Tag Archives: Vickie

Justice for Jessica by Alretha Thomas – a Review

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Justice for Jessica by Alretha Thomas – a Review

 

Justice for JessicaAmazon

Description:
Mousey, overweight Stacey Sullivan would love to trade places with her glamorous socialite BFF, Jessica James—that’s until she discovers Jessica murdered in her own home. Whip-smart detective Rachel Storme is ready to exchange her gun and badge for a gardener’s hat and hoe. But she reluctantly puts her plans on hold when she’s asked to help solve Jessica’s murder. These two strangers from different generations—Stacey a millennial and Rachel a baby boomer—become unlikely friends in their pursuit of JUSTICE FOR JESSICA. But their friendship is put to the test when Stacey insists that her husband, Matt, is innocent in spite of evidence that speaks to the contrary. Rachel, baffled by Stacey’s blind loyalty to Matt, doggedly fights to take Matt down, but with Stacey’s help, he eludes her at every turn. Is Matt the killer or could Grant, Jessica’s husband, be the culprit? Perhaps it was her jealous sister, Georgette or the maid, Rosa? No matter who the killer is, Rachel, by any means necessary, is determined to find her man or woman.

 

Review:

Stacey Sullivan met Jessica James in high school and they have been best friends ever since.  Stacey had stayed overnight with Jessica, which she did a lot when Jessica’s husband was out of town.  When Stacey woke that morning, she dreaded heading in to work, but knew she had to get a move on.  When she didn’t hear Jessica stirring, she went in search of her, and made a horrible discovery.  Jessica was in the guest room with her throat slit and lying in a pool of her own blood.  Stacey screams for help as Rosa, Jessica’s maid, arrives for work.  They call 911 and know things will never be the same.

As Rachel Storme is home pondering her life, she answers a call from her boss at the police department.  Although she’s on leave, her boss knows her all too well.  He fills her in on the Jessica James murder and pleads with her to help with the high profile investigation.  After a few minutes, she finally gives in and heads over to the James place to meet him.  Once they arrive and survey the scene, they set to work trying to figure out what in the world has happened.

Rachel is the one who interviews Stacey and almost immediately feels a connection with her.  She sees herself in Stacey twenty years ago.  As the interview progresses, she knows that Stacey isn’t the murderer and she promises Stacey that she will work hard to find who killed her best friend.  Rachel dives into the investigation with her boss and as they navigate all of the twists and turns and possible motives and suspects, they hit a few road blocks here and there.  But as they start to try and put things together, Rachel can’t help but wonder if they will truly find the murderer, and indeed, find justice for Jessica.

Justice for Jessica is another nice story from Alretha Thomas.  Told from several first person POVs, which is a trade mark of Thomas, we are privy to what’s going on with a lot of the main characters and their thought processes as everyone tries to do what they feel is the right thing.  Stacey Sullivan is a wonderfully written character.  In the beginning, she is a bit timid and a lot naïve, but is finally strong enough to do what needs to be done.  When she finds out that Jessica wasn’t quite as good a friend as she thought, she really did buck up and do what needed to be done.   Rachel Storme is an awesome character as well.  She’s smart, savvy and a hard worker, as well as a devoted daughter and friend.  The cast of supporting characters were well written and kept you guessing until the very end.  Justice for Jessica is, of course, a murder mystery, but it is also a story about facing up to life’s challenges and making your own dreams come true.  If you’re looking for a good mystery and a quick read, you cannot go wrong with Justice for Jessica.  Well done, Alretha Thomas!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Author

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Under the Desert Sky by Sara Luck – a Review

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Under the Desert Sky by Sara Luck – a Review

 

Under the Desert SkyAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Phoebe Sloan isn’t afraid of hard work—she couldn’t have survived on the Arizona frontier if she were. But ever since her husband was killed in a ranch accident, she’s struggled to make ends meet and preserve her young son’s birthright. Her last gamble was to start raising ostriches—the plumes are prized by fashionable city ladies—and it could work, but someone’s determined to sabotage her efforts.

Enter Christian de Wet, a South African importer who finds himself drawn to the fragile but determined Phoebe. He begins helping her around the ranch as a kindness, but the two quickly find that the heat rising between them has nothing to do with the Arizona desert! When the saboteur finds a way to endanger not just the ranch, but Phoebe’s family, will she have to forsake her happiness to save her son?



Review:

Under the Desert Sky begins with Phoebe being sent away by her father, for her own good.  Even though Phoebe doesn’t want to leave, she understands and takes a huge leap of faith.  As the blurb says, life in Arizona has been hard on Phoebe, but she is bound and determined to make it on her own terms and build a good life for her and her young son. 

Christian has basically been sent away from his home the same as Phoebe.  He needs to leave South Africa and it just so happens that the woman who raised him as her own needs some ostriches delivered to Arizona, so she enlists Christian to get the animals to the Arizona territories.  Christian and July, a hired hand who has been with the family for years, set out for Arizona.  It was a very long trip,  and are very thankful when they finally reach their destination.

Once Christian and Phoebe meet, they feel an almost immediate attraction.  Unfortunately, there are those who do not want Phoebe to succeed and those who want Christian gone.  However, Christian and Phoebe prove to be a formidable team and are bound and determined to make things work. 

Under the Desert Sky is a nicely written story, and it’s the first I’ve read by Sara Luck.  Her characters are well written and you will fall in love with Phoebe.  She is fierce, protective and loving.  Christian is perfect match for her.  He’s loyal as well as protective of everyone he considers his.  I loved the secondary characters as well and wished that we’d found out a little more about them. 

This one is a bit different that what I normally read, and I have to say when I saw “ostrich farm”, I was like????  LOL!!  Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick read with a sweet romance and lovely developed relationship, this one is for you.  For some reason, I keep comparing this to Out of Africa.  That, at least for me, is the kind of vibe I got while reading this story.  Well done, Sarah Luck.

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine – a Review

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Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine – a Review

 

Midnight BitesAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
MIDNIGHT BITES, the new Morganville Vampires short story anthology! It will bring together almost everything that I’ve written in short form about Morganville … though I did leave out some of the original “diary” entries that appeared on an earlier version of the Morganville website, simply because they were just scenes and not stories, and were generally really short snippets. This is all short fiction, and it’s been carefully organized into the timeline, so you can read from the earliest adventures (some of which belong to vampires) all the way through some post-Daylighters goodies.

MIDNIGHT BITES includes a total of more than 50,000 words of brand new content, which makes me very happy indeed (and I hope will also make you happy, too). From stories featuring our favorite bunny-slipper-wearing mad scientist to a mystery solved by police chief Hannah Moses, I think you’ll find this is a diverse group of stories that will shine a little more light in the murkiest corners of Morganville.

 

Review:

Be still my heart! I had hoped when Rachel Caine wound down this series that she wouldn’t be able to stay away. Fortunately for fans of this series, she couldn’t. Midnight Bites is a wonderful collection of short stories, some of which we’d read before, but some that let us know what’s been happening in Morganville since we were last there.

There are stories that will break your heart all over again. I’ve made no attempt while reviewing this series over the years that Myrnin is one of my all time favorites, not only in this series, but in all of fiction. To read about his childhood and what happened to him once his mother sold him still makes me tear up. Those stories alone made this worth the read for me. We are not only treated to previously written material, but also to what’s happened since we left. There are wonderful stories of what everyone has been up to since the last installment, but even more than that, at least for me, this collections just reiterates that this is one of the best YA paranormal series out there. We get to see what prompted Caine to write certain characters they way she did. To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of that sort of thing, but absolutely loved the way Caine did it.

Midnight Bites is absolutely a MUST HAVE for fans of the series and I’m so glad that we got another peek into the residents of Morganville. Well done, Rachel Caine! Very welldone!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Carrying the King’s Pride by Jennifer Hayward – a Review

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Carrying the King’s Pride by Jennifer Hayward – a Review

 

Carrying the King's PrideAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
One last New York night with Sofia Ramirez is all Prince Nikandros Constantinides allowed himself before returning to Akathinia, after a dreadful accident took his brother’s life. But before the royal rebel is crowned, Nik discovers that he didn’t leave Sofia behind alone! 

In a baby’s heartbeat, Nik turns Sofia’s world upside down and whisks her away to his Mediterranean kingdom. Dissolving a politically perfect engagement is not what Nik—or his country—had in mind, but this proud prince will do whatever it takes to legitimize his new rule…with a wife and child!

 

Review:

Carrying the King’s Pride begins with Sofia Ramirez attending a swanky party with some of New York City’s elite. And, she knows “he” will be there, Prince Nikandros Constantinides. Even though she has enjoyed her time with the Prince, she knows his m.o. He is a kind of love them and leave them kind of guy. The moment he senses that a woman is becoming too attached, he cuts and runs. Unfortunately for Sofia, she finds herself becoming attached and decides to be the one to end their affair. Of course, they see each other at the party and Nik invites her to his penthouse, where she tells him that she is ready to end their affair. Nik is a little taken aback that she is taking the lead on ending it. He is not used to being the one being let go, after all. They decide to make love one last time, but little did either of them know how much that decision would change their lives. Forever.

After Sofia has left, Nik finds himself wondering why he cannot seem to stop thinking about her and the fact that she initiated the break up. But those thoughts are short-lived as he receives news that his brother has been killed in an accident back home in Akathinia. Even though he and his brother were not close, he knows that the death will devastate his family, especially his father, as his brother was the one who would become King once the time came. Nik had always been more about making money for their monarchy, but with the unexpected death of his brother, he would have other endeavors that he would have to dive in to: becoming King of Akathinia.

Once Nik arrives home, things start to happen quickly. Not only has he lost his brother but the ruler of a neighboring island country has set his sights on Akathinia’s riches and war looms. Nik is also to be married to a woman that will be politically beneficial, but when he finds out that Sofia is pregnant with his heir, all bets are off. He heads back to New York City to confront Sofia and pretty much cons her into going back to Akathinia with him. Once he confronts her about trapping him with this pregnancy, he tells her that they will marry and she will be his Queen. Sofia is devastated that he thinks she got pregnant intentionally, and vows that she will not marry him until he believes her. With so much on Nik’s plate, and Sofia being adamant that she didn’t get pregnant on purpose, he immerses himself into the political machinations of his country as he tries to be the man he feels he needs to be for the good of his family. But, once he sees that Sofia may actually be more of an ally than an adversary, they embark on trying to make things work. Work for themselves, Akathinia and most of all, for their baby. Will Nik be able to be the man Sofia needs him to be? Will he ever be able to believe that she didn’t trap him? Will Sofia ever be able to get through to him? Well, my friends, you will have to read to find out. And, what a read it is.

Jennifer Hayward has once again written a story that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Sofia and Nik are both wonderfully written characters. Sofia is strong, independent and bound and determined to make things work out the way they are supposed to. Nik is strong, pig-headed and ultimately very vulnerable. Once you find out a little of his back story and his feelings of never having been good enough, your heart will break for him. Sofia was the perfect person to finally make him see reason and see himself as worthy. Of course, there are bumps along the way, but their journey together will melt your heart. I absolutely loved the political nature of this book. It is not over wrought with politics, but it does play a big part in the story. As I read it, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the fictitious Akathinia and Monaco. If you’re looking for a quick read that is sweet and sexy with a little intrigue thrown in, this one is definitely for you. If you’ve not read Jennifer Hayward before, you are seriously missing out. She has very quickly become one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading her beautiful stories for years to come. Well done, Jennifer Hayward! Very, very well done!!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Author

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What You Need by Lorelei James – Review & Giveaway

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What You Need by Lorelei James – Review & Giveaway

 

 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
As the CFO of Lund Industries, Brady Lund is the poster child for responsibility. But eighty hour work weeks leave him little time for a life outside his corner office. His brothers stage an intervention and drag him to a seedy night club…where he sees her, the buttoned up blonde from the secretarial pool who’s starred in his fantasies for months.

Lennox Greene is a woman with a rebellious past—which she carefully conceals beneath her conservative clothes. She knows flirting with her sexy, but aloof boss during working hours is a bad idea. So when Brady shows up at her favorite dive bar, sans his usual snappy suit, and catches her cutting loose, she throws caution aside and dares him to do the same.

After sparks fly, Brady finds keeping his hands off Lennox during office hours is harder than expected. While she makes him feel alive for the first time in years, a part of him wonders if she’s just using him to get ahead. And Lennox must figure out if Brady wants her for the accomplished woman she is—or the bad girl she was.

 

Review:

The blurb says it all……. “Brady Lund is the poster child for responsibility.” He’s a bit nerdy and geeky with a lot of hotness thrown in. He’s immersed himself in his work to make sure that he lives up to the family name. He doesn’t make much time for fun, so when his brother stage their intervention, he bites and tags along.

Lennox Greene does indeed have a rebellious past, but has made a good life for herself and is working her way up at Lund Industries. When an old family friend calls and asks if she’s forgotten about her old buddies, Lennox decides a night out won’t be too bad and heads out. As she’s having fun with her bar buddies, she is more than surprised to see Mr. Brady Lund himself. In her favorite dive bar of all places.

When Brady and Lennox start to navigate a relationship that she’s intent on keeping secret from her coworkers, there are a few bumps along the way. As they start really falling for each other, a couple of huge misunderstandings throw them both for a loop. And, as they start to try and understand each other’s past, neither is quite sure if they can make it work. But, once things are out in the open, they do indeed find out what they need.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a bit different from James’ other works, in my opinion. This is a sweetly developed romance with sensuality and two nicely developed characters. I loved that Brady was unsure of himself and not the typical alpha that is all too prevalent in romances today. I loved Lennox as well. A self made woman who picked herself up by her boot straps and works hard to prove to everyone, mostly to herself, that she can do it. She doesn’t take the easy way out of anything. Instead, she meets every obstacle head on. The chemistry between the two was mutual and not one sided, even from the beginning. If you’re looking for a quick, sexy read, this one is definitely for you. I can’t wait for the next!   Well done, Lorelei James! Very well done.

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Giveaway beige

Lorelei’s publisher is offering a paper copy of WHAT YOU NEED to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Lorelei James Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from January 6-10, 2016

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Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

Just Say Yes Banner

 

Just Say Yes1Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Magazine columnist Quinn Sawyer has always attracted sweet, innocent, and safe men. And something tells her it’s because she’s just as harmless. So when she starts craving a guy with an edge, she realizes she may have to get one for herself.

When her boss asks for a unique pitch, Quinn’s quest to live outside her comfort zone prompts her to suggest an idea that will cause her to break her good-girl rules. And who better than Tim Jacobs to help her push her boundaries? For a while now, Quinn’s had a hot crush on the tattooed executive chef with a checkered past. If anybody can bring out her inner rebel, he can.

It’s no surprise that with every task the two complete, the sparks between them grow more and more intense. Soon there’s no denying the attraction they each feel. But Tim’s troubled past reveals an even tougher edge than Quinn expected—which means for her, falling in love might just be the greatest rebellion of all.

 

Review:

Just Say Yes starts with Hayley on a date that doesn’t go too well. She meets up with her girlfriends later and they ask for the dirt on her date. When she tells them it didn’t go too well, they give her a hard time. She then starts wondering if she has pigeon holed herself in what she’s actually looking for in a relationship. Even more than that, she’s wondering if she really knows herself or if she’s just set herself on cruise control.

At work, she’s in a meeting where the writers pitch ideas to their boss for the next month’s magazine publication. Even though she’s been somewhat of a lackey, she finds herself offering up an idea for a story that her boss actually takes her up on. The idea? A good girl who breaks the rules, throws caution to the wind when it comes to dating. Although Quinn is shocked that their boss actually liked the idea, she is even more shocked that she is going to try and go through with it.

At a get together, Quinn ends up talking about what she is setting out to do, when Tim agrees to help her. Tim has a bit of a checkered past, but is actually looking forward to helping her out. He’s always thought she was pretty and a nice person, but knows he’d never have a shot at her with his past. She’s way out of his league………. Or so he thinks.

As they start spending time together as friends, things start to heat up. Quinn doesn’t know if she’ll truly be able to throw caution to the wind and take the chances that she wants to, but she knows down to her toes that Tim is more than the bad boy persona he projects to everyone. Once things really get going, a few things happen that leaves us wondering if they’ll actually be able to get past it in order to have a real relationship. Funny how things work out when you didn’t really know what you were looking for………

Just Say Yes is a wonderfully written story with a lot of humor (had me laughing out loud a lot!), a beautifully developed friends to lovers romance, and a few moments that had me tearing up. Quinn is a great character that is totally relatable and you’ll feel like you’ve known her all of your life. Tim is awesome as well. A little attitude, a big heart and a lot of hotness. This is the first I’ve read by this writing duo, but I’d definitely like to go back and read the first in the series and read future stories. If you’re looking for a fast read with humor, a beautifully developed romance and some steam, this is definitely for you! Well done, Elizabeth Hayley! Very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Guest Post

Built on a Hope and a Dream

Our journey as writers has been…weird. Weird in the best possible ways, but weird nonetheless. This all started with a discussion about how much we both loved Fifty Shades of Grey, and Hayley saying that she thought we could write romance. Elizabeth agreed.

So what started as a casual, off-hand comment turned into a book idea, became a planning meeting, transitioned into a super fun hobby, and ultimately morphed into Pieces of Perfect. We wrote our first book in about a month because once we started writing, we couldn’t NOT write. It’s like we’d been walking through life with part of ourselves missing. How could we have neglected this for so long?  We were writers. Yes, we were also wives, mothers, teachers, assholes, the list goes on and on. But we also, most certainly, were writers.

We started to bleed words, characters, and plot ideas. But instead of trying to stem the flow, we continued to allow ourselves to hemorrhage. Because we know that this is it–this will never bleed us dry. Rather, it will invigorate us. And from it bloomed a hope. A hope that this could all somehow be more.

So we kept going. Pieces of Perfect turned into the Pieces Series–three novels and a novella.  And when people actually bought them, we were amazed and thankful and excited. And the hope started to become something else–a dream.

We wanted this. We wanted to write stories that people would enjoy and characters they could relate to. But if we were going to strive for the dream, we were going to take it to the max fantasy: we wanted to be published.

We’ve never fully been able to grasp why being traditionally published was so important to us. A lot of authors prefer staying the indie course, and we admire them for it. Maybe we needed the validation–needed someone else to believe we were good enough. Maybe part of it was vanity. Who doesn’t want to see their novel in bookstores? Or maybe it was because we knew we could be better, but couldn’t get there on our own. Most likely, it was, and continues to be, all of these things.

But that meant that the next book had to be good enough for a publisher to want it. Enter The Best Medicine. And then enter Penguin Random House. With their help, we fixed up The Best Medicine, and created two more novels to make the Strictly Business Series: Just Say Yes and The Wedding Agreement (out in May).

The thing about a dream is that it changes every time you close your eyes. And the longer we write, the bigger our dream becomes. We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we hope it’s as exciting as where we’ve been. We hope the journey is long, and weird, and challenging. Because if it’s not those things, well then it won’t really have been a journey at all.

 

excerpt 1

 

“Quinn had been feeling pretty damn full of herself in the kitchen. But once she got into the bedroom and kicked off her sandals, she faltered for a second, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked at his large masculine bed: dark wood with a dark slate comforter. It was so not comforting. I’m about to have sex with Tim. On a bed that screams Christian Grey, if for no other reason than because it’s gray. Quinn was spiraling into a nonsensical state of self-deficiency. Tim was nearly eight years older than she was—a seasoned pro compared to her. What if she didn’t live up to his other experiences? What if he wasn’t into it? What if . . . ?

“Whatever you’re thinking about right now, stop it. Unless it’s that you don’t want to do this, in which case we’ll go back out there and have dinner.” Tim came up behind her and brought his hands up to her shoulders, sweeping her hair over one in the process so he could place gentle kisses on the back of her neck.

Quinn immediately relaxed into his touch. This was Tim. He’d opened a whole new world for her without ever once making her feel inadequate. She’d been a fool to think he ever would. “I definitely do not want dinner.”

“Then tell me what you do want.” His lips ghosted over her skin as he spoke.

“I—I want . . .” God, how am I supposed to think when he’s kissing me like that? She forced her mind to work through the sexual fog he was blanketing her in. “I want to be with you. In every way two people can be together. But I think—no, I know that I want you to lead. Show me what you like. Show me how good it can be.” It wasn’t that Quinn hadn’t had good sex before. She had, by her standards. But she was also convinced that sex with Tim would blow any previous encounter right out of the fucking water. She wasn’t interested in timid first times. She wanted epic right off the bat. And Quinn knew Tim would deliver.

“Every way, huh? That almost sounds like a challenge.”

“It is. You think you’re up for it?”

At that, Tim ground his erection against her ass. An erotic moan left her as he said, “Oh, I’m up for it.” He let her feel his hard-on through the denim of his jeans for only a moment longer before he pulled away, walked around her, and flopped down onto his side on the bed. “Strip for me, Quinn.”

Quinn felt her face heat as she looked down at herself.

“Hey.” Tim’s voice was soft as it drew her attention back to him. “I have been reliving your nude modeling for the past week. But see, that’s a memory I have to share with all those other people. Not this time. This time is just for me.”

His words emboldened her. It was just for him—it had been just for him then too, if she were being honest with herself. His were the only eyes she had cared about in that entire room. But in his apartment, with just the two of them, it was different. She couldn’t claim that it was for the article, or about finding herself. In Tim’s room, with only the soft pallor of the descending sun illuminating them, she was fucking found. So she reached under her arm and drew down the zipper that was hiding there, letting the dress fall to her feet. Her white satin bra fell next. And finally, with her eyes trained on Tim the entire time, she lowered her matching thong. Quinn stood before him, summoning a confidence she knew had been hiding in her somewhere, and watched as his eyes raked over her body. His gaze was all lust and need. And something else . . . reverence maybe? Like he had every intention of worshipping her body as though it were a temple. The thought made her stand up even straighter.

Tim rubbed his cock through his pants as he took in the sight of her. But just before she felt the slightest tinge of self-consciousness, he stood and walked back toward her. His hands came and cupped her jaw. “You’re perfect,” he whispered right before he pulled her lips to his. The kiss was intense as they spilled all of their wants into it.

Quinn basked in the feeling of Tim’s tongue against hers, his piercing turning her on even more than she already was. He got that for me. And now I get to be the one who enjoys it. Her hands skated down his chest to his stomach, where she yanked his shirt up and slid her hands beneath it. Her fingers adored his runner’s body, the ridges of his hardened abdominals. He broke away from her lips long enough to pull the shirt over his head, and she took full advantage, moving up to feel his slender but muscular chest. Finally, when she felt like she was being a cocktease to herself, her hands landed on his belt, quickly unfastening it and pushing it out of the way so she could pop the button on his jeans and drag the zipper down.


 

 

About The Author

Elizabeth Hayley
Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own. The product is Pieces of Perfect, their debut novel. They learned a ton about one another through the process, like how they clearly share a brain and have a persistent need to text each other constantly (much to their husbands’ chagrin).

“Elizabeth” lives with her husband, daughter, and nutjob of a dog. “Hayley” lives with her husband, son, and her own crazy dog. Thankfully, their children are still too young to read.

Elizabeth Hayley’s writing motto is best captured by the words of Patrick Dennis: “I always start with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind.”

 

giveaway

Elizabeth Hayley’s publisher is offering a paper copy of JUST SAY YES to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow Elizabeth Hayley   on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from December 11 – 14, 2015

 

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The Queen B* and the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh – a Review

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The Queen B* and the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh – a Review

 

Queen B and the Homecoming KingAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
The Queen B*, Alexis Wyndham, has only three rules when it comes to dating that star quarterback, Brett Pederson:

1. No obligations to spend every waking moment with each other.
2. No public displays of affection while at Eastline High.
3. And absolutely, under no circumstances, will she ever go to the Homecoming dance.
But as her life is completely upended time and time again, she begins to wonder if some rules are meant to be broken.

 

Review:

The Queen B* and the Homecoming King picks up right where book number two ended….with Alexis and Brett officially dating. Of course, as the blurb says, she has three rules and she is determined that they both stick to said rules. Uh huh…….

As Alexis and Brett go about figuring out their relationship, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Brett is having a hard time with the no PDA rule. Alexis reprimands him, only to be secretly flattered that he has no problem with it and people knowing they are an official couple.

Brett is a little preoccupied with finishing out his high school football career and making it to the state playoffs, which may or may not have a direct impact on what college he decides to attend. It then hits Alexis that they could be going in different directions when it came time to leave for college and that, surprisingly for her, does not sit well. But first, she has other things on the front burner..

One of Alexis’ best friends, Morgan, is still upset with her over a situation with a guy that we learned about in the last book. Her other best friend, Richard, agrees to try and talk to Morgan to help her out, but he has so much on his plate. He’s trying out for the debate team and someone is leaving threatening homophobic messages on his locker, which does NOT sit well with Alexis. She thinks she knows who’s doing it, but Brett tells her she is wrong. That in itself makes Alexis wonder if he’s already picking his friends over her. Or, could she actually BE wrong?

As they continue to navigate their new relationship, potential colleges and typical high school stuff, Alexis has also made it her mission to make Morgan understand what really happened, as well as find out who is bullying Richard. However, when a horrific accident leaves one of our beloved high schoolers in a bad way, what follows is both heart wrenching and heartwarming.

The Queen B* and the Homecoming King was another great story by Crista McHugh. I have to tell you once again that the relevance of this story was not lost on me, but Mrs. McHugh has a way of doing that with everything she writes. Alexis may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when you find out her back story, it just makes her that much more of a great character. Brett is the guy that EVERYONE wants their daughter to meet. Has a huge heart and is good down to his core. I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that Crista is saying this is the last one in this series and am hoping that we may at some point get to visit with these great characters again. Their future is so bright that I’m hoping she has a hard time shielding herself from them! Ha! Once again…… Well done, Crista McHugh! Very, very, very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Author

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Designed For Murder by Avery Flynn – a Review

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Designed For Murder by Avery Flynn – a Review

 

Designed for MurderAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Some fashion statements can kill…

Mika Ito combines her two favorite things in life—textile design and live-action role-playing (LARP)—by creating costumes for her fellow Magic Battledome gamers. Lately, someone’s been assaulting LARPers and stealing their costumes. Concerned for the safety of her friends, Mika hires Maltese Security…only to discover that the lead investigator is the super-hot stranger she just hooked up with.

Carlos Castillo is all too familiar with Magic Battledome. A former legend in role-playing circles, he was all about gaming, until things went very, very wrong for him. Now he’s forced to return to the game undercover—as Mika’s boyfriend—to find some answers. Only playing “boyfriend” with his gorgeous one-night stand is more temptation than a guy can withstand…

Someone wants the costumes enough to kill for them. And when it comes to murder, nothing is what it seems…

 

Review:

Designed for Murder begins with two different sets of friends having drinks at a local watering hole. Carlos is there with his Maltese Security coworkers to blow off a little steam. Mika and her friends are having a girls’ night out. When one of Carlos’ coworkers dares him to go over and ask one of the girls to dance, he has no idea how much things are about to change. He approaches Mika and she points out there is no dance floor, to which he replies “I’m willing to risk it”…………. They hit it off and decide to go back to his apartment. However, after a lust filled night, Mika awakens to discover that she’s late for a very important meeting and skips out, much to Carlos’ disdain…..But, he knows it’s for the best. After his last relationship ended horribly (UNDERSTATEMENT!), he doesn’t think he has it in him to start another.

Mika runs into Maltese Security late and a little disheveled. As she tells them that someone is attacking members of her court and taking, of all things, their costumes. The police don’t seem to be too concerned, but Mika knows something is up, and she’s afraid someone will be seriously injured. As she explains about LARPing, they tell her they have the perfect guy for this case. Enter, yep, you guessed it, Carlos. You can just imagine how shocked he and Mika both are to see each other so soon. When Carlos protests his participation, he is told by his boss that he will take the job.

As Carlos begins to question Mika about what exactly is going on, he soon figures that things aren’t as they appear. The two of them start tracking down information that leads to startling revelations and soon discover that their attraction and chemistry is undeniable. Will Carlos be able to finally put the ghosts of his past to rest in order to keep Mika safe? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out.

Designed for Murder is a fun, fast paced read. It’s also a little different. I mean LARPing??!! LOL!! This was a first for me, but I loved the story. Mika and Carlos are great together. She is a little spitfire that he’s not quite sure about at first. And, she knows that he’s holding back for some reason with her. As they both work out their issues, the romance that blossoms is great to read. If you’re looking for a fun, sexy and a little different read, you can’t go wrong with Designed for Murder. Well done, Avery Flynn!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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