Giveaways

Book Birthday Giveaway for THE TRUTH ABOUT LENNON!

Hi there! I’m so excited to share a book birthday release and gift card giveaway for a new contemporary romance from KL Grayson. THE TRUTH ABOUT LENNON features a masquerading daughter of the Vice President, and the sweet Texan she falls for while laying low.

lennonAbout the book:
Lennon Barrick-St. James is making headlines as New York City’s hottest new socialite. Only she isn’t new at all. One well-intentioned night gone wrong has landed the daughter of the vice presidential candidate Christopher St. James on the front pages of every newspaper and magazine in the country.

Forced by her father to stay out of the limelight, Lennon flees to the quiet town of Haven, Texas, where she vows to lie low and avoid men. Well, except for the sexy biker she just ran off the road–she definitely won’t be avoiding him.

Noah Cunningham already has a girl in his life, and he sure as hell doesn’t need another. Especially the beautiful and sinfully sweet angel that just descended upon the quiet little town he calls home.

The only problem is that the more time he spends with Lennon, the more he wants to be with her. And that’s just not going to work for Noah. He’s already been burned once and he’s not so sure he’s ready to go down that road again.

Noah has spent the last five years putting his life back together after secrets and lies ripped it apart. So what will happen when he learns the Truth about Lennon.

Interested? You can find THE TRUTH ABOUT LENNON on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Good Luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.

Catch up with Ms. Grayson on Facebook and Twitter.
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Getting Through the STORM SEASON–Review and Giveaway!

storm-season_fbHi there! I’m so excited to welcome Pene Henson over to chat about her new book, a lesbian romance, set in Australia’s wild mountains and bustling Sydney. STORM SEASON features a trendy culture blogger finding a soul connection with a ranger with a colorful past. I really liked INTO THE BLUE, so I thought I’d give this one a try.

Check out the author interview, and be sure to scroll down and get in on the $25 GC + books giveaway.

storm-season-900px-front-tumblrAbout the book:
The great outdoors isn’t so great for Sydney It-Girl Lien Hong. It’s too dark, too quiet, and there are spiders in the toilet of the cabin she is sharing with friends on the way to a New South Wales music festival. To make matters worse, she’s been separated from her companions and taken a bad fall. With a storm approaching, her rescue comes in the form of a striking wilderness ranger named Claudia Sokolov, whose isolated cabin, soulful voice and collection of guitars belie a complicated history. While they wait out the weather, the women find an undeniable connection—one that puts them both on new trajectories that last long after the storm has cleared.

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Pene Henson author of Storm Season.
Hi Pene, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

I’m Australian, extroverted and hard to ruffle. Also I’m pretty tall, mostly lacking in sporting prowess, and way less funny than I’d like to be. I live with my wife and our two divinely awesome kids in Sydney, along with a ferociously loving cat.

I grew up dreaming of being an astronaut or an experimental physicist. I love sciences and mechanics but I’d do a dreadful job of either of those things so fortunately I surprised myself by developing a career in law and writing.

I’ve always written poetry and short fiction. I never really dreamed of a novel until I was writing one. It was delightful to build a whole world, the first in Hawaii and on the ocean, and fall in love with my own characters.

Storm Season is my second novel. It’s set on the Australian East Coast, in land and in cities that I know well. Like my previous novel, it’s essentially a happy queer story. It’s a romance between a bubbly and adorable fashion blogger and a capable park ranger living alone in a remote cabin. As you’d imagine, these women have vastly different experiences. They think they have vastly different priorities. Trapped together by a storm, however, they uncover not just a deep attraction to one another but also all the ways they fit together. And then, of course, the storm breaks and they have to work out what will happen when they return to their ordinary lives.

Is there a character in your books that you can’t stand? (Antagonist for example) And what makes them someone you don’t like?

My books don’t tend to have antagonists. Because I’m writing pretty low-angst romance, the characters just don’t come out that way the same way my life might have irritations but not antagonists.

In this book, Claudie’s ex girlfriend Dani is pretty hard to like. She hurt Claudie; she is self-centred and thoughtless and controlling and still doesn’t recognize the wrong she did. But she is also charismatic and generous in her way. She believes she’s helping queer women reach for something; she thinks fame matters and she wants to see people achieve their best. She’s not someone I’d want to be in a relationship with but she is parts of people I have known and those people have their redeeming qualities.

Are there misconceptions people have about your genre?

I don’t think it’s a misconception to believe that romance can be formulaic, that the power balance between women and men can be wrong, that sometimes you can anticipate plot points and misunderstandings and that characterization can be weak.

But the same can be said for action books, mysteries, high fantasy, literary fiction. I have two answers to that.

  1. Sometimes formulae are enjoyable. Sometimes you want to read something where you know the ending the first time you see the characters names on the page. Whether it’s a mystery or a spy novel or a romance.
  2. The best of any kind of book brings you something new. Perhaps it reaches deeper into characterization, is careful with how it handles humanity. Perhaps it surprises you. Perhaps you see something in its ethics or its leads or the way they describe the scenery. Romance has plenty of talented authors and plenty of strong books. Find the ones that work for you.

Is there message in your novel that you hope readers grasp?

There are a couple of messages *blush*. Both of them are things I’ve come back to in both novels, and will come back to again.

  1. Love is wonderful. It’s life changing. It can be many things. But it’s not everything.

In both of my books it was critical to me that the protagonists had something else going on. I wanted them to have big goals and friends and family. I wanted them to be strong without a partner, but delighted by love.

In Storm Season, Lien has an extraordinary life with a queer family she loves. She has influence in her fashion and music blogging. She has excellent taste. She spends time in the novel developing some deeper opinion pieces, learning to take risks with her writing. With or without Claudie, and some of it is inspired by Claudie, she comes through as someone learning to be the best they can be.

Similarly, while Lien makes it easier for Claudie to use her talents and rebuild her indie rock career, Claudie would be okay by herself. She’s still who she is, she’s happy with her life. Lien’s a bit of a catalyst for change, but she’s not the change herself.

No one can be everything to everyone.

  1. Being in a new place that’s out of your comfort zone can change you in ways you did not anticipate. Whether that’s lost in the bush without Internet access or connecting with a stranger in the cabin you wanted to live in alone, big changes force you to recognize what’s really important to you. And also sometimes give you an openness to falling in love.
  1. Don’t be afraid of Australia. We might have spiders, snakes and bats but we also have striking wilderness rangers who know their way around.

Here’s a little nibble of the book…

“Come out here,” calls Claudie from the deck.

Claudie’s leaning on the railing looking over the vast expanse of nothing. “Come and stand at the edge here,” she says. “It’s like the edge of the universe.”

It’s dark; there’s nothing out there. The world smells rich and wet. Lien holds herself still and looks out with the cabin lights behind her.

“Wait a sec,” says Claudie.

She steps back toward the house and reaches inside the cabin door. Everything goes dark.

“Hey—” Lien can’t see a thing. They haven’t had lights in days, and now Claudie’s turning them off. The blackness seems complete.

“You’re okay,” says Claudie. “It’ll take a moment for your eyes to adjust. I figured—It’s been raining so much. You haven’t had a clear night up here. I wanted to show you.” She moves beside Lien against the railing.

And as Lien’s eyes accustom themselves to the dark, the sky opens up above them. The Milky Way sweeps a path of light across the great black bowl. Around that the night extends from one clear horizon to the other, lit by a thousand layers of stars on stars, dazzling bright in the dark.

The universe goes on forever. It’s huge, and Lien’s tiny and breathless in front of it.

In that moment nothing is worth thinking about beyond that sky, nothing but the huge universe and Claudie’s hand, steady and close beside Lien’s on the railing, Claudie’s warm body so near. Lien twines her pinkie around Claudie’s. They stand under the stars, still and silent.

When Lien turns, Claudie’s cheekbones are traced in blue-white and her eyes reflect a thousand pinprick lights. She’s beautiful. She’s from a whole other world.

My Review:
Lien is a fashion and entertainment blogger in Sydney off on a camping adventure with her collection of friends before they his a week-long music festival. She’s not a camping gal, actually–this trip was the idea of her best friend and housemate, Beau, a transman who fancies Lien’s other great friend, Annie. Lien’s been casually dating Nic, but it’s not serious on Lien’s side. She’s just not sure about settling down.

Camping is meant to be rough, but Lien and her friends have no idea what’s about to hit them. The forecast is for rain, but it’s nearly a monsoon. Lien is out hiking and takes a fall, just before the rain starts. It’s dark, and the only person who finds her is the park ranger, Claudie, who lives in the park in a cozy shack. Lien’s knee is too injured to allow her to hike back to camp, so Claudie brings Lien to her own cabin–and it’s a situation of stranded together. THe rain is so fierce over the next several days that Lien’s friends are forced to leave the park and take refuge in a nearby town, meanwhile Lien’s still to hobbled to make herself useful. Plus, Claudie’s grown accustomed to the solitary life, now that she’d given up on her soured rock-n-roll dreams. The more time Lien and Claudie spend, the closer they grow–sharing secrets, stories and eventually Claudie’s double bed. It’s all platonic at first, but, yeah, they start to fall for one another.

Thing is, Claudie’s been burned by a woman before, Dani–her first love–and that’s a lot of why she’s pulled herself out of society and taken a ranger position. Connecting with Lien isn’t her plan–and it’s hard for her when that happens because Lien’s only supposed to be there for a week. Whiling away the hours with no exit and no power, Claudie plays guitar to entertain Lien. The rapport they build is hard for Lien to leave behind, too. So much so that when she must go, she seeks out a way to bring Claudie with her–hunting out her early recordings and sending it to Claudie with encouraging notes about her music and how she might fashion herself a new career.

This is a sweet and quiet romance, and I liked the slow build. The isolation was an interesting part of the book–with it being a shelter, at first for both Claudie and Lien, but then becoming less so–as they find themselves feeling the pain of separation. And, the love of a good woman will drive many to make life-changing decisions. Including Claudie. Including Lien.

Interested? You can find STORM SEASON on Goodreads, Interlude Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Book Depository, and IndieBound.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 Interlude Press Gift Card or one of FIVE first prizes of an e-copy of ‘Storm Season’ by Pene Henson.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Pene Henson has gone from British boarding schools to New York City law firms. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, where she is an intellectual property lawyer and published poet who is deeply immersed in the city’s LGBTQIA community. She spends her spare time enjoying the outdoors and gazing at the ocean with her gorgeous wife and two unexpectedly exceptional sons. Storm Season is her second novel.

You can find Pene on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Appearances Deceive: FIRE BALLS–Review and Giveaway

banner-blogtour-fire-balls-by-tara-lainHi there! Today I’m sharing a release day review and giveaway for a new M/M romance coming soon from Tara Lain. FIRE BALLS is the second book in her Balls to the Wall series and features a subdued fireman fighting the heat he feels for a flamboyant artist. I really enjoyed VOLLEY BALLS, the first book in this series, though FIRE BALLS can be enjoyed on its own.

Catch the excerpt and enter to win a $10 GC and book giveaway below!
bk-cover-fire-ballAbout the book:
Renowned artist Rodney Mansfield stands five foot six, has pink hair, six earrings, a black belt in karate—and a desperate yearning for firefighter Hunter Fallon. But Rod, the Runtback of Notre Dame, knows he’ll never land the beautiful “straight gay” guy, so Rod musters his altruism and helps his more masculine friend Jerry attract Hunter.

As if a broken heart wasn’t enough, Rod saves Hunter from a firehouse homophobe—humiliating Hunter in front of his dad!

Hunter lives a dream life—his father’s dream. While he’d like to teach literature in college, read poetry in the sun, and find a strong guy to top him, he fights fires for his dad. Hunter hates flamboyant guys like Rodney. So why can’t he resist him? Maybe it’s time to admit this is one flame he has no desire to put out.

How about a little taste?

Jerry leaned back on the couch. “Anyway, he’s dreamy, straight-up divine. Sweet and nice and smart. Shit, man, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

Too much. Rod got up and went back to the easel. At least he didn’t have to stare into Jerry’s smitten face. Crap, he wanted to be happy for the guy. He really did. “He’s beautiful, all right.”

“And guess what? He asked about you.”

No breath. “He, uh, did?”

“Yeah. Said you were so talented. See, I told you not to leave.”

“Didn’t want to be a third wheel.”

“Hey, my man, you’re my brother from another mother. What I got, you got. So I’m going on another date with him, and he loves to read and shit. Could you tell me some stuff to talk about?”

Oh dear God. “So what have you read, Jerry?”

He looked at his hands. “I, uh, read a few romance novels.”

“I think it’s okay to talk about those, but you have to know some other writers too. So think. What did you read in high school?”

“Comic books.”

“Graphic novels?”

“Yeah. Man, I love Watchmen and X-Men and Batman.”

“Comic books.” He walked over to a bookshelf he kept tucked away in the corner of the studio. When he rested on the couch, he loved to read himself to sleep. “Have you ever heard of Lord Byron?”

Jerry shook his head. “Sounds like a rock star.”

“He kind of was for his time. He was a poet.” He took out a slim volume and began to read from Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. “Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean—roll! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; man marks the earth with ruin—his control stops with the shore.” When he got to “unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown” he looked up.

Jerry’s big blue eyes shone with tears. “Hey, man, that’s awesome. Probably not a surfer, I guess. All the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ sound kind of old. But that dude knew what a surfer feels, man. We ride on top of the—what did he call it?—deep and dark blue ocean. And we know we can sink and never be heard from again, man. Axed. It’s how we want to go if we gotta.”

He had to stop underestimating this man. Rod walked over to the couch and handed the book to Jerry. “Just be yourself. He’s got to love you.”

“Wow, thanks. But I’ll read this, man. Every word, or at least the words I understand, okay?”

He smiled. “Okay.”

“I sure do like the way you read it, though.”

Rod laughed, took back the book, and began to read.

My Review:Rodney Mansfield is a flamboyant and fierce artist living in Laguna Beach, California. His stunning nudes of sexy men are selling like crazy in the summer arts fair the city holds, and draws the object of Rodney’s affection to his gallery’s booth: Hunter, a big and burly fireman. Rodney’s hopelessly tongue-tied around Hunter though his good friend, Jerry, is equally smitten and has the gumption to actually ask Hunter out.

Rod doesn’t get the vibe that Hunter would enjoy being around him–he’s too alpha and Rod’s too flashy, and that’s mostly the truth. Hunter has built his life to please his disabled father, toning down his sexuality and even behaving in the bedroom in a way that he imagines his fellow firefighters might not find objectionable–essentially topping, when he isn’t as personally satisfied by that role. Still, Jerry–Rod’s friend–fits the image that Hunter wants to project, that of a pretty-much big, straight dude, who also happens to be gay.

That said, personality-wise, Jerry and Hunter aren’t a solid match, while Hunter and Rod are kindred spirits. Not only that, Rod knows how to speak to Hunter’s heart, and get through to his head, as well. This is a non-traditional romance, because Rob and Hunter get together only because Jerry pushes Hunter into sitting for Rod. Rod’s hating that he can’t be more than an acquaintance to Hunter, but that changes, rather abruptly, in their second sitting. This reminded me, a bit, of an updated Cyrano de Bergerac, with Rod giving the beautiful, but dim, Jerry all the right words to catch Hunter’s attention.

There isn’t a drawn-out charade, because Hunter respects Rod’s artistic skill and vision from the outset. He fears anything that might make him seem effeminate, or emasculated, in front of his fellow fireman–particularly one who’s become a stalker-y bully. It’s a big shift for Hunter to stand up for himself against the heavy weight of expectation that he’s adopted for himself. Rod and Hunter have this pseudo-adversarial, pseudo-teacher dynamic going on. Rod steps out-of-line a couple times, taking Hunter well in-hand when it didn’t seem as if the timing was right. That cut the romance-factor, for me. I was frustrated for the scenes with Hunter’s bully, because that level of unprofessionalism seemed unconscionable, especially as it was witnessed by others. The time frame also seemed a bit odd, if only because oil painting is a process that usually takes days to weeks, and the arts festival supposedly extended over that period, if we’re to believe the plot. For me, a summer-long art fest seemed unlikely, and I wondered how Rod’s painting of Hunter could have been a highlight of the show.

There’s a near-tragic incident that really brings Hunter and Rod together, and it’s all amiable with Jerry. There’s a lot of good here, even if I didn’t love every single bit. I loved how Hunter found his confidence, and his own happiness, and I loved that Rod set aside his crush to put his friend’s feelings first.

Interested? You can find FIRE BALLS on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $10 gift card or an ebook.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

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Happy Book Birthday to THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE–Review & Giveaway!

tbs-facebook-persHi there! Today I’m sharing a review and giveaway for a new historical M/M romance from the writing team of KA Merikan. THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE is a complex love story between a ne’er do well child and man of honor who wants to save his ancestral home and tenants from ruin. I’ve enjoyed HIPSTER BROTHEL and from this writing team, so I jumped at the chance to read this one.

Scroll down for a HUGE excerpt and get in on the swag and books giveaway.
blacksheep-coverAbout the book:
“How does one start a relationship with another man when it is forbidden?”
“One needs to decide that the other man is worth dying for.”
Cornwall, 1785
Sir Evan Penhart. Baronet. Highwayman. Scoundrel.
Julian Reece. Writer. Wastrel. Penniless.
No one forces Julian Reece to marry. Not his father, not his brother. No one.
When he is thrust into a carriage heading for London to meet his future bride, his way out comes in the form of an imposing highwayman, riding a horse as black as night. Julian makes a deal with the criminal, but what he doesn’t expect is that despite the title of baronet, the robber turns out to be no gentleman.

Sir Evan Penhart is pushed into crime out of desperation, but the pact with a pretty, young merchant’s son turns out to have disastrous consequences. Not only is Evan left broke, but worse yet, Julian opens up a Pandora’s box of passions that are dark, needy, and too wild to tame. With no way to lock them back in, rash decisions and greedy desire lead to a tide that wrecks everything in its way.

But Julian might actually like all the sinful, carnal passion unleashed on him. How can he admit this though, even to himself, when a taste of the forbidden fruit could have him end up with a noose around his neck? And with highway robbery being a hanging offense and the local constable on their back, Julian could lose Evan before he can decide anything about the nature of his desires.

How about a big look at this book…

The sun was high up in the sky by the time the desynchronized orchestra left Julian’s skull. There wasn’t enough space to properly lie down anywhere in the carriage, but he managed to obtain a comfortable position by resting his legs up the wooden wall while his upper body occupied one of the benches. He still felt like the filling of an enormous rattle as the carriage bent in all possible directions on the uneven road leading away from the coast.

Horace didn’t even make an attempt to hold back his disapproval, but after delivering several biting comments and a lengthy speech about duty, he at last leaned against the side of the carriage in the seat across from Julian and closed his eyes. It was difficult to say whether he was truly in need of a nap or if it was Julian’s face that he didn’t wish to look at.

With his headache out of the way yet not quite well enough to read, Julian opened the curtains in hope of amusing himself with the views, but so far, he merely got to see the side of a narrow gully—all dirt and grass.

He couldn’t understand why Father was being so implacable about having his youngest son marry a title. Couldn’t it wait a fortnight so that Julian could finish that new novel he came up with last night? This one could truly be the breakthrough Julian had been waiting for, the one that would make the Reece family known for more than fabric trade.

Inspiration was a moment in time when Julian’s friend Martin emerged from the darkness of an alley behind the tavern. In that very second he had not resembled himself but a man made of bronze, dreamlike and yet of substance, with strong hands that could crush Julian if they wanted. The novel would start with a similar encounter somewhere in the narrow back alleys, just off the Colosseum. Haunted by the ghost of an ancient gladiator, the protagonist would be believed to be slowly descending into madness, when in reality his awareness of the supernatural would become a vehicle for truth.

Julian was not yet certain of the exact message he wished to convey, but the events would be presented from several points of view, through letters written by the protagonist, his friends, and an official of some sort who’d represent the stale world order.

He’d already had several beautifully evocative ideas for metaphors describing the gladiator himself, but they became somewhat blurry after a night of cards and drink.

Oh, if only he could travel to Rome to let the atmosphere of the city soak him all the way to the bone—without a wife fighting for his attention and pulling him away from work because of feminine fancies.

He looked out of the window with growing disdain. Who in their right mind traveled on Sunday, and so early at that? Julian would have much preferred listening to a sermon at church to spending the day in what was effectively a hearse carrying one of the brightest literary talents just waiting to be discovered.

Now that Julian was feeling better, he was upset with himself about not asking for a day’s delay on religious grounds. He’d never been as devout about prayer as he was about his art, but if the Christian faith could postpone his commitment to a woman he never met, he would gladly kneel and pray. And Miss White wasn’t even a woman but a girl of fifteen, quite pretty in the portrait Julian had been shown, and a viscount’s only daughter at that, but surely as hungry for her intended’s attention as the bawdy house wench who’d become sweet on Julian some years ago.

Back then, he still visited Madame Canard’s establishment to do what everyone else did when they visited a school of Venus. These days, Julian had neither the overwhelming desire nor patience to handle a cunt, no matter how lovely the lady it was attached to. He still enjoyed having a drink with the harlots, and no card table within twenty miles was as lively as the one at Madame Canard’s, but at twenty-five he’d much rather handle needs of the flesh in solitude.

Sweet perfume made his nose itch, the act itself made him unpleasantly sticky—with his sweat and hers—and while he would not dare to ask, it was his suspicion that the friends who usually accompanied him to the brothel were only whoring so much because of pride and bravado. It was a sign of status to be able to afford women and decent wine daily, and so fucking and gambling was the thing you did as a social activity.

Julian’s eyes darted to Horace, who slept with his head thrown back and leaning against the side of the carriage. His wide-open mouth was asking for a distasteful prank, but Julian was far too upset to think of amusing himself at Horace’s expense. So far, the day’s joke was on him.

In the years past, he’d been mocked by his father and siblings over not taking on a profession that they deemed worthy of a gentleman, but with the family being very prosperous, Julian saw no reason to divert his focus from his one true calling.

Despite frequent threats, he’d hoped that Father—having four willing sons and three daughters—wouldn’t push Julian into marriage, but it seemed a lost cause. Soon it would be a wife nagging Julian to stop wasting his time following intellectual pursuits and instead turn his attention to practical matters. As the head of his own family, maybe he’d even be pushed to join the family trade, one step farther from traveling abroad to meet the great artists of the continent.

The carriage started a steep climb up a hill, and Julian cursed, pushing the soles of his boots against the wall to keep his body from rolling off the narrow bench. How long would it take for them to reach London at this pace? It was over two hundred miles away, so a week perhaps? The last time Julian had made the journey, he was so intoxicated most days that he couldn’t properly count them.

But out of nowhere, as the slope of the hill became gentler, the ugly dirt and grass that had been Julian’s only source of entertainment for the last half an hour were replaced by lush greenery of tree tops. He grinned and glanced at Horace, but the fat sod was too busy snoring to notice the change in scenery.

A wicked plan was starting to take shape in Julian’s head, and he quietly removed his feet from the side of the carriage and lowered them to the floor. Pulling himself upright was easy enough after that, and he stalled, eyes transfixed on the permanently flushed face of his brother that was an unappetizing contrast with the white wig he wore, and made him look like a man many years his senior. Julian might be less inclined to business, less sedate than his siblings, but at the very least he had good taste and flair most of Julian’s family lacked, buried deep in the stern world of pretense and money.

Horace didn’t even stir. The old pig was fast asleep, and if that wasn’t Julian’s chance to save his life, he didn’t know what was. Careful not to make any sound, Julian gathered his valise and the coat he’d earlier taken off because of the heat, stilling when the carriage came to a halt. His eyes immediately darted to Horace, but his brother only smacked his lips in his sleep. Hunt could have stopped to relieve himself. What an opportunity this was!

Julian could feel his heartbeat in his throat when he softly pressed on the door handle. Still distinctly aware of his brother being close enough for their knees to touch, were Julian not careful enough. He opened the carriage and left it in a soft stride before closing the door with care.

A warm breeze combed through his hair, wiping away the unpleasant wetness of sweat, and his lungs filled with fresh air, but he didn’t get to enjoy it.

The shining muzzle of a pistol was grinning at him from inches away.

Despite the warm weather, Julian’s whole body was shaken by a chill when his gaze met a pair of eyes so dark they might as well have been lacquered coals. The man had a tricorn hat pulled low over his forehead, and a black scarf obscuring the lower half of his face.

This can’t be happening.

“Don’t try to scream, or I will blow your brains out.” The man squinted and lowered his gun to Julian’s pupil. “Through the eye.”

Julian opened his mouth as his throat closed, robbing him of breath. He wanted to look back, suddenly wishing Horace weren’t such an easy sleeper, but Hunt was nowhere to be seen either. Heat washed over Julian’s body, making him stiffen as if he were made of clay. Had this man hurt their coachman? If so, where was the body?

“What do you want?” Julian whispered, resting his hand on the door handle when his knees softened.

“These.” A hand in a leather glove gripped Julian’s sweaty fingers and slipped off his rings. “And all your other valuables.” The man didn’t even blink, his voice dark as if dragged through tar.

Julian stared, and his mind finally came up with the answer for what this was. “You’re a highwayman…”

“And you’re cork-brained to travel on a Sunday when the roads are empty.” The man’s gaze drifted away to Horace for a split second, but he must have judged him as no threat, and when Horace snored from inside the carriage, the highwayman chuckled quietly.

Julian’s lungs emptied, and a silly grin emerged on his face, encouraged by the highwayman’s amusement. “Ah, I should have gone to church after all.”

The smile died on his lips when the robber poked Julian’s temple with his gun.

“Your valuables,” he urged.

Julian clenched his teeth when they threatened to clatter. He needed to keep calm. His father believed his friends to be villains, so he could handle one. “I’ve been taken out of the tavern this morning with nothing but the clothes on my back. I lost everything at the tables. You should try my older brother. He’s Father’s heir. He should have a healthy sum on him.”

The highwayman gripped the front of Julian’s waistcoat and pulled him forward so hard Julian stumbled straight into the man’s arms. He was much taller than Julian, with wide shoulders that were so strong their size couldn’t be just padding. His clothes smelled of leather and horse sweat, and Julian found himself staring into the eyes above the black scarf.

Before he could say a word, the man turned him around, and pressed the gun to the side of his head.

“Go on, wake up your brother.”

Julian breathed in and out, stiff with discomfort at the warm body pressed against his back as if the highwayman was seeking warmth. The gun provided some relief against heated skin. Its presence made Julian’s blood speed through his veins. It wouldn’t go off. Murder wasn’t in the robber’s interest, but if that was the case, then where the hell was Hunt?

Then an idea illuminated Julian’s mind. “I have a proposition, Mister—”

The highwayman stilled. He’d be lying. Of course. “Noir,” he said in the end. “What kind of proposition can you have, pretty boy? With no money in your pockets.”

Something about Noir’s tone sent a hot shiver through Julian’s ribcage, but he ignored the condescending words and slowly looked back into the blackest eyes he’d ever seen. “I don’t have much on me, but you must know my father. He’s William Reece, the cloth merchant. You could take me and ask for ransom. We could split it between us like two gentlemen,” he whispered and gave Noir a polite nod. Appealing to the highwayman’s self-importance should do the trick. His kind were known for a love of opulence and status they didn’t deserve.

He must have managed to surprise the thief, because Noir’s grip on him faltered. “How much could I ask for a son who hates his father?”

Julian exhaled in relief when he felt Noir’s aggression turn away from him. “A lot. He needs me. I’m worth more than you can imagine,” he said with a small smile.

Noir stole another glance at Horace sleeping in the back of the carriage, and his gloved hand slid to Julian’s neck, squeezing around his nape in a way that had Julian rising to his toes. “You better be. You scream, or try to run, and I will kill you.”

My Review:
it’s 1865 Cornwall, and Julian is a wastrel who doesn’t want to get married, and especially not to a young, wealthy girl. He fancies himself a writer, but mostly he spends his allowance in gambling parlours and houses of ill-repute, though he’s not a big fan of intimacies with anyone–including women.

When his carriage to London for the wedding he doesn’t want is stopped by a highwayman, Julian convinces his would-be thief to take him as a hostage for ransom. Unfortunately, ransoming Julian to his exasperated father doesn’t go to plan.

Sir Evan Penhart inherited his ancestral home, Tredele, but none of the funds to care for it, or the servants who’d been there their entire lives. He’s really bitter over it, but he’s doing his duty the only way he can–with insufficient tenant fees available, he’s decided to steal from a few wealthy travelers in order to finance the necessary repairs to Tredele and wages. Julian’s offer for ransom seems like his dream-come-true, but it’s not. It’s a nightmare. Evan had one lover in his life, and watched him die for the crime of sodomy. Since then he kept himself isolated in his home–so much so that Julian’s only heard of Evan as the “ghost” of Tredele. Yet, Evan’s unable to hold his attraction to Julian at bay.

I’m just going to say–there’s a scene of dubious consent, though I think it’s handled really, really well. Julian’s never imagined being with a man, and is almost innocent about the opportunities–though he’s not unfamiliar with the risks. Which, to be clear, is death. Evan has a stalkery constable who’s ever eager to catch him in the “act” of sodomy so he can arrest and execute him. While Julian is his hostage, it’s a dicey situation. Though, when Julian’s plot is foiled, they are able to restart their acquaintance, in a whole new way.

There is a deep and strong affection growing between Julian and Evan, but it moves by fits and starts. It felt very realistic, to me, due to the dangerous and tricky times. The plot has intricate turns, and huge changes in store for both Julian and Sir Evan. It’s a really long book, but I loved the wild and crazy ride. Julian and Evan don’t fall for each other right away–it takes time for them to build trust, and friendship, and then sexytimes. By the end, these guys are so freakin’ in love they are willing to sacrifice everything to keep the other safe–and harm is in the offing. There are some very brutal moments, and the homophobia of the time is in line with other historicals (non-fiction and fiction) I’ve read.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so I won’t. It’s not like any other historical romance I’ve read, and that was refreshing. Getting toward the end, I had to read far too late so I would get through the end and out the other side. Expect a whole lot of peril, and a very rough ride for Julian and Evan before they end up surviving and moving on into their HEA.

Interested? You can find THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win book swag and books!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Authors:
K.A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite being over thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.

Catch up with this duo on their website, Facebook, Twitter (run by Kat), Agnes Merikan’s Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest.

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Friends-to-Lovers PLANNED SEDUCTION–Review and Giveaway!

planned-seduction-bt-banner
Hi there! I’m really excited to share a review and giveaway for a contemporary romance from Jess Dee. PLANNED SEDUCTION is a friends-to-lovers romance for an Aussie photographer and his best friend he’s loved since childhood. If only he can get her to change focus from friendship to forever…

Catch my review and scroll down to enter to win a $25 Amazon GC and 2 Jess Dee titles.
planned-seductionAbout the book:
He has a plan she can’t refuse

Daniel Tanner’s been in love with Amy since they were teenagers. If she would only give him a chance to show her how good they could be together, he could convince her the fiery attraction between them won’t burn up and ruin their friendship.

Amy Morgan’s had a front row seat to the parade of women coming in and out of Daniel’s life for years, so she’s not interested in risking what they have for something that would eventually end with her heart being broken by her best friend. And life has taught her broken hearts is the way love always ends.

But no one knows Amy better than Daniel, and he’s devised a plan to show her they can have it all.
(This book has been previously published. It is re-releasing as part of Entangled Publishing’s Brazen Line.)

My Review:
Daniel is a photographer who’s been in love with his best friend Amy since…middle school. Now, though, he’s unwilling to go on as only friends–hoping that she’ll finally look on him as a real partner after her latest relationship has been dead for several months. He makes a plan to get her noticing he’s a real catch–even if he has to bend a few rules to do it.

Amy is a woman who knows, deep in her heart, that no man sticks around. Her father left after several affairs. Her boyfriend of the past two years cheated on her. Men are just despicable–all excepting her bestie Daniel, of course. But, why is he suddenly so concerned about women falling for him? He’s a love-’em-and-leave-’em guy, hardly making it past a few months with a woman before moving on, and Amy’s not going to become one of his many–certain that he’d leave her behind in the shambles of their friendship.

Daniel is ecstatic when he gets up close and personal time with Amy, as she gallantly defends him from the unwanted attentions of his sister’s colleague. It’s not hard, when Daniel kisses Amy oh-so-well. It’s also not hard for Amy to get all confused over her feelings for Daniel. Their attraction simmers, but Daniel doesn’t push too hard, letting Amy make the forward moves. She’s so overwrought, afraid she’ll lose Daniel if she falls for him, that she pulls back—hard. Still, expect a lot of sexytimes–many of which take place in highly questionable locations–while they work through their new relationship.

This book is an intricate dance with lots of tender moments. Part of what makes Daniel reach out to Amy with his feelings is his recent experience doing a benefit spread for a local pediatric cancer ward. The kids bring up memories of being a child himself, watching his elder sister’s battle with leukemia, and all the fear he’d held in when he wasn’t sure if she’d make it. It’s an eye-opening experience for both Daniel and Amy–when she sees his exhibition, and meets some patients he’d spent a lot of time befriending. Could Daniel be ready to settle down? she wonders, but quickly reminds herself, over and over, how no man has stuck around in her life, to this point.

I liked Daniel a lot, and found myself wanting to shake some sense into Amy. I did like how she figured out her big mistake–and how to make amends, only to screw that up, too…for a minute and a half. The book ends with a big HEA because Daniel is the great guy we knew from the start, and gets the girl of his dreams to fall for his, at times, elaborate seduction.

Interested? You can find PLANNED SEDUCTION on Goodreads, Entangled Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 Amazon GC and 2 Jess Dee titles.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
An avid romance reader since her early teens, Jess knew one day, when she grew up, she’d have to write her own love stories. And she did. Although the first one was pretty awful.

But once she discovered it was okay to leave the bedroom door open in her romance novels, she decided to leave everything open. Buttons, zips, pants, number of lovers…Which is why her books are all steamy erotic romances. Jess’s first published story was originally contracted in 2005. Since then, she’s completed over 30 books, and is finally doing the work she loves most—writing romance.

While Jess lived most of her life in South Africa, the last fourteen years have been spent in Australia. From the fast-paced Sydney lifestyle to the laid-back islands and beaches, there’s always another gorgeous Aussie setting for a contemporary romance.

Catch up with Jess on her website, blog, Facebook, and twitter.
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Sexing Their Way Down THE LIST–Review and Giveaway!

the-list-bt-banHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a fun and sexy adult contemporary romance from Tawna Fenske. THE LIST is a hoot, and hawt, and made me smile lots and lots as a shy soil scientist inadvertently woos a computer millionaire.

Catch the review and enter the $50 Amazon GC giveaway down below.

the-listAbout the book:
As the millionaire owner of a chain of computer shops, Simon Traxel isn’t normally hands-on with mundane repairs. But when a fretful brunette shows up with her fried laptop and killer green eyes, he makes an exception. And as it turns out, she needs more hands-on help than Simon imagined.

Brainy soil scientist Cassie Michaels has spent her whole life feeling like a grungy tree trunk beside her delicate flower sisters. To make herself more interesting, Cassie invented stories about her wild sex life—stories she’s expected to retell in vivid detail at a bachelorette party. Cassie’s attempt to catalog her biggest whoppers goes awry when she spills wine on her laptop and lands in Simon’s shop with her sexy list frozen on the screen.

But Simon’s interest is piqued, and the two strike a deal to make Cassie’s make-believe sexploits a reality. From steamy public romps gone hilariously awry, to sexy antics with kitchen utensils, their quest to conquer The List is equal parts scorching hot and adorably awkward.

As they near the end of The List though, Cassie and Simon second guess their pledge to shake hands and say goodbye when they cross off the last item. But will Simon’s big secret make that the one fantasy that can never come true?

My Review:
Cassie is a woman who has always been on the fringe. Her sisters are feminine and prissy, looking for the best catch of a man, while she was a tomboy digging in the dirt. She’s a woman of science in a male-dominated field. Her biggest interests are soil, and ecology–and she’s felt lack-luster as a result. To keep from attending the fussy parties her sisters throw Cassie has spent years dishing completely fabricated stories of her non-existent erotic romps. She’s loved impressing her sisters with her imaginary worldly and sex-positive lifestyle, but it’s nearly time for one of her sisters to have a bachelorette party and all the attendees are bursting to hear the latest juicy tales.

Cassie types up a list of all the kinky things she’s claimed to do, just to keep it all straight in her head, and ends up spilling wine on her computer–freezing The List to her desktop screen. Mortified, and hoping to salvage her documents and self-respect, Cassie rushes off the the nearest Hot Swap computer shop for immediate repairs. She has no idea the man behind the counter, Simon Traxel, is the owner of the store chain. She only knows that Simon fixes her computer lickety-split.

Simon’s immediately attracted to the frantic woman at his counter–first because she’s a little frumpy, and clearly embarrassed about her hot list of sexploits. He makes a special effort to bring her repaired laptop to her home–because her phone number wasn’t written correctly and he couldn’t reach her otherwise. They strike up a conversation and Simon’s delighted to learn that list wasn’t Cassie’s completed activities, it’s a sexual “bucket list” and one of those items is…uh, hot sex with a tall, dark-haired stranger with ripped abs. Turns out, Simon fits that description, and he’s not looking for any strings in his sex life; gold diggers don’t seem to get that he has deep obligations to his younger sister, Junie, a woman with Downs Syndrome now that their parents have passed away.

Cassie and Simon quickly discover that they are completely sexually compatible, and well, Simon’s totally down with helping Cassie work her way through The List. It becomes a bargain with a catch, as they learn, because the more time they spend with each other, the more they develop real feelings. They chat and text and hang out even when they aren’t sexing, and Simon gets more and more conflicted about hiding his identity from Cassie. He doesn’t want her to want him for his money–but, beside that–he is afraid to introduce her to Junie. Junie, who desperately wants Simon to find love, and remembers all his past girlfriends over the years. Women who left him when they had to share his attention with Junie.

I really liked this one! Junie is a breath of fresh air when she chides Simon for never finding a good woman, and Cassie’s a fun gal to get to know. Her complicated relationship with her sisters felt relatable and interesting, and the sexytimes are Yumm-oh! Cassie’s got a very creative imagination, and Simon’s flexible enough to make the plans happen in word and deed. Also, he’s not above a quick veer into a dark closet for some spontaneous down and dirty business, no matter his bank account. Naturally, the deception angle is going to lead to hurt and separation. Still, it’s a brief separation, and I adored how the secondary characters stepped up in a big way to bring these two back together. I think I broke my smile-bone reading this one, it was really upbeat and amusing throughout. Geeks-in-love is a fave story trope, and this one was done very well. Definitely recommend!

Interested? You can find THE LIST on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Tawna Fenske is a USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Her offbeat brand of romance has received multiple starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, one of which noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year.

Catch up with Tawna on her website, blog, Facebook, or twitter.

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RUTHLESS Love–Review and Giveaway!

ruthless-bt-banHi there! Today I’m sharing a review and giveaway for a kinky contemporary romance newly released by Gina L. Maxwell. RUTHLESS is the second book in her Playboys in Love series, and features the love story of two kinky lawyers and how they get down an dirty outside of the courtroom, in the alley, at the office and with friends…

Catch the review and enter the book and gift cards giveaway below!
ruthless_500About the book:
People call me Ruthless for a reason.

Whether I’m in the court room or in the bedroom, my reputation is well-earned. I’m either working hard, working out, or working my way into some woman’s panties. But none of them share my particular kink, and I walk away feeling unsatisfied.

Until I met her.

She’s a friend of a friend, which makes her off-limits in my book. But then temptation had me by the balls and I had her up against a wall. She literally fucked my world off its axis, but it can’t happen again.

My plan was avoidance, but that got blown to shit when my firm hired her as a new junior attorney. Now I’m her boss, and I’m supposed to act like I don’t want to bend her over my desk every five minutes.

But I’ve never held myself back with anything before, so consequences be damned. It’s time to take what I want and show her how damn good it feels…to be ruthless.

My Review:
Addison Paige is a junior attorney, fresh out of law school, and looking forward to getting a new employer. She’s out of drinks and dancing with her best friend Jane, and Jane’s super-sexy stripper boyfriend, Chance. Chance and his pals run a side business of stripping, just for kicks, and Addison’s got her eye on Chance’s pal, Roman, and all his pierced and tattooed glory. While Roman’s made it clear that he won’t have sex with his buddies girlfriends’ friends, he’s completely into Addison–and I by “into” I actually mean sexually, outside, in the alley at the bar. Yup, she done did it. Roman’s not a guy that’s down for vanilla, mostly; he prefers a bit of exhibitionism, and bringing in one of his friends to blow a lucky lady’s mind.

By day, William “Roman” Reeves is an attorney striking out from his father’s renown firm in a new partnership with a long-time friend and colleague, Cooper. Cooper did all the junior partner hiring and interviews while Roman wrapped his cases for his dad’s firm, and so it’s an unhappy reunion between Roman and Addison. Addison’s so furious–she just left a firm where she’d been put-down and abused, and had other offers on the table; she never would have accepted this one knowing she’d work for Roman. Still, Roman convinces her that he had not idea, and no intention, of making this awkward for her. He truly values her, as a colleague, and he’s willing to set aside his raging lust so they can work together. It’s easier than he thought–he respects her too much to consider that she’d like to be a shared woman to satisfy all his kinks.

Addison’s been overworking herself for the firm for a few months–much to Roman’s frustration–when he decides enough is enough and pushes her to go out for dancing with his friends. It’s fun and breezy, but Addison strikes out when Roman spends all his time hanging with another woman. Her dancing with his buddies triggers every kinky impulse Roman’s been holding at bay–and it’s down the erotic rabbit hole they go.

As an erotic romance, this one hits most of the marks. It’s fun and sexy, with all sorts of kink dynamics at play including exhibitionism, voyeurism, menage, and more. I liked the emotion that was woven into the relationship as it developed. We have a dual POV-situation so we know exactly how insecure both Roman and Addison are, despite the strong front they each present. Roman, whose mother ran off with his father’s best friend years ago, never expects to fall in love. He’s all about pleasure and sharing, but the more he begins to fall for Addison, the less he wants anyone besides himself to touch her. Addison doesn’t mind a bit of kink here and there, but she wants Roman to love her completely–and not feel as if he needs more than just her to be satisfied. There are some scorching bits, and some serious bits as they work through their needs, wants, desires, and settle into what’s the best for them as a couple.

Expect a break up to make up scenario, and Roman getting some hard truths from Addison and a trusted friend before he gets his act together. For me the whole stripper-lawyer thing was a little silly, but that’s because all the lawyers I know are, you know, extremely nervous about damaging their reputations. Meanwhile, Roman’s all, let me put this shirt back on, Clark-Kent-style and voila, reputable attorney at your service. *shrugs* While that premise seemed unnecessary, the story was totally fun, with depth and heart to match the heat. This is the second book in a series, yet totally enjoyable as a standalone.

Interested? You can find RUTHLESS on Goodreads, Amazon (US, UK, or CA)
Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of 2 $10 Amazon gift cards and a copy of SHAMELESS, the first book in this series.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.

When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their teenagers before they fly the coop, and dreaming about her move to sunny Florida once they do.

Catch up with Gina on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, or sign up for her newsletter.
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Building a Love ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE–Review & Giveaway

aop-tour-bannerHi there! Today I’m excited to share a review and giveaway for a new contemporary romance from Jill Shalvis. ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE is the third book in her Heartbreaker Bay series, and pairs a former cop-turned-security specialist finally catching up with the determined woman he’d saved out on patrol all those years ago.

Catch the excerpt and get in on the giveaway below.

accidentallyAbout the book:
There’s no such thing as a little in love…
Elle Wheaton’s priorities: friends, career, and kick-ass shoes. Then there’s the muscular wall of stubbornness that’s security expert Archer Hunt—who comes before everything else. No point in telling Mr. “Feels-Free Zone” that, though. Elle will just see other men until she gets over Archer . . . which should only take a lifetime . . .

There’s no such thing as a little in lust…
Archer’s wanted the best for Elle ever since he sacrificed his law-enforcement career to save her. But now that she’s earned happiness and success, Archer just wants Elle 24/7. Their chemistry could start the next San Francisco Earthquake, and Archer doesn’t want to be responsible for the damage. The alternative? Watch her go out with guys who aren’t him . . .

There is such a thing as…
As far as Archer’s concerned, nobody is good enough for Elle. But when he sets out to prove it by sabotaging her dates, she gets mad—and things get hot as hell. Now Archer has a new mission: prove to Elle that her perfect man has been here all along…

How about a little taste?

“My life isn’t normal,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Forget normal. Normal’s overrated. Now drink that gross green stuff you can’t survive without,” Spence said.

“It’s just tea, you weirdo. And I could totally survive without it if I needed to.” She paused. “I just can’t guarantee anyone else’s safety.”

“Exactly, so why take chances?”

Elle rolled her eyes. She was still taking what had happened last night personally. She knew everyone in this building, each and every business on the first and second floor and every tenant on the third and fourth floor, and she felt responsible for all of them.

And someone had been hurt on her watch. Unacceptable. “You do realize that the emergency exit system falls under security’s jurisdiction,” she said. “Which means the security company you hired failed us.”

Spence, following her line of thought, stopped looking so amused. He put down his coffee. “No, Elle.”

“Spence, a year ago now you sought me out for the general manager job. You put me in charge of covering your ass, which we both know I’m very good at. So I’m going to go discuss this matter with Archer, your head of security.”

He grimaced. “At least let me clear the building before you two go at each other.”

“There won’t be a fight.” At least not that she’d tell him about. “I’m simply doing my job and that includes managing one Archer Hunt.”

“Yes, technically,” Spence allowed. “But we both know that he answers to no one but himself and he certainly doesn’t consider you his boss. He doesn’t consider anyone his boss.”

Elle smiled and mainlined some more tea, the nectar of the gods as far as she was concerned. “His problem, not mine.”

Looking pained, Spence stood. “He’s not going to enjoy you going off on him this early half-cocked, Elle.”

“Ask me if I care.”

“I care,” Spence said. “It’s too early to help you bury his body.”

Elle let out a short laugh. Her and Archer’s antagonistic attitude toward each other had been well documented. The thing was, Archer thought he ran the world, including her.

My Review:
Elle Wheaton’s come far from the penniless teen daughter of a grifter who messed up Archer Hunt’s first drug sting more than a decade ago. A rookie officer, Archer learned quickly that doing right and doing it ‘by the book’ aren’t completely the same, and he couldn’t quite forget the young woman who showed so much courage that fateful night.

Archer left the police force, but he didn’t leave behind Elle. Building his own security company, he was able to monitor her–from afar because he’s not a creeper–and helped her educational and professional goals whenever he could. All without Elle’s knowledge.

Now, though, she’s a grown woman, and his company is housed in the building Elle manages, a job he recommended her for. Elle dresses for success, takes classes on the side, and earns every dollar she makes–even taking some stakeout assignments from Archer for a little extra cash. It would be easy for her to fall into the grifter pattern set by her mother and elder sister, but Elle wants a real life, and a good one. What upsets her is the notion that she’s responsible for Archer losing his job with the police force, and straining his relationship with his father.

Archer has long-harbored a protective affection for Elle, but now that she’s grown he’s recognizing there’s an attraction, too. Elle’s trying to find the “right” man, and Archer’s not convinced any man is good enough for her–going as far as sabotaging a couple dates. It’s enough to make Elle crazy, and she lets Archer know his interference isn’t welcome. Though they’ve been working near each other for the past year, they’ve hardly spoken more than formalities. Archer has to open up if he wants to win Elle for himself, even if he’s not sure he deserves her.

This is the third book in a series, but easily enjoyed as a standalone. Elle and Archer dance around each other for a long while, until Archer reveals his history with the police force, and Elle gets over her unfounded guilt. Also, Archer has to give up being the white-knight-savior–because Elle likes to fight her own battles. I liked the camaraderie of the ensemble cast, though there’s sometimes too many people to really keep track of, to my taste. The drama regarding Elle’s sister Morgan, and Morgan’s desire to live a clean, sober and law-abiding life seems too good to be true, and I was glad that Elle wasn’t too easily drawn into that web–though she does help Morgan on her own terms. The love story for Elle and Archer develops slowly and in fits-and-starts which I appreciated for a couple with such a long and complicated history. There are some nice sexytimes, danger from outside forces, and a definite HEA; it’s a solid romance. The writing is easy to fall into, and I’m eager to read more of this series in the future.

Interested? You can find ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

heartbreakerbay-promo

And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ONE SNOWY NIGHT, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ONE SNOWY NIGHT and a wine tumbler, too! (Three winners!)
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

jill-shalvis-2012-fullshotAbout the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Catch up with Jill on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or sign up for her newsletter.

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Gothic Connection A FACE WITHOUT A HEART–Review & Giveaway!

f-w-o-h-blitzbannerHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary retelling of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY chillingly woven by multi-published author Rick R. Reed. I’ve reviewed some of Mr. Reed’s books in the past and always find them well-written, considerate and thrilling, be they romance (DINNER AT FIORELLO’S, BIG LOVE, LEGALLY WED) or suspense (TRICKS), so I was really eager to see how he’d treat the gothic psychological Dorian Gray. I wasn’t disappointed by A FACE WITHOUT A HEART.

Catch an excerpt and get in on the book giveaway, below.

facewithoutaheartafs_v1About the book:
A modern-day and thought-provoking retelling of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray that esteemed horror magazine Fangoria called “…a book that is brutally honest with its reader and doesn’t flinch in the areas where Wilde had to look away…. A rarity: a really well-done update that’s as good as its source material.”

A beautiful young man bargains his soul away to remain young and handsome forever, while his holographic portrait mirrors his aging and decay and reflects every sin and each nightmarish step deeper into depravity… even cold-blooded murder. Prepare yourself for a compelling tour of the darkest sides of greed, lust, addiction, and violence.

How about a little taste?

He was beautiful. Beauty is so seldom ascribed to men, too often incorrectly attributed to men with feminine features—wavy blond hair, fine cheekbones, teeth cut from porcelain. But I’ve always thought of beauty as a quality that went deeper than the corporeal… something dark, dense, inexplicable, capable of stirring longings primal, longings one would be powerless to resist.

He was beautiful. I sat on a Red Line “L” train, headed downtown, bags of heavy camera equipment heaped at my side, one arm resting protectively over them. I watched the young man, unable to train my thoughts on anything other than this man who had blotted out the reality of the day, magical and transforming. Beauty, especially so rare a beauty, can do that. The young man was an eclipse, his presence coming between myself and the reality of the day hurtling by outside train windows.

He had come in behind three foreign people, a bright counterpoint to their drab clothes, colorless, already wilting in the August humidity. They chattered to one another in a language unrecognizable, Polish maybe, and I was annoyed at their yammering, unable to block it out sufficiently enough to concentrate on the book I was reading, a biography of William Blake.

I almost didn’t notice him. It wasn’t like me to pay much attention to what went on around me, especially when I was preparing for a shoot. Usually I used the time on the train to set up the photographs I would take, the way I would manipulate light and shadow and how it fell on my models, to arrange the props, set up and test the lighting.

But something caused me to look up when the doors opened—perhaps I was struck by the dissonance created by the unknown language—and I saw him. Close-cropped brown hair, a bit of stubble framing full lips, a bruise fading to dull below his right eye. The bruise did not detract from the man’s beauty but served to enhance it, making of the rough features something more vulnerable. The bruise was the embodiment of a yearning for the touch of a finger, the whisper of a kiss. He wore an old, faded T-shirt with a Bulls logo, black denim cut off just above his knees, and a pair of work boots, the seam on the left beginning to separate. In spite of the workman’s garb, there was something intellectual about the man, an intensity in his aquamarine eyes that portended deeper thought.

At that moment, I made a decision. I don’t know what caprice seized me. I have always led an orderly life, completely without surprise. But when the train pulled to a stop and the young man stood, I acted on an impulse that was as sudden as it was uncontrollable.

My Review:
Gary Adrion is a young man of incomparable beauty, spotted on the “L” train in Chicago by an artist, Liam Howard, who specializes in holograms. Liam is a little older, and not as attractive as Gary, but Gary-a mostly solitary trust fund kid-is intrigued by Liam’s work and agrees to sit for a piece. The result is astounding, and Gary is so taken with it, that he makes an inadvertent bargain to remain as fresh and youthful as his hologram, no matter the darkness and depravity of his actions.

Well, over the years Gary gets pretty dark, and awfully depraved. Egged on by Liam’s dear friend, an outgoing drag queen known as Henrietta, Gary’s life takes some disastrous turns. He thinks he finds love, and throws it away on a whim–which leads to deadly results. Liam acts as Gary’s conscience, taking him to task when Gary will let him near, and that’s not a good situation, either. The further down this rabbit hole Gary falls, the more his hologram absorbs the horror of his actions, turning from an objet d’arte into a grotesque. Meanwhile Gary never seems to age a day. Friends turn bitter and enmity is rampant, even among his hangers-on. Gary delights in beauty, and it’s ultimate corruption.

This isn’t a romance, which I knew going in. There is some sex, but it’s written for shock value and the effect is chilling, not amorous. As we know from the Oscar Wilde classic, Dorian Gray–our narcissistic Gary–never fully redeems his soul, despite knowing that he must if he’s ever to find peace from the ghosts of people that have died as a result of his actions–directly or indirectly. There’s lots of drug use, and a seedy club-kid-type vibe for some of the book, and there’s horror. Death and murder are part of Gary’s path, and the only end is the dramatic one we all know is coming.

As a psychological thriller, I’d have loved just a little more insight into what happened during the large gaps in time the book spans. Some people seemingly come from nowhere, particularly in the end, and I know they were a part of that murkiness. I also got that Liam sensed Gary’s menace from their first encounter, but I didn’t see where that came from, as a reader. Gary is definitely shady, but I’d have liked to know how and why we knew that from the first pages. That said, as a retelling of Dorian Gray, I wasn’t disappointed.

Interested? You can find A FACE WITHOUT A HEART on Goodreads, DSP Publications, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for a chance to win one of two haunting tales by Mr. Reed.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love.

He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). He is also a Rainbow Award Winner for both Caregiver and Raining Men. Lambda Literary Review has called him, “a writer that doesn’t disappoint.”

Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever “at work on another novel.”

Catch up with Rick on his website, blog, Facebook, twitter, Google+, and Bookbub.
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Finding Home at LUNCH WITH THE DO-NOTHINGS AT THE TAMMY DINETTE–Review & Giveaway!

do-nothings_fbHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance from Killian Brewer. LUNCH WITH THE DO-NOTHINGS AT THE TAMMY DINETTE is a sweet story about a young man finding a home and family (and love!) where he least expected it.

Catch the excerpt and $25 GC and book giveaway below!

do-nothingsAbout the book:
When Marcus Sumter, a short order cook with dreams of being a chef, inherits a house in small town Marathon, Georgia, he leaves his big city life behind.

Marcus intends to sell the house to finance his dreams, but a group of lovable busybodies, the Do Nothings, a new job at the local diner, the Tammy Dinette, and a handsome mechanic named Hank cause Marcus to rethink his plans.

Will he return to the life he knew, or will he finally put down roots?

How about a little taste?

Over the course of the next month, Marcus fell easily into the rhythm of his new life in the diner. The black ring around his eye faded, and thoughts of Robert and his mangled car began to fade as well. Francine and he perfected their frenzied dance around each other behind the grill when the diner was filled to capacity. As he worked, the familiar tools of spatula, whisk, and knife once again became extensions of his hand, and the smells of bacon frying and eggs cooking made his appetite for food and life return. The silly names the sisters invented for customers made Marcus belly laugh, the sensation of it bubbling up in his chest an almost-forgotten pleasure. With each passing day, it grew easier to rise early in the morning and catch a ride to the diner with Francine or one of the girls.

The only part of the day he dreaded was life outside the diner and returning to a too-quiet house filled with photographs of people who shared his face and name, but who were complete strangers. The house was in theory his home, but it still seemed as if he was intruding on someone else’s space. He hadn’t bothered to unpack the few clothes left in his duffel bag or put away the clean clothes from the laundry basket on the bedroom floor. In the silence of his grandmother’s house, he would hear the ringing of Robert’s plaintive texts, the nagging thoughts about what to do with his wrecked car, and the haunting words of his mother, “Baby, it’s time to move on.”

More and more, he lingered well past the end of his shift at the diner to avoid going to the house. Usually he would end his day by wandering over to the Do Nothing’s corner booth to check on the latest town gossip or to see how preparations for the hoedown were going. Marcus would shuffle his way into the booth and tuck himself between Helen and Inez so that the women could explain to him who each person they gossiped about was. Most of the names meant nothing to him until he began to connect them with their usual orders, just as he had at the Waffle Barn. The more stories the Do Nothings told about the customers who hurried in and out of the diner daily, the more the citizens of Marathon seemed like friends. He would sit happily silent and let the women’s laughter and rapid-fire words sooth his work-weary muscles as he sank into the padding of the booth.

But not today.

He had finished cleaning the cooking area, flung his apron onto its hook, and headed into the dining room. He’d been tired but, for the first time since Robert had pressured him to quit working at the Waffle Barn in Atlanta, he’d felt useful again. As he’d reached the kitchen door, he’d caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Despite the hard work and grueling heat of the kitchen, he’d seen that he wore a pleased smile, a smile he wasn’t sure he had worn since the days after his mother and before Robert. He’d straightened his back and nodded at himself in the mirror. Hello, stranger. Where’ve you been? With the smile lingering on his lips, he had glanced through the porthole window in the swinging door and seen Hank Hudson standing at the counter.

My Review:
Marcus Sumter is a 22 year old man with no family–not since his diner-waitress of a mother literally left him at a roadside truckstop diner shortly after his 18th birthday. She’d raised him on her own, always on the run from one angry landlord or another, and his father had died before he was even born. Marcus had been living with an older man, Robert, who wanted to keep him as a kept-boy, but Marcus didn’t like that, and Robert’s anger too the form of a black eye. While staying home out of sight, Marcus receives a certified letter–the fifth one–informing him that his unknown grandmother has passed and he needs to come to Marathon, Georgia to claim her estate. Marcus packed what little he owned and took off.

His arrival in Marathon is immediately upset by an accident of car-crushing proportions. But, the good ladies of Marathon, the “Do-Nothings” friends of his late grandmother take him under their wing. They want nothing more than to keep Marcus with them, and even arrange for him to get a job at their beloved Tammy Dinette. And, meet men that favor his, uh, persuasion. It’s a heartwarming and adorable set of romantic schemes, actually. Marcus loves being a short-order cook, and only applied for culinary school because Robert wanted to “make something” of him, but being in Marathon, surrounded by loving friends and neighbors teaches Marcus that he’s something already, and the slow-burn romance between Marcus and Hank the local mechanic is something pretty special, too.

I loved the setting, and quiet cadence of the book, easily felling transported to rural Georgia and loving every second of that. Marcus is a good guy, and he deserves a home. I kind of wished we’d learned what happened to his mother, but that’s a small complaint. I really enjoyed how Marcus dealt with Robert, and the big and small eccentricities of life in small town Georgia. The collection of characters was a loving portrait of people I just wanted to know better! Don’t excpet any sheet-buring sexytimes though. THis one’s pretty-much fade-to-black, but the center of the story is love, and family, and making your own when you get the chance. Highly recommend.

Interested? You can find LUNCH WITH THE DO-NOTHINGS AT THE TAMMY DINETTE on Goodreads, Interlude Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, Kobo, Book Depository, and Indiebound.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for a chance to win a Grand Prize $25 Interlude Press Gift Card + Multi-format eBook of Hold. Five other winners receive Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette eBook.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Killian B. Brewer grew up in a family where the best way to be heard was to tell a good story, therefore he developed an early love of storytelling, puns and wordplay. He began writing poetry and short fiction at 15 and continued in college where he earned a BA in English. He does not use this degree in his job in the banking industry. He currently lives in Georgia with his partner and their dog. Growing up in the South gave him a funny accent and a love of grits. The Rules of Ever After is his first novel.

You can catch up with Killian on his website, twitter, and Facebook.