The Protector by HelenKay Dimon

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Title: The Protector:

Author: HelenKay Dimon

Genre Romantic Suspense

About The Protector:

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .   Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?   Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.    

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Review: 

Can I just say I wish I had a Protector like Damon! Yes, he is a bit moody, has a bad view of himself but when it comes to something he wants… Well let’s just say he is a very stubborn man, and what is the best way to annoy that kind of man? You give him an even more determined and stubborn women to look out for.  Cate lost her sister in what was called an accident, but the details never made since to her. She needed answers and wouldn’t stop until she got them. I loved Cate in this book, she is strong, independent and knows what she wants. She knows she could be killed in her pursuit for answers but keeps looking, needing that closure. She also can go toe to toe with Damon which means I loved her even more. This is Book 4 in this series and I am definitely going back to read the rest! Now go one click this baby and curl up in your reading spot! I know you will love it.

Exclusive Excerpt:

Cate Pendleton dumped her grocery bags on the kitchen counter and glanced around the living room area of her small one-bedroom condo. Flattened pillows. Magazines spread across the coffee table. A blanket in a ball on the floor from where it slipped off her last night while she watched television. The remote stuffed between cushions. Everything was exactly where she left it when she took off on her store run an hour ago. But something struck her as off. She felt it rather than saw it. A violation of her scared space. A lingering menace. The sensation of unknown hands skimming over her things. A shiver skated through her at the thought. With her keys sticking between her fingers like a weapon, she walked around the condo, peeking in the closet and looking inside the bedroom. The journey ended back here she started. She approached the couch nice and slow. She listened for footsteps, but the only sound came from the hiss of her clunky, usually-malfunctioning icemaker. She leaned toward the cushions, just a bit, and sniffed. There it was. Aftershave. Faint, but present. Since a man hadn’t been in the condo for weeks the smell was out of place. And this was not the first time this had happened. She came home two days ago to the same scent. A mix of musk and orange. The last time it happened in the evening. This time in the morning. On that first day, she found her patio door unlocked. Living in a city, she didn’t take her personal safety for granted. Being two floors up, tucked behind rows of government buildings and a few blocks back from the National Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., she kept her guard up. The neighborhood served as home to many congressional staffers. Traffic, both human and the car variety, moved in a steady beat. But she knew better than to assume everything was fine. She locked her doors. All of them and all the time, but someone got in. A punch of awareness moved though her as she brushed her fingertips over the arm of the chair. The idea of someone snooping through her stuff, standing in her space, made her gag. Last time nothing was stolen, so she skipped calling the police with that fear. Wrote the whole thing off as faulty memory. She knew something strange had happened, but she blocked it and pretended otherwise. But this was different. From the first whiff of that cologne, the trembling started deep down in her stomach, spun up to her head and would not stop. She forced her mind to focus. Someone kept getting in without leave much of a trail. They didn’t stick around, and for that she was grateful. Nothing stolen. Not obviously, anyway. Her sister. That’s what this had to be about. Cate thought back to the last six weeks and all the ground she’d covered. She poked around, asked uncomfortable questions and clearly upset someone. She got too close, which was exactly her plan. Maybe she uncovered some piece of information she hadn’t realized yet. But she would. If someone broke in thinking they’d figure out her strategy or grab every lead she’d collected, they miscalculated. No way would she make it that easy for anyone to destroy her work or derail her. After the first time this happened, she called the police but that led nowhere. A second call likely would end the same way. They would ignore her, write her off as the crazy one with the dead sister. Add to that her complaint wouldn’t pinpoint any clear evidence. This was about a sense of a presence, of being spooked, and she would become the new lunchtime story for the officers. But she knew. He had been there. He or she. The person knew how to get in and was playing with her. The next time she might come home too soon. Despite her worries and the downsides, she picked up the phone and dialed the one person who might be able to help her, the mysterious D.C. fixer. The guy no one ever saw who went by one name – Wren.  

Catch Up On the Series!

The Fixer:

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The Enforcer:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Negotiator:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Pretender:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

 

About HelenKay Dimon:

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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Risking it All by T.J. Kline (Book 3 of The Hidden Falls series)

BLURB

Andrew McQuaid wasn’t always the local playboy. Once upon a time, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with one woman-Gia Mancuso. When he made a mistake and lost her, he decided he wasn’t meant to have a happy-ever-after. Now, Gia’s come back to town, with a baby in tow, and it might just mean a second chance at forever, if he can convince her that he never stopped loving her.

Ten years after leaving, Gia finds herself back in Hidden Falls. Between helping her ailing father save the family restaurant and taking care of the baby her sister left on her doorstep, she doesn’t have time for the man who once broke her heart. But Andrew is all grown-up now, in every single way. And the part of her that has always been his can’t quite say no to his tempting kisses.

Just when Gia begins to open her heart, a devastating secret emerges that threatens to destroy her family and any future with Andrew. Are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of their past or can Andrew convince Gia that she’s always been his one and only?

MY REVIEW:

         Have you ever read the first book in a series and fell hard for a secondary character? I sure have, and it’s not the first in T.J Kline’s series that this happened to me. This time however I was very antsy for Andrew McQuaid’s book, he just stood out among the brothers. His banter, temper, and determination to stay a free bachelor just screamed ‘back story’. I can say I was not the least bit disappointed! T.J has a great insight into her characters and makes us fall hard for them. 

         Andrew had a love and lost her, the worst part was for ten years he had no idea why. He thought on it more than he wanted to but never came up with what he did wrong to drive the one woman for him away. When she comes back to town he is determined to find out once and for all! 

       Gia Mancuso has stayed away from her home town except for short visits. She has a good job that she has fought hard to get. Her family burned the need for respectability and family into her. So when she sister drops an unexpected problem on her, and her father is losing his fight with cancer, home is where she goes. She just hopes she can avoid Andrew. 

        There are secrets between these two that could not only destroy their second chance but also their families. I loved the complexity in this story, just when you think you have it figured out another curveball come at them. We get to spend more time with the McQuaid family and they are awesome! If there was a real family like this I would want to be friends with them. Gia is a very strong willed and organized woman and I just loved her for Andrew. He needed a woman that will keep him on his toes. Gia’s mother, now there is a piece of work! I wanted to shake her and make she see what she was doing to her daughters. Right to the end you still don’t know if she will change or not, I did like seeing the care and love Gia’s father showed his family. He refuses to back down but doesn’t need to use force. He is a kind, wise, and amazing man, he grabbed my heart and hung on. 

        All in all this book gave me everything I have come to expect from T.J. There is mystery, heart, trust broken, forgiveness, love, and so much more. You will not regret picking up this book! It can be read as a standalone but I recommend you read the first two books. It will make you love this family and town all the more! Go order your copy today, and set aside time to find out who Gia and Andrew were and are. Curl up in your favorite spot and enjoy!

EXCERPT:

The quiet purr of her car engine and the haunting hoot of an owl in the woods on the side of the highway lulled her. Most people would be afraid - on a long stretch of deserted highway, darkness surrounding her with a cacophony of night sounds - but this was home, where she'd grown up, where she'd once been broken and had left the pieces behind. Gia could feel her body relaxing into the leather seat and braced her arm against the bottom on Bella's car seat, trying desperately not to give in to the urge to sleep. 

The soft crunch of gravel jerked her upright as headlights bathed the interior of her car in white light, blinding her. Reports of women being carjacked, kidnapped or murdered filled her mind and she hurried to snap the buckle of Bella's seat again. Dropping the bottle, she lunged forward, attempting to climb over the console into the driver's seat to get the hell away from whatever killer might be approaching her car. 

It only took a few seconds to realize how big of a mistake she'd 

made. 

Gia had always been well-endowed but she'd never expected her curves to get her stuck partway between her front and back seats.

She wiggled, trying to twist sideways to make it easier to pull herself between the seats. Gripping the edge of the steering wheel, Gia used it for leverage, tucking one knee under her as she tried to force herself through. It was no use, she was hopelessly stuck, now unable to move forward or back. She was a miserable excuse for a guardian and prayed her stupidity wasn't about to end with her and Bella on tomorrow's news, murdered on the side of the highway, mere minutes from their destination. 

She craned her neck to see the flash of red and blue lights washing through the back window of the car as a thin, white beam of light flashed through the window into her eyes. She held up a hand, trying to make out any of the features of what she prayed was really a cop, even if it meant someone would witness her embarrassing predicament. The back door opened and Gia heard a deep rumble of laughter. 

"What brings you back to town, Gia?" 

Gia closed her eyes, wishing she could crawl under her car. How was it possible that after nearly ten years of avoiding him, she was now caught in this position by the one man she never wanted to see again, the same one who'd broken her stupidly naive heart at eighteen. 

"Andrew McQuaid," she muttered to herself. He shined the light on her rear end and irritation welled. "You think instead of oogling my ass you might actually help me?" 

She felt the hands that had carried her to her first heights of ecstasy reach for either side of her hips. The same hands she swore would never touch her again after she found out about the bastard's cheating ways. 

"Hey," she squealed, trying to squirm away from his touch, willing herself to ignore the way her heart leapt into her throat. "What the hell are you doing?" 

"Exactly what you asked me to do. I'm helping you." 

"Not like that?" She swung a hand at him, slapping her own butt in the process, but at least he let go of her. 

"How, exactly, do you propose I help then?" 

"I don't know. You're the cop." 

Andrew laughed, still leaning into her car, bent over awkwardly behind her. "Honey, I really don't see any other way." 

She glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't call me that." 

"Fine." Andrew moved into the car, practically sitting in the back seat and slid one hand through an opening by her waist, in front of her bent knee with the other around her calf, managing to pull it out from under her. "There. I'm going to tip your right hip down but you're going to have to manage to twist your shoulders to fit…um…" He searched for a polite term he could use for her boobs. "The girls through," he finished with a chuckle. 

Gia felt the rush of heat flood her face. "Let's just get this over with." 

Andrew's hands closed on her hips again, practically cupping her right butt cheek in his palm. "Bend your right knee and I'm going to pull on three. One…two…three." 

Gia managed to twist her body as Andrew pulled her backward and she slid through the space as if she'd never been stuck at all. 

Andrew dropped into the seat, carrying her with him and Gia landed in his lap with one of his muscular forearms under her breasts, the other hand cupping her inner thigh, sending a blast of heat between her legs. It was the worst reaction she could have ever imagined having. 

Until she realized that hard ridge beneath her rear wasn't his gun

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T. J. Kline was bitten by the horse bug early and began training horses at fourteen—as well as competing in rodeos and winning several rodeo queen competitions—but has always known writing was her first love. She also writes under the name Tina Klinesmith. In her spare time, she can be found spending as many hours as possible laughing hysterically with her husband, teens, and their menagerie of pets in Northern California. That is, when she isn't running around the California Gold Country researching new stories.

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HIDDEN FALLS SERIES:

 

A Better Man by Candis Terry

BLURB:

Meet the Kincade brothers: they’ll do what it takes to protect their legacy—but what happens when love gets in the way?

Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Valley and everyone who mattered for a career in the NHL—a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now he’s back to make amends, which begins with keeping his younger sister from flunking out of school. It’s just his luck that the one person who can help is the girl whose heart he broke years ago.

Lucy Diamond has racked up a number of monumental mistakes in her life, the first involving a certain blue-eyed charmer. She has no intention of falling for Jordan Kincade again, but when he shows up asking her to help one of her students, Lucy just can’t say no. Worse, the longer he’s back, the more she sees how much he’s changed. And so when a blistering kiss turns to more, she can’t help but wonder if her heart will be crushed again . . . or if she’ll discover true love with a better man.

MY REVIEW:

The true test of people comes from tragedy. Some may think it is a cliché but I happen to have lived and seen this be true. Candis Terry shows us the true character of the Kincade family in her new series A Sunshine Creek Vineyard. In the first book A Better Man we meet Jordan Kincade, a hockey pro close to winning the Stanley Cup with his team. It is something he has worked for all his life, putting everything including his family, on the back burner. Until the unthinkable happens and he is needed back at home, back with the family he feels like an outsider with. Jordan is determined to fix this, and repair the relationship he doesn’t have with his little sister. He knows his hockey team will need him but his family is more important. 

Lucy Diamond loves being a teacher; she just wishes she could help her high school students more. Especially Nicole Kincade, the poor girl was suffering in her personal life and Lucy knew it was more than that too. Yes her whole family had suffered a big blow, but Nicole had been doing poorly even before that. Lucy wants to help anyway she can, even if it means putting up with the man that caused her heartache. Jordan and Lucy knew each other from high school, though she tries to hide that fact from Jordan. She doesn’t want to re-live it. 

I loved Lucy and Jordan, the fact that he does remember her and sees her with new eyes. Candis writes this romance with finesse that in sweet and hot all rolled into one. Lucy is a woman I can relate to, she sees herself as ordinary, not ugly or undesirable, just not the model types Jordan normally dates. I enjoyed the ways Jordan steps up and shows her what he sees when he looks at her. Helping her build her self-confidence and become the women she is on the inside. Watching Lucy grow and bloom was so much fun! Jordan doesn’t have it easy though, he is balancing so much that he struggles not to drop anything or anyone. A choice does have to be made though and you will be surprised how this story ends. Will Jordan go back to hockey; he does have a contract on the line. Or will he choose to stay with his family and continue to mend fences and the wine vineyard? It is a fun, emotional ride you will LOVE! Grab your copy NOW, and curl up for a great evening with new friends.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She's experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push-and-pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily-ever-after.

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You May Kiss The Bride by Lisa Berne

BLURB:

In an unforgettable debut, Lisa Berne introduces you to the Penhallow Dynasty—men destined to marry, but hesitant to love.

Wealthy and arrogant, Gabriel Penhallow knows it’s time to fulfill his dynastic duty. All he must do is follow “The Penhallow way”—find a biddable bride, produce an heir and a spare, and then live separate lives. It’s worked so well for generations, certainly one kiss with the delectable Livia Stuart isn’t going to change things. Society dictates he marry her, and one chit is as good as another as long as she’s from a decent family.

But Livia’s transformation from an original to a mundane diamond of the first water makes Gabriel realize he desperately wants the woman who somehow provoked him into that kiss. And for all the ladies who’ve thrown themselves at him, it’s the one who wants to flee whom he now wants. But how will he keep this independent miss from flying away?

MY REVIEW:

This is a debut book for Lisa Berne and I thought it sounded really good. I read clips and reviews which to be honest don’t sway me normally. Some reviews were raving and others middle of the line. Wanting to give this new author a shot I got the book and started reading. 

You May Kiss the Bride did grab me with the information on the heroine, Livia, she is an orphan who is mistreated by everyone in her life. She has nothing really to call her own and is told she has no future, YET she is strong, opinionated, and doesn’t give up. She is fueled by the meanness around her, determined to prove everyone wrong. We get a great deal of information about Livia and her past. Even though the book is written in both her and Gabriel’s point of view. The problem I had was even by the end I didn’t get to know Gabriel that well. 

The supporting characters are great, I love grandmamma, Miss. Cott, and Hugo was a blast, even the mean Miss Cecily and her horrid mother, were important. The side characters helped show us where Livia is coming from and who she is answering too. You can also use your imagination to fill in the blanks on why Gabriel is so aloof and cold. 

The story as a whole was a bit slow at first but I did like that Livia and Gabriel didn’t jump right into bed, or marriage. We got to see their journey, see how they changed weather for the good or bad. The reason I gave this a 4 star rating was for the lack of information on Gabriel. There is a misunderstanding in the book (not telling, you will have to read it yourself), and part of me was left wondering if this was truly how Gabriel would have handled things. If we had more character information I think that would have fixed my confusion. 

All in all though I do recommend this book! She is a new author that has done a great job. The book is well worded, descriptive and keeps you in the right era. Get you copy and curl up for a time of relaxation.

EXCERPT:

She had been dismissed. Livia rose and after dipping the briefest of curtsies in Lady Glanville’s direction, went to the door with long strides, so angry that she felt she had to get out of there or explode. Behind her she heard Aunt Bella saying in a soft little bleat, “Livia! No word of gratitude! Pray come back!” Instead, she closed the door with exaggerated gentleness and leaned against it for a moment.

By the bannister stood a maidservant with an armful of gowns. With a muttered sentence of thanks Livia took them and hurried upstairs to her room where with savage satisfaction she flung the gowns against the wall, leaving them to lie in a crumpled heap on the floor. She paced back and forth, back and forth, until the red haze of rage subsided. Then she went to her bed and dropped full­length upon it with unladylike abandon, causing the old wood frame to creak alarmingly.

It was stupid of her, she knew, to react like that to the Orrs. But it was hard, so hard, when Cecily had every­ thing and she had so very little. No parents, no brothers or sisters; no money, no education, no prospects.

Your future must be thought of, too.

It was strange, now that she considered it, how little time she had spent thinking about her future. Possibly because there was no point to it. In her existence here she was like a great hoary tree, deeply, immovably, rooted into the earth.

She couldn’t even hang on to the morbid hope of inheriting anything from Uncle Charles when he died. He’d run through most of Aunt Bella’s money ages ago, and year by year everything had slowly declined, dwindled, faded away. Now there wasn’t much left; the estate barely brought in enough for Aunt Bella to pay for her cordial, and for Uncle Charles to spend his days hunting, drinking, and eating. Speaking of romantic marriages.

Well, it could be worse. At least she didn’t have a mother like that revolting Lady Glanville. Imagine having her breathing down one’s neck all day.

Still, this was only a small consolation. A very small consolation.

Livia thought about Cecily’s beautiful white gown and those elegant kid slippers with the dainty pink rosettes.

It was those rosettes that did it.

Envy, like a nasty little knife slipping easily into soft flesh, seemed to pierce her very soul.

Abruptly Livia twisted onto her side and stared at nothing.

She would not cry.

Crying never helped anything.

There came to her, suddenly, the memory of the first time she had met Cecily, some twelve years ago; they’d both been around six. Cecily and her mother had come to call. Livia, recently arrived from faraway India, desperately lonely, was so anxious to be friends with the lovely, beautifully dressed girl with the long shining curls. Shyly she had approached, trying to smile, and Cecily had responded by saying in a clear, carrying voice:

“Oh, you’re the little orfin girl. Your papa was sent away from here and he died. And your grandpapa was a runaway and he drownded. And your mama drownded, too. Why is your skin so brown? Are you dirty?” And she had backed away, to hide behind the skirts of her mother Lady Glanville, who had said to her, with that same cold smile that never reached her eyes, “Poor little Livia isn’t a native, my dear, she’s every bit as English as you and I. The sun shines quite fiercely in India, and she had no mama or papa to make sure she stayed under her parasol. Do you see?”

Livia had never forgotten the burning sense of shame from that day. Nor had Cecily made it any easier, for from time to time she would laughingly recall the occasion of their first meeting and how she had thought Livia to be unwashed, as if it was the funniest anecdote in all the world.

Livia did not like to remember, even if only hazily, how when she was four, the monsoon season struck Kanpur with devastating onslaughts of rain. Both her widowed mother and her grandfather had died in a great flood, and it was with grudging reluctance that Uncle Charles had sent money for his niece’s passage to England.

Upon arriving in Wiltshire, Livia was not so much welcomed into the home—if such the ancient, ram­ bling domicile known as Ealdor Abbey could be so termed—of Uncle Charles and Aunt Bella, as absorbed. Aside from grumbling within earshot about the expense of feeding her, Uncle Charles barely noticed her. Aunt Bella, childless, somnolent, always unwell, with interest in neither Society nor useful occupation, accepted Livia’s presence without a blink but also without care or concern for the little girl for whom she was, ostensibly, responsible.

Oh, you’re the little orfin girl.

Livia smiled without humor.

Yes indeed, Cecily certainly had a knack for getting to the heart of things.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Berne read her first Georgette Heyer book at fourteen, and was instantly captivated. Later, she was a graduate student, a grant writer, and an investment banker, but is thrilled to be returning to her roots and writing her own historical-romance novels! She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

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BLOG TOUR: Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell by Codi Gary

                                                                BLURB:
They used to be enemies…

Gracie McAllister has never been the relationship type…until now. After a brutal visit from her happily married parents, Gracie is looking for Mr. Right…not Mr. Right Now. And despite their recent truce, there is no way sexy Eric Henderson is anything but.

Now they’re allies…

Eric has always had a thing for Gracie, but they could never manage to get on the same page long enough to explore the heat between them. When Eric gets the opportunity of a lifetime, he asks Gracie for help…and swears her to secrecy.

But is that all?

Now the whole town thinks their romance is real, but it’s just a business arrangement. There’s no way they’re actually falling in love…right?

                                                           MY REVIEW:

           Gracie McAllister has been one of my favorite people in the town of Rock Canyon since I started reading the books. Her reputation is that she is a love them and leave them kind of women. The town gossip rag has not helped one little bit, it seems she is a favorite to report on. Gracie in true form is fiercely loyal to her friends, no one better mess with them. If anyone dares to cause trouble, Gracie no amount of torture is off the table. It’s hard though because she has so many great qualities that people on the outside can’t seem to see, including her parents. When they decide to visit the last thing she wants to be is single. She had a guy that her parents would have loved, the problem was she couldn’t stay awake around him. So when Gracie decides to find a replacement just for her parents visit she looks all round town.
           In all the other books in this series we get to see the tension between Gracie and Eric Henderson. Eric clearly has a thing for Gracie and isn’t afraid to let her see it, but Gracie won’t let anything happen. From book one to now I have looked forward to any scenes with these two in them because they are so fun! Gracie and Eric have a banter that is beyond reasonable. The fight about the smallest, dumbest things, Eric could tell her she looks nice and Gracie will find a way to fight. I laughed a ton in this book. Now don’t move your tissue box far, because there is a new element to Gracie’s life that will just break your heart, both in a good way and bad. This new element scares one guy off, aren’t you curious if it will do the same to Eric? Eric on the other hand has a huge secret that he only shares with Gracie when they decide to ‘pretend’ to be dating. Gracie might be pretending but Eric wants to show Gracie he is all in. Until that is all the cards from both of their lives are throne on the table. Can these two stop fighting long enough to see where the passion really comes from? You will have to read to find out!

EXCERPT: 

He glanced across the street and noticed Gracie and Mike walking almost parallel to them. The two of them were best friends, so it was no surprised to see them together. He was a little surprised to see Gracie pushing a stroller though. He’d thought her keeping Pip was only temporary.

He was about to call out to them when Mike leaned over.

And kissed Gracie in a very un-friend-like way.

Eric stopped in his tracks, completely floored and unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Gracie and Mike. Mike and Gracie.

With his stomach churning, he ground his teeth, fighting the jealousy that was burning up his esophagus.

They pulled apart, and he wished he could hear what they were saying. Gracie hit Mike playfully and appeared to be teasing him.

Before he knew it, Eric had stepped off the curb and was crossing to road, headed over to them.

Only he’d forgotten to wear his snow boots, and when his sneakers hit the patch of ice between the crunchy snow, his feet flew out from under him. As he landed flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him, he heard the honk of a horn.

When he turned to find headlights barreling right for him, he tried to move but couldn’t.

Please, I don’t want to die with the vision of Gracie and Mike sucking face as my last moment on earth.

AUTHOR BIO:

An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.codigarysbooks.com/

Newsletter: http://www.codigarysbooks.com/newsletter.html

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Codi-Gary/e/B00EO6AYO8

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SPOTLIGHT TOUR: ROCK CANYON SERIES by CODI GARY

                                               Welcome To Rock Canyon: SPOTLIGHT POST

                I always say I would love to have the power to jump into any book and interact with the people. There are always books I wish I could visit but recently I was introduced to a new town. Rock Canyon, Idaho. A small town where everyone knows everyone and nothing is a secret for long. This town has your older matriarchs who try to remind the young folk what is proper and right. These are also the busybodies that will eventually know all your business and spread it at the beauty parlor. You have the twenty and thirty somethings looking for the love they see their parents or friends parents have. The town is a bustle of people, drama, love, new comers, small business owners and those that have lived there all their lives. Come meet some of the town that captured me and had me reading non stop for a week.

                                                         

                                                              The Trouble with Sexy

                We start out meeting quiet shy Ryan Ashton, she was raised by a mother who taught her daughter to always dress fully covered. Telling her that future mother in laws didn’t like seeing their sons with scantily clad women. She never wore make-up, had no idea how to dress other than business attire. On the surface sure she looked as though she had it all together, but underneath she was screaming for one man in particular to see her. Ryan wanted to be more confident in her looks, herself awareness and stop being so closed off. Enter one of my favorite people, Gracie McAllister, the local barista. Gracie helps Ryan find her inner lioness and let her roar; attracting not only the man she wanted Gregg Phillips, but others as well. This book takes you full force into the lives of Rock Canyon’s fun family and friends. Through Ryan we meet a good amount of people you see in future books; some start out not in the best light. However just like most people you have to give them a closer look to see there is more than just what they show on the outside. That’s the problem with small towns, people you grown up with only see you as you were, or as you want them too. In The Trouble with Sexy, we get to watch Ryan come out of her shell and become the women she was always meant to be. Does she get Gregg or find out there is another man for her? Why don’t you read the book (novella) and find out.   

                                                         

                                                                  Things Good Girls Don’t Do

                We all had someone in our lives that said at one time or another  “Good girls don’t…” I know I did. My mom raised me to be proper, polite, and dress for the occasion. It was how she was raised so it passed down; I even catch myself doing the same with my girls. It’s not a completely bad thing, unless you use it as a mantra. In The second book we meet Katie Conners, her mother always taught her to be kind, good, never raise your voice, don’t say something you might regret later, and the golden rule. Katie is known as the good girl, she will do anything for anyone even if she really can’t stand the person. When we first meet Katie she is in a relationship that has lasted years. She expects a proposal and has done everything according to her plan, yet none of it is good enough. She gets dumped, but in true Katie fashion she makes lemonade out of lemons, she is the proud small business owner of K.C.’s Salon. She has worked hard to keep her dignity and reputation in check, yet something is still missing…

                We meet a new guy in town Case Trepasso in The Trouble with Sexy, and he is looking at Katie in a whole new light after she stands up for him to the busybody Mrs. Andrews. Mrs. Andrews you will hear a lot in these books, she is an acquired taste as you will see. Chase knows Katie is a good girl, and he is no saint. Good girls want the whole white picket fence, two point five kids, doting husband, and etcetera. Chase wants to have a good time, work at his tattoo shop and live life a day at a time. However no matter how many times he tells himself to stay away he just can’t. When Katie decides being good isn’t working for her anymore, Case steps in to show her how much fun being bad can be. Read their story to see why Chase hates commitment of any kind, and why Katie has a hard time being true to who she wants to be…

                                                                

                                                      

                                                  

                                                       Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars

                A lot of small towns have local stars that make it big. Rock Canyon is no exception; their star is country singer Travis Bowers. He didn’t spend his whole life in Rock Canyon but he did spend enough of his teen years there to make friends and fall for Gemma Carlson. Gemma was quiet, shy, and a book worm, she was shocked when Travis wanted to date her in High school and fell pretty hard for him. They were doing great until one day disaster struck and they parted ways. Gemma moved back to her small town home and is the proud owner of Chloe’s Book Nook. Whereas Travis became a country rock star who never came back to Rock Canyon, and never found out that he and Gemma had a son.

                I know it is a lot to take in, but wait, another non-spoiler for you since it’s in the book description. Gemma and Travis run into each other out of the blue, one thing leads to another and a good deal of alcohol later they are MARRIED!! Ha Ha, that’s right, our sweet Gemma who we get to know in the other two books gets drunk and makes a rash decision… or does she? Could there still be passion, a connection, between these two? Or will Travis find out about the secret Gemma kept and not want anything to do with her? So many questions in this book alone! Reading kept me guessing, hoping for the two to come together, and then wondering if they really should.  It was worth the frustration though you will LOVE Gemma and Travis. Getting to know Gemma opens the door to getting to know her friends better as well, which helps in future books in this series…

                                                  

                                                               

                                                             Bad Girls Don’t Marry Marines
Valerie Willis is one of “those Willis girls” Val is the middle child. She grew up under a microscope and yet couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. The town sees her as trouble, she doesn’t want the attention but when her divorce goes viral she heads home for some peace and quite. For most people a small town of people who know you is a good place to lick your wounds and move on, unless your past with said town is less then stellar. Val is good at ignoring people and not a ton of remarks are made, at least to her face. She likes her solitude, however this is not the easiest when Val’s younger sister is heading down a dangerous path. Seeing her little sister making a lot of the same mistakes she herself made, Val tries to help. Elle however doesn’t want it and decides to turn the tables on her ‘no fun’ sister.
Justin Silverton is an ex-marine, farmer that has tried to find the love his best friend and his wife have. He knows it’s real, that feeling of connection and has even felt it once in his past. There were a few problems back then though, one the women was slightly ‘jail bait’, her father hated him, and she up and disappeared on him. That is until many years later, they are both back home. Valerie Willis is no longer too young, yes her father still hates him, but this time he plans to not let her disappear.
This book lets you get to know newcomer Val gradually and yet you feel as though she has been a part of the town all along. Justine is mentioned from time to time in other books so I was curious about his story, plus I am a sucker for military men. Justine and Val can avoid each other alright in the town, but when they both end up at a singles retreat, that’s when the fun begins. Justine decides to win his long time fantasy women and Val tries to avoid the one man she doesn’t want to hurt with her past. Both are so stubborn that it was fun to read and to see how their happy ever after would end. This was one of my top three fav’s in this series I hope you will give it a chance and love it too!

                                        

                                    

                                                                                    

                                                   

Return of the Bad Girl

If after reading Bad Girls Don’t Marines you thought Valerie’s past was ‘bad’ just wait. Caroline Willis the oldest and first to leave Rock Canyon will blow your mine. I for one liked Caroline, she is strong, and loyal to those she loves, and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Coming back to Rock Canyon was not in her plans; she hated the small town that branded her bad to the core. No one cared that she had been a teenager when she did those things; even then no one thought to ask her why she had done them. She had gotten good grades, tried to please her father, and keep her sisters close. Then something happened to change all that, her father forced her to leave. There is a lot more to the story however, but I don’t do spoilers, so you will have to read more.

What every Bad girl needs is someone who will not care about who she was, but about the pain in the butt she is now. Gabe Moriarty has just moved to Rock Canyon and he thinks he found the perfect place to live. Then again so does Caroline, the problem is that it is the same two bedroom apartment above the cozy bookstore in town. What are the two going to do? LOL Well shares it of course, and makes sure things stay strictly platonic at all times! Gabe’s past is very sketchy and he wants to keep it private, no one can find out or they will never order their custom crotch rockets from him. No one trusted people with a past like his; this is also why he can’t get close to Caroling no matter how tempting that thought is. Gabe and Caroline are both hiding parts of themselves, and when that happens there is always tension in the ranks.

Part of what makes this story so compelling is we do find out what each is hiding and you want them to talk to each other. You want them to let down their walls and just help one another with their past pain. However that would be too easy, Gabe and Caroling decide they are going to fight, argue, and try to avoid the hot sexual vibes they both feel. Read this one and you will be laughing at some of the behavior, crying as truth is reveled, and scared as there is a villain looking for revenge.

                                                        

    

                                                                  

                                                                               

Bad For Me

Callie Jacobsen we hear her name from time to time, but more as a background character. I was curious about her because she has a big dog that she is never far away from. This for me sent up a red flag that she had some past issues that I wanted to know. Callie is an accomplished woman who works at the local country station as a DJ. She hasn’t lived in Rock Canyon her whole life but she does like the small town. Gossipy old bitties and all. She is friends with the whole cast of character we have met so far. She I started to like in Return of the Bad Girl because she befriends Caroline no questions asked. Her voice and calm attitude on the air attracts attention from yet another person we don’t hear of enough for my taste, another ex-marine and the big brother to Justine Silverton.

Everett Silverton is the local hero, people talk about him in honored soft tones, but the man himself doesn’t want any of it. He served his country, lost people, has is face scared, and had his wife leave him. He wants to be left alone, except for Callie, who he has called every morning for so long he doesn’t know how not to. Something changes in his last call that makes him want more. He is tired of being alone and wants more out of life, his PTSD is a lot better and it’s time to start living.

Everett and Callie are two complex people; they have survived horrors no person should ever have to face. They both live with their scars and yet want to try to live life again. The problem is, the past can be scarier than a pit bull that has locked its jaw. (disclaimer: I love all dogs and pits can be sweethearts, this is just an example.) No matter how much a person wants to move on sometimes they need help first. I loved this book because Codi Gary doesn’t gloss over the pain, or say true love will fix it. She shows that sometimes in order to be in a relationship both people have to be healthy mentally as individuals before they can be a ‘we’. This is very true and adds a reality element to this fictional story. Don’t miss this great story of overcoming the world’s crappy odds!

                                                                     

                                                          The Trouble With Attraction
      This is a must read novella if you want to know the back store and a few hidden scenes between Eric Henderson and Gracie McAllister. After reading this one I felt ready to read Good Girls don’t Kiss and Tell. You get to know both Eric and Gracie a good deal more in the pages. That’s why this review is so small compared to others I write. If I say much more I will give information away that needs to be discovered by you the reader. So don’t skip this one, buy it and Good Girls Don’t Kiss and Tell so you can read one right after the other!

AUTHOR BIO:

An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.

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