Friday 14 December 2018

Cover Reveal: HOW NOT TO by Devin Sawyer

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Title: How Not To
Author: Devin Sawyer
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Release Date: January 18, 2019
Cover Designer: Michelle Preast


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Ari 
When you’re young you think you know it all. I was fortunate enough to live in a world where poverty was just something I’d heard of, but never experienced. Until, I took a chance on the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The chemistry undeniable. Our worlds collided and I fell hard, we both did. I needed him to stay and when he didn’t, it broke my heart. So I grew up and moved on. I didn’t know who I was back then, or what I was up against. But I do now. I won’t make the same mistakes. 

Torren 
I made mistakes, I thought I knew what I was doing. Turns out sometimes loyalty and stupidity go hand in hand. I took the one thing I needed most and I pushed her away with my actions. Sent her running in the opposite direction is more like it. When fate brings us together again, I desperately want to make things right, prove to her that I’m not that guy anymore. Time has done nothing to put out the fire between us, but she has no plans to let me be a part of her future. I’m about to change that.



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Devin Sawyer is a contemporary romance writer who enjoys a bit of dirty humor. If  you have a dirty joke, she’s the first one that wants to hear it. She grew up in a small Texas town called Comfort and still enjoys quiet country towns. She started out writing at a young age with moody, depressing, poetry—mostly about unrequited teenage loves. But enough about the dark times.. Now Devin prefers to write witty romantic comedies with hard hitting issues. Devin has a master’s in Social work and is independently licensed as a therapist. She finds reading and writing a pleasant escape from real world stressors. Her favorite reads are forbidden love stories.



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Wednesday 12 December 2018

Book Review: PLUS ONE by Mae Wood

ABOUT THE BOOK




If you can stand the heat, there's a lickable single dad in the kitchen.

1 part tatted-up single dad restaurateur 
1 part effervescent younger wine rep 
Spice generously with sexual tension
Combine at a foodie conference
Serve steaming hot


At not-quite forty and with his son in his last year of high school, Bert's going to be dining alone.

His restaurant's wine rep has a few ideas on how he might sate all of his appetites.

He hasn't been buying what she's been selling, but she’s only in Memphis for a few months before moving back home to California…and he is only mortal.

Besides, it's not like he's going to fall in love for the first time in his life or anything crazy like that, right?


MY THOUGHTS


I am reviewing PLUS ONE after a reread. I never reviewed it the first time around because [insert reason no one really cares about here] and since I love the book and have reread it, it’s time I do so.

My Mae Wood journey began with THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT, so I read the books in reverse order of publication. There are several significant cross-overs but the books stand on their own, so feel free to just dive in!

I love books that feature food and drink, and it’s a bonus that they feature heavily in this book. Yet what makes this a fantastic read are our diverse protagonists. Bert, a father and husband at a young age, finds his several-years-divorced self coming to grips with the knowledge his son is soon heading off to college and for the first time in decades, Bert Forsythe will be on his own and free. Drennan McCutcheon is temporarily working as a wine sales representative. She is spreading her wings and learning new skills before heading home to California to take up the mantle of co-owner of a vineyard. This was always the plan, but a family tragedy means that this needs to happen sooner than anyone wanted or anticipated. Individually, they both have interesting lives and backgrounds. I enjoyed the way Wood gave us ample internal dialogue to let us really get to know both Bert and Drennan.

Together, Bert, 39, and Drennan, 26, are marvelous. They have similar interests, the physical attraction between them is scorching, and they both agree theirs is a short term term relationship. Well, we all know how that’s going to go down in a romance novel, don’t we? I loved the way they never took their time together for granted, I sighed with delight at their happiness, I was sad and frustrated for them when life’s commitments got in their way, and I cheered when they worked to join their two lives. 

This ‘Lickable Man’ and his ‘Wine Girl’ are people I wish I knew in real life. They and their story are an absolute treat! Highly recommended.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR





Professional sassypants and novelist, Mae Wood has been a bookworm her entire life.

She loves cheeses, complicated crafts that she'll start but never complete, and puns.

A while ago Mae decided that she needed to give up the fear that she couldn't write "great literature" and write what she wants to read.

And she wants romance. And laughter. And real life.

She wants heroines who are brave. Brave enough to be themselves and brave enough to fall in love. She wants men who are strong and kind.

Mae is married, and has two darling children and an old dog who naps at her feet while she writes.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Book Review: BETTING ON HER by Kelly Collins


I am thrilled to be sharing with you the release of BETTING ON HER, the second book in Kelly Collins's Wilde Love series. If you love mafia romance, this is one series you don't want to miss - be sure to grab your copy today!


 


About BETTING ON HER


Welcome back to Wilde country where lies are told and secrets are kept. Too bad what happens in Vegas never stays a secret.

Katya Petrenko’s importance lies in her ability to create strong alliances through marriage. After failing to get the oldest Wilde brother to the altar, Katya is promised to a notorious Russian hitman who has the Wilde’s in his crosshairs. She must choose between loyalty to her family or protecting Matt, the bother who stole her heart years ago. She rolls the dice at the chance to win at love but will Matt be her next losing hand?

Matt Wilde has had his share of troubles. Born into mob life it’s all he knows. After spending the last three years in prison he’s ready to run Old Money Casino legitimately until trouble arrives wearing a red dress. Matt is torn between loving Katya, the woman he knows and hating her for being the daughter of the man who killed his father. When danger threatens to take everything away, will Katya be a safe bet or will he have to go all in to save them both?

Life is a gamble but can two people double down and win at love?


Add BETTING ON HER to your Goodreads TBR!

 

Get your copy of BETTING ON HER on Amazon today!


   


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MY THOUGHTS

BETTING ON HER is the story of Katya Petrenko and Matt Wilde; two people who were born into families who view the other as the enemy. This is not a life for the meek and mild. You either learn to survive or you pay the price.

I am so glad Katya Petrenko got her own story because she is a character from BETTING ON HIM (book one in the Wilde Love series) that I was really curious about. Katya is a pawn. She has no control over her life. She is the daughter of a mafia man and her value lies in her trade value. For me, she was the star of this book. Her struggle to break free from her life made me want to cheer for her and also commiserate with her when things went wrong.

Katya and Matt Wilde are attracted to one another and I was glad they both decided to ignore their family’s dictates and try to make their relationship work – something that would be even harder to accomplish in the treacherous world they live in.  

The book is quite fast paced, with a number of shocks being revealed as the story progresses. I enjoyed the plot but there were a few holes that I chose to gloss over. This series is great of you want an escape for a few hours. There’s lots of action but you won’t be mired down by a lot of detail and angst. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. 

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DON'T MISS THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE WILDE LOVE SERIES!



Betting on Him | Betting on Her | Betting on Us

 

About KELLY COLLINS



International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again. Kelly lives in Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband of twenty-eight years, their two dogs, and a bird that hates her. She has three amazing children, whom she loves to pieces.

Friday 7 December 2018

Cover Reveal: THE KISS THIEF by L.J. Shen

 

THE KISS THIEF 

by 
L.J. Shen

Release Date: January 9th



Blurb 
They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky. They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred. Mine were broken before we left church. They say your heart only beats for one man. Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end. I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit. Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage. They say that all great love stories have a happy ending. I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter. One kiss. Two men. Three lives. Entwined together. And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.


About the Author 

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.
Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.


Connect with L.J. Shen 

Thursday 6 December 2018

Book Review: ENCHANTED BY YOU by Hilaria Alexander


About the Book




I had no idea that my seven-year marriage would implode during our long awaited and needed vacation to Albuquerque—the city that will change your perspective. Unfortunately, our attempt at fixing everything wrong in our relationship backfired, big time.

My husband left me alone in Albuquerque, with no friends, no family . . . and no idea what my future holds or if I’ll ever find happiness again.

As I begin to move on, I can't help but notice the man who was there for me during my darkest hour.
Esteban Garcia is the dashing hero you want on your side, even though I'm no damsel in distress.
With his dazzling smile, bright green eyes and golden skin, he's a brand of gorgeous I'm not used to, and mysterious enough to drive me crazy with thoughts of him.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out I've somehow been enchanted by him . . . or maybe he was my fate all along.


My Thoughts


ENCHANTED BY YOU is a good depiction of a relationship done right and a relationship that is toxic. The story jolts you from the start as readers experience a taste of the appalling behaviour Ines’ husband subjects her to on a regular basis. He may leave her behind in Albuquerque, but frankly, I was not sorry to see him go.

Enter Esteban Garcia, a man who treats Ines well from the start; there is a strong pull between them that is apparent from the beginning and it shows throughout their relationship. When they are together, they work so well. Their nervousness, giddiness and quiet excitement in being with one another makes for a lovely read. I was happy to be in their company and I was happy for them.

I was a tad frustrated about a few things with the story. Firstly, it took so long for them to get together! At the halfway point it’s been about three months since they met, and the had only spoken to each other a handful of times. Secondly, I felt Esteban’s “secret” created more friction than it did depth to the plot.

Summing up, I’d say there are two stories here: Ines’ journey to find herself after a failed marriage, and the romance between Ines and Esteban. Even dealing with some heavy topics, I think the author has handled them with a light touch that gives readers substance but never gets mired in deep angst. The writing is engaging and there are no loose ends when we reach the end. I liked it!



About the Author




Hilaria Alexander was born and raised in the south of Italy, where her family still lives. She was bit by the travel bug early on and lived in Tokyo and Orlando for a while before settling down in Oklahoma City with her husband and kids. 

She loves books - obviously - as well as movies and TV, and is addicted to award shows. She can't play an instrument to save her life, but she loves music, which is one of her biggest inspirations when plotting new stories.