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My Booklandia

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

 
 Title: The Trouble with Mistletoe
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay, #2
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: September 27, 2016

Synopsis: 
If she has her way . . .

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her . . .

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him . . .

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice . . .

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work . . .

 The Trouble with Mistletoe Buy Links:
 Excerpt:
“You want to come upstairs, Willa?”
What she wanted was to put her hands back on his chest now that she knew it was as hard as it looked. Instead she gripped either side of her seat with white knuckles. “Of course not.”
“I think you do. I think you want something else too.”
“What I want,” she said as coolly as she could, “is dinner as promised.”
“Liar,” he chided softly.
“Well that’s just rude, calling your date a liar.”
“So it is a date.” His tone was very male and very smug. It should’ve pissed her off but instead it did something hot and erotic to her insides.
Clearly knowing it, he smiled at her and then dragged his teeth over his lower lip as he contemplated her.
Gah. She wanted to do that. And she wanted to do more too. She wanted him shockingly badly and suddenly she couldn’t remember why she shouldn’t. She tried to access her thought processes on the subject but her brain hiccupped and froze. Which surely was the only reason she let go of the death grip on her seat, slid her fingers into his hair, and . . . brushed her mouth over his.
He didn’t move, not a single muscle, but when she pulled back, his eyes had gone dark as night, piercing her with their intensity.
“Don’t read that the wrong way,” she whispered.
“Is there a wrong way to take it when a beautiful woman kisses you?”


Author Bio: 
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Jill Shalvis' Social Links: 


Sonja's Review


The Trouble with Mistletoe is the first Jill Shalvis book that I have read and I can tell you right now that it will not be the last! It was everything I love my books to be and I had so much fun reading it. I just wholeheartedly loved The Trouble with Mistletoe

Man, oh man, but Willa is quite the character! She's a little quirky and crazy, but that's just part of her charm. Willa has such a huge heart and not only will she do anything for her friends, she'll do anything to help out someone in need. She has a heart of pure gold and although there are a few times when I wanted to nudge her and have her do things my way and stop being so stubborn, I absolutely loved her. Willa is my kind of person and I have no doubts that you'll love her like I do! 

With such an amazing heroine, we needed an amazing hero as well, and we more than got that with Keane! He's sweet and patient and protective and he's loyal and has a heart as big as Willa's with just as much love to give as she does. It didn't take me long to fall for him and I fell even deeper the more I got to know him. Keane is so beyond wonderful, I never stood a chance against him and I know you won't either! 

The Trouble with Mistletoe made me laugh, smile, and ache. It was full of passion, humor, and heart tugs - both the hard and the easy ones. I really loved and enjoyed reading this beautiful, heartwarming, amazing book and I can't wait to read more of this series! 

The Trouble with Mistletoe can be read as a standalone, it's told from Keane and Willa's POV, and they do get their happily-ever-after. 
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Monday, September 26, 2016

REVIEW: The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons

 
Title: The Bear Who Loved Me
Author: Kathy Lyons
Series: Grizzlies Gone Wild, #1
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: September 6, 2016

Synopsis:
WHEN AN ALPHA MEETS HIS MATCH . . .

Between singlehandedly running her bakery and raising her teenaged nephew, Becca Weitz thought she had a decent grip on “normal.” Then her nephew vanishes, and life as she’s known it changes forever. Local legends are true: bear shifters exist . . . and her nephew is part of their clan. As is Carl Carman, the sexy, larger-than-life man who has sworn to find her nephew-and the other young shifters who’ve gone missing.

As the leader of his clan, Carl is surrounded by enemies. He’s learned the hard way that keeping a firm leash on his inner beast is key to survival, though his feelings for Becca test his legendary control. Then danger stalks too close, and Carl realizes he must unleash the raging, primal force within to protect everything he holds dear. But can Becca trust his grizzly side with her life-and her heart?

Buy Links:
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2bvdPpQ

Excerpt: 
Chapter 1 

More. Power.

Thoughts came slowly to Carl Carman, but each word reverberated with power. That was the best part of being a grizzly bear. Simple words meant simple, strong deeds. Human complexities were nonexistent in this state, though they echoed in the back of his mind. He was on a mission, had come to this Christmas tree field on a clan purpose. That he took joy in what he did was a trivial detail.

Now.

He braced his legs, shoved his claws deep, and then he thought it. One word, and the power crashed through every cell in his body.

Destroy.

He did.

What he held, he uprooted.

What he gripped, he crushed.

Whatever he touched, he tore apart.

Joy.

He grinned, though he grunted with effort. He tasted blood—his own—and the coppery tang was sweet. Human language tried to intrude in this moment, but the grizzly had no interest in it. His language was action, power delivered with thrilling ease. And he liked to rip things apart. So he continued and was content.

Until something else disturbed him. Red and blue flashes across his retinas. At first he flinched away from the lights, but they roused the rational part of him. Red. Blue.

Police.

With a roar of fury, he began to tuck the animal away. His bear fought the shift, holding on to his shape with every ounce of his determination. But in this, the man was stronger, the mind crueler. With steadfast will, he folded the grizzly into an envelope in his mind. It had taken him years to master it. A thing that large doesn’t origami into a tiny flat rectangle easily.

His bones shifted and most of the fur thinned and disappeared, though some fell to the ground. His face tightened, and the strength in his arms and claws pulled inside, shrinking as it was tucked away. He straightened, the grizzly hump now gone as the energy coiled tight inside. His eyes burned. Damn, how they burned. But in time that last vestige of dark power would fade and his normal cool green color would return. Quiet control and long, complex sentences would be his norm. Though his first words as a human were always the last snarl of his bear.

“Shit.”

“And Merry Christmas to you, too,” said a familiar female voice, though that particular holiday had passed months ago. His vision settled, and he saw Tonya dressed in her patrol uniform as she leaned against her squad car. The lights were still flashing, and at dawn, those colors would be seen far and wide.

“Flip off those lights,” he growled as he started searching for his pants. He was out here swinging in the breeze for all to see, and though that rarely bothered him, naked and vulnerable was not a good idea around her.

She opened the door of the squad car and used one hand to flip off the lights while the other aimed her phone at him. Jesus, she was taking pictures.

“I’ll tear that thing out of your hand,” he snarled, “and I won’t be gentle.”

“Promises, promises,” she said with a sigh. But she did drop the phone. “Doesn’t matter. I already got my holiday screensaver.” She pushed off the car and sauntered over, her hips swinging in a tantalizing rhythm. Tonya Kappes had short honey-blond hair, modest curves on her tall, muscular frame, and a dangerous look in her eyes that had once tantalized his grizzly like honey. Now it just made him tired. “See?”

She was hard to miss. He might not want to marry her, but that didn’t stop him from appreciating her feminine charms. But then a moment later, he realized she was talking about the image on her phone, flipped around for him to see.

Hell. “Give me that.”

She tried to pull away, but he was faster and stronger. He caught her wrist and squeezed until the cell dropped into his other hand. She might have fought him more, but a glare from him had her quieting, her head tilted to the side in submission. Then he looked down. There, full screen on the phone, was a video of him as a grizzly bear methodically destroying a field of Christmas trees. The telltale silver streak down his back flashed clear in the dawn light.

“Why would you record this?” he asked.

She flashed him a coy look that only pissed him off. “I like watching you work.”

Bullshit. She liked collecting blackmail material on people. She’d never used it as far as he knew, but that didn’t stop her from gathering intel on everyone. It was just part of her character and probably helped her be a good cop. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. With a quick flick of his thumb, he initiated a factory reset of her phone.

“Hey!” she cried when she saw what he’d done. “That’s evidence!”

“You here to arrest me?”

“You did just destroy Nick Merkel’s best tree field.”

“It had to be done, and you know it.”

[Drawing]Her lips compressed into a flat line. “The Merkels’ farm brings a boatload to the local economy. Hurting this field damages everyone.”

“He refused a direct order to fix his pesticide platform.” Pesticides were a fact of modern agriculture, and most farmers were extra careful about the area where the chemicals were mixed and stored. Not Nick Merkel. Spills were common, and his platform leaked like a sieve. But he didn’t seem to care because the runoff went off his property. Too bad for him that Carl cared. A lot. “He’s leaking poison into the ground water.”

She nodded, grim anger on her features. “So kill him and be done with it.”

“You’d rather I murder him than destroy his prize field.” It wasn’t a question. He knew that shifter law gave him the right to kill anyone in his clan who openly disobeyed him. But the man in him kept looking for a more civilized punishment. Not so for Tonya.

“He’s got a wife and two sons to carry on the farm. They’ll fix the platform and still bring in money to the area.”

Carl didn’t answer. Tonya was a cop through and though. That meant black-and-white law and swift justice. If kids vandalized a building, they went to jail. If a man poisoned the land, he got killed. For the most part, shifter law bowed to human law, but there were two unbreakables. Don’t hurt the land. Don’t disobey the alpha. Nick Merkel had done both.

Something in the Merkel bloodline was just ornery. The man had been a thorn in Carl’s side since Carl had stepped into his position as the alpha of the Gladwin grizzly shifters eight years ago. But Carl had seen firsthand what happened when a leader took the law into his own hands. He had sworn his tenure as Maximus of their mid-Michigan clan would not be one of terror and vigilante justice. So he’d done one step short of murder. He’d destroyed a field of Merkel’s Christmas trees, cutting the bastard’s pocketbook instead of his jugular.

“It won’t work,” Tonya said. “You’ll have to kill him eventually.”

“And then they’ll crucify me for killing one of our own.” He knew because that’s what had happened when he’d taken control of the clan. Another idiot had challenged him, and he’d let his grizzly out. One bloody death later, and Carl was the acknowledged alpha. But then the widow had started grumbling. And before long, others had agreed that an alpha should never kill one of his own.

“It’s an endless cycle,” Tonya agreed. “You can’t stop it. So get on with the next step and kill him. Deal with the next step when it happens.”

“Just help me find my damn pants,” he grumbled, unwilling to admit that there wasn’t a way out.

Her lips curled into a slow smile. “They’re locked in my trunk.”

Carl’s head whipped back to her. “Why?”

She shrugged, a roll of her shoulders that set her breasts to bouncing. “Evidence.”

“Blackmail, you mean.”

She chuckled, a low throaty sound. “Or just a way to keep you naked for a little bit longer.”

She took a step back, her gaze rolling slowly down his torso. Jesus, she was bold. She had a way of making even the most exhibitionist of his set feel dirty in a completely teenage, horny, fuck-’em-fast-and-furious kind of way. But he’d left those hormones behind years ago.

Then he caught her scent. “You’re in heat.”

Damn it, if he hadn’t been so absorbed in dealing with Nick Merkel, he would have noticed it right off the bat. No wonder he was keyed up around her.

She arched a brow. “Ticktock goes the biological clock.”

“Give me my clothes. I am not fucking you. And especially not in the middle of a destroyed Christmas tree field.”

She chuckled. “I don’t care where we do it, Carl, but we gotta do it.”

“No, we really don’t.”

He watched hurt flicker in her eyes. It didn’t even touch her face, but her eyes flinched, and it was more telling on her than a scream on anyone else.

He didn’t want to insult her. He had some warm feelings for her. They’d known each other all their lives, but cuddling up to her was like snuggling with a live hand grenade. He could control her. She always submitted to him eventually, but who wanted to spend his off hours in a constant game of dominance and submission? He wanted someone he could relax and have a beer with. Around Tonya, he’d be on duty as the Gladwin Max 24/7. “All right,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest. Her breasts plumped nicely, and his bear took notice. The rest of him was seeing that despite her words, Tonya had not given in. “Let’s look at this logically.” She almost sneered the last word. Grizzly clans were not known to be deep thinkers. Something he daily tried to change.

“Not until I’m dressed.”

She didn’t move. “Our bears are compatible. We established that as teenagers.”

“Everyone’s compatible at sixteen.” And back then, they had “compatted” as much as possible for a hot, horny month. But even at sixteen, he had grown tired of the constant power play.

“You’re Maximus now, but you need a strong wife at your side to hold the position. Merkel openly defied you. Unless you do a massive show of strength, more will follow. The last thing we need is a civil war inside the clan.”

He knew this. It had been burning through his brain ever since Merkel had refused to fix his platform. Carl had tried to sic the EPA on the man, hoping that human justice would help him out, but the organization was overloaded and undermanned. The earliest they could get someone out to check on violations was three weeks away. Hence his morning rampage.

“We’re short on numbers as it is,” he growled. “I’m not going to murder my own people.”

“You don’t have to,” she said. “I will.”

“Tonya!”

“I’m a cop and the strongest she-bear in a hundred miles. Get me pregnant and my brothers will line up to support you.”

“They could line up without me knocking you up.”

She shook her head. “That’s not how it works and you know it.”

True. Family loyalty trumped clan groupings all the time. It was the reason Merkel’s wife and sons hadn’t taken care of Nick themselves. That kind of betrayal was nonexistent within shifter communities. Tonya’s family was large and powerful, and there were rumblings of them splitting off to establish their own clan. Or of them taking over his. That would all end the moment he impregnated Tonya. If she became his Maxima, then that would fold her family into his, locking up the leadership for generations to come.

But he just couldn’t do it. They’d drive each other insane inside a year. Besides, he had a better idea, but first he had to end any romantic ideas between the two of them.

“I think of you like a sister,” he began, and it was the God’s honest truth.

She didn’t argue. Instead, her gaze drifted down. The shift was slow and deliberate, and he forced himself to let his hands go lax, opening up his entire body for her perusal.

Flat. Flaccid. And absolutely uninterested despite the fuck-me pheromones she gave off.

She didn’t speak. There was no need to. She simply lifted up the car key fob and pressed a button. The trunk popped open, and he finally got his hands on his clothes.

They didn’t speak as he dressed. He didn’t even want to look at her. He’d hurt her, and the guilt weighed heavily on him. Maybe the others were right. Maybe there just wasn’t enough bear in him to effectively lead the clan. His uncle had been so much bear he was almost feral. When he’d been Max, he’d killed with impunity, destroyed at random, and taken the most powerful she-bear by force. It had been human cops who had killed him—with Carl’s father’s help—opening up their clan to another way to rule. Logic and law—human concepts that the Gladwin shifters desperately needed.

Ten years later, Carl had stepped into power, but everyone seemed to think he was more man than bear. He couldn’t kill without exhausting all other possibilities. And he couldn’t fuck the most powerful she-bear around just because she was in heat. Which left him with a fracturing clan and his best ally hurting as she answered a call on her radio. Some drunk teens were cow-tipping a few miles to the east.

“I have to go,” she said as she climbed into her cruiser and shut the door. But the window was still open, so he leaned in.

“Tonya, you’re still a valuable member of the clan. Maybe my most—”

“Save it. I’ve heard it all.” They’d had this argument in one form or another since they were old enough to marry. The only sop to his guilt was that she wanted the power of Maxima way more than she wanted him.

“I have a better idea,” he said. “Be my beta.”

She froze, her eyes widening in shock. “Alan’s your beta.”

His brother, Alan, had served as his second from the very beginning. It kept the power in the family, but Alan had never shifted. The grizzly DNA had missed him, and the man couldn’t hold the position for much longer. Privately, Carl believed that’s what had sparked Merkel’s latest round of disobedience. The idiot hoped to force Carl into making a compromise and giving him the beta honor.

Never going to happen. He needed someone he could trust as his second.

“I know it’s unorthodox,” he continued, “but I can’t think of anyone better.”

“Unorthodox? A female beta is unheard of! You think you have problems with Merkel now? Every shifter in the state will be calling you a pansy-assed human.”

A big insult in the shifter community. Everyone seemed to believe that the animal side was the power center. The male animal. But if any female could change their minds, it was Tonya.

“A female beta makes the clan look weak. Those Detroit bastards will be on us in a split second.”

“The Detroit clan has their own problems. They’re not looking to start a war with us.” He hoped.

“You should ask one of my brothers.”

He’d thought of that, but he didn’t trust them like he trusted Tonya. He’d known her since they were children. Everyone expected them to marry, so they’d been shoved together from their earliest moments. He knew the way she thought and which way she would jump. In most things their opinions aligned, though she tended to more of a black-and-white rule of the jungle, while he tried to think a problem through. All of that added up to her being an excellent beta.

“I choose you. Swear unwavering loyalty to me, and we can hold the clan together without marriage. That’s what you really want, anyway.”

She arched a brow. “You underestimate your attraction as a mate.”

“Bullshit. You want the power.”

“And the hot sex.”

Carl rolled his eyes. “So get a gigolo and be my beta.”

She shook her head slowly, not in denial but in stunned amazement. “You’re trying to drag the shifter community into a modern mind-set. It’s going to backfire on you. We’re just not as logical as you.” To her credit, she didn’t sneer the word “logical” like most shifters would.

“Will you do it? I can announce it at the next clan meeting.” He needed time to tell Alan, and that was not going to be a comfortable discussion.

“Yes,” Tonya said, being typically decisive. Then she pushed the car into drive, but she didn’t move. “One more thing. You had a message. That’s why I came out here to find you.”

He frowned. Damn it, she should have told him that first thing instead of trying to trap him into mating. “What?”

“There’s trouble in Kalamazoo.”

“What?” The word exploded out of him, but Tonya didn’t hear it. She’d already hit the gas and was roaring away.

Just as well, he thought as he sprinted for his truck. Even clothed, there was no way to hide his reaction at the mention of that place where she lived. He hit the freeway with his erection lying hard and heavy against his thigh.

About the Author:
Kathy Lyons is the fun, contemporary side of USA TODAY bestselling author Jade Lee. She loves sassy romance with lots of laughter and sex. Spice is the variety of life, right? Okay, so maybe two kids, two cats, two pennames, and writing over 50 books has messed with her mind, but she still keeps having fun.
Check her out at www.KathyLyons.com. Or hang out with her sexy historical half, Jade Lee. Titled heroes with dark secrets are Jade's passion. Especially when they fall for women who add more than just spice to their lives. Find her at www.JadeLeeAuthor.com. Facebook: JadeLeeBooks Twitter: JadeLeeAuthor

Author Links: 


Sonja's Review


My absolute favorite genre of romance is paranormal and I love everything from vampires and aliens to witches and shifters. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's otherworldly - although, I will admit that shifters hold a special place in my heart whether they're a dragon, a wolf, or a bear. And after reading Ms. Lyons' The Bear Who Loved Me, I can tell you right now that I need to read more bear shifter books because this book was excellent! 

Becca is a total ball-buster and sure, she has her moments where she panics and freaks out, but I think she's entitled to a few of those after discovering this other world, that her nephew is a part of it, and that she doesn't know where he is. Despite all of that, she's so strong and she's exactly like a Momma Bear - she'll do anything to keep her cub safe. Becca isn't afraid to stand up to anyone, she's fierce and fearless, but she's also gentle, sweet, and compassionate too. Becca's the best of both worlds really and I completely adored her! 

And while there were a couple of times when I want to shake that grizzly bear, Carl, I completely loved him too! He's all possessive and growly and sexy and protective. He's smart and loyal and sweet and so hung up on Becca, he'll just melt your heart. I loved Carl and his vulnerabilities and insecurities when it came to how he felt about Becca and whether or not she would really love him back, but I don't think it was until he showed her his bear that I truly fell in love with him. Carl and his bear brought tears to my eyes and I just wanted to hold him and promise to love him forever. He stole my heart and I know he'll steal yours too! 

The Bear Who Loved Me is a sexy, heart pounding read full of passion, action, heartache, and heart. It will make you laugh, frustrate you, make you shake your head, and melt you. It was amazing, I positively loved it, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! 

The Bear Who Loved Me is the first book in the Grizzlies Gone Wild series, it's told from Carl and Becca's POV, and they do get a happy ending!

~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars 

RELEASE REVIEW: Blood Red Kiss by Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, & Gena Showalter

 
Title: Blood Red Kiss
Authors: Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, Gena Showalter 
Series: Immortals After Dark, #1; MoonBound Clan Vampires, #2.5; Otherworld Assassin, #2.5
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Synopsis:
Good things always come in threes–and this paranormal romance anthology featuring steamy stories from New York Times bestselling authors Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, and Gena Showalter is no exception!

Get ready for a collection chock full of vamps, demons, aliens, and plenty of sizzle!

In Kresley Cole’s remastered story “The Warlord Wants Forever,” the first in her scorching Immortals After Dark series, vampire warlord Nikolai Wroth will stop at nothing to claim his Bride, the one woman who can make his heart beat again. But can beautiful Myst the Coveted accept an enemy vampire as her own?

Tehya has spent the last twelve years as an accidental wolf, but is truly a vampire at heart. When she gets injured, Lobo sneaks her inside MoonBound’s headquarters and nurses her back to health…with potentially deadly consequences. Desire collides with danger in “Forsaken by Night,” a MoonBound Clan novella from Larissa Ione!

In Gena Showalter’s Otherworld Assassins novella, Dark Swan, Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best–and worst–of both. She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bond her life to his…effectively wedding him. But without consummation, the bond will fade. Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall?

Giveaway:
Have you entered? Only ONE MORE DAY left for the BLOOD RED KISS iPad Mini giveaway! Just send an email with a copy of your receipt or order number to: BloodRedKiss@kresleycole.com

Buy Links:
eBook:
Paperback:

About the Authors: 
Kresley Cole
Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers Series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. 

Her books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

You can learn more about her and her work at www.kresleycole.com or www.facebook.com/KresleyCole

*Sign up for Kresley's email newsletter to receive the latest book release updates, as well as info about contests & giveaways (http://kresleycole.com/newsletter/)

Author Links:

Larissa Ione
Larissa Ione - headshot
Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.
    
Author Links:

Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, she's been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours--and her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com

Author Links: 

Sonja's Review


Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, and Gena Showalter are some of favorite authors and when I heard that they were going to be doing this anthology together, well, saying I was excited is an understatement - I was absolutely floored! Even though I had already read Ms. Cole's "The Warlord Wants Forever", I couldn't wait to read it again and neither could I wait to read Ms. Ione and Ms. Showalter's stories as well. I had high expectations for Blood Red Kiss and it not only met them, but far exceeded them - it was utterly wonderful and I can't tell you how much I loved it!

I've read "The Warlord Wants Forever" a few times now and I love it just as much as I did the first time I read it and it makes me love Nikolai and Myst even more! Conrad is my favorite Wroth brother, but Nikolai definitely takes second place with me. He's always had a special place in my heart and I enjoy whenever I get to see him. I don't care for Myst as much as I do for Nikolai, but she's a kicka*s Valkyrie and I love her to pieces. "The Warlord Wants Forever" is a sexy, fun novella that will tug on heartstrings, make you laugh, and leave you melting and good sighing by the end, so even if you've already read it, it's Wroth - I mean worth, wink wink - the re-read! Also you don't want to miss the goodies at the end!

Although I've seen Ms. Ione around before, it wasn't until almost two years ago that I actually picked up one of her books - that was all I needed though - I became addicted to her writing and immediately dubbed her as one of my authors! I haven't gotten to read the two books in her MoonBound Clan Vampire series yet, but after "Forsaken by Night", I'm going to read them as soon as I can. It's a fantastic novella full of heart-pounding action, smoking hot chemistry and a fierce, strong, protective hero/heroine duo!

Don't hate me for saying this, but Ms. Showalter's Otherworld Assassin series is actually my favorite series of hers that she writes. There's just something about those otherworldly characters that I just can't get enough of and speaking of that, I just couldn't get enough of "Dark Swan"! I had so fun reading it and I never wanted it to end. I loved the banter between Dallas and Lilica and how they fought their attraction to each other even if it was a losing battle. "Dark Swan" was one book that made my heart ache, brought tears to my eyes, made me laugh a lot, and enchanted me - it was amazing!

Blood Red Kiss goes in the order in which I wrote my review and while you can read in whatever order you want, I would really recommend reading them in order, even if you get this anthology for just one of these authors. They are all worth reading, they are all excellent, and you will have a good time with each of them!
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Sex Machine by Marie Force

 
Title: Sex Machine
Author: Marie Force
Publisher: HTJB, Inc.
Publication Date: September 26, 2016

Synopsis: 
Marie’s first standalone title in five years!

He’s good for one thing and one thing only—and she wants it bad.
Honey Carmichael has never had a decent orgasm, and she’s out to change that with the one man in town known for his superior skill between the sheets.

Blake Dempsey is happy to help Honey with her “problem” as long as she knows he’s only interested in sex. His heart was broken when his high school girlfriend was killed in the car he was driving, and he has nothing to offer other than more orgasms than Honey can handle.

Which is just fine with her—until fantastic orgasms aren’t enough anymore for either of them and unexpected feelings turn hot sex into messy entanglement—and that most definitely wasn’t in the plans.
But you know what they say about plans…

A sexy, dirty stand-alone romance intended for MATURE audiences. If you can’t take the heat in Blake’s bedroom, stay out or you might get burned. You’ve been warned!

Sex Machine Buy Links:



Sonja's Review


I was excited about Ms. Force's Sex Machine as soon as I saw it! I couldn't wait to read what promised to be a sexy story and I wasn't disappointed at all. Sex Machine was absolutely excellent and I really loved reading it!

Well, I think it's safe to say that Honey Carmichael surprised both Blake and me with the first words that came out of her mouth in this book, but it wasn't a bad thing, not at all. I admired Honey for her ballsy-ness and that only grew the more I got to know her. Honey is not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well. She's sweet and light and has a heart of gold. Honey is strong and wonderful and I very much loved getting to know her!

And Blake Dempsey, Mr. Sex Machine himself, got in my heart too. I always thought that he was good for more than just being a "sex machine" and I was not wrong. There were times when I wanted to shake some sense into him, but more than anything, my heart just broke for him - I wanted to hug him and hold him and make it all better. Blake is such a good man, he loves with everything in him, and I know he'll melt and steal your heart like he stole mine.

Sex Machine is much more than just a sexy novel. It's heartbreaking and full of passion, beauty and strength. It's about conquering your fears, overcoming your demons, and learning to live and love again. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it gave me warm fuzzies inside. Sex Machine was utterly fantastic and I hope some of the residents of Marfa, Texas start talking to Ms. Force politely, but forcefully, no pun intended, into writing their stories someday in the future because I would sure love to visit them again!

Sex Machine is a standalone, it's told from Blake and Honey's POV, and they get their well-deserved happily-ever-after!
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Author Bio: 
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 contemporary romances, including the Gansett Island Series, which has sold more than 2.3 million books, and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books, which has sold more than 1.2 million books. In addition, she is the author of the Green Mountain Series as well as the erotic romance Quantum Series, written under the slightly modified name of M.S. Force. All together, her books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide!

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor, on Twitter @marieforce and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/.

Marie's Social Links: 

Friday, September 23, 2016

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: Challenge by Amy Daws

Title: Challenge
Author: Amy Daws
Release Date: Sept 23, 2016
Add on Goodreads
He’s her patient. She’s his doctor. They shouldn’t. But God, do they want to.

Camden Harris, the famously hot, hulk of a footballer is laid up in a London hospital. But his busted knee doesn’t stop him from running his well-practiced game on Indie Porter—his redheaded spitfire of a doctor. She’s not his type, not even close. But she could be the perfect distraction from the soul-crushing damage this injury could cost him.

Indie’s tired of her naivety putting a target on her back. As a gifted child, she’s let her education take the front seat her whole life. But a fling with a footballer like Camden might be just what she needs to grab life by the balls.

And he could be the perfect guy for the plan she’s been sitting on for over two years.

But when feelings make a final play, there’s no amount of medicine that can heal the damage to their hearts. 




We arrive at my building and take the lift up to my fourth floor flat. As I’m unlocking the front door, she asks, “Are you a good dancer, Camden?”
This question is odd, even for her. “Why do you ask?”
She sighs and leans against the wall just as I open the door. “I envisioned you were tonight when I was dancing with some bloke.”
My jaw clenches. “I don’t need to hear about you dancing with other guys.”
She smirks. “But I was thinking about you so it shouldn’t count.”
“It counts.”
“I think I like this jealous side of you. I might have to use it to my—”
Her snarky comment is cut off by a satisfying yelp as I wrap my arms around her waist and throw her over my shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she squeals as I savour the feel of her bare legs in my hands.
I turn and walk her inside, kicking the door closed with my foot. “Do you think you’re smart, talking to me like that?” I ask, completely unable to hide the smile on my face.
Her hair tickles my back as she giggles. “I am quite smart, actually. I skipped three whole grades in primary school. Did you know that?”
“I didn’t know that. Tell me then, what did they do to punish clever girls with smart mouths in boarding school?”
“Oh, naughty, naughty things.” She giggles again and I have a momentary desire to put her down just so I can see her face when she does it.
“I might need a demonstration.” I walk down the hallway and straight to my room, forgoing the polite flat tour, the offering of drinks, and the inane small talk. Our arrangement is for sex and sex alone.
“I might be inclined to oblige.” Her voice is breathy when we reach the quiet darkness of my room. 


Amy Daws lives in South Dakota with her husband, and miracle daughter, Lorelei. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired Amy's first book, Chasing Hope, and her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated contemporary romance series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It's emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. 

On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake's theme song or stuffing themselves inside children's-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn't do for their little miracle. 

   

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Cirque by Ashleigh Giannoccaro

CIRQUE by Ashleigh Giannoccaro

A boy looked in a window, to see a naughty show
Through the pane of pain, the master clown did blow
The circus is a holy tent, the keeper of my rhyme
Where I forged my chains, creating this pantomime
Pretending to be normal, I wait until after dark
Then I paint the frown on, get a whore from the park
At the bottom of that bed was a darling in a chest
She watched with big eyes, horror hooking her from rest
She dances for the maniac, twirling on her strings
I will make her mine, sharing damaged things
I will be her riddle, she will help me grin
So why does she run away, she has to let me in
No one loves the clown, not even the midget
We’ve gone too far, she will know my secret
Love can break the hardest mask, I know this to be true
Nightmares have hearts too, I only needed you



— PURCHASE 

— EXCERPT 
“That man has secrets buried so deep they might never see the light of day. I saw him at dinner, the way those eyes were down and his mind seemed to be a million miles away. I don’t know why but I feel this bad idea coming on, this idea that I want to know what he hides away from the world, that golden boy smile and rugby player body are too good to be true.

There is always a reason that a man like him has no woman, or wedding ring. There is a dark, dirty skeleton hanging in his wardrobe, and I want to pull it out and see how it looks in daylight.

We all have skeletons, I like to slow dance with mine, but most people hide them away so no one ever sees them. Well I want to be his no one, I want to climb inside those thoughts and pull him apart. He might be Samantha’s brother, but the minute I laid eyes on Sivan I felt a deep pull inside me, that same feeling I get when I swing from the trapeze and let go, the free falling grab that gravity has on your belly making the possible fall so much more real. Then you grab on and catch yourself.

Falling is dangerous. Any sort of falling is going to get you hurt. Don’t fall.

Sam has lived in the flat opposite me for four years now, we are friends, some days a little more than friends. She has this self destructive nature where she puts herself in harm’s way on purpose. Daring bad things to happen to her, asking for trouble to come and destroy her fragile little heart, then waiting for someone to save her. Usually it’s Sivan or her mother, and for a while even me, until I learned a little about how she worked. Sam takes no responsibility for herself, the stripping is a prime example of her self loathing.

She doesn’t need to do it, but she needs to fall so someone can save her when she does. The thing is, one day no one will be there and she is going to hit the ground hard, she will shatter and break, and once you’re broken you can’t be saved – only mended.

A sick part of me wants to be the one who breaks her, watching her thud down without her safety net beneath her. I am jealous because I don’t have a net. I only have me.

When I saw her brother watching the Cirque performance I had an evil thought, a little idea of just how to remove her net. It would be easy you see, because he was watching me. When Sam arrived at work that night in tears because her brother saw her at work with all his rugby mates, I pushed her away. I told her she was an attention whore and if he was upset she deserved it, imagine how embarrassed he is, all the blokes saw you naked. I helped her fall with my harsh words.

“Sam, you act like whore. That’s what you are going to be treated as. Your brother just saw your true colours and they are fucking ugly.” The tears welled in her eyes through the whole performance, but I didn’t see them at all.

No, because I saw him watching me again. I perform just for him. I am not connected to her tonight and it shows, we are slightly off and I know we will get it at practice tomorrow.

I did nothing to adjust. I just watched him as he watched me.

Secrets.

He left before we came out of backstage, and I was disappointed. The drive home in his car was quiet as Sam silently fumed at me, I could still smell him in the car. A distinct smell of clean cologne and man — probably sweaty rugby togs somewhere. I let the smell and the image of his hooded eyes watching me take me away from the anger and shame swallowing up the air in the car, as Sam gets angrier and angrier.”


— ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Amazon best selling author Ashleigh Giannoccaro lives In Jozi AKA Johannesburg South Africa with her high school sweetheart also known as her husband and two young daughters. She loves sunshine and psychopaths, her blood type is coffee and she has a pet Meerkat called Porky. She is a full time mom and author, and while she looks like the soccer mom on the surface her books are another story. 

As a youngster Ashleigh grew up devouring thrillers and crime fiction, favouring Jeffrey Deaver all the while reading Sweet Valley High to fit in with her friends. When thrillers didn't give her the love and the romance novels didn’t pack the punch she needed Ashleigh discovered the small genre of Dark Romance and her heart was happy. Here’s where the lines of right snd wrong get blurry and the bad guy gets the girl, Ashleigh found the perfect balance of what she looked for in a book. When the time came to write her own stories she knew exactly what they would be, dark and twisted with just enough love. Colour My Ugly was published in October 2014 and since then it’s been a whirlwind of words and adventure that included a trip to the Books Are Bigger In Texas signing in April 2016 and six novels beings let out into the universe to challenge readers and hopefully leave a lasting mark. 

Her Colour Series novels are dark romance set within the lives of three crime families. She loves to make you fall in love with the villain, because after all they need love too. Three full length novels span three generations and challenge ideas such as nature vs. nurture. Sometimes Ashleigh conducts psychiatric experiments in between the pages, like that one time she let two sociopaths fall in love. To her the bad guy doesn't need to be redeemed to get the happy ending. 

The best selling Red Market Series followed when she teamed up with Mary E. Palmerin to see just how dark a love story could be. The series pushed limits that had never before been pushed and quickly become know as the darkest of the dark reads. The two book series was given best seller status by Amazon, even after ashleigh and Mary both believed it would be banned on release day. She still asks herself “who does that?” about this series quite regularly. 

Now writing solo again Ashleigh has turned a poll she took about her readers biggest fears and turned it into a pyscho-erotic thriller about a clown. Cirque will make you forget how much you fear them and hopefully make you fall in love with the painted faces. A dark magical look inside the broken minds of two characters with the circus in their blood, Cirque is something completely different and new for Ashleigh. 

When she’s not dreaming up crazy stories or creating villains for you to love, Ashleigh spends her time reading and supporting the Indie author community. Ashleigh has a passion for words and is constantly seeking new ones to read and write.


— CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR 


Sonja's Review


Ever since I read Gena Showalter's Last Kiss Goodnight, I've always wanted to read circus-y type books, so when I saw Ms. Giannoccaro's Cirque title and then read the synopsis, I was very intrigued and wanted to read it. I knew going in that it was going to be a weird book and I was not wrong. It's unique and weird and nothing like I've read before and while I can't really say that I loved it, I definitely didn't hate it or dislike it. 

Much like I thought the story was weird, I thought the hero and heroine were too. They have a lot of secrets and unresolved issues that I don't think they've ever really dealt with and they're kind of messed up as a result. Of course, I had no problem with that and there were quite a few things that I liked about each of them. I loved the way Sivan and Imogene felt about each other, I loved how sweet they could be, and I loved their hearts. Sivan and Imogene feel so unlovable for all their issues and there was nothing that I wanted more for them than to just find that love with each other with no secrets between them, everything exposed and out in the open, and for them to finally have some true peace and happiness for the first time in their lives and I sincerely hope they do find it because they deserve it. 

Cirque has this dark, slow, sensual, pulsing energy that keeps you glued to the pages and makes your heart beat faster. It will frustrate you, stun you, grab you, and maybe even mystify you. It's heart wrenching, peculiar, intriguing, and weird and if you like reading something that will give you a new experience, then I recommend picking this one up - I can't guarantee you'll love it, but you'll absolutely be in for a different adventure. 

Cirque does end in a cliffhanger that I don't think will drive you too crazy, it's told from Sivan and Imogene's POV, and there's no happy ending for them yet, but I really hope they get one. 

~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars