Giveaways

Hot Love in COWBOY VALENTINE–Review & Giveaway

Cowboy Valentine - BT BannerHi there! Today, I get the pleasure to welcome a new book into the world. COWBOY VALENTINE by Mia Hopkins is a New Adult erotic romance fresh off the press over at Samhain Publishing. And it is yummmmmmmy. Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!
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About the book:
Forget chocolate and flowers. This homegrown honey is all the sweetness he craves.
Small-town life is nothing but a waiting room for eighteen-year-old honor student Corazón Gomez. Work and school leave little time for love, but with a full-ride Ivy League scholarship and a one-way ticket out of the boondocks, who needs it?

The answer appears on Valentine’s Day when her old cowboy crush ambles into the ice cream parlor where she works, inviting her to go on a late-night ride in his truck. For the first time she wavers between staying on the straight and narrow, and going off-road with the handsome heartbreaker.

After four years working on ranches all over the country, Caleb MacKinnon is back on the family farm helping out his mom and brothers while his father fights cancer. The one bright spot: smart, funny, and wickedly sexy Cora.

From the start, they both know this blazing-hot love affair can’t last. But when autumn comes and Cora has to leave for the East Coast, Caleb must find a solution to keep himself—and his heart—from falling apart.

Warning: Contains hard, cherry-poppin’ sex in a pickup truck and a cowboy charmer who talks dirty in two languages.

How about a little taste?

The cigarette calmed her down some, so she turned back to the shop to finish closing. When she reached for the handle of the door, a pair of headlights lit up the storefront and a big engine shuddered into Park behind her.

She stubbed out her cigarette on the rim of a trash can and turned around. The driver’s side door squeaked open and shut.

“We’re closed,” she said to the figure who walked up to her, a tall man in jeans, a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat.

He looked up in the faint light coming from the store window. “That so?” he drawled. His voice was deep.

“Afraid so.” Cora squinted at him. “Do I know you?”

The man stepped farther into the light. “Maybe.”

He was about six feet or so, with high cheekbones and a clean-shaven chin. His skin was tanned and freckled, as though he spent long hours in the sun. He tipped his hat back, and at once Cora saw his eyes—green but with pupils rimmed in gold. He was handsome as hell.

“You’re a MacKinnon kid,” she said, although she knew full well which one he was, and that he was no kid.

“Caleb.”

“I remember you from school. You graduated like three, four years ago.”

He looked down at her. His scrutiny scorched her cheeks. “I want to say I remember who you are, but I can’t,” he said at last. “What’s your name?”

“Cora. Corazón Gomez.”

Caleb put a boot on the parking block and hooked his thumbs onto his belt. “Wait. I think I remember you too. You were that really smart one. The freshman in my chemistry class who knew all the answers. I think I had you in Spanish too. The teacher always made a big deal about your name meaning… What was it?”

“Heart. Corazón means heart.”

His eyes locked on hers and he nodded slowly, in no hurry to respond. To keep from fidgeting, she put her hands in the pockets of her uniform, wondering if he was going to say anything more. In the quiet, the wind rustled through the ocean of sagebrush that grew across the road.

“Well, I have to finish closing up.” She tried to sound casual. “Nice seeing you again, I guess.”

He still hadn’t stopped staring at her, but when she broke eye contact with him and turned toward the door, he cleared his throat. “Um, any chance I could get a sundae? I’ve had a hell of a night. I’d appreciate it.”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to let you in after closing time.”

“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

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My Review:
This is a yummy erotic romance. Cora is almost finished with high school, and eager to bust loose of her dusty Cali central valley life. For her, that comes as a hard-won scholarship to Brown University. She’s working on Valentine’s Day when Caleb arrives as she’s closing the doors at the ice cream parlor. Having had a crush on him since her freshman year, he hardly takes any convincing for him to get a heartbreak-fixing sundae.

Caleb is four years older, and a heck of a lot wiser than when he last saw Cora, and he’s certainly interested–if she is. They share a hot night together, and many, many more over the rest of the school year until Cora moves to Rhode Island. As close as they become, Caleb’s tied to his family’s land–and not in a great way. He’s the youngest brother and destined to become a glorified ranch hand. Well, maybe…

You can expect some really erotic scenes and a fast moving plot in this steaming novella. I liked how the end turned out–so proud of Caleb for reaching for his dreams. And it was so cool that Cora inspired them. They are a sexy, sassy couple that was fun to experience. I think I’d have liked a bit more cowboy-iness, as Caleb is not what I’d consider a regular cowboy. Some sexytime moonlight rides, perhaps? Maybe next time!!

Interested? You can find COWBOY VALENTINE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Samhain Publishing, Books-A-Million, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win books from Mia!
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

HEADSHOT(1)About the author:
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends.

When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.” She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

Catch up with Mia online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
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Becoming LIKE A LOVER–Review and Giveaway

LaL-BannerHi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a new book out from Jay Northcote. LIKE A LOVER is a yummy, customer-to-boyfriend tale that features Josh from HELPING HAND. While the books share a few characters, LIKE A LOVER is fully enjoyable as a standalone.

LikeaLover_EBOOKAbout the book:
Josh has a plan: get through uni with a good degree and no debts. Focused on his goals, he’s working as an escort to pay his way. He enjoys the no-strings sex and doesn’t have the time or inclination for a relationship. Falling in love definitely isn’t part of the deal—especially not with a client.
When Rupert meets Josh in a bar, he’s smitten on sight. He’s never paid for sex before, but when Josh propositions him, he can’t resist. He should have known one night would never be enough. Luckily for him, he has an inheritance to support his addiction to Josh, because his job in IT wouldn’t cover the cost.

With each appointment the lines get increasingly blurred. Something is developing between them that feels more like a relationship than a business transaction, but they come from different worlds and to go from client-and-escort to lovers seems impossible. If they want a future together, Josh and Rupert have a lot to overcome.

How about a little taste?

“I like your lip ring,” Rupert said. His gaze dropped lower to Josh’s collarbones. “What are your tattoos of?”

“Swallows.” Rupert would just be able to see the wing tips that showed in this low-necked T-shirt. “Two of them.”

“Have you got any other tattoos?”

Josh gave a slow, teasing smile. “Maybe. Do you want me to show you?”

Rupert met his eyes again. There was a flicker of uncertainty before he answered. “Yes. I’d like that.”

Josh turned over the possibilities in his mind. It had been a long time since he’d had sex for anything other than for money. He usually saw clients at least three nights a week. They scratched the itch for him, and he didn’t have the time or inclination to hook up with other guys. He hadn’t dated since he’d started working as an escort. Josh didn’t like lying about his job, but most guys didn’t want to date escorts.

It would be easy to pick Rupert up tonight, though, and have no-strings sex with him for fun rather than cash. But Josh’s rent was due.

“Me too. But it’ll cost you,” he finally said.

Rupert frowned, obvious confusion crossing his features as he tried to make sense of Josh’s words. “What? I don’t—”

“You’re hot, and I wish I could do this without asking you for money. But a client let me down this evening. I have a hotel room booked and paid for next door, and I need someone to cover the cost for me.” The lie came smoothly. “I can’t afford to have sex for free tonight.”

Rupert’s mouth dropped open. Shock was evident on his face, but there was something else that was harder to read. His cheeks flooded pink again and his eyes went dark. “You’re….” His voice came out husky, and he cleared his throat. “You’re a….”

“A sex worker. An escort, to be precise. Hooker, rent boy, you get the gist. I’m an expensive one too. But my clients think I’m worth the money.” Josh waited, tension making a muscle tick in his jaw as he forced himself to stay still and hold Rupert’s gaze. On the occasions he’d tried picking up clients face-to-face, their reactions had varied. Interest, anger, excitement, disgust… he’d seen them all. He steeled himself, ready for rejection.

Rupert licked his lips. “How much?” he finally asked.

My Review:
I really liked this sexy read! Josh is a professional escort earning his way through college by turning tricks. For Americans I’d like to point out that this is PERFECTLY LEGAL BEHAVIOR because prostitution is legal in England, where the story takes place.

Josh is an enterprising young man, with his own website and everything. He has done a lot of tricking in the past few years, but that’s far better than the alternative of loans. Plus, Josh is working hard to get good grades and can’t really focus on finding, or keeping, a boyfriend. Josh has no real contact with his family, but has some close friends, namely Dani, Mac and Jez who are his housemates. Josh picks Rupert up when one of his regular johns flakes out, and the results are freaking hot.

Rupert is a shy IT professional who can’t fathom why he decides to pay Josh for sex, but it works for him. He gets a strange, and unexpected, thrill, knowing Josh will be his for an hour, or more. One night is surely not enough, however, and he proceeds to book Josh for more and more evenings–sometimes including enough time for a drink or a meal prior to the sexytimes. Each time the encounters felt more date-like for me, and Rupert. Josh isn’t unaware of the danger of encouraging Rupert–he just can’t turn the guy away.

I absolutely died for Rupert. He is such a loving man, and has so little love in his life. How his mother invited him to such an important function, but wanted him to bring a female date–knowing he was gay? *shakes head in disbelief* I was rooting for these guys to become a couple on Page Ten, and it took a lot more pages, but they did get there. Expect a lot of delicious sexytimes, some uptight family, and a bit of serious soul-searching on both sides of the coin. I was caught up in the tenderness and love, especially when I had Rupert’s point-of-view to guide me.

I have a growing affection for all Jay Northcote stories–there is so much love stuffed into every page–and this story is no different. I wasn’t sure I’d like the prostitute-turned-boyfriend trope here, but she totally pulled it off. Also, I had NO idea Josh was a prostitute when I read HELPING HAND, in which he has a bit of a role, but I loved the way these stories dove-tailed. Good stuff!

Interested? You can find LIKE A LOVER on Goodreads, Amazon US and UK, All Romance Ebooks and Smashwords.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

You can find Jay on her website, Twitter, Facebook Author Page, and Amazon.

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Loving a HARD DAY’S NIGHT–Excerpt and Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing some love for Mia Kerick’s new release, HARD DAY’S NIGHT. I’ve reviewed a few of Mia’s books, THE RED SHEET, RANDOM ACTS, and LOVE SPELL, and I just adore her heartfelt, and compelling M/M fiction.

Make sure to drop down and enter the giveaway for a $15 Amazon gift card.

HDN CoverAbout the book:
High school senior Kalin (Lennon) Macready knows several facts for certain: John Lennon is his hero. Beaumont Finley Danforth II (Fin) is his best friend. And—this is the complicated one—he feels more for Fin than mere friendship.

For weeks, Lennon pesters Fin, who like Lennon admits to questioning his sexual orientation, for a commitment to spend twenty-four hours together exploring “the gay side of life.” Fin reluctantly agrees. Each boy will seek to answer the daunting question, Am I gay? Lennon pre-plans the day, filling the hours with what he assumes “gay life” is all about: shopping for fashionable clothing, indulging in lavish dessert crepes, boogying to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off”, and yes, listening to show tunes.

However, Lennon quickly realizes that in creating his plan he has succumbed to the most common and distorted of gay stereotypes. Can he be gay and not fit them? And more importantly, is it possible that spending one very hard day and night together will help Fin accept that he’s gay, too? If so, maybe Lennon has a shot at winning the heart of the boy of his dreams.

“A Hard Day’s Night” is an amusing young adult contemporary romance about two boys who seek to discover if they must fulfill stereotypes to be together.
In the end, maybe all you need is love.

How about a little taste?

“Fin and I have managed to get locked into what I will refer to as a repetitive pattern of affable behavior, and, in my opinion, it’s working out splendidly. We are the dearest of friends.”

Scratch that. Starting over.

And since I know it’s well past time for some brutally honest self-talk, I sit up in my bed, and by the warm glow of my Yellow Submarine nightlight, study my frayed picture of John Lennon. To complete the visual, it’s the photo from Mom’s retro record set, The White Album, that I pinned to the wall beside my bed and have worshipped regularly since I was in the seventh grade. Behind those round wire glasses, the man’s piercing eyes don’t lie—John was a brutally honest sort, often to his detriment. After all, back in 1966 didn’t he assert that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ? Now, that is certainly calling it exactly as he sees it.

Not that I necessarily agree with the sentiment, I respect that kind of direct-ness in a person.

I owe him this much.

Out of respect for John, I revise and reissue my previous assertion.

“The Finster and I are stuck in a rut of pleasant compatibility… an unusually deep rut, at that.”

This attempt at telling-it-like-it-is is definitely an improvement, but it’s still not right on the money, and I’m nothing, if not specific.

I prop up my pillow and lean hard against the creaky antique headboard (call it like you see it, Lennon—the headboard is just plain old), with the certain knowledge that I’ve completely outgrown this flimsy, twin size bed of my childhood.

So maybe it’s more like this….

“Fin and I each have one leg semi-submerged in a muddy ditch, and we’re in it well past our knees. This is the kind of murky and dark, seemingly bottomless, pit that will suck the rubber boot right off your foot with a single, hollow, slurping sound, and then belch with satisfaction.” For the third time I speak aloud in an effort to make my declaration official. “It appears that the two of us are gonna be stuck here in this mucky BFF-swampland for the long haul— bootless and slowly sinking into the sludge—unless, of course, I act decisively and with haste. And with great vigor—because, to accomplish the task I have in mind, I’m most likely going to have to shift into full-hyper-dunk-mode, possibly coupled with the drama-queen-approach. Neither of which poses a problem for me, other than that they require an excessive expenditure of energy.”

That was most definitely a mouthful, but an accurate mouthful.

And all I need is one day. Just one gay day.

Thankfully, ever proud of the open-mindedness he hides so well from his ultra-conservative family, Fin has granted me my greatest wish. On Saturday, March 21st, Beaumont Finley Danforth II (IMHO this BFD is a Big Fucking Deal) is mine for the day to do with as I please. I sincerely hope that a single day is sufficient to help Fin figure out what I already know.

Um, Lennon…maybe now is not the right time to start suffering with a debilitating bout of self-doubt.

Confidence is of key importance in this endeavor.

No, I do not have any worries, and yes, I do have twenty-four feminine-side-ex- ploring, team-switching, relationship-igniting hours to make my homeboy see the rainbow-hued light. Starting bright and early tomorrow morning.

On that note, I’ll get started with my beauty sleep. I sure hope I’m gonna need it.

I wiggle down so I’m flat on my back with my feet sticking six inches over the end of the bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and listen to my mental arrangement of “Imagine” until I fall asleep.

My Review:

This is a tender, loving story about two best friends figuring out their sexuality together. Kalin, a Beatles aficionado who’s been called “Lennon” since middle school, has a serious crush on his best friend Fin. Fin is the only son of a wealthy family, and is expected to go to Stanford, become a lawyer, and enter the family firm–even though he’s really only interested in film making.

Fin is a champion skier, and usually spends all his weekends on the slopes, but he’s due to stay home this weekend and Lennon has convinced him to spend 24 hours in the “gay experience.” This includes “gay” makeovers, including guyliner, Zumba dancing, and frilly cappuccinos. What he didn’t plan, but is grateful to find, is Fin’s especially serious take on the whole day’s events.

These two guys are so tender, and so earnest. They know they are way closer than two hetero guys should be, and they are afraid what that means. Well, Fin is. He has a lot of expectations to live up to, and he is a born “pleaser,” working hard to please everyone. I think he went along with Lennon’s plan simply to please him, at first, and finding that some of the gauche stereotypes they indulged in were more appealing then he could have imagined.

For a short read, this novella is very powerful, and would surely appeal to questioning teens. Expect some dark moments, too, when Fin and Lennon have barely acknowledged their sexuality and run afoul of some serious hate. I feared they wouldn’t come out of it well, but they shined on, and it was very touching. I totally loved the integration of Beatles wisdom, thoughts and lyrics into the prose. It was true that love was all they needed.

Interested? You can find HARD DAY’S NIGHT on Goodreads, Amazon, AllRomance and Gumroad.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Where to find Mia online: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Joining the WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN–Review and Giveaway

WoB-bannerHi there! I’m so excited to share my review of Brad Vance’s WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN, a historical, paranormal, M/M adventure/romance. I really dug the new mythology Brad’s unleashed, and look forward to more stories in this series.

WoB-CoverAbout the book:
Darien Mackey wasn’t looking for an adventure. For ten years, he’d been happy living in Brooklyn, working as a butcher in the same job, living in the same apartment, dating some “nothing-special” guys. Until one night his buddy Jacob talked him into taking ayahuasca, the soul-changing drug. And Darien had a vision…of a wolf, its all-too-human eyes on him, its paws on his chest, its enquiring mind in his own…

Darien Mackey is changing. He’s more confident, more assertive, hungrier, hornier. And his world is changing around him – his job, his home, his beloved Mechanic’s Library all falling victim to the predations of unscrupulous developers, bent on demolishing the old Brooklyn he loves and replacing it with a forest of condos. But he’s no longer a passive observer of his own life, and as this thing, this power, grows inside of him, he resolves to fight back, to preserve the way of life he loves.

And he’s not alone in the fight. The Lipsius Preservation Society of Brooklyn stands ready to assist in the battle, even though it seems like a bit of a joke to Darien, with its King and its Duke, Marquess, Earl and Viscount.

But there’s nothing funny about his growing attraction to Albeus Finley, King of this mysterious Court. And when slumlords and condo-mongers start to die mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of savage animals, Darien begins to realize that something is afoot in Brooklyn – something supernatural.

And it’s afoot in him, too…

A little teaser:

The wolf’s eyes were lava-yellow with hate. His growl and his snarl were meant to terrify Darien, to freeze him in his tracks, prepare him for his death.

Then something rose up in Darien, rage, frustration, primal energy. And his own lips curled, his own growl met the enemy’s.

The Duke retreated a pace, taken aback. Darien felt sharp pains in his palms and looked down. Where he’d had fingernails, he had claws, long and sharp, and the fists he was making were digging them into his flesh.

He smiled, exhilarated, wild. He lunged and snapped at his enemy, knowing that his canines had become…literally that, elongated spikes ready to tear out a neck.

Darien’s ears were ringing, something surging in him beyond mortal feeling – like testosterone but stronger, more powerful, the smell of victory, immortality.

“The King is mine,” Darien declared. “And I am his.”

He knew he’d taken a step from which there was no turning back. He was the King’s man, the King’s consort. He would open to Albeus and take him, and be taken by him, and he would be alone no more.

He was one of the pack.

And it curdled the blood of men for miles around when he raised his face to the full moon, and howled.

My Review:
I must admit, I’m addicted to shifter stories. I’ve read dozens by now, and I was so engaged in this one. It’s not the normal “guy gets bitten” story, though. In fact, the mythos regarding transformation was completely new to me and gave the story a freshness I didn’t expect.

Darien is a man out of time. He lives in contemporary Brooklyn but he doesn’t have a TV or a computer. He has restored his apartment to it’s Old World charm, and has learned to be a craftsman butcher, traveling to Italy, Poland and other areas to learn from the masters. He’s an apprentice to Mr. Nowak who is more father than employer. Every Sunday he sits to dinner with the Nowak’s and Darien is a part of their family–well, until money comes into the matter. Mr. Nowak is offered $12 million for his property, including his business and Darien’s apartment above it. The Nowak family is clamoring to sell, but Mr. Nowak is holding out for Darien to find a new job, a new home, and the family is growing impatient.

Also impatient are the real estate developers who cannot wait to carve the history and soul out of Darien’s once down-rodden Brooklyn slum, as expertly as Darien would carve a side of beef. Gentrification is ripping the heart right out of the area, and the historic Mechanic’s Library is on the chopping block, as well. Invigorated by an experience with Amazonian medicine, (read: psychadelic trip) Darien cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. Becoming an activist for the first time in his life, Darien meets all the members of a community he’d lived in yet hardly experienced. Among them the Court.

Darien thought the Lipsius Preservation Society would be a consortium of billionaires who’d never worked a day and had money to blow–and he was so, so wrong. Their Old World manners belied a secret world that Darien was only beginning to experience. And, as his hungers become more and more primal, Darien knows that Albeus, King of the Court, is the secret to understanding his brave new world.

I really was taken by Darien–such an old soul. His attraction to Albeus is immediate, and Albeus senses this, but the physicality comes so much later. Darien doesn’t understand the full ramifications of his dabbling in the spectral plane, but he does get that he is forever changed, and that his transformation is not complete. His energy is through the roof, he’s ravenous, and his sexual appetite is far more physical than previously. Albeus is a bit stunned by the rapid pace of Darien’s transition, but he’s grateful–it seems clear the connection between them is more than camaraderie, in contrast to that with the bulk of the Court. No, Albeus and Darien believe they are mates–and move all the more slowly to cement a permanent bond.

In the backdrop are the realty haggles, personal tragedy, and Albeus’ own transformation story. The book is so well-developed and richly textured I could see it all unfold through Darius and Albeus’ eyes the entire time. I really loved the slow burn, but I’d have liked a bit more sexytimes, too.

Young male fashion model posing outdoors against rustic background

Interested? You can find WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win on of three ecopies of WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Brad Vance writes gay romance, erotica and paranormal stories and novels, including the breakout hits “A Little Too Broken” and “Given the Circumstances.” Keep up with Brad at BradVanceErotica.wordpress.com, email him at BradVanceErotica@gmail.com, and friend him on Facebook at facebook.com/brad.vance.10.

You can catch up with Brad online on his website, Goodreads, Facebook, email, twitter, and Pinterest

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They Found Themselves SATED–Review & Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for SATED, an erotic paranormal, menage novella from Lucy Felthouse. This one is a real scorcher!

There’s an excerpt below and also a giveaway for a $10 AllRomance gift card, too!

SatedAbout the book:
A human, a vampire and a werewolf walked into a bar. Sexy is what happens next.

Since getting together with her vampire boyfriend, Ace, Aneesa is enjoying a sex life she could never have with a human. Ace has skill, strength, stamina…and is massively adventurous. Aneesa is checking things off her sexual bucket list at a rate of knots. However, she hasn’t even come close to experiencing the ultimate item on her list. So when Ace beats her to it, proposing a threesome with his werewolf friend, Barton, Aneesa’s definitely up for it.

Barton is attractive, smart and sexy—almost too good to be true, in fact. Aneesa decides not to jump straight into things, but makes sure it’s what she truly wants. However, it turns out Barton’s not so easily dissuaded.

Will Aneesa get the ultimate erotic experience she’s desired for so long? Will she be truly sated, or is the plan doomed to failure?

Some thoughts from the author:
A Human, a Vampire and a Werewolf by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985)

I had a couple of people ask me why I combined a human, a vampire and a werewolf in this story. The short answer is that the call for submissions for the story asked for humans, vampires and werewolves. Not all of them, necessarily, but as it was a paranormal call for submissions, clearly there had to be either a vampire or a werewolf. I decided to go whole hog and throw all three species into the mix and see what happened! Since the call also specified the stories should be ménage, it was an easy decision.

The call had heavy emphasis on the characters having needs, desires, an unquenchable thirst… I let my mind wander and it soon provided me with the solution. Along came Aneesa, a sassy, gorgeous Indian chick with lots of sexy needs and one hell of a bucket list. Add in one gorgeous vampire boyfriend with some useful contacts, and I ended up with a steamy story that garnered this reaction from a reviewer:

“This book ticked all of these boxes and then some. Aneesa is the luckiest human lady alive. Not only does she have a hot vampire boyfriend named Ace who ramps up the kink in her life but now his horny werewolf friend Barton wants a share too. I loved this story, it completely captivated me and I devoured it all in one sitting. The steamy ménage action is first class and scorching. I only have one complaint, I wanted more, more, more!” Karen Shenton

I had great fun writing this story, and I hope readers enjoy it, too!

Happy Reading,

Lucy x

How about a little taste?

With a quick nod, Barton turned back to the bar and attempted to get the attention of a member of staff. I took the opportunity to study Barton in greater detail without him knowing. Quite honestly, I really enjoyed what I saw. He was a tad taller than Ace, making him maybe three inches over six feet. Tight—but not obscenely so—jeans covered what looked like a very grabbable, bitable backside and thick thighs that were in perfect proportion with the rest of him. A narrow waist flared out to wide shoulders, encased in a short-sleeved T-shirt which showed off his physique. His arms, of course, were muscular, and looked as though even if he hadn’t been a werewolf, that he could throw me around in the bedroom. Mmm…

He also had a couple of tattoos peeking out of his sleeves, but I couldn’t see them properly. Providing things worked out, I’d have the opportunity to study his ink in great detail later. That and the rest of his no doubt delectable body.

Having stared for longer than was polite, even though he was facing the other way, I shifted my attention to Ace, who was watching me with an amused expression on his face.

“You like?” he mouthed.

I waggled my eyebrows theatrically in response, stopping suddenly as Barton turned to us, holding our drinks. We both took the ice-cold glasses and murmured our thanks.

“So,” Barton said, snagging his own drink, “shall we go and grab a booth?”

“Absolutely,” Ace replied, “lead the way, mate.”

As we followed Barton past a group of guys at the pool table, I tried to get my brain in gear for some conversation. Although I hadn’t said it out loud, I did want to get to know him better before I considered getting naked and horizontal with him, so I needed to figure out what to say. I couldn’t rely on Ace and Barton to get the chatter going—they might fall into reminiscing about times gone by, or talking about sports or people I didn’t know.

As we reached an empty booth right in the corner, Ace stood aside and let me sit down first. I slid along the vinyl seat, and he moved in beside me. Barton sat opposite us, his bulk filling a good chunk of the space on his side of the table.

Damn, he really was handsome. I took a long swallow of my drink, using the time to check him out some more. His chin-length dark hair looked soft, strokeable—ideal for tangling one’s fingers into. And maybe tugging. His eyes were brown, with laughter lines at the corners, which were always a positive note in my book. If someone laughed a lot, then they were either fun, or had a lot of fun. Both were good with me. His nose was long, not over-large, and had been broken, likely more than once. Finally, his mouth—possibly the best part of him. That I could see, anyway. Sinful, tempting lips, straight white teeth, and a dimple in his left cheek.

Putting my glass down on the table, I crunched on an ice cube, preparing to ask my first question to get the conversational ball rolling. Barton beat me to it.

My Review:
This is a quickie ménage scene that answers the question: what happens when a vampire, a werewolf and a human walk into bar?

Aneesa is a human in love with a sexy, non-sparkling vampire, Ace. They’ve been dating for eight years, enjoying the many splendors of love with each other, but both have a ‘bucket list’ ménage fantasy to tick off. Ace has chatted with his friend, Barton, a werewolf with an insatiable sex drive, about the possibilities, and he’s down for it. (Or should I say up for it?) Regardless, Barton wants to get it on, and isn’t above a bit of (harmless) stalking to get the party rolling.

Thing is, Aneesa’s simultaneously put off and aroused by Barton’s interest. The deed goes forth with sexy results.

For a sexy short, it packs a lot of heat, and the whimsical writing kept me smiling throughout. Looking forward to more…

Interested? You can find SATED on Goodreads, Totally Bound, Amazon: UK, US, AU, and CA; All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, iBooks UK, iBooks US, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the link below for your chance to win a $10 GC to AllRomance.
Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house.

She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at her website, join her on Facebook and Twitter, or even subscribe to her newsletter.

Happy Book Birthday to THE FOXGLOVE KILLINGS! Excerpt and Giveaway

foxglove killings blitz bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing in the release day blitz for Tara Kelly’s YA suspense novel THE FOXGLOVE KILLINGS. This one looks fascinatingly creepy. Don’t forget to pop down and enter the giveaway.

foxglove coverAbout the book:
Gramps always said that when the crickets were quiet, something bad was coming. And the crickets have been as silent as the dead. It started with the murdered deer in the playground with the unmistakable purple of a foxglove in its mouth. But in the dying boondock town of Emerald Cove, life goes on.

I work at Gramps’s diner, and the cakes―the entitled rich kids who vacation here―make our lives hell. My best friend, Alex Pace, is the one person who gets me. Only Alex has changed. He’s almost like a stranger now. I can’t figure it out…or why I’m having distinctly more-than-friend feelings for him. Ones I shouldn’t be having.

Then one of the cakes disappears.

When she turns up murdered, a foxglove in her mouth, a rumor goes around that Alex was the last person seen with her—and everyone but me believes it. Well, everyone except my worst enemy, Jenika Shaw. When Alex goes missing, it’s up to us to prove his innocence and uncover the true killer. But the truth will shatter everything I’ve ever known about myself—and Alex.

How about a little taste?

Alex saw it first.

We were cutting through Neahkahnie Park, the morning sun warm on our backs. I was telling him we should take his grandpa’s El Camino SS and drive down the coast to California for the summer.

“He left that car to you,” I said. “You know he did.” I reached over to muss his light brown hair. It always stood straight up afterward, as if he’d been electrocuted.

“We can’t, Nova. I—” He stopped walking, his eyes widening at the playground.

Clumps of fur blew across the grass, like the cotton blooms did in July. I didn’t think it was real at first. Some kid’s stuffed animal, maybe.

But the stench was unmistakable. I’d practically been raised in my grandpa’s diner. I knew the smell of meat past its prime. Raw. Metallic. Even a little sweet.

A deer’s carcass was a twisted heap in the playground, its legs jutting out like winter branches. Bits of flesh, ranging in color from pink to dark red, were strewn across the wood chips. The head of the deer sat on the middle bucket swing. A misty film covered its eyes, and its mouth was open, as if it were gasping for air.

My stomach muscles began to knot.

I saw a dog get hit by a semi once. The scene replayed in my mind for months. The thud of the impact, the way he’d yelped. The last second of that dog’s life seemed to echo forever.

This was worse. Someone planned this. Put it on display, like it was entertainment.

“What the hell…” Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Don’t look.”

Alex had been on an animal-saving crusade since birth. He’d tried to bring a rabbit back to life the day I met him.

In fifth grade he’d called the police on his neighbor for yelling at her cat.

This wasn’t something he could handle. Especially not now.

“There’s nothing you can do,” I said, the words slipping out automatically.

“I know. I’m not nine anymore.” He glanced down at his busted Vans. Years of skateboarding had turned them from black to gray.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yeah, you did.” He held my gaze this time. His eyes looked almost yellow in dull light. Usually they were green.

I knew whatever came out of my mouth wouldn’t be the right thing to say. He’d been so weird since his grandpa died last month. Happy one minute. Pissed off the next. Sometimes he didn’t talk at all.

I slowly moved toward the deer, wishing I could ignore its vacant eyes, the drone of the flies pecking at its belly. My gramps used to clean up crime scenes back in the day. He swore by downing a few dozen peppermint Tic Tacs, claiming it obliterated his sense of smell. He was also a chain smoker…

A handful of mints wouldn’t take this image out of my head. Nothing would.

“We should call someone,” Alex said behind me.

Neither of us had a cell phone. He couldn’t afford one, and my mom thought they caused brain cancer.

I held my breath, trying not to gag. If I wanted to be a detective one day, this was the crazy shit I’d be dealing with. Too bad I’d inherited my mom’s weak stomach.

Something bright purple sat on top of the deer’s limp tongue. Darker spots peppered the inside, like a rash.

As I leaned closer, I realized it was a wilted foxglove. Or deadmen’s bells, as Mom called them. They were bell-shaped flowers that grew all over coastal Oregon. When I was little, she told me not to eat them or I’d end up like Sleeping Beauty. I used to think they belonged to the fairies. The evil ones, anyway.

A chill swept across my skin, the kind that came from inside.

Click here to continue reading Chapter 1!

Interested? You can find THE FOXGLOVE KILLINGS on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo Books.

****GIVEAWAY****

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foxglove authorAbout the Author:

Tara Kelly adores variety in her life. She’s an author, one-girl-band, graphic designer, editor, and photographer. She lives in Sin City with her beloved guitars, sound design master husband, and a fluffy cat named Maestro.

Find Tara online on her website, Goodreads, and Twitter, and Facebook.

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Happy Book Birthday to INDECISION by Elisabeth Grace

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Do you love a man in uniform? Us too – and boy, has Elisabeth Grace supplied one for us! Jamie is sweet in the streets and sizzling in the sheets, and you most definitely want to get your hands on him in INDECISION, which is available now!

 

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About INDECISION

Jackie Davenport will try anything once, especially in the bedroom. Anything except falling in love. She lives a carefree existence packed full of fun, but free from emotional entanglements and that’s just how she wants to keep it. When she meets the new police officer in town, she’s unable to deny the connection between them. His over confidence and bullish ways grate on her…still she can’t help but find herself falling into his bed AND falling for him.

Jamie McTavish is man enough to admit that he probably didn’t make the best first impression when he met the 911 Operator. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still sizzling sexual tension between them. He’s a man of action and he’s not content to sit on the sidelines until Jackie works out her issues. But trying to tame this tiger might be too big of a challenge for even him.

Add INDECISION to your Goodreads list here!

Excerpt

I pulled the cruiser into Jackie’s driveway. What the hell was wrong with me? It was only yesterday that I’d gotten her off and yet here I was, sitting unannounced in her driveway like a stalker.

If I’d thought it difficult to get her off my mind before, what had happened in the wine cellar had made it damn near impossible.

Everyone I’d talked to had said the same thing—that she’d turned down each and every cop or fireman that had asked her out. No one was sure if she was just trying to keep her personal life outside of the work environment or what, but I intended to find out. The insane pull between us didn’t leave me any other choice.

With a sigh, I unbuckled my seatbelt and glanced at the small bungalow. It was cute with white siding and black shutters. Hanging baskets of colorful flowers hung from hooks around the veranda and a kickass bicycle was leaning against the side of the house. That helped to explain why she had such a firm ass.

I opened the door to the cruiser when the front door of the house burst open, and Jackie stood there frozen, her hand held to her chest and such an expression of fear on her face that I bolted out of the car and up the front steps.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded as soon as I was in front of her.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked in barely a whisper.

I relaxed a fraction once it was clear she was okay. “I figured you could use a lift to Don’s place for your car. Didn’t think you would’ve driven home last night.” I shrugged. “It’s been quiet today, so I popped by to see if you wanted me to drive you over.”

She released a pent-up breath and relief washed over her face. “Oh, thank God.”

I frowned and gripped her upper arms. “What’s going on? Everything okay?”

She glanced down at where my hands lay on her soft skin and looked back up to me, blinking twice. “It’s nothing. When I saw the cruiser in the driveway…never mind.” She shook her head.

I studied her for a moment. She was sexy just rolling out of bed with her hair thrown in a messy bun and last night’s make-up still on her face. “You sure?”

She nodded and her eyes flicked down to my hands once more. “Why are you always touching me whenever I see you?” Her voice had come out all breathy, not at all convincing me that she didn’t like my hands right where they were.

I grazed her collarbones with my thumbs, causing goose bumps to form on her skin. “I think you know exactly why.”

 Get it now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo

Giveaways and Release Festivities

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Elisabeth Grace isn’t giving away just one prize in celebration of INDECISION – she’s giving away a ton more! Be sure to keep an eye on Elisabeth Grace’s Facebook page this week for more information about a lot of really cool prizes you can win!

Happy Hour Book Bash

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Join Elisabeth Grace with Faith Andrews, RE Hunter, Livia Jamerlan, and BA Wolfe on September 1st from 6pm – 11pm EST for some end of summer fun and giveaways! Click here to RSVP to the event on Facebook!

Newsletter

Be sure to sign up for Elisabeth Grace’s newsletter – she’s releasing a new chapter of BUILT TO LAST every two weeks, which will be available to newsletter subscribers only as she writes it!

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If you’re US based and you want to receive a text message when Elisabeth has a new book go LIVE, text ROMANCE to 313131!

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Catching That DEMON OF MINE–Review & Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review in the blog tour for
DEMON OF MINE , a contemporary M/M paranormal romance from Rayna Vause. I really enjoyed this simmering romance!

Demon of Mine (Hell Inc. Series, #1)About the book:
Climbing the corporate ladder can be hell….

As a Collections Demon, Zavier grants his “clients” one wish in exchange for their souls. His job sucks, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, they own you. The trouble is, Zavier’s not a very good Collections Demon, with his tendencies to spurn authority and find loopholes to help deserving clients out of their contracts. He’s under scrutiny from the head of his department, who would quite literally like to see him burn. He just needs to close a simple deal to get upper management off his back. Instead, he meets Ryan.

Ryan is desperately searching for a way to save his dying sister. He doesn’t believe in magic and demons, but he’s out of options. Zavier’s not what he expects in a demon, and even more unexpected is the strong sense of familiarity—very intimate familiarity.

While trying to free Ryan from his contract, Zavier discovers secrets unscrupulous even by South standards. Exposing them could cost Zavier everything, but it might be Ryan’s only hope.

How about a little taste?

The man dug in his pocket and pulled out a picture of a beautiful blonde woman wearing a huge smile as she cuddled a newborn baby. “This is my sister, Maggie, and her daughter, Mya. Maggie has cancer. Pancreatic, stage four. She’s terminal.” He glanced at the photo, and grief flitted across his face before determination chased it away. He handed him the image.

Zavier took the photo but didn’t look at it. Instead he watched a mix of emotions flicker over the man’s attractive face. His heart clenched with sympathy and an odd sense of commiseration. A part of him recalled the pain of knowing that a loved one’s time was running short, but he didn’t know why. As far back as he could recall in his existence as a demon, he’d never lost anyone. This acute identification with this man’s feelings made no sense.

“I need you to cure her. I want her to have a one-hundred-percent clean bill of health.”

Zavier finally looked at the picture of the glowing woman and child. In that captured moment she shone bright, happy, and full of life. “I imagine you must love her a lot, but are you sure you really want to do this?”

“I’d do anything for her.”

Tears shimmered in the man’s eyes. He pressed the heels of his hands into them before any could fall and took a deep breath. When he continued, his words turned defensive. “Look, my mind is made up. I-I just want to do this and go home.”

Zavier stared at the man, awed by his selflessness. No one this genuine had summoned him in ages. It tugged at something inside him, warming him at the same time as it annoyed him. Shit, here’s another one that’s going to bite me in the ass and get me in even deeper with upper management. He hated these types of cases. The selfish, stupid wishes, he granted without question, without a qualm. But these types of cases, where no one really came out ahead in the end, they got under his skin and made him detest his job a little more every time.

Zavier wished he could help this man in some way without locking him into the soul contract. If he could offer him this wish free of charge, he’d do it. The Board, however, would have his hide. Pushing his personal feelings aside, he did his duty, despite the sour taste it left in his mouth, and went about claiming another soul for South.

“It’s your life.” Zavier reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of papers. “You agree to sign your soul over to me. In return, I’ll give your sister a clean bill of health. The cancer, along with any other medical issues she may have, will be cured. Please understand, it’s not a ‘snap of the fingers’ situation. It will take some time for a full recovery. In a few weeks, you’ll notice a marked improvement. Over the course of a year, the disease will completely disappear.”

“Why a year?”

“It’s a protection issue—for you, and for us. Last thing we want are people—the government, whomever—asking questions when sick people miraculously recover overnight. It needs to look natural to a certain degree. Make sense?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Okay, moving on. You’ll have five years, and then I’ll come to collect. Use your years wisely. If these terms are acceptable to you, we’ll seal the deal with a handshake. At the same time, I’ll need you to verbally state your name and accept the terms. Then you’ll sign on the dotted line. We clear?”

“No. Yes. Contracts? Really? That seems awfully normal and more businesslike than I expected, especially after the summoning spell. Nothing about this entire situation is like I’d anticipated.”

“Yeah, well. Like I said, we’ve upgraded a lot of our practices and traditions over the years. Even demons have to update their methods from time to time. But, we keep enough of our old ways to retain a hint of mystery and mysticism about things. Don’t want to feel too corporate.”

The man stared at him dumbfounded, and then his expression changed. Zavier watched as the man gave him a long, analytical once over for the first time.

“Would you like me to do a little turn for you? Give you a better look?”

“What? No.” A slight blush spread across the man’s face. “It’s just—you aren’t what I imagined at all. I envisioned something a little more Hellraiser and a little less Ralph Lauren. With the juxtaposition of the magic and the paperwork, I’m just having a hard time piecing it all together in my mind.”

Zavier cocked his head at the man. “Still? I thought we’d addressed this a few minutes ago. Look, let’s try this instead.” Zavier closed his eyes and called up a bit of the darkness caged within. When he raised his lids, he let his inner demon show through.

“Better?”

The man gasped. “Uh, not really. No.”

“Whatever.” Zavier huffed and snuffed out the fire, allowing his eyes to return to their usual brown.

“Look, don’t worry about it for now. You’ll find out about the inner workings of the demon world soon enough.”

My Review:
4.5 stars for this contemporary M/M paranormal romance.

Ryan is wrecked watching his only sister die of pancreatic cancer. Desperate to save her, and spare her daughter becoming an orphan, Ryan does something he can’t even believe–he makes a pact with a demon, Zavier. For the exchange of his soul, his sister will be saved. Ryan is given a five year delay on collection, but when he seals the deal with Zavier something equally extraordinary happens–both men feel a deeper connection.

For Zavier, touching Ryan unlocks the history of his human life–the one he sacrificed when he made a pact with a demon to save the life of his dying lover, Ryan. Fifty years have passed since Zavier’s contract came due and he entered Hell’s ranks, but how could his new client Ryan have opened Zavier’s locked memories? Zavier begins to investigate his own contract, with the help of a guardian angel and a lesser demon with mad computer skillz. The answers are as infuriating as they are shocking, and Zavier is torn between his demon duty and his love once lost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. Do not be looking for lots and lots of steamy sex–there is a bit of physicality near the end, but it’s a small part of this bittersweet story. The story is told from Ryan and Zavier’s points of view, so we really get to see their insights, throughout. The descriptions of Hell are interesting and compelling–I definitely enjoyed the “corporate structure” and how the demons and angels jetted about with a touch of a cell phone.

The star-crossed love between Ryan and Zavier is allowed to develop in a new time–with Ryan being a more equal partner in love than the man Zavier sacrificed his mortality for all those decades ago. Still, things happen fast. Zavier’s boss is frustrated by his slip-shod efforts at signing new souls, and collecting souls which have come due. I adored Zavier’s sense of morality–he’s practically the anti-demon, all conscience and no avarice. His best friend is an angel, for goodness sake!

As Zavier works to protect Ryan from his own selflessness, Zavier makes the same mistake he did when he was human–and his keen protectiveness nearly ruins the tenuous love they are building, now. The end is nothing short of a miracle, but what can one expect when the angels hear your prayers. I know there are more books in this series planned, and I’m eagerly expecting Adrian (the guardian angel)’s story. I want that guy to find love again.

Interested? You can find DEMON OF MINE on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (ebook or paperback) Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

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About the Author:
Rayna Vause loves to craft romances that mix a little action, a little adventure, and, often, a touch of the paranormal. She’s voracious reader and a perpetual student. Rayna has collected more degrees and certifications then she cares to admit and eventually she’ll probably earn a few more just because. She is a proud geek who injects a little bit of her geeky, tech obsessed soul into every story she writes.

When Rayna isn’t busy make up stories, she’s likely indulging her love of video games. Why? Because playing through the action, adventure, and romance in a role playing game is as good as reading a romance novel and is sometimes great inspiration for her writing. She’s a martial artist having studied American Kenpo Karate. She is also a Disney fanatic of epic proportions.

Rayna is a member of RWA, RRW, and a founding member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She lives in southern NJ, just a bit outside of Philadelphia and shares a home with a cat who thinks she’s royalty.

Catch up with Rayna online on her website, Facebook, twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Thanks for popping in. And keep reading my friends!

Living Through RECKLESS HOPE–Review & Giveaway

RH bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a contemporary New Adult M/M romance, RECKLESS HOPE, by j. leigh bailey. This is the second book in the Letting Go series, about young men who find love when they are least looking for it. I really enjoyed NOBODY’S HERO, and I found RECKLESS HOPE to be a touching story about living through loss, and making the best of bad circumstances.

CARINA_0815_9781459290068_RecklessHope.inddAbout the book:
What’s life without a little risk?
Or a lot of risk, if you’re Sebastian Carlisle. He’ll never live up to the legacy of his dead brother, so why try? Being the wild child in a family of stuck-up rich snobs suits him just fine.

Until he meets Micah Burke, and everything changes.

Micah’s got too much going on for a relationship. Even if he could trust Sebastian, a distraction—a sexy, reckless distraction with a death wish—would only derail his carefully scheduled life. If it were just Micah, maybe that would be fine, but his mother and sister depend on him, and he can’t let them down. Or at least that’s what he tells himself.

A hot moment leads to a hot night leads to a connection neither of them are ready for. And when a crisis hits Micah’s family hard, Sebastian will have to shed his bad-boy image and decide whether he can be the man Micah needs—and Micah needs to decide whether he’ll let him.

How about a little taste?

“I thought I knew what kind of person you were.”

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear.”

Micah cringed, but kept going. “You take for granted everything I work my ass off to achieve. It’s easy for you. And now I know there’s more to you than that. I don’t understand your choices, or the need for an adrenaline rush you seem to have.” He held up a hand to keep Sebastian from saying anything. He scooted up, resting his back against the handlebars. “I don’t have to understand. It’s part of who you are.”

“Somehow I don’t think this discussion is heading in a direction I’m going to like.” Sebastian drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

“The thing is, you’re a bad influence on me.”

“I don’t—”

“You don’t even have to do anything. Take tonight, for instance.”

“Tonight?”

“I have a midterm tomorrow. I should be studying. Or even sleeping. Instead I’m here. I never have trouble doing what I’m supposed to do. Setting aside my ‘want tos’ to do my ‘have tos.’ Except around you.”

“I’m not trying to make your life harder. I’m just trying to be part of it.”

“That’s what I don’t get. You could have almost anyone. You could find someone a hell of a lot less complicated than me.”

“You may not believe it, but I don’t mind complications.”

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, but is fully enjoyable as a standalone.
4.5 Stars.

Micah Burke is 19 going on 62. He is the guardian for his 14 y/o sister and caregiver to his paraplegic mother. Two years ago his alcoholic parents were responsible for a car wreck that killed his father, paralyzed his mother, and killed three others. Since then he has had to take on two jobs and the role of parent. He barely makes ends meet and only goes out one night a month–one night of dancing–where he meets Sebastian Carlisle.

Sebastian Carlisle is as rich as they come. He’s a sophomore at Northwestern and an entitled prick with a sad history–his twin died of leukemia four years ago. His parents have pretty much moved to Europe and his only remaining family is his wealthy, but strict, grandfather–who absolutely does not approve of Sebastian’s risky life choices. Since then, Bas has lived his life on the edge, never showing his tenderness or vulnerability to anyone. Something about staid and sober Micah calls to Bas, reminds him of his conscientious and caring brother. The closer Sebastian gets to Micah, the more Micah tries to push him away–at first.

Micah has no time for a flighty boyfriend, but he can see that Sebastian isn’t a relationship guy. This is (at first) a problem–Micah doesn’t do casual, but then again Micah doesn’t do…anything. The close contact Micah and Sebastian have while working at the Carlisle Gardens Nursing Home (Micah as a CNA and Sebastian as a volunteer) keeps tempting Micah to take Sebastian up in his offers of fun. And casual sex…

This is a definite hurt/comfort story of two lonely young men looking for a partner who can be a support, not a burden. Micah is the first guy Sebastian has met in a long while who wants nothing from him–not money or contacts or anything, except a bit of fun now and then. Micah is sure being with Sebastian is a mistake–that he will let Micah down, just as everyone else in his life has. He’s so sure that he continually pushes Sebastian away, even when he truly needs his help.

I did like when Micah opened up, and asked Sebastian for help. And Sebastian’s response was way past stellar. I loved how Sebastian just meshed with the most difficult people–cantankerous old men and wild teens. He saw pieces of himself reflected in others and decided that he didn’t need to live up to his brother’s memory–rather he could behave like someone his brother would have been proud to know, and love. It was a very touching coming-of-age. These guys are young for all the tragedy in their lives, but the end speaks of happier days and a brighter future together. Expect a bit of angst and a decent amount of sexytimes.

Interested? You can find RECKLESS HOPE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win ebook copies of both book sin the Letting Go series.
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About the author:
j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of… well, everything…but some habits aren’t worth breaking. She’s been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She’s a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending.

She wrote her first story at seven, which was, unbeknownst to her at the time, a charming piece of fan-fiction in which Superman battled (and defeated, of course) the nefarious X Luther. She was quite put out to be told, years later, that the character’s name was actually Lex. Her second masterpiece should have been a best-seller, but the action-packed tale of rescuing her little brother from an alligator attack in the marshes of Florida collected dust for years under the bed instead of gaining critical acclaim.

Now she writes New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance novels about boys traversing the crazy world of love, relationships and acceptance.

You can find j. leigh online on Facebook, her Facebook Author Page, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Happy Book Birthday COWBOY VALENTINE–Excerpt & Giveaway

Cowboy Valentine RDLHi there! Today, I get the pleasure to welcome a new book into the world. COWBOY VALENTINE by Mia Hopkins is a New Adult erotic romance fresh off the press over at Samhain Publishing. And it is yummmmmmmy. Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!
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About the book:
Forget chocolate and flowers. This homegrown honey is all the sweetness he craves.
Small-town life is nothing but a waiting room for eighteen-year-old honor student Corazón Gomez. Work and school leave little time for love, but with a full-ride Ivy League scholarship and a one-way ticket out of the boondocks, who needs it?

The answer appears on Valentine’s Day when her old cowboy crush ambles into the ice cream parlor where she works, inviting her to go on a late-night ride in his truck. For the first time she wavers between staying on the straight and narrow, and going off-road with the handsome heartbreaker.

After four years working on ranches all over the country, Caleb MacKinnon is back on the family farm helping out his mom and brothers while his father fights cancer. The one bright spot: smart, funny, and wickedly sexy Cora.

From the start, they both know this blazing-hot love affair can’t last. But when autumn comes and Cora has to leave for the East Coast, Caleb must find a solution to keep himself—and his heart—from falling apart.

Warning: Contains hard, cherry-poppin’ sex in a pickup truck and a cowboy charmer who talks dirty in two languages.

How about a little taste?

The cigarette calmed her down some, so she turned back to the shop to finish closing. When she reached for the handle of the door, a pair of headlights lit up the storefront and a big engine shuddered into Park behind her.

She stubbed out her cigarette on the rim of a trash can and turned around. The driver’s side door squeaked open and shut.

“We’re closed,” she said to the figure who walked up to her, a tall man in jeans, a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat.

He looked up in the faint light coming from the store window. “That so?” he drawled. His voice was deep.

“Afraid so.” Cora squinted at him. “Do I know you?”

The man stepped farther into the light. “Maybe.”

He was about six feet or so, with high cheekbones and a clean-shaven chin. His skin was tanned and freckled, as though he spent long hours in the sun. He tipped his hat back, and at once Cora saw his eyes—green but with pupils rimmed in gold. He was handsome as hell.

“You’re a MacKinnon kid,” she said, although she knew full well which one he was, and that he was no kid.

“Caleb.”

“I remember you from school. You graduated like three, four years ago.”

He looked down at her. His scrutiny scorched her cheeks. “I want to say I remember who you are, but I can’t,” he said at last. “What’s your name?”

“Cora. Corazón Gomez.”

Caleb put a boot on the parking block and hooked his thumbs onto his belt. “Wait. I think I remember you too. You were that really smart one. The freshman in my chemistry class who knew all the answers. I think I had you in Spanish too. The teacher always made a big deal about your name meaning… What was it?”

“Heart. Corazón means heart.”

His eyes locked on hers and he nodded slowly, in no hurry to respond. To keep from fidgeting, she put her hands in the pockets of her uniform, wondering if he was going to say anything more. In the quiet, the wind rustled through the ocean of sagebrush that grew across the road.

“Well, I have to finish closing up.” She tried to sound casual. “Nice seeing you again, I guess.”

He still hadn’t stopped staring at her, but when she broke eye contact with him and turned toward the door, he cleared his throat. “Um, any chance I could get a sundae? I’ve had a hell of a night. I’d appreciate it.”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to let you in after closing time.”

“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

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I can tell you right now, that this book is a steamer! Watch out for my review next week.

Interested? You can find COWBOY VALENTINE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Samhain Publishing, Books-A-Million, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win books from Mia!
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

HEADSHOT(1)About the author:
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends.

When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.” She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

Catch up with Mia online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
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