Monthly Archives: May 2019

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne-Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaway

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PASSION ON PARK AVENUE (Central Park Pact #1) by Lauren Layne-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE
Central Park Pact #1
by Lauren Layne
Release Date: May 25, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 25, 2019.

the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.

•••••••••••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW:

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is the first instalment in Lauren Layne’s contemporary, adult CENTRAL PARK PACT romance series focusing on three friends: Naomi Powell, Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes-three woman who would discover there were all in a relationship with the same man. This is thirty year olds, successful business-woman Naomi Powell, and architect Oliver Cunningham’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives ( Naomi and Oliver) PASSION ON PARK AVENUE follows Naomi Powell days after the death of Braydon Hayes, a man whose infidelities would bring three strangers together, forming a friendship that would push them closer together. Six months after the death of her mother Danica Fields, millionaire business woman Naomi Powell would be invited to join one of the wealthiest apartment units on Park Avenue-the caveat- it is the same apartment building where her life had spiralled out of control twenty years earlier, when her mother was caught having an affair with the man that she worked for. Fast forward twenty years, wherein, Naomi will come face to face with her past in the guise of thirty year old Oliver Cunningham, the son of the man that destroyed her mother’s life. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Naomi and Oliver, and the potential fall-out as Naomi is reluctant to reveal the source of her animosity towards Oliver and the Cunningham family, a reluctance that is about to blow up in her face.

Naomi Powell wanted retribution for her mother. Six months after her mother’s death, Naomi would discover that Danica Fields put into motion Naomi’s path for revenge, revenge that would stutter when Naomi comes face to face with her childhood nemesis. Oliver Cunningham has no idea why his new neighbor despises the ground upon which he walks. With her unwillingness to reveal the source of her animosity, Oliver can only presume that the woman with whom he is falling in love has suffered greatly at the hands of a previous love.

The relationship between Oliver and Naomi is a frenemies to lovers romance wherein Naomi battles between head and heart knowing that torment and loss her mother suffered at the hands of the Cunningham family. Oliver’s attraction to Naomi is instant but our heroine tries to keep her distance from the man with whom she will fall in love. The lone $ex scene fades to black and is mostly implied.

We are introduced to Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes; Naomi’s assistant Deena; Audrey’s best friend Clarke West; Oliver’s father Walter Cunningham; his caretaker Janice; Oliver’s friend and fellow architect Scott Turner. Claire and Scott’s story line is next in LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE.

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is a story of betrayal; of vengeance; of broken memories, heart break and loss; secrets and lies; forgiveness, romance and falling in love. The premise is captivating and emotional; the slow building romance is sweet; the characters are energetic, colorful and lost.

 

Barb’s Review

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 1st book in her new Central Park Pact series.   We meet our heroine, Naomi Powell, as she attends the funeral of her now deceased boyfriend.  What Naomi finds is that her ex was married, something she did not know.  When she decides to leave the funeral parlor, she ends up in a park and meets two other women; one the wife and the other a mistress.  From that point on, the three ladies will become friends, to help each from making another grave mistake in choosing another ‘bad boy’, and to be there for each other.   I really did enjoy the concept of the three women who actually got past the cheating husband/boyfriend, and turned out to be fabulous friends supporting each other.

Naomi, who is now a very successful entrepreneur, plans on moving to a new fashionable condo, but is offered a different and older condo that has a past that she cannot forget.  Seems Naomi’s mom was a housekeeper for the Cunningham’s a number of years ago, and when it is discovered that she was sleeping with the patriarch, the mother was let go.  They had to struggle for a number of years, and Naomi has never forgotten.   When she decides to move to the Park Avenue condo, she meets her childhood nemesis, Oliver Cunningham (our hero) and the Cunningham father, who now has Alzheimer’s. 

Oliver and Naomi get off the wrong foot, as she keeps her secret who she really is, and he cannot understand why she hates him so much.

Naomi’s coldness to Oliver and his father will slowly evaporate, as she begins to have sympathy for the father, who remembers nothing of when her mother was kicked out.  I did like Naomi, who as a tough, smart and savvy business woman who was determined to rise above the poverty they suffered during her childhood; however, at times I thought she was a bit hard on Oliver, but that changed. I loved her friendship with Claire and Audrey, which was a lot of fun and their camaraderie.   I really did like Oliver, as he was someone who was her equal in being smart and savvy, not to mention sexy. Slowly Naomi’s walls come crumbling down, as she realizes she is falling hard for Oliver, as he is not the 10 year old boy who tormented her.  The sins of the father no longer mattered, especially with his mind gone.

What follows is a slow built enemy to lover’s romance, that will have some hardships along the way.  What will Oliver do when he finds out who Naomi really is?  The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, as she also created some wonderful characters, which makes me want to see more of the other ladies in the future books; which I hear will be Claire’s book. Passion on Park Avenue was a fun story, with lots of charisma. I suggest you start this series.

 

Copy supplied by the publisher

The first thing Naomi had done after the shock of reading that Brayden Hayes was freaking married was to google the crap out of his wife, desperate for an indication that the Times had been wrong about his marital status. That it was a misprint or he was divorced. The paper hadn’t been wrong. There really was a Mrs. Brayden Hayes.
And she, too, had chosen Central Park over Brayden’s funeral.
Nearly even with Claire Hayes now, and with the sunglasses still providing Naomi anonymity, she dared to sneak a look at the other woman out of the corner of her eye.
Brayden’s widow looked pretty much like the picture Naomi had rummaged up online: a thirty-something Upper East Side WASP. Like Naomi, she wore oversize sunglasses, the Chanel logo glinting in a stray ray of sunshine. Naomi’s trained eye pegged the basic black sheath as St. John, and the basic black pumps Louboutins—identical to Naomi’s.
But unlike Naomi, Claire had a genteel poise about her. Like she’d never said darn, much less dropped an f-bomb. Naomi would bet serious money that Claire Hayes didn’t eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese straight out of the pan when she was stressed and that Claire had never been so poor that she’d actually once considered taking home a neighbor’s discarded mattress, bedbugs be damned, simply because it was free.
Claire’s placid expression betrayed nothing as Naomi passed her, the glasses too large to reveal any emotion on her face. For that matter, Naomi wondered if women like her experienced emotion at all. It didn’t seem it. The woman was the picture of calm, except for . . .
Her hands.
Brayden’s widow’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap, the fingers of her right hand white-knuckled around the fist of her left hand. But it wasn’t the subdued pink manicure that captured Naomi’s attention. It was the bright red crescent moons beneath the nails.
Naomi had a lifelong bad habit of acting before thinking, and she did so now, crossing to the other woman and sitting beside her on the park bench.
“That’s enough now,” Naomi said, using her CEO voice, calm and commanding.
Claire didn’t move. Naomi wasn’t even sure the other woman heard her.
Naomi hesitated only for a moment before slowly reaching over and prying the nails of Claire’s right hand away from her left hand. Little streaks of blood were left in the wake.
Claire looked down in confusion, as though just now registering the pain.
“Does that Givenchy have any Kleenex?” Naomi asked, nodding toward Claire’s clutch on the bench.
Claire didn’t move for a long moment, then taking a deep breath, she calmly reached for her purse, pulling out a travel-size package of tissue.
“We’re wearing the same shoes. Same dress, too,” Claire said, dabbing at the blood on the back of her hand with a tissue, using the same casual indifference of one dabbing up a drop of spilled water.
Naomi nodded in agreement, though Claire’s St. John was a knee-length mock turtleneck, and Naomi’s Chloé was a boatneck that hit at midthigh.
For a long moment, neither said anything.
“I’m supposed to be at a funeral,” Claire said, balling up the tissue and dropping her hands back into her lap.
“Why aren’t you?”
Naomi was genuinely curious. She knew why she wasn’t at that funeral. But the widow being a no-show . . . that was some serious Page Six–worthy gossip right there.
Claire opened her mouth to respond but shut it when a pretty young woman with dark brown hair walked past them. Naomi waited for the other woman to pass and, when she gave the brunette a closer look, realized the other woman was walking a bit too slowly, as though tempted to approach. She looked vaguely familiar. Naomi was fairly sure they’d crossed paths at a couple of events, though Naomi couldn’t put a name with the face.
Brayden’s widow, however, could. Claire went rigid beside Naomi, even as she called out to the other woman, “Audrey.”
Unlike Claire and Naomi, the brunette wasn’t wearing sunglasses, and Naomi saw her round eyes go even wider. “You know who I am?”
“You’re Audrey Tate. I did a little digging after you called the house that night,” Claire said quietly. “I know you were sleeping with my husband.”
Naomi’s head whipped around in surprise, and then surprise escalated to shock as she realized Claire wasn’t talking to her.

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Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

Lauren Layne and Simon and Schuster is graciously offering a paper copy of PASSION ON PARK AVENUE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into The Reading Cafe, please refresh the page, at the top of your computer.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from May 28-June 1,2019

 

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Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

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Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository / iTunes / Google Play

 

Description:
Sophie Vasquez runs Puppy Promise, a service puppy training organization. Sophie’s always been treated as the frail baby of the family—a thing she hates but doesn’t know how to change. Until, that is, she meets her newest client.

Harrison Parks is a wildfire firefighter who isn’t allowed back in the field unless he finds a service dog. Reluctantly, he agrees, never expecting to be assigned a skittish Pomeranian and the equally skittish woman who’s supposed to wrangle them both into order. As it turns out, they all have something to prove…and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love.

 

 

Review:

Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore is the first book in her new Forever Home series.  Puppy Love was a sweet, cute and fun story line that revolves around a service puppy training school run by three sisters.  In Puppy Love the youngest sister, Sophie Vazquez is our heroine and she was a blast throughout the book. 

Sophie usually listens to her older sisters, Dawn and Lila, when it comes how to handle placing a puppy to someone who has special needs.  But once Sophie meets Harrison Parks, our hero, she steps forward in handling this case fully on her own. 

Harrison is on leave as a wildfire firefighter and wants badly to get back to work.  He is being forced to get a service dog, who is trained to recognize signs of his sugar getting low, putting him into danger of falling into a diabetic coma.  When he has his sights set on a great Dane, he is surprised to have Sophie turn down that request; especially after he meets the dog she suggests.  Harrison meet Bubbles, a little cute Pomeranian.  First off, Harrison hates the name Bubbles, and the fact he is a small dog; afterall Harrison is a tall and strong hunk, and this small dog would be an embarrassment for him.

The banter between Harrison and Sophie was off the wall from the start, and frankly at times it was hilarious.  But Sophie put her foot down, despite everyone’s feeling that perhaps Bubbles was not right for Harrison.  In a short time, after Harrison take Bubbles home to stay with him, with visits daily from Sophie, he slowly begins to fall in love with the dog, not to mention he is becoming very attracted to Sophie, who usually ends up having the last word.

Sophie comes from a wonderful loving family and is very close to her two sisters; I loved the family and Sophie was a fun, sweet and wonderful heroine.  She had a rough childhood, being treated for a disease and her family always by her side.  Now she is determined to prove her independence, as well as being recognized as a good trainer. 

I loved Sophie with Harrison and Bubbles, as they were so much fun. However, at times I wanted to smack Harrison for his stubbornness; though he knew he was falling in love with Sophie, Harrison did not want to be in a permanent relationship, as he felt his life as a firefighter was all he wanted or needed.  But once our lovable dog goes missing, all bets are off, and in the end love will prevail. Puppy Love was a heartwarming, sweet, and fun story, with a great couple and adorable dog, which was so very well written by Lucy Gilmore.   I look forward to more stories from Puppy Promise and the remaining sisters.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL by Katy Evans-Review & Excerpt Tour

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MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL (Million Dollar #1) by Katy Evans-Review & Excerpt Tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 28, 2019

Heir apparent to her father’s company, Lizzy Banks needs a man. The perfect man. But when the rich “fundbabies” she usually rubs shoulders with prove impossible to hire, she takes a chance on a raw beast of a man salvaged from the wreckage of a bar brawl.

James Rowan earns a modest income as a YouTube daredevil, but he can’t refuse Lizzy’s million dollar deal. As she polishes his rough edges, creating a sophisticated gentleman fit for the highest circles of society, not only does she bring out the perfect man—it’s like she’s making the man of her dreams. How can she resist?

Though Lizzy loves seeing James in his clothes—and out of them—he isn’t the kind of man you bring home to Daddy. Her father’s disapproval and the pressure of the campaign have her eyeing the straight and narrow, but Lizzy’s finding it awfully hard to resist the devil on her shoulder…

•••••••••••

REVIEW: MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL is the first instalment in Katy Evans’ contemporary, adult MILLION DOLLAR erotic, romance series. This is YouTube daredevil James Rowan, and fashion heiress Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Banks’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lizzy and James) MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL follows Lizzy Banks as she is entrusted by her father to hire the new face of Banks LTD men’s clothing line. When all of her options refuse the one million dollar offer, Lizzy goes off-script and hires a man who is famous for his daredevil stunts. Enter James Rowan, and the man with whom Lizzy will fall in love. What ensues are Lizzie’s attempts to ‘clean up’ and build James into the ‘perfect man’ and the fall-out as their relationship becomes fodder for the competition.

James ‘Jimmy’ Rowan works hard to provide for his younger brother since the death of their parents years before. The offer of a million dollars to be the new face of Banks LTD men’s fashion line will set James and his brother Charlie up for a very long time but threats from more than one insider source pull James out of Lizzy’s life leaving a heart broken young woman in its’ wake.

The relationship between Lizzy and James begins as a business arrangement wherein Lizzy has three months to change James from daredevil to the perfect man. We are up close and personal as Lizzy ‘teaches’ James the dos and don’ts of the face of Banks LTD; and James teaches Lizzy how a real man treats the woman he loves. The palpable sexual attraction is steamy and hot. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to James’ brother Charlie; his friend and bartender Luke; Lizzy’s best friend and attorney Jeanine; her father Harold Banks, and Harold’s assistant LB. The requisite evil has many faces.

MILLION DOLLAR DEVIL is a story of opposites attract; a sexy, spicy and flirty romance. The premise is spirited; the characters are energetic; the romance is captivating and sensual.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

There’s a long, almost-empty bar and a couple of customers having nachos and chips and salsa at the tables.But as I walk across the tilting cement floor, every single one of those eyes is on me.

What am I doing here, again?

Oh, right. Probably trying to get myself mugged.

Summoning my courage, I take a middle stool at the bar and tell the bartender, who’s busy watching something on his phone, “Tequila, the finest you have—straight up,” in a gruff voice that I hope makes me sound like I can hold my own, in case someone is eyeing up my purse.

He doesn’t look up, merely smiles down at whatever he’s watching as he pours me something from a bottle called Montezuma and serves with his free hand. What the hell is Montezuma?

Great service. “Um. I said the best you have.”

He looks up at me, finally seeing me for the first time. A frown of annoyance on his lips. “This is the best, princess. Also the only.”

I probably don’t want to upset him, seeing how he has arms the size of tree trunks, covered in tattoos.

I take my shot and guzzle it down. It’s awful, like paint thinner, squeezing tears from my eyes. Whatever. I tap the bar for another. When my curiosity gets the best of me, I ask, “What are you watching?”

“Jimmy.”

“Jimmy what?”

“Jimmy Rowan. The stunt guy on YouTube? He’s going to get killed one day.”

“Hopefully not today.” I frown and peer at the screen as he shows me. “What kind of stunts does he do anyway? That’s so dangerous.”

He tilts his phone in my direction. A guy in a helmet and nylon jumpsuit is throwing himself off an airplane. He’s speaking into the camera saying, “So I was dared to pull the strings fifteen seconds after any sane, normal human being would. So, let’s count down from right about … now.”

My eyes widen, and my insides clutch in concern for the idiot behind the camera.

Fourteen…

The static from the wind makes his voice sound shattered, strained.

“Thirteen.” The bartender is counting.

I watch the idiot continue his free fall as land grows closer beneath him.

“What an idiot,” I mumble, but I’m still unable to take my eyes off the video.

“Five!” the bartender says. I look away.

“Just tell me he lived.”

“Oh, he lives.” He shows me the camera when the guy finally pulls the cord on his chute, and a few seconds later, crashes into the ground. The guy growls, “Ouch,” then starts laughing, a low, rumbly laugh. I can’t help but smile and shake my head.

“And he did this all because…”

“They dared him to. Five hundred bucks.”

“He did all of that? For five hundred bucks?”

“He gets more from the video views. A man’s got to put food on the table.” He eyes me up and down. “Specially when he doesn’t have a trust fund coming to him.”

Shaking my head, I push my empty glass forward. “Bartender. Another drink. Please.”

I’m on my third.

He pours it for me. “Classy guy, that Jimmy.”

“In what dictionary?”

He frowns as he sets his phone back into his pocket and polishes a glass. “Huh?”

“What dictionary would define him as classy?”

His eyes widen as if I’ve just murmured something blasphemous. “Well, maybe not your class. He doesn’t own a Rolls. But around here, he’s royalty. Jimmy hangs out here all the time.” He nods at a dark corner booth situated to the right of the bar. “His office is right over there.”

I see the cluttered tabletop and wonder what kind of man leaves a tripod, camera, and old laptop set up in a bar. He must trust the people who patronize this place. Either that or the patrons fear him.

“Jimmy Rowan will do anything for a dare—he’s a man of honor.”

“If he’d do that for five hundred, what would he do for half a million or more?” I grumble, smiling and shaking my head at the thought. At least I can still smile.

“He’d do anything. What? You offering?” He eyes me with new interest, in kind of a smarmy way, as if he thinks I’m asking to buy his services. Who the heck does he think I am? “Ladies go for him.”

Oh god, he does think that.

“No, thank you very much,” I mutter. “Ladies or women? I don’t think a lot of ladies would go for someone that foolish.”

He raises his gaze past my shoulders. Silence falls over the room, and then the bartender murmurs, “Speak of the devil…”

There’s a loud crash, followed by a ruckus.

“What’s that?” I glance around at the commotion.

The bartender smiles. “Jimmy Rowan.”

I turn my gaze to the door, and my heart skips a beat. The tall, raw-looking sex machine the bartender refers to doesn’t look anything like a Jimmy. The guy is too tall and eye catching and too … well, hot.

 


 

Daredevil Jimmy Rowan Describes His Most Dangerous Stunts

Hey, girl. Jimmy Rowan here. You might know me from my YouTube channel. Yeah, I’m the guy who nearly gets killed on every video. Say what? You want to know how I got started?

Ahh, long story. Maybe for another day. Or a night with some tequila Cuervo handy. The short is, I’m a daredevil. And I’m good at it. So…imagine my shock when prim and proper Miss Elizabeth Banks comes up to me at a bar, a really seedy, not-her-damn-type bar, and offers me a hell of a lot of money to be her ‘perfect’ freaking man.

Kind of wild, right?

All I have to do is wear her suits and act “civil” – whatever that means.

And I’m having a great time just raking her with my eyes.

This woman is all long legs, pouty lips, and looking all business in a business suit that’s just begging to get rumpled.

Definitely what Lizzy wants me to do is a walk in a park compared to some of the stunts I do. I mean. I’ve thrown myself off tall buildings and pulled my chute way, way past the moment when I should’ve.

I’ve crashed motorcycles on top of cars when I tried to leap over them.

I’ve broken a rib or two, and sometimes several at a time, and I’ve got a good number of black eyes, with no help at all from anyone but me.

With Sexy little Lizzy here, there’s no physical risk at all. Not one you could see anyway, except the one that I never really saw coming.

Damn her.

Damn her and her little big million dollar contract.

Damn this sexy, smart, closet-crazy perfectionist just waiting for more than just a sweep off her feet. Oh man, this girl needs a flat out toss to the ground. And I’m the man up for the challenge. What? You’re shocked? Lady, they don’t call me devil for nothing.

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Hey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!

 

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

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Dirty Hearts by Khardine Gray-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

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DIRTY HEARTS (Gangsters and Dolls #1) by Khardine Gray-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway  Tour

DIRTY HEARTS
Gangsters and Dolls #1
by Khardine Gray
Release Date : May 14, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, Mafia, romance

 

ebook ONLY 99¢ or £0.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 14, 2019

Claudius
Rule #1 of being mafia boss- Trust no one.
Rule # 2- Keep your friends and enemies damn close. In the underground world, friends and enemies could be the same thing.
My story started out with a guy who liked a girl. She looked like an angel to him. I was the guy, Ava the angel. But I got caught in a game I didn’t want to play. A game with the devil that destroyed me. My life turned into this world where I got married to her twin sister and Ava hated me. The situation became my weakness when my enemies used it against me, and killed my wife. Ava could have died too so I stayed away from her. It was safer that way. Year in, year out I tell myself the same thing, and I stay away. But the universe had other ideas, and threw her right back in my path. I can’t have her. An angel like her doesn’t belong in the darkness of my world. I know this, except, I’m selfish. I should leave her alone, but I can’t. The problem is …history is repeating itself, and there’s an enemy in my circle. It’s the same game as before and this time losing could get her killed.

Ava
Avoid him…That was the most sensible thing to do. Besides, Claudius wasn’t any old guy. He was the don of the Chicago mafia. Ten years ago, when I’d first met him, I knew the man was trouble, but I didn’t listen. He’d made me love’s fool and broke my heart in so many ways when he married my sister. That was a lesson to learn. So, what was I doing running back into the arms of a man I shouldn’t be with? We were like darkness and light. Different. Too different. Coincidence reunited us, but my heart did the rest. My heart blinded me to sense and logic, and stifled the voice inside that told me to run away. My heart made me selfish…I wanted him for myself. I knew I shouldn’t be with him, but I couldn’t leave him alone. That very thing could be my downfall. This isn’t like any other second chance romance you’ve read before

••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY HEARTS is the first instalment in Khardine Gray’s contemporary, adult GANGSTERS AND DOLLS erotic, Mafia romance series-a spin off from the author’s THE ACCIDENTAL MAFIA QUEEN series. This is thirty-eight year old, Chicago Mafia Don Claudius Morientz, and thirty-one year old, chef Ava De Luca’s story line. DIRTY HEARTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous series is revealed where necessary. Caudius was first introduced in The Accidental Mafia Queen.

NOTE: DIRTY HEARTS contains scenes of graphic violence that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Claudius and Ava) DIRTY HEARTS is a second chance story line focusing on thirty-eight year old, Chicago Mafia Don Claudius Morientz, and thirty-one year old, chef Ava De Luca. Ten years earlier Claudius Morientz fell in love with Ava De Luca; two years later their world fell apart; another year would pass wherein Ava’s twin sister would be murdered in retaliation against the Chicago mob leaving Claudius and Ava struggling to move beyond the who, how and why. Fast forward to present day, at which point, Claudius continues to protect the only woman he has ever loved, a woman who will once again become the target of Claudius’ enemies. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Claudius and Ava, and the potential fall-out as Ava becomes collateral damage in a world ruled by ruthless tactics, guns, murder and vengeance.

Claudius has never stopped loving Ava De Luca. Having married her twin sister for sins of the past, Claudius struggles with what happened and why. Ava never knew the real reason behind Claudius’ betrayal, a betrayal that would once again destroy Ava’s heart, only this time directed at her deceased twin. As Claudius’ enemies draw near, our ‘hero’ battles between head and heart in an effort to protect the woman he loves, protection that comes with betrayal and revenge.

The relationship between Claudius and Ava is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between two people destroyed by power, control, manipulation and jealousy. The sexual attraction is palpable; their chemistry is steamy and hot. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Ava’s best friend and business partner Kelly. We are reintroduced to Claudius’ protection detail known as The Four: Dante, Gio, and brothers Jude and Alex; Claudius brother Lucian and Amelia (The Accidental Mafia Queen), and their father, former Don, Marcus Morientz. The requisite evil has many faces.

DIRTY HEARTS is story of family, friendship, betrayal and loss; of vengeance, hatred, resentment and rage. The premise is gritty and raw; the romance is passionate and seductive; the characters are colorful, dynamic, charismatic and strong.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE ACCIDENTAL MAFIA QUEEN Series.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

P R O L O G U E
Claudius
&
Ava

Claudius

I usually did what I wanted. As I damn well pleased, never caring what people thought.
After all, I was Claudius Morientz, now the new leader of the Chicago Mafia.
Proud owner of everything. A billion-dollar fortune inherited from the great Raphael Rossi. I got the business and everything that came with it.
Money and power.
Yes, I had it all.
I had everything… Except the girl.
This day was always bad. It always felt the same no matter how much time passed.
This day always got to me. It got to me because it was a yearly reminder of what I’d lost, and what I couldn’t have.
I stood in the bell tower of the church overlooking the grave site. My wife’s grave site. My wife, Marissa. Kneeling next to the grave was Ava. Her twin sister. And like every other year, I did the same thing. Cemetery first thing in the morning. Then stay in the shadows of the bell tower watching Ava and her family mourn. Stay in the shadows watching Ava spend those last few moments with her sister after her parents left. Allowing and respecting her time to be alone with the one person who’d
shared everything with her.
I must have been a hundred feet away, but I could see the sadness in her. I could feel it. I could almost touch it. Sadness and confusion. Sadness for her loss and confusion over what had really happened.
What had happened to us.
Mine was a story that I was certain would confuse the shit out of a lot of people.
It confused me sometimes. One thing was certain though.
My feelings for her had never changed.
The sun was low, and the place had that feel about it. That feeling of anticipation.
Ava stood up and looked around. I knew she could sense me. It was almost like magic. There was a time when I’d look at her and I didn’t have to say anything. She’d know what I was thinking. She was the only woman to truly tame the beast in me.
The only woman to reach that place in my soul and make me want to try to be anything other than I was. The standard mobster who was ruthless to the bone.
It was happening now. The lure of her. It grew stronger the more she looked around.

Ava
I was sure he was here. I could feel him.
Claudius.
He’d always leave a single white rose on Marissa’s grave.
Always before anybody else came. Ma and Pa would bring dahlias. I’d bring lilies. The pink Calla lilies Marissa had loved so much.
The minute I saw the rose, I knew he’d been here, and I knew he still was. My parents and I got here an hour ago. Like always, I’d asked for time alone. Time to grieve and talk to my sister. But admittedly, I wanted this time to feel him too. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t accept the truth of the matter.
His presence was so strong, he could have been standing before me.
And there was the confliction that would always fill my soul.
What was I supposed to think after the last time?
What was I supposed to feel?
Nothing?
It was simple. I knew the answer was simple. I needed to forget. That was it. Forget.
A person couldn’t keep living in the past. Worse when all the memories were just figments of what my heart wanted.
Forget everything and move on. Not just from four years ago when Claudius and I had last seen each other. It needed to be the whole thing. The whole damn thing from start to finish.
Us, before him and Marissa.
Forget it like it never happened.
I needed to forget him. It was making me feel like a hypocrite.
How was I supposed to grieve for my sister and at the same time fight the inner turmoil that roiled within me for her husband?
It sounded like a colossal mess.
One damn mess that no one could really fix. I looked around for him, and my stupid heart betrayed me as I thought of last time.

Last time was a mistake. I shouldn’t have…
I just shouldn’t have gone there again with her, but I did. I didn’t regret it. I just hated that I fell prey to my selfishness. It made the situation so much worse and confusing.
More confusing for her.
More painful for me.
I didn’t know how I stayed away for so long, but it was for the best. It was torture to see her, torture to be with her, torture to think that we could be more than we were right now.
She should hate me.
She should at the very least hate me because it was my fault her sister died. Everyone could tell me I shouldn’t blame myself, but it was my fault.
Four years ago, I was selfish. I changed things up and made the situation messier than it already was. I needed to stay away from her.

I hated what happened, and I should hate him for crushing my heart. But mostly, I wished he wouldn’t stay away.
“Claudius… why do you still do this to me?” I whispered against the cool breeze that rustled through the willow trees. It lifted the ends of my hair, pushing the white blonde strands to the black velvet sleeves of my dress.
I looked ahead to the old bell tower on the top of the church and brought my hands up to my heart.
My heart was breaking again, and I really needed to move on.

Some things were best left alone. Forever.
She was one of them.
As she looked ahead to where I was, we could have been staring right at each other.
I hoped she hated me. It would be easier. I’d put her in danger once before, and it nearly cost her, her
life.
It was better this way.
She’d be safer.
Better to hate me and live than for her to love me and die. I was a selfish man, but I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Not with her.
Once was enough.

Khardine Gray is a contemporary romance author who lives in England with her husband, two kids, and three crazy ferrets.

She is well traveled, cultured, and a woman with a passion for dancing and ice skating.

When not writing you can catch her shopping, indulging on pizza and hot chocolate, or hanging out with her family and friends.

No need to spend money on an airline ticket. Simply pick up one of Khardine’s books to become immersed in the fascinating stories and characters she creates.

Website* Newsletter* Facebook* Facebook Group* Twitter* Bookbub * Amazon* Goodreads

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Desperate Measures (Wicked Villains #1) by Katee Robert-a review

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DESPERATE MEASURES (Wicked Villains #1) by Katee Robert-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 25, 2019

My Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice. Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: DESPERATE MEASURES is the first instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult WICKED VILLAINS romance story line-an erotic retelling of Aladdin. This is twenty-five year old Jasmine Sarraf, and Jafar’s story line.

WARNING: DESPERATE MEASURES contains scenes of M/F and F/F sexual situations, discipline, bondage, sex club acts, and questionable consent, that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person points of view (Jasmine and Jafar) DESPERATE MEASURES follows in the wake of Balthazar Sarraf’s murder, a murder that resulted in his second in command, Jafar, taking over the family business including ownership of Balthazar’s daughter Jasmine Sarraf. Jasmine Sarraf has lead a sheltered life; a princess in a gilded cage where she had no rights, no privileges, and no freedom. From one prison to another, Jasmine enters into an strained, erotic relationship with Jafar, the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Jafar and Jasmine, and the potential fall-out as Jasmine struggles with her place in Jafar’s life; and the possibility that she will go from prisoner to slave when her father’s enemy demands payment in full.

DESPERATE MEASURES is a highly sexual, erotic look at a Dom/sub relationship; an enemies to lovers romance between two people who have lusted after one another for a number of years. A story of power and control; of betrayal and revenge; of discipline, threats, domination and rule. Jasmine calls Jafar ‘Daddy’, and discovers that she is more at home in the sex dungeons than she could ever imagined.

Copy supplied for review

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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Sweet Wild of Mine by Laurel Kerr – a Review

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Sweet Wild of Mine by Laurel Kerr – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Love runs wild at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo…

In a bid to revitalize his career, bestselling author Magnus Gray has come to Sagebrush Flats to write about the local zoo’s latest rescue–an orphaned baby polar bear. But Magnus dreads the drama of small towns and is bullishly determined to keep to himself.

June Winters is a people person, and delights in welcoming Magnus to Sagebrush Flats, though it seems unlikely she can get the handsome stranger to crack a smile. Then a mishap with an open gate forces Magnus and June to deal with a stampeding flock of fainting goats, an adorable but clingy polar bear cub, a cranky pregnant camel, and two star-crossed honey badgers. Never mind small town drama–the lively animals may just convince these two that opposites really do attract…

Where the Wild Hearts Are Series: 
Wild On My Mind (Book 1)
Sweet Wild of Mine (Book 2)

 

 

Review:

Sweet Wild of Mine by Laurel Kerr sounded a fun read….. This is the second book in the her Where the Wild Hearts Are series, I haven’t read the first in this series, but I don’t think it really matters. 

Magnus is a best selling author, but he’s hit a block, so in an attempt to appease his publisher and maybe to inspire a new book. He’s helping in a zoo, writing a piece on a rescued orphaned baby polar bear. 

He’s not a people person, he doesn’t do feelings, he’s a loner and likes it that way. So when a bossy woman at the zoo starts to talk to him, at first he isn’t bothered, nor is he interested. But there is something about her, and the more time he spends with her, the more he begins to like her. 

June is the best friend of Katie (the heroine in book 1, Wild on my mind) June runs her nana’s tea shop in the small town of Sagebrush Flats, she makes jams, and is also dealing with her nan’s mental deterioration.  June is used to being in charge, she manages everyone and everything around her. She’s doesn’t take no for an answer, and she assumes she’s always right. 

It was a nice read. For me, I just didn’t feel the connection between Magnus and June.

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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WARLORD (Outcasts #5) by Cyndi Friberg-a review

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WARLORD (Outcasts #5) by Cyndi Friberg- a review

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 4, 2019

When Shivon Roxtin tries to incite a rebellion among the human females on the Outcasts’ planet, she’s sent to the Relentless. The ship’s commander, Warlord Torak Payne, thrives on challenge, so he’s looking forward to taming the fiery human. Still, war with the Sarronti is creeping ever closer, and the last thing he needs is an unruly mate. Tempers flare, and sparks fly from the moment the couple first meets. Their battle of wills is quickly surpassed by their consuming need for each other, but can they channel the emotional intensity into something constructive before they’re consumed by the flames?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: WARLORD is the fifth instalment in Cyndi Friberg’s OUTCAST sci-fi, fantasy romance series. This is human female Shivon Roxtin, and Warlord Torak Payne’s story line. WARLORD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: The humanoid aliens known as Rodytes needed a home and settled on two planets they believed were uninhabited. Without any available mates, the male only Rodytes sent teams of Outcasts to kidnap any and all human females in an attempt to repopulate and find mates for their struggling males but procreation came at a price including the need for genetically matched DNA, a mutual metamorphosis, and magical intervention. A test for compatibility is filed and there may be as many as five males matched to a single female DNA. Outcasts were battle born; their mothers were Bilarrian prisoners forced to breed, with their Rodyte captors, in the hopes of restoring magic to the Rodyte people. To complicate matters, the planet they now inhabit hides a secret deep beneath the planet’s surface, a secret that is determined to take back what once belonged.

Told from several third person perspectives including Shivon and Torak WARLORD follows the building relationship between fated mates human female Shivon Roxtin, and Warlord Torak Payne. Shivon Roxtin found herself part of a group of rebels struggling with their place on the planet OP3- a group of unmated females who have yet to be matched with a compatible member of the Rodyte male population. Hearing that many of the females would rather return to their home planet of Earth, Overlord Kage Razel places Shivon in a position that will bring her face to face with her fated male. Enter Warlord Torak Payne, the man with whom Shivon will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Shivon and Torak, and the potential fall-out when Shivon ‘volunteers to work along side her future mate in an effort to ferret out information from the enemy below.

Shivon Roxtin is a warrior at heart; a former interrogator with the US military who is struggling with the lack of positions for females on the planet she is about to call home. Torak Payne knows Shivon Roxtin is his fated mate but convincing Shivon to place her trust in Torak is met with trepidation and the possibility that working together threatens Torak’s need to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love.

Meanwhile Ezalondra ‘Eza’ Alonov, a Council member of the underground Sarronti, will come to the surface in an effort to align with the invaders known as the Outcasts. Meeting Kage Razel sparks something deep within Eza Alonov, something worth risking her own life in return for that of her imprisoned nephew Farlo.

The relationship between Torak and Shivon is one of fated mates; a genetic match based upon DNA but a match that Shivon struggles to accept based on past experience, and a lifetime of hardship and rejection. Hoping to prove Shivon is worthy to be his mate, Torak begins a slow seduction of the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Torrin and his mate Arrista, Arrista’s sister Merella, mistress Lady Isolaund, and Farlo Alonov.

The world building continues to focus on the search for mates; the political structure of the Sarronti Underground; and the preparations for battle with the enemy below.

WARLORD is a story of conflict and authority; struggle and acceptance; trust, honor, respect and love. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the romance is seductive and energetic; the characters spirited and strong. WARLORD is a wonderful, fast paced and captivating entry into Cyndi Friberg’s OUTCAST series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Heretic
Marauder: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /
Tracker: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N
Assassin
Warlord

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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MILES (Savage Kings MC #8) by Lane Hart & DB West- review

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MILES (Savage Kings MC #8) by Lane Hart & DB West- a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 18, 2019

Who could ever fall in love with a cold-blooded killer like me?

The answer is no one.

That’s why I’m giving up trying to find a woman who wants me for more than one rowdy night. I’m determined to find a wife instead.

If I buy a mail order bride, then she’ll have no choice but to stick around. Besides, I have plenty of money to spend thanks to all the successful Savage Kings MC legal and outlaw enterprises.

Kira’s the perfect woman, and she’s just as eager as I am to tie the knot. I didn’t ask why she needed half a million dollars; and honestly, I didn’t really care.

Maybe I should have.

A few weeks after Kira becomes my wife, I find myself in the middle of her family’s fallout with the Russian mafia.

When I shoot first and ask questions later, I unknowingly drag the entire MC into the crossfire.

Now the Russians are pissed and are out for blood. But they’ve screwed with the wrong man this time.

The Kings will do whatever it takes to protect their own, no matter the consequences.

And now that Kira is mine, I’ll gladly kill anyone who tries to hurt her.

••••••••••

REVIEW: MILES is the eight instalment in the contemporary, adult SAVAGE KINGS MC erotic, MC romance series co-authored by Lane Hart and DB West. This is thirty-four year old, former US Marine sniper and MC member Miles Taylor, and twenty-three year old Kira’ story line. MILES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s OUT OF THE CAGE series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kira and Miles) MILES follows the ‘mail-order bride’ in exchange for money between thirty-four year old, former US Marine sniper and MC member Miles Taylor, and twenty-three year old Kira. Miles is lonely, and his desperation for a wife or significant other grows with each new relationship in the Savage Kings MC. Finding an available bride on line brings Miles up close and personal with a twenty three year old woman named Kira, a woman who is desperate to pay down her father’s debt to the Russian Mob. What ensues is the building but fractured relationship between Miles and Kira, and the potential fall-out as the mob targets Miles and the Savage Kings MC.

Miles Taylor battles with sins of the past, and believes no woman will accept the darkness within. Completely oblivious as to the how and what of a long-term relationship, but fiercely protective, Miles struggles as a husband and partner to the woman with whom he will fall in love. Kira only wants to help her struggling parents but a debt owed to the Russian Mob finds our heroine caught between her head and her heart. Never expecting to fall in love, Kira is suddenly thrown into the world of the Savage Kings MC when the mob demands more than her father can afford.

The relationship between Kira and Miles is one of immediate attraction but a relationship based upon desperation and lust. Miles has no idea how to be a husband or provider; Kira struggles with the possibility of a loveless marriage to a man she doesn’t know. Their lack of communication and misunderstanding is inevitable and heart breaking. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including many of the previous storyline couples. We are introduced to Kira’s parents: and Ivan (Out of the Cage #2), head of the East Coast Irish and Italian mafia.

MILES is a story of family and blood; of desperation and vengeance; of loneliness and longing. The premise is energetic; the characters are dynamic ; the romance is spicy and spirited. MILES is dramatic and passionate story in the Savage Kings MC series.

Reading order and Previous Reviews
Chase
Abe
Torin
War
Maddox
Kings Road (prequel)
Dalton
Reece
Miles

Copy supplied by Booksprout

Reviewed by Sandy

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