Newly Released!
ALL THE PRETTY POSES by M. Leighton
a Contemporary New Adult Romance
Book Description:
Reese never wanted to be a hero…until she needed him to be.
Strength…
It took Kennedy Moore years to put her life back together after Reese Spencer shattered it. But she did. Now, years later, strong and independent, she is in pursuit of a single dream—to dance with the Altman American Dance Theater. Unfortunately, Kennedy is learning that a girl from nowhere with no money and no contacts might never be able to realize her goal.
That is, until Reese reappears, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Kennedy just can’t pass up. In exchange for working on his yacht for a few short weeks, he’ll get her an audition with the famous dance troupe. All Kennedy has to do is keep her head down, work hard and resist Reese. That sounds easy enough, right?
Weakness…
Reese doesn’t want to make it easy for Kennedy. Seeing her again has started a fire in his blood—an unwelcome one—so Reese has a plan. It’s simple: Get Kennedy on his yacht, seduce her, get her out of his system, move on with his life. That sounds easy enough, right?
But the one thing Reese didn’t plan for was Kennedy herself—a girl so strong yet so broken, she makes him want to rescue her, to take care of her. To save her. Even if he has to save her from himself.
Interested? You can find ALL THE PRETTY POSES at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Super giveaway! Click the linky-loo to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and keep reading my friends!
Shorter Bio: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton lives in the deep South with her super-hero husband and super-smart maltipoo. She has a fondness for coffee and chocolate, loves the color red, laughs at almost anything and often stares out her window, daydreaming of far-away places.
Feel like stalking the fabulous prolific Michelle M. Leighton? Try her blog, or Facebook, or Goodreads, or Twitter, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and if all else fails, you can simply email her.
Other books by M. Leighton
Beginnings: An M. Leighton Anthology,
The Blood Like Poison Series: For the Love of a Vampire, Destined for a Vampire, To Kill an Angel
Down to You, Up to Me, Everything for Us
The Wild Ones, Wild Child, Some Like It Wild (March 4, 2014), There’s Wild, Then There’s You (June 3, 2014)
All the Pretty Lies (November 12, 2013)
Madly, Madly & the Jackal, Madly & Wolfhardt
Fragile
The Reaping
The Reckoning
Gravity
Caterpillar
Wiccan
Loved COMING HOME–Review and Giveaway…
Hi there! And welcome to my stop on the COMING HOME blog tour organized by AtoMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is contemporary romance from Priscilla Glenn–and it FREAKING MADE ME CRY, so it’s a damn good read.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won’t be taken advantage of again.
When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah’s carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.
But Danny has a secret…
One that could shake Leah’s already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she’s faced with an incredibly difficult decision–is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she’s always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome?
My Review:
Wow. Just…I cried, okay. I CRIED!
Leah’s the caretaker of her family–since her mother died sixteen years ago. She’s the middle child and her last relationship crumbled under infidelity. Yet, her cheating ex stalks her (subtly) reinforcing Leah’s belief that she’s got bad taste in men. She’s shut down so many in the past two years she’s almost forgotten how it feels to find a man attractive…until she meets Danny.
Danny’s a good, hard-working man. His home life was crap, but he has strong ties to Gram, the grandmother of his childhood best friend Bryan. Now that Bryan’s gone, Danny takes care of Gram like she’s his own. In fact, part of what attracts Leah is Danny’s selflessness and devotion to family–something her ex never indulged.
But Danny’s quixotic moods keep them separate. One day he seems interested, and the next–he’s pushing Leah away. For a gal who hasn’t put herself ‘out there’ in two years, well, she’s not willing to press. Too much.
The chemistry is strong, but is it enough? Especially when Leah learns that Danny’s got legal troubles. Is she willing to stand by his side even if it means losing him later?
The author has asked that Danny’s secret not be revealed, and at first I thought: why should I hide the problem, you know? But then I recognized that all new relationships are built on uncertainty. There’s always a chance that one of the partners isn’t as ‘invested’ as the other and the loving one will get hurt, right? And, romance books all have a separation of the lovers right before the climax.
So, it’s the same with Leah and Danny–only they have a guaranteed relationship hiccup. In the meantime they make the absolute most of each moment they have–which really drew me in. They are so genuine, so open with each other, I just wanted them to make it. Wanted something to happen that would change their course for the better. Watching their separation occur tore me in two–hence, the tears.
Naturally, I felt like a sap, wiping my eyes on the bed sheet while trying not to sob and wake the hubby, but damn, it felt good, or bad, or…whatever, I LOVE when I get emotionally invested. That’s when I know the author done good. I loved this story. I loved Danny and Leah–two REALLY good people without any actual defects who, due to chance, meet, fall in love, separate and overcome in the most natural of manners. No BDSM. Minor head games–but, in the normal way of two people mis-communicating. No insta-love, COMING HOME begins with a tiny spark that leads to a slow burning love.
Interested? You can find COMING HOME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
About the Author
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English at the middle and high school levels for the past twelve years while moonlighting as a writer, mom, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.
If you catch her when she’s feeling sophisticated, she’ll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she’ll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry’s, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.
Glenn is the author of the contemporary romance novels Back to You, Emancipating Andie, and Coming Home. You can catch up with her on twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click this Rafflecopter link to win one of
three signed paperback copies of COMING HOME (international)
Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!
Living With HARD GLAMOUR–Review and Giveaway
Hi there and welcome to my stop on the HARD GLAMOUR blog tour sponsored AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is a New Adult Romance by Maggie Marr.
A promise to keep….
Honoring her mother’s last wish, Lane Channing vows to follow her dreams. She takes the ‘big risk’ and leaves her small Kansas town behind and heads to LA, the city of dreams. She’s got a stellar job lined up, an old jeep, and 20 bucks to last her to her first paycheck. Her hopes shatter when she arrives to find her job’s been given to someone else. Now she’s broke and will soon be living on the streets if she doesn’t do something fast. Welcome to cutthroat – Lane is most certainly not in Kansas anymore.
On the cusp of success…
Dillon MacAvoy has one goal–to become a star–whatever it takes. Even if it means honing his bad-boy can’t-be-tamed-and-forever-single image. Besides the image isn’t far from the truth. Dillon cares only about his younger brother and his career. He’s on the brink of superstardom if he can just decide on the next right script. But for that, he needs a script reader he can trust.
In a strange twist of fate…
Lane Channing is Dillon’s last chance. If Lane lasts the summer without becoming MacAvoy’s latest conquest, she’s guaranteed a job in entertainment. No problem, as long as she can ignore the heat that pulses through her every time Dillon is in the room. After all, love and commitment with a sweet, hometown girl would only ruin the Dillon MacAvoy brand.
My Review:
Lane is in a real mess. She’s broke in LA, with no job, and her car has just been towed. The brief encounter with a gay mailboy at the talent agency didn’t seem like a portent–but it should have. That mailboy, Choo, is about to become her personal savior. See, the delightful Choo is the younger brother of a (potential) rising star–Dillon MacAvoy.
Dillon had been recently plucked from obscurity while on UCLA’s campus–tapped for his All-American good looks, he posed for some underwear ads, and a year later he’s making movies. Not quite a household name, he’s got three movies poised for release and his publicist and agent are planning to capitalize on the “Unattainable Bad Boy” image they have cultivated to maximize his marketability. As with everything Hollywood–sex sells. So Dillon’s been having a lot of it. Dillon’s a fresh talent, but he’s a terrible script reader–and all his female readers, well…they don’t last long. If you want to get into a movie, you have to know the script, so chasing away all his readers after one-night stands means Dillon’s in professional trouble.
Choo picks Lane to be Dillon’s new reader–and it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Even if she struggles with attraction to her new boss. Dillon’s finally found a girl he won’t sleep with–because Lane is too pure for his jaded tastes. He knows she’s deep down good, not one of the countless starlets looking for a little fame pop with their action. See, Dillon’s driven to succeed. He needs these movies to go big time so he can bank enough money to support himself and Choo. Their parents have disowned them–well Choo anyway–for his ‘lifestyle’. Choo’s parents had previously subjected him to radical deprogramming therapy to “cure” his homosexuality–and it nearly killed him–something Dillon will never let happen again. So he’s All In on the image-building. The bigger his paydays the better he can protect Choo, after all.
Yet, he’s desperately drawn to Lane, and she to him. For her the security of their home: Dillon, Choo and their housekeeper, is something she hasn’t had for a bit. She has no siblings and her mom just died…so Choo’s friendship is a balm, even if Dillon’s attitude flexes between frostbite and thermonuclear. And, yeah, it does get hot.
But admitting that they want each other isn’t the hardest part. No, the hardest part is Dillon keeping up his Charade of Sexiness when Lane holds his heart. And, the hard truths of the glamour business are enough to send Lane packing back to Kansas…to save herself, and any shred of a career she might want when she graduates next spring.
It’s a satisfying read. Good smexytimes. Excellent tension. A insider’s look at the PR machine that is Hollywood. Some (rather) implausible scenarios that ultimately bring the naive Lane and the aloof Dillon into each other’s embrace, but it’s a romance so we’re all just as desperate to have them reach the HEA as they are… If you like Celebrity Romance (Think: Jasinda Wilder’s STRIPPED, Sasha Summers’ HOLLYWOOD EVER AFTER, or Beck Anderson’s FIX YOU) you will not be disappointed.
Interested? You can find HARD GLAMOUR on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
About the Author
Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business. She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer. She’s written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
You can find Maggie on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 10 Print copies of Hard Glamour – US/Canada
or one of 10 eBook copies of Hard Glamour – International
Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!
WISH FOR YOU–Release and Giveaway!
NEW RELEASE!!
A New Adult romance from best-selling author Marquita Valentine
What’s going on: a character’s perspective…
I’m Lacey Evans. There’s only one place in the world where I feel normal—the roller derby track. When I put on my skates and fasten my helmet, I’m powerful and in charge. I know exactly what to do and what to say. The rules are clear and everyone does exactly what they’re supposed to, penalties are enforced for those who don’t.
But in the real world, I’m far from powerful and in charge. I never know exactly what to do and say. For years, I counted on one person to be exactly who he said he was—my best friend -Wyatt Tanaka.
Only he’s changed. Being a Marine and serving in a war has made him different. Now I want to help him, but I also want to kiss him. And that’s not something best friends do.
Neither of us, it seems, is content being just friends anymore. If we cross that line, change the rules of our relationship, it could be wonderful and everything I’ve ever wanted.
But it might also mean I’ll lose the one person I’ve come to rely on and I don’t think my heart can take it.
Interested? You can find WISH FOR YOU at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Marquita Valentine, writes sexy heroes that make you swoon and sassy heroines that make you laugh. She’s the author of the bestselling contemporary romance series, Holland Springs, and the new adult romance series, Boys of the South.
Marquita met her husband aka Hot Builder at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man—and if that doesn’t work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children.
You can find Marquita at her website, Facebook, and twitter.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
1 $100 USD Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble – International
a Rafflecopter giveaway
That will keep you reading long into the night, amiright?
Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!
Happy Book Birthday COMING HOME–Release and Giveaway
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY
*Throws confetti* *Blows silly paper horn*
Available today a New Adult romance from Author Priscilla Glenn
Synopsis:
Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won’t be taken advantage of again.
When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah’s carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.
But Danny has a secret…
One that could shake Leah’s already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she’s faced with an incredibly difficult decision–is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she’s always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome?
How about a little taste?
“Do you want to be alone?” she asked.
Danny turned to her, his eyes meeting hers before he shook his head.
“Okay,” Leah said gently, and he released her hand as she put the car in park and cut the engine.
They rode the elevator up to his apartment in silence; Danny’s eyes were trained on the floor as he chewed the inside of his lip, and Leah rested her head on his shoulder until they arrived at his floor.
He seemed distracted as he opened the door to his apartment, and Leah followed him inside, putting her purse on the entryway table.
“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” she asked.
“No,” he murmured. “Thank you.”
He was standing in the living room with his back to her, and she walked over to him, placing her hands on the sides of his waist as she rested her forehead against the back of his shoulder. After a few seconds, he turned to face her, and Leah lifted her head, looking up at him.
He stared down at her for a moment before he dropped his eyes, watching his hand as he hooked two fingers in the front pocket of her jeans. She saw him wet his lips, and then he gave a gentle tug, pulling her a step closer as his other hand came to the hem of her shirt, taking it between his thumb and forefinger.
Danny’s eyes were trained on his fingers as he toyed with the soft fabric, and then his knuckle grazed her belly button as he started pulling it up slowly. When her stomach quivered in response, he glanced up, his eyes meeting hers before they dropped again.
And then he slid it up a bit higher.
She lifted her arms out of reflex, and suddenly, her shirt was off. He tossed it somewhere behind her before he hooked his fingers in the front of her jeans and gave her another tug.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her shoulder as his fingers came to the button of her jeans. She felt it pop open as he exhaled against her skin. “I’m sorry. I just…”
Leah closed her eyes as she brought her hand to the back of his head. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “Take what you need.”
He made a small sound in the back of his throat as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder. “God, how do you do that?” he asked, easing her zipper down.
“Do what?” she asked softly, running her fingers through the back of his hair.
“You make it stop hurting,” he said against her skin. “Every time.”
Leah exhaled as she brought her hand to his chin, lifting his head before she brought her mouth to his.
Wow! That’s a steamer, fo sho!
Interested? You can find COMING HOME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
About the author:
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English at the middle and high school levels for the past twelve years while moonlighting as a writer, mom, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.
If you catch her when she’s feeling sophisticated, she’ll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she’ll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry’s, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.
Glenn is the author of the contemporary romance novels Back to You, Emancipating Andie, and Coming Home. You can catch up with Priscilla on Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 2 Signed bundles (includes signed copies of Back to You, Emancipating Andie and Coming Home), plus bookmarks and swag – International
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck, and, as always, keep reading my friends!
Liar Liar Hearts on Fire–Release and Giveaway!
An Adult Romantic Comedy
Released TODAY! Happy Book Birthday!
Violet Miller is a teacher savoring her summer break until she’s been called in as emergency reinforcements—of the dating kind. She volunteers to help an old flame by pretending to be his girlfriend. In Alaska. At a family reunion. Since the guy is a handsome, lumberjack-sized doctor she’s never quite forgotten, faking a relationship won’t be hard work.
Mike Ostranski is a desperate man on vacation. His mother wants grandchildren and sees a crazy Alaskan woman as a candidate for daughter-in-law. Mike needs Violet by his side to deflect the lady’s advances.
A week in Alaska as boyfriend and girlfriend should be easy for them. They grew up together, even had a brief fling. What could go wrong?
Everything.
How about a little taste, hmm?
For a guy so big, he was an incredibly good dancer. My brain was fighting a losing battle. He moved us both to the deep throbbing of the music, his palms holding me against him, his fingers resting on the upper swell of my ass. I wasn’t going anywhere. Knowing that, I gave over and my brain let go. For the moment, I was his and he was making it very well known to anyone watching.
One song in, I didn’t think I was going to make it. My morals were being sorely tried by the liquor and Mike’s dominating grip on me. Sweat pricked my skin, I knew my cheeks were flushed and heated. There was no doubt he could feel the hard tips of my nipples pressed against him. I’d become scorchingly aroused and when I felt vibrations right…there—
“Holy shit,” I panted, my forehead thudding against Mike’s hard chest. Was that a vibrator in his pocket? If I could practically have an orgasm on the dance floor, I didn’t think I’d survive if he ever got in my pants again.
I moved against him and it happened again. Felt the sensation zip through me from head to toe. My heart pounded and a soft moan escaped my lips. Mike leaned down, his breath hot on my ear, his lips lingering there. Did he know such a little spot could drive me crazy?
“Like that?” His voice was low so only I could hear. Dark.
I nodded my head shamelessly. He shifted me back a few inches, reached into his jeans pocket.
He pulled out his cell and smirked.
Oh, God. I was officially a hussy.
This one sounds hysterical! Really. I can’t WAIT to read it! Look for a review next week…and don’t forget to enter the raffle below for your chance to win a free copy!
About the Author
Jennifer Zane has lived all over the country–from Georgia to Maryland, New York to Colorado, including an exciting five years in Montana. Her time in Big Sky country was the basis for this book. When she’s not writing, she savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She currently lives with her family in Colorado.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 5 eBooks of Liar, Liar Hearts on Fire (Int’l)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! And, as always, keep reading my friends!
Every Gal Needs a Little Nora–A Review
After a failed marriage, how do you let your heart love again?
That’s the problem facing Molly Hallberg in Linda Yellin‘s new contemporary romance WHAT NORA KNEW.
Molly’s a 39 y/o divorced woman living in New York. She writes the human interest column for an online magazine, EyeSpy. So, she does wacky things like go undercover as a professional bra fitter, or go parachuting, and then writes about the experience. In Molly’s wit and job antics I found an instant kinship to Bridget Jones–always a plus, for me.
Molly’s romantic misadventures are mainly limited to her philandering ex. She never dated much, and in the five years since her divorce she’s only has couple of boyfriends. Her current beau, chiropractor Dr. Russell Edley, is the epitome of “safe”. She has a pleasant time with him. Very pleasant. And comfortable.
Besides, Molly likes comfortable. Her ex was challenging and fiery. And a cheater. So, why seek out passion? It’s bound to lead to trouble, right?
Except Molly’s big new story is to write a piece about finding one’s soul mate–in the spirit of Nora Ephron. [For those who don’t know Nora Ephron think: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, or You’ve Got Mail, because she wrote those screenplays.] So, Molly, relationship washout and romantically-challenged Molly, is supposed to write an upbeat, quirky, fun article about finding one’s soul mate.
She bombs.
Along the way she goes undercover as a speed-dater, and meets best-selling author Cameron Duncan at a Hamptons garden party. Cameron’s recurring character Detective Mike Bing falls in love with a new girl in each book, because none of them survive to a second novel. Being a bit critical of Mike Bing’s skills as a detective, Molly’s a bit shocked to discover her anti-romance comments tweeted out by Cameron. Oh, and the Nora-like romance piece? Cameron writes it, freelance.
In fact, she’s running into Cameron at odd turns. Their repartee smacks of the Meg Ryan-Billy Crystal When Harry Met Sally back-and-forth. It’s fun and bright. Totally unlike her banter with Russell. Watching her friends, her spinster older sister–and even her grandmother!–find the passionate love they’d always sought gives Molly pause.
Had love truly existed all around her but she was too closed off to witness it? And, could she find it, too? More importantly, would she risk her comfort to grasp a real love after surviving a humiliating divorce?
In this, Molly channels Nora. Nora had been jilted. Twice. Betrayed by two husbands and a best friend. But Nora later found love and wrote some of the most timeless romances, filled with hope and risky choices. Cameron pushes all of Molly’s buttons–and she realizes that he’s really quite the decent guy. Maybe a guy worth risking her pride, and her heart, to love. Until he inadvertently scoops her coveted column…
This quiet romance pulls all the right strings. Molly learns to trust herself, and Cameron, and give love a shot. In true Ephron homage we get grand gesture ending that satisfies. I loved it.
I got an advance copy for review via NetGalley, but the book comes out January 21st. You can pre-order WHAT NORA KNEW at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Or, wait until next week to get it at your local bookstore.
If you pick it up make sure to come back and let me know if you liked it. And, as always, keep reading my friends!
Sneak Peek of HARD GLAMOUR by Maggie Marr
SNEAK PEEK: HARD GLAMOUR
A new series by Maggie Marr
New Adult Contemporary
Releasing January 14, 2014
Lane Channing doesn’t have much to leave behind in Kansas. She promised her dying mother she would follow her dreams no matter what. That’s why this summer Lane is taking ‘the big risk’ and leaving the Midwest for an internship in LA at CTA. She arrives for her internship in her old jeep with 20 bucks until her first paycheck — but she has a job! A dream job that will get her into the Industry…or she thought she did until she finds out that CTA gave her job away! Now she’s broke, unemployed and stuck in LA with no safety net.
Dillon MacAvoy has one goal–to become a star. His agent and publicist have been honing his bad-boy can’t-be-tamed forever-single image in preparation for the release of Dillon’s first film. An image that will sell tickets, solidify Dillon’s career. Besides, it’s an image that is very close to the truth. Nothing matters to Dillon but his career and his brother. He’s got offers for great roles stacking up but the studios are getting ready to pull the deals if he won’t give them answers. Problem? He keeps sleeping with his script readers and then tossing them aside. Then Dillon’s brother Choo finds the perfect reader for Dillon, a reader that is completely untouchable–Choo finds Lane Channing.
Lane is saved by the job opportunity to read for Dillon MacAvoy and if she can last the entire summer as his reader then she will have a job next spring when she graduates college. But she will have to ignore the heat that pulses through her whenever Dillon is in the room. Dillon can’t get distracted by Lane–she could ruin the brand that his agent and publicist have built a brand that includes Dillon as forever single bad boy–an image that as Dillon gets to know Lane Channing might not fit his identity anymore.
Sneak Peek Excerpt
Dillon
I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to because I didn’t want to hurt Lane. I didn’t want to draw here into my insane world. I wanted her to read for me this summer and then go back to Kansas where she could meet someone good for her, someone that would take care of her, but when I looked in her eyes and saw that she understood. She got how hard it was to go into that room and pretend to be happy but how it was also an honor and of course I couldn’t cry in there. It was tragic and sad but it would be selfish to cry–that family was experiencing that pain.
It was my job, to do the very best I could to bring some light and joy into that room if only they got to have their son for 6 days or 6 months I was meant to lighten their load. I wasn’t the star of that show.
And Lane got it.
Her lips trembled and her voice shook and her eyes those damn turquoise eyes with specks of green were wet and wide and she was just so their and so alive and so beautiful what else—there was nothing else I could do. I wanted her. I’d wanted her from the moment I met her.
I needed to kiss her, it wasn’t a choice. I reached out and I grabbed her by both arms and pulled her to me. Her lips were soft and at first surprised but she yielded to me. I pressed her against the elevator wall. My mouth was so greedy for her.
Heat burst through my belly. I was hard and my cock throbbed. I hadn’t been this turned on — ever.
My hand skimmed over her bare thigh and along the edges of her shorts. Damn that amazing beautiful thigh. My hand pressed up over the top of her shirt, against her waist and to the edge of the roundness of her breast. A soft moan came from deep in her throat and I nearly exploded. She pressed her hips forward against mine. I touched the edge of her breast and another soft little moan escaped her throat. A moan that nearly undid me. I pressed harder against her.
Then the elevator dinged. I looked at her and the heat in my body stunned me. What was I thinking? We were in a fucking elevator in a hospital? I wasn’t … I couldn’t think, that was obvious–I couldn’t even think when Lane was around. I jerked away from Lane and burst off the elevator and toward the hospital doors. I needed air. This…I hadn’t meant to, didn’t — shouldn’t have. Fuck what had I done? I looked over my shoulder once before I slammed through the automatic doors, the look on Lane’s face–the look she was shocked and surprised and stunned. Her fingers lingered on her lips where seconds before my lips had been.
About the Author
Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business. She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer. She’s written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
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Wrecked by CRASHING INTO YOU–Review
Alcohol and adolescents make a dangerous cocktail.
That’s the premise behind B. D. Rowe’s newly released New Adult romance CRASHING INTO YOU.
Summary from Goodreads:
Bookish college sophomore Sydney Baker wants Evan Taylor with every ounce of her being. The hottest stud on campus, Evan is six foot four, ripped, stacked with muscles. He’s even easy to talk to.
There’s just one problem: he’s her roommate Melanie’s boyfriend.
But when Melanie tragically dies after a night of wild partying, Sydney and Evan turn to each other in a time of intense grief. And it doesn’t take long for their close friendship to blossom into something more.
Unfortunately for Sydney, secrets from the past soon put her relationship with Evan to the test. Especially when a sexy blonde freshman makes her way into Evan’s life, and tries to rip away everything Sydney holds close to her heart.
My Review:
This book is currently on a blog tour, of which I am not a participant; I got a free reviewer’s copy through NetGalley. The premise sounded interesting, and I’m always down for a New Adult romance, but the story here didn’t grab me. ***This review contains some spoilers***
Background: Sydney’s a survivor of a car accident that killed three people–her drunk, at-fault boyfriend, and a mother and her young child. Sydney hardly drinks and acts as the DD for her friends now. Oh, and she’s still underage for alcohol.
While at school, Sydney struggles with the binge drinking she witnesses around her. She seeks to intervene to help kids not over-indulge–with mixed results. Secretly she pines for Evan, her roommate Melanie’s boyfriend.
It’s not so clear that Evan and Melanie are in trouble, romance-wise. And Sydney does nothing overt to damage their relationship. She and Evan are friends. They do some friend-type stuff: hanging out, studying for a mutual class. It is Evan who makes a move on Sydney. And she shuts him down, because Friend Code, and all that. Good girl. I don’t want to hate you.
The same night Evan puts the move on, Melanie dies from alcohol poisoning. Now Evan is free, but grieving, and Sydney blames herself for not stepping in the path of Melanie’s self-destructive alcohol issues. I can buy that.
Later that summer Sydney and Evan reunite. They behave as friends though Sydney wants more. And she eventually gets the whole Evan-chilada. The smexytimes are a bit overdone to me. Here’s why: throughout this story I felt Sydney read very teen-angsty and immature. She’s kinda petty, and jealous, and well, apart from the “DD-Be-Alcohol-Responsible” stuff she felt rather juvenile. Some people are adult-y in grade school. Sydney felt kiddie, despite being twenty y/o, thus the graphic sex gave me an awkward vibe.
Then school starts again. That this tale was swimming into dark waters wasn’t subtle–more fore-bludgeoning than foreshadowing–and we have Melanie’s Doppleganger appear on campus. Why is Sydney worried? She’s got her man. And the Look-a-like is Melanie’s younger sister. Do guys really want to date their dead ex-girfriend’s younger sister? I struggled with the logic. But it reinforced my feeling that Sydney is too immature to move forward with an adult relationship.
Sydney’s BIGGEST problem isn’t a boyfriend’s potentially-wandering eye, it’s how to develop the skills to cope with disappointment–sans alcohol. The very second she catches Evan in a lie what does Sydney do? Pound two cocktails and vomit in the bushes. Yeah. Great job being a mature adult, Syd.
The ending consists of a melodramatic twist that does a disservice to the story. A fatality occurs and the plot value of it was nil, IMHO. It felt so unnecessary. What lesson did Sydney learn anyway? Don’t drive while consumed by jealousy? Meh. Not big enough to justify the death–and if it was designed to create plot problems for a sequel, well, I don’t like the characters nearly enough to hitch along for that ride.
I want to recommend the book to younger readers so they can learn how absolutely stupid it is to binge on alcohol–but I can’t because the smexytimes are icky-sticky for younger readers. Some New Adult-ers might relate with Sydney, but mostly I shook my head.
You can find CRASHING INTO YOU at Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
If nothing else, reading stinkers helps me to appreciate the awesome books that much more. The book wasn’t awful, but the plot didn’t catch me like I thought it would, and the ending was a total downer.
As always, keep reading my friends!
Swooning over MR. 365–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there and welcome to the MR. 365 Blog Tour sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is a contemporary adult romance from Ruth Clampett–author of a personal fave: ANIMATE ME.
Book description
When reality show producer Sophia is assigned to convince Christmas fanatic Will to be on their holiday special, she imagines him to be an oddball momma’s boy wearing a reindeer Christmas sweater. What she doesn’t expect is the handsome, mysterious man who captures her attention, and seems determined to win her heart.
Their attraction is undeniable, and as charming Sophia convinces Will to work with her, she slowly unwraps the secrets in his past that make this determined and soulful man still yearn for the childhood he never had.
When the chaos of production starts, will Sophia be able to keep her promises to protect Will from being exploited, or will the bitter truth of reality television be a runaway train of disaster for both of them?
Join Sophia, Will and his dog Romeo to enter the world of his enchanting holiday house where stars shine indoors and snow is always falling…365 days of the year.
My Review:
Will is a man’s man. He’s big, burly and…decorates his house like it’s Christmas everyday. Of course, he ramps it up for the holidays–much to his neighbors’ chagrin–but his mission is to simply give back. He had a lousy childhood, spent time in juvie and on the streets, but he made it out. Grew up and realized his good fortune is a blessing he should spread around.
Sophia is a film producer new to ‘reality’ TV. Her first big show is to showcase Will and his “Christmas obsession” but she recognizes the emotional frailty that resides within Will and wants to show him in a favorable light–in fact she promises to. He never wanted to do the show and only agrees when Sophia tells him how a positive piece–highlighting Will’s charity work, might ease the heat he gets from his neighbors over his lawn decorations.
And then they fall in love. Sigh. Okay, okay–it’s deep, deep like anyway. It’s adorable how they try to keep their attraction on the down-low, what with the production staff (female and male) swooning over Will! They do try to maintain a professional attitude in front of others. Mostly.
Then the shoot wraps and Will and Sophia are finally able to indulge in their passion for each other. Briefly. Add one Insane Neighbor Vendetta and you got yourselves an old-fashioned front yard brawl, complete with serious injuries, fire department call-outs, and overnight jail stays.
Sophia heads on to her next assignment and the powers that be, well, let’s say their “creative” take on Will’s Christmas house would earn them coal-filled stockings…It’s not going to win over Will’s neighbors, in any case. Sophia can’t bear the part she played in Will’s show–and their budding relationship…well…
*stage whisper* IT’S A ROMANCE, SILLIES! SOMEHOW IT ALL WORKS OUT!
Yes, HEA indeed. And it’s a great ride. The steam is subtle, and the tension is high, and I’d love me a little bit of Mr. 365–if Ms. Clampett has any to spare. Fact is, I love Ruth Clampett’s characters. Will is damaged goods, but achingly vulnerable and entirely loveable. Sophia is career-minded and driven, but she takes time to listen and learn. The book will surely appeal to contemporary romance fans.
About the Author
Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animation director, Bob Clampett, has spent a lifetime surrounded by art and animation. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, her careers have included graphic design, photography, VP of Design for WB Stores and teaching photography at UCLA. She now runs her own studio as the fine art publisher for Warner Bros. where she’s had the opportunity to know and work with many of the greatest artists in the world of animation and comics.
Mr. 365 is Ruth’s second novel and is inspired by her varied experiences in the television world from winning big on a game show, to guest hosting on the QVC shopping network, to sharing a studio with a production team that produced early reality television. Her first novel, Animate Me, is a contemporary romance set in the animation world. (Can I mention again how much I loved ANIMATE ME? Because–I so did! V:) ) She lives in Los Angeles and is heavily supervised by her teenage daughter, lovingly referred to as Snarky, who helps her plan and execute their yearly Christmas extravaganza.
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***Giveaway***
One Grand prize consisting of:
(1) Signed print copy of Mr. 365,
(1) metal Mr. 365 ornament,
(1) embellished Studio Coffee tumbler,
(1) studio keychain – US Only
Also up for grabs:
(3) Signed print copies of Mr. 365 – International
(5) eBook copies of Mr. 365 – International
Just click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck, and as always: Keep reading, my friends!
V's Reads... 