Monthly Archives: May 2018

Ace of Hearts (Blind Jacks MC #3) by JC Valentine-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

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ACE OF HEARTS (Blind Jacks #3) by JC Valentine-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

ACE OF HEARTS
Blind Jacks MC #3
by JC Valentine
Release Date: May 24, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, MC, romance

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2J3bldK

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 24, 2018

Being granted a second chance at life and a first time at love was every man’s dream, but for Ace it came with a price.

Ace
By all rights, he should be dead. Serving ten years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit had affected him in ways he couldn’t begin to understand. He’d rolled out of the slammer and into a revenge plot that almost got him killed. By the grace of God, when he’d hit rock bottom, one person reached out a helping hand.

A beautiful redhead with a penchant for mischief took a shine to him and then disappeared, leaving behind only her number scribbled recklessly on his arm. Assuming he can make out all the numbers, he just might have a chance at something amazing.

Barbara
Finally divorcing her narcissistic husband was the best choice Barbara ever made. After living under his control for seven long years, she might have gone a little wild for a minute, what with jumping the hot biker and all. None of that mattered, though, because today was the day she got herself back on track.

After being given the opportunity to excavate a small cache of fossils in a remote area, Barbara is horrified to discover she’s inadvertently led a small team of her archaeology students into danger. When they stumble on a secret dumping site of a vicious serial killer, Ace, the big, handsome biker takes charge. But she may have gotten herself and her students into more danger than even he can handle.

••••••••••

REVIEW: ACE OF HEARTS is the third installment in J. C. Valentine’s contemporary, adult ACE OF HEARTS erotic, MC romance series. This is MC member Jeremy ‘Ace’ Strong, and archaeology professor Dr. Barbara Reynolds’ story line. ACE OF HEARTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some issues for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ace and Barbara) ACE OF HEARTS follows the building relationship between MC member Jeremy ‘Ace’ Strond, and archaeology professor Dr. Barbara Reynolds. Months earlier, visiting her friend Dr. Lynn Snyder at the local ER, Professor Barbara Reynolds found herself face to face with a scarred, tattooed, sexy biker who had been shot in an encounter with a rival MC. Enter Jeremy ‘Ace’ Strond, the man who would turn Barbara’s world upside down. Unable to forget the woman he met, Ace goes in search of our story line heroine only to find himself registered to take one of her archaeology classes in order to get closer to the woman that stole his heart. A field trip to excavate fossils found more than just the petrified remains of animals and bugs, but a dump site for a number of bodies linked to a local gang. What ensues is the building relationship between Ace and Barbara, and the threats and violence against the members of the excavation team who are caught up in a war, not of their making.

Ace struggles with finding his place amongst the Blind Jacks MC after serving ten years for a crime he did not commit. Ever vigilant against the possible repercussions of his time served, Ace finds himself the odd-man out whenever the Blind Jacks must deal with law enforcement, and rival gangs. Barbara Reynolds is recently divorced but that hasn’t stopped her former husband from pushing the boundaries of their non-relationship, With Ace the new man in her life, Barbara discovers just how far her ex is willing to go to get her back.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Sargent-At-Arms Ryder Staunton, and registered nurse Tiffany Stone,
Blind Jacks’ president Darwin ‘Darkness’ Dawson, prospect Cork and his younger brother IT expert Peb, Hickory, Tank, and club wh*re Alyssa; Tiffany’s ex Stuart Chamberlain, Ryder’s parents Ven and Lily, as well as Ryder’s younger sister Rose, an assortment of Blind Jacks members and wanna-be’s, and a number of students who signed up for the archaeological dig. The requisite evil has many faces including Barbara’s ex-husband David Reynolds, the Seven-six and Outlanders MC.

ACE OF HEARTS is a story with graphic language, and text (including references to abuse and neglect) that may not be suitable for all readers. The premise is entertaining that is a little slow out of the gate but picks up quickly as the story line progresses; the romance is provocative and seductive, quick to build including a sexy erotic, first encounter; the characters are tough, spirited and edgy. ACE OF HEARTS is a dramatic, passionate and captivating story line.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Marked for Death
Blind Jacks
Ace of Hearts

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Climbing into bed behind his lovely professor seemed different. At the clubhouse, neither of them felt particularly at home. It was clear that Barbara felt totally comfortable in her own home, though. The strange part was that Ace felt very much at home there, too.
“This is all kinds of weird for me.”
“My house must seem like a tiny doll house to you.”
“It feels more like a warm, safe nest that’s been made enticing by the addition of a beautiful and accommodating woman. I’m feeling a bit like the world’s last dodo bird or something.”
“In that case, we had better start making babies before you go extinct.”
“The last time you said something like that it triggered a little episode of self-loathing.” Pulling the blanket up around them, he murmured reassuringly, “Don’t worry, this time I have my head screwed on straight. I’m intentionally not using a condom and will be trying my best to make ugly little dodo babies with you.”
“You’re so funny.”
Ace frowned. “Why do you want to get pregnant?”
“Fertility stays relatively stable until around age thirty in women. After that, it begins to drop off slightly. Since I gave my marriage a dirt nap, I suppose I’ve been worried about missing my window.” Eyeing him with heated admiration, she continued, “You’re a big, strapping biker. You look like you could get the job done with some swimmers to spare.”
Moving closer, he grinned. “This is like a whole new side of your personality that I’ve never seen.”
Running her hand over his chest, she laughed. “It’s the neurotic and slightly panicking side.”
Jerking his chin for her to give him a kiss, he murmured, “It looks good on you.”
Rather than following his nonverbal communication, she asked softly, “So do you have baby-related secrets to share?”
Reaching out, he wrapped one arm around her and dragged her close. “Sure, but I don’t think you wanna hear them.”
“I do, so cough it up.”
Spanning her stomach with his hand, he said, “I’ve thought about how nice it would be to see my child growing inside you. You’d look really sexy with a baby bump. I’d be one of those obsessed dads who listened to your stomach and told our little princess stories so she’d get used to my voice. Since I don’t know any stories fit to tell a baby, we’d have to go to one of those fancy bookstores and buy some. Maybe we’d get one of those fancy coffees you like so much.”
Her eyes damn near sparkled. “That’s about the sweetest baby secret I ever heard.”
Looking down at his hand on her stomach, he whispered, “I’d have to be really careful, ‘cause I wouldn’t want her to be scared when she saw me for the first time.”

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.

Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB

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The Bashful Bride by Vanessa Riley – a Review

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The Bashful Bride by Vanessa Riley – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM

 

Description:
A friend’s newspaper advertisement for a groom nets the most famous actor in London, Arthur Bex. Shy heiress Ester Croome proposes to elope with the handsome man, who she’s secretly loved for two years, in order to escape an impending engagement arranged by her overbearing family.

Trying to outlive the shadow of his villainous uncle, Bex needs to marry quickly—to a woman of good character. And smart, beautiful Ester fits the bill. But a harrowing trip to Gretna Green and dangerous abolition rallies prove to be a more treacherous stage than either imagined. Infatuation and a mutual love for Shakespeare might not be enough to bind a couple looking to outrun the chains and secrets of family and the past.

 

 

Review:

The Bashful Bride by Vanessa Riley begins with Ester finding out that her father, in order to further his business interests, has arranged her marriage to a known philanderer. Shocked down to her toes, she’s vowed to herself that she will not marry someone not of her own choosing.

Ester accompanies a friend to meet someone who has responded to her advertisement for a prospective groom. Once the two arrive, and see that the respondent is none other than Arthur Bex, actor extraordinaire, Ester’s friend makes it seem to Bex that Ester is the one who placed the ad. Ester discovers that Bex is an abolitionist and is immediately smitten. As they talk, he discovers her plight and the two of them decide to elope that very night.

What neither are prepared for are the repercussions of a white man marrying a Blackamoor woman. But, that’s not the only thing standing in the way of their happiness. Once Ester’s parents discover her deception, Ester is left heartbroken, wondering if she has not only shamed herself, but her family as well. However, when Ester discovers Bex’s past, she has no idea how to move forward. Feeling betrayed, she seeks the guidance of her friends and family, only to discover that things are not as they first appeared..………

The premise of The Bashful Bride is a good one. I liked the overall story. The first half of the book seemed to drag a bit, in my opinion. Some of the conversations between Ester and Bex were almost comical in the beginning and a little over the top. I also thought that there was too much waffling back and forth between the two main characters as to what they each wanted out of their relationship. With all of that said, once the two of them made their way back to London, the story became one that I loved. I really liked both of the main characters as well. The reader can see Ester growing and maturing as the story progressed, even though she was very naïve and sheltered in the beginning. Rex, however, took me a minute to like. Once his back story is revealed, you can see why he does some of the things he does. The secondary characters were engaging, but none more so that Ester’s parents. I’d love to read a prequel that told their story! Even though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. If you’re a fan of regency novels, I encourage you to give this one a try.

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Surviving Girls (Hidden Sins #3) by Katee Robert-a review

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THE SURVIVING GIRLS by Katee Robert (Hidden Sins #3) -a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 29,2018

Twelve years ago, Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson miraculously lived through the notorious Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one of their sisters dead. Still wrestling with the trauma but finally out of the limelight, Lei and Emma are now devoted to helping other victims find closure. But most disturbing for Lei—beyond the gut-wrenching survivor guilt—is that the killer was her boyfriend. He’s behind bars, but she’ll never lower her guard again.

When a copycat killer targets Lei and Emma, FBI Agent Dante Young is put in charge of anticipating the sociopath’s every move. But what he doesn’t expect is his immediate and overpowering attraction to Lei. The closer they get to each other, the more desperate and terrifying the questions become: Who wants to finish what the killer started—and why?
Now Agent Young vows to protect Lei at all costs. If they have any chance of a future together, first they have to stay alive…

••••

REVIEW: THE SURVIVING GIRLS is the third instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINs romantic, suspense series. This is FBI agent Dante Young, and Lei Zhang’s story line. THE SURVIVING GIRLS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. There are no apparent connections to the previous instalments.

NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Dante and Lei THE SURVIVING GIRLS follows the hunt for a serial killer. Twelve years earlier Lei Zhang, and Emma Nilsson were the lone survivors of the Sorority Row Murders but survivors who continue to struggle with PTSD and panic attacks. Living together, off the grid, Lei and Emma hoped to remain out of the public eye but a copycat killer pulls our heroine back into the game as he pointedly targets Lei and Emma with every kill, and threatening call. Enter FBI agent Dante Young, a man whose job it is to take down a killer but a killer who is supposedly serving a life-sentence in prison. What ensues is the search for the killer, and the emotional fall-out as a psychopathic mind continues to taunt Emma and Lei.

FBI agent Dante Young takes an immediate liking to our story line heroine. Lei Zhang is a feisty woman who has suffered at the hands of her former boyfriend, a man who turned serial killer in the blink of an eye. As Dante battles his attraction to Lei, Lei knows it is only a matter of time before her past catches up, and destroys her life, once again. Lei and Emma’s co-dependency upon one another is a psychiatrist’s nightmare, and yet with all of their precautions against an inevitable attack, someone, someway, the evil gets through.

THE SURVIVING GIRLS is not a story of romantic suspense; in fact there is limited romance as our couple keep one another at arm’s length, considering the circumstances of which they are now involved. Katee Robert pulls the reader into a thrilling and suspenseful tale of abduction and murder; a copycat killer who has been stalking our heroine for close to twelve years.

The world building looks at Emma and Lei twelve years after Lei’s boyfriend mutilated and murdered twenty-one of their sorority sisters. As a copycat killer begins to reimagine the murders, the FBI opens a different line of thinking as they consider the possibility of the how and why.

I had a couple of issues with believability. There were some revelations that came out of left field, but such is the nature of a fictional story line.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Devil’s Daughter
The Hunting Grounds
The Surviving Girls

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The One You Can’t Forget (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

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THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren- Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / iBooks / Indiebound

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 5, 2018

Most days Rebecca Lindt feels like an imposter…

The world admires her as a survivor. But that impression would crumble if people knew her secret. She didn’t deserve to be the one who got away. But nothing can change the past, so she’s thrown herself into her work. She can’t dwell if she never slows down.

Wes Garrett is trying to get back on his feet after losing his dream restaurant, his money, and half his damn mind in a vicious divorce. But when he intervenes in a mugging and saves Rebecca―the attorney who helped his ex ruin him―his simple life gets complicated.

Their attraction is inconvenient and neither wants more than a fling. But when Rebecca’s secret is put at risk, both discover they could lose everything, including what they never realized they needed: each other

She laughed and kissed him. This morning she’d melted down. But somehow this man had her laughing and turned on only a few hours later. Everything inside her felt buoyed.

She felt…light.

She’d forgotten what that felt like.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET is the second instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-one year old divorce attorney Rebecca Lindt, and chef Wes Garrett’s story line. THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rebecca and Wes) THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET follows the building relationship between thirty-one year old divorce attorney Rebecca Lindt, and chef Wes Garrett. Rebecca is a survivor, albeit a survivor with physical and emotional scars, and it is these scars that control so much of her life. When Rebecca is mugged on the way home from work, her would-be rescuer is the man she destroyed in court a few years before. Enter chef Wes Garrett, and the man with whom Rebecca would fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Wes and Rebecca, and the potential fall-out as Rebecca believes she is not worthy of a happily ever after.

Rebecca struggles with the guilt and shame of surviving a shooting she blames on herself. From the outside, Rebecca is a successful attorney but looks can be deceiving as our heroine is unable to let go of the past. Rebecca battles her attraction to a man whose own demons may be a threat to their growing relationship, a threat perceived by someone in charge. Wes Garrett lost everything to divorce, a few years earlier, including the restaurant business he no longer owned. Working with at risk-youth, teaching them survival skills in the kitchen, Wes is hoping to one-day open his own curb-side business. Meeting Rebecca Lindt brought with it the painful memories of a time he wished he could forget.

The relationship between Rebecca and Wes begins when Wes becomes our heroine’s knight in shining armor. Their attraction to one another is immediate but Rebecca recognizes our hero as the man she all but destroyed a few years earlier. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET is a story of one woman’s inability to let go of her guilt, and one man’s struggle to move on from the past. The premise is edgy, engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are broken, surviving, colorful and lost.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-THE ONE’S WHO GOT AWAY

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Fifteen minutes. That was how long it took for Marco and Kincaid to abandon Rebecca and Wes in the kitchen under the auspices of Let me show you the view from Marco and Does this building have original details? from Kincaid.
Kincaid had motioned at Rebecca as she slipped out of the kitchen, some invented sign language that probably meant Talk it out with the hot chef but looked more like a drunken game of naughty charades.
Rebecca had promptly flipped her off.
But now here she was. Alone with Wes again.
Wes stood behind the large island, black bandanna keeping his hair back, gray T-shirt putting all that colorful arm ink on display, and forearms flexing as he sliced and diced an onion with practiced precision. If not for the simmering annoyance, it would’ve been a nice show to watch from her spot sitting on a stool on the other side of the counter. But he hadn’t said a word to her since they’d gotten into the condo. Just chop, chop, chop and irritated grunts.
“Do you need any help?” she asked for lack of anything else to say.
“Can you help me murder my brother?”
“I was thinking we could get rid of them both in one go. How far is the drop from the balcony?” Rebecca tapped her chin. “We could make it look like an accident. I know someone who could defend us.”
Wes smirked.
The little break in the wall helped her relax some. “Why’d you give in anyway? I was about to get us out of it. I had a whole argument prepared. There were bullet points. Closing statements. We could’ve saved ourselves this lovely moment.”
He frowned and dumped the onions into one of the prep bowls. “Yeah, but you didn’t see the look on my brother’s face.” He pushed a basket of strawberries and a paring knife toward her. “Can lawyers hull strawberries?”
“Sure.” She took the berries and stole one of his empty prep bowls. “So what kind of look was that?”
“The Don’t ruin this for me look. The Remember all the times I’ve helped you out look. That look.”
“That’s a lot for a look to say.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t hard to get the point. He’s always working and doesn’t get to go out and meet women. He likes your friend, and she seems to like him for whatever reason”—he shrugged and grabbed a bell pepper from the stack of vegetables—“so I’m hanging out with my ex-wife’s lawyer and taking one for the team.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m just having a high school flashback.” Thankfully not the kind she’d had Friday night, but one that was unpleasant enough in its own right.
“How’s that?”
She concentrated on cutting the stem off a strawberry. “I had a friend whose parents would only let her go on group dates. So I always got dragged out with her and had to be the date of her boyfriend’s best friend, who pretty much reminded me every ten minutes that he was there as a favor and was taking one for the team by hanging out with me. It was super awesome for my fifteen-year-old ego.”
“Ouch. What an idiot.”
“Yeah, I should’ve just told her to leave me out of it and sneak out like everyone else.”
“No, I meant him. What a douche.”
“Oh. Yeah. He was.” But even as she said it, she felt a pang of guilt in her gut. Craig hadn’t made it through prom night. So douche or not, she felt guilty talking bad about the dead. “We were just in a doomed-to-fail setup. Popular jock and high-strung goody-goody were not a wise combination. Two different planets and all that. He probably thought I was an insufferable Miss Priss.”
His lip curled. “Were you?”
She lifted her hand and held her index finger and thumb an inch apart. “Maybe a little. I wasn’t…not. When they brought weed to date night, I couldn’t just say no and let them do their thing. I gave everyone a lecture about how long it stays in your system and how having something on your record could ruin your college chances.”
He cringed. “Ahh, you were that girl. We had one of those at my school, too.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “Laney Becker. And she thought I was a douche.”
“Were you?”
He lifted his fingers, repeating her motion back to her but widening the gap further.
“Nice.”
“I probably would’ve done better if I’d been friends with someone like her. I could’ve used a girl telling me not to blow off class and get high. Or doing a lot of other things I shouldn’t have been doing back then.” He tossed more chopped veggies into a bowl. “And I’m sorry about the ‘taking one for the team’ comment. I didn’t mean it that way. This is just…a screwed-up situation. I’m willing to call a temporary let’s-forget-we-have-history truce for today.”
“I’m on board with that.”
“Good.” He frowned down at her chopped berries. “Hold up. That’s not how to hull.”
She looked down at the berry in her hand. She’d cut off the top. The stem was gone. She didn’t see any problem. “What’s wrong?”
He set down his knife and stepped around the island. “You’re wasting a big part of the berry that way. Here.” He held out his hand for the paring knife, and she handed it over. He shifted until he was right next to her and held the fruit in front of her. “The woody part is just under the leaves. That’s what you’re after.”
He poked the tip of the knife right beneath the leaves and then made a circle around the stem. He popped out the stem and only a little piece of the berry, leaving much more of the fruit intact.
“See.” He held the strawberry in his palm, the sweet scent of the ripe fruit wafting up to her. “Lots more berry, and you also don’t lose the shape of the fruit that way.”
“Oh.” She tried to focus on what he was showing her and not on the fact that he was so close and she could feel his body heat against her arm. Her hormones apparently had no qualms about this man. They remembered what his lips tasted like and were ready to ignore everything she knew about him. Stupid, misguided hormones.

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider.

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All Night Long (Man of the Month #9) by J. Kenner-Review Tour

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ALL NIGHT LONG (Man of the Month #9) by J. Kenner-Review Tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 29, 2018

I wear designer suits on my body by day and gorgeous women on my arm at night. Some might call me arrogant, with my chiseled jaw and my dark blue eyes. Add in my money and I can get any woman I want.

Now, I want her.

The night I spent with Selma has lived in my most erotic dreams. And ever since she swept back into my life, with her flashing eyes and delicious body, I want nothing more than to make sultry new memories.

But with an election coming up, and an office I want to fill, it isn’t the right time to get involved with a free-spirited girl with a wild streak. A girl who doesn’t abide by the rules. A girl who could get me noticed in all the wrong ways.

A girl who makes me crazy … in all the right ways.

Now I’m going to have to decide: Walk the straight and narrow? Or have the hottest, wildest affair of my life with the sexiest woman I’ve ever known?

Meet Mr. September –
He’s got the moves to make a woman blush.

Each book in the series is a STANDALONE novel with NO cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA!

••••••••••

REVIEW: ALL NIGHT LONG is the ninth instalment in J. Kenner’s contemporary, adult MAN OF THE MONTH romance, novella series focusing on a fund raiser for the popular Austin, Texas bar known as The Fix. This is thirty-five year old, high-powered attorney Easton Wallace, and micro-distillery owner Selma Herrington’s story line. ALL NIGHT LONG can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary although I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Fix on Sixth, a local Austin hangout and bar, is in desperate need of renovations and a quick influx of cash so a plan is put into motion, by a group of regulars, a plan that includes a Man of the Month calendar competition, a recipe book, and a reality show aimed at rehabbing the bar.

NOTE: ALL NIGHT LONG is a bit of a departure from the series in that most of the events and story line are not directly connected to the Man of the Month competition and celebrations, but focuses on the relationship between our leading couple.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Easton and Selma) ALL NIGHT LONG is a second chance, of sorts, for high-powered attorney Easton Wallace, and micro-distillery owner Selma Herrington. Years earlier, Easton and Selma spent a wild weekend together that ended with Selma walking away. Fast forward to present day, wherein Selma has been offered a hefty price for her micro-distillery. Enter attorney Easton Wallace, the man Selma hopes will negotiate the sale of her distillery, and the man with whom Selma will fall in love.

Easton Wallace has never stopped thinking about the woman who walked away but Easton has plans for his future that do not include a rekindling romance with a spunky one-night stand, plans that could be derailed with every sexual encounter. Not one for relationships, Selma is always expecting the worse, and when the offer to buy comes from a reliable source, Selma makes plans to see the world. Crashing into Easton’s life was completely unexpected, as was the natural pull of their palpable sexual attraction. Sassy and confident, Selma goes for what she wants, and our heroine wants Easton both in and out of the boardroom. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

ALL NIGHT LONG is a quick read; an animated and charming tale about two people struggling with their plans for the future ; the romance is feverish, spontaneous and seductive; the characters are impulsive, dynamic and energetic. Give yourself a break, sit back and enjoy J. Kenner’s Man of the Month series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Down On Me
Hold On Tight
Need You Now
Start Me Up
Get It On
In Your Eyes
Turn Me On
Bar Bites

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

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

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YouTube | Amazon Author Page

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Shadow Keeper (Shadow Riders #3) by Christine Feehan-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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SHADOW KEEPER (Shadow Riders #3) by Christine Feehan-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

SHADOW KEEPER
Shadow Riders #3
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: May 29,2018
Genre: contemporary, adult, erotic, paranormal, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 29, 2018

The paparazzi can’t get enough of infamous bad boy Giovanni Ferraro. But unknown to them–and the women he beds–he’s just playing a role. Keeping the spotlight on himself keeps it off the family business. And if this lethal shadow rider can’t hunt in the dark, he’ll find his pleasure elsewhere…

Sasha Provis grew up on a Wyoming ranch and thought she knew how to protect herself from predators. But in the nightclub where she works, she’s fair game–until one of the owners steps in to protect her. Giovanni is gorgeous. He’s dangerous. And his every touch takes her breath away.

The devil at her heels may have finally met its match

••••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: SHADOW KEEPER is the third instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult SHADOW RIDERS erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on a species of humans- The Ferraro Family- that are able to ‘use and ride’ shadows, to move about in secret. This is Giovanni Ferraro, and cocktail waitress Sasha Provis’s story line. SHADOW KEEPER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Shadow rider male must find his mate –a woman who is capable of riding the shadows-or at the very least with the ability to bear children with the shadow-riding gene. Within the family, the Ferraro siblings are tasked with finding a mate, fated by DNA, who is capable of continuing the family line.

Told from several third person perspectives including Sasha and Giovanni SHADOW KEEPER follows the building relationship between Giovanni Ferraro, and cocktail waitress Sasha Provis. To the public and the paparazzi Giovanni Ferraro is the family playboy, a role he despises since the shooting that left him unable to ‘ride the shadows’ but a role that keeps the spotlight away from the family business. Meeting Sasha Provis, the newest cocktail waitress at the family owned club, pulled at more than our hero’s heart but at their mutual shadows the began to intertwine. When several MMA fighters turned their attentions to Sasha Provis, Giovanni knew he had to protect the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the building and fated romance between Sasha and Giovanni, as the Ferraro family come together to protect one of their own.

Sasha Provis is a feisty, independent heroine who struggles to take care of her elder brother since the car accident that left him a shell of his former self. Alone but well aware of her surroundings Sasha and her shadow will cross paths with her future, a man as dangerous and powerful as he is beautiful. The relationship is intimate, erotic, intense and provocative. There is some light bondage and rope play.

All of Giovanni’s sibling play secondary and supporting roles, as well as a number of cousins, who use the shadows as they work for the family business, meting out justice for those unable to protect themselves. The Ferraro family is a tight-knit, fiercely protective family unwilling to risk the lives of the people they love including those under the protection in the Ferraro territory.

Christine Feehan does an incredible job creating the intricate, and secretive world of the ‘shadow riders’. The premise is intriguing, edgy and energetic; the characters are inspiring and colorful; the romance is seductive and dramatic. SHADOW KEEPER is an engaging, enjoyable and imaginative look at the paranormal.

 

Barb’s REVIEW: Shadow Keeper by Christine Feehan is the 3rd book in her fantastic Shadow series. I love this series, as the premise though paranormal, it is different and fantastic.  Refresher:   Shadow riders have the ability to blend themselves to the shadows wherever they are, making themselves invisible to anyone.  They have been in existence for centuries, with all members of their families trained to use those abilities.  The family runs a legitimate business; they use their ability to help others in need to solve various problems and dispense justice.  They are an extremely powerful and close-knit family that is totally loyal to one another, also protecting the people that in live in their community.

Giovanni Ferraro, our hero, has an injury to his leg, which keeps him from shadow riding.  Instead, he hangs around the family owned nightclub, keeping up his appearance of being a playboy.  He finds himself attracted to the new waitress, but when she overhears him and his cousins fooling around about betting on who gets a woman to seduce them, Giovanni notices her disdain and becomes belligerent; something is never does.  What is it about this girl that has him enthralled?

Sasha Provis, our heroine, works two jobs; during the day at the local deli, and at night at the nightclub.  She needs money to take care of her older brother, who is in a rehab after a serious accident.  Sasha is filling in for someone; she has to cover the upper tier, which consists of famous and rich men.   When three of them go too far, try to rip her top, it is Giovanni who will come to her rescue.   He takes her to the local pizza place to unwind, and apologize for his behavior.  Giovanni knows that Sasha is the one for him, and he can sense that she can do shadows, though she is not experienced in that.

A slow built romance begins, as Giovanni does everything to win Sasha’s trust, and their romance is sizzling hot.  He was a great hero, doing everything he can to help her financially with her brother. Sasha was a wonderful heroine, who loved her brother, though he does not remember her, and she does everything in her power to pay for everything herself, not wanting the Ferraro’s to contribute to the expense.

Shadow Keeper is also a mystery, as to who is trying to break up Giovanni and Sasha, and putting other lives in danger.   This will also bring Sasha and Giovanni closer, as well as indoctrinating Sasha to the Ferraro family.  This was lots of fun to watch her bond with the ladies, and begin to trust all of them.

What follows is an exciting adventure, where both Sasha and Giovanni find themselves under attack, with the entire Ferraro family working hard to find the culprit.   This was also a very sensual romance, as Feehan had a lot of sex scenes between our couple.  The intense pulse pounding story did remain in the forefront, but I did feel that the sex scenes a bit too many.

What I love the most about this series is all the wonderful characters that Feehan has created.  I love all of the Ferraros, and those they fall in love with that join the family.  They are an awesome family, with amazing abilities that make this so much fun.

Shadow Keeper is a captivating, exciting, suspenseful, action packed story, with a wonderful couple that steams the pages.  This is a fantastic paranormal series that you should be reading, and very well written by Christine Feehan.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shadow Rider
Shadow Reaper
Shadow Keeper

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Sasha stared up at Giovanni Ferraro for a long time. He was the most gorgeous, dangerous man she’d ever laid eyes on, and he scared her to death when she’d never been afraid of anything human. She came from the country—a very small town, mostly open country, in Wyoming. Men like Giovanni Ferraro didn’t exist there. She wasn’t a shy, retiring sort of girl. She’d hunted with her father and brother from the time she was about five, although she’d been taught to shoot even younger than that.
Her father believed in teaching his children how to handle and respect firearms. They shot ground squirrels that made holes for the cattle to step in and break legs. The squirrels also attracted snakes that injected venom in the cattle, sometimes killing them. She learned to hunt any predator that might kill and eat their cattle. She had done those things from a very early age.
She had been surrounded by men as she grew up. They were hard-working, good men, all of whom respected women—or at least seemed to. Men who assaulted women to play to cameras or played games for money, she just didn’t get. Giovanni certainly was terrifying in that he was very intimidating, and for the first time in her life she wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
“Do you have a change of clothes here?” Giovanni asked, his voice gentle.
She had almost forgotten her corset was ripped. Both hands flew up to cover her breasts. His jacket was huge on her and she had to hold the lapels closed with one hand. “Yes.” Thankfully she’d arrived in her jeans and T-shirt and changed there. She had done that since she’d gotten the job, still too uncomfortable to come to work in the uniform.
“Go change.” Again, his voice was very gentle, yet there was a soft note of command. “I’m waiting here for you, so don’t think about running off.”
Sasha nodded and hurried down the hall to the women’s employee restroom where she’d left her clothes. It was a relief to get out of his company. There were rumors about the Ferraros. She saw them come and go from her apartment over Masci’s deli. She loved her new home. She especially loved the location. On the ranch, she’d dreamt of living in the city, as teens often did, but she thought she’d never leave Wyoming. She had been certain she would marry a rancher and live close to her parents for the rest of her life.
“Are you all right?” Mary Braiton asked. She was another server and had hired on around the same time Sasha had. She was renewing her lipstick as Sasha hastily took off the torn corset and pulled on her T-shirt.
“Yes.” She wasn’t certain that was the truth. “What is wrong with these people?”
“I have no idea. They’re a different breed, that’s for sure. I totally envied you when Mr. West said you could work that VIP tier. All those hot millionaires sitting up there, just waiting to find a girl like me. All that money to be had. Maybe it would have been worth it to have John Darby and his crew take notice.”
“For money?” Sasha asked, looking at the other woman through the mirror as she tugged on jeans. “You think it would be worth being assaulted, having your breasts exposed to cameras and letting them touch you, for money?”
“Just think about how much you could have if you were his girlfriend, let alone his wife. And Giovanni Ferraro coming to your rescue? That’s the mother lode right there, Sasha. Sleep with him. Get pregnant. Do whatever you have to do to snag him. If you miss, you can always sell your story.”
Sasha slowly straightened. “For money?” She knew she sounded like a parrot, but she couldn’t stop.
“Of course, for money. Why else are you working here? Why do you think most of these women come here? They want a chance at the big payoff, one of the Ferraros noticing them. Don’t you get it, sweetie? Millionaires come here. Celebrities. This is like a huge lottery and you’re throwing your ticket in when you come here. It’s the best place for people like you and me to meet them. If having John Darby rip my top and feel me up in front of a camera gets me noticed, especially by Giovanni Ferraro or one of his brothers or cousins, believe me, I’d pay him to do it.”

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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The Reading Cafe and Christine’s Feehan’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of SHADOW KEEPER to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Torched (Dark Kings #13) by Donna Grant-Release Blitz & Promotion

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Torched (Dark Kings #13) by Donna Grant-Release Blitz & Promotion

TORCHED
Dark Kings #13
by Donna Grant
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, dragons

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 29, 2018

The King of Silvers. Cunning, perceptive, resourceful. Determined. Banished from Dreagan eons ago because of a betrayal that shattered his entire existence, his sole focus in life is to exact revenge against the Dragon Kings. A formidable fighter with centuries of rage on his side, Ulrik will stop at nothing to take down those who exiled him.

He has been alone, trusting no one for thousands of years. Until she walks into his life. He should not yearn for her, but there is no stopping the fiercely burning attraction. When he’s with her, he isn’t thinking of war or revenge. He only thinks about her, craves her. Burns for her. But soon he will be forced to choose: Will he continue on his course of destruction or will he be able to set aside his vengeance to save the woman who risked everything for him.

Get exclusive Ulrik swag!

Donna Grant is celebrating the release of TORCHED by giving away from free swag! All you have to do to get some exclusive Ulrik swag is register your purchase of TORCHED in ebook, paperback or audiobook by June 2nd! That’s it!

Don’t miss your chance to get exclusive Ulrik swag!

http://bit.ly/torchedpreorder

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

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Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts – Review & Giveaway

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Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Sometimes, there is nowhere safe to hide.

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the video-game store tending to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies’ room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone–until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn’t satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait–and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

 

 

Review:

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts is another one her wonderful standalone novels.   In Shelter in Place, Nora gives us an exciting and intense story of the aftermath of a mass shooting at a mall in Portland, Maine.   Shelter in Place was not only an amazing and fascinating story that had me unable to put the book down, but the characters Nora created, most of whom were survivors of the shooting, were simply great; such awesome characters.

At the start, we meet Simone, Mi and Tish, who are bff’s, waiting for a movie to start in the mall, when Simone makes a quick run to the bathroom.  Reed and his friend, Chaz take a lunch break to meet a couple of girls. When Simone tries to go back in the theatre, she hears screaming, and sees someone running out of the theatre dripping with blood; she goes back into the bathroom and calls 911.   All hell is breaking loose, and Essie,  a young cop,  is the first on the scene, trying to help the survivors and find the culprits.

This is the start of an enthralling story of the survivors, and the healing process.  It is also a continuing story of another villain tied to the shooters, who will haunt the survivors over the years.  We follow the main characters, Simone Knox & Reed Quartermaine, their family and friends, over a period of 13 years, as they cope with the tragedy, and try to find a way to go on with their lives.

Reed decides after the tragedy to become a cop and eventually will become a detective and partner with Essie. Together they will work together to keep an eye on all survivors, as over a few years, they notice that one by one the survivors of the shooting are being killed. This will become an obsession with both, and when the villain comes for  Reed, he is shot but returns the fire;  the killer escapes but he now knows who the person is.  But the FBI decides to take control and force them not to be involved, Reed will leave the force and become the Chief of Police of Tranquility Island.

Simone and Mi remain very close, as they still grieve over the loss of their friend, Tish.   Simone is distant from her family, as she does not want to be a lawyer, which the family wants her to be.  Simone is very artistic, a trait she learned from her grandmother, Cici.   Cici is an acclaimed painter, and sort of physic.  She was such a wonderful character, you couldn’t help but love her, as she is the reason that Simone became such a wonderful painter and sculptor; as well as growing up to be such a great heroine.  It is Cici who will bring our heroes, Simone and Reed together. 

I loved Reed, who was always so good and caring to all.  He managed to win over the island residents, as well as his police force.   At the same time, he knows that the killer will be looking for him and Simone sometime in the future, so Reed prepares everyone to be on the lookout.  I also adored Simone, who had a hard time early on, but over the years she used her talent to create wonderful sculptures that touched many people.

What follows is an amazing exciting, intense and pulse pounding story, as the killer comes closer.  Nora created an excellent villain, whom was evil, but who also managed to fool the police over the years.   The exciting climax had me holding my breath, as Reed, Simone and Cici lives were very much in danger. 

Simone and Reed’s romance was slow built over the years, very sweet and they were great together, with Nora perfectly keeping it in the background.

Though Shelter in Place was a different kind of story for Nora Roberts, she mastered it. This was a fast paced thrilling suspenseful storyline, with a group of wonderful characters.  Roberts took a heartbreaking story, and managed to show us how the will to survive, with hope, courage & love can heal us all.  Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Nora’s publisher St. Martinis offering a print copy of SHELTER IN PLACE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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

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8. Giveaway runs from May 28 to June 1, 2018

 

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