Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy #1) by Devney Perry: Release Blast Review

Blurb:

The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.

As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.

Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.

Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.

One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.

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About the Author:

Devney is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jamison Valley series. She lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.

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Yvette's Review:

I have to confess that MC romances aren’t my favorite trope. Yes, I watched Sons of Anarchy, but it stressed me out most of the time and I didn’t find Jax Teller to be as irresistible as most of the female population. But when Devney Perry announced she was writing a new MC romance series? I was dying to get my hands on Gypsy King before I even read the blurb. With the first book in her Tin Gypsy Series, Devney Perry delivers heart-pounding action and edge-of-your-seat suspense, all wrapped up in a scorching hot rivals-to-lovers romance. 

As the new part owner of the Clifton Forge Tribune, Bryce Ryan is eager to make her mark on the town’s newspaper. And what better subject to spotlight than the local MC, Tin Gypsy, which disbanded a year prior without fanfare. Bryce is even more convinced that there’s more to the club than meets the eye, especially when one of its members becomes a suspect in a murder investigation. To get the scoop, Bryce has to go toe to toe with the Tin Gypsy’s former president, Kingston “Dash” Slater, who’s as charming as he is handsome, with his bad boy good looks and panty-dropping confidence. They have an instant mutual attraction, much to Bryce’s displeasure. Sparks fly between them as they work together to uncover the truth.

Packed with plenty of drama to keep you riveted to each page, enough suspense to set your pulse racing, and a touch of mystery to keep you guessing, Gypsy King is a thrilling page-turner that’s impossible to put down once you get started. The tension-filled, adversarial rapport between Bryce and Dash brought this indefinable, magnetic energy as well as a fiery, passionate chemistry to the narrative that had me eager to read more of their story. Their dynamic is entertaining and compelling, and I couldn’t get enough!

While we get a perfectly satisfying conclusion to Dash and Bryce’s story, Gypsy King does leave some questions unanswered. And I need those answers! I’m even more impatient for the release of Riven Knight, which will hopefully shed some light on certain matters…

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Happy Trail (Park Ranger #1) by Daisy Prescott: Blog Tour Excerpt & Review

Blurb:

A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.

Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.

Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?

And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?

'Happy Trail' is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Park Ranger series.

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Excerpt:

“Can we drop the pretense of not being trapped on the wrong side of the fence with whatever bloodthirsty beast is making such a sound?” I squint into the distance, hoping narrowing my eyes will give me super strength vision. 

It doesn’t. I step behind Ranger Daniels for protection.

“What are you doing?” He twists his neck to look down at me.

“Hiding. I believe you took an oath to protect and serve.”

“Pfft. You’re confusing me with a police officer. I’m here to engage, educate, and empower.” He moves so he’s beside me.

“You carry a gun, don’t you?”

“Sometimes. Do you see a holster now?”

I scan his hips and shake my head, allowing my eyes to linger on the tight fit of his uniform pants over his strong thighs and the thick belt at his narrow waist. Ranger Daniels is packing heat, but not of the pistol variety.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

A distinct braying reaches my ears.

“Is that a donkey?” I tip my head.

“What would a donkey be doing up here? Makes no sense.”

“Ask him. Or her.” I point at the gray beast moving toward us. “I’m a city girl, but I’m pretty sure that’s an ass.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Jay removes his hat.

Maybe he plans to shoo away our attacker with it?

The gray form ambles toward us, letting out a loud bray and revealing large teeth.

“Should we be worried?” I’m standing behind Jay again.

“About a donkey? They’re mostly docile. He’s probably just curious.” Shifting his attention forward, he addresses our new friend. “Hey there. Where’d you come from?”

The donkey halts.

“See? He’s fine. Probably thinks we’re bringing treats.”

“And what will he do when he realizes we’re showing up to his house empty-handed?” I’m half mocking. In my world, not bringing a hostess gift is an unthinkable breach of etiquette. I have no idea about the social decorum for equines.

“Let’s go.” Jay encourages me forward with a sweep of his hat.

We take several steps and the donkey does the same without breaking eye contact, like we’re about to duel. There’s definitely a challenge, a mild threat in the eyes of our new foe.

“Should we slowly retreat to the fence?” I whisper at Jay’s back.

“Nah, we’re fine.”

“Maybe he’s a guard donkey.” I slide a glance over my shoulder toward safety. We’re a dozen or so yards away, but it isn’t too late to make a quick escape.

Jay’s eyes meet mine. “You know guard donkeys aren’t a thing.”

“I’m a stranger in a strange land—anything’s possible.” I wait until he faces forward to stick my tongue out at him. 

He’s shaking his head and clearly not paying attention to me anymore as he stomps across the squishy field.

Left with no choice, I follow after him.

My boot slips in the mud, or donkey poop—it’s impossible to tell the difference. I squawk and flail my arms as I tumble forward in an awkward motion resembling the mating dance of an emu.

The donkey’s ears prick up before flattening against his head.

“Uh oh,” I murmur as I straighten up. 

“It’s fine,” Jay says for the dozenth time.

Only he’s wrong.

About the Author:

Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband, their rescue dog, Mulder, and an imaginary house goat. When not writing about herself in the third person, Daisy can be found traveling, gardening, baking, or lost in a good book.

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Yvette's Review:

While Happy Trail isn’t my first Daisy Prescott novel, it’s been entirely too long since I’ve read one of her books! That’s why I was excited to see that she’d be part of the Smartypants Romance collection. Her heartfelt, humorous rom-coms seemed like they’d be a perfect fit for Penny Reid’s fictional universe. After reading Happy Trail, I can confidently say that it is, in fact, a perfect fit!

I’ve read several books where the two protagonists get stranded together in a snowstorm with only each other for company. But Happy Trail is in a league all on its own, pairing a grumpy, bearded park ranger with a woman whose hike of Appalachian Trail turns into a solo effort after a botched proposal leads to her getting dumped. Olive Perry may not be lucky in love but she’s determined to complete the monumental trek that started as a self-indulgent whim. When she meets Ranger Jay Daniels near the end of her journey, she doesn’t expect that getting snowed in at an abandoned cabin with the handsome stranger would test her newfound resolve to give up on the opposite sex.

Happy Trail is a journey of self-discovery for both Olive and Jay, but it’s first and foremost a romance. From the moment they meet, there’s attraction and chemistry on both sides. The sexual tension between them is ever-present, and their banter is flirtatious, if slightly argumentative, mainly thanks to Olive, who is as bold as she is blunt, having lost her societal filter somewhere along the thousand-plus-mile trail. She disregards Jay’s natural inclination for solitude, charming the somewhat awkward, but undeniably endearing ranger finds it increasingly harder to ignore the pull between them.

With a slow-burning, tension-filled romance, protagonists whose opposite natures make for an entertaining dynamic, and a narrative that’s lighthearted, but packed with feels, Happy Trail is a must-read rom-com from Daisy Prescott.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

Rating: 5 Stars

The Royal Rogue (Nordic Royals #4) by Karina Halle: Review

Blurb:

Every family has a black sheep – even the royal ones.

In the royal family of Denmark, that black sheep is me. To the public I’m known as Princess Stella, but I feel anything but royal. As a single mom, divorcee, social outcast, and forever forgotten about under the magnetism and power of my older brother, King Aksel, I’m used to being an outlier. Though it doesn’t matter when my whip-smart nine-year old daughter, Anya, is my whole world anyway.

Then that world of mine gets turned upside down.

I meet Prince Orlando of Monaco, whom the media has dubbed “The Royal Rogue” for many good reasons. I can’t stand that arrogant smirk on his face, the lewd words that leave his lips – pretty much everything about him. I especially can’t stand how infuriatingly sexy he is and how he manages to get under my skin like no one else.

It’s been a long time since a man could make me feel that way, so you can’t really blame me for throwing my willpower out the window and succumbing to a brief but torrid affair with him, full of hot, dirty sex and nothing else.

Until that nothing else turns into something more, in the form of a big surprise.

I thought I got that wicked royal rogue out of my system but there’s a link between us now that neither of us can ignore.

A baby.

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About the Author:

Karina is represented by Scott Waxman of the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency

**I love to read when I have a chance. I love making new friends, too. But PLEASE don't add me if you're an author just wanting me to read your book and promote yourself shamelessly. You should have more of a reason for friending me than THAT. Also, please don't recommend me books, I have enough on my TBR and not enough time to read. And I'm a super picky reader. Cheers!**

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself  and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she's preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

***disclaimer***

When I'm not writing, I'm reading. And when I'm not reading I might be writing up a review. I'm wary of books with a lot of hype but unless something has bad reviews across the board, I'll probably still take a chance on it and give my honest opinion. Everyone is different and I won't pass up an adventure just because someone else didn't like it. And that's what I think when I look at my bookshelf...what adventure can I go on today?

Social Media Links:

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Yvette's Review:

After meeting Stella in A Nordic King, I suspected Aksel’s sister might be getting her own book at some point. As a single mom and a divorcee, Stella isn’t your typical princess, so I was intrigued to get to know her better in The Royal Rogue. Stella lives up to her name as the black sheep of Denmark’s royal family after her brief liaison with the prince of Monaco results in an unexpected pregnancy. And that’s just the beginning of the book! After all, what’s a royal romance without a bit of scandal…

As the sister to the King of Denmark and a single mom to her nine-year-old daughter, Anya, Princess Stella has to balance her royal duties with her “normal” life, the latter of which she vastly prefers. It’s when she’s playing host to the royal family of Monaco during her brother’s absence that she meets Prince Orlando of Monaco a.k.a. The Royal Rogue. The arrogant, smooth-talking prince is as bold as he is handsome, exuding a raw sex appeal that Stella finds irresistible. They have an instant, combustible chemistry paired with a palpable sexual attraction. There’s no buildup to their affair. It’s not a slow burn, but an immediate, relentlessly sensual, deliciously dirty connection.

Theirs is a relationship in reverse. Stella and Orlando know little about each other aside from what the tabloids report, but they have an intimate knowledge of each other’s bodies. They’re suddenly irrevocably connected, yet acting on their wants and needs isn’t as simple as acting on their burgeoning feelings for each other. As heartbreakingly, frustratingly complicated as their situation may be, it’s undeniably riveting and emotionally compelling.

Packed with drama, angst, smoking hot love scenes, and a brief, yet outrageously funny cameo by good ole Snarf Snarf, The Royal Rogue is a can’t-miss royal romance from Karina Halle. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, several gut-wrenching exchanges, and a number of blush-inducing sexual encounters complete with eyebrow-raising dirty talk that combine to set your emotions awhirl.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 5 Stars

Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake #3) by Catherine Cowles: Review

Blurb:

She’s always been his safe place to land.

Jensen has shared a special bond with Tuck for as long as she can remember, their friendship a language that never needed words. But as life threw her one curveball after another, that secret language turned to stony silence.

He’s always been her protector.

Tuck has looked out for Jensen since the day she was born. As his best friend’s little sister, he’s tried to keep her firmly in the friend category. But she’s always been more.

All it takes is one moment of weakness to send Tuck’s fiercely guarded walls crumbling to the ground. As a new fire burns between them, someone watches. Someone who doesn’t like the new life Jensen’s building for herself.

And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her in the dark.

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About the Author:

Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

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Yvette's Review:

If there’s anything that romance books have taught me, it’s that, if a man has a handsome best friend and a gorgeous younger (or older) sister, that friend and that sister will inevitably hook up. That’s why, when Jensen and Tucker were first introduced in the first book in the Sutter Lake Series by Catherine Cowles, I suspected we might get their story at some point. So, when I read the blurb for Beautifully Broken Spirit, I was thrilled to see that it would feature the single mom and her brother’s closest friend.

As if juggling being a single mom to her son, Noah, owning a successful business, and operating a horse sanctuary weren’t enough of a challenge, Jensen Cole is also shouldering the guilt of being romantically linked to the man who nearly killed the woman her brother loves. Being close friends with Jensen since they were kids, Tucker Harris recognizes that Jensen is struggling under the weight of it all and is determined to bring life back into her eyes. The easygoing, unapologetic womanizer is the perfect choice for a friends-with-benefits arrangement but their attempt to keep their relationship strictly physical isn’t quite so simple with their history.

What I love about Tuck and Jensen’s relationship is that these two aren’t just linked by Walker. They’ve not only been friends for years, but they have a profound connection upon which they’ve built an intimate knowledge of each other, faults and baggage included. They have a playful, teasing rapport that’s suddenly rife with sexual tension. The attraction between them combined with their palpable chemistry leads to an all-consuming, unadulterated passion that only intensifies as they continue to break down each other’s barriers.

Achingly sweet, gut-wrenchingly angsty, and hopelessly romantic, Beautifully Broken Spirit is a heartbreakingly beautiful love story. The characters are endearing and compelling, the narrative is a completely engrossing, emotional roller coaster, and the romance had me alternating between swooning and blushing. Like the two previous books in the Sutter Lake Series, Beautifully Broken Spirit is impossible to put down once you get started and I can’t recommend it enough.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 5 Stars

Code of Conduct (Cipher Security #1) by April White: Blog Tour Excerpt & Review

Blurb:

There are three things you need to know about Shane P.I.

1) P.I. is not her last name, it’s her job title,
2) Her specialty is catching cheaters, and 3) She’s a superhuman—kind of.

Gabriel is a security expert for Cipher Security, and a former UN Peacekeeper with a fierce protective streak that finds its focus on the beautiful P.I.

Their attraction is like an elephant in a room full of breakable things, and figuring out how to trust each other with their hearts, and maybe their lives, is the most fragile thing of all.

'Code of Conduct' is a full-length contemporary romantic suspense, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Cipher Security series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Excerpt:

I pulled up the audio version of the newest Iron Druid book, turned my phone on speaker, and when the tub was full, I sank into the hot water with a sigh. Luke Daniels could read a shampoo bottle and I’d listen, but my mind kept drifting off of Atticus’ and Oberon’s adventures, and was instead hopping from rock to rock in the garden of ADDATA, the Quimbys, and Gabriel. I wasn’t even annoyed when the phone rang and interrupted the story, because I knew I’d have to go back to the beginning of the chapter anyway.

It was on its fourth ring when I finally dried off my hand and reached to answer it, so I hit the speaker button just as I looked at the screen.

Gabriel’s name startled me so much I didn’t say anything – I just sat up in the tub and stared at the phone.

“Please say you’re not in the bath.” Gabriel’s voice was quiet, deep, and had a note of pleading in it.

“What do you want, Gabriel?” I moved again, and the water sloshed around me. I knew he could hear it because he groaned softly.

“Where to begin.” It was almost a whisper, and the words sent a shiver through me. He cleared his throat and continued in his normal, beautiful voice. “We had a call from Quimby. He said he’d found you and wondered what we were going to do about it.” I didn’t say anything, and the silence lasted two long heartbeats. “Are you okay?” he finally asked, quietly.

“He saw me turn from Bryn Mawr onto Sheridan. I lost him in the alleys.”

Gabriel exhaled. “Good.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be finding his money? Or his wife? Or something else he misplaced?”

“Do you have his money or his wife?” he asked

“No.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? What exactly do you want from me, Gabriel?” I sat forward and the water sloshed again. I traced the ripples with my fingers as I heard his sigh.

“I don’t know. I just know that every time you move, I hear the water in your bath, and I imagine …” He exhaled sharply. “Be careful, darling. I don’t trust Quimby not to try to hurt you if he can. Don’t let him catch you.”

“You haven’t caught me yet, and you’re far more resourceful than that little man.”

He chuckled softly. “Yet.” He hung up the phone without saying goodbye, and Luke Daniels’ voice returned, continuing the story as I sank down in the water and let its heat lap over the chills on my skin.

About the Author:

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Her first novel, Marking Time is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and all five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy.

Social Media Links:

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Yvette's Review:

What I love about authors inviting other authors to write books set in their established fictional worlds is being introduced to authors I might not have otherwise discovered. Penny Reid is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to see what stories different authors would come up with set within her fictional universe. I was particularly intrigued to become reacquainted with the familiar faces working for Cipher Security and to meet new characters introduced by April White in Code of Conduct.

As a private investigator specializing in catching cheaters, Shane is no stranger to false identities. Not only does her job often involve going undercover to catch the cheating husbands of her clients, but even her close friends know her by the nickname she adopted when she moved to Chicago. It’s during one of her investigations into a philandering businessman that she comes across Gabriel Eze, a security expert for Cipher Security – the company of which her target is a client. What starts out as a simple job of a cheating husband soon turns into an intricate conspiracy-filled case that becomes more dangerous as more secrets are revealed.

With a riveting, complex narrative and multifaceted, compelling characters, Code of Conduct is a thrilling page-turner. There’s an extensive cast of characters that breathe life into each page of the book, but it’s Shane and Gabriel that are the heart and soul of this story. There’s an instant connection and an easygoing rapport between these two characters, yet they’re both tasked with cautiously navigating through the minefields of their pasts. As an amputee with serious trust issues when it comes to the opposite sex, Shane, is wary of her attraction to Gabriel, but the sexy Brit is charmed by her quirks and her mysteriousness, and takes care to peel back the defensive layers she’s erected.

If you’re in the mood for a sweet, slow-burning romance with plenty of mystery, danger, and suspense, Code of Conduct by April White is a must-read! I loved getting to experience another author’s take on characters I know and love and I’m excited to add another new-to-me author to my TBR list.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 Stars

A Lie for a Lie (All In #1) by Helena Hunting: Spotlight w/ Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway

Blurb:

Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.

Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a month long sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.

A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.

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Guest Post:

Lainey vs. Puck Bunnies in A Lie for a Lie 

A Lie for a Lie is a heartwarming, sexy, emotional romantic comedy. It’s a second chance romance, filled with secrets and there are definitely some exciting, fun twists. It’s also a story of empowerment, self-discovery, and independence.

Rook Bowman, aka RJ or Rookie as he has been known as previously, has recently taken on the role as captain of Chicago’s NHL team, and with that role comes big responsibility and more fame than he sometimes knows how to handle. As with any professional sport, the NHL lifestyle can often be full of excess and decadence; money, fame and an endless stream of women who will do just about anything to get into bed with them, and it’s not always easy to avoid that kind of temptation.

When we meet Rook in A Lie for a Lie we learn that he has a less than shiny past when it comes to the excess and the puck bunnies (hockey groupies). NHL players are often drafted quite young—just watch a game and you’ll notice that the rookies can often barely grown peach fuzz, let alone a full beard. They’re still teenagers when they start their careers, and Rook was no different. Having grown up on an alpaca farm in rural New York, his focus was mainly hockey and the family farm, but once he hit the pros he found himself surrounded by women who literally threw themselves at him. And being young, attractive and full of testosterone, he fell headfirst down that rabbit hole. At least until the drama found him in the form of a fake pregnancy and a social media firestorm. Because of that, and the impact it had on his relationship with his family, Rook swears off the bunnies and refocuses on his career, rather than extracurricular activities.

He meets Lainey on the way to Alaska, where he’s gone every summer since he was a teenager with his dad and his brother. He lost his father a few years earlier, but kept the tradition with his brother because he craves the escape from the demands of his life as an NHL superstar. Lainey encapsulates everything he misses about being a “normal guy.” She doesn’t recognize him or seem to even know anything about hockey, and that makes her even more alluring. For once, he can just be himself. He doesn’t have to worry about ulterior motives or being used. Lainey is refreshingly innocent, incredibly smart, genuine and overwhelmingly sweet and Rook finds himself enamored with her sense of adventure. As they get to know each other, Rook learns about her traumatic past and realizes that despite the challenges she’s faced, Lainey possesses a quiet strength and resilience. Add some insane chemistry and you’ve got a recipe for love. Unfortunately for Rook, he built their entire fragile relationship on lie he can’t take back.

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.

Social Media Links:

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Excerpt:

When Lainey excuses herself to the bathroom, I rush upstairs and throw on a T-shirt. I know she said whatever makes me comfortable, but sitting around shirtless is such a douche move.

I make it back to the kitchen and pour her a fresh drink before she returns from the bathroom.

“How can I help with dinner?” Lainey drapes her sweater over the back of a chair.

And my mouth goes dry. Like I ate an entire sleeve of saltines and chased it with a tablespoon of salt. So far I’ve only seen Lainey in a giant parka or an oversize sweater. Under all that bulky fabric is one hell of a body. She’s wearing a simple white waffle shirt that conforms to her curves. A pair of dark-wash skinny jeans encase her toned legs.

I’m used to bunnies throwing themselves at me, often in questionable states of undress. I stopped getting excited about miniskirts and revealing tops a long time ago. There’s something infinitely sexier about a woman who can show off her body without actually showing it off at all.

Lainey tips her head to the side. Her teeth press into her full bottom lip. I want to do that. Suck that pouty, full lip between my teeth and bite it. I want to do a lot of other, far more explicit things than that, but a kiss seems like a good place to start.

“RJ? Is everything okay?” Her eyes dip down to my chest. I’m wearing a shirt from one of my endorsement campaigns. It afforded me the extensive renovations on this cabin a few years ago.

“Huh?” I give my head a shake. “Oh. Yeah. Everything’s good. Sorry, zoned out there for a second.”

She smiles and pushes up on her toes, her eyes twinkling—like, they legit light up, and her excitement makes her entire body vibrate. It also makes her boobs jiggle. I try to keep my eyes glued to her face. It’s not easy, though.

“I do that all the time! Sometimes my brain is busy with so many thoughts I miss entire conversations. Does that happen to you too?”

I grin. I love that she seems to say whatever is on her mind. “All the time.”

“It’s actually a helpful skill when you’re being lectured, because I can sort through stuff in my head, but it’s not so great when your supervising professor is telling you what’s wrong with your thesis.” She pulls her hair over her shoulder and finger combs it.

“I take it that’s happened to you.”

“It did. Thankfully he also emailed all his criticisms, so missing out on it the first time wasn’t that big of a deal.” She divides her hair into three sections and deftly braids it without looking at what she’s doing even once. It’s pretty damn impressive. I almost want to pull it apart so I can watch her do it all over again. “Anyway, enough about that. Let’s get started on dinner!” She nudges me out of the way so she can wash her hands. She dries them on her jeans and moves over to the fridge, opening it to check out the contents.

I kind of like that she makes herself at home. I’m used to women who expect to be catered to. It’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t want me to pander to her.

I start pulling things out of the fridge as she starts naming items she’ll need and set them on the counter. I manage to locate most of what she asks for.

“What about garlic? Do you have any of that?” She leans over, peering into the fridge beside me. Her braid slips over her shoulder, skimming my arm.

“Uh, maybe we could forgo the garlic?”

“Are you allergic? My oldest brother gets bloated when he eats it. It took us forever to figure out what was causing it. Sometimes I’ll still put some in when he’s coming for dinner, because it’s funny to see him look like he’s expecting.” She tips her head to the side. “Or you just don’t like garlic?”

“I like it sometimes, but it depends.”

Her brows pinch together. “On what?”

“Who I’m eating with. I mean, if I’m going out with buddies, you bet I’m gonna order the honey garlic wings, or the cheesy garlic bread, or the pasta Alfredo. But if I’m eating dinner with a pretty girl, I’m gonna pass on the garlic.”

“Oh.” She twists the end of her braid around her finger.

I hope I’m not reading things wrong and making her uncomfortable.

“Does that mean you think I’m pretty?”

That she sounds genuinely curious as to my answer is unexpected. “You see yourself in the mirror every day—what do you think?”

She averts her gaze, still playing with the end of her braid. “My eyes are too big, so I always look like I’m surprised. My nose is small, and my lips are too full, so my mouth doesn’t really fit the rest of my face.”

“Wow. I think you need a new mirror, because all I see is a whole lot of gorgeous.”

She snorts a laugh and waves me off. “Once, I took a portrait class, and we learned all about proportion and symmetry of the face. Those are just my flaws based on what I was taught.”

“Well, I’m a big fan of all your flaws, and I think they make you more beautiful, not less.”

“Thanks. I think you’re beautiful too.” She cringes. “I mean handsome. You’re very nice to look at, with or without a shirt on. When I fell in your lap on the airplane, I remember thinking, At least I fell on someone nice looking.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm.” She opens a drawer, maybe to avoid looking at me. “And as much as I was mortified when you sat beside me on the Cessna, I couldn’t complain about the view, inside or outside of the plane. That you turned out to be really nice, and just so helpful, was a great bonus.” She hands me a roll of foil. “Why don’t you wrap the potatoes? They take the longest, so we should get started on those first.”

I put the potatoes on the barbecue and let Lainey order me around. She definitely knows her way around a kitchen. When I was growing up, my mom did most of the cooking, but my dad could make a mean Saturday-morning brunch. He also made great bread, which I miss a lot.

An hour later we’re seated at the table, plates full of steak, twice-baked potatoes, and crispy brussels sprouts cooked in bacon fat. I open a bottle of red wine and offer Lainey a glass.

“Just a little bit? I’m not sure I like red wine.”

“Maybe you just haven’t had the right red wine.” I pour a little into her glass.

She picks it up and gives it a swirl, then sniffs it. “I’ve seen people do this in the movies, but I don’t really know what the point is,” she admits, then tips the glass back and takes a tentative sip. Her expression turns thoughtful; then she takes another, slightly more robust sip. “This is actually really nice. I like it. Maybe the red wine I had before was bad.”

“Maybe. Some of the cheap stuff tastes pretty awful.” I pour more into her glass before filling mine. I hold up my glass and wait for her to raise hers.

“To chance meetings.”

“To new adventures and great company to share them with.” We toast and take a sip, each smiling behind the rim.

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Enamored (The Accidental Billionaires #3) by J.S. Scott: Spotlight w/ Excerpt & Giveaway

Blurb:

Like his brothers and sisters, Seth Sinclair went from blue-collar to billionaire overnight, and he’s decided to invest in what he knows best: construction. There’s only one thing in his way—the endangered birds nesting on a piece of prime beachfront real estate. And fighting for the birds is Riley Montgomery, a stubborn, pain-in-the-ass, drop-dead-gorgeous environmental lawyer. The worst part? Seth will do anything to keep her around—even if it means hiring her to be his fake girlfriend.

With a cause to fight for, Riley agrees to Seth’s scheme. If she keeps the superficial women away from Seth, then he’ll leave the wildlife sanctuary alone. But pretending to be his girlfriend comes with ground rules: No ass grabbing. And absolutely no sex. Ever. The problem? The sexual tension sizzles when they’re together.

Seth isn’t so keen on Riley’s rules, but he’ll keep his word, at least until she decides otherwise. But bringing Riley into his circle has brought her past back to haunt her in ways that neither of them expected. Now it’s less about broken rules and more about broken hearts, and Seth will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves.

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About J.S Scott

J.S. “Jan” Scott is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous contemporary and paranormal romances, including The Sinclairs series. She’s an avid reader of all types of books and literature, but romance has always been her genre of choice—so she writes what she loves to read: stories that are almost always steamy, generally feature an alpha male, and have a happily ever after, because she just can’t seem to write them any other way! Jan loves to connect with readers. Visit her website at www.authorjsscott.com.

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Excerpt:

“You said you’d trade for my services,” I prompted. “But I don’t have much to offer to a man like you.”

He studied me for a moment, which made me uncomfortable.

I didn’t want anyone to know me better.

A man like Seth would never understand me.

“You have a hell of a lot to offer any guy,” he considered.

“Not exactly true,” I disagreed. “I was engaged once, but I was never enough for Nolan Easton,” I muttered, instantly wishing the name hadn’t left my mouth.

For some odd reason, Seth was easy to talk to, but I needed to guard my words better.

He whistled softly. “Nolan Easton? Head of Easton Investment Firms? The very wealthy Nolan Easton?”

“Yes,” I said tightly.

“Even so, I can’t believe he dumped you,” Seth answered.

“He didn’t,” I admitted. “I finally broke it off. He didn’t know how to keep it in his pants, and I didn’t want to spend my entire life being who he wanted me to be.” I coughed nervously. “Now can we get back to the business at hand?”

“Not yet,” he insisted. “I’m still trying to get why any guy would want to change a single thing about you. Not that I exactly love your line of work right now, but you’re passionate about it. You’re beautiful. You’re smart. You seem to know exactly what you want. Considering our circumstances, I can’t say I’ve seen your sense of humor, but I’m assuming you have one of those, too. What the hell else did he want?”

I ignored his question. “I have three older brothers,” I shared. “I have to have a sense of humor or they’d drive me crazy.”

He rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. “You didn’t answer my question, Riley. What else did he want?” His voice was low and persuasive.

“It’s not important. My engagement has been over for a while, and I’m happy. I finally found my own home here in Citrus Beach, and I’m pretty content with being alone. It’s a lot nicer here than San Diego. Quieter.”

It was a hell of a lot better than being with a man who made me feel like I was less than nothing.

“When exactly did you move here? And where are you living now?”

“Almost two years ago,” I ground out, growing impatient to get back to business. It wasn’t wise to dump a lot about my personal life to a defendant—no matter how good a listener he might be. “I had a condo, but I recently purchased your sister’s cottage. I’ve settled there now. She and Eli have the bigger home next door, so I already knew I’d have good neighbors.”

“I’m right down the beach from there,” Seth said, sounding surprised. “I’ve never seen you.”

“Like I said. It’s recent. I just moved in.”

I was squirming in my chair. I didn’t care for the feeling of being interrogated. I was usually the one asking the questions.

He shot me a playful grin that made my heart trip. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” he said jokingly.

“Thanks,” I said uncomfortably. “Now tell me what you want from me to leave that piece of property alone.”

He took his time answering, and the silence seemed to stretch out forever.

I gulped down the last of my tea while I waited for him to answer.

Was he playing with me?

Or did he actually have some kind of proposition?

Probably the former—since I really didn’t have much to offer him in the way of services. I could guarantee that Eli Stone had set Seth up with his gaggle of business attorneys. Why in the hell would he need an environmental attorney?

“If you’re playing with me, this encounter ends right now,” I said tersely.

“I’m not,” he said emphatically. “I’m just wondering how to explain what I want.”

“If it’s acceptable, I’ll write up the contract today,” I offered.

“It’s not exactly the contract I’m thinking about,” he said thoughtfully.

God, I was jittery, and I wasn’t used to feeling that way. I was pretty certain that it wasn’t the extra-large chai I’d just consumed, either.

It was him.

Maybe it was the way he studied me.

Or the way his steely gray eyes never left my face.

I couldn’t read him, and that completely pissed me off. As an attorney, I’d gotten very good at judging exactly where a defendant’s mind might be, and what their motives were.

“Just name your terms,” I said irritably. “I’ll work out the details.”

I forced myself to meet his eyes in what I thought would be a battle of wills, and then was sorry that I had even glanced his direction.

My breath hitched as I fell into a stormy gaze that wouldn’t let me go.

I was stunned at the possessive way he eyed me.

I was confused about the emotions I saw there.

And I was mesmerized by the carnal desire that flared up in his steely irises like a bolt of lightning as he held me still with a single look, unable to rip myself away from his fixed stare that was holding me in place.

I knew I was blushing like a damn teenage girl with her first major crush. My brain was begging my body not to react, but my stupid body wasn’t listening.

His voice was hoarse and beguiling when he finally said, “I need a woman, Riley. And that woman has to be you.”

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Fast Lane by Kristen Ashley: Blog Tour Excerpt & Review

Blurb:

“Once he met her, it was and always would be Lyla.”

They were the gentlemen bad boys of rock. Forming in a garage in a small town in Indiana. Taking their licks on the road. Going balls to the wall until they made their big break.

And then Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters redefined rock and roll.

Guided by their tortured lead singer and songwriter, the Roadmasters changed the face of music in the 80s and 90s. And on their journey to becoming one of the most enduring bands in history—dogged by rumors and myth and fueled by drugs and booze—the Roadmasters had one touchstone.

Lyla.

Preacher’s muse, the love of his life, and the band’s moral compass, from the beginning, Lyla is along for the ride.

But with fame and acclaim in their grasp, they’ve entered the fast lane.

And they didn’t know it, but they were headed for a crash.

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Excerpt:

Preach was an equal opportunity, benevolent almost-rock god.

I remember seeing him with his jeans bunched up to his knees, sitting on the side of the pool, his feet and calves in the water, her friends barely clothed in the water, wet and hanging off his legs and his every word, and he’d glance over at her.

When he was in the mood to spread his love, everyone was invited.

We all were nailing serious tail, but I don’t think anybody but Dave had had a threesome.

But that was not unusual for Preach.

Or more, you know?

That night, I had one girl, he had two, three were in with Tim and Dave, tripping, and Tommy was fucking another one in what we would find out later was one of the girls’ dad’s waterbed.

And looking back, I knew Preacher was more into her than the two he had.

I also got why.

Kind of.

Now, again, it was the eighties. We’re talkin’ Jane Fonda workout videos and Jamie Lee Curtis in that movie Perfect and one-pieces making a comeback because the legs were cut so far up the hips, a girl had to shave.

And Lyla was not…

[Pause]

That.

I mean, there was a reason anorexia became prevalent during that decade and didn’t let go. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t good, but it was the way it was.

But Lyla was not that way.

Tits and ass.

A lot.

Of both.

And, from what I could tell that night, bad attitude.

But fuck, the longer the night wore on, Preacher couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

She’d do a lap to clean up ashtrays or beer bottles or whatever the fuck, and honest to Christ, he didn’t miss a step.

Not that first step.

She had what they now politically correctly, but also, it’s gotta be said, just plain correctly call curves.

Freddie Mercury called them fat-bottomed girls.

But man, she was pretty.

Lotsa hair.

Perfect skin.

You know, and a way about her.

It was part that attitude.

Part the mystery.

You know, tell a man, “don’t touch, you’ll get burned,” he’ll become obsessed with the fire. It’s just how it is.

She screamed don’t touch.

And Preacher, man…

Preacher could be obsessive.

In a big way.

But it was the eyes.

I gotta believe, and this would prove true, in a way, if it wasn’t Preach, it would be somebody. Another rock star. A photographer. A painter. Someone would fall in the muse of Lyla’s eyes.

But as you know, it was Preacher.

About Kristen Ashley:

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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Yvette's Review:

Considering that music has been such an integral part of Kristen Ashley’s previous books (the Rock Series in particular), it seems only natural that she’d immerse herself in a novel like Fast Lane. Inspired by Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six and the Eagles’ song, Life in the Fast Lane, this oral history of a rock band chronicles the ups and downs of the fictional band, Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters. From the band’s inception, to the comings and goings of band members, to behind-the-scenes drama, Fast Lane is the epitome of the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”.

Told in a series of interviews with a few key members of the Roadmasters band, Fast Lane spans the several decades during which the famous band reigned over the rock industry. Their successes and failures, and the lives of lead singer, Preacher McCade, and his muse, Lyla, are dissected and conveyed in a way that only those with intimate insider knowledge would be privy to. The interviews with an impartial third party didn’t hesitate to delve into both the good times and the bad. The interview style actually reminded me of reading Kristen Ashley’s interviews with her characters, albeit slightly more emotionally detached. You can’t help but get the sense that these characters are living, breathing entities that originate inside her mind but are very much alive within the book’s pages.

While I can’t deny the narrative is gripping from start to finish, I would’ve loved to have more input about certain events from certain characters. I’m being purposely vague so as not to give anything important away, but, on the other hand, I want to blurt out everything that happened. But I won’t. Because: spoilers. Even after finishing Fast Lane, I’m still processing everything that happened. I even went back to read part of the final chapters to reassure myself that everything unfolded the way it did.

There’s no denying that Fast Lane is a departure from Kristen Ashley’s typical love stories, but I will say that it is still a Kristen Ashley book. And Kristen Ashley never disappoints. I recommend holding onto that knowledge when you’re tearing through the pages of the book, impatient to catch up to the present time and get an update about the lives of these characters.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 4 Stars

Faker by Sarah Smith: ARC Review

Blurb:

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she's tough as nails--the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.

One thing she doesn't have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie's friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can't stop staring at his Thor-like biceps...

When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get...heated. Emmie's beginning to see that beneath Tate's chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.

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About the Author:

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie's stash of romance novels. She's been hooked ever since. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and adorable cat Salem. Faker is her debut novel.

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Yvette's Review:

There’s something about the combination of a workplace romance and the enemies-to-lovers trope that go so well together. I was immediately hooked by the blurb of Faker by Sarah Smith, which follows a heroine who works in a male-dominated work environment. With whip-smart humor, engaging writing, and a slow-burning, but scorching hot romance, Faker is a must-read debut novel by Sarah Smith.

Emmie Echavarre is a copywriter at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed primarily by members of the opposite sex. To be taken seriously, she's had to learn to be tough as nails...or at least pretend to be. She's a self-proclaimed "faker," maintaining a hardened, professional persona, especially when it comes to her relationship with Tate Rasmussen. Emmie has been at odds with her gruff, terse co-worker since he took an instant, inexplicable disliking to her on her first day of work. Now they spend their days either ignoring each other or engaging in an antagonistic war of words. But when they're paired together on a charity project, Emmie and Tate have to play nice...or at least try not to drive each other crazy in the process.

After having my heart stomped on for the first several chapters, I began to wonder how the hostility between Emmie and Tate could possibly lead to a romance. There seemed to be too much baggage between them and too many hurt feelings for any romantic feelings to develop. But with each new chapter, we get to know a softer, more caring, more considerate side of Tate. The tension, aggression, and wariness between him and Emmie give way to attraction as they gradually break down each other's emotional barriers. Their budding romance is slow-burning, yet packed with sexual tension and explosive chemistry

From the first sentence to the final page, Faker had me riveted. It tugged on my heartstrings and had me smiling, blushing, and swooning nonstop. Sarah Smith knocked it out of the park with her debut novel and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 Stars