Monthly Archives: June 2021

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne- Dual Review

Posted on by
12

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne -dual review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 29, 2021

Love Is Blind meets You’ve Got Mail in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy following two thirty-somethings who meet on a blind dating app—only to realize that their online chemistry is nothing compared to their offline rivalry.

Perpetually cheerful and eager to please, Gracie Cooper strives to make the best out of every situation. So when her father dies just months after a lung cancer diagnosis, she sets aside her dreams of pursuing her passion for art to take over his Midtown Manhattan champagne shop. She soon finds out that the store’s profit margins are being squeezed perilously tight, and complicating matters further, a giant corporation headed by the impossibly handsome, but irritatingly arrogant Sebastian Andrews is proposing a buyout. But Gracie can’t bear the thought of throwing away her father’s dream like she did her own.

Overwhelmed and not wanting to admit to her friends or family that she’s having second thoughts about the shop, Gracie seeks advice and solace from someone she’s never met—the faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app where matches get to know each other through messages and common interests before exchanging real names or photos.

But although Gracie finds herself slowly falling for Sir online, she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they can’t stand each other.

•••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW:

TO SIR, WITH LOVE by Lauren Layne, is a contemporary, adult, stand alone romance story focusing on businessman Sebastian Andrews, and Gracie Cooper.

Told from first person perspective (Gracie Cooper) TO SIR, WITH LOVE follows the enemies to lovers relationship between businessman Sebastian Andrews, and Gracie Cooper. Four years earlier Gracie Cooper, along with her brother Caleb, and sister Lily lost their only surviving parent to cancer. When neither of her siblings was willing to take over the family owned wine and champagne shop, Gracie gave up her dream of becoming a professional artist to run the struggling shop in Midtown Manhattan but an offer to buy out the business in preparation for a Midtown highrise found our heroine battling between head and heart knowing that to give in means to give up her father’s dream, a dream that she no longer shared. Enter businessman Sebastian Andrews. What ensues is the acrimonious relationship between Gracie and Sebastian, and the potential fall-out when an on-line relationship reveals the truth about the mystery man she refers to as ‘sir’.

Gracie Cooper met a man on-line who accidentally signed up for a blind dating app but our heroine is struggling with the reality of the ‘imaginary’ relationship to a man with whom she is falling in love, a man she has never met and most likely will not. Meanwhile our hero, Sebastian Andrews has had no luck convincing Gracie to sell her shop, a shop that is currently standing in the way of Manhattan renewal but Sebastian is slowly falling for the determined thirty-three year old woman, a woman who had found herself falling for a man who may not be real.

The relationship between Gracie and Sebastian is tempestuous at best. Sebastian’s company wants to buy the family owned store, inevitably putting Gracie out of business but a Gracie struggles to keep the business afloat, Sebastian begins to work behind the scenes in an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. There are no $ex scenes or physical interactions between our leading couple.

We are introduced to Gracie’s brother Caleb, and their sister Lily, and her husband Alex; Gracie’s friends Rachel,and Keva; employees Josh and May, as well as Sebastian’s friend Genevieve, and his parents Vanessa and Gary Andrews.

TO SIR, WITH LOVE is an updated reimagining of ‘You’ve Got Mail™’. Neither Gracie nor Sebastian is aware that they have fallen for one another through an anonymous dating app but the reality is their situation begins to slowly blend into their everyday life. The premise is heart warming and pleasant; the romance is sweet but limited to their growing attraction to one another; the characters are stubborn, realistic and inspiring.

_______

Barb’s REVIEW

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne is another one of her wonderful sweet romantic novels.  Gracie Cooper, our heroine, runs the family Champagne shop, after the death of her father; putting aside her passion for painting. She is determined to find ways to increase the low profits for the shop.   Gracie is sweet, smart, loyal and liked by everyone.  A big corporation has been trying to buy her out, which she continually refuses, and now meets the man behind the proposal, who immediately comes across as arrogant, as well as extremely handsome.

Sebastian Andrews is determined to convince Gracie to sell to his company, though they both get off on the wrong foot.  Despite his showing her that she cannot survive in the long term, and could lose the business; he also tries to propose that she can move to a different location with success.  As stubborn as they both are, Gracie fights off her attraction to Sebastian; and he knows that he is beginning to have feelings for her.  In a short time, their relationship heats up, but Gracie also has someone else she is falling for.

Gracie meets ‘Sir’ on a faceless dating app, as they have fun texting to each other; the banter between them was cute.  Though she is enjoying her texting, Gracie spends more time with Sebastian, and their chemistry is off the wall. Who will Gracie choose the handsome sexy Sebastian or the fun unknown ‘Sir”?

As time went on, I loved Sebastian and Gracie together, especially when he praised and pushed her to go back to her love of art, which he thought were the signs of a great painter. I really loved all the secondary characters that were great; as Lauren Layne always creates wonderful and likeable characters. To Sir, With Love was a sweet, heartwarming, romantic and uplifting story.  I have enjoyed everything I have read by Layne, as she writes such wonderful fun pure romances.  If you like heartwarming romances, great couple, sexy and fun, look no further than anything by Lauren Layne.

 

Facebook/ goodreads/ Website / Pinterest /

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.

Share

Broody Brit (Cocky Hero Club) by Naima Simone -Review tour

Posted on by
12

Broody Brit (Cocky Hero Club) by Naima Simone -Review tour

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

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 27, 2021

Dear Axel,
It is incredibly stupid to write this text while I’m drunk. But what’s the saying? No gain, no pain. Or, no pain, no shame… Whatever. You know what I mean. And let’s face it. There’s no way I would be doing this if I was stone-cold sober. But since I’m plastered? To hell with it.

I want you.

I know. Crazy, right? Not only am I your temporary roommate but I’m a chatty nurse from Providence with an impeccable bedside manner and secrets. You’re a broody, commitment-phobe sculptor from England who communicates in grunts and single syllables. Not to mention, you’re returning home in several weeks. And yet, from the moment you dragged me for being a Swiftie, I’ve wanted to climb you like my personal jungle gym.

There’s no future for us. I’m not even sure I like you half the time. But that doesn’t stop me from hungering for those same hands that bend and shape metal to bend and shape me. So in all my drunken glory, I guess what I’m trying to say is if you want me, I’m yours. For the next few weeks until you return across the pond and we resume our lives as before. No strings. No demands. No regrets.

So meet me in the kitchen where all this started.

Or don’t.

It’s your decision.

Not that it matters. It’s not like I’m going to do something monumentally dumb and hit send on this text.

–Zenobia

••••••••

REVIEW:BROODY BRIT by Naima Simone is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, erotic, romance story line in the multi-authored Cocky Hero Club series inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s BRITISH BEDMATE. This is thirty year old, British sculptor Axel Wright, and twenty-eight year old, American registered nurse Zenobia Hester’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Zenobia and Axel) BROODY BRIT follows the building romance and relationship between thirty year old British sculptor Axel Wright, and twenty-eight year old registered murder Zenobia Hester. Zenobia’s life is spiralling out of control-her ex boyfriend is in love with another woman; broken pipes and a two week eviction from her apartment; the past coming full circle from both sides of the coin, and accepting the offer to stay at Simon and Bridget’s home finds Zenobia facing a sexy, British sculptor who wants nothing to do with an unannounced roommate. Enter Axel Wright, and the man with whom Zenobia will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Zenobia and Axel, and the potential fall-out as Axel’s past refuses to let go, and the return of Simon reinforces the potential for another broken heart.

Axel Wright is in America preparing for an upcoming show. Our hero knows loss, and has struggled for the last eighteen years to move beyond the horrific memories of that fateful day. Meeting Zenobia Hester begins to thaw a heart that has refused to move forward, a heart that wants more than he believes he deserves. Twelve years earlier Zenobia Hester’s life imploded, and in the ensuing years, our heroine has struggled to gain access to the who of her past but a patient at the hospital reminds Zenobia that the past is not far behind, and Axel figures out the truth before anyone else.

The relationship between Zenobia and Axel begins acrimoniously as the ‘broody’ Axel struggles with the roommate he never expected to see. Battling between head and heart, Axel tries to ignore the ache in his chest, a ache for someone and something he lost. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We re introduced to Zenobia’s ex boyfriend James, and his girlfriend Jenna, as well as Dr. Simon and Bridget Hogue; and young accident patient Bethany Mavis.

BROODY BRIT is a story of heart break and loss; family and grief; friendships, relationships, secrets, hope and love. The premise is emotional ; the characters are vulnerable and struggling; the romance is seductive and captivating.

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied for review

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website: http://naimasimone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Naima_Simone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Street Team: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1MXCpHd
Newsletter: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Amazon Author Profile: http://amzn.to/2EIQZZC

Share

A Lot Like Love by Jennifer Snow – a Review

Posted on by
13

A Lot Like Love by Jennifer Snow – a Review

 

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

 

Description:
They have different ideas about the fate of an old inn…until it brings them together.

When Sarah Lewis inherits a run-down B&B from her late grandmother in coastal Blue Moon Bay, the logical thing to do is sell it and focus on her life in L.A. But when she learns that interested buyers will only tear it down in its current state, she feels a sense of obligation to her grandmother to get it back to the landmark tourist destination it once was…even if that means hiring the best contractor for the job, who happens to be her old high school crush.

Wes Sharrun’s life has continued to unravel since the death of his wife three years before. Now with a struggling construction company and a nine-year-old daughter, he sees the B&B as an opportunity to get back on his feet. Unfortunately, despite trying to keep his distance, his daughter has taken a liking to Sarah, and his own feelings are tough to deny.

As they spend more time together painting, exploring a forgotten treasure trove of wine in a basement cellar, and arguing over balcony placement, the more the spark between them ignites. But will saving the B&B be enough to convince them both to take a second chance at love?

 

Review:

A Lot Like Love by Jennifer Snow reminds me a lot of the many Hallmark movies I’ve watched over this past year.  It was very sweet, charming and endearing.  It had a little bit of everything in it; past issues that need to be dealt with, trying to move on after the death of your spouse, old family history coming to the surface thanks to the discovery of an old journal, and finding love with the one you were always meant to be with.  This is the journey of Sarah and Wes and I really enjoyed reading this one.  Oh and lets not forget the chemistry between these two that just keeps getting hotter and hotter as the story goes on.

I really like both Wes and Sarah from the very beginning. It’s obvious they have history that was never fully settled or dealt with, and thus the sparks spring forth between them right away.  Only for Wes he’s very hesitant because he has a nine year old daughter and he’s worried about her welfare and doesn’t want her heart broken again.  Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought his daughter would see through him and know he has feelings for Sarah and that she’s completely okay with it.  Marissa, Wes’ daughter actually becomes somewhat of a matchmaker and tells her dad he needs to admit his feelings for Sarah and ask her out.  She even goes so far as to tell him she’d be cool with Sarah as her stepmom.  The bond/friendship between Sarah and Marissa is quick to form and just blossoms throughout the story. You can see how the 3 of them make a nice little family and do belong together.  Thankfully it’s Marissa who helps her dad fix the mess he makes between him and Sarah and in the end they do find their happy every after. 

As I said earlier A Lot Like Love is a charming and endearing story between Wes and Sarah. It’s the type of story that you can’t help but keep reading until the end because you need to know what happens next.  It’s the perfect book to spend a lazy Sunday with and forget about the outside world for just a little bit. 

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Share

Survive the Night by Riley Sager – a Review

Posted on by
11

Survive the Night by Riley Sager – a Review

 

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

 

Description:
It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there’s nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing—survive the night.

 

 

Review:

Survive the Night by Riley Sager is another one of his excellent standalone psychological thrillers, which I have read and enjoyed.  It amazes me how Sager continues to give us ultra-exciting and tense, edge of your seat stories that have us holding our breath all the way.

Charlie Jordan, our heroine, decides to leave her campus and go home to her grandmother, as she is still grieving over the loss of her friend, Maddy who was murdered months ago by the Campus Killer.  Charlie meets Josh Baxter, who offers her a ride to her hometown, and needing a ride, she accepts.  Charlie leaves her boyfriend, Rob, explaining that she may not come back, depending if she still has her nightmare dreams.  She is a loner, day dreamer, introvert and is movie expert. Charlie has suffered with what the doctor says are hallucinations since her parents were killed in a car crash; which she often finds herself in movie scenes that look real.

Josh is a janitor for the school, and is heading home to care for his sick father.  They begin their travel at night, and for a while the ride is fun, as they play 20 questions to learn about themselves. After a bit, Josh begins to notice how Charlie seems to be distanced, like in another world, at times. When he stops to pick up coffee and food, Charlie notices some strange things like a driver’s license with a different name, and his address was not where they were heading.  She begins to suspect that maybe she is riding with the Campus Killer; she needs to keep herself alert and find a way to get away, especially trying to force her movie visions not to takeover. Somehow, she needs to survive the night.

I do not want to tell too much, as it would be spoilers, as there are so many twists along the way, I could not put the book down. Charlie suspicions grow and when they stop at a diner, she is desperate to find a way to escape, and calls her boyfriend Rob, who calls the police.  The waitress in the diner befriends her, and tries to help; but Charlie needs to keep Josh from hurting anyone. Survive the Night was an intense nonstop thriller, that changed the game so often, throwing me for a loop, with shocking revelations.

What follows is an intense, action packed, exciting, edge of your seat scary thriller that a had a number of twists along the way, keeping us engrossed to the very end.  Riley Sager once again gives us another fantastic story that was so very well written.  With so many surprising twists throughout, you really need to read Survive the Night from start to finish.  If you enjoy thrillers, suspense, and mystery, look no further than reading anything by Riley Sager.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

BLESS ME, FATHER (Devious Hearts ) by Crimson Syn-Review tour

Posted on by
11

BLESS ME, FATHER (Devious Hearts ) by Crimson Syn-Review tour

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

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 22, 2021

“The soul who sins shall die…and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” ~Ezekiel 18:20

A murderer.
A crazed obsession.
The ultimate lie.
And an innocent girl who is about to become the devil’s pawn, in an evil game constructed to send her to her knees.

????ℕ??

Bless me father for I want to sin, so very very badly.

That’s exactly how this all began.
A dark confessional box.
A late night revelation.
And an irreversible sin committed.
There are not enough Hail Mary’s for what ensued in the dark recesses of St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
And if anyone were to find out, we’d both be dammed. Then again, we are well on our way to the depths of hell, because my worship begins with him. And my penitence has his name all over it.

?????ℕ

I am a bad man.
I am not ordained.
I’m not even supposed to be here. It was a mistake, one that’s cost me my entire existence.
Blood is what I’m after.
But what I am is at her mercy.
And I’ll do anything to protect her. Even if it means giving my life for hers.

•••••••••

REVIEW: BLESS ME, FATHER by Crimson Syn is a contemporary, adult, erotic, dark romance story line set in the author’s DEVIOUS HEARTS WORLD. This is thirty-nine year old, bodyguard Julien Bardin, and eighteen year old, private school student Solange Voliere’s story line. BLESS ME, FATHER can be read as a stand alone. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Solange and Julien) with one chapter from Antoine Voliere, bouncing between several time lines, BLESS ME, FATHER follows Julien Bardin as he seeks vengeance against the man that destroyed his life. Having worked for Antoine Voliere for as long as he can remember, Julien was left for dead in the wake of betrayal and vengeance. In an effort to seek revenge for himself and the person he lost, Julien goes undercover as Father Julien, in a private all-girls Catholic school, seducing the soon to be eighteen year old daughter of the man for which he once worked. Enter Solange Voliere, and the woman with whom Julien would fall in love. What ensues is the seduction of Solange Voliere, and the potential fall-out as Solange’s father targets his daughter in an effort to destroy our story line couple.

Julien Bardin lost everything more than six months earlier when Antoine Voiliere, the leader of an underground human trafficking ring, sought revenge against our story line anti-hero. Betrayal meant death, and Julien refused to die before seeking his own vengeance against the man who destroyed so many lives. Going after Antoine’s daughter meant hitting Antoine where it hurt the most but little did Julien know that Solange meant nothing to her ‘beloved father’.

The relationship between Solange and Julien is an age-gap romance predicated upon revenge. Solange is immediately attracted to ‘Father Julien’, and Julien begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine but it is not until Solange turns eighteen years old, does Julien up his game to seek vengeance against Antoine Voliere. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include Solange’s father Antoine, as well as several female members at the all-girls school who see ‘Father Julien’ as their dirty little secret.

BLESS ME, FATHER is a gritty and raw story line of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, retribution, lust, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dark and edgy; the romance is provocative ; the characters are broken, energetic and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

My name is Crimson Syn, not really, but what fun is it to use my real name. Instead I’ll use my inner goddess’ name, it’s much more fun that way. I grew up in New York City where I had a wonderful education, loving parents and awesome friends. What more could a girl ask for?

I started writing at the age of sixteen. The first romance I read was Stephanie Laurens’ Devil’s Bride. Since then I have been influenced by dozens of flourishing romance authors and even more dashing and daring rogues. I must say it, but Fifty Shades was not my first erotic romance, nor did it influence me to start writing them. If you’ve never read Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Hoyt, Lisa Kleypas, Bertrice Small or A.N. Roquelaure’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy, then you’re missing out. Those were my sweet introductions to erotic romance, and boy were they hot.

So here I am, after reading so many wonderful stories, I have too many sinful tales of my own not to share. I like my alphas rough and possessive, and I have no shame in saying it or writing it. I had delightfully wicked teachers growing up, their books took me to new worlds and brought me new loves. So, I want to do the same for you. I want to indulge my readers in those steamy reads that will send them into the arms of dangerous alphas and deliciously sexy rogues, without leaving the confines of their nice warm bed. If I am able to entice your inner goddesses, then I have done my job and I am satisfied.

Newsletter * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Tumblr * Amazon * Goodreads

Share

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

Posted on by
11

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

 

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


Description:
As a production assistant for the Puppy Cup, Hailey Lincoln knows all things puppies and football. So when Seattle Lumberjacks star quarterback Cole Bennett asks for PR help, she agrees. She’s not swayed by Cole’s good looks or stellar career, but by the puppies they can help. Okay, maybe she’s swayed just a tiny bit by his good looks.

Winning at puppy football, however, is only the start. If she really wants to win—the game, the man, and the warm, welcoming family he takes for granted—she needs to pull out all the stops. And Cole, who’s spent his entire life playing a game, has to realize that losing at football isn’t nearly as catastrophic as losing the woman he loves

 

 

Review:

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore is another one of her fun cute romances, featuring wonderful adorable dogs, not to mention some hunks along the way. Hailey Lincoln, our heroine, is a production assistant who runs the annual Puppy Cup, which coincides with official pro football cup.  While in the planning stages with her co-worker, Penny, Hailey is shocked to see Cole Bennett (our hero & gorgeous hunk), the Seattle Lumberjacks star quarterback, walking into to her office.

Cole is determined to win this year’s Puppy Cup to help break their football team’s cursed luck, and he knows that the woman standing in front of him is undefeated for a few years; neither have met, though that is about to change. Hailey is not swayed by Cole’s charm, but agrees to work with him to help him select dogs for his team; Hailey only cares about making sure all the cute puppies get adopted.  When Cole tries to use his charm, which never fails, she tells him all the things he does wrong on the football field.  Though he is shocked how much she knows, he laughs and follows her to the elevator, with the pregnant dog she is taking care of; but to their dismay the elevator breaks, leaving them stuck and the dog is about to give birth to puppies.   It was a funny and cute.

What follows is a sweet romance that develops between Cole and Hailey, and the fun with all the puppies was adorable.  I got a kick out of Hailey getting Cole to take care of Phillip (a dog that was suffering anxiety), as well as getting another dog set up with Cole’s football friend.  As their relationship grows, Hailey (who has no family) gets to meet Cole’s wonderful family, and they welcome her with open arms. They all enjoy Hailey easily setting in, especially since she has an uncanny ability to see what the players are doing wrong.  Football is the major importance for the family, with Cole worried that his family will be upset, as his shoulder injury is not healing the way it should. 

Ruff and Tumble was a fun sweet heartwarming romance with a couple that sizzled, but I totally adored how Hailey took care of the dogs/puppies, which was so much fun.  Lucy Gilmore gave us some great secondary characters, besides Hailey and Cole; such as Penny, Regina, Garrett and Cole’s family.  Ruff and Tumble was so very well written by Lucy Gilmore. If you love puppies, and a sweet romance, you should read this enjoyable story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Share

Fortunate Son by Jay Crownover-Review tour

Posted on by
12

Fortunate Son by Jay Crownover-Review tour

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

➜ Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3th91qc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 22, 2021

Ry Archer and Bowe Keller are as different as night and day. But that doesn’t stop the childhood frenemies from reconnecting whenever one of them needs some help tackling any of life’s major puzzles, like figuring out why getting what you always thought you wanted isn’t living up to all the hype. They might constantly rub each other the wrong way (except for the times when they rub each other the really-really right way), but there is no denying they’ve always made one hell of a great team. They manage to balance each other out… when they aren’t driving each other crazy.

For Ry, he thought he had the perfect girl, the one who was going to run headfirst into a methodically planned future. He was going to marry young and have the same kind of legendary, life-long romance his parents did… or so he believed. His girl was going to stand by his side as he chased his dream of being a professional football player all the way to the NFL.

He was wrong.

Now, Ry’s gotta figure out the difference between a bruised heart and a broken one, and the only person who can teach him the difference is Bowe.

Bowe always felt like she had to run before she learned to walk to keep up with her father’s musical legacy. He’s her hero, and she wants nothing more than to make him proud. Bowe’s about to figure out that maybe she wasn’t meant to be in a rock and roll band, and that it is entirely possible she let her father’s success cloud her idea of what making music should be. Bowe needs to find her own path to fame, and there’s a good chance she wouldn’t be brave enough or bold enough to start over if Ry Archer hadn’t pushed his way back into her life when she least expected it.

Some days they’re enemies. Other days they’re lovers. For a while, they were strangers. But now, it feels more like they might’ve always been soulmates.
Eventually, Ry and Bowe realize that letting go of an old dream and creating a new one is much easier to do with the right person by your side.

•••••••

REVIEW:Fortunate Son by Jay Crownover launches the next generation of the Marked Men series with none other than Bowe Keller.

Bowe Keller and Ry Archer have known each other their entire lives. As different as oil and water, they always clash when they are around each other. Even though the two have always been competitive, they also have seen each other through all the firsts of life. Ry helps Bowe with her band and Bowe gives Ry advice on life. Neither realize how much the other means until they see each other in a new light.

This new adult romance is a bridge between a few different sub-genres, new adult romance, enemies to lovers and a dash of second chance romance. Overall, the plot of the book is easy to keep up with, and the characters are fun and interesting to read. My only comment would be how much time is given explaining how each character is related to a previous series. No complaint to this, as I can see why it would be needed, however, as a follower of the reader, it was a little repetitive. I can’t wait to see where the series goes now, this was a good way to kick off the next gen series.

I’m not one to normally share lines of a book, as I think it’s a kind of spoiler, but this one is a new all-time favorite for me.

“I like you a little bit more each time you prove to me just how flawed you are.”

Get you a partner that thinks this and life is complete!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

Follow: Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook/Instagram /

Jay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, and The Point and Breaking Point Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

NEWSLETTER Sign up-   http://www.jaycrownover.com/#!subscribe

Share

Treasured (Masters and Mercenaries 22.5)by Lexi Blake-Review tour

Posted on by
11

Treasured (Masters and Mercenaries 22.5/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt tour

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

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

Add Treasured to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3hN4ZUd

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 22, 201

David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.

Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.

But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

••••••

REVIEW:TREASURED is the 22.5 instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES erotic, romantic suspense series, and the latest instalment in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is university professor David Hawthorne, and bodyguard/security specialist Tessa Santiago’s story line. TREASURED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. David Hawthorne is the step-son of Sean Taggart.

Told from third person perspective TREASURED follows the building relationship between professor David Hawthorne, and security specialist Tessa Santiago. Tessa Santiago had been invited to her ex-fiancé’s sister’s anniversary celebration but found herself sitting in the bar with a handsome stranger. David Hawthorne stopped by for a drink at the hotel where his mother was head chef but never expected to meet the woman with whom he would fall in love. A lingering kiss lead to an exchange of numbers only for David to realize he had been ghosted by the stranger at the bar. Fast forward a few weeks wherein David, about to embark on a South American research trip discovers his extended family aka the Taggarts, has secured his protection in the guise of security specialist and McKay -Taggart employee Tessa Santiago, the woman who has starred in his fantasies and dreams. Believing Tessa wants nothing to do with our story line hero, David opts to go it alone only to be told there was a rumor of trouble on the horizon. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tessa and David, and the potential fall-out as the rumored threats come to fruition as our couple find themselves captives of a man man in hostile territory.

Tessa Santiago thought she had found the one only to discover that David Hawthorne was related to her current employer. Having walked away from a relationship with a man whose family was rich and well connected, Tessa knew she would never be part of that wealthy lifestyle, including a possible future with our story line hero but threats to David’s life found Tessa facing the wrong end of a gun, and it would take some help from an unlikely source to rescue the man with whom she would fall in love. David Hawthorne trip to South America was to research the life and death of a South American billionaire who was ahead of the world when it came to environmental causes. David was well aware of the rumors regarding a buried treasure on the island jungle, a treasure that many people were desperate to find and recover.

The relationship between David and Tessa is a second chances, of a sorts. Tessa and David met at a bar but David never revealed his family connections, and Tessa believed she was in no position to pursue a relationship with our story line hero. David took it personally when Tessa ghosted after their night at the bar, but our heroine’s reaction and refusal to take on her latest assignment meant David was willing to go it alone, even if he had to face the danger, by himself.

Meanwhile, David is a Dom, and recognizes the submissive in Tessa Santiago.Offering a one-time only night together, Tessa quickly discovers there is more to David than the mild-manner professor of history. Shortly after their arrival, David and Tessa take their relationship to the next level only to be literally caught with their pants down. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

TREASURED is a story of family, friendships, betrayal and greed. The premise is intriguing, engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are energetic, animated and spirited.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

What the hell was she doing?
Tessa glanced down at her watch. She was standing in front of her building ten minutes early, and there was a big part of her that wanted him to be late. Really late. Annoyingly late.
There had to be something about the man that wasn’t perfect beyond his connection to her employer.
She’d come down when she realized if she stayed inside one minute more she was going to decide to change again. Because she’d been halfway to convincing herself that she could do a fine job as a bodyguard in that curve-hugging dress that gave her so much confidence. Lots of bodyguards wore four-inch heels and a push-up bra. Yeah, sure they did.
Coming down here had saved her so much discomfort because in her line of business, slacks, a sensible shirt and shoes, and a blazer were the only way to go. The blazer hid her shoulder holster in a way that off-the-shoulder sex dress never would. And she didn’t care that Hollywood assassins could stuff any number of weapons between their thighs. Hers did not work that way.
It’s not a big deal.
The words David had said haunted her. What did that mean? It’s not a big deal. It had felt like a big deal. Not texting that smart hottie back had been a big fucking deal to her. She’d agonized over it, and he’d just kind of let it wash over him. He’d taken his shot and moved on. She had thought of nothing but him for weeks.
Or he was saving face by playing it cool and she was being ridiculous. The man was making this easy on her and she was inwardly complaining that he wasn’t making it harder. It was perverse, but then she had deeply conflicted feelings about David.
Feelings she could maybe work out over the course of this week. She could get to know him and then she would see he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed to be. Most men showed their true colors when a woman spent too much time with them. He wouldn’t be as patient as he seemed. His charm would wear off when she took charge and he got annoyed.
Yes, this could be exactly what she needed.
Especially if he was late.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Share