Tuesday, June 30, 2015

To Tempt a SEAL by Sara Jane Stone

 
 
Blurb

For the first time in her life, social worker Lucia Lewis is ready to live. And the masquerade ball in Las Vegas is just the place to find a ridiculously hot guy to complete her wicked to-do list. The only rule? Her elegant Venetian mask—which conceals the scars that have always held her back from the life she deserves—stays on.

Navy SEAL Cade Daniels heads to Vegas on a mission to keep his best friend's little sister out of trouble. Except the woman he’s sent to find is all heat and flame…and perfectly capable of handling herself. And him. But the moment Lucia's mask slips, the need to heal her, body and soul, is complete and absolute temptation.

But revealing himself could cost him the one thing he isn't willing to risk...his heart.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25500208-to-tempt-a-seal?from_search=true&search_version=service

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/153639-sin-city-seals



 
My Review:

               A new series, characters to get to know with the same AMAZING writing I have come to expect from Sara. This is the story of a woman that feels as though she is worth nothing, and for just one weekend wants to be someone else. We all feel like this at some point in our lives, or at least I have. Lucia wants to be bold, sexy, to feel wanted and desired by a man. She comes up with a plan, makes a list of what she wants, but is nowhere near ready for what she gets. Navy Seal Cade Daniels was sent to protect Lucia from herself and the crazy plan she has come up with. Home on leave he doesn’t mind taking a little time out to help his best friend when asked, he minds even less after he sees who he needs to protect! Cade tries his hardest to keep the “keep your hands off” promise he made to his best friend but soon finds it is an impossibility with Lucia. She is the first women to ever make him want more than being a SEAL, more than his life as a confirmed bachelor. Lucia makes it clear from the start they only have one weekend together, after one night she starts to wonder if her plan was as thought out as she thought… How can these two keep their promises to themselves and each other when the heart get involved?

                Sara Jane Stone wrote a fun, sexy book with many heart felt situations. I like that even with the lack of confidence in herself (for reasons you will learn) she still pushes herself out of her comfort zone. Making sure, she does what she wants not what people expect from her. This is a story with layers that you look forward to uncovering. Why does Lucia want to be someone else? Why is Cade so against being in a relationship? What molded them into the people they are? One of my favorites though, can they find a way to stop being stubborn and fighting the truth to be together? All are revealed and more, this book was given to me as an ARC copy from the Author. I will always give HONEST reviews and I know you will love this book. It is available for pre-order now and goes on sale 6/30/15!   

 
Excerpt:
“Don’t tell me you came for the artwork,” a deep, masculine voice said from behind her. She closed her eyes briefly, sucking in a sharp breath at the sound that seemingly had a direct line to the parts of her body craving male attention.
Wow, that was fast. Good job, dress.
“What else would I come for?” she replied without turning to face him.
“I don’t know about you, but my eye’s been on a table filled with chocolate five feet away,” the mystery man said.
Chocolate. She opened her eyes. Melt-in-your-mouth sugary goodness came a close second to orgasms on her list of wants.
“What kind of chocolate?” She kept her gaze fixed on the bold red brushstrokes running through the center of the first painting.
He chuckled. “I didn’t look too closely. Does it matter?”
“The details are always important.” Like if the man behind her filled out his suit with a body that promised to make her dreams for tonight a reality. “Milk chocolate tastes different from dark. Do they have fillings that melt in your mouth or ones that explode with flavor?”
She felt him move closer. His heat merging with hers. Without the mask, she might have caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye, enough to know if the man matched the panty-melting voice.
“You like things that explode in your mouth?” he said, the words a low growl in her ear.
“Yes.” This man could read the phone book and leave her breathless and brimming with desire. But she wanted more than words tonight.
So she turned to face him.
And oh, God help her, she needed a taste of this man. Her lips refused to form the words “but I’m partial to caramel,” because one look and she was partial to him.
Mr. Panty-Melting Voice had a body that begged to be explored, worshipped, and painted. From his square jaw to the way he filled out his tuxedo, he looked as if he was auditioning to be the next James Bond. Maybe he was. This was Vegas, only a hop, skip, and a jump from Hollywood. And in her humble opinion, his short brown hair and green eyes were a lethal combination.
Move over, Daniel Craig...
“I’ve been watching you stare at those paintings for the last few minutes,” he said, his full lips offering a hint of a smile beneath his plain black mask. “Without even glancing at the chocolate fountain.”
“There’s a fountain?” She heard the note of longing in her voice. Chocolate, carbs—those had topped the list of diet no-no’s for the past six months. But tonight, everything was on the table.
“Yes. You might have noticed if you had moved from this spot. So I have to ask, are you waiting for your date? A boyfriend?”
“No.” Her breath caught on the one word. This man had to be someone—a movie star, a model, the perfect male specimen—he couldn’t be for her.
But the thought of walking away and finding another man to explore her fantasies? Impossible. In her mind, she would hear this stranger’s voice. She’d spend the next forty- eight hours craving the deep sound, wishing she could listen to him murmur sweet nothings in her ear as they acted out her fantasies—or even better, his fantasies. If she walked away from him now, she would spend every minute until sunrise wondering about his top four, though she had a feeling he didn’t carry around a pink Post-it note with his wicked desires spelled out.
 
Author Info
After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more! To subscribe, visit www.sarajanestone.com and look for her newsletter entry form.
Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.sarajanestone.com/
 
Buy Links:  Amazon |B&N | iTunes | Kobo | GooglePlay
 
 
 

Friday, June 19, 2015

********EROTICA******* Sinful Rewards 12 by Cynthia Sax


 
Blurb
“A YEAR OF SIZZLING HOT SAX”
THE SEXIEST 12 MONTH SERIAL: SINFUL REWARDS
 
The thrilling conclusion to the Billionaires and Bikers series!

One tiny mistake turns Bee Carter's worst fears into a terrifying reality. She knows she isn't alone. The sexy, honorable man she adores stands by her side, willing to sacrifice his freedom to ease her concerns.

But she yearns for more than he is offering. She wants a partner who will love her as fiercely as she loves him, who will say the words and mean them, and someone who will choose her because this is what he desires more than anything else, not merely out of a misguided sense of duty.

Will saying no to the man she loves earn Bee unbearable heartache or will she finally get the forever she craves?
 
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23261546-sinful-rewards-12?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service

Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/136907-sinful-rewards

 
My Review:
It’s all over folks, I laughed, cried, yelled, and laughed some more. I have read some book series that ended after you become hooked on the people and this one was done beautifully. Others have left you wanting more and I have been in a bad mood or sad all day. On the completion of this series, however I just sighed. Everything I wanted was there; Bee gets what she needs and wants. Both men are happy, Bee’s friends and mother are still standing by her side. What more could you want? Well, I still wouldn’t mind finding a guy like Hawke, but if I start to miss him I guess I will have to read the books again. I think the best part about this series is that you get to see the growth of all the people. Bee learns to trust and find value in herself. Cindy makes tough choices even she didn’t know she could, choosing friendship, love and the things that have real value in life. Nicolas learns how to be more than just a billionaire a**Hole and that there are ways to make a connection with others that is worth the time and pain that might come. Bee’s mom gets a second chance at happiness and Hawke, well he grows more determined and patient with every day. These are the kind of books I like, because they give us something real! Great job Cynthia and thank you so much for letting me be a part of this journey with you and your friends.  
 


 
Nicolas stands in the hallway, a sheepish smile on his beautiful face, and my small burst of joy dissipates, replaced by the dreaded malaise. He’s handsome, the lights shining on his black wavy hair, tanned skin, dark eyes. He’s immaculately dressed in a gray suit, white shirt, pink tie. He’s carrying ice cream, a small tub of Heavenly Hash cradled in his perfectly manicured fingers.
 
But he’s not Hawke. He’s not the man I love, the only person I want to see.
 
“Don’t look at me like that, Bee.” Nicolas pushes his way into the condo. “I had that situation with the New York build last night. There will be fancy events in the future.” He holds up the tub. “I brought ice cream.”
 
I summon a smile. “You forgot about me.” I take the ice cream from the dashing billionaire. “What do those articles I sent you say about forgetting friends?”
 
Nicolas grimaces. “You knew I was a bad friend.” He walks with me to the kitchen, smelling of expensive cologne and wealth.
 
“You’re not a bad friend.” I set two bowls and two spoons on the counter. “You’re a terrible friend.” I open the tub of ice cream.
 
The real estate developer settles his long lean body on a bar stool and dips a spoon in the container. “You’re not giving up on me, are you?” The lines carved between his perfect eyebrows belie his casual tone.
 
“I’d never give up on you.” I knock his sucked-clean spoon away and huddle over the tub, protecting the ice cream from impatient-billionaire-induced contamination. “Hawke doesn’t love me,” I blurt, needing to voice this, to share this with someone.
 
“He said that?” Nicolas steals a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl I’m filling.
 
“No.” I frown, scooping as fast as I can. “But he’s never said he loves me, either.” I push Nicolas’s bowl toward him.
 
His eyes sparkle. “I’ve never said I love ice cream.” He shovels the sweet treat into his mouth with a boyish glee. “But I do. Very much.” His lips curl upward. “The name of this flavor is perfect. It is heavenly.”
 
“Hawke doesn’t love me,” I repeat stubbornly, dishing out a smaller portion for myself.
 
“A good friend would agree with you.” Nicolas’s head is bent over his ice cream.
 
“You’re not a good friend.” I place the tub in the freezer compartment of the fridge. “What would you do?”
 
“I’d tell you that neither of you are acting rationally, that if craziness is a sign of love, Hawke has it much worse than you.” Nicolas licks his spoon. “He guards you like you’re the last piece of prime real estate on the planet. I’m taking my life into my hands by simply eating ice cream with you.”
 
I climb onto the bar stool beside him, his observations about Hawke’s protectiveness appeasing me, banishing some of my melancholy. “He cares about me.”
 
“No, he cares about his team.” The billionaire’s lips flatten grimly. “Disregarding all of my advice about maintaining his distance.” Nicolas believes remaining aloof from his employees makes painful staffing decisions less traumatic. “What Hawke feels for you is in an entirely different category.”
 
“It isn’t love.” Or is it?


 
USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.
 
She lives in a world filled with magic and romance. Although her heroes may not always say, “I love you,” they will do anything for the women they adore. They live passionately. They play hard. They love the same women forever.
 
Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research, while they travel the world together, meeting fascinating people and finding inspiration in exotic places such as Istanbul, Bali, and Chicago.
 
Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web atwww.CynthiaSax.com
 
 
Author Links:  Website | Facebook | TwitterGoodreads
 
 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Blog Tour: Taking Heart by T.J. Kline


 
Blurb
 
T. J. Kline's Healing Harts series continues as a soldier suffering from PTSD and a therapy dog trainer find that some scars can only be healed by love...
 
Julia Hart knows how much good she does training therapy dogs—it's what helped her overcome her own trials after a relationship turned unexpectedly violent. But moving beyond her mistakes meant trusting only her family with her heart.
 
Dylan, a former soldier, has run out of hope for recovery. Plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, he doubts anything will help him overcome his PTSD. When his brother convinces him to try one last time, he agrees to get a therapy dog.
 
Dylan didn't expect to find Julia or a chance for a "normal" future again. But when Julia's attacker is released from prison, Dylan and Julia will have to face the past together.
 
 
 
MY Review:
When I read a romance book, it is for many reasons. To escape into another world, place, or time. I have read them cause I am a romantic and love seeing love win out over all. I have even read them to write reviews and ended up not being able to put the book down. Taking Heart was one of my top reads because I NEEDED to read it, I was invested in the world T.J. had created and I couldn’t not read it. I had read teasers, blurbs and excerpts, all making it a dire thing that not another day go by before I read this book. Suffice it to say I couldn’t put it done, I started it at 11pm Tuesday night, put my girls down for naps and kept reading today. After diner and bed I sat to finish, it was an emotional book that had my full attention.
                Julia Heart thinks she is broken after surviving a horrible incident in her past. He has invested all her time and energy into making her dog-training portion of the ranch a success. She trains dogs for all types of people including people suffering from PTSD. This leads to her meeting the Gage and Dylan. Gage wants his Brother Dylan to heal and be his old self or at least leave sleep through the night. He contacts Julia and she tells him to come check her ranch out, see if she can help. Dylan out main tough guy wants to end his life, he is the only one to survive his team in Afghanistan and can’t figure out why. His life is hell and nothing he does has made it better. To appease his brother he goes to meet Julia and try to see if a dog will help.
                With both lead characters having emotional pasts, this book is full of the heartstrings being pulled. You want them together so bad but honestly don’t know if they can move forward and leave the baggage behind. In a lot of T.J.’s books you have a lighter note mixed with emotion, this one was emotion with some well-earned laughs. You know the kind when you wait for the hearts to heal enough to allow the things we take for granted to seep in. Laughter, smiling, love, kindness without an ulterior motive. Dylan suffers from survivor’s guilt and doesn’t think he deserves to have anything good. Please don’t misunderstand my review, there are light and happy moments, heat between Dylan and Julia, protectiveness from Julia’s brother and a lot more. I hope you love this book as much as I did!
 
Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
 
Excerpt:
 
“Tomorrow?” Dylan stared at his brother. “Have you lost your mind? We can’t leave in the morning.”
“Dylan, it’s already arranged. All you need to do is pack.”
Dylan had hoped that letting his brother do the legwork would dissuade him from this pointless pursuit. There was nothing a dog, even a therapy dog, could do. He’d already seen the brochures and read the information about how they were supposed to help with mood swings and anxiety, but if pills and alcohol couldn’t touch them, how was an animal going to do anything? He ran a hand over his beard-roughened jaw, his fingers running over the marred flesh on his neck. The burns and scars had been covered with intricately colored tribal tattoos starting behind his ear, but they didn’t make the truth hurt any less. He’d been the only man from his unit to survive the attack, and he still wasn’t sure why. This wasn’t living.
Dylan saw the hope in Gage’s eyes. He really thought a dog was going to make a difference? Whatever. It wasn’t worth fighting over. If Gage wanted to take a few weeks off work and stay at some training facility, fine. He’d see soon enough that this wouldn’t help.
“Fine.” Dylan shook his head in defeat and ran a hand over his close-shaven head. “I’ll have to call Dr. Miller and let him know.”
“I’ve already called him.” Gage tossed a basket of Dylan’s laundry onto his bed and began to fold it. “For the record, he thinks it’s a great idea.”
Dylan clenched his jaw. He appreciated his brother’s help, but he wasn’t completely incompetent. He felt the always-present anger simmering just below the surface. “I’m not an invalid. I can still do my own laundry.”
Gage looked up, eyeing him curiously. “I know you can, Dylan. I wasn’t implying you couldn’t.”
“Then stop coddling me like I’m going to break. I’m already broken.” Dylan felt the familiar curtain of rage coming down over him, but he was helpless to stop it. It didn’t matter how many pills they gave him or how many behavioral exercises he tried, when an episode came on it was like a flash flood that drowned him every time. He reached out, throwing the hamper from the bed. “This is pointless.”
“Dylan . . .”
“You know damn well I can’t get on a plane, what that will do to me.”
“Fine, we’ll drive. It’s only all the way across the country.” Gage grabbed a pillow from the bed and slapped it into his brother’s hands. “You want to be pissed? Go ahead. You want to throw things? Be my guest. But use this, and you clean up whatever mess you make.” Gage turned on his heel and left the room.
It wasn’t the reaction Dylan expected. But instead of cooling, the storm inside him built, gaining momentum until he felt it swirling in his chest. He growled in rage, throwing the pillow at the wall and looking around the room for something else to throw. It only pissed him off more that every surface was already cleared. His brother had learned that lesson after Dylan’s last episode. He clenched his fists, trying to still the fury building within. Every muscle in Dylan’s body seemed to tense as he fought for control, bracing his fists on each side of the door frame. He couldn’t stop his fist when it rose of its own accord and slammed against the wall, putting a hole in it.
The pain radiating up his arm was enough to shake him from his fury, but self-loathing filled the vacuum left behind once his anger dissipated. He backed up until his legs hit the bed. His knees lost strength, unable to hold him as the adrenaline left him weak, and he dropped to sit on the edge of the mattress. Dylan looked at the bottle of pills on his nightstand, sweet oblivion that would make him forget, at least for a short while.
Just this once.
It was a lie. It wasn’t the first time he’d made that promise to himself, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last, but he wasn’t about to take the steps down that dark path again. He looked away. He wouldn’t cave. Dylan buried his forehead in his hands, rubbing at his temples with his fingers, his right hand skimming the scar that ran from his temple to the back of his ear. He’d have been better off if that bullet had killed him.
 
 
Author Info
T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and rodeo queen competitions since the age of 14, She has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has had several articles about rodeo published in the past in small periodicals as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah.

 

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
 
 

 
 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The McCade Brothers series by Samanthe Beck



Book One: Undercover Lover

                Kylie Roberts had a dream, she knew it would take a while to accomplish but knew if she stuck with it she could achieve it! She also swore as a young girl to never let a man into her life to derail those dreams like her mother had. So what in heavens name was she doing on a stage dancing at a gentlemen’s club! Why was her focus drawn to a sexy man sitting in the club? The answer was one word… Stacy, her twin sister ad given her an ultimatum. Dance or be homeless because they wouldn’t be able to afford their apartment without the high-end strip club tips. Kylie hates the lying, sneaking, and the hungry looks Trever McCade keeps giving her. When she stumbles upon a murder her life gets even more complicated.

                Detective Trever McCade doesn’t frequent strip clubs, but one look at Stacy (really Kylie) and he can’t stay away. He uses the excuse that she is the key witness to a murder but really, he is drawn to her in a way that has never happened to him before. All their talks and dances give him a nagging feeling that something about her is not right. Once he realizes the twins have switched identities all becomes clear, but the killer is after “Stacy”, this means Kylie is in danger. Keeping her close when she keeps pushing him away is not easy. Trever wants to catch the killer and capture Kylie’s heart, Kylie is determined to keep their relationship purely physical. Who will win this fight and will it happen before the killer turns his anger onto Kylie instead of the men that she dances for?

                From the first paragraph, I knew Samanthe had a winner on her hands, but all the stripping and private dances did have me pause. This was the first book I have read with a stripper as the main character, but Kylie being a virgin and dancing in a club was too intriguing to stop reading. Samanthe gave good descriptions and I could “see” into the world Kylie was trying to fit in. I loved reading about the relationships Kylie was able to build and that Trever saw her even through he disguise. This as a book I started reading because I wanted to read book 3 but had to start at the beginning (my preference, all three can be stand alones but they are better in order). Kylie and Trever are a great match and worth the read, I was not disappointed!
 

Book Two: Wicked Games

                This is a novella telling the story of Stacy Roberts and Detective Ian Ford, Trever McCade’s partner. Stacy doesn’t want a steady relationship because she is waiting for the shoe to drop. Every time her life is going as planed someone she loves bales on her, the only one she can count on is herself and her twin Kylie. Ian loves Stacy, he understands why she keeps pushing him away but when she brakes things off completely he doesn’t give up. He gives her the space she says she needs, until a death threat is written to Stacy. At a huge Halloween party their passion and longing collides in a back room. Stacy gives in to Ian and her desire for him. When the emotions get to much she escapes, blending right into the crowd and possibly into the killers hands. Can Ian save her before he loses Stacy forever?

                This novella was a fast read for me because I was on the edge of my seat wondering who wanted Stacy dead. I wanted Ian and her to get together but, for me it was the murder and threats that grabbed me. If you like a true thriller this one is good for you, there is love, anger, passion, and possible death involved. Samanthe wrote her screens in a way that it was like watching a move, you could see the acts being preformed and you wanted to yell at the characters to hurry up, watch out, and be careful!   
  

Book Three: Falling for the Marine

                This is the book that started me on my journey to read this series. Samanthe Beck posted a teaser and I was obsessed. Every time I tried to read another book that scene she posted popped in my head, like a song that won’t get out of your head. I had to read the book to get the curiosity to stop. It took me longer then I wanted but I finished it! In amongst college classes, starting a website, my girls, and everything life was throwing at me I did finish it. I give it five plus stars for drawing me in and not letting go. I have found that Samanthe Beck is very good at this, I have yet to read one of her books that doesn’t keep me turning pages.

                This is the story of Marine Michael McCade, Trever’s younger brother. One common thread between this book and Undercover Lover is the determination of the McCade brothers. When they find the women they love, they go to extreme lengths to prove to them they are not going anywhere. This is the same thing with Michael. He meets Chloe Kincaid in a very unexpected way, that imprints her on his memory. She is not his normal type, and he is everything Chloe swore to stay away from. Passion and fire can not be denied for long however. They problems occur when Michael wants Chloe to stay with him for more then just their physical connection. Chloe doesn’t want to stay in one spot, let alone get involved with a military man. She tried to tell this to Michael but nothing ever went the way she planed. For instance she didn’t plan on losing her job, being forced to accept Michaels offer to live with him, or having to pretend to be engaged to save Michael from being court marshaled. Her life is a mess, but even during our biggest messes great things can happen, that is if Chloe will let herself embrace them. This book is a rollercoaster of fun, Chloe is full of spunk and brings straight laced Michael out of his shell. The best of these books so far!
 

***There is a number four book to this series, Best Man with Benefits, but this is also a part of The Wedding Dare series. I have not read it yet but as soon as I do you will see the review posted! This is youngest McCade brother Logan’s story.***