Friday 28 February 2014

Spotlight: The Convict and the Cattleman by Allison Merritt

The Convict & the Cattleman

His love is the key to her release.

Sentenced to seven years of servitude in the penal colony of New South Wales, Bridgit Madden is thrust into a world unlike anything she's known, dangers she never imagined and enemies with their own interests at heart. Certain that the conviction has ruined her chances of ever having a real family, she is fearful of her future.

Despite his reluctance to take in a convict, Jonah Andrus, a grazier and pioneer cattleman, needs a servant to care for his orphaned niece. When presented with Bridgit, who is far too beautiful and distracting, he initially tries to refuse. However, with a busy cattle station to oversee, he needs help right away.

Upon her first meeting with Jonah's niece, Bridgit immediately falls in love with the girl and becomes entwined the mystery surrounding her birth. As she gets to know her employer better, Bridgit makes it her mission to remind him that family is priceless. When it seems as though she might have found the place she truly belongs, their love is threatened by lies and deceit, and both of them might lose everything they hold dear for a second time.


Excerpt:

“There, there. Bridgit will be along any second. She knows how to take care of  you. Uncle Jonah will drop you. You’re too small.”

Surprised by his own admission, he stared helplessly at Olivia. When was the last time he’d paid her any attention? She’d grown and he hadn’t noticed. Babies did; he knew well enough from watching his calves during the summer. The baby he remembered was tiny, wrinkled and didn’t look like anyone. Charlotte, exhausted, but elated, had smiled proudly.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Jonah?”

Recalling her voice made his heart pound. The silly girl didn’t have a sense of shame. She’d been nervous when she admitted her tryst and the subsequent pregnancy, but she had defended her child. Not unlike one of his cows. They protected their young fiercely.

He hadn’t found the words to answer her question. All he saw was Rob Langnecker’s face. The desire to kill him had blotted out everything else. Langnecker had ruined his sister, left her alone with a bastard child and went off chasing other skirts. She’d died in the room where Bridgit slept, believing he’d come back for them.

If I ever catch him.

Jonah ran his hand down his face.
“Is something wrong?”

Bridgit’s warm hand closed around his. Pity shined in her eyes.

“The chores are waiting.” Clammy sweat dampened his shirt.

She tugged his hand. “You need to stay. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Go sit down.”

He didn’t understand why he obeyed, but he sat in the rocking chair by the window. His father had crafted it for his mother years before Jonah was born.

Bridgit lifted Olivia, nestling her into his arms. The cries eased to a whimper.

“Hold your arms like this. You’ve got to support her head.”

“I know.” Charlotte had insisted he hold Olivia hours after her birth. He remembered it clear as day. Accepting the chubby baby, he was surprised at her weight.

She’d been so small. “She’s healthy.”

It was more a question than a statement. Olivia gazed at him, eyes wide. Her fingers toyed with one of his buttons.

“Aye. Growing like a weed. She’s learning to roll over.” At his confused look, she explained, “That’s good. She’ll be crawling before long. She talks to me and follow things with her eyes. Everything she’s supposed to do.”

“Good. Charlotte would be glad.” His voice sounded choked and he cleared his throat, hoping Bridgit hadn’t noticed.

She lifted the bottle. “Here. Feed her. Tip it up, so the air gets in the bottle.”

He let her show him what to do, surprised again when Olivia grasped the bottle with her tiny hands. Her features were clearer now. Charlotte’s nose and chin. Those couldn’t be his ears, could they? Dark blue eyes stared up at him, then drifted shut as she suckled greedily. Her eyes were the only resemblance he could find to her father.

Bridgit kneeled beside the rocking chair and swept dark locks from the baby’s face. Her hand settled on his knee. “There. She’s happy now.” A wistful smile played across her face.

A jolt ran through him. With Olivia snuggled against his chest and Bridgit beside him, the moment belonged to a family man.

Buy Links:  Amazon      

Watch the Trailer:  YouTube Link


About the Author

A love of reading turned Allison Merritt into an author who writes historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She graduated college with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.
She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. When she's not writing or reading, she hikes in national parks and conservation areas.


Author Links: Blog    Facebook   Twitter  Goodreads 

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Review: Drive Me Crazy by @TracyWolff @BrazenBooks

Drive Me Crazy
by: Tracy Wolff
Release Date: 2/24/14
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Hot)

Synopsis:
His rival’s in his bed, and this rocker is ready to play.
Former rivals Quinn Bradford and Elise McKinney are not friends, at least not anymore. As teens, all they cared about was psyching each other out before concerts. But when Quinn—now the keyboardist for Shaken Dirty, the hottest rock band on the scene—returns to his hometown and hears about the car accident that shattered Elise’s career, he’s determined to make things right.
Elise wants nothing to do with an arrogant rock star, despite how bad she so clearly wants him, so Quinn kidnaps the stubborn little piano player and whisks her back to his mansion. A little seduction might be just the thing to keep Elise under his care…and in his bed. But amid pranks both childish and very adult, their past comes rearing back to haunt them. And it might be more than either of them can forget.


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Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1fUN9Wc

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/LJkAC0

Review:

After the first Shaken Dirty book  i had high expectations for book two. And I wanted to love it I really did, but there where some things for me that made this book a little unbelievable.

At the beginning of the book we find out that Elise has had some very serious damage to three metacarpal bones in her left hand. Now if the damage was as severe as stated in the book then she would've ended up in a cast something similar to this http://www.fpnotebook.com/_media/OrthoWristUlnarGutterCast.png I didn't have any problem with the injury as such but for me it felt like the writer completely forgot that her heroine had her hand in cast for the rest of the book. There is never any mention of her hand in a sling which it would be for a while with such a serious injury.  She has both a shower and a bath and there is no mention of having to cover up her cast so it doesn't get wet. She rides a motorcycle and uses both her hands to hold onto the hero. And when they have sex he has to remove her bra which does up at the back. Any woman who has ever had one hand out of commission knows unless the bra does up at the front or someone helps you to put it on you are going with out. Later on in the book she's also referred to as having a broken wrist instead of fingers which was confusing. This is just a small list of continuity issue with this book there are so many things i read where i was like there is no way she'd be able to do that with her hand in a cast.

There were also some weird sentences like this one 'the front was so long that his bangs flopped crazily over his forehead, down his cheeks, and into his eyes.' am i the only on that thinks this is physically impossible.

All of this being said the emotional elements and the practical jokes where great and the story line it's self was good.  I just wish i'd been able to get into the book more instead of constantly being pulled out of it by unrealistic occurrences.

Overall I give this book 3.75 out of 5

Author Bio:

Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

Website: http://www.tracywolff.com/
Blog: http://www.tracywolff.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @TracyWolff

Release Day Review: Hard As You Can by @laurakayeauthor


It’s release day! And I’m so excited to share Hard As You Can, the second book in the Hard Ink series, with all of you here today! Hard As You Can follows the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their investigation crossing paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal Dean is a mission he refuses to turn down.

Today, I’ve got a scene filled with lots of sexual tension and emotion to share with you, one that I absolutely adored writing! I hope you enjoy this look into the growing attraction between Shane and Crystal from Hard As You Can:

“I didn’t mean to criticize you, Crystal. I just cannot abide violence against women. Period. Especially not someone I know.” A long pause. “And definitely not someone I like.” After everything that had happened to her, the words were a balm for her psyche.

Footsteps came up behind her, slowly, cautiously, like she was a wild animal who would bolt in an instant. And she supposed there was some truth to that analogy.

Torn between returning to the danger she knew or staying with the one she didn’t, Crystal debated. Her heart told her Shane might well be the most dangerous man she’d ever met because he made her want, wish, maybe even dream.

Not at all sure it was a good idea, Crystal slowly turned.

Shane was right in front of her. A rock in the middle of a raging sea, a refuge she might claim if she had the strength and the will and the nerve to fight for it. To believe she deserved it. She hugged herself.

“Hey,” he said, cupping her face in his big hands. His fingers slid behind her neck and gently massaged.

She shook her head and glanced toward the treetops in an effort to pinch off the sting building behind her eyes. Why did she have to meet him now? She’d had a plan, and all she’d needed to do was follow it for a few more months. “You don’t even know me.”

“No. Not everything. But I know more than a little. And that much I like enough to want to know more.” His fingers rubbed her neck, gently, soothingly.

And his words, well, his words were perfect. Maybe even too much so. Too good to be true, she thought. “I already told you I’d share what I’d learned. You don’t have to play me.”

His eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “You listen hard and you listen good, sweetness,” he said, the words firm but the tone urgent, almost desperate, and laced with his southern accent. “I’m not perfect, and God knows I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. But I would never play with a woman’s emotions to get information out of her. That kind of manipulation doesn’t hold with me. Ever.”

Sweetness. She’d heard everything he’d said. The passion with which he’d said it. The sincerity that burned from his gaze as the words had poured from his lips. But it was the term of endearment that reached into her chest and gripped her heart. For a long moment, they stood there, bodies touching, faces inches apart, his hands holding her in that firm-but-gentle way he had.

Thunder rumbled again, closer this time, and her heart was a drum beat double-timing
inside her chest. If his hands didn’t feel it racing, he’d have to hear it, because the sound was a loud rush rush in her ears. Beneath the sports bra and tank, her nipples went hard. If his gaze dropped, she knew he’d see, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel self-conscious about it. Not when he was looking at her like he wanted to devour her.

His gaze dropped to her lips.

She shuddered, everything inside her but the smallest voice of reason crying out for him to do it. Just once.

“Tell me not to,” he said, his voice a raw scrape.

So that’s Shane and Crystal for you! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”
~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

About Hard As You Can:
Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. 

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.

Read an Extended Excerpt of Book 1, Hard As It Gets
Buy Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo



Review:

I love Love LOVED this book. 

This book takes up exactly where Hard as it Gets leaves off. Matter of fact it goes back a little bit in time and we meet Crystal just when the Hard Ink boys are breaking into the club to rescue Charlie. 

Shane has an immediate impression on Crystal and who wouldn't he's a muscle bound former soldier they're always hot. 

This book definitely has the right combination of sexy and suspense with a healthy dose of drama. I literally could not put it down staying up to 1.30am to get it finished.

There is some great scenes in this book but the one between Shane and Nick was a stand out.

Overall i give this book 5 out of 5.  This is a must read and if you haven't read book one in the series i highly recommend reading it first.


About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 24 February 2014

Review: Down on Her Knees by @_ChristineBell @BrazenBooks

Down on Her Knees
by: Christine Bell
Release Date: 2/24/14
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Hot)
Synopsis:
Four lessons, no strings…
Detective Rafe Davenport has always made Courtney DeLollis uneasy. While her instincts whisper, Touch him, her mind says, Run. But since she learned that he’s dominant in the bedroom, she hasn’t been able to forget about it. She should be appalled—she knows all too well what happens when a man has too much control—but a deeper, darker part of her is fascinated...
And so is Rafe. The sexual tension between them is thick enough to touch, and damn, does he want to touch. So he suggests something that will benefit them both. Four scenes—because anything more is a relationship, and Rafe won’t go there ever again. Each scenario is designed to tease and torment. To show Courtney that with every submission comes the reward of scintillating pleasure. But once he has Courtney down on her knees, Rafe realizes that she might be the one woman capable of bringing him to his
Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.to/LJiOAV

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1gHSPre


Review:

To say i'd been hanging out for this book would be an understatement. Ever since Rafe and Courtney's confrontation in Down the Aisle I have been dying to see where Ms Bell would take these characters. And I have to admit it wasn't where I was expecting.

Don't get me wrong there is plenty alpha male Going all Dom on his woman. but i had imagined Rafe in a dungeon and that is definitely not what we got. The sweet too was a surprise for me but a good one.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read overall i give it 4.5 out of 5

Author Bio:


Christine Bell is a USA Bestselling Author of contemporary romance novels and one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold 'Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate...or, like, a ninja maybe. She loves writing fun, sexy romances, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with rusty spoons. Christine loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to get in touch with her via the Contact Page, or find her on Twitter @_ChristineBell.
Website:  http://www.christine-bell.com/
Blog: http://chrisbwritin.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @_ChristineBell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-BellChloe-Cole-Author/150917174953849
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4466856.Christine_Bell




Spotlight: Brazen New Releases @BrazenBooks


If you like your heroes hot, the sex hotter, and a swoon-worthy romance to swoop in and save your happily ever after, Brazen has the story for you. Sinfully sexy soldiers. Alpha cops who demand control. Sweet guys with a naughty side in the bedroom. At Brazen, they've got the hero destined to melt your... heart. Visit the Entangled website, the Brazen Blog, follow them on Twitter, Like their Facebook page, and follow them on Pinterest.


Introducing Brazen's Feb 24th releases:

His rival's in his bed and this rocker is ready to play.

Find out more!


Special $0.99 Introductory Price!


Giveaway

When one touch isn't enough, why resist?

Find out more!


Special $0.99 Introductory Price!


Giveaway

Four lessons,
no strings...

Find out more!


Special $0.99 Introductory Price!


Giveaway

     
At his majesty's service...     
or so he thinks.     

Find out more!     


Special $0.99 Introductory Price!    


Giveaway      
Letting go might be the key 
that unlocks her pleasure...

Find out more!


Special $0.99 Introductory Price!


Giveaway

Saturday 22 February 2014

Spotlight: On the Rocks by Elizabeth Morgan



The Edge Series

On the Rocks is the hottest club on South Padre Island, and Meghan’s new workplace.

If the warped mermaid uniform isn’t enough, the fact that she can’t stop thinking about the club’s singer, Zenzie, is. Everything about the female gets Meghan hot, but when she finally gets her shot with the temptress, it turns out Zenzie isn’t as perfect, or as human, as Meghan thought. 
  
Excerpt:

Her warm breath skated down my neck causing a shiver to curl around my spine. She straightened then slid her hands through my hair. My eyelids fluttered at the feel of her fingertips stroking over my temples and along my hairline.

“I saw you watching us.”

I stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Do you like watching?” She retrieved a few items from the vanity table, twisted two sections of my hair, and pushed the hair clips into place. “It’s all right. You can tell me, Meghan.”

My body tightened at the husky way she said my name. The knot between my legs pulsed under her piercing stare. I had no idea how, or even why she managed to get under my skin, but God, I wanted her.
“I’m not a pervert or anything.”

“I know you’re not.” She slid a chain of small red flowers into the black mass of my hair.

“I just heard a noise. I guess my curiosity got the best of me.” I shifted on my seat. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. I liked you watching.”

My nails dug into my knees as her hands moved down my throat. Her skin like satin—her touch, soft. She ran her fingertips over the top of my breasts.

“I would have asked you to join us, if you hadn’t run.” Her gaze caught mine again while she slid her hand inside my skin-tone bra. “Will you run now, or will you do what we both know you want to do?”



About the Author:

Elizabeth lives in a small country village in Cheshire, England, with two cats. You will always find her on the computer, blasting music and writing away. She started life wanting to be an actress because she loved performing. She enjoyed nothing more than being able to make people laugh, to distract them from reality for a few hours. She studied Musical Theatre in college, but during her second year, her mind started to overflow with ideas for scripts and she began writing plays. Slowly over the following three years, she was writing more and more, channeling her imagination into more detailed manuscripts...

Here she is, years later, hiding away like a hermit, writing like crazy and loving every minute of it.


Author Links:  Website   Blog   Twitter   Goodreads   Amazon  

Thursday 13 February 2014

Cover Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

We're extremely excited to bring you the cover for ALL LINED UP, the first book in Cora Carmack's highly anticipated Rusk University Series! ALL LINED UP is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel published by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins). It is due to be released on May 13, 2014!!

 

ABOUT ALL LINED UP:
In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.
 
Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.
But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.
Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.
Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.
And neither of them knows how to walk away from the attraction they feel.
“Laughter + heartache + hot sexual tension = the perfect Cora Carmack book.”
—Monica Murphy
Pre-Order Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes

  HeadshotAbout Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Links: Website Twitter Facebook Author Goodreads ALL LINED UP Goodreads