Monthly Archives: December 2020

The Duke’s Dove by Lauren Smith – a Review

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The Duke’s Dove by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

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Description:
A duke with a broken heart discovers he has one last chance to win back the woman he loves on Christmas Eve…

Nathan Powell, the Duke of Hastings broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved when he ended their engagement in order to save her family. He demanded one promise of her…that she marry another man and live a happy life. Now he’s desperate to avoid marriage to someone else at all costs. When his younger brother tricks him into attending a Christmas Ball, he discovers his beloved Thea will be there.

Thea Swann has plenty of problems, with six unmarried younger sisters to keep in line, she doesn’t worry that she’ll run into the reclusive duke that stole her heart eight years ago. But when she comes face to face with Nathan, and he begs her for just one dance…she wonders, will he steal one last dance, one last kiss before walking away forever and taking her broken heart with him?

 

 

Review:

The Duke’s Dove by Lauren Smith is a lovely novella for Christmas! What a perfect love story for the Christmas season.

Nathan Powell, Duke of Hastings was in love eight years ago. However, he wasn’t quite the Duke then. His father said no when he told him he wanted to marry Theodosia Swann. His father threatened to ruin Mr. Swann and his family if he wasn’t obeyed. So, Nathan had to break his own heart as well as that of the only love he’d known.

Eight years later, he planned to attend a ball at the home of an old friend. He didn’t do social things much, but it was almost Christmas and he couldn’t turn down the invitation. He’d make Thea promise him years ago that she’d forget him and find love again, living a happy life he couldn’t give her. He assumed she’d kept her promise, and she was too lovely not to, or so he thought.

When the inevitable happened and they met again, it was as if time had stood still. He loved her so much and couldn’t help himself.

Pick up a copy of this lovely read and enjoy yourself immensely. What a wonderful story to cuddle up with for an evening. Author Lauren Smith has done it again, just in time for the holidays.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy supplied for review

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How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams – a Review

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How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams – a Review

 

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Description:
One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university’s chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she’s finally living again.

 

 

Review:

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams is a romantic stand alone novel.  We meet Naya Turner, our heroine at the start, as she is concerned that she may lose her job. Naya is a Professor close to tenure, who leads a math department that educates teachers on student training.  Her department could be dropped; she is a workaholic, and dresses more on the frumpy side.  When Naya has dinner with her married friends, Felicia and Aaron, they put pressure on her to start living her life again, and to make a list of things she needs to do.  Naya had broken up with her ex abusive boyfriend a few years ago and lives an introverted lifestyle. 

In order to check things off of her list, she decides to go to a bar, and meets a charming stranger, who offers her a drink (one of things on her list).  Jake Shaw, is in Chicago, attending a wedding/meeting and finds himself enjoying the company of a beautiful and shy young lady, and they decide to go out for ice cream and get to know each other.  Of course, they do not tell each other their last names.  The fun begins as Jake constantly texts her and wants to go out on a date.  The bantering between them was sweet and fun, with Naya slowly gaining more confidence as she starts seeing Jake. Right from the start, I loved Jake and Naya together, as they made a perfect couple, and their chemistry was off the wall.

Problems arise when Naya learns that Jake is part of a group that is helping the University calculate what changes need to be made in all the departments.  At first Naya worries that It will harm her, if anyone finds out about her relationship with Jake, but he convinces her otherwise.  She is also appalled that her ex is friends with the University President, and he threatens her that he can help or harm her.

What follows is a wonderful, fun, emotional and steamy romance, with a fantastic couple we quickly fell in love with.  Naya was a fabulous heroine, who fell hard for Jake, but at the same time was concerned for her reputation if people would find out before the decisions would be made.  I thought Jake was great, and he was so caring and loyal, not to mention very sexy. To tell too much more would spoil the fun of this engaging romantic story.  How to Fail at Flirting was a delightful engaging story, so very well written by Denise Williams.  I fully suggest if you enjoy pure romances, that you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Wedding Date (Dating 6) by Monica Murphy-Review Tour

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Wedding Date (Dating 6) by Monica Murphy-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2020

Kelsey Phillips is over the dating scene.

All that time and energy perfecting your profile and taking just the right picture and articulating exactly what you’re looking for, only to get the same sleazy propositions? No thanks. She’s doing just fine on her own, so there’s no point in a fruitless hunt for “the one” that doesn’t exist.

Besides, she already has the perfect man in her life. Theo is the type of friend who’s always there for a laugh, a hug, or a drink– and no propositions.

So when he somehow manages to agree to be a groomsman in his ex-fiancée’s wedding to his cousin, the least Kelsey can do is be his date.

But why stop at doing the least?

Pretending to be in a relationship is easy. They already know everything about each other. And it sure isn’t hard to fake attraction to a guy as gorgeous as Theo. Soon enough, the only pretense left is that they haven’t fallen for each other for real… and the very small matter of the secret Kelsey’s been keeping. Can a fake relationship survive this real revelation?

•••••••

REVIEW:WEDDING DATE is the sixth and final instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, adult erotic, romance DATING series focusing on a tight knit group of friends. This is thirty-three year old, investment manager Theo Crawford, and twenty-seven year old PA Kelsey Phillips’ story line. WEDDING DATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Several characters from the previous instalments cross over for familiarity.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kelsey and Theo) WEDDING DATE follows the friends to lovers relationship between thirty-three year old, investment manager Theo Crawford, and twenty-seven year old PA Kelsey Phillips. Several months earlier, Theo and Kelsey were set up on blind dates only to have their respective matches fall in love with one another. Having just discovered his fiancé in bed with his cousin Craig, Theo struggled in the aftermath but found himself in a friendly relationship with our story line heroine. An invitation to his cousin Craig’s wedding to his former fiancé Jess, means Theo needs a plus one in an effort to prove he has moved on with someone else. Enter Kelsey Phillips, the woman with whom Theo will fall in love. What ensues is the fake boyfriend/girlfriend relationship between Kelsey and Theo that quickly turns into something more, and the potential fall-out as Kelsey has a secret that is about to be revealed.

Kelsey Phillips is a strong-willed, confident and sexy heroine who doesn’t do relationships and refuses to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room-her attraction to our hero Theo Crawford but when Theo struggles with the invite to his ex-fiance’s wedding, Kelsey steps up to make sure Theo has her support including the benefit of a girlfriend to his cousin’s wedding. Theo Crawford was quickly falling in love with Kelsey, and knew she was the woman that called to his heart but Kelsey was keeping a secret that was going to destroy any semblance of a happily ever after, and in this, Theo struggled with perceived betrayal, and the potential loss of the woman he loved.

The relationship between Kelsey and Theo is a friends to lovers, fake boyfriend /girlfriend relationship in which our couple are quick to fall in love. Kelsey is the one to push Theo into accepting his ex-fiance’s wedding invitation, and in this Kelsey is going to ensure Theo has moved beyond his heart break and pain. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters most of whom we have me in previous story lines. We are introduced to Theo’s siblings: Max, Mason, Camden and Ali, as well as their parents Patricia and Jim. I am hoping the author has plans for a Crawford siblings series.

WEDDING DATE is a story of friendships, relationships, family and love. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is flirty and seductive; the characters are energetic and fun. I will add I thought the ending was rather abrupt-I am thinking there are more stories to tell !

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Save the Date
Fake Date
Holidate
Hate to Date you
Rate a Date

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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Hard to Hold (Play Hard 2) by K.Bromberg-Review Tour

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Hard to Hold (Play Hard 2) by K.Bromberg-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2020

The contract with Major League Soccer was supposed to help repair my damaged reputation.

Then I discovered that I’d made a deal with the devil: the player I’m supposed to recruit is none other than the bad boy, star Premier League footballer, Rush McKenzie.

British. Tattooed. Sexy. A man currently at the center of a huge scandal.

The goal? To convince him to stay in the States.

But what’s wrong with a little fun in the meantime? No strings. No sweet nothings. Just a way to pass the time while we’re both struggling to prove our true selves to the world.

If someone found out our relationship was anything more than professional, it would only serve to prove all our critics right.

***

I never should have agreed to take the fall.

But I did and I’m a man of my word.

Even if it means risking everything I’ve worked for.

The only bright side is Lennox Kincade.

Gorgeous. Defiant. Rumor-tainted. Totally off-limits.

Sharing a house with the gorgeous sports agent should have been a fun distraction from the turmoil. Someone to help pass the time while the tensions back home die down.

But what started as nothing, ends up as something I never saw coming.

•••••••

REVIEW: HARD TO HOLD is the second instalment in K.Bromberg’s contemporary, adult PLAY HARD erotic romance series focusing on the Kincade sisters-sports agents who work for the family owned Kincade Sports Management (KSM). This is UK soccer (footballer) Rush McKenzie, and sports agent Lennox Kincade’s story line. HARD TO HOLD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lennox and Rush) HARD TO HOLD follows the building romance and relationship between American sports agent Lennox Kincade, and British soccer star Rush McKenzie. Rush McKenzie is currently hiding in America following a sporting scandal that could all but destroy his burgeoning career but Rush would quickly discover that the American MLS (Major League Soccer) is scouting our hero using sports agent Lennox Kincade, a former pageant beauty who works for her father’s KSM agency. All is not quite what is seems when it comes to Lennox Kincade, and in defiance of her family’s wishes, embarks on a solo mission when Major League Soccer contracts our heroine to ‘seduce’ one of the UK’s most notorious stars. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Lennox and Rush, and the potential fall-out as Rush’s time in America comes to a close.

Lennox Kincade struggles with her position within the family and at KSM. Believing she isn’t worthy, and the family is judging her based on prior performance, Lennox finds herself adrift, accepting a contract that is about to place our heroine in a precarious position. Rush McKenzie is currently hiding from a PR nightmare, a nightmare not of his making but a debt owed, has to be paid, and Rush becomes the fall-guy for a teammate whose personal life is about to implode.

The relationship between Lennox and Rush is one of immediate attraction but Lennox knows Rush is only in America to hide from the world but refuses to talk about what happened or why. With issues of trust beating at our story line couple, Lennox struggles to believe she is worthy of love, and Rush battles with the pull between Lennox, and his career back home. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Lennox’s sisters- Dekker Kincade and Hunter Maddox (Hard to Handle #1), Chase, Brexton, and their father Kenyon Kincade; Rush’s teammate Rory Matheson; rival sports agent Finn Sanderson; head of MLS Cannon Garner, and Lennox’s best friend Johnny.

HARD TO HOLD is a story of family and friendships, betrayal and revenge; secrets and lies, seduction, commitment and love. The premise is compelling and captivating; the romance is steamy and provocative; the characters are animated and charismatic. HARD TO HOLD is a wonderful addition to K.Bromberg’s Play Hard sports romance series.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one HARD TO HANDLE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, K. has sold over one million copies of her books and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times.

In April, she’ll release The Player, the first in a two-book sports romance series (The Catch, book 2, will be released late June), with many more already outlined and ready to be written.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media or sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on all her latest releases and sales HERE

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author | Driven Group

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Man in Love (Man in Charge 2) by Laurelin Paige-Review Tour

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Man in Love (Man in Charge 2) by Laurelin Paige-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 24, 2020

Scott Sebastian is a liar.

Fitting, since I’m a liar too.

Yet there’s no place for me in his glittering world of half-truths.

With all our secrets in the open, I should stop trying. What I’ve learned should send me running far away. I can’t keep pining for a man in love if I’m not the woman he’s in love with.

But it’s not that easy to escape the Sebastians. I already knew they owned this city.

Now I’ll find out if they also own their son.

•••••••

REVIEW:MAN IN LOVE is the second instalment in Laurelin Paige’s contemporary, adult MAN IN CHARGE erotic, romance duet focusing on billionaire businessman Scott Sebastian, and PA Tessa Turani. MAN IN LOVE should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one MAN IN CHARGE.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tessa and Scott) MAN IN LOVE follows in the aftermath of Tessa’s boss Kendra’s return and engagement announcement, an announcement that affects both Tessa and Scott’s lives going forward. Having worked on a deal with Scott’s family owned SIC corporation, the possibility of everything falling through has been made more apparent by secrets and lies, and the heart break of not knowing someone as well as one should. As Tessa begins to pull away from both Kendra and Scott, Scott comes to a decision about his own future, and his future with the woman he loves.

The relationship between Scott and Tessa is predicted upon a lie, several lies in fact, that are about to force a confrontation between family and friends. With business negotiations threatened by the family control of power and money, Tessa is forced to walk away from the man that she loves when it appears he has made his choice, and Tessa is not in the equation. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Tessa’s best friend Teyana; her boss Kendra; Scott’s parents Margo and Henry Sebastian; his cousin Samuel and Brett; PA Eden; charity rep Sarah Boynton.

MAN IN LOVE is a story of secrets and lies; heart break and love. The premise is edgy and entertaining; the characters are animated, forceful and intelligent; the romance is spicy and hot.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one MAN IN CHARGE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however.  

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. 

Follow: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook Fan Page

Sign up for Laurelin’s Newsletter: HERE

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