ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN by Marie Harte-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2017
When Sadie Liberato is cajoled by her brother to attend a costume party a month before Halloween, she had no idea she’d fall for a handsome devil in a mask. Or that she’d have one hellishly fine encounter in the dark. But when her masked devil turns out to be Gear Blackstone, fallen TV reality star of the super popular show, Motorcycle Madnezz, she wonders if this is a match made in heaven or hell.
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REVIEW: ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN by Marie Harte is a stand alone, contemporary adult, erotic romance story line set in the world of the author’s McCauley Brothers, The Donnigans, and the Body Shop Bad Boys series. This is reality star and mechanic Harrison ‘Gear’ Blackstone, and bakery shop chef Sadie Liberato’s story line. ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Sadie and Gear) ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN follows the building relationship between reality star and mechanic Gear Blackstone, and pastry chef Sadie Liberato. A month before Halloween Sadie found herself up against the wall, in the throws of passion, with a man she knew only as the tall, dark and brooding Satan. Enter Harrison ‘Gear’ Blackstone, a man whose entire life had been exposed on reality TV, as his best friend and fiancé, took their secret relationship into the public eye. Tired of the bullsh*t, fame and constant paparazzi, Gear walked away without a backwards glance. Meeting Sadie Liberato, the feisty pastry chef, and ardent protector of everything Gear Blackstone, started our couple towards a happily ever after that could have ended before it all began.
Sadie Liberato has been burned in the past; her former lover cheated on her with a friend, and now trusting any other man brings back too many bad memories for our heroine to let loose and fall in love. Sadie is a strong willed, hold nothing back kind of woman who is willing to protect the people in her life including the man with whom she is falling in love. Gear Blackstone had enough of the fake ‘reality’ of Motorcycle Madnezz, but finding Sadie brought everything into perspective including the desire to step away from the fame and fortune of his own television show, and back into the quiet solitude of owning his own garage. Battered and bruised by the cheating scandal between his co-stars Gear walked away without looking back if only the paparazzi and his former co-stars would leave him alone.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Gear’s parents Otis and Orchid Blackstone, his sister Iris, and his brother Thorvold aka Thor; as well as Gear’s ex-fiance Sahara, and best friend Brian ‘B-Man’ Gandanna, and fellow bike mechanics Smoke and Chains. We are introduced to Sadie’s father Tony Liberato, her brother and owner of Sofa’s Bakery Elliott, and their sister Rose and her husband Joe. There is plenty of back and forth, quick witted banter between siblings, parents and friends.
The world building focuses on the behind the scenes turmoil of a reality television series, the fall out of infidelity, secrets and lies, and the potential life altering changes when two people find one another in a darkened corner, as they hide away from the real world.
ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN is a fun and sexy read. The premise is engaging; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is seductive and energetic, without the over the top, sexually graphic language and text. I am looking forward to future story lines focusing on the Liberato and Blackstone siblings.
Copy supplied for review by the publisher
Reviewed by Sandy
“Great DJ,” Devil said, his foot tapping to the beat.
She found herself doing the same. “No kidding.” She eyed the tiny corn dogs on his plate. He had half a dozen. She wondered if he’d miss one… “Hey, is that B-Man over there?” she asked.
When he turned his head, she stole an appetizer off his plate and shoved it in her mouth. Oh yeah, Elliot would be thrilled to see her display her “house manners” in public.
The devil turned back to her. “Not him.” He frowned at his plate, then at her full mouth. “Did you just steal my food?”
“Nope,” she answered around a mouthful.
He stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. It was a full-bodied laugh, holding nothing back. Charming and real. She put Devil at the top of her list.
She swallowed, wishing she had something more to drink. As he finished off his plate, he glanced at her clean one, then at her. When he sighed and handed her his beer, she took it gratefully.
“No backwash, I promise.” She opened her mouth to show him hers was clean, then downed half the bottle. “Damn, that was good.”
He blinked. “Ah, you want more?”
“No, no. You drink that. I’ll go get some.”
She moved to go, but he grabbed her arm. They both paused. Together, they glanced down at his large hand on her wrist, and he dropped her arm. “Ah, that’s okay. You stay here. I’ll get you something. Beer? More chow?”
She nodded. “Um, both, thanks. I’ll save your place.”
He left, and she watched his progress as he cut a swath through the crowd. Yes, the devil made his own path. This time, no one bothered him as he returned posthaste. To her surprise, she was glad. The guy smelled good, a hint of subtle cologne that went straight to her head. He had a kickin’ body and a great smile. But that air of Don’t fuck with me really turned her on—ah, made her amenable to his presence.
Talk about a wordy mouthful. At the thought, she found herself glancing down his body to see what else might be a mouthful.
Jesus, Sadie. Get your head out of the gutter, girl.
“You okay?” Temptation leaned closer. “You look a little flushed.”
“You can tell in this lighting?” she teased, trying to get it together.
“Good point.” He handed her a beer, placed his own down on the table, and then put a plate overloaded with goodies on top of their empties. “This is to share. To share,” he said slowly.
“Yeah, yeah. Man, I’m starved.” She fell on the plate as if the Russians were coming.
To her amusement, he fought with her for the cheese curls as much as for the mini egg rolls, and they devoured the snacks in good company.
They talked with their mouths full, making fun of the drunken genie as well as several unsuccessful hookups on the dance floor.
“Oh, now that had to hurt,” the devil said. “Rejected by a zombie and her warty witch friend.”
“Yeah, but he’s not taking it personally.” Sadie took another sip of beer, loving the fact he hadn’t gotten her a sissy glass to drink from. “See? He’s turning from the undead to slutty doctor chick.”
“Slutty? Isn’t that non-PC?” he sneered, and she thought he sounded familiar, but the loud music made it difficult to tell. “Because I say the wrong thing about a woman, not a ‘chick,’ and I’m a caveman asshole setting women’s rights back twenty years.”
“Well, I can say slutty. You have to say sexually adventurous.” Sadie grinned. “Kind of like telling a gay guy he’s a raging homo. Now I can say that, because my brother earned the title. But you try telling him that, and he’ll knock your head off. And call him anything else, and I’ll knock your head off.” She hefted her fake sword before leaning it against the wall. “Don’t try me.”
He shrugged. “You have a sword. I have a pitchfork…somewhere. I think I left it by the bar.” He glanced across the room. “But hey, I have no plans to tangle with your brother. I’m here to sin until this thing is over. Nothing else, and no fights.” He paused, and she swore he added something else under his breath.
At that moment, her brother appeared in the crowd, his gaze searching.
“Shit.”
“What?”
She took Devil by the waist and turned him, noticing how he tensed but ignoring it. “Sorry. I’m having fun not mingling, and my brother is right over there looking for me.”
He relaxed and glanced over his shoulder. “Which one?”
“See the Phantom? He’s a pain in my ass, much as I love him. I didn’t want to come to this tonight, you know.”
“Yeah? Me neither.” He stayed where he was, still watching the dance floor. “Uh-oh. He’s looking over here.”
“Crap, crap, crap. This is a primo spot!” She did what any smart woman in her situation would do. She turned Devil so he completely blocked her from Elliot. “I need to blend in. Work with me, would you?”
“Sure, what—?”
She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and dragged him down for a kiss.
At the taste of his lips against hers, she shuddered, not having expected he’d taste better than his beer, or that up close and personal he’d smell like man and sex and chocolate. Chocolate?
Jesus, she must have had too much to drink.
Then he dragged her closer and deepened the angle of their kiss.
Sadie forgot about her brother, about the last crab cake on the plate, about how much she didn’t want to be at the party.
And fell into the arms of a man who kissed like the devil himself.
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Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
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