ends up straddling the line between darkly humorous and dangerously psychotic. The epilogue fast forwards the story line approximately one year. I am hoping there are stories in development for Ace, Darkness, Rose and Hickory.

FIGHTING DIRTY is an entertaining and exciting story line but meandered down a path of questionable conflict resolution and the resulting aftermath of Tiffany’s life on the run-something to which I continue to shake my head. The premise is interesting and dramatic; the characters are rough and brusque; the romance is impassioned and provocative.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-Marked For Death

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

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Home With You by Shirlee McCoy – a Review

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Home With You by Shirlee McCoy – a Review

 

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Description:
The Bradshaw brothers never dreamed they’d return to their hometown. But tragedy has brought them back together in Benevolence, Washington, where they’re finding generosity, surprising revelations—and unexpected love . . .
 
Sullivan Bradshaw is in way over his head. A car crash killed his brother, Matthias, and critically injured his sister-in-law. It’s Sullivan’s turn to care for the couple’s six children and the ancestral farm, but the die-hard bachelor and art professor is hardly family-man material. What he needs is the perfect nanny-miracle worker-saint. What he gets is pretty Rumer Truehart, a free spirit who will change everything he ever thought he wanted . . .
 
Rumer learned the hard way that nothing is for sure, much less forever. And she certainly  understands why Sullivan’s unhappy childhood makes him a strictly no-commitments kind of guy. But she can’t help being drawn to this thoughtful, gentle man. And when trouble strikes, she’s determined to win his trust—and show him love can be a promise for keeps.

 

Review:

Home With You by Shirlee McCoy is the first book in her new The Bradshaws series.   This story takes place mostly in the town of Benevolence, Washington, which was the setting of her previous (Home Sweet Home) series.  

Rumer Trueheart, our heroine, has returned home to help her grandmother recover from a heart attack.  They live on a farm, with horses and Rumer takes care of all the chores.  Money is tight, so when she sees an ad in the newspaper for a nanny, Rumer decides to check it out.

Sullivan Bradshaw, hasn’t been home to Benevolence in many years. When his brother is killed and his sister in law is in a coma, he and his other two brothers decide to let Sully take care of the children until the sister in law Sunday recovers.  Sully is not really a family man, has no idea how to take care of 6 young children, the oldest being 12, but he barely survives.  Enter Rumer….

Rumer comes to visit Sully and the children to see what kind of job was advertised, and though she tries to help straighten out some things, she feels this might be too much for her, and goes home without applying for the job.    When Sully goes to visit her to beg her to take the job, he offers a lot of money and Rumer caves in, and accepts the job.

Rumer is also worried; not about the children, which she is very good at, but she feels an attraction to Sully, and all Trueheart women always gravitate to bad men.  Life in the Bradshaw house is crazy, but with Rumer’s strong ability to get through to the kids, things begin to settle.  Sully will also come to depend on Rumer, also feeling his growing attachment; but he has sworn himself to never committing to anything or anyone.  His defenses in time will slowly crumble, as he begins to fall for Rumer.  But can he change her mind about him being the perfect man for her?

What follows is a slow build sweet romance between Sully and Rumer, and the beautiful bringing 6 children together with hope.  It isn’t easy, as the children have lost their father, and their mother may not be back.  I truly loved Rumer, Sully and all the children made this such a wonderful emotional and heartwarming story for each other. It was great to be back in Benevelence, as we meet some people from the previous books.  What also makes this such a great series is that all of the characters are so likeable. 

Shirlee McCoy gives us another wonderful story, surrounded by a great family that is deeply in turmoil and the lovely atmosphere of a small town. The ending left things open for the next book,   especially since there are two more brothers to have their story told.    If you enjoy small town romances, family atmosphere,  young children, sweet likeable couple, as well a nice story line; I suggest you start this series.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Close to the Edge (Unbroken Heroes #5) by Dawn Ryder-a review

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CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Unbroken Heroes #5) by Dawn Ryder-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 27, 2018

The Unbroken Heroes are back! Agent Dare Servant is aghast at this fellow Ops members settling down. He knows without doubt that the domestic life will never be for him – the thrill of the chase and the high of danger to strong to ever give up. But when a quirky and charming caterer ends up smack dab in the middle of a criminal mastermind’s plot, Dare will uphold his honor and protect her. Even though she pushes all his buttons. Even though her beauty drives him to distraction. Even though he’s in danger of losing his heart to her and hanging up his Shadow Ops life for good…

•••••••

REVIEW: CLOSE TO THE EDGE is the fifth instalment in Dawn Ryder’s contemporary, adult UNBROKEN HEROES romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for an elite Special Ops Team made up of ex-SEALs and other special forces warriors. This is Agent Dare Servant, and combustion expert for the space program, Jenna Henson’s story line. CLOSE TO THE EDGE should not be read as a stand alone; I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an on-going premise throughout the series.

Told from several third person perspectives including Dare and Jenna, CLOSE TO THE EDGE follows the building relationship between Special Agent Dare Servant, and combustion expert Jenna Henson. Trying to help her neighbor’s out of a bind Jenna Henson offers to help cater a party at pop-music sensation Kirkland Grog’s mansion only to find herself detained and in custody by a covert government Special Ops Team. Enter Agent Dare Servant, the man with whom Jenna will fall in love. What ensues is the tempestuous relationship between Dare and Jenna, and the potential fall-out as our leading couple have been targeted by the leaders of a human trafficking ring; and the man vying to be the office of president of the United States.

Jenna was only trying to help out her friends Sam and Paul whose ‘Joyful Occasions’ was hired to cater the pop-star’s high end party, only to find herself in witness protection, on the run, with no place to go. Falling in love with her captor aka handler was never her intention but too many mixed signals from Agent Dare Servant found our heroine unable to trust the man with whom she was about to spend a good amount of time.

The relationship between Dare and Jenna begins acrimoniously. Dare must take Jenna into custody unaware of what she knows or how she came to be at a suspect’s party. Dare doesn’t do relationships because of the demands of the job but something about Jenna calls to his heart. Jenna knows that to fall in love with Dare means losing her heart to a man who claims he doesn’t’ have time for love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including, Scottish Agent Greer McRae; Team leader Kagan; agents Thais Sinclair and Zane Bowan: Colonel Bryan Magnus, Vitus Hale and his wife Damascus Ryland, as well as Damscus’ mother Miranda Delacroix. The requisite evil has many faces with close connections to Washington DC including Kirkland Grog, Mack, and Carl Davis, who has plans to dismantle the Special Ops Team.

Once again, similar to the previous story lines, the back and forth between numerous points of view is manic; the whip-lash affect may be too erratic for some readers as the story line relentlessly jumps between characters without so much as a break or introduction. It can be confusing and unsettling from paragraph to paragraph, several times throughout each each chapter, such that the reader may have to re-read the previous passages to follow the jump in perspectives.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE is a fast paced, action packed story of suspense and intrigue. The premise is engaging and complex; the characters are colorful, charismatic and dynamic ; the romance is edgy, provocative and intense. If you can get past the constant change in perspectives, I know you will enjoy the latest instalment in the author’s UNBROKEN HEROES.

Reading order and Previous Reviews
Dangerous To Know
Dare You To Run
Deep Into Trouble
Take to the Limit
Close to the Edge

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Thrust Under by Michelle A Valentine & Emily Snow-Review and Promotion

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THRUST UNDER by Michelle A Valentine and Emily Snow-Review and Promotion

THRUST UNDER
by Michelle A Valentine & Emily Snow
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance, stand alone

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 27, 2018

Gabriel Carter is the biggest, cockiest asshole I’ve ever met. He’s six-foot-three inches of ex-baseball player—sexy muscles and smoldering looks that turn my body into a traitorous mess.

Did I mention he’s also the reason business at my family’s hotel is quickly going down the drain?

I shouldn’t want him, but try explaining that to my body. Especially after he proposes a business deal to me that will be mutually rewarding—both financially and sexually.

Sleep with the enemy?

Nah, I’ll just marry the bastard instead.

••••••••••

REVIEW: THRUST UNDER co-authored by Michelle A Valentine and Emily Snow is a stand alone, contemporary adult erotic, romance story line focusing on former professional baseball player and hotelier Gabriel Carter, and US soldier Maggie Kinsella.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Maggie and Gabriel) THRUST UNDER follows the building relationship between hotelier Gabriel Carter, and Maggie Kinsella, a US soldier returning home from her last deployment, and a woman whose family’s Hawaiian hotel is struggling to survive. Gabriel Carter’s reputation as a bad boy and manwh*re during his baseball playing days has followed our hero into the business world and his venture into owning a hotel. At the suggestion of his lawyer Gabriel is desperate to find a woman who is willing to play his fiancée and wife in order to present a unified front for his next financial transactions. Enter Maggie Kinsella, retired US soldier, and the woman with whom Gabriel will fall in love. What ensues are Gabriel’s offer to help Maggie’s parent’s business in exchange for Maggie accepting Gabriel’s proposal of marriage and a happily ever after.

Maggie’s parents small family owned hotel is in desperate need of remodelling and repairs but their finances are in ruins, and they are months if not weeks away from permanent closure. When the beautifully handsome but overly cocky Gabriel offers an independent and strong-willed Maggie a solution to her parent’s problems, Maggie must consider the ramifications of the secrets and lies she of which she is about to embark. When Maggie’s ex-boyfriend comes looking for a second chance, Gabriel sees red and misunderstands Maggie’s reactions to the man that had previously destroyed her heart.

The relationship between Maggie and Gabriel is one of immediate attraction until Maggie discovers Gabriel’s owns the successful hotel next door, a hotel owner Maggie blames for the imminent downfall of her parent’s Hawaiian resort. In the early stages of their relationship Maggie struggles with her attraction to our story line hero, an attraction that she continues to deny. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Maggie’s parents Lia and Henry Kinsella; Maggie’s ex-boyfriend Ryan; her best friend Lani; and Gabriel’s former teammate Killian Reynolds; and reporter Vivi Hamilton. There is a slight cross-over with Valentine’s Black Falcon Rock series, and the mention of Riff and ‘Ball Busting B*tch’.

The world building follows the frenemies to lovers relationship between Gabriel and Maggie; and the struggle for one family to make in the competitive world of high-end hotels.

THRUST UNDER is a sexy, sassy and flirty story line. The romance is captivating, hot and steamy; the characters are colorful, passionate and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

About Michelle A Valentine

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Michelle A. Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Rock the Heart. Wicked White is the first novel in her Wicked White romance series. She attended college as a drafting and design major, but her love of people soon persuaded her to join the nursing field. It wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she began her love affair with romance novels, and she hasn’t looked back since. When she’s not writing, she feeds her music addiction, dabbles in party planning, and expresses herself by working with arts and crafts. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, son, and two beloved dogs.

•••••••••••

About Emily Snow

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Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (October 2012, January 2013) and TIDAL (December 2012). She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three.

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Memories of Yesterday Duology by Monica James-Reviews & Giveaway Tour

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MEMORIES OF YESTERDAY Duology by Monica James – reviews & giveaway tour

FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME
(Memories From Yesterday #2)
by Monica James
Release Date: February 28, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 28, 2018

The stunning conclusion to this epic love story that began with Forgetting You, Forgetting Me from International Bestselling author, Monica James.

The truth sets you free…but what happens when everything you believe in changes in the blink of an eye?

All I ever wanted was for my fiancé, Samuel Stone, to remember me. And now that he does…all I want is for him to forget. Through tragedy, I found myself and who I was destined to become. But more importantly, I found who I was destined to be with.

With a single word, Saxon Stone changed my life forever. He taught me how to live again. But now that Samuel remembers and all secrets have been revealed, I’m left to wonder which life I’m meant to lead.

Divided by my head and my heart, I’m torn between duty and desire. Samuel is my past while Saxon is my forever. The choice should be easy.

But love never is…

••••••••••••

REVIEW:  FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME is the second instalment in Monica James’ contemporary, adult MEMORIES FROM YESTERDAY romance duology focusing on Lucy Tucker, and identical twins Samuel and Saxon Stone. FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff-hanger of book one FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME.

NOTE: If you have not read book one FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME there may be some spoilers in my review. (see my review below for book one)

Told from first person point of view (Lucy Tucker) FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME is the continuing story line and love triangle trope focusing on Lucy Tucker, and identical twin brothers Samuel and Saxon Stone. At the end of book one Samuel Stone’s memories return (weeks following a devastating crash) and with it the realization that the woman he loves is in love with someone else. Lucy Tucker, having learned that everything about her life with Samuel was based upon a lie, must face the man she once loved and the truth when his memories return. Falling in love with Saxon Stone meant letting go of the past, but letting go was much harder than anyone could have imagined.

FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME follows in the aftermath of betrayal, not only between Samuel and Lucy, but Samuel’s betrayal of Lucy and, especially that of his twin brother Saxon. There are so many dysfunctional family issues within the Stone family, the heart break and emotional fall-out is almost cathartic but weighs heavily on everyone involved. Lucy and Saxon’s vulnerability is matched by their strength and resolve; Samuel’s betrayal is matched and propagated by his mother’s inability to love her sons equally and without condemnation.

FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME is an angst-ridden, emotional and painful story that will suck the life right out of your soul. The story behind the story will break your heart. The love-triangle trope is destructive and continues to read like a YA romance; disaster and devastation follow in the wake of revelations; second chances come with secrets and lies. In the end, the heart knows what it wants, and what it wants is real love and a happily ever after. Here’s hoping the author has plans for those who lost and have none.

Copy supplied for review

___________________

FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME
(Memories From Yesterday #1)
by Monica James
Release Date: June 26, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 26, 2017

My name is Lucy Tucker, and my life…it was perfect.

I worked the dream job. I had the most incredible family and friends. My home, Whispering Willows, a ranch in Montana, was everything I could ever wish for. My adoring fiancé, Samuel Stone, loved me unconditionally.

I had everything a girl could ever want.

But one fateful event shattered my perfect life. It’s unimaginable how simple, ordinary words can change a person’s life forever. For me those words were, “There’s been an accident.”

I thought Sam was my forever, but that forever came to a close the day Saxon Stone, Sam’s identical twin brother, came back. Saxon returned to Montana to help save Sam, however, the moment he entered my life, he turned my world upside down. But through chaos I somehow found clarity—clarity of who I was meant to be.

As time progressed, as seasons changed, and as a fire began to burn, I soon realized that Saxon was there for another reason…he was there to help save me.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME is the first instalment in Monica James’ contemporary, adult MEMORIES FROM YESTERDAY romance series focusing on Lucy Tucker, Sam Stone and Saxon Stone.

Told from first person point of view (Lucy Tucker) using present day and memories from the past, FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME is a love triangle focusing on Lucy Tucker, her fiancé Samuel Stone, and his estranged identical twin brother Saxon. Hours before his wedding to Lucy, Samuel Stone is hit be a drunk driver leaving him comatose and clinging to life. Lucy knows the one person with the ability save the man that she loves is the last man anyone wanted to see. Enter Saxon Stone, Samuel’s twin brother, and the man with whom Lucy will fall in love. What ensues is the growing love between Saxon and Lucy; Samuel’s change in personality as amnesia continues to take hold; and the fall-out when Samuel’s memories comes flooding back.

Lucy Tucker has only ever loved one man-Samuel Stone. From age sixteen forward, the man she knows as her Samuel has been nothing but flirtatious, kind and loving but without his memories of the woman he loves, Samuel is nothing like the man Lucy remembers. Saxton Stone has been estranged from his family for most of his adult life-never good enough, and always second best-Saxon knew when the time was right he would take off to places unknown but a call from his brother’s fiancé finds Saxon returning to the town and the people that did him wrong.

The relationship between Samuel and Lucy is revealed through memories of the past, and the present day anger filled rages of a man who is unable to remember the woman who claims to know him best. Saxon Stone is a man destined for heart break knowing when his brother regains his memories, Saxon will lose everything-all over again. The love-triangle leaves me conflicted as I have a difficult time with this particular trope-someone will love, and everyone gets hurt.

FORGETTING YOU, FOGETTING ME is a contemporary, adult story line that reads more YA (young adult) and NA (new adult) with the aforementioned trope’s love triangle, uncaring parents, and best friend who’s in love with one of the boys. Interesting in its’ concept, the slow build up of Saxon and Lucy’s relationship is heightened with a confession of assured consequences, and a cliff-hanger that is about to break everyone’s heart. The premise is intriguing and emotional; the characters are broken and lost; the romance is a slow burn, forbidden love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy 

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact ‘A LITERARY PERUSAL’.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

**SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY**
10 paperbacks, 1 winner!
To celebrate the release of my new book, FORGETTING YOU, REMEMBERING ME, I’m giving away 10 signed paperbacks! These amazing authors are coming to the party! Look at this Rockstar Line-up!!
Signed Paperbacks from:
  • Colleen Hoover, Title TBA
  • Anna Todd, Title TBA 
  • Vi Keeland- Sex, Not Love  
  • Mia Sheridan- Winner’s choice (Except the Indie of Archer’s Choice) 
  • Christina Lauren- Roomies 
  • Lexi Ryan- The Wrong Kind of Love 
  • S.C. Stephens- Furious Rush & Dangerous Rush 
  • Sylvain Reynard – Gabriel’s Inferno
  • Monica James- Forgetting You, Remembering Me 
To Enter:
LIKE/FOLLOW: Facebook: www.facebook.com/authormonicajames
Instagram: @authormonicajames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/monicajames81
  1. Tag some friends who’d be interested in this awesome giveaway.

 

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Make Me Want (Make Me #1) by Katee Robert-a review

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MAKE ME WANT (Make me #1) by Katee Robert-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2018

“I want everything.”

She’s taking control. And it’s driving him wild!

Lucy Baudin’s ex did a number on her self-esteem, but it’s time for her to regain control. In her job as a lawyer she’s bold, confident. But in the bedroom she needs inspiration to reawaken her inner seductress. Asking her friend Gideon Novak for help seems wrong…yet so deliciously right!

••••••••••••

REVIEW: MAKE ME WANT is the first instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult MAKE ME erotic, romance series, part of DARE, Harlequin’s new imprint focusing on strong women and the men they love. This is corporate head hunter Gideon Novak, and attorney Lucy Baudin’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lucy and Gideon) MAKE ME WANT follows attorney Lucy Baudin as she becomes desperate in her climb to the top. Up for partnership at the legal firm where she works, Lucy suspects that as a strong, independent single woman she may be overlooked for promotion therefore finding a husband is on the top of her list. Enter her former friend and corporate head hunter Gideon Novak, and the man with whom Lucy will fall in love. While Gideon goes in search of prospective husbands, Lucy has a more personal request of her own-lessons in the art of sexual seduction-from the man himself. What ensues is the building friends to lovers relationship, and the potential fall-out when Gideon realizes he is in too deep.

MAKE ME WANT is an erotic, sexy and edgy story about one woman’s desperate attempts to make partner in the firm, and one man’s need to beg forgiveness for sins of the past. Lucy’s last relationship ended when she discovered the man that she loved was having an affair-a man who was best friend’s with our story line hero. Gideon has always loved Lucy Baudin from afar but lost his chance when his best friend Jeff went in for the kill. Hoping to right a wrong from the past Gideon agrees to help Lucy knowing that in the end, he could lose the woman that he loves.

The relationship between Lucy and Gideon is a friends to lovers romance; second chances of a sort for two people lost in a world of betrayal and hurt. As their lessons in sexual seduction grow more spontaneous and romantic, the predictable is about to happen as Gideon forces himself to walk away believing he is not worthy of our heroine’s love. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense.

We are introduced to Gideon’s partner and friend Roman Bassani, and Lucy’s sister Becka Baudin. Roman’s story line is next in Make Me Crave.

MAKE ME WANT is a predictable story line with a foreseeable fall-out for all concerned. The premise is entertaining; the characters engaging; the romance sexy and hot but I have to question why a powerful attorney would stoop to such an arrangement without considering the possibility of falling in love- the believability is problematic.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

reviewed by Sandy

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. Connect with Katee at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram |

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