TANGLED UP Giveaway and BURNED Review

Hi there and welcome to Day Two of my TANGLED UP blog tour post. This tour is sponsored by AToMR and other posts can be found here. TANGLED UP is a two-fer and the second part, BURNED, is a contemporary New Adult romance by Sarah Morgan. You can find out about the first book, CROSSING THE LINE by clicking here.

So, let’s press on, shall we?

About the book:

Every girl needs some self-defense. But at Fit and Physical, you’ll learn martial arts and get fit at the same time. Look great, feel better and kick a little butt! Check out one-on-one personal training with our favourite karate black belt, Rosie Miller. She loves her job, the world of martial arts, and her life is just…well, brilliant.

Trainer and martial artist Rosie Miller’s zen is seriously compromised when Hunter Black—her former coach and lover—becomes her new boss. With all the sexual energy still crackling between them, her poor little zen doesn’t stand a chance. So this time, Rosie is determined to do more than put up self-defense. She and Hunter are going to play by her rules….

My Review:

Rosie has been wrecked by her one relationship–with Hunter Black. He was the rock she needed following the implosion of her parent’s marriage–and Hunter was so strong, so stalwart. They had an incendiary passion, and a mutual love for martial arts. And then Hunter left. Cut all ties and moved on with out saying goodbye.

Four years have passed.

Hunter has returned, and purchased the gym where Rosie works. Their attraction has not diminished. She’s trying to defend her heart, and he’s determined to break down her defenses. The story is short, so the familiarity of these characters and their stormy past helps keep the pace tight.

Rosie’s an utter washout in love, while Hunter couldn’t attach to anyone, except Rosie. They two make a great couple, each building the other’s strength, and having playful, yet steamy, encounters. It’s a fun ride. Rosie has a great sense of humor and Rosie’s brainy sister is a hoot. The story takes place in London, and I adored the true-life setting. Made me add “Ride London Eye” to my bucket list.

Interested? You can find BURNED on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Or, you can dive on the two-fer: TANGLED UP!

Twice the fun…and twice the heat! New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart and USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan team up for fun and fearless tales of women who don’t just cross the lines between pleasure and control…they tangle them up!

Crossing the Line by Megan Hart—Caitlyn Fox has one chance to prove to her outrageously hot—and ridiculously controlling—boss that she’s got the chops to succeed. But Jamison Wolfe isn’t quite what he seems. And once they cross the line between business and pleasure, Caitlyn discovers the one place where she’s in control….

Burned by Sarah Morgan—Trainer and martial artist Rosie Miller’s zen is seriously compromised when Hunter Black—her former coach and lover—becomes her new boss. And with all the sexual energy still crackling between them, her poor little zen doesn’t stand a chance. So this time, Rosie is determined to play by her rules….

TANGLED UP can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About Sarah Morgan

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. RT Book Reviews has called her ‘a magician with words’ and she has made numerous appearances in their ‘Top Pick’ slot. Sarah lives near London, and when she isn’t reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. She loves chatting with readers by email and on Facebook and Twitter. More information can be found on her website. Also, catch up with Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 5 paperback copies of TANGLED UP.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

TANGLED UP Giveaway–and CROSSING THE LINE Review

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the TANGLED UP blog tour. For other stops on the tour click here. TANGLED UP is actually a two-for-one deal featuring short contemporary romance novels from two authors. Today I’m reviewing CROSSING THE LINE by Megan Hart. Tomorrow, I’ll get right on BURNED by Sarah Morgan. Both days I’ll be featuring the giveaway for the combined book.

So, without further babble…

About the book:

5 Rules for Sexy Play in the Workplace!

1. Know the company policy;—You just got an opportunity to finally snag that sweet corner office. The last thing you need is a wicked distraction….

2. Don’t date your boss—Sure, Jamison Wolfe has a smile that could send a woman into instant orgasmic joy. But more important, he’s your strict, control-freakish boss. Your hot, sexy, control-freakish boss.

3. Keep PDA out of the office—Okay, so you slipped up. Once. It was just the temptation of having Jamison at your complete naked mercy.

4. Prepare for the worst—This can’t go anywhere. You know it, he knows it. So why stop now?

5. Be discreet—Even when it gets more intense. Even when you push every limit you both possess…

My Review:
Caitlyn Fox is a dynamo publicist working at a boutique agency. She’s noticed her boss, Jamison Wolfe, but has he noticed her? Nyet. But when he does, she’s going to make sure she breaks all the rules.

Caitlyn’s direct boss is pregnant, and on bed rest, leaving Caitlyn in charge of the firm’s newest and most prominent clients–three reality stars from a show called Treasure House. Two of the trio are clearly a pair, but Tommy is interested in Caitlyn.

She knows she can’t get involved with Tommy–much like she knows she can’t get involved with Jamison. And yet, Jamison is her target. She’s spent months learning his cues–from the other side of the office. Caitlyn’s demeanor with Jamison is cool, yet compelling. She directs him when he didn’t think he could take direction, and he finds he likes it very much. Yes, Jamison likes being subordinate. He revels in pleasing Caitlyn–in even the most simple ways.

What Jamison doesn’t like? Tommy. There’s no doubt that the man is interested. But, does Caitlyn return his ardor? Jamison is willing to step past the simple control games Caitlyn has established to ensure his suit, but, in the process, their tryst is discovered at a moment of complete vulnerability for Jamison. Can he get past his embarrassment? Can Caitlyn continue working with Jamison amid the tension?

Tommy, of course has some role to play here…but will it lead to reconnection, or severance?

This is a sensual, short read. It packs a whole lot of punch, both emotionally and sexually. I really enjoyed the play between Caitlyn and Jamison. They have a subtle Dom/sub dynamic that is really easy to imagine and involves no special training or implements, per se. Tommy is a nice foil–rounding out the story and providing a satisfactory third wheel to the romance. I enjoyed the resolution, and would read a sequel.

Interested? You can find CROSSING THE LINE at Amazon | Barnes and Noble.

Or, for twice the fun…and twice the heat! New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart and USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan team up for fun and fearless tales of women who don’t just cross the lines between pleasure and control…they tangle them up!

You can find TANGLED UP on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

When she was in third grade, Megan Hart fell in love for the first time. Not with a boy (that would wait until fourth grade), but with a story. Homecoming by Ray Bradbury leaped out at her from the pages of a library book, and she tumbled head over heels. In the dark ages, before the days of photocopiers, the only way for her to keep a copy of this story was to copy it out by hand so she could read it over and over again. Something funny happened, though, as she carefully printed it on lined notebook paper.

She made “improvements.”

At age twelve, reading Stephen King’s The Stand for the first time one memorable summer, it occurred to her that people really did write books for a living. That’s when she decided to become an author.

Megan began writing short fantasy, horror and science fiction before graduating to novel-length romances. In 1998, now a stay-home mom, Megan took up writing in earnest, attending her first writing conference and getting her first request for a full manuscript. In 2002 she saw her first book in print, and she hasn’t stopped since.

She’s published in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.

Megan’s goal is to continue writing spicy, thrilling love stories with a twist. Her dream is to have a movie made of every one of her novels, starring herself as the heroine and Keanu Reeves as the hero. Megan lives in the deep, dark woods with her husband and two monsters…er…children.

You can find Megan on her website, Facebook and twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 5 paperback copies of TANGLED UP
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Harrowingly Real–LETTING ANA GO–A Review

Hi there! Today’s book is an “issue” book, which means it deals frankly and specifically with an issue. LETTING ANA GO is about anorexia and how one “normal” girl can fall into the deadly disease. Truth be told, I have people close to me who suffer eating disorders–and I saw the disordered thinking in their lives that this book portrays. It is chilling book without a happy ending. But it is an important book–for anyone to read. My opinion.

Letting Ana Go
About the book:
She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change.

But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better—stronger—she felt.

But it’s a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far…

Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.

My Review:
This first-person journal-style book “tracks” the anorexic journey of a normal teen girl.

The narrator is a cross-country runner. Her coach has warned the team of eating disordered athletes and insists that all runners complete a food diary to ensure that they are eating sufficient calories to maintain their physical fitness. The narrator–I’ll call her “Ana” though she remains unnamed throughout–does this. She’s committed to her team and her success as a runner. Her BFF, Jill, is a ballerina. She helps Ana to find online/mobile app resources to track her food intake better. All is going well, though it is clear that Jill is showing signs of anorexia–she’s desperate to lose weight so she can get the lead in The Nutcracker.

Meanwhile, Ana’s father is a horse’s pah-toot. He lavishes attention on Ana, and ignores or fat shames his wife who is moderately overweight. Shortly into the journal we learn that he’s been having an affair and he leaves. Ana’a distraught at the collapse of her family–and has trouble eating, but the running helps stabilize her mood. She inadvertantly loses a few pounds–no worries. In fact, that’s great as far as she’s concerned because her mom is a fat mess and NO WONDER her dad left. The disordered thinking begins.

Ana goes on a trip with Jill and her family–with Jill’s older brother Jack showing all sorts of romantic interest. Is it because she’s lost weight? Jill’s mom thinks so. Her subtle comments and flawless appearance reinforce Ana’s thoughts that being thin is better. Meanwhile, Jill convinces Ana to drop her caloric intake in solidarity–so they can both lose weight together. Dropping more weight allows Ana to run faster times than ever. She’s promoted to captian of the cross-country team. Other friends become alarmed. Vanessa must just be jealous, right? No matter that Ana is lying about her food intake and having extra workouts to burn more calories….

Jill gets her dream role in the ballet. Her dad is pushing his new, slender, beautiful girlfriend in Ana’s face. Her mother balloons, drowning her depression in ice cream and bacon. The rewards of thinness abound: love, dreams fulfilled, praise. Still doubt remains.

Ana and Jack are a tight item, but will he still love her if she gains weight? He asks her to Homecoming and his mom takes her dress shopping with Jill. The most Beautiful Dress Ever is purchased, even if it’s too tight. She only has to lose 8 more pounds for it to fit. Jack won’t look away, like her dad did, if Ana is the most beautiful girl at Homecoming. Only 8 pounds.

Yes. It progresses. It gets worse. Within months Ana is a shell of the girl who began the journal. It is a harrowing, realistic protrayal of a person so trapped in negative psychology she can’t eat anything without self-hatred and guilt. There is a good dose of the online community that celebrates “Thinspiration” and anorexia. There are real efforts to bring Ana back from the edge before she tumbles over. Jack is by her side the entire way. Her parents take her from one clinic to another. Medical bills and insurance battles ensue, but the time runs faster than Ana. Damage is done, and all that is left are broken hearts.

The journal-style is taut. It is clean and free of fluff. Ana is disturbed. She is lying to everyone, including herself, but she can’t see anything clearly as a result of the disease. Having seen disorders like this in my own life–it felt painfully true. And frightening. Because–out there somewhere–TODAY another “Ana” is falling over the edge. And that’s the scariest part. How real this all is.

Read this book.

Interested? You can find LETTING ANA GO on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and probably your local library.

I read a copy provided by PulseIt–an online review community. It left me stunned, and a bit nauseous. Some books do that. It’s a good thing.

If you think you may have an eating disorder PLEASE TALK TO A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. You can find help. Some online, but mostly you need face-to-face treatment.

For everyone else: Please raise awareness for eating disorders. You might save a loved one’s life.

Thanks for popping in today. Keep reading my friends!

Care for a Little PUBLIC DISPLAY OF EVERYTHING?–A Review

Hi there! Today’s book, PUBLIC DISPLAY OF EVERYTHING, is a fun contemporary M/M Romance I picked up as an Amazon Freebie a few weeks back. It follows the courtship of two Americans ex-pats in London.

Public Display of Everything About the Book:

“Is there a voyeur inside you? Or are you the one who would like an audience in the bedroom?”

Cory can’t keep a job. Flynn has a job he can no longer hide behind. A simple proposition in an effort to solve both of their problems leads two young men to confront the heartbreaks of their pasts in order to make a future together.

What starts as an innocent bit of voyeurism turns into a public display of…everything.

You know you like to watch.

My Review:
Cory is a thirty y/o gay American living in London. He has a history degree and no job–he bounces from odd-jobs and housing, barely scraping by. He could return to America, but why? His family isn’t big on his orientation and he’s still sore over the way his uncle, Luke, shunned him when he came out. Luke had been his mentor and closest confidante. To lose that connection shattered Cory.

One night Cory’s chatting with Tammy, his bartender friend at his regular pub, about his prospects for love and a job when he’s approached by a young, beautiful man. Flynn has become a bit of a regular face in the pub–both Cory and Tammy have noticed him for weeks now–but neither can guess his orientation because he never talks to anyone. Still, Flynn has overheard that Cory is out of a job, and well, Flynn has a proposition:

One thousand pounds, if Cory will masturbate in front of a window. For an audience.

Okaaaayy…

Yeah. It seems Flynn runs an online voyeurism group–people subscribe to find places where they can watch sex, or have sex with people watching. The members can make it as open or as discreet as they like. And they REALLY want to see Webmaster Flynn in action. Problem? Flynn is totally, cripplingly, shy. He’s also 22 and a slightly-built man, but wants to project a bigger, more mature, image. Cory, standing over six feet tall and bulky with muscle, is Flynn’s ideal surrogate. Having no better prospects, Cory (reluctantly) agrees. He’s even more reluctant when he checks Flynn’s profile and notices Flynn’s orientation is marked “Hetero”.

Funny thing is, those settings aren’t always real. Flynn sets up the big reveal, keeping Cory’s face in shadow, and Cory does the deed. Surprisingly, Cory digs it. He’d never been big on voyeurism, but he kinda likes the sharing options Flynn’s website promotes. And, naturally, Cory’s masquerade is a huge success.

What Cory didn’t anticipate was Flynn being so cool. He’s got a big flat with an extra room, that he offers to Cory. Living in close quarters it’s not long before Flynn reveals that he’s actually gay. And, totally into Cory.

It’s a nice slow build. And steamy. Oh, and Flynn is into more than just Cory physically. He works hard to get Cory to open up about his family, and even helps repair the rift between Cory and his uncle, Luke. I liked Cory and Flynn a whole lot. They felt so warm and genuine–and their relationship was as tentative as Flynn, at first. Cory continues to make “appearances” in Flynn’s stead, but as his followers want even more, like a ‘partner scene’, Cory makes it happen–with Flynn. Definitely erotic.

The book had a lot of heart and was thoughtfully written, with a good mix of angst and heat. I enjoyed the way both characters pulled the other out of his respective shell. I’ll be looking for more from this author.

Interested? You can find PUBLIC DISPLAY OF EVERYTHING on Goodreads and Amazon.

About the author–in her own words:
I’m in my late twenties, born and raised in Sweden. I started writing on a whim in 2011, and it started pretty tame, but it has definitely changed. Now I have very few limits.

Extensive research, music, general smut, and reading are always sure ways for me to get inspired.

In my spare time, I–oh, that’s right, there’s no such thing as spare time. Never mind 😉

Anyway…if you have any questions and don’t feel like finding me on Facebook or Twitter, you can always contact me on my website.

Thanks for pooping in, and keep reading my friends! 🙂

Book Blitz and Giveaway–UNSCRUPULOUS by Avery Aster

Book Title: Unscrupulous
Author: Avery Aster
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

At thirty-three, Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executives’ careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner’s reach…until he meets her.

Stunning, tantalizing and perverse, Taddy Brill captivates Warner’s carnal desire like no woman he’s ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she’s never depended on a man for anything…until she meets him.

The more Taddy plays with Warner’s affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. Before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.

Hello Readers!

I’m a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author who writes THE MANHATTANITES, a contemporary romantic soap opera of full length, stand alone novels, and it’s juicy prequel, companion series THE UNDERGRAD YEARS. I live on the Upper East Side. When I’m not working on my next novel I’m usually taking a spin class, discovering a new restaurant or reading.

Joe Manganiello is…Warner Truman: (33) a billionaire widower who owns Truman Enterprises. He’s tired of gold-digging hanger-on types.
Olivia Wilde is…Tabitha “Taddy Brill” Adelaide Brillford: (27) an obsessive masturbator who is Lex, Vive and Blake’s lifelong friend. She’s a self-made millionaire and owns Brill, Inc.
Scarlett Johansson …Alexandra “Lex” Easton: (27) fashion designer to the stars and founder of Easton Essentials. She’s the late rock-n-roll legend Eddie Easton’s daughter.
Cam Gigandet is…Sheldon Truman Morgan III: (27) a gay, gorgeous top who is estranged from his husband. He co-founded Brill, Inc. and is the brains behind many of Taddy’s accounts.
Lindsay Lohan is…Viveca “Vive” Farnworth: (28) a party girl who met Lex, Taddy and Blake in boarding school. Vive is the editor-in-chief of Debauchery Magazine and liquor heiress.
Taylor Swift is…Kelly “Kiki” Ivy Kailyn Izatt: (21) a virgin Mormon assistant to Taddy Brill. She moved to New York from Provo, Utah, with dreams of making it in the big city.
Chris Hemsworth is…Sheldon Truman: (32) Warner’s younger brother. A retired male fashion model, he travels the world jumping from one circuit party to the next.
Learn more about Unscrupulous here

Click the link below for your chance to win
A $25 Amazon Gift card or
One of 20 e-copies of YOUR TRULY, TADDY
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She Had to FALL TO YOU–Review and Giveaway

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the FALL TO YOU blog tour organized by AToMR Book Tours. Fall to You is the second book in the Here and Now series. It is not a stand-alone and is intended to be read following Lost in Me. Hanna’s story concludes in book three, All for This.

About This Book:
Torn between two men…
When I woke up after the accident, I couldn’t remember anything from the last year—including my relationship with Max Hallowell or anything about Nate Crane. Now my memories are returning, but instead of answering my questions, they’re leaving me with more.

The man who broke my heart and wants to be my future…
Max is all I ever wanted, and now he wants to marry me. He’ll do everything he can to fill my life with love, family, and security. I need those things now more than ever. But can I trust him?

The man who stole my heart and wants to let me go…
Nate never made me promises, and I never asked him to. I’d been on the rebound, looking for a distraction, and he made me feel beautiful and wanted when I needed to feel those things most. He says he has to let me go, but what if I can’t let go of him?

With every revelation and every passing day, I feel more like Alice down the rabbit hole. I’m falling. Who will catch me?

My Review:
This is book two of a series–it picks up from a cliffhanger, and ends with another cliffhanger.

Hanna has stumbled through her Swiss-cheese memory for the past five weeks hoping to gain back her knowledge from the past year–all lost in a traumatic brain injury. She awoke from a coma with an engagement ring and amnesia.

She has just come to terms with deciding not to marry Max, her lifelong crush, because she doesn’t trust his motives. See, if she marries him, she gets access to her trust fund–and Max has a struggling business. Is that why he proposed? Because Hanna now knows that Max hadn’t initially wanted to date her–he was pushed into it by her twin sister–and Max had (has?) a mean girl in waiting, Meredith, whose child’s paternity is in question.

Meanwhile, Hanna has a big problem that she needs to deal with, and it involves Nate, her rocker-bad boy-secret-boyfriend. Will Hanna confess her secret? She knows it won’t change Nate’s mind about going their separate ways–he won’t let himself get attached to another woman. Then, Nate’s tour gets derailed, big time. He’s MIA in Afghanistan after his mission to entertain the troops crashes and burns.

Max is right at Hanna’s side throughout. As betrayed as Max is by Hanna leaving him, he wants to be a part of her life–a big part. I really loved Max for this. Not that I hated him, ever. Nate is great, but self-centered. He’s too worried that he’ll get hurt again to open himself up to the possibility of real love. Hanna’s actually willing to let him off the hook–even as it breaks her heart. Because Hanna’s like that: self-sacrificing. It’s what turned Max on in the first place–getting to know a woman who only wanted to help others feel better, and not herself. His love for her is true, if only she would let herself believe it.

But that’s the thing about insecure women. Hanna had a lifetime of being told she wasn’t “good enough” by her mother who couldn’t see past the numbers on a scale. It’s a bone-deep sense of unworthiness, and it may just have cost Hanna all the dreams she ever had.

Loved the tension. Loved watching Hanna scroll back in her brain to recover the memories of her courtships with both a Max and Nate. Super smexytimes, with a good bit of heartbreak and characters that lived in the pages. Highly recommend. Must get final book…..

Interested? You can find FALL TO YOU on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Specially priced at $2.99 for the duration of the book tour.

Lost in Me (Here and Now, #1) In order to get into FALL TO YOU you need to read BOOK 1–LOST IN ME. It’s a quality New Adult Romance, with a whole lotta twists. Catch my review here.

Hanna wakes in the hospital after a fall and traumatic brain injury. She’s lost all her memories of the past year. Now she’s trying to piece together how did she get engaged to Max, a man with whom she never expected a date? And why is rocker Nate Crane sneaking into her bed in the dead of night? Plus, how the heck did she lose fifty pounds?

LOST IN ME is priced $.99 for June so readers can get caught up on the cheap. Find it at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author
Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Lots Happen in THE NIGHTLIFE: LONDON–Review and GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Nightlife London

Author: Travis Luedke

Series: The Nightlife Series

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance/Vampires

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: December 23 2013

The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Vampires Aaron and Michelle prowl the dark, gritty, strip clubs and back alleys of London on the hunt for Michael Jamison, the man who stole Michelle’s blood and left her for dead. To assist them, Aaron’s new master, Urvashi, calls in favors from her friends, Russian mercenary werewolves.

Wolves Katya and Ivan, hunters adept at killing rogue vampires, set aside their animosity for Aaron and Michelle to stop Jamison from murdering another woman – he already has one bloodless victim lying in the morgue.

Jamison, ex-special forces, feels his enemies closing in, but he won’t go down without a fight –and like Aaron and Michelle, he also has powerful friends.

Experience the violent, sensual underbelly of Nightlife London, as Aaron and Michelle mix up a wicked blend of sex, chaos, mayhem, and vengeance.

The Nightlife Series novels are Adult Paranormal Romance ~
Urban Fantasy Thriller:

#1 THE NIGHTLIFE NEW YORK

#2 THE NIGHTLIFE LAS VEGAS

#3 THE NIGHTLIFE PARIS

#4 BLOOD SLAVE

#5 THE NIGHTLIFE LONDON

#6 THE NIGHTLIFE SERIES OMNIBUS (Books 1-4)

#7 THE
NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO (June 9th 2014)

My Review:

This is the 5th book in the NIGHTLIFE series. It’s an erotic, paranormal adventure, so buckle up!

Aaron, Urvashi and Michelle are in London on the hunt for Mike Jamison–the PI who stole Michelle’s blood to turn himself into a vampire. There’s one dead woman on his account, and Urvashi and her werewolf friends don’t want any further casualties.

First, they have to make nice with the wereworlves–good luck! Michelle nearly killed one of them in a bloodrage back in WWII. And Katya hasn’t forgotten–nor will she forgive. Ivan, her fellow wolf, is more relaxed about it. Old grudges isn’t his business–hunting rogue vampires is.

In order to track Jamison, Aaron has to get close to an Albanian gangster. And this dude is a sicko heavy in the sex trade. Aaron gets the info he needs, putting a woman in mortal danger in the process. Helping her brings not only the Albanians on his trail–but Jamison tips off the gangsters that the Columbian cartel may want a piece of Aaron and Michelle after the carnage they left in Vegas.

Expect copious shootouts and back-from-the-brink sexfests. Expect a few menage scenes. Expect a complicated tale of desire, addiction and power in London’s grittiest borough. The action was nearly non-stop, with a snapping pace and frenemy conversion. Fans of paranormal erotica will definitely enjoy…

I have reviews of earlier books in the series. Pick your destination:

New York Las Vegas Paris

The Nightlife: New York (The Nightlife, #1) The Nightlife: Las Vegas (The Nightlife, #2) The Nightlife: Paris (The Nightlife, #3)

Enter to Win – A Progressive Giveaway!

For every 50 Adds of THE NIGHTLIFE LONDON to the Goodreads “To Read” Shelf, there will be a winner and a new prize level will be opened!

There will be 1 WINNER for each level below:

• 50 adds to Goodreads TBR

– Digital Copy Blood Slave

• 100 adds to Goodreads TBR

– Digital Copy Blood Slave + $10 Amazon Gift Card

• 150 adds to Goodreads TBR

– Digital Copy Blood Slave + $20 Amazon Gift Card

• 200 adds to Goodreads TBR

– Digital Copy The Nightlife Series Omnibus + $40 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming June 9, 2014:

The Nightlife San Antonio

Vampires, Mafia & Mayhem:

The Nightlife San Antonio is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

All she wanted was to escape the police. All he wanted was to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for.

EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a Mexican mafia shootout. He can’t explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later and then ducks the San Antonio police and the Feds. Well, the hot sex might have something to do with it.

She needed to hide. With no memory of even her name, she didn’t know from who. She only knew she wasn’t safe.

Adrian soon learns she is much more than a damsel in distress, and he’s stuck with her. It isn’t long before the past she cannot remember begins to catch up with them both…

THE NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO is a non-stop thrill ride through the shadowy borderworld of mafia politics and vampires – and sex.

About the Author:

Travis Luedke is a husband, father, and author of Urban Fantasy Thriller, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and Sci-fi. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it.

As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously
through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Author Links:

Amazon
Author Page ● Author Blog ● The Nightlife Series Blog

Facebook ● Facebook The Nightlife Series Page ● Facebook Author Page

Goodreads ● G+ ● Twitter ● Wattpad ● Website ● Email

Book Links:

Amazon ● Goodreads

Barnes & Noble ● iTunes ● Kobo ● Smashwords ● Allromanceebooks

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Cephalopod Coffeehouse May 2014–SEX. LOVE. REPEAT.

Hi there! Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they enjoyed most over the previous month. Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.

This has been a totally wild year for me at V’s Reads. Today is my 1 year “blog-iversary” and I think I’ve done well. I went from “the million-ish” ranking as a reviewer at Amazon to #7000-something. I have gained a good batch of friends at Goodreads. I have made almost 260 posts, reviewed something close to 200 books–which I have actually read–and most of all I have proved to myself that I could do it.

See, I am a scientist–by trade. This year was meant to be an “experiment” in “can Veronica squeeze time.” I already read a ton–but blogging? That was a whole different beast. What I have learned in all the reads and posts and reviews has helped me as a writer and a critique partner in my writing group. Anywho, thanks for following me or checking out my reviews. Hope I’ve offered up something with which you have connected.

To that end, I got my summer reads on early–in preparation for my June blog tour schedule. Still, I’ve had a chance to read some that I picked out just for the heck of it. And that’s how I stumbled across Alessandra Torre’s SEX LOVE REPEAT, a scorching, unconventional romance.

You need a spicy summer read? One to chase away the winter doldrums and put that spark back in your eye? Well, this book may just be for you! (Disclaimer: Hella lotta sex. You don’t like erotica? You don’t crack open this book. Period.)

Sex Love Repeat My Review:

I would STRONGLY recommend this to any fan of erotica. It is not BDSM. It is vanilla. A whole bunch of vanilla…

Here’s why:

Madison has two lovers. Stewart is wealthy and wants her as a beck-and-call girl. Paul is her live-in boyfriend. They each know there is another man. They each know that Madison loves them both. They each love her.

It never becomes a ménage. This is good, because Paul and Stewart have a lot of history that is almost completely unbelievable, but thoroughly intriguing. I’m not saying more. You need to read the book if you want the juicy details. And, there are plenty of juicy details to be had.

A lot of reviews complain about the epilogue. Meh. There is room in the heart to love more than one person. If you think a character needs to be oblivious in order to be likeable, well, I’m gonna disagree. I think it would be naive to assume Madison couldn’t figure out the connection between Paul and Stewart in two years of dating both of them. And Madison is not naive. Nor is she stupid.

In fact, Madison admits that we, the reader, will likely hate her. She’s probably right. (Too damn lucky, that girl!)

Okay–usually I put a lot more detail in the review, but divulging more will ruin the tension. I loved all the beach/surfing references. The language is beautiful, and I adored Madison. Probably because I was totally channeling her. She has the best of everything. And, she’s surprisingly unaffected by the LA lifestyle. She is a candid narrator, and I respected her feelings for both Stewart and Paul. The smexytimes are graphic and copious–making this a perfect beach read, IMHO.

If you’re interested, you can pick this one up at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and probably your library.

Thanks for popping in! Don’t forget to check out the other blogs featuring their fave reads for May. And, as always, keep reading my friends! 🙂

Checking Out All The DANGEROUS CREATURES–A Review

I’m a bit late to the lovefest for Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl–I’ve read some of their separate works, but not the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series they co-wrote. One day I hope to go back and read forward, but, for now, I’m cool with starting their new DANGEROUS CREATURES spin-off.

If you haven’t read the previous collaborations, well, it’s a YA paranormal adventure/romance. All sorts magical supernatural creatures converge in (mainly) rural Georgia. There’s Leah, she’s a Caster–pretty much a witch. Her cousin, Ridley, is a Siren. In these stories there are two sides to magic, Light and Dark. Leah is Light. Ridley was claimed by the Dark side at age sixteen–which caused her parents to shut her out, literally, from the family.

Since then, Ridley has struggled with her self-esteem. Oh, she’s got tons of bravado, and her body thrums with the Power of Persuasion, but it’s hard to accept if she’s truly loved by anyone–including her “boyfriend” Link, or if it’s simply her powers that draw him near.

And that’s where this spinoff begins.

About the Book:

Some loves are cursed…others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she’s a bad girl. She’s Dark. She’s a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she’s around. Lucky for her, Wesley “Link” Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley.

When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn’t hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

My Review:

Ridley, Leah, Link and the Gatlin Gang of partial mortals have finished high school and prepare to leave their small-town world behind. Ridley and Link head north to NYC so Link can find himself a band and get busy getting famous. Ridley, well, she’s in a bit of hot water with a wager-gone-wrong. She has to provide a drummer for a Caster band in New York, or face the wrath of nightclub owner and Dark Caster Lennox Gates.

They arrive in NYC and meet up with the remnants of Devil’s Hangmen, Sampson, Necro and Floyd. And, to Ridley’s great chagrin, Link fits into the band too well. Floyd, who happens to be an adorable Illusionist, is not shy about sharing her attraction to Link…expect the usual salty exchanges and claw sharpening.

Bringing Link, a partial Incubus, to Lennox’s Dark Caster club gets Ridley all tweaked out. She knows the danger he faces among full-blooded supernaturals and fears for his safety. It also doesn’t help that Lennox is happy to insinuate himself between herself and her Shrinky Dink. (Yeah, these kids have a lotta ‘pet names’ for each other. I ain’t going into Link’s food-based song lyrics, but they help ground the story firmly in the YA category…)

Seems Lennox has a problem, a powerful adversary that is demanding to be avenged, and Lennox must collect the two people who ticked off his tormenter: Ridley and Link. He will, of course, except that he knows Ridley’s fate. Part of his gift is Sight, and he has seen how Sirens are treated in Caster society. His mother was one, after all. Meanwhile, Lennox is drawn to Ridley–and hopes he can save her from his tormentor’s captivity if only she’d drop Link. After all, that dude is a Dead Man Walking in the Caster realm.

The story is fast-paced with the usual juvenile misunderstandings and new adult wanderings for a life long-dreamed-for, but little-planned. I must say, I enjoyed Ridley. She is completely self-aware of her shallowness, insofar as she finds herself totally unlovable and isolates herself to protect her heart. She loves Link, but she can’t bring herself to acknowledge this and risk further vulnerability. Link, on the other hand, is ecstatic over his new band–and their success–he’s sure Ridley is just being mean when she tells him his adoring audience was being Charmed. Still, he loves her. He just can’t deal with her fears–she’s sure they are in great danger–and her manipulations–she totally lied about how he got hooked up with the band. Lennox is wealthy and sophisticated and everything Link is not, but will he win Ridley away in time to save her? Also, Link’s execution is all but planned–and from the last Caster either Ridley or Link could have suspected. In fact, Lennox risks his own life in order to tip them off.

While the book has a resolution, the story is clearly unfinished. Without question Lennox will be made to pay for his (well-meant) treachery and Link and Ridley can’t seem to get far enough out of the line of fire to prevent attack. I enjoyed the ride, and am sure that fans of earlier books will laud the “Link and Ridley” story for which they clamored. Considering all the romantic tension and simmering desire, the book is wholly innocent with only a few kisses to propel the love stories…so it’s safe for all YA readers.

Having not read the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES books, I was still able to get into this spinoff series. All the main players are quickly introduced and all backstory details highlighted without bogging down the book.

Interested? You can find DANGEROUS CREATURES on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and probably retail outlets like Target and Walmart among other booksellers and libraries. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley for review.

Dangerous Dream by Kami Garcia There is a (short) linker story DANGEROUS DREAM available which describes Ridley’s brief escape from Gatlin that brought her to the infamous card game in Lennox’s club–the club which cost Ridley some of her powers and locked her into providing Devil’s Hangmen with a new drummer–after she Charmed their current drummer out of his gift. Yeah. Well, the recap was a nice transition piece for me, as I had not read the previous BEAUTIFUL CREATURES novels. My review is here.

You can find DANGEROUS DREAM on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Authors:
Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie released in theaters in February 2013.

Kami is also the author of Unbreakable, the first book her paranormal solo series, THE LEGION. See my review here.

Margaret Stohl Margaret Stohl is the author of ICONS, the first book in the Icons Series.

A longtime veteran of the videogame industry, Margaret’s work includes – to name a few – SPIDERMAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DUNE 2000, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW, DEFENDER, THE SOPRANOS, SLAVE ZERO, APOCALYPSE, ZORK NEMESIS, ZORK GRAND INQUISITOR, SPYCRAFT, COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT RETALIATION, and COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN SUN.

After working with Activision (now Activision/Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now EA), Margaret became a co-founder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design” at the Game Developers Conference.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

She’s Trapped With BROKEN GLAMOUR–Review and Giveaway

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for BROKEN GLAMOUR hosted by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. This New Adult romance is the second in the Glamour series by Maggie Marr.

BROKEN GLAMOUR (Glamour Book #2)

Now Available!

About the book:

Losing it all…is a new beginning
Amanda Legend grew up rich and privileged. Anything was hers for the asking, thanks to her superstar father. That is until Amanda’s honesty about bad behavior from her soon-to-be-new Step Mom, a former school chum, lands Amanda on the outs with her beloved father. No Trust fund. No rarified world. Even if Amanda never wanted the LA lifestyle, she now must survive on her own.

A come-back takes heart….
Ryan Sinclair was nearing the pinnacle of his movie career when he drove his Porsche off Malibu Canyon Road. Lucky to be alive, post rehab he’s ready to start the long climb back to the top. But to prove to Hollywood that he won’t relapse, he’s required to get a sober companion.

A job she never wanted with the man who helped destroy her life…
Amanda Legend may loathe the entertainment world, but she understands the rules. She also knows Ryan Sinclair, understands alcoholics (she grew up around a few) and now, after being banished from her posh lifestyle, needs a paycheck to get to New York. Amanda accepts the job as sober companion to Ryan Sinclair for his first film post rehab. But Amanda must learn to ignore her attraction to Ryan, because falling for a guy like him would pull her back into a world she desperately wants to escape.

Each title in the Glamour series may be read as a standalone.

My Review:

Amanda’s newest stepmother is a real piece of work. Even though Kiley was her best childhood friend, she’s a two-timing piece of nastiness. Oh, and she’s marrying Amanda’s uber-famous action movie star father: Steve Legend. On the eve of the wedding, Amanda walks in and finds Kiley with a boytoy–drunk/drugged out Ryan Sinclair–and makes the hard decision to tell her father the truth.

Next thing she knows, Amanda’s trust fund has been cut off and she’s locked out of every home her father owns. Seems Daddy is on location in a remote patch of the Amazon jungle and Kiley is managing all joint assets–and boy is she vindictive. Penniless and denied jobs from anyone who knows Kiley, Amanda can’t escape LA to take the New York internship she had lined up. She reaches out to her bestie, Lane, for the support she needs.

Ryan can’t really remember the past year–his scandalous shenanigans are trapped in a haze of booze and drugs–but he knows he walked away from a horrific car crash the night of Steve and Kiley Legend’s wedding. Now out of rehab, Ryan struggles to rebuild his life and career–stone cold sober. His pal, Dillon, takes him in and helps him maintain a clean life.

With a job on the line, Ryan needs to find a sobriety companion–someone who can shuttle him to his many AA/NA/therapy appointments as well as his daily drug tests. He hires Amanda–a woman he’s sharing quarters with in Lane and Dillon’s home as well as someone he’s attracted to–and can’t figure out why she’s so pissed at him. Oh Ryan! You drunken scamp!

The attraction, is, as it turns out, mutual–against Amanda’s better judgment. Earning the money she needs to escape the LA Industry-scene is all she wants to think about, but Ryan is pretty efficient at distracting her. He’s staying sober, and seriously jeopardizing his recovery by pursuing Amanda. It looks as if she may cave, at least until tragedy strikes in the Amazon…

The book is chock full of tension–Ryan and Amanda aren’t a natural couple. He’s the bad boy, she’s the good girl, but the slowly building relationship works. They are together daily for weeks prior to initiating something as seeming small as a kiss–for Ryan, experiencing ANY physical relationship sober is completely foreign. For Amanda, experiencing a PHYSICAL relationship is foreign. Oh, and Kiley keeps digging the knife into Amanda whenever she can. I know she gets hers, but I would have liked a little more mention of the fallout when Steve returned to eject his philandering wife from his home.

I liked Amanda–she was strong, smart and coped well with the many curve balls thrown at her. Ryan is a believable addict. He isn’t perfect, and he stumbles mightily, but he learns to pick himself up and stand on his own. It’s a solid romance, using a format many readers will find comfortable. Smexytimes are limited, but well-written and steamy.

Interested? You can find BROKEN GLAMOUR on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Don’t forget to check out the first book in the series: HARD GLAMOUR.

Lane Channing shows up in LA for an (unpaid) internship with virtually no money–and no way back home to Kansas. She lucks into a job as reader for rising action star, and serious Hollywood bad boy, Dillon MacAvoy. But, as Dillon’s “people” seek to keep Dillon single and “seemingly available” to promote his career, both he and Lane stumble into the Real Deal: Love. You can find my review here. The book stands alone, but shares characters with BROKEN GLAMOUR allowing the reader peeks at a couple who has survived the meet-cute.

HARD GLAMOUR is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author

Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business. She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer. She’s written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

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Reviews, Rants and Rambles from a mom and pre-published author

Author: Veronica Rundell

TANGLED UP Giveaway and BURNED Review

TANGLED UP Giveaway–and CROSSING THE LINE Review

Harrowingly Real–LETTING ANA GO–A Review

Care for a Little PUBLIC DISPLAY OF EVERYTHING?–A Review

Book Blitz and Giveaway–UNSCRUPULOUS by Avery Aster

She Had to FALL TO YOU–Review and Giveaway

Lots Happen in THE NIGHTLIFE: LONDON–Review and GIVEAWAY!

Cephalopod Coffeehouse May 2014–SEX. LOVE. REPEAT.

Checking Out All The DANGEROUS CREATURES–A Review

She’s Trapped With BROKEN GLAMOUR–Review and Giveaway