That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious. But moving in on a handsome devil like Trevor Kelly is bad news for a die-hard romantic like Haley. Trevor doesn’t believe in love. She does. Giving in to a fling and Trevor’s irresistible charms can’t end well. Can it? What can it hurt to give it a shot?
Girls always fall for Trevor, and in the end, he always ends up looking like a bad-boy cad. Still, spending some time with Haley and her smart-talking, kissable mouth sounds pretty perfect. Besides, he’s only going to be in Dogwood Lane for one week. How much trouble could they possibly get into?
The only answer? A “no falling in love” contract. All Trevor and Haley have to do is follow the rules and resist the attraction sizzling between them…before their hearts get completely tangled up in temptation.
••••••
REVIEW:Tangle is book two in the Dogwood Lane book series by Adriana Locke. We met Haley Raynor in Tumble, book one in the Dogwood Lane series. Haley is a small town girl, who is a hopeless romantic that has a horrible history of picking the wrong guys. Not only does she pick the wrong guys she also falls in love with them. Which always leads her to a broken heart.
Her cousin we met in book one – Dane Madden, bets her that she can’t date for six months. Haley decides to work on herself and agrees to the dating ban. When everything seems to be going wrong, Haley heads to the one place she knows she will find comfort – the Dogwood Cafe. They have doughnuts! Delicious cream filled doughnuts. Haley is eyeing the last doughnut, only to find out that its already sold.
It’s been sold to ruggedly handsome Trevor Kelly. Trevor is on the exact polar opposite of the romance spectrum as Haley. He is a serial single guy, that does not believe in love and has no desire what so ever for a relationship. After countless random run ins with each other, the two of them decide to make them not so coincidental.
Haley has a heart of gold, the girl next door, the one that you want to be best friends with. She sees the world through love stained glasses and just wants the ultimate romance. She is so funny and sweet that you only want the best for her. Trevor, not going to lie, had to grow on me. I wasn’t feeling him at all in the beginning. But he definitely redeemed himself. This book will leave you flushed and wanting more. The chemistry between the two characters is wonderful, witty and hot!
This author can paint a picture of small town America that you want to visit and eventually move to! She takes the meaning of family seriously and that comes through with every story. I highly recommend this series if you are looking to fall in love with both characters, and are rooting for the happily ever after. I am so hoping that Penn gets his story soon,. Because I can not wait!!! Must add to your summer reading list.
I stand under the soft glow of a string of lights. My arm slides against a slick, waxy leaf as I back away slowly from Trevor.
He’s eating me alive with his eyes. Sizzling the sides of my face where his thumbs gently stroke my skin. Setting my body ablaze with the look that he just might break.
I ache. Every piece of my body demanding contact from this ridiculously good-looking man. With every press of the pad of his thumb, another ripple of want shoots through my veins.
I’m not sure if the humming sound pulsing around me is coming from the greenhouse or inside my body, but the continuous pressure quickens my thoughts.
I want him. I want him here and now and whatever happens after, I’ll deal.
And that’s it.
“I’m warning you,” I tell him. The lines around his eyes bend as he narrows them. “If you start kissing me this time, you better not stop.”
USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys dreamed up by other authors, she decided to create her own. She is the author of Tumble, the first novel in her Dogwood Lane series; the Exception series; the Gibson Brothers series; and the Landry Family series.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, her sons, two dogs, two cats, and a bird. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice, and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket. Besides cinnamon gummy bears, boxing, and random quotes, her next favorite thing is chatting with readers. She’d love to hear from you! Look for her at www.adrianalocke.com.
West Morgan knows all about second chances. After bouncing from foster home to foster home, he finally landed at the Rawlings Ranch as a teenager. There he found a home, something he’d never thought possible. Now an adult, he realizes he’s been given much more: a family and, most importantly, peace. But when his mentor dies and leaves the property divided among his foster brothers and his mentor’s daughter, Tara Rawlings, the fragile future he’s built for himself is threatened.
She wanted to be free of her past…
Tara Rawlings swore she’d never end up with someone like her father, a man completely focused on the ranch to the exclusion of his loved ones. She created a new life for herself in San Francisco, running an interior design company and getting married, then divorced. When she returns to settle her father’s estate, she finds that her birthright is in jeopardy. And the only way to save it is to work with West Morgan, the one man she has always resented—and always found irresistible.
Can they save the ranch without killing each other … or falling in love?
••••
REVIEW:A Cowboy’s Salvation is book one in the Redemption Ranch Series by Megan Ryder.
Tara Rawlings had her own life, her own interior design company in San Francisco, even her own marriage and then divorce. She is currently in the process of putting her life back together. When her father passes away, she realizes that she hasn’t been home to the ranch in years, she was even avoiding phone calls from her father, at least until she got her life back on track. Then she get the phone call that her father has passed away and she must return home.
Her relationship with her father was strained, to say the least. Her father always put the ranch first. Her mother felt it before she passed away, and Tara felt it when shortly after her mothers death she was sent away to school . The reason behind her father sending her away – a better education and life. What hurt her the most is she felt pushed away and replaced by the foster boys her father took in and raised. She had no desire to return home, but she had to go and claim what is rightfully hers, her family legacy.
West Morgan was a troubled teen stuck in the chaos of foster care. That is until he was taken in by Douglas Rawlings of the Double R Ranch. The ranch became home to three fosters, who considered themselves brothers. Douglas raised them into strong, capable men. And when Douglas passes away, they are worried that the place they have called home most of their lives will be taken from them. And that it will all be given to Tara, Douglas’ privileged “princess” daughter.
When Tara returns home, the first person she sees is West Morgan, she has nothing but ill will towards the man that took her place with her father. That is until they find out that the ranch was equally split among the three boys and Tara. With the boys refusing to sale, Tara must come up with a plan to save the failing ranch and return to her life in San Francisco But life is never that simple, and once two people begin to open up with each other, anything can happen.
I enjoyed the tit for tat relationship West and Tara had. West was strong and stubborn in his morals and beliefs. He runs the ranch and everything must be done his way. But once Tara comes along and shows him that there are other viable solutions to saving the ranch, he slowly begins to come around to the idea. They both had pre-conceived notions of the other. When West tells Tara that she must work the ranch if she wants to make changes to it, their world begins to change.
Can they save the ranch that they all have come to love and protect Tara’s families legacy? Will Tara be able to have her life in San Francisco and at the ranch?
Wonderfully written, the landscape that Megan paints makes me want to go to the nearest ranch and just hang out. The “brothers” are super fun, and typical brotherly antics leave you laughing out loud. I can’t wait to read the next brothers story! Highly recommend if you want a quick read and a steamy, loveable cowboy romance.
Plus West sounds hot – so there’s that!
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Erin
NOTE:The excerpt is intended for mature readers 18+ due to sexual content
West had Tara right where he wanted, pressed up against him for a slow dance playing on the jukebox. Probably the last one before the band started playing for the night, unless his other brother decided to sing. Ty was partial to ballads. He said the girls loved sad love songs and the soulful men who sang them.
West pulled her close and she relaxed against his body, her hands winding around his neck to tangle loosely in the strands of hair there. She leaned into him, her lower body rubbing up against his, igniting the embers to a fire that never seemed to go out around her. His blood pounded in his veins, a slow molten burn that spread throughout his body and settled low in his groin. He settled his chin on her head and breathed in the fresh citrus scent of her hair and peace settled over him, a peace he had experienced in only one other place.
“You need a haircut, cowboy,” she murmured against his chest.
He let his hands drift lower down her back, just above the curve of her ass, to pull her even closer. “I’ve been busy.”
She ran her fingernails along his scalp, a gentle bite that sent a tingle through his nerves. “Don’t cut it on my account. I like you a little bit messy. You don’t seem so perfect this way.”
He grinned and plunged his fingers into her blonde waves, artfully arranged, messing up the long strands until she looked less sculpted. “Then you won’t mind if I return the favor. Now you look like we just had some fun in the barn.”
She closed her mouth and swallowed, watching him warily. He spread her hair over her shoulders, watching the lower strands brushing the tops of her breasts. Her tongue swiped out and licked her lips and he groaned, dying to take her lips in a kiss, but not here, not in front of everyone.
“You’re killing me.” He pulled her close again and closed his eyes, thinking about cows, manure, anything but the sweet smelling, sexy lady he had pressed up against him, swaying so gently in all the right places. Even thinking of Douglas didn’t douse the slow fire burning in his veins. She rotated her hips, grazing his groin in a move that was too targeted to be an accident. He stilled her hips and she chuckled, the sound vibrating against his chest.
He playfully slapped her ass. “Bad girl. Settle down or I’ll have to treat you like Black Jack.”
She lifted her head and smirked at him. “Is that a threat or promise?”
Before he could answer, the music stopped, and she started to step away, but he tugged her back. He bent down and whispered, “You just wait until we get home, lady. We’ll see if that was a threat or promise.”
She shivered but the secret smile remained on her face.
Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.
I am the monarch of Manhattan’s underworld. A corrupt king, ruling a sinful empire.
I wasn’t born to the crown. Nevertheless, I wear it well.
Aislinn Granville is the Crown Jewel of my empire—my queen. To my enemies, she’s my Achilles heel—a perfect pawn.
Without her, I am a wounded warrior. A ruthless, relentless beast.
There is nowhere she can be taken that I won’t find her. No adversary I won’t crush to get her back.
Even if I have to burn this city to the ground.
••••••••••
REVIEW:Corrupt Savior is book two in The Wages of Sin duet by Tara Leigh. This book begins right where book one – Cruel Sanctuary ends. With a few subtle reminders the author sweeps you right back in to the seedy underworld of Manhattan politics and crime, and off of the cliff she left us on when book one ended! This book doesn’t miss a beat! Aislinn has been taken and Damon is tearing Manhattan apart looking for her! Aislinn isn’t quite sure Damon is looking for her after the last encounter they had, but she is determined to save herself!
And although she has been the victim in her childhood, she was not going to let it happen this time. Not now!
Damon struggles with the fact that he was supposed to be protecting Aislinn and he let her down! He is the one who was supposed to be her sanctuary when all hell is breaking loose! And he will go to any length to get her back. But it seems he may not have to!
Aislinn became the woman you knew she could be all along in this story! She doesn’t allow her past to bog her down in the present! And, while she loves being in Damon’s arms, she also can hold her own when she needs to! And she proves herself time and again!
The chemistry between these two main characters doesn’t miss a beat from book one to book two! And they connect on an even deeper levelin this book!
There are some sweltering love scenes in this book, but I must admit – it offers so much more! Jammed packed with action, mystery and mayhem, its an amazing duet series!
Highly recommend both books – Cruel Sanctuary & Corrupt Savior!
My heartbeat is an erratic, distracting pitter-patter against my ribs as I take in the stark beauty of the man standing in front of me. He looks like the same man I ran from. Almost.
The same rich black hair and inky eyelashes. The same strong, shadowed jawline and high, elegant cheekbones. The same spark of intensity lighting up those dark, dark eyes.
But now there are smudges beneath them. And faint horizontal lines, like the silvery remnants of a shattered spider web, crossing his forehead.
Damon is glaring at me like an adversary he’s torn between spanking or fucking. There is yearning in his gaze, a faint glimmer of tenderness beneath his infuriated expression.
I like it. A lot.
The panic and fear and pure terror that filled my veins just a few hours ago hasn’t yet evaporated. Those intense emotions are still there, like toxins that have yet to be flushed from my system. I don’t want to be treated with kid gloves. Not by Damon King.
I need his intensity now more than ever. I am desperate to revel in the raging storm Damon and I create when we’re together. The kind of storm that deserves a name. Deserves to be written in history books for its power . . . and for the toll of its destruction.
I want the shocking illumination of lightning. The ominous energy of thunder.
I want to give and take.
Clash and break.
Writhe and shake.
“Damon.” I say his name like a warning. I need the savage who claimed me as his own. My savage king.
He presses a firm kiss to my forehead, his fingers lightly pushing into the hair at the base of my scalp. “Tell me this,” he says. “Is there any hurt I can’t kiss better?”
The throaty rumble of Damon’s voice is like a liberal pour of molasses on my frayed nerves. “No.” My nose is flush with his chest and I breath deep that scent I didn’t think I would ever smell again. Wood and whiskey and raw masculinity. So damn intoxicating.
He sweeps his tongue along the rim of my ear. “Is there any hurt I can’t lick better?”
The tension in my shoulders eases as I flatten my palms against his chest. “No.”
Damon lifts my chin, our eyes locking on each other. “Is there any hurt I can’t fuck better?”
My cheeks warm as I draw my lower lip between my teeth. Then I shake my head slowly, “No.”
He smiles that darkly seductive grin and my stomach flips. “Let’s go take a shower.”
I nod my head eagerly. A long hot shower sounds perfect. A long hot shower—with my savage king—sounds downright exquisite. By the time the water is running, my borrowed bathrobe is just a white smudge of bad memory strewn across the tile floor.
Damon begins unbuttoning his shirt and I eagerly reach for his belt. When he is as naked as I am, he cups my chin between his thumb and forefingers and tips it upward. His kiss is hard but not punishing. The perfect amount of pressure.
I moan low in my throat.
He growls in return. And when we pull apart, we are wearing matching lust-drunk grins.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“I thought you said I shouldn’t trust anyone who has to ask.”
“I’m asking now.”
The truth falls from my lips. “With my life.”
Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie.
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2019
They say New York City is the Devil’s Playground. They’re wrong. This city belongs to me. And so does Aislinn Granville.
She is a pampered politician’s daughter. A decorative ornament, raised to smile and nod and do what she’s told.
Except… she doesn’t. Not with me. Ever.
In this city full of thugs and thieves, I’ve kept Aislinn safe. From my enemies. From me.
Until now.
••••••••••••
REVIEW:Aislinn Granville is a politicians daughter in New York City. She left her lucrative job at a political consulting firm to help her father (James Granville), a Manhattan district attorney running in the next election for mayor. Her and her father do not have the most amicable relationship but since it is her father she agrees. Knee deep in the campaign and it is brought to her attention that her father and his chief of staff (and her sometimes casual lover), Chat Lytton are not necessarily the men of moral that she had previously thought.
And now with a private conversation recorded and about to be leaked to the public, it’s a PR nightmare that even she can’t fix. That’s when they call in Damon King…
Damon King is always a last resort. Most who know of him, consider him the boogeyman of Manhattan. “Rumor has it, he’s a fixer in the same way the devil is.” When James Granville and his chief of staff get too greedy with their ambitions and start crossing the wrong people, specifically the Los Muertos cartel, things begin to go down hill – quickly. But Damon King has a price.
Will the price be something that James Granville will freely give? And will Aislinn ever fully understand what it means to be protected by Damon King.
Aislinn is a strong willed, strong minded, all business woman. She left her cushy job to join her fathers campaign – despite the fact that they have a strained relationship. Her whole world collapses when she finds out her father isn’t the moral man she believed him to be.
In fact he is on the take, just like every other crooked politician in New York. At first, Aislinn doesn’t believe that her life is in danger but as that quickly changes and is brought to light she finds sanctuary in the one man everyone else fears. She turns to the devil himself to protect her. And protect her – he will.
Damon King is the thing nightmares are made of. He is mysterious, lethal and completely under the radar, a boogeyman as they say. He was once a Wall Street broker but a deal gone wrong ended him up in prison. While there he swore to a cellmate to look after and protect Aislinn Granville. He has always been watching over her from a far. But now he can protect her the way she should be. But having her in his home proves to be quite a distraction. He soon comes to realize that she is not the pampered princess he thought her to be. He thinks he knows everything about her, but he doesn’t. She has secrets and darkness in her past. And she trusts him.
I absolutely loved this book, read it in two sittings. I loved everything about Damon. He was dark, and at times evil, but you knew there was good in him. I really enjoyed Aislinn’s character from the beginning of the book. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She walks the walk. She is a powerhouse in and of herself, but what she truly needs is a powerhouse of her own. One that will allow her to let down her guard and take the reins for once.
The relationship between Aislinn and Damon is erotically wonderful. It pulls you in, you want more for them, you want them to open themselves to one another. And when you turn to the last page – you know you truly dared to dance with the devil.
I can not wait for book two in the series, and I highly recommend.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Erin
“Put me down.” I keep my cool, making the demand as stiffly as if I’m asking him to pass the salt.But my show of composure crumbles as he angles his head to look at me. Barely an inch separates the tips of our noses. I stare, entranced by the fine scar that marks his left eyebrow. I want to kiss it.
“Or what?”
“Hmmm?”
One corner of his mouth tics up, his eyes flicking away from mine. “You look damn good in my arms.”
I follow his stare and am met by our reflection in the bathroom mirror. I blink, taking in the sight of my naked body held against King’s broad chest, the tanned, inked forearms I’d practically drooled over earlier now wrapped around my back and behind my knees.
I am naked. King is dressed.
There is something indecently erotic about our image. I look like the heroine of an old Harlequin novel—a down on her luck maid or secretary about to be ravished by her big, bad boss. A powerless woman soon to be stripped of her virtue.
I know what it’s like when a man overpowers a woman. When he uses force to take what’s not his. To hurt and abuse and terrorize.
And I know that this isn’t that.
It may not look like it, but I have the power in this situation. Damon King came to me. First at my apartment and now in his. He broke down two doors tonight.
I may be naked, but the only reason he’s touching me is because he knows I want him to.
Emboldened, I look away from our reflection and directly into King’s eyes again. Leaning in, I brush the tip of my nose against his. “Kiss me.”
I’ve barely pushed the words out when his lips are on mine. The taste of him is an explosion inside my mouth. Smooth and potent, but with a hint of mint. As if he swilled some of that Balvenie from his bar and then sucked on a peppermint candy.
He kisses like a conqueror. Stealing my breath along with the last of my reservations.
He kisses like a king. Staking his claim, demanding his due.
Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie.
Most people know me as the drummer for Nothing but Trouble. Depending who you ask, I’m also a playboy, a loner, the life of the party, a screw-up, or according to my fans, “The Sexiest Rock Star on the Planet.” Apparently, I’m a legend.
Am I surprised? Hell, no. It’s a reputation I’ve earned behind my drum kit and behind closed doors. No one thought foster kid Landon Cox would become famous. Infamous, maybe. Notorious, probably. But successful? Never. No one except Piper Hastings. But I had to make a choice: my woman or my career. I picked fame and fortune… and spent every damn day since pretending I don’t regret it.
Now fate’s dropped Piper back into my life. I want to believe it’s a second chance for me – for us. But while I can give her a few great nights, I can’t give Piper a future.
Because there’s a difference between a legend and a fairy tale… Only one of them ends happily ever after.
•••••
REVIEW:
The story continues with Rock Legend, the Nothing But Trouble series by Tara Leigh. This book can be read as a stand alone or as part of the series.
This story focuses on publicist Piper and her history with drummer Landon Cox.
They had a brief romance while in college, but Landon disappeared and Piper Hastings never heard from him again.
Landon Cox is a famous drummer for the band Nothing But Trouble. He is living the rockstar lifestyle of the rich and famous. He has had a rough life as a past foster child. In fact that builds the bridge on how he treats relationships in his present life. But he begins to wonder if there is more to life than the rich and famous lifestyle. That is until he sees Piper Hastings, the woman he walked away from in college to pursue the rocker life.
Piper works in PR and her firm handles the band Nothing But Trouble. But Piper never forgot her one true love. Her college sweetheart that walked away without so much as a goodbye. For the past six years she has wondered if it something that she has done. Up until now, Piper has managed to steer clear of Landon until fate and Delaney forced them together.
This is a second chance rock star romance. I am not going to lie, I wasn’t keen on either of these characters in the first book. Landon proves to be the mess that he is. And he has allowed his life issues to affect his present. But deep down, he wants a family to love and one that will love him.
When he sees Piper again he realizes that he can not throw away the chance to have what is missing in his life. And what ensues is a second chance romance worth writing about.
Both of the main characters must come to grips with their pasts and the choices that have led them to where they are. Both of them must come to terms with accepting themselves as they are in their moment.
Wonderful rock star story that leads you on a thrilling journey!
Watching Landon Cox on stage from forty feet away had been bad enough. But here, now, close enough to touch, I was jolted by the power of his presence.
Still shirtless and sweating after an intense performance, my eyes danced over the rippling muscles rising from beneath the inked skin of Landon’s naked torso, his broad shoulders tapering to slim hips, perfect V cuts forming an arrow pointing south.
Vitality seeping from every pore.
My gaze was drawn inexorably upward. Blond hair a damp mess, the faintest trace of stubble darkening a jawline that could have been cut from marble. A face so symmetrical, so severely beautiful, it would take even the most talented sculptor a lifetime to get right.
Landon Cox was a fantasy in the flesh.
I’d imagined this very moment dozens—no, hundreds—of times. But now that the moment was here, Landon and I, alone in a room again after all these years, I had nothing.
In a blink, Landon’s expression wavered. His winged brows, three shades darker than the hair sweeping across his forehead, pulled together. Eyes like hot coals burning into me.
As if the sight of me caused him pain.
I tore my gaze away from his face, but it only landed on the swaths of ink covering his chest and extending over his arms. My mouth watered at the sight. I wanted to trace every tattoo with my tongue, every slash and swirl and stripe. After six years, how would Landon taste?
Like regret, I realized with a sickening thud. Because regret was all that remained of what we’d once shared.
Tara Leigh attended Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia Business School in New York, and worked on Wall Street and Main Street before “retiring” to become a wife and mother. When the people in her head became just as real as the people in her life, she decided to put their stories on paper. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children and fur-baby, Pixie.
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 17, 2018
She makes my pulse race.
From the moment I laid eyes on her in that ridiculous giraffe onesie, I knew this girl would rock my world. Effa’s the lead singer of the world-famous rock band, Luminous.
And I’m their new lighting tech, Kaden ‘Mercs’ Mercury.
Going on tour with an all-female rock band would be simple you’d think, but these girls aren’t an easy push-over.
All the while things back home are taking a turn for the worse, and I’m losing a battle of my own that might come back to bite me on the ass if I’m not careful. My only distraction from the ensuing chaos – a bubbly blonde lead singer, destined to brighten my life.
But with an all-male opening band, tensions are bound to run high when jealousy flares, and lines are blurred. She sets my pulse racing, but am I enough to kickstart her heart?
•••••••••
REVIEW:Pulse is book one of The Luminous Rock Series by K E Osborn. Effa (short for Effervescent) is the lead singer of the famous all girl rock band Luminous. When the band has issues with their lighting tech they get rid of him and bring on Kaden “Mercs” Mercury. Mercs is hired on as the Lighting Director and he knows his way around a stage. But getting this job with Luminous on their world tour, is not only a once in a lifetime opportunity for him, it is an answered prayer. Mercs sister Kiera is battling cancer back home. Every cent he earns and all of his savings has been spent on her treatments up until this point. But from the moment he meets Effa – in her giraffe onsie – he realizes his life will never be the same again.
Effa is a quirky character that you can’t help fall in love with. With her all natural, in tune with the world energy. And she has an effect on Mercs that no one else has before. They don’t have a smooth run once they start off their relationship. But when its good – its so good!
I love Mercs sweetness and loyalty to his sister and gran! You can’t help fall for everything about him! The connection he has with Effa is magnetic. It completely draws you in! But they do have their ups and downs! Outside influences play a role and bring the drama. Will their love overcome what lies ahead of them? Or will those influences tear them apart! There are quite a few truly laugh out loud moments in this book! And the magnetic romance and hot and steamy sex scenes are magical! But in true K E Osborn fashion the cliffhanger ending leaves you begging and wanting more! You don’t see it coming and it leaves you praying for book two like yesterday! K E Osborn is absolutely the living Queen of cliffhangers!
Copy supplied for review
reviewed by Erin
Australian author K E Osborn was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. With a background in graphic design and a flair for all things creative, she felt compelled to write the story brewing in her mind.
Writing gives her life purpose. It makes her feel, laugh, cry, and get completely enveloped with the characters and their story lines. She feels completely at home when writing and wouldn’t consider doing anything else.
Ali Philips never thought anything could be more devastating than the day Levi and Tucker Corbin, her two best friends—her only friends—moved away. Three years passed without a single phone call, text message, or email from them and she’s resolved to the fact that she will probably never see them again. Until one morning when she comes face-to-face with Levi Corbin in physics class.
Little does she know, the Corbins have returned to Haldeen with only one thing on their minds: winning Ali’s heart. Ali soon finds herself in the middle of a love triangle she doesn’t want any part of. As she tries to reclaim the friendships she’s lost and to adjust to the unfamiliar feelings she’s having, she struggles with making the one decision that will forever change their lives: Levi or Tucker Corbin?
She’s always had a special bond with Tucker and feels most comfortable when she’s with him. But Levi brings her to life in a way she didn’t think was possible and makes her feel things she didn’t think she would ever feel. Torn between the two, Ali is certain of only one thing–by the time it’s over, she’ll lose one of her best friends.
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REVIEW: When you are young the friendships you make sometimes stay with you forever – that is – at least until they are taken from you. Ali Philips is a beautiful young girl from small town Haldeen, Georgia. Growing up here had been hard for Ali, she had always been picked on and had always been “one of the boys.” She did however have two best friends – her only friends – twins – Tucker and Levi Corbin. They were as close as any three friends could possibly be. Spending their summer days at Old Man Potter’s swimming hole, climbing trees and hanging out in the hay loft of the old abandoned barn. Life was simple and their friendships were forever. That is until Levi and Tucker abruptly announced that they were moving. Tearing Ali’s world apart – she was left with no one. No friends, no one to protect her. Life did continue – and Ali weathered the storm.
Fast forward three years later – Ali is a stunningly beautiful junior in high school. She has a group of friends that she is comfortable with and a life that she is secure in. Until she walks into Physics class and sees Levi Corbin. The Corbin Boys are back. After three years – three years of no contact – no phone calls, no emails, no letters. They just disappeared from her life – and here they are – back again in Haldeen. Ali is unsure of what the future holds now, but one thing is clear – the Corbin boys are all grown up and better looking than she remembers. The question is – will their friendships go back to the way they were and does Ali even want them to?
I found this book very heart-warming and well rounded. I immediately enjoyed the character of Ali Philips and her small town. I found the author’s knowledge of small town living and being a teenager growing up there was spot on. While I am years gone from being a teenager – I found myself remembering and reminiscing about my teenage years while reading this book. There is an abundance of teenage angst – which lets admit it – what teenager’s life isn’t filled with angst. But there is also an amazing amount of true friendship and loyalty, love and understanding. The relationships that Ali begins to explore with Levi and Tucker were very emotional and I could feel the pain that Ali felt. And I will admit to shedding a few tears here and there for the decisions she had to make. The characters of Levi and Tucker Corbin were almost real to me – at least I wished they were. Handsome, adorable, charming Southern boys – who could ask for or want anything more. I thoroughly loved this story – the only thing that I can complain about is (without revealing too much) – while I understand Ali’s choice – I do not agree with it. And I am praying to the book gods that there are more books in the works that will elaborate and continue the lives of these three characters. If you love a good, down home, Southern love story that grips your emotions and tears at your soul then I highly recommend this book.
Copy supplied by the publicist
Reviewed by Erin K.
About the Author:
Born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York, Kara was an only child who was forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word. In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first erotic romance novel, and she was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, erotica, and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY Creative Writers Café and the CNY Romance Writers. Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids, and three cats. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s thinking about reading and writing. And when she’s not doing that, she’s spending time with her family and friends.
TRC: Hi Kara and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of The Georgia Corbins.
Kara: Thank you! And thanks so much for letting me stop by. I’m excited to be here.
TRC: We would like to start with some background information, would you please tell us something about yourself?
Kara: Well, I’m a full time stay-at-home mom to five children – four girls and one boy. I was an only child growing up and I hated it, which is why I opted to have more than one child. lol. Writing really is a passion for me and it started out as just something to occupy my time while my kids were in school, but then I realized I was kind of good at it and I decided to try getting published. As they say, the rest is history.
TRC: What difficulties or challenges have you faced as an author?
Kara: There are a lot of difficulties and challenges. The first is finding enough time to write all the stories that are rumbling around in my mind. The second is finding a good balance between writing time and marketing. Trying to get my books in the hands of the readers is a huge challenge, especially when there are so many great authors out there looking to do the same.
TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?
Kara: Thankfully, I have a great network of friends and authors I can bounce ideas off, but my go to people are Giovanni Valentino and Nikki Lynn Vale. Not only are they close, personal friends, but they are members of my weekly writers group. Then I have a super awesome beta reader, Louise D. Gornall, whose insights are always spot on and tremendously helpful. I’d be lost without them.
TRC: The Georgia Corbins is the June 2013 release in your new Young Adult series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?
Kara: It’s the ultimate love triangle — fraternal twin brothers fighting over their childhood best friend. As if the teen years aren’t hard enough, throw in the need to make an impossible choice and you’ve got a story ripe with tension.
TRC: Ali and The Corbin Boys is a free download from Smashwords. Should the readers grab a copy before reading The Georgia Corbins?
Kara: I hope they do! I mean, it’s free! Why wouldn’t they? Seriously though, The Georgia Corbins can be read without first reading Ali and The Corbin Boys. This free download gives the history between Ali and the Corbins. It shows how they became friends and the tumultuous relationship between Ali and Shelby, who is the closest thing to a villain in this story. I think it adds another layer to the book and helps to give a better understanding to the complex relationships among these characters.
TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?
Kara: It was rather easy to do with this story. From the beginning its pretty clear who Ali wants to choose, but a series of events and realizations lead her to make the opposite choice. From the reviews and feedback I’ve already received, it was something readers didn’t see coming. They’re in for a lot more surprises in book two!
TRC: What difficulties did you encounter (logistical, research, etc) outlining and writing this particular novel?
Kara: The dialect. This takes place in the Deep South and the way of speaking down there differs from how we speak here in NY. I spent some time researching the dialect and the accents, listening to clips of it on YouTube. Then I incorporated all of that into the story only to be told it was too “heavy” and that it made it difficult to read. So, I had to go back and start over. At least now I know for next time. Lol.
TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters, which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?
Kara: The only one I ever had a real image for was Tucker and that was a young Chris Hemsworth.
TRC: How many books do you plan for the series and will the characters and storylines overlap?
Kara: Right now I’m planning on three books. This first book was the story of all three of them and Ali’s choice. The second and third books will focus on each Corbin boy individually, because I can tell you now, things don’t stay happy for the three of them for very long. I’ve considered writing a fourth book that would take place ten years in the future, at their high school reunion, but I’m still letting that idea toss around in my brain a little more. And yes, all of the characters and storylines will overlap. Even though it’s three separate books, it’s one long, continuous story.
TRC: How thoroughly do you plan out your characters and story before you begin the first draft?
Kara: Not much at all. I’m a panster to a fault. Typically I’ll jot down some character names with a physical description and maybe a plot idea or two, but that’s about it.
TRC: Do your characters direct the storyline or do you have a semblance of control?
Kara: I’d like to think I’m in control, but that’s not always the case. I guide them in a certain direction, and then my characters take over. It’s more fun that way.
TRC: You are a writer of several different genres. Do you prefer writing one over another? Which do you find easier?
Kara: Yes, I am a multi-genre writer. I hate to be confined to just one. My favorite genre to write is erotic romance because I feel like I have a lot more freedom with my characters. I don’t have to censor them as much.
TRC: If you could become a contestant on a television reality program, which show would you prefer and why?
Kara: Dancing With the Stars – for several reasons: (1) I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance; (2) I would LOVE to meet Derrick Hough; (3) I wouldn’t have to eat anything nasty like bugs; (4) I could, hopefully, finally lose these few last pounds that just won’t seem to go away; (5) Hello? Have you seen the pretty costumes they get to wear??
TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines?
Kara: With lots and lots of chocolate! I always try to break things down into smaller portions because if I look at the big picture, all seems hopeless. If I know I have to write 20K words in a week, I’ll break that down to 3K a day until it’s finished, which is doable with all my other responsibilities. If I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed, I’ll take some time for myself to decompress. I’ll take my dogs for a walk or take a nice hot bubble bath.
TRC: On what are you currently working?
Kara: Lots of fun things! The sequel to The Georgia Corbins; the sequel to my contemporary NA romance, Death of a Waterfall; and an erotic paranormal romance.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Kara: Thank you to everyone who has bought and read my books. Your support means the world to me. Thank you to The Reading Café for inviting me to stop by to chat. And to all YA, erotica, and/or romance authors out there: I would love to work on a project with you. Contact me if you’re looking for a co-writer or a contributor to an anthology.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food –Chicken Alfredo with broccoli
Favorite Dessert –Cheesecake with fresh strawberries
Favorite TV Show –The Vampire Diaries
Last Movie You Saw –Iron Man 3
Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk Chocolate
Favorite Flower — Orchids
TRC: Thank you Kara for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of your new novel.
