One More Promise (Shaughnessy Brothers / Band on the Run #2) by Samantha Chase-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

ONE MORE PROMISE (Shaughnessy Brothers / Band on the Run #2) by Samantha Chase-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 6, 2018

Dylan Anders is making amends
…to his family
…to the public
…to the woman who just walked into his life
Paige Walters must learn to forgive
…her busy father
…her bossy sister
…and the wonderful man she horribly misjudged
Ambitious Paige Walters is ecstatic when she’s hired to recruit musicians for a literacy campaign—it’s her chance to prove she’s got the chops to make it in the family business. When Dylan steps in, she immediately dislikes him and vows not to let the fallen idol screw it up. But as the work brings Paige and Dylan closer together, their attraction grows…and so do their challenges…

•••••

REVIEW: ONE MORE PROMISE is the second instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult BAND ON THE RUN romance series focusing on the rock band Shaughnessy. This is bass guitarist Dylan Anders, and PR person Paige Walters’ story line. ONE MORE PROMISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. BAND ON THE RUN is a spin-off from the author’s SHAUGHNESSY BROTHERS series.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Dylan and Paige) ONE MORE PROMISE follows Dylan Anders in the months after his release from rehab following a drunk driving accident where our hero was at the wheel of the car. With community service on the horizon Dylan opts to investigate the literacy campaign promotion offered by the PRW Agency. Enter Paige Walters, the woman in charge of the agency’s campaign, and the woman with whom Dylan will fall in love. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Dylan and Paige, and the fall-out when Dylan’s past refuses to let go of the present.

Paige Walters is a stickler for order; a no-nonsense woman who works for her father but always finds herself on the outside looking in as her older sister continues to enjoy the accolades of being daddy’s favourite, drawing blood in a game of one-upmanship and personal attention. As the literacy campaign runs into high gear, Paige Walters finds herself pushed to the side as her sister enjoys the benefits of our heroine’s hard work. Paige’s low self-esteem and inability to demand her due will be the downfall of a woman when disaster strikes at the most inappropriate time.

Dylan Anders knows that he has three months of community service working with the PRW Agency and the literacy campaign but falling into the cyclone that is Paige Walters was something Dylan had never imagined. Trying to keep his distance was virtually impossible, and when the PR agency demanded that Paige and Dylan play the role of a lifetime, meant Paige’s pull would become stronger than ever.

The relationship between Paige and Dylan begins as a business arrangement that will soon take on a life of its own when the paparazzi gets wind of our hero’s potential downfall. Their initial meeting leads to many acrimonious confrontations caused by our heroine’s inability to bend her own rules. Pretending to be in a relationship finds our couple growing closer together, a relationship that will soon grow into something more. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied and fade to black.

We are introduced to Paige’s controlling father Robert Walters, and conniving sister Ariel Blake; Paige’s assistant Daisy, as well as the reintroduction of Dylan’s band mates Riley and Savannah (This is Our Song: The Shaughnessy Brothers 4), Matt and Vivienne (One More Kiss; Band on the Run #1), drummer Julian, and Dylan’s agent Mick.

ONE MORE PROMISE is a story of family and friendship; recovery and forgiveness; acceptance, romance and love; of the bad boy falling in love with the good girl, and the good girl wanting what she could never have. Our heroine’s attitude early on was a little disconcerting but we soon discover that she has spent her life in the shadows of her older sister-a woman who continues to destroy our heroine’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth. The premise is both heart warming and heart breaking; the romance is captivating and sensual; the characters are realistic and inspiring. ONE MORE PROMISE is a sweet and engaging tale of one woman finally coming into her own.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-ONE MORE KISS

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

“Brilliant. Just brilliant,” Paige murmured as she placed her trash in the pail and carefully wove her way through the crowd of people in the coffee shop. Over and over in her mind, she replayed her clumsy act of knocking her stuff to the ground.
And that was after practically orgasming while eating a cake pop.
Okay, two cake pops.
She groaned as she exited the shop and walked toward the parking garage. Why had she agreed to go to coffee with Dylan Anders? Why hadn’t she stuck to her guns and had Daisy call him with an appointment? Not only could she have avoided making an idiot out of herself, but she also could have kept her previous clueless opinion of him intact and not have to deal with the fact that he was a nice guy who seemed to get what she was trying to do.
Other than Daisy, he was the only one who seemed to get what she was doing.
And now she realized she had a fascination with tattoos. Tattoos! When Dylan had first taken off his jacket, she was shocked and a little repulsed by the sheer amount of ink on his arms. But after a little while, she couldn’t help but keep noticing the artwork and found it to be…exquisite. Beautiful. More than once she had to stop herself from reaching out and touching his arms—which, forgetting about the tattoos, were muscular and sexy—and asking him to tell her what had inspired the choices.
Why? Why him? Why couldn’t one of her favorite authors have come in and talked with her like this? Why did it have to be a scruffy, tattoo-covered rock star who not only didn’t look the part of anything she was trying to do, but who potentially would also be a distraction for…well…her and probably any female in a ten-mile radius?
Although, she had to give him credit—other than the barista who handed him their order, no one bothered him. No one came looking for autographs or pictures. He blended right into the crowd. How was that possible? When she got home, she would do a thorough Google search and see what else she could find out. Yes. That’s exactly what she’d do. As charmed as she was by him—and she truly was—she had a feeling that part of it was an act to get her to agree to have him join the campaign.
But why? Why was this such a big deal to him? He wasn’t going to be paid for it. And really, compared with being in one of the biggest rock bands in the world, this was nothing. It wasn’t doing anything for him on a professional level, so why was he so anxious to be a part of it? What could he gain?
If there was one thing Paige prided herself on, it was being a good judge of character. And Dylan didn’t strike her as the selfless type. He had a swagger and a confidence that seemed in direct conflict with the image she was hoping to project with this campaign.
So was this personal? Did he know someone who struggled with reading? He was clearly well read based on what he’d shared with her, so she knew he didn’t have the issue. Someone who struggled with literacy didn’t read that many books in a three-month time span. Should she decide to work with him, she’d have to ask.
With a groan, she pulled out her keys as she approached her Toyota Prius Prime. Her sporty little hybrid was shiny and new, and she loved how she was doing something good for the environment at the same time. It had been a fight to get her father to install charging stations in the company garage, but he had relented and now…
She stopped and noted that her car wasn’t charging.
“Dammit, how could I have forgotten to plug it in?” Then she remembered how she had hurried in this morning and feared she was late. Honestly, it wasn’t the first time she’d forgotten. But as she stepped closer, she saw that was the least of her problems.
She had a flat tire.
“Dang it,” she hissed. With a loud sigh, she opened the door and tossed her bags in and then popped the trunk to get at her spare tire.
Then she really started to curse.
It wasn’t until that moment she remembered how this model no longer came with a spare but with a patch kit and a pump. Great. Like she had even the slightest clue how to patch a tire! She let out an aggravated growl and slammed the trunk shut.
“Everything okay?”
Great. Just great. Turning around, she forced a smile. “Oh…hey, Dylan. What are you still doing here?”
“I wasn’t in a rush to get anywhere and I got a call, so I decided to take it rather than be distracted on the road. So…what’s going on? Everything okay with your car?”
And for the life of her, she didn’t know why her temper chose that moment to snap, but it did. “Actually, no. It’s not. And you know why?”
Dylan was about to answer, but she cut him off.
“Because life sucks, that’s why!” she cried. “Or maybe it’s just me. I forgot to put my car on the charging station. Why? Because I’m too worried about how it will look if I’m three minutes late for work! Then—because that’s not enough—my front tire is flat. Flat! It was fine this morning! And my super-new, super-cute, super-efficient, great-for-the-planet car doesn’t come with a spare tire. Oh no. That would have been too easy. No, this car comes with a patch kit and a pump. So I have more trunk space, but now I have to figure out how to patch a tire!”
“I’m sure it’s not—”
“Do you see the lighting in here? My glasses? Do I look like someone who is going to be able to spot a hole in a tire and then patch it? Take the tire off and put it back on? Do I look like I even want to?” she asked, her voice going into the hysteria category.
Slowly, Dylan climbed from his car and walked toward her. “Okay, okay. How about we call AAA or something? Maybe they can send someone to do it for you?”
While it was a completely reasonable suggestion, it pissed her off even more. “Because I wanted to leave! I wanted to leave an hour ago! And now I’m never going to get to leave or go to the grocery store to get brownies and wine, so I can go home and Google who the heck you are!”

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Samantha ChaseNew York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in NorthCarolina.

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Luca (Ruin and Revenge #2) by Sarah Castille-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

LUCA (Ruin and Revenge #2) by Sarah Castille-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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LUCA
Ruin and Revenge #2
by Sarah Castille
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: adult ,contempporary, erotic, mafia romance

Luca 2

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 27,2017

Luca Rizzoli was nearly destroyed by a brutal betrayal that cost him his family. Now a ruthless crime boss in the city of sin, he lets nothing touch his frozen heart–until a smoldering encounter with a beautiful stranger ignites his passion. One night isn’t enough for a man who takes what he wants, but his mysterious temptress has slipped away.

For two years police detective Gabrielle Fawkes has lived for revenge. But a night of indulgence with a sexy stranger changes everything. Powerful, charming, and deliciously dangerous Luca, has his own private reasons for offering to help her pursue the drug lord who killed her husband. There’s a lot Luca isn’t telling her and the more she finds out the less she wants to know.

When Gabrielle becomes the target of the drug lord she has vowed to hunt down, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in a mobster’s hands. To save her, Luca must break his Mafia ties–or risk losing Gabrielle forever.

••••••••••

REVIEW: LUCA is the second installment in Sarah Castille’s contemporary, adult RUIN AND REVENGE erotic, mafia romance series. This is restaurateur and Toscani family Capo Luca Rizzoli, and police detective Gabrielle Fawkes’ story line. LUCA can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Luca was first introduced in book one-NICO.

NOTE: LUCA contains scenes of graphic violence, murder and torture, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person points of view including Luca and Gabrielle, LUCA is a forbidden romance between police detective Gabrielle Fawkes, and mafia Capo Luca Rizzoli. Two years earlier Gabrielle’s husband was brutally murdered in a mafia-style hit and our heroine believes the local drug cartel is responsible for his death. In the ensuing time Gabrielle has put all of her efforts into taking down the drug lord she believes is responsible but an on-duty shooting finds our heroine roommates with a dark and sexy man who offers Gabrielle everything and more. Enter Luca Rizzoli, a man who is willing to risk his ties to the mob to save the woman with whom he is falling in love. Several threats against Gabrielle’s life place Luca on the receiving end of more than one attempt at his own.

Loyalty to the family is first and foremost in the world of the Italian mob but Luca’s relationship with Detective Gabrielle Fawkes places our hero in a precarious position as it pertains to his loyalties and support of the man in charge. But Luca is willing to risk his life and his position for the woman that calls to his heart. His over protective, alpha attitude makes for some contentious moments between Gabrielle and himself. Luca’s backstory is emotional.

Gabrielle is desperate for revenge against the man she believes destroyed her life. Her narrow focus, disregarding everything else, finds our heroine facing down a hierarchy at work that is no longer willing to give Gabrielle a chance at revenge. Gabrielle’s inability to let go lands her in trouble on more than one occasion.

The relationship between Gabrielle and Luca is one of immediate attraction. The sexual chemistry is palpable; the $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense. Luca likes to take control and talk dirty in the bedroom.

LUCA is an intricate and detailed novel with several subplots weaving throughout the story-some connected while others focus on secondary characters and their struggle in both their personal and professional lives. There is a twist to the story line that was easily deduced and predictable.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many members of the Toscani mob family both by blood and by mob association. We are introduced to Gabrielle’s husband’s former best friend police detective Jeff Santos, as well as Gabrielle’s besties Nicole and Cissy. I am hoping for Nicole’s HEA .

Although a well-written and exciting story line I did have an issue with Gabrielle’s inability to see, or lack of awareness as it came to Luca’s connections to the mob. For a detective she is completely oblivious to the who, what and why of the Toscani family, the mob and their dangerous lifestyle. Sadly this aspect leant to some unbelievable moments and shaking of my head.

LUCA is a dark, gritty, emotional and dramatic tale; a mafia romance of forbidden love between two people whose lives will collide in more ways than one. The premise is engaging and energetic; the characters are colorful, tragic and passionate; the romance is intoxicating and provocative.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author beige

Sarah CastilleSarah Castille is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Redemption Series, Ruin & Revenge Series, Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club series, Legal Heat series and the Club Excelsior series. A recovering lawyer with a fondness for dirty-talking alpha males, she now is a full-time writer, who lives on Vancouver Island. Sarah’s books have been listed as Publisher’s Weekly’s Top Ten Picks and Best Summer Reads, and Amazon’s Best Romance Books of the Year, and have won numerous reader’s choice awards including the Holt Medallion.

Connect with Sarah:

BOOKBUB | FACEBOOK | AMAZON AUTHOR | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE | NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE

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