Tag Archives: Tessa Bailey

Crashed Out (Made in Jersey #1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

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CRASHED OUT (Made in Jersey #1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

Crashed Out

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 7, 2015

His inspiration. His torment. And his temptation…

Jasmine Taveras is the reason Sarge Purcell grabbed his six-string and bailed the hell out of New Jersey four years ago. She’s the fuel for every song he’s ever written-each one laced with bitter, hard-edged, hungry lust. Now, with his hugely successful band is on temporary hiatus, Sarge is determined to prove to Jasmine that this “kid” turned into every inch the man she’s always needed…

Men are slim pickings for a single factory girl in Hook, New Jersey…until tall, broad-shouldered hotness walks-or rather storms-into Jasmine’s life. Sarge’s return shouldn’t affect her this way. He’s her best friend’s much younger kid brother, and the kind of rough, gritty, sexiness Jasmine has no right to taste for herself. Even if he lets her.

But lust is a blinding, insatiable force. And when it crashes, it will take both Sarge and Jasmine down with it.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: CRASHED OUT is the first installment in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary, adult MADE IN JERSEY erotic romance series focusing on the members of the rock band Old News. This is lead singer and front man Sarge Purcell, and blue collar worker/former singer Jasmine Taveras’s storyline.

Told from dual third person perspectives CRASHED OUT focuses on a forbidden love between rock star Sarge Purcell, and Jasmine Taveras-a woman seven years his senior and the muse to his writing success. Growing up in Hook, New Jersey, a much younger Sarge fell in love with his sister’s best friend Jasmine Taveras. Jasmine was the focus of every dream, every fantasy and every song he has ever written. Fast forward to present day, when the band takes a much needed break for the Christmas holidays, Sarge returns to Hook, after a four year absence, to seduce the woman he has always loved. What ensues is an erotic affair between two people who have known one another most of their lives.

CRASHED OUT follows the building relationship between twenty two year old Sarge Purcell, and twenty nine year old Jasmine Taveras. Jasmine is a woman stuck in a blue collar job in Hook, New Jersey when the singing career she always wanted never failed to materialize. Sarge is the boy from Hook who made it big on the music stage, and the man who has come home to claim what it is he has always wanted-Jasmine Taveras.

We are introduced to Jasmine’s best friend and Sarge’s older sister River Purcell, and her three year old daughter Marcy. River’s life as a single mother has not been easy as she works two jobs to support her daughter and herself ; and band manager James Brandon, and Old News drummer Lita Regina-who may or may not have a thing for one another. Lita has a habit of getting herself into trouble, and James is the one constant always bailing her out, and standing by her side.

CRASHED OUT is a storyline with graphic sexual text. Sarge likes to talk dirty in the bedroom but at times the ‘dirty’ crosses a line into ‘rude, crude and crass’. The age difference between the characters is amplified by Sarge’s raunchy expressions and phrases both in and out of the bedroom. The premise gets lost in the numerous sex scenes and dirty talking bad boy that does not compensate for the lack of sexual chemistry between our leading couple. And the constant reminders about the age difference was disappointing although Jasmine’s lack of maturity seemed at odds with the storyline premise.

Tessa Bailey writes a predictable but entertaining storyline about forbidden romance and falling in love. The characters colorful, animated and engaging; the romance is erotic and provocative; the happily ever after finds our couple singing the praises of togetherness and love.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

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CHASE ME (Broke and Beautiful 1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

Chase Me

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

About the book: Release Date March 17, 2015

College drop-out, Roxy Cumberland, moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actress, but her dwindling bank account is quickly putting the kibosh on that fantasy. To make some quick cash, she signs up to perform singing telegrams. Her first customer is a gorgeous, cocky Manhattan trust-funder if she ever laid eyes on one. And what could be more humiliating than singing an ode to his junk, courtesy of his last one night stand? Maybe the fact that she’s dressed in a giant, pink bunny costume…

After a night out to celebrate winning his last case, lawyer Louis McNally II isn’t prepared for the pounding in his head or the rabbit serenading him from the front door. But the sassy wit and sexy voice of the girl behind the mask intrigues him, and one look at her stunning face—followed by a mind-blowing kiss against his doorjamb—leaves Louis wanting more.

Roxy doesn’t need a spoiled rich boy who’s had everything in life handed to him on a Tiffany platter. But there’s more to Louis than his sexy surface and he’s determined to make Roxy see it…even if it means chasing her all over NYC.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: CHASE ME is the first installment in Tessa Bailey’s new adult, contemporary Broke and Beautiful erotic romance series. This is struggling actress Roxy Cumberland and attorney Louis McNally’s storyline

Told from alternating third person points of view the focus of the storyline is the building relationship between Louis and Roxy, as well as Roxy’s struggles to make ends me. Kicked out of her apartment for not paying the rent, Roxy ventures into the world of singing telegrams, which will land her face to face (or bunny mask) with Louis McNally. Louis is intrigued by the sultry voiced woman dressed as a giant, pink rabbit but, in all of the mayhem, he doesn’t ask her name. While Roxy continues to audition for roles and a new apartment, Louis continues to search for the woman whom he can’t get out of his mind.

The attraction between Roxy and Louis is immediate and intense. Neither one is unable to forget about their first introduction or the kiss that Roxy used to put Louis in his place. Roxy is a feisty, independent young woman with dreams of making it big; she wants to succeed all on her own. Louis is a bit of a man-whore but he is a success in the courtroom and knows a thing or two about how to treat the women in his life. The sex scenes are erotic, sultry and hot. Louis likes to talk dirty in bed, on the floor, and up against the wall.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and add a little bit of humor and snark to the storyline. We are introduced to Louis’s best friends and beer drinking buddies Ben and Russell, as well as Roxy’s new roommates Abby and Honey. There is an instant connection between Russell and one of Roxy’s friends-I suspect their storyline will be told next.

The world building follows Louis’s career as he is determined to do pro-bono work for the under privileged; and Roxy’s numerous auditions for bit parts and starring roles. Louis’s twin sisters Lena and Celeste play a small role throughout allowing a bit of insight into the McNally sibling dynamics and family love

CHASE ME has a little bit of everything: humor, heartbreak, perceived betrayal, romance, sex and love. Tessa Bailey will captivate your imagination pulling you into her world of provocative and emotional adventures all ending with a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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Riskier Business (Crossing the Line .5) /His Risk to Take by Tessa Baily-a review

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RISKIER BUSINESS (Crossing the Line .5) / His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey-a review

Riskier business

ebook only .99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 5, 2015

One more game. And this time, there are no rules…

After a life of pool hustling and living on the wrong side of the law, Ruby Elliott is living on the straight and narrow with sexy-as-all-hell NYPD detective, Troy Bennett. Now the only trouble Ruby has with the law is the naughty kind, pinned against the wall by Troy’s strict and spectacularly hard body. Obeying his every command. Both of them losing themselves in a lust that borders on obsession…

But then her father returns with an offer she can’t refuse: one last hustle in exchange for information. Information she’d die to have. As the pieces and the players of the game reveal themselves, Troy feels the fine edges of his control slipping—control he can’t channel without hurting Ruby. The stakes are high, and the risk higher. Because losing this final game could cost more than Ruby’s heart…it might cost her life.

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: RISKIER BUSINESS is the first installment and novella in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary, adult Crossing the Line erotic romance series-a spin off from her Line of Duty series. This is former pool hustler Ruby Elliott and NYPD detective Troy Bennett’s continuing storyline. We were first introduced to Ruby and Troy in HIS RISK TO TAKE (Line of Duty #2) by Tessa Bailey (May 2013).

Told from third person point of view RISKIER BUSINESS finds Ruby Elliott on the receiving end of an offer she cannot refuse. One final hustle, at her father’s demand, and Ruby will gain some very important information that she has been searching for all of her life. Troy knows that whatever is being offered is not as important as saving the woman that he loves, and he sets out to uncover the truth about what it is Ruby’s father is offering for one last game.While Troy is determined to protect Ruby, our heroine continues to place everyone at risk when she puts her wants above ahead of everything else.

The relationship between Ruby and Troy has already been established. Ruby is a former pool hustler who has recently made good with a successful business venture of her own. Troy is a detective whose love for Ruby is beyond measure and he is willing to risk his own life to protect the woman that he loves. The bedroom scenes are erotic, hot and adventurous. Troy continues to talk dirty whenever sex is involved.

The supporting and secondary characters include Ruby’s best friends and confidants, her receptionist Mya, as well as a few of Troy’s fellow officers. We are re-introduced to Ruby’s over protective, best friend Bowen Driscol, whose storyline is next. The world building pushes the line between right and wrong where most of the players are not quite following the rules.

Reviewed by Sandy

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HIS RISK TO TAKE
(Line of Duty #2 /Crossing the Line)
by Tessa Bailey

His Risk To TakeAbout the book: Release Date May 2013

ebook only .99¢: Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward…

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control—until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into O’Hanlon’s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her—risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: HIS RISK TO TAKE is the second installment and novella in Tessa Bailey’s adult, contemporary Line of Duty (Crossing the Line) erotic romance series. This is police officer Troy Bennett and pool hustler Ruby Elliott’s storyline.

Told from third person point of view HIS RISK TO TAKE follows Troy as he begins a seduction of a beautiful but strong willed woman he met on a recent night out with the boys. Ruby is everything Troy wants and everything he shouldn’t touch- a woman with a reputation and a history of illegal gambling with connections to underworld crime. Not only has Ruby grown up on the road but she has also grown up on the hustle. What ensues is Troy’s building relationship with a woman who will be caught in the middle of the NYPD’s latest take down.

The relationship between Troy and Ruby is hot and steamy. Troy is a man who likes control in the bedroom; he likes to talk dirty during sex; and he isn’t afraid to experiment with whatever he finds nearby. Ruby is caught off guard when her attraction to Troy forces her to choose sides between family and love. Ruby is a stubborn and feisty woman whose choices will place everyone at risk and in this, she will cause more problems for Troy than she could possibly imagine-a little bit of Ruby goes a long way for everyone involved.

The secondary and supporting characters include Troy’s fellow officers and the crime family connections to Ruby and her dad. We are introduced to Ruby’s BFF Bowen Driscol-a man whose connection to Ruby is protective and close.

HIS RISK TO TAKE is a fast paced, predictable novella with a hot, sexy cop and a difficult female lead. There were moments of anguish when Ruby continued to defy police orders and Troy’s need to protect-in this Ruby is a difficult character to like. Interfering in a police investigation led to some contentious issues with the man that she was growing to love.

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Wedding Dare Series .5 to 4 from Entangled Brazen-a review

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The Wedding Dare Series .5 to 4 from Entangled Brazen -a review

Wedding Dare Series

Entangled Brazen’s WEDDING DARE series is the culmination of five authors and five storylines that overlap and run concurrently with one another. Each story involves the building of a relationship, a broken heart and the love affair of a happily ever after. No one ever said the road to happiness was easy, but one couple will bring together eight people and by week’s end, each will have found the one person that will hold their heart and call to their soul.

At the end of each instalment, the author will offer up an epilogue-a quick look into the future from four months to one year. The reader will get a glimpse at what is in store for each of our couples and BEST MAN WITH BENEFITS will bring all five couples back together for another celebration-of a different kind.

Each of the storylines is a blend of romance and erotic sex; there is the allure of the first kiss, the butterflies in the stomach and the anticipation of waking up in the arms of someone new. The Wedding Dare series focuses on ten people whose lives will collide at the wedding of their best friends-eight people who are looking for the someone special to share the rest of their lives-and one couple who are about to walk down the aisle and say their ‘I do’s’.

Click HERE for our review of DARE TO RESIST by Laura Kaye-the book that started it all.

Let’s begin and forgive me but it is a long post !!

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Falling for the GroomsmanFALLING FOR THE GROOMSMAN
(Wedding Dare #1)
by Jen McLaughlin (aka Diane Alberts)

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2014

She’s the one that got away. He’s the one she can’t forget.

Photojournalist Christine Forsythe is ready to tackle her naughty little to-do list, and who better to tap for the job than a hot groomsman? But when she crashes into her best friend’s older brother, Christine realizes her list needs updating. And fast. Tyler Dresco took her virginity during the best night of her life, then bolted. Now that they’re trapped together at a destination wedding, she’s going to get her revenge.

Tyler has never forgiven himself for how completely he lost control all those years ago. Being in Christine’s arms had felt right…until he realized what he’d taken from her in the hallway of a cheap motel. And oh, how she’s making him pay for it now. The insatiable heat between them has only grown stronger, but every time things heat up, Christine walks away.

With every encounter, things go a little bit further until Christine’s caught in her own trap of seduction. And before their time’s up, Tyler’s not the only one wanting more…

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: FALLING FOR THE GROOMSMAN is the second instalment in Entangled Brazen’s contemporary, erotic romance Wedding Dare series. There are a total of five storylines including Laura Kaye’s introductory novella Dare to Resist that sets up the wedding where 4 bridesmaids dare one another to find lust –or love- at the wedding between their friends. Each consecutive instalment will be written by a different author but all five storylines will be centered around Kady Dresco and Colton Brooks’s wedding. This is photojournalist Christine Forsythe and the bride’s brother Dr. Tyler Dresco’s story.

The premise is a second chance at love storyline. Christine lost her virginity to her best friend’s brothers eight years earlier and has never forgotten the abject humiliation when he walked away without a second glance. Now that they have reconnected at the wedding, Christine hopes for revenge and sets into motion a plan to humiliate Tyler they way he had done to her. But her plans go all to h*ll when she realizes that what she feels for Tyler isn’t hatred but love.

The reader is pulled into a storyline where emotions and anxiety run deep and strong. Christine’s need for revenge drives a good portion of the storyline but when she realizes that she has gone too far, Tyler is the one to walk away –again-but this time it may be for good.

We are introduced to the players in the Wedding Dare series-the friends and family of the bride and groom. Each one will have a story to tell and FALLING FOR THE GROOMSMAN is the starting point for each couple although this particular storyline will fast forward several months for Tyler and Christine.

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Baiting the Maid of HonorBAITING THE MAID OF HONOR
(Wedding Dare #2)
by Tessa Bailey

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

About the book: Release Date June 9, 2014

He’ll own her from the very first touch.

Julie Piper and Reed Lawson have nothing in common. She’s a people-pleasing sorority girl hiding behind her perfect mask. He’s a take-no-prisoners SWAT commander who isolates himself from the world. But when they’re forced together at their friends’ posh destination wedding, one thing is clear—Reed wants Julie more than he wants his next breath. Which is why he’s not about to stand by when she’s dared to seduce another man.

Julie wants neat, tidy sex, so she could get back to what she does best—making everybody else happy. She never expected to slip into a dark bedroom and have her mind blown by rough, demanding hands, and a sinfully filthy mouth—neither of which belong to the best man. One night should have been all Reed needed to get the blond temptress out of his system, but when one taste is nowhere near enough, he’ll be forced confront the effects of his hellish past. One that may push Julie away forever…just when he realizes he can’t live without her

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BAITING THE MAID OF HONOR is the third instalment in Entangled Brazen’s contemporary, erotic romance Wedding Dare series. This is Julie Piper (current wedding planner) and SWAT commander Reed Lawson’s storyline. Julie is Kady’s Maid of Honor and Reed is one of Colton’s best friends. BAITING THE MAID OF HONOR (as with all four of the Wedding Dare storylines) will run parallel to one another and cross over at different times.

The focus of this particular instalment finds Julie Piper as the manic wedding planner for her best friend’s nuptials. From a destination wedding to a week spent in Colorado so the wedding party will get to know one another, Julie has every detail planned down to the last moment-from a scavenger hunt to ballroom dancing lessons and more. What she didn’t plan was falling for the rough, tough and demanding Reed Lawson.

Julie comes from a well to do family who expect nothing less than perfection from their only surviving daughter, and Reed comes from a background rife with abuse, neglect and addiction. These two opposites attract when Reed can’t resist the challenge that is Julie Piper. When Julie sets her sights on Logan-the pretty boy best man, Reed waits knowing that Julie will be his-at the end of the night.

Tessa Bailey pulls the reader into another emotional storyline where our couple will get their happily ever after but not before words are exchanged and the past is revealed. Reed isn’t a man who does hearts and flowers, in fact, he is a man who keeps to himself but when he tells Julie what he thinks about the direction of her life, Julie believes that Reed has it all wrong. Anxiety and trepidation follow our couple wherever they go.

The eclectic mix of secondary characters includes the members of the wedding party and we will see each get his and her happily ever after. The world building continues on the road to Kady and Colton’s wedding celebration but we do not get the privilege of attending the wedding vows. Reed and Julie’s storyline will fast forward four months after the wedding, where we will get a glimpse at what is in store for their future.

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Seducing The BridesmaidSEDUCING THE BRIDESMAID
(Wedding Dare #3)
by Katee Robert

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2014

She has a plan. He’s about to change it.

Regan Wakefield is a headhunter in both name and personality: driven, motivated, and unafraid to pursue what—and who—she wants. Naturally, she’s thrilled when her friend’s wedding offers her an opportunity to score Logan McCade, the practically perfect best man. Unfortunately, groomsman Brock McNeil keeps getting in her way, riling her up in the most delicious of ways. But Brock’s smooth southern charm isn’t part of the plan…so how exactly did they end up having searing-hot sex?

Regan may pretend the erotic electricity sparking between them is merely a distraction, but Brock knows better. She refuses to see beyond the devil-may-care façade he presents to the world, while he sees straight through hers. Changing her mind—and getting under her skin—is a challenge he can’t resist. And when he wins, Brock will do whatever it takes to convince Regan that the best man for her is him.

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SEDUCING THE BRIDEMAID is the fourth instalment in Entangled Brazen’s contemporary, erotic romance Wedding Dare series. This is headhunter Regan Wakefield and groomsman Brock McNeil’s story. Regan has her eyes set on best man Logan McCade-the personification of success; a man who owns his own sporting good company but a man who has eyes for someone else. SEDUCING THE BRIDESMAID, as with all four of the Wedding Dare storylines, will run parallel to one another and cross over at different times.

The focus of this particular instalment finds Regan eyeing the prize-best man Logan McCade. As with all of the novellas, our bridal party has their week outlined with a scavenger hunt, ballroom dancing and getting to know one another. As Regan puts a plan into motion to seduce the best man she will come face to face with Brock McNeil-a man she has judged not worthy of her time or talent. She believes he is a southern redneck, born into money, with no aspirations of success. To scratch the proverbial sex itch, she agrees to Brock’s offer of a one-time fling only to find that neither one can get the other out of their minds. As Brock continues to pursue Regan, Regan pushes away at every opportunity –still hoping to catch Logan McCade before the end of the week.

Regan is a difficult character to like. She is judgmental, ascerbic, condescending, mouthy and an all around b*tch-there is no other word to describe the woman to whom Brock has lost his heart. Brock continues to pursue Regan at every opportunity only to be rebuffed and belittled with each attempt. No man on the planet would take the emotional and verbal abuse but this is, after all, a fictional storyline where each couple will get their happily ever after but one that set my teeth on edge with Regan’s attitude and clearly inflated ego. When Regan uncovers the truth about Brock’s life and his past, she is quick with an apology but perhaps it is too little, too late. Brock has discovered her plan to seduce Logan and will walk away for the final time.

The secondary characters include all of the bridal party and we will get a glimpse as each couple begins to fall in love with one another. SEDUCING THE BRIDESMAID gives the reader a glimpse into the wedding ceremony and fast forwards the storyline approximately four months in Regan and Brock’s epilogue.

Katee Robert writes with passion and emotion. Her heroes are alpha yet vulnerable to the pain of rejection and heartbreak. It is her heroine in this particular storyline that was not worthy of redemption (in my opinion). Sometimes people are not capable of change but in this romantic storyline, our heroine knew she had made a huge mistake and groveling should have been only the beginning.

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Best Man With BenefitsBEST MAN WITH BENEFITS
(Wedding Dare 4)
by Samanthe Beck

Order Links: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2014

How far can one favor go…

Logan McCade arrives at his best friend’s wedding overworked and in desperate need of a vacation, only to discover his best man duties have been…expanded. He must coax Colton’s sister out of her shell, or risk her hiding in her room all week. Logan figures he can handle one introverted bridesmaid, but he’s not expecting how much he enjoys “handling” Sophie…or how much she enjoys being handled.

Socializing has never been web designer Sophie Brooks’s strong suit, but she’s determined to shed her wallflower image and embrace the “New Sophie”—a feat made easier with the supremely sexy Logan McCade tempting her to explore all her forbidden fantasies. If she’s not careful, she just might fall for the best man.

Sophie’s sweet, sexy, and delectably awkward demeanor brings much-needed calm to Logan’s hectic life. With the nuptials only days away, Logan is forced to face the possibility that his favor to a friend might have become something else entirely…and that he’s not willing to let Sophie go. Ever.

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BEST MAN WITH BENEFITS is the fifth and final instalment in Entangled Brazen’s contemporary, erotic romance Wedding Dare series and runs parallel to the previous three Wedding Dare novels. This is web designer and Colton’s little sister Sophie Brooks and sporting goods entrepreneur and best man Logan McCade’s storyline.

Colton has asked his best man Logan McCade to make sure his little sister has a good time. Colton knows that without a little push, Sophie would rather hide away in her room until the wedding ceremony. To Logan’s surprise, Sophie is no longer the shy and awkward teenager he to whom he was introduced years before but a beautiful, petite, voluptuous woman whose self esteem has been shattered by the taunts of her past. Logan is instantly attracted to Sophie but knows she is off limits. What ensues is a relationship built on needs and wants, and Logan wants Sophie for his very own.

Samanthe Beck is in the fortunate position to wrap up the Wedding Dare series. As with each previous instalments Logan and Sophie will find their happily ever after but not before mistaken beliefs and the bridesmaids dare goes a little too far. The reader is pulled into an emotional storyline where the pain of growing up the ugly duckling is a vivid reminder every time one looks into the mirror. And it will take the love and determination of a man with the looks of a model to show Sophie she is more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

Copies supplied by the publisher

Reviews by Sandy

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Unfixable by Tessa Bailey-a review

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Unfixable by Tessa Bailey-a review

Unfixable

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

UNFIXABLE by Tessa Bailey

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 14, 2014

He’s the last thing she wants…but the only thing she needs.

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery nature draws them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

•••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: UNFIXABLE is an adult, contemporary, romance storyline that focuses on two people struggling with the indecision about life and everything it has to offer. This is nineteen year old American photographer Willa Peet and Irish race car driver Shane Claymore’s story. Willa has arrived in Ireland as a guest of the Claymore Inn. After winning a photography contest where first prize is a month long stay in Ireland photographing the land and its’ people, Willa struggles with her attraction to the bad boy bar owner Shane Claymore and her need to continuously move and forget about the past.

The focus of the storyline is the developing relationship between Willa and Shane and, the people and family at Claymore Inn. The Claymore family own and operate a popular pub and inn where Willa discovers the family secrets, their protective family bonds and a dark history where not everything and everyone are as they seem. Shane and Willa are both running from their pasts –pasts mired in secrets and disappointments; broken hearts and family betrayal.

Tessa Bailey pulls the reader into a storyline where one woman captures the beauty of the people and the land with her camera but refuses to acknowledge the beauty within her heart and soul. She is a woman who knows disappointment, betrayal and sorrow up close and personal. Willa believes herself to be broken and ‘unfixable’. Shane is a man whose need to prove himself worthy and finds his ‘need for speed’ a welcome compromise. It is only when they let their hearts and minds open to the possibility of love that Shane and Willa will find that the present and future are the only thing that count in a world where everyone judges you by the sins of the past.

UNFIXABLE is well paced, colorful and sometimes heartbreaking storyline told from Willa’s first person POV. We are witness to their struggles, their fears and the pain of family rejection. Unfixable is a story of growing up and moving forward; of taking life and everything it has to offer and making something of yourself; and it is a story about two people who have found one another with the help of a young woman’s desire to lose herself in the beauty of the images she photographs-one picture at a time. The sex scenes are steamy, sensual and leave nothing to the imagination. Shane is a man who knows what he wants and he wants Willa-naked and ready.

The secondary characters add a flavor and spice that resonate with love and understanding; humor and mental challenges. The world building brings the reader into a family run business where ‘everyone knows your name’ and strangers are sometimes closer than family. Tessa Baily frames the Irish countryside with definitive and vibrant content so that the reader can smell the salty, ocean breeze and the damp, new mown grass; the acrid odor of stale cigarette smoke and the sweat soaked bodies on the dance floor at the local club.

If you are a fan of broken heroines and bad boy Irish heroes then UNFIXABLE is your next go to book –you won’t be disappointed.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Asking for Trouble (Line of Duty #4) by Tessa Bailey-Book Tour and Review

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ASKING FOR TROUBLE (Line of Duty #4 ) by Tessa Bailey-book tour and review

aft-blogtour

ASKING FOR TROUBLE
Line of Duty #4
by Tessa Bailey
Release Date: November 25, 2013

 

Asking For Trouble

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 25, 2013

Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead can’t stand each other. She plans exclusive parties for her rich familys charities. He’s a rough and tumble cop who rigs explosives for a living. Could two people be any less suited for conversation? They think not and prefer to keep it that way.

Unfortunately, their two best friends are deeply, disgustingly in love. Forced together, the mutual attraction simmering beneath the surface of Brent and Hayden’s non-relationship grows with every argument until it explodes into a scintillating night of mind-blowing sex. And it wont be the last, as far as Brent’s concerned.

Hayden has a secret, though. Her father’s company is relying on a merger to save them from financial ruin, and only Hayden’s marriage to the CEOs wealthy son can secure the deal. If she’s to protect her family, she’ll have to forget Brent. And he has no intention of being forgotten.

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ASKING FOR TROUBLE is the fourth storyline in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary adult romance series-Line of Duty. Although Asking for Trouble is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty, I would recommend reading in order as a few of the previous storyline characters play a significant role in each subsequent novel.

Asking for Trouble follows an enemy to lovers storyline that finds officer and part time mechanic Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead at each other’s throat. Hayden comes from money and Brent has always worked hard to earn every penny he has saved and spent but for some reason the duo are quick to judge each other based on where they live; what they do; and the bottom line. Close friends with Story and Daniel (the previous storyline characters) Brent and Hayden are forced into a companionable treaty when in the presence of their mutual friends.

Brent sees Hayden as a spoiled, rich girl who lives off of her family’s money and Hayden views Brent as a blue collar obnoxious ruffian without manners, morals or respect. But as the storyline develops we begin to learn that both have made an error in judgment and it is this mistake that will push each other’s proverbial buttons when it comes to sex and their building relationship-good or bad. And when Hayden must make a heartbreaking decision, it will be Brent who steps outside of his comfort zone to ensure that Hayden will be his-forever.

The relationship is acrimonious. The sarcastic taunts, name calling and aggression reads like foreplay when the couple begin to realize that there may be more to their relationship than ego, mistaken beliefs and hatred for one another. Attraction and love are vaguely disguised but the sexual tension is thick whenever they are together.

Asking For Trouble is a storyline about two people who have a difficult time seeing past the zip codes and fancy label packaging. But when all is said and done, once everything and everyone is stripped down, they are two people who will fall in love when the truth about the bottom line is finally revealed.

Reading Order

Protecting What’s His
His Risk To Take
Officer Off Limits
Asking for Trouble

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

About The author

Tessa BaileyThank you for your interest in my books! I’m Tessa and I live in the crazy, loud, overcrowded borough of Brooklyn, New York. I love it here. This city is a constant source of inspiration, which is why I’ve decided to set my most recent books in the Line of Duty Series here.

I moved to New York when I was eighteen, the day after I graduated high school. Threw my suitcase in the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier and drove across the country to find my adventure. I’m still finding it, little by little.
​
Thank you for being a part of it.

Connect with Tessa Bailey

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

giveaway

 NOTE:  The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for this giveaway.  If you have any questions, please contact the publisher.

Tessa Bailey giveaway

Want a chance to win an autographed copy of Tessa’s first two books Protecting What’s His & Officer Off Limits? It’s the first time they’ve ever been in print!

She’ll be giving away 3 sets. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Giveaway is tour wide.

1. If you have not registered, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of our social log-ins.

2. You must post a comment to qualify-just say hello or tell us to enter you into the giveaway

3. Please post your email address with your comment so that the publisher is able to contact you if you are the winner.

4. The winner will be chosen by the publisher.

5. Giveaway open to US residents only.

6.  Giveaway runs from November 25 to November 28, 2013

Increase your chances of winning by visiting the rest of the tour HERE

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Officer Off Limits (Line of Duty #3) by Tessa Bailey-Review and Giveaway

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Officer Off Limits (Line of Duty #3) by Tessa Bailey-Review and Giveaway

Officer Off Limits 3

Review

Title: Officer Off Limits (Line of Duty #3)
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: June 10, 2013
Imprint: Brazen

Officer Off Limits

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/  Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

OFFICER OFF LIMITS (Line of Duty #3) by Tessa Bailey

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 17, 2013

His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn’t bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel’s already forbidden relationship survive?

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: OFFICER OFF LIMITS is the third storyline in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary romance LINE OF DUTY series. Each novel (so far) is a stand-alone so there is no worry about cohesion and connection. This is Story and Daniel’s tale.

Story and Daniel’s meeting is both accidental and fate. From opposite ends of the country, the couple will be pulled into a sensual vortex of want and need from their first meeting. Story, needing time to adjust to her fiance’s final words, heads to New York to visit her ailing father. Never expecting to meet someone so soon, Story is sexually aware of her attraction and desire for her father’s protégé and fellow hostage negotiator Daniel Chase.

The attraction between Story and Daniel is instant. From the first time they lay eyes on each other to their first erotic and spontaneous encounter, the couple is lost in a world of sexual heat, emotional turmoil and sensual need. And keeping their relationship a secret from Story’s father is constantly on their mind. The sex is hot and graphic with little room for interpretation. But I am happy to report that although the visual is colorful, Tessa has the ability to write an erotic love scene without the use of certain four letter words.

There is some back story to Daniel’s life that is slowly revealed over the course of the book. We learn that although Story’s life was never perfect being raised by a single parent, Daniel’s early life was much more traumatic and dangerous making him the man and officer he is today.

OFFICER OFF LIMITS is another interesting and fascinating storyline with a little humor and plenty of steam in the bedroom-or stairwell-or backseat-or—well, you get the picture. There are a few moments of suspense as a small secondary story builds throughout the novel and comes to fruition in the final pages of the book, but overall it is a story about two people mutually attracted to one another, who give it their all knowing that at anytime it could all end with a phone call or the discovery of their ill-timed relationship. If you love a contemporary romance storyline where the sex scenes are passionate and hawt; the relationship is adult without the angst of perceived betrayal; and the ability of the author to pull you in until you become one with the characters then OFFICER OFF LIMITS is right for you.

READING ORDER:
1. Protecting What’s His
2. His Risk To Take
3. Officer Off Limits

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

About the author

Tessa Bailey

 

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

FOLLOW: Website / Facebook / Twitter/ Goodreads / Bailey’s Babes Street Team

 

 

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Entangled Publishing (Brazen) and Tessa are giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. Follow the rafflecopter instructions.

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the publisher.

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Protecting What’s His (Line of Duty #1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

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PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS ( Line of Duty #1) by Tessa Bailey-a review

Protecting what's his

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 23, 2013

She’s running from the law, and the law wants her bad.

The opportunity was just too damn delicious for Ginger Peet to pass up. The purse full of money she finds—$50,000 to be exact—could give her and her teen sister the new start they need. So she grabs the cash, her gothy sibling, and their life-sized statue of Dolly Parton, and blows outta Nashville in a cloud of dust. Chicago, here we come…

Turns out, Chicago has some pretty hot cops. Hot, intense, naughty-lookin’ cops like Derek Tyler, who looks like he could eat a girl up and leave her begging for more. And more. Tempting as he is, getting involved with the sexy homicide lieutenant next door poses a teensy problem for a gal who’s on the lam. But one thing is certain—Derek’s onto her, and he wants more than just a taste.

And as far as he’s concerned, possession is nine-tenths of the law

*****************

REVIEW: PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS is the first storyline in Tessa Bailey’s new Line of Duty contemporary romance series. If you love a story with a heroine on the run and an alpha hero with a potty mouth during sex, Protecting What’s His is sure to please.

But one CAVEAT-if you are a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L.James and the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day you WILL recognize several overlapping scenarios. This is not to say that Protecting What’s His is a remake of either of these two series, but many of the situations are definitely not original in content and I recognized the similarity immediately.

Twenty three year old Ginger Peet is basically on the run. Setting up a new home in Chicago with her seventeen year old sister, Ginger endeavors to start a new life free from her drug addicted, crack-whore prostitute mother. But running into her sexy, new neighbor, a cop no less, puts Ginger on alert-she took a purse full of money from her mother and, she would be the number one suspect if her mother attempted to report the theft. There are things about her past that Ginger never wants anyone to know-especially to the man who has stolen her heart.

The relationship between Ginger and Derek is antagonistic in the beginning. Derek has lost a fellow police officer in the line of duty and meeting his noisy, albeit beautiful new neighbor, wasn’t in his plans. The pair continue to push each other’s proverbial buttons for a good portion of the storyline, but Derek knows, that at some point, Ginger will be his. Several confrontations will force Ginger to look at Derek in a different light but when the time comes to come clean about the theft, Ginger takes it upon herself to right the wrong and comes face to face with her mother’s troubled past.

PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS is an interesting and well-written storyline with humor, sexiness and a little bit of suspense. Derek talks a good game-rough and aggressive yet loving in the bedroom and, gentle when he needs to express his feelings and protect the woman he loves. Ginger’s seventeen year old sister is wise beyond her years, and she is the first to point out that Ginger and Derek should pull their heads out of their a$$ when it comes to their relationship and mutual attraction.

But be warned, the similarities to Fifty Shades of Grey and the Crossfire series are too obvious to ignore whether it was intentional or not. The difference- everything is wrapped up in one book and one storyline.

“Look at me. You own me. I’m owned.”

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy.

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