WISHES AND WINGS (Birdsong trilogy 3) by Nina Lane-Review Tour

WISHES AND WINGS (Birdsong trilogy 3) by Nina Lane-Review Tour

 

 

 

 

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About the book: Release Date March 15, 2022.

I chose this. I wanted him. I knew he was complex and challenging and that he would never fit into any kind of conventional life.

That right there is just one of the reasons I fell so hard in love with him. And why I’ll always stay exactly where I fell. There’s no rising and flying away from Darius Hawke.

New York Times bestselling author Nina Lane returns with the Birdsong Trilogy, a provocative romance between two people whose forbidden love will set their lives—and the world—on fire.

•••••••

REVIEW: WISHES AND WINGS is the third and final instalment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult BIRDSONG erotic, romantic suspense trilogy focusing on twenty-two year old Nell Fairchild , and forty-four year old, photojournalist Darius Hawke. WISHES AND WINGS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book two FEATHER AND FLAME.

NOTE: WISHES AND WINGS focuses on terrorism and war, and was written prior to the attacks and invasion of Ukraine. If you have not read book one or two there may be spoilers in my review.

SOME BACKGROUND: After graduating from art school, Nell Fairchild was unable to find a job, and volunteered with an organization that was helping to rebuild the war torn country of Krasnovar, a country that holds devastating memories and pain for Darius Hawke. Another war was encroaching on the small Eastern European country, and Nell finds herself battling between head and heart when the man that she loves, risks everything, including his life, to rescue our story line heroine.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Darius and Nell), and third person (Henry) WISHES AND WINGS picks up immediately after the events of FEATHER AND FLAME wherein Nell has left Europe, only to return to the USA in the wake of civil war in the Eastern European country of Krasnovar, leaving behind the man that she loves, a man now in the hands of the people in charge. Desperate for Darius’ release, Nell goes to the one person she believes can save our story line hero but secrets and lies begin to spin a tale of treachery and death, forcing Nell to do anything to protect Darius Hawke. On the run, our couple must come to terms with the betrayal by someone close, a betrayal that is bigger than anyone could have imagined. What ensues is the building relationship and love between Darius and Nell, and the potential fall-out as greed and power place our couple in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Darius and Nell is an age-gap, love affair in which Darius step-sister was Nell’s embattled and struggling mother. Nell’s early years were fraught with grief and loss, while Darius’ barely survived the brutality of a father whose ultimate aim was to control by coercion and power. Nell fell in love with Darius years before but their relationship will be scrutinized placing another target on our story line couple. The $ex scenes are passionate, seductive and profound.

The secondary and supporting characters include Nell’s dad Henry Fairchild and his girlfriend Fern; Darius’ father Conrad Hawke, as well as several characters we had previously met in Krasnovar.

WISHES AND WINGS is a story of the ultimate betrayal, power and control, vengeance and greed, love and moving forward. The premise is emotional and dramatic; the characters are determined and charismatic; the romance is captivating and intense.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Sparrow and Hawke
Feather and Flame

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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Feather and Flame (Birdsong Trilogy 2) by Nina Lane-Review tour

Feather and Flame (Birdsong Trilogy 2) by Nina Lane-Review tour

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 8, 2022.

Darius:

“This is why I never contacted you. I still have no control around you. You want me to tell you I haven’t thought of you? That would be a damned lie. Wherever I’ve been, whatever I’ve done, I haven’t stopped thinking of you. You are always there.”

Nell:

Once, I was convinced that my feelings for Darius, my love for him, were pure and real. I fought against all his perceptions of wrongness.

But that was four years ago. If I still can’t find pleasure in even the thought of kissing another man, maybe my feelings for Darius have gotten twisted and warped. Maybe they’re obsessive.

Maybe they’re wrong.


••••••

REVIEW : FEATHER AND FLAME is the second instalment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult BIRDSONG age-gap, romance trilogy focusing on twenty-two year old Nell Fairchild , and forty-four year old, photojournalist Darius Hawke. FEATHER AND FLAME should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book one SPARROW AND HAWKE.

NOTE: FEATHER AND FLAME focuses on terrorism and war, and was written prior to the attacks and invasion of Ukraine. If you have not read book one there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Darius and Nell) FEATHER AND FLAME advances the series approximately four years, four years in which Darius and Nell went their separate ways. Having graduated from the New York Art Institute, Nell struggled to find a job but what our heroine never expected was to find the man that broke her heart. Darius Hawke has been on the front-lines of many war –torn countries, and our hero is about to leave again, for places unknown. Bitter and heart broken with no job prospects in sight, Nell volunteers to work with Global Rebuild, an organization that helps rebuild and repair cities and towns decimated by war. Working and living in the fictional Eastern European country of Krasnovar, Nell finds herself falling for a people and a country about to be pulled into another war. Enter Darius Hawke, the man Nell has loved most of her life, and a man who is about to sacrifice everything for the woman he loves. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and romance between Darius and Nell, and the fall-out as war comes to Krasnovar, destroying everything in its wake.

Darius Hawke’s attraction to Nell pushed our hero out of her life but Darius never stopped thinking about the young girl now woman that had stolen his heart. With another war of the horizon, Darius places himself in the direct line of fire to save the woman with whom he has fallen in love but Darius is about to face the demons from his past, demons that continue to haunt his daily life. Nell Fairchild is a little naïve, stubborn and determined, and with it comes the inexperience of a young woman who believes she can make it on her own but the atrocities of war are non negotiable, and our heroine battles between head and heart, taking a stance against the man that she loves, placing herself and everyone else in danger.

The relationship between Darius and Nell has been building for several years, a relationship predicated upon family and friendships. Darius is good friends with Nell’s father, and late mother, and the guilt of an age-gap romance sends our hero in the other direction. Nell has only loved one man all of her life, and the man is about to change the course of the relationship, to save the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and interesting secondary and supporting characters, most of whom we meet in Varaz, Krasnovar.

FEATHER AND FLAME is a story of second chances and love, war and destruction, and a struggle to survive. The premise is heart breaking, edgy, dramatic and intense; the romance is seductive and emotional; the characters are broken, dynamic and lively. FEATHER AND FLAME ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SPARROW AND HAWKE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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Sparrow and Hawke (Birdsong Trilogy 1) by Nina Lane-Review tour

Sparrow and Hawke (Birdsong Trilogy 1) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 22, 2022

Darius:

My attraction to her is wrong. I’m like the serpent in the Garden of Eden targeting Eve. Corrupting her.

I understand the serpent, though. When you’ve seen the worst of humanity, taken the brunt of evil, you crave purity and goodness. You want compassion and courage, even when it comes in a girl far too young and innocent for the likes of you.

Nell:

He says I’m too young and he’s too experienced.
He thinks I’m pure and he’s ruined.
He swears I don’t know enough and he knows too much.
He walks away because I’m fragile and he’s broken.

I want him, even though he can’t want me…
But he does.

••••••

REVIEW:SPARROW AND HAWKE is the first instalment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, new adult to adult BIRDSONG age-gap, romance trilogy focusing on forty year old photojournalist turned teacher Darius Hawke, and eighteen year old high school student Nell Fairchild.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nell and Darius) SPARROW AND HAWKE focuses on the age-gap, forbidden relationship between forty year old photojournalist turned teacher Darius Hawke, and eighteen year old high school student Nell Fairchild. Darius Hawke has returned from months overseas, a changed man, who struggles with a direction in life. Having found a temporary position teaching photography at the same high school as his best friend’s daughter meant up close and personal with a young woman who is currently starring in his fantasies and dreams but Darius knows his obsession with Nell is all kinds and wrong, and his demons begin to drive a wedge between our story line couple. Nell Fairchild has demons of her own, demons that are a constant reminder of what was and what will never be. Her father keeps a tight reign on our story line heroine a reign from which Nell is hoping to cut and run but her attraction to Darius is fraught with the possibility of the forbidden fruit, an attraction that is about to send Darius back into the world from which he may never return. What ensues is the building relationship between Darius and Nell, and the fall-out as Darius is unable to come to terms with his attraction to Nell, and Nell struggles to break free from a father whose only concern is the well-being of his daughter.

SPARROW AND HAWKE is a powerful, heart breaking and emotional story of forbidden love; of truth and understanding; of loss and conflict; tragedy and life. The premise is edgy and impassioned ; the characters are flawed, haunted and wounded ; the romance is controversial, profound and raw-the sexual tension is palpable. Nina Lane pulls the reader into a haunting, sensual and compelling story of loss and love. SPARROW AND HAWKE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

He sets a cup down with such force that coffee sloshes over the rim. His hair is a sweaty mess, and dried blood tracks down his jaw from the gash on his forehead.
“Darius, your—”
“Drink this.” He jabs a finger at the cup.
“I don’t want it.”
“I don’t care.” He flattens his hands on the counter and glares at me. His arms are roped with strong, corded muscles, his shoulders bunched. “This is what’s going to happen. You stay here. You don’t leave. You lock the doors and don’t even step outside. I’m going back to—”
“You’re going back? No way.”
His mouth tightens. “You are not calling the shots.”
“Obviously I should be, if you think I’ll let you go back into that hellhole. And stop treating me like a child.”
“You are a child!”
“I am not, and you know it.” A flame bursts to life deep inside me—a combination of rage and frustration that has nowhere to go. “Is that why you’re fighting? Because you can’t stand whatever is happening between us?”
His expression hardens to stone. “Nothing is happening between us.”
The force of his statement knifes into me.
No. Of all the people in the world, Darius Hawke will not be the one to link me with the word nothing.
“That’s a lie.” I fist my hands, my fingernails digging into my palms. “I saw those pictures you took of me. I see the way you look at me. I’d never show anyone else my scars, and you wouldn’t either, not like that. You’re not trying to escape nothing. You’ve been avoiding me because you know we’re the same and because you want me.”
The words come out like arrows, sharp and directed. Only in this instant do I realize the truth. I’m desirable. Coveted.
What I have, who I am, this man wants.

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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If We Fly (What If Duet #2) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

IF WE FLY (What If Duet #2) by Nina Lane -Review & Excerpt Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 13, 2018

We fell in love. Then our world fell apart.

I wished so hard for Cole Danforth. And one day, he came true. He was my first boyfriend, my first lover, my first and only love. He should also have been my last.

But in a split-second, we were ripped apart, our lives broken, my heart shattered.

After ten years, I’ve returned to my hometown, the place of my greatest joy and darkest pain.

Cole is still here, but the beautiful boy I’d loved is gone. Now he’s a ruthless, unforgiving man determined to feed both my hatred and my lust.

Then our torturous past encroaches again, trapping us in a violent storm.

But this time, there is no escape.

•••••••••

REVIEW: IF WE FLY is the second instalment in Nina Lanes’s contemporary, adult WHAT IF romance duet focusing on artist Josie Mays, and distillery owner Cole Danforth. For backstory and history I recommend reading the prequel novella-IF WE LEAP. IF WE FLY should not be read as a stand alone, as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one-IF WE FALL.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Josie and Cole) using present day and memories from the past, IF WE FLY picks up immediately following the events of book one-If We Fall- in which Josie has returned to her home town of Castille, Maine to pay homage to the family she loved. But returning home meant coming face to face with her past, a past that is about to come crashing down when the truth is finally revealed. Ten years earlier Josie May’s life was destroyed, and now she is about to face the destruction once again. Cole Danforth has struggled for close to ten years to move on from the past but memories and pain are all that he has left of the girl that he loved. With Josie’s return to Castille, so too, do the memories that threatened to rip them apart. A lifetime battling his father’s legacy, and the rumors that continue to push him down, Cole Danforth isn’t willing to risk losing Josie again, even if it means revealing the truth about what happened, years before.

IF WE FLY is a story of family, secrets, grief, lies and loss; a story about two sisters who struggle to move on from the past; one woman who searches for the answers to the missing pieces of her mind; and one man who hasn’t stopped loving the girl, now woman, he will always protect even if it means destroying his own reputation in the fall-out. Nina Lane pulls the reader into a revealing and emotional story about forgotten memories, broken souls, a passionate sacrifice, and a love that has endured. Although predictable and a rush to the finish IF WE FLY is an impassioned look at love and sacrifice. My only wish is that the author focuses a little more of the town’s acceptance and understanding of the man that Josie loved.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
If We Leap .5
If We Fall
If We Fall

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

#FREE: IF WE LEAP: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

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

IF WE FLY: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

While I’ll take Josie wherever I can get her, I’d rather be with her at the cottage than anywhere else. Reminds me of our cramped apartment where we were always bumping into each other and never had enough room.
As both a girl and an artist, Josie came with stuff. Hair bands. Fuzzy socks. Premium pastels. A thousand tubes of lip balm. I loved her stuff because I loved her. But I’d also been baffled by her inability to hang up a sweatshirt.
Her cottage isn’t any neater, which is just one reason I like it there. She doesn’t answer my knock. I unlock the door and let myself in.
She’s sprawled on the bed in the sunroom, her body moving with quick, shallow breaths indicating a restless sleep. One shapely legs rests over a pillow, and her T-shirt is pulled up far enough to reveal the curve of her ass encased in panties printed with purple butterflies.
Much as I love the sight of her, I dislike like her insomnia, the way she sleeps in fits and starts. Though I haven’t seen evidence of a nightmare, that doesn’t mean she’s not still having them. And going back to the accident site…
My chest tightens. I sit in a chair by the window and rub a hand over the back of my neck.
Two weeks. That’s it. Then she’s gone. After that…hell, you don’t have to think about after. You just need to make sure the truth stays locked down. That means keeping her away from Peterson and any reminders.
Or taking her away.
A roll of half-opened Lifesavers rests on the windowsill. Peeling it open, I find a red one and stick it in my mouth. Sugar and cherry spill over my tongue.
“You’re going to pay for that.” Her sleep-husky voice draws my attention.
She’s watching me, her arms around a pillow.
“I’ll share.” I push to my feet.
“You’d better.”
After crossing the room in three strides, I sink onto the bed beside her and lower my mouth to hers. Though I had every intention of talking to her first, her kiss fires me with heat. The tension in my chest loosens. I brush her silky hair back from her face and slide my hand over her cheek. Breathe in her strawberry smell. My unease slides away, overpowered by her soft sweetness.
She flicks her tongue into my mouth and over the cherry candy. After passing it to her, I lower her back onto the bed. My dick is already getting hard. I cup her breasts and rub my thumbs over her nipples, urging them to tighten. Josie sighs and shifts, hooking her legs around my thighs and wiggling her hips against me.
“You need to stop wearing jeans when you’re here.” She pushes me away and rises up to unbutton my jeans and shove them off. “Makes it hard for this spontaneous sex thing we’ve got going on.”
“I’m always hard for this spontaneous sex thing.” I shed my clothes before climbing on top of her again. Nuzzling my nose into her neck, I lick the hot hollow of her throat. I fucking love that tender little spot where her pulse beats so fast.
I inch my hand up her shirt, pulling it up far enough to expose her breasts, her pink nipples sticking straight up. The sight of her naked body jerks my cock into full hardness. Josie breathes out a moan and grasps my dick.
“God, Cole.” She shifts, urging me closer and parting her cherry-red lips. “Put it in my mouth.”
“Not this time.” With effort, I detach her hand from me and bend to kiss her breasts, pulling her nipple into my mouth. Her groan of satisfaction fires my lust hotter. I slide my hand between her thigh and into her pussy. Ah, fuck, my girl is already wet and primed, like she’s been waiting for me.
Moving lower on the bed, I push her thighs open. She rises to her elbows, her eyes widening. “Cole…”
When we first got together, it had taken her a long time to let me go down on her. No matter how aroused she was or how careful I was, she’d tense up and get self-conscious about being so exposed. But we’d both persisted, and I’d started with gentle licks of my tongue that soon had her panting and pumping her hips. And when she came…more than once, I’d been unable to hold back and ended up shooting my load all over the bedsheets.
That’s not happening this time.


 

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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If We Leap / If We Fall (What If Duet .5 & 1) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

If We Leap / If We Fall (What If Duet .5 & 1) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

IF WE FALL
(What If Duet #1)
by Nina Lane
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: August 30, 2018

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 30, 2018

We fell in love. Then our world fell apart.

I wished so hard for Cole Danforth. And one day, he came true. He was my first boyfriend, my first lover, my first and only love. He should also have been my last.

But in a split-second, we were ripped apart, our lives broken, my heart shattered.

After ten years, I’ve returned to my hometown, the place of my greatest joy and darkest pain.

Cole is still here, but the beautiful boy I’d loved is gone. Now he’s a ruthless, unforgiving man determined to feed both my hatred and my lust.

Then our torturous past encroaches again, trapping us in a violent storm.

But this time, there is no escape.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: IF WE FALL is the first full length instalment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult WHAT IF Duet focusing on artist Josie Mays, and distillery owner Cole Danforth. For backstory and history I recommend reading the prequel novella-IF WE LEAP (see below).

Told from dual first person perspectives (Josie and Cole) IF WE FALL follows in the aftermath of a rekindling relationship between artist Josie Mays, and distillery owner Cole Danforth. Ten years earlier Josie Mays’ life was destroyed; her heart broken; and the boy that she loved walked away without looking back. From childhood best friends to high school / college sweethearts and lovers, Josie and Cole had been everything for one another but one night destroyed it all. Fast forward to present day wherein Josie May returns to her hometown of Castille, Maine in an effort to pay homage to the people she loved by painting a mural for the Castille Historical Society. Enter Cole Danforth, the only man that Josie has ever loved, and the man that broke what was left of her shredded heart. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Josie and Cole, and the potential fall-out as the truth about what happened years before may send Josie into a spiral from which she may never return.

IF WE FALL is a story of family, friendship, secrets and revenge. Cole has struggled all of his life to fit into the mould his father endeavored to present to the world. In private, Cole’s earlier years were a living h*ll but the public only saw what his father wanted them to see- a dedicated and respected businessman whose only son struggled to fit into his life. Years later, Cole’s actions begin to divide a town that was once dependant upon his father’s power, a power Cole is unwilling to propagate and pretend. Cold and damaged, Cole keeps secret the truth about the who, how, and why including what appears to be a calculated attempt to destroy the town. Josie Mays had fallen in love with the misunderstood Cole from the time she was nine years old, a love that has never waivered in the face of rejection, heartbreak and engulfing darkness. Returning to Castille, Josie suspected she would come face to face with her past but her past continues to push Josie out of his life.

The relationship between Josie and Cole is a friends to lovers/ second chance romance between two wounded souls who have loved one another for most of their lives. Josie knew that Cole’s home life wasn’t all hearts and flowers, and in this Josie was determined to be Cole’s anchor in an every worsening storm. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

IF WE FALL is an emotional, heart breaking and raw story line about love, lies and deception; hidden secrets and public perception. The premise is gritty and gripping; the romance is intimate and breath-taking; the characters are broken, tragic and lost. Nina Lane’s impassioned writing style is palpable; her characters and series come to life with every turn of the page. IF WE FALL ends of a cliff-hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

____________

IF WE LEAP
(What If Duet .5)
by Nina Lane
Genre: new adult,contemporary, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 18, 2018

Will he take the leap with me?

Cole Danforth was a troubled kid with a bad reputation. When I was nine years old, he rescued me from bullies trying to steal my Halloween candy. Thus began my decade-long crush on him.

Now, the summer after my freshman year in college, I discover the boy has turned into a gorgeous man who makes me melt. Every part of me wants him — my heart, my mind, my body. But Cole, struggling with the burden of his past, refuses to accept how good we are together.

I believe in us hard enough to take the chance. But will Cole take the leap of faith with me?

This novella prequel takes place ten years before If We Fall, Book One in Nina Lane’s What If duet.

••••••••

REVIEW: IF WE LEAP is the prequel novella in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult WHAT IF Duet focusing on Cole Danforth, and Josie Mays.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Josie and Cole) IF WE LEAP takes place ten years (and more) prior to the events of book one IF WE FALL. The reader is up close and personal as seven-year old Josie Mays meets her would-be rescuer, ten-year old Cole Danforth, a trouble young boy who grows into a broken young man. From first love to heart breaking sorrow IF WE LEAP follows the building relationship and romance of two college age sweethearts whose lives are about to spiral out of control.

IF WE LEAP tells some of the backstory and history between our leading couple, and Cole’s dysfunctional family fall-out as a troubled reputation follows wherever he goes. The premise is revealing and inviting; the romance is passionate and tender; the characters are spirited, edgy and tragic.

Reviewed by Sandy

________

IF WE FLY
What If Duet #2
by Nina Lane
Release Date: September 13, 2018

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

We fell in love. Then our world fell apart.

I wished so hard for Cole Danforth. And one day, he came true. He was my first boyfriend, my first lover, my first and only love. He should also have been my last.

But in a split-second, we were ripped apart, our lives broken, my heart shattered.

After ten years, I’ve returned to my hometown, the place of my greatest joy and darkest pain.

Cole is still here, but the beautiful boy I’d loved is gone. Now he’s a ruthless, unforgiving man determined to feed both my hatred and my lust.

Then our torturous past encroaches again, trapping us in a violent storm.

But this time, there is no escape.

 

“Sir?” The security guard phones in from downstairs. “There’s a woman here insisting she needs to speak with you.”
“Name?”
“Josephine Mays.”
“Let her in.”
I turn off the intercom and unlock my office door. A few minutes pass before the door flies open. Josie barges in, her hands fisted and an angry light in her eyes.
“You are an asshole,” she snaps.
“I’ve been told.”
“How dare you pull that kind of stunt?”
“It’s the truth.”
“And we both know damned well you brought it up only because I’m involved.” She tosses her backpack and art portfolio onto a chair. She’s trembling with anger. “I don’t care what you think about me, but bringing the people of this town into our personal shit is low, even for you.”
My shoulders tense. “Even for me? What do you know about me?”
“Nothing anymore.” She slams her hands to her hips, her features twisting. “But I used to know everything about you. Do you remember that? Then you walked out on me right when I needed you the most, proving you were never the man I thought you were. Now I find out that you run this company like a dictator, you’re crushing independent businesses and putting people out of work, and you’re publicly trying to stop me from creating a mural that’s intended for both this town and my parents. What the hell happened to you?”
“You happened to me.”
The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them. The pencil I’m holding breaks in two with the force of my grip.
Josie steps back, her eyes widening. Her dark hair is windblown, her cheeks flushed, her chest heaving under her old army jacket. I’d once had the right to comb her hair back from her forehead, slide my palm over her neck before edging my fingers into her V-necked T-shirt…
Anger crushes my chest. I shove away from my desk and stride toward her. Fear flashes in her green eyes, which pisses me off even more. When the fuck was she ever afraid of me?
I grab the lapels of her jacket, yanking her closer. Our lower bodies collide. She gasps, a little catching noise in the back of her throat that used to get me hot in a second.
It still does. My blood starts to boil. She tilts her head back, her eyes flashing. I lower my head to look at her, fighting to ignore her scent—goddamned summer leaves and cherry candy.
“I once would have done anything for you.” The words grate roughly from my throat. “And then I failed you in the worst possible way. I failed you, I failed Teddy, and I failed your parents.”
She stares at me, her eyes widening. “Cole, I—”
“When you left, I hoped with everything I was that you’d have a chance at a normal life.” I pull her closer, anger warring with the undeniable flare of lust. “That you could be happy again if you weren’t constantly surrounded by reminders of everything you lost. Everything I took from you.”
“Goddamn you, Cole Danforth.” Fire flames over her expression. She plants her hands on my chest and shoves herself away. “The only thing you took from me was you.” 


 

 

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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The Secret Thief by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

THE SECRET THIEF by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

 

 

THE SECRET THIEF
by Nina Lane
Release Date: April 3, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

 

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 3, 2018

Behind his beautiful eyes
Lay a thousand secrets and lies.

But my own secrets are all laid bare
The twisted reality of a disgraceful affair.

I once deciphered the mysteries hidden in art
Then mistakes and desire tore me apart.

Now I’m shipwrecked at the end of the earth
Desperate again to prove my worth.

The lighthouse keeper is a stranger to me
Yet one night with him sets me free.

We find ourselves united by the stars above
Both of us needing the salvation of love.

Until our secrets and shame continue to build
And what was flourishing will soon be killed.

••••••••

REVIEW: THE SECRET THIEF by Nina Lane is a contemporary, adult, stand alone romance focusing on art history professor Dr. Eve Perrin, and lighthouse keeper / recluse Flynn Alverton.

Told from first person point of view (Eve) and third person (Flynn) THE SECRET THIEF follows Dr. Eve Perrin as she embarks on a new journey in life. Exiled from the art world for sins of the past Eve goes in search of peace and anonymity in the small seaside town of Castille, Maine where she finds comfort in the small cottage she inherited from her Uncle Max. With limited money and no job on the horizon our heroine is offered a position, sorting and cataloguing a library of books, from the town recluse. Enter Flynn Alverton, and the man with whom Eve will fall in love. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Flynn and Eve; the potential fall out as Eve’s past comes to the surface, and a local threat from an unlikely source.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and energetic-from business owners to the town political elite wherein Eve’s history will become town gossip, and Flynn’s past will come to bear in his growing love for our story line heroine.

Nina Lane has the ability to seduce the reader into her story lines. We become one with the characters as the author slowly awakens our senses and arouses the possibilities of a happily ever after. There are several familiar scenarios reminiscent of the author’s Spiral of Bliss series-a series that will seduce the romance lover in every one.

The attraction between Eve and Flynn is palpable but Flynn keeps secret his past-a past mired in guilt and grief. The fairy-tale romance is a reflection of Beauty and the Beast with all of the townspeople who struggle to accept the stranger in the woods. Vengeance will pursue our couple threatening the safety and quiet they have both been seeking.

THE SECRET THIEF is a poetic and beautiful love story; a magical ride where Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Fairy-tales are woven into a tale of healing, second chances, romance, heartbreak and love. The premise is breath taking and heart warming; the romance is sensual and captivating; the characters are broken, edgy and flawed. Nina Lane’s imagination is inspiring, enchanting and wondrous.

Copy supplied for review

Review by Sandy

 

The minute Flynn opens the workroom door, my whole body zings with excitement and anticipation. Even with his dark frown, the remoteness surrounding him like an aura, the clipped tone of his voice, I react to him as if he were stroking my hair and whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
Jeremy hadn’t come close to eliciting anything even close to this…which is exactly the reason I’ll go out with him again, if he asks me. Jeremy is solid, grounded, honest. Everything about Flynn is a mystery and a fantasy. I’d gotten caught up in a fantasy with David—whose “mystery” had been a lie—and I’d paid the price.
Never again.
“How was your weekend?” I set my satchel and lunch bag on the desk.
“Fine. Yours?”
“Great.” I give him a once-over, looking for evidence of an encounter with a chick, but while he looks edible in his worn jeans and T-shirt, like a warm, rumpled bed I could nestle right into, his demeanor is as impassive as ever.
Does he ever smile? Every now and then I’ve caught a glimpse of amusement, a twitch of his mouth, but I’ve yet to see him fully smile.
“Any special instructions for today?” I turn on the laptop computer and open my notebook.
“Stay away from Jeremy King.”
Shock bolts down my spine. I jerk my head up to stare at him. He’s watching me with a narrowed gaze, his mouth set in a stern line.
“Um…what?” I can’t get another word out.
“Stay away from him,” Flynn repeats. “He’s not good for you.”
Irritation breaks past my shock. “How would you know who is or isn’t good for me? You’ve barely said twenty words to me the whole week I’ve been working here.”
“I don’t need to say anything to know the facts.” His tone hardens. “I don’t want you around him.”
“Well, you have no right to tell me that,” I retort. “How did you know I went on a date with him anyway?”
His jaw tightens. “You think people around here don’t take notice when their favorite son is out having dinner with the new girl in town?”
Christ. I experience a sudden longing for the cold anonymity of a big city.
“I know people are talking about me,” I snap. “But I refuse to let gossip dictate what I can and can’t do. And for your information, Jeremy knows about what happened to me, and it didn’t seem to bother him.”
“That’s not the point. You can’t work for me and see him.”
My shoulders tense. I focus on the computer, hitting the key to bring up the database software.
“My date with Jeremy has nothing to do with my work here,” I reply stiffly. “I didn’t, and won’t, tell him anything about the job or the fact that you’re my employer. You don’t need to worry about breach of contract.”
“This isn’t about the damned contract.” His voice is suddenly sharp.
He steps closer to me, his soapy, warm scent filling my nose. I hold my ground, not wanting him to see me weaken even though I’m melting inside at his nearness. Impassive though he is on the exterior, I can almost feel the energy coursing through him, his heavy strong heartbeat, the rush of his blood.
“I don’t want you around King,” he repeats.
“Does your animosity have something to do with him wanting to sell the lighthouse?”
“I’m not answering questions.” His gray eyes turn the color of metal. “I’m telling you to stay away from him.”
My pulse races. “You don’t have that right.”
“I’m your boss.”
“That doesn’t mean you can make that demand.” The words snap out of my mouth without thought. “And if you think you can threaten to fire me over this, then step back, mister, because I’ve been through the worst wrongful termination I can imagine. And even though my employer fucking won that battle, I still have plenty of fight left in me. I’ll put on my gloves and go another round with you, if I have to.”
Wow. Go, Eve.
I’m breathing fast, and my knees are quaking with sudden fear that he’ll make me prove my bold statement. I dig my fingernails into my palms. The air between us sparks with electricity. I force myself to hold my ground, to look directly at him and—
Admiration flashes in his eyes, like a silver comet streaking across the sky. His stern expression doesn’t change, but that brief glimpse of warmth eases the tension knotting my shoulders.
“I’m not going to fire you.” His voice is measured and controlled. “But I will not have you seeing King.”
“You don’t like him, so that means I have to stay away from him?” I ask. “Sorry, no. He’s one of the few people in this town who has been nice to me, and I enjoyed our date. I refuse to discount the possibility of Jeremy being my first real friend here.”
Flynn’s jaw clenches. “He wants to be more than your friend.”
“I know.” I put my hands on my hips and look him in the eye. “He even kissed me.”
Anger crashes over his features, and a vein throbs in his forehead. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was jealous.
But I do know better. He’s mad because I’m refusing to do something he wants me to do. Despite, or maybe because of, his isolated lifestyle, Flynn is clearly a man accustomed to getting what he wants.
“He kissed you.” The word grind out of his mouth like broken glass.
“Yes. And I kissed him back. Like our date, it was nice. Nice hasn’t been the norm in my life lately.”
“I could kiss you,” Flynn retorts, his hands fisting. “But it wouldn’t nice.”
“Oh yeah?” My heart kicks into gear, blood rushing through my veins. “What would it be, then?”
He pulls in a breath, his gaze settling on my mouth. “Hot.”
“Prove it.” Borne of my endless nighttime fantasies, the dare flies out of me without thought of the potential repercussions.
Before I can take another breath, he grabs my shoulders and pulls me against him. I freeze, stunned by the reality of a moment I’d imagined more times than I can count—the sensation of his body against mine. And God, he feels exactly the way I’d imagined, a solid wall of heat and muscle pulsing with life. Rock-hard arms that could wrap around me so tightly nothing would get past them.
He stares down at me, his steel-like gaze sparking with intent like iron striking stone. I can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t think.
Then his mouth crashes down on mine, an onslaught, a possession, a claiming. Hunger bursts through me, a desire so sharp and intense it destroys all my defenses in one fell swoop. I moan, everything inside me weakening and aching for more. He slides a hand to my lower back, fitting our bodies together. I yield everywhere, my curves softening against him, any thought of resistance dissolving in a haze of disbelief and craving.
I part my lips tentatively, let him inside. My head spins with the taste of him—something decadent and forbidden. Our tongues touch, breath mingling. Arousal floods me, swift and hard, as if all the fantasies in which I’ve indulged have primed me for this moment. I bring my hands up to his face, his stubble coarse against my palms, slide them down to the sides of his neck where his pulse throbs heavily. He’s like the sea—mysterious, unpredictable, powerful. I could get lost in him, drown, let him sweep me away to a distant land where no one knows who I am and what I’ve done.
He lifts his head, breaking our kiss and stepping away from me at the same time. Heavy breaths saw from his chest, and his eyes are darkened to black. I bring a shaking hand to my mouth, suddenly unsure if the kiss just happened or if I’m like Alice in Wonderland, spinning downward, lost in my intricate imagination. 

 

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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Sweet Life (Sugar Rush #5) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

SWEET LIFE (Sugar Rush #5) by Nina Lane-Review and Excerpt Tour

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SWEET LIFE
Sugar Rush #5
by Nina Lane
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Sweet Life

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / iBooks /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 12, 2017

He knows if she’s been bad or good.

Amidst the sugarplums and mistletoe, fashion stylist Julia Bennett is every inch a scrooge. Known for her ice-queen ways, she’s having a meltdown over a botched business deal and an upcoming milestone birthday. Add the pressure of forced holiday cheer, and she’s ready to dive into the spiked eggnog and not come out until summer.

Warren Stone, president and owner of the Sugar Rush Candy Company, is determined to make Julia slow down and enjoy the holidays. As her friend and confidante for thirteen years, he knows her better than anyone. But when decking the halls leads them to an explosive, sexy night, everything suddenly changes.

When Warren decides Julia is all he wants for Christmas, will she risk their longtime friendship for the gift of love?

••••••••••

REVIEW: SWEET LIFE is the fifth instalment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult SUGAR RUSH erotic romance series focusing on the Stone family and the Sugar Rush Candy company. This is patriarch and Sugar Rush president Warren Stone, and fashion stylist Julie Bennett’s story line. SWEET LIFE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Warren and Julia) SWEET LIFE focuses on the friends to lovers relationship between fifty-four year old widower, father of seven, and President of the Sugar Rush Candy Company Warren Stone, and his forty-nine year old, sister in-law Julia Bennett. Fourteen years earlier Warren lost his beloved wife Rebecca to a tragic accident that also saw our heroine lose the sister she would never forget. Throughout the years Julia has been the family’s rock, helping to take care of her sister’s seven children but in the ensuing time our heroine’s personal life took a backseat to the fulfilment of her career, and the support of her extended family. Fast forward to present day wherein Julia’s attraction to Warren is met with an equally aggressive reaction by her late sister’s husband-a man she has lusted over for close to thirty-five years. What ensues is the building romance between Julia and Warren, and the potential fall out as their secret romance becomes fodder for the family, and Julia is unable to let go of the past.

Throughout the story line the ghost of Warren’s late wife Rebecca is a major stumbling block for our story line couple. Unable to get past the breakdown of her relationship with Rebecca, prior to the death of the sister she loved, Julia struggles with the memories of what happened, and the revelations about her feelings for the man she would grow to love. As Warren prepares for retirement, the family must come to terms with their father’s decision, and the change in direction for the Sugar Rush company.

The relationship between Julia and Warren is a friends to lovers, older couple romance; a brother in law / sister in law attraction that has continued to flourish, building towards something more than friendship and mutual loss. Secrets are revealed that could potentially destroy Julia’s relationship with the family she loves. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense-it is wonderful to see an ‘older couple’ enjoying an active sex life not deferring to questionable age-related ability.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting cast including many of the previous story line characters: Luke and Polly (Sweet Dreams #1), Evan (Sweet Escape #2), Tyler (Sweet Surrender #3), Gavin an Mia (Sweet Time #4) Adam, Spencer, and Hailey Stone; Julia’s assistants Anisa and Marco, as well as several local residents of Indigo Bay, California who are participating in the local Christmas pageant.

The world building focuses on family; on Warren’s upcoming retirement plans; and Julia’s inability to love and be loved. The premise is captivating and inspiring; the romance is passionate and seductive; the characters are charismatic, energetic and lively. Nina Lane is a go –to author for me for her ability to pull me in, suck me under, make me cry, and never let go.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Escape
Sweet Surrender
Sweet Time
Sweet Life

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

“Now step into my office.”
Julia blinked at his hard tone, her gaze shifting to his closed office door. “I beg your pardon?”
Warren opened the door. “In. Now.”
Her features tightened with resistance just as the elevator doors opened and several employees emerged, their voices rising in chatter. Julia crossed the hallway in front of them, her shoulders rigid. He caught a whiff of Chanel No. 5 as she passed him.
He entered the office behind her and closed the door, flicking the lock shut.
“You are not to take out personal crap on my employees,” he said. “That’s not how I run this company.”
Julia’s lips compressed. “Odd that you’ve never before questioned my treatment of your employees. And it wasn’t personal. She needed to know she’d screwed up.”
“Announcing the holiday party early is not screwing up,” Warren replied evenly. “You’re pissed off because you’ve had a shitty week, you have too much on your plate, an old bucket list has thrown you off your game, and you don’t know what to do with the fact that we fucked the other night.”
Two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “I seem to recall that what I did with that fact was tell you it wasn’t going to happen again. After which you informed me in excellent caveman style that I was wrong. You seem to forget I’m never wrong.”
About this, you are.
He bit back the words. He hadn’t become the president of Sugar Rush by throwing his weight around. He knew how to bide his time, work his way into getting what he wanted. And damned if he didn’t want her more with every passing second.
“Well?” Julia put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Are we done here?”
Under her make-up, purplish smudges shadowed her eyes. Brackets of tension lined her mouth. His jaw tightened.
“You had a migraine yesterday,” he said.
“What the fuck do you care?” Julia snapped.
Warren’s hands flexed. He was used to her quick-fire cursing, all the more effective when delivered by a woman who looked like royalty, but he didn’t like being the recipient of her wrath.
“I’m putting Mia Donovan in charge of the Sugar Rush holiday party,” he said.
“You’re firing me?” Julia stared at him, her eyes widening. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” He steeled himself against her shock and the knowledge that he was hurting her. “You’ve planned it for the past ten years, and it’s time to hand it over to someone else.”
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“Yes, I do. Sugar Rush is my company. This is also the event where I’ll be announcing my retirement. You’re not going to plan it.”
“Because I have too much on my plate?” Julia stopped in front of the windows, her arms crossed and her fiery gaze fixed on him. “Thanks for your concern, Daddy, but I assure you I can handle everything I take on.”
“That’s why you’re such a success. It’s also why your headaches are getting worse.”
“You are not my fucking doctor.”
“Stop swearing.”
She barked out a laugh. “You need to rethink this retirement thing, Warren. It’s making you soft.”
Given the state of his dick, he was anything but soft.
“If you won’t delegate your projects, I will,” he said.
“Because you can’t stop being the boss, even if you think otherwise.” Julia paced angrily to the desk, her eyes flaring with blue ice. “Why are you retiring, Warren? Everyone knows you’re the power behind the throne, much as you’ve let the boys take all the glory. Three months—hell, one month from now when you have nothing to do and no one to order around, you’re going to wonder why you made such a bad decision.”
Warren’s jaw clenched. He was sick of getting pushback from all sides. “I’ve been in business my entire life. I know what I’m doing.”
“So do I, dammit,” Julia retorted. “I don’t need you looking out for me.”
“I will always look out for you.”
She came to a halt, her whole body stilling. By contrast, Warren’s heartbeat kicked up, sudden heat flooding his veins. Their gazes met across the room, a crackling electric current firing through the air.
Julia took a breath, her breasts heaving beneath her jacket.
“Goddamn you, Warren Stone,” she whispered.
“I told you to stop swearing.” He advanced, his own breath increasing, his hands fisting and unfisting at his sides.
Rebellion tightened her features. “And if I don’t?”
“You sure you want to find out?”
He closed the distance between them, his lust flaring like a match to dry leaves.
What the fuck was going on with them?
The question flared like a comet through his mind and died just as fast—because he didn’t care about the answer. His mind was consumed with the thought of tasting her red lips again, sweet like cherries, spicy like peppers. Her mouth could deliver an insult as sharp and searing as a blade, but he knew—had always known, even if he’d smothered the knowledge—that the sounds issuing from Julia Bennett’s mouth could also be smooth, hot murmurs of lust that rushed straight to his blood. Weakening him of all thought, all control, inciting him with the urge to—
He grabbed her shoulders, hauling her soft, slender body against him. He’d always loved the contrast of Julia, the sharp-tongued, acidic queen and the relentlessly devoted aunt. The rigorous boss who shot orders like arrows, and the loyal friend who bought Hailey’s favorite peanut butter, sent care packages to Gavin Knight when he was deployed in Iraq, spent hours on end with Evan at the hospital.
He stared down at her fine features, pale skin, and wide blue eyes that he’d seen almost every day of his life for the past thirteen years—and suddenly now it felt as if he were looking at her for the first time. Had he never noticed that tiny birthmark right beneath her left eye? Or the silver flecks in her irises, like falling snow? Or the perfect curve in her upper lip, tempting him to put his tongue there and—
Oh, he’d noticed all right. He’d just tried to pretend he hadn’t.
“What the hell am I going to do with you, Julia?” he muttered.
“Fire me, apparently.” Her tone was bitter, her eyes blue fire.
Her gaze flickered involuntarily to his mouth, her lips parting. He slipped his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face to his. His heart jackhammered. Her breath brushed against his mouth, the familiar scent of her—Chanel No. 5, lavender soap, pure Julia—suddenly exotic and tantalizing.
“I’m going to let you go,” he said slowly, “and take two steps back. I want you to reach under your skirt and take your underwear off… if you’re wearing any.”

About The Author

Nina LaneNew York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. 

Connect with Nina: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Newsletter: http://ninalane.com/newsletter

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Sweet Time (Sugar Rush #4) by Nina Lane-Review & Excerpt Tour

SWEET TIME (Sugar Rush #4) by Nina Lane-Review and Excerpt Tour

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SWEET TIME
Sugar Rush #4
by Nina Lane
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Genre: adult,contemporary, erotic, romance

Sweet Time

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2017

Stuck in a boring insurance job, vivacious Mia Donovan has spent the last few years searching for her life’s true path. She fills her time helping plan the wedding of her best friend to the CEO of the Sugar Rush Candy Company.

Mia has also been trying to attract the impossibly rigid Sugar Rush security chief Gavin Knight. But for well over a year, the unyielding Mr. Knight has ignored her, despite her short skirts, tight sweaters, and patently obvious flirting. And when he finally approaches her, it’s only to assess the wedding plans for potential security risks.

A former soldier, Gavin has intercepted hostile anonymous letters threatening the high-profile wedding. Determined to keep everyone safe, he’s forced to work with the maddeningly sexy Miss Donovan of the thousand-watt charm and irresistible body.

Irked by Gavin’s many months of disregard, Mia takes her teasing flirtations to a whole new level. But her coquettish ways are no match for the edgy, lust-fueled dominant he conceals behind his impassive exterior. And when Gavin exerts his full control, Mia discovers he can protect everything except her heart.

•••••••••

REVIEW: SWEET TIME is the fourth installment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult SUGAR RUSH erotic, romance series focusing on the owners and operators of the Sugar Rush Candy Company. This is Sugar Rush head of security and former Marine Gavin Knight, and Mia Donovan’s story line. SWEET TIME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Mia and Gavin’s story line has been building since book one-our heroine is Polly Lockhart’s (SWEET DREAMS) best friend.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mia and Gavin) SWEET TIME focuses on the building relationship between security specialist Gavin Knight, and Polly Lockhart’s best friend Mia Donovan. Mia and Gavin have been dancing around one another for close to a year. Every day Gavin Knight comes into Polly’s bakery THE WILD CHILD, and every time Mia struggles to attract the attention of the stoic and impassive former Marine. With the approach of Polly and Luke Stone’s wedding, Mia has offered her services as the wedding coordinator which will force her to work together with Gavin Knight whose team at Knight Security has been tasked with ensuring the wedding ceremony and party go according to plans. A threat has been issued against the Sugar Rush CEO Luke Stone, and Gavin struggles with the identity and source of the increasing intimidation and danger. What ensues is the building love between Gavin and Mia, and the potential fall out as Gavin has yet to come to terms with his time in the Middle East, and the ongoing PTSD that continues to affect his life.

Mia Donovan’s attraction to Gavin Knight is immediate and intense but Gavin appears to be oblivious to all of Mia’s attempts at flirting and seduction. Gavin battles his attraction to, and need for our story line heroine, and places all of his energies into protecting the man he once called friend and brother. Mia and Gavin’s short lived romance begins to fall apart when the threats against Luke Stone come to fruition placing Mia Donovan in the direct line of fire. The $ex scenes are intimate, seductive and intense.

There are six Stone siblings with stories to tell-Luke, Evan, Adam, Hailey, Spencer and baby brother Tyler. All of the previous story line couples and character including Tyler and Kate, Hannah and Evan, Luke’s father Warren, and their meddling Aunt Julia play secondary and supporting characters.

The world building takes the focus away from the Sugar Rush company and places the emphasis on the threats against its’ CEO. Gavin knows that to act on his feelings towards Polly’s best friend may threaten his friendship with Lucas Stone but his attraction to Mia is immediate and intense.

SWEET TIME is a sexy and edgy read. The premise is entertaining and encouraging; the characters are colorful, dynamic and energetic; the romance is intimate and passionate. Nina Lane’s SUGAR RUSH is a decadent series of heartbreak, love and happily ever afters.

Reading Order and previous Reviews

Sweet Dreams
Sweet Escape
Sweet Surrender
Sweet Time

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Sweet Time Teaser

Excerpt

A smile curved her mouth. She stretched one leg over him and straddled his waist. With her nipples poking out of her bra, her skin flushed and her hair a waterfall of gold, he could have stared at her for hours if he weren’t about to implode with lust. He pinched her rosy nipples and twisted the strap of her bra.
“Take this off,” he ordered. “I want you naked.”
She shed her bra, revealing her perfect round breasts. She braced her hands on the mattress and leaned in to kiss him deeply, her tongue tracing the line of his lips. He slid his hands down to grasp her ass, working one finger between her cheeks. She inhaled sharply, but didn’t protest, arching her back like she wanted more.
He’d give her more. And despite her willingness, it might be more than she could handle. More than she could take.
“Wait,” she whispered, wiggling back so she was straddling his thighs. “Where are the condoms?”
“Drawer in the nightstand.”
She reached over to retrieve one and took her sweet time sheathing his dick. By the time she was done, his teeth were clenched from the light, tickling touch of her fingers.
He grasped her hips. “Ride me.”
Mia bit her lip, a flush rising to her cheekbones. For a second he thought she’d decline, but she lifted herself up, her hand circling the base of his cock as she positioned herself.
Then she sank onto him, and the world exploded into the hot, tight clench of her pussy, the sound of her low groan, the clench of her knees around his hips. A flash of pain crossed her face before it was replaced with heavy lust. Heat sizzled through the air. She curled her fingers into his chest and started to move.
“Oh my God.” Her breath grew fast, her astonished gaze still holding his. “I feel you so deep, all the way up here.”
She pressed one hand to her belly and shifted again, working her gorgeous body up and down on his cock. He dug his fingers into her hips. His jaw clenched to the point of pain. He fought the urge to thrust, to drive them both to the edge. She was a fucking goddess, her tits bouncing, her body flexing and writhing, sweat glistening on her skin.
“Faster.” He bit out the order, his blood on fire.
She leaned forward, her hair falling in curtains on either side of her face, her little panting breaths puffing against his neck. Her eyes darkened with hunger and urgency.
“I need it, Gavin,” she whispered, her teeth capturing her lower lip again. “I need to come with you inside me, hard and deep and… oh God…”
“That’s right.” He grabbed her waist and thrust upward, needing to be inside her as far as he could. “Get yourself off… Christ, you’re incredible, all soft tight heat… you’re going to jerk me off, cover your little pussy with my come…”
A shudder rocked through her. She braced her hands on his chest and moved faster. Breathy cries came from her parted lips.
“I want you to do it first,” she gasped, sliding up and down his cock like a well-oiled piston. “Mark me.”
She moved off him before he could stop her, her chest heaving as she slid back to sit on his thighs. She rolled the condom off his erection and stroked, her tapered fingers moving up and down his aching shaft, her thumb caressing the swollen crown.
“Do it, Gavin.” Her voice was husky and threaded with anticipation. “Come on my pussy. Give me everything you have.”
“Ah, shit.” Every part of him tensed. Fiery pressure built. He gripped her smooth thighs and thrust into her fist. “So goddamned close… harder… now… .fuck.”
Heat exploded through him, jets of come splashing over her belly. She gasped, her fist still working his dick until the sensations ebbed. He groaned, sinking against the pillows.
“That’s so fucking sexy,” she whispered, releasing him only to slide her fingers through the mess coating her skin. “I love how you feel on me.”
“Get yourself off for me.” He stroked his hands up and down her smooth, damp thighs. “I want to watch you.”
Shivering, she slipped one hand between her legs and brought the other to her breasts. She twisted her pink nipple and worked her fingers on her clit. Much as he wanted to delve his fingers into her slippery heat again, he restrained himself from reaching for her.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the sight of her touching herself, her body sleek and soft. She threw her head back, her hair spilling over her shoulders. Moaning, she moved her fingers more frantically, her body tensing with need.
“Gavin,” she gasped. “I feel it… I still feel you… oh God, I’m going to… ah!”
A high, keening cry broke from her throat as her body shook, her hand still rubbing her clit. Fucking gorgeous sight, spearing him with fresh lust.
“Oh fuck.” She groaned, collapsing on top of him in a hot, sweet bundle of softness. “That was amazing. My ass is still sore from your hand, and I swear that made me come even harder.”
He gave a short laugh. Yeah, he’d lost the battle all right. He was about to lose the whole fucking war. And never before had he wanted to surrender.

About the author

Nina LaneNew York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. 

Connect with Nina: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Newsletter: http://ninalane.com/newsletter

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