Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Book review: Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold #11) by Susan Mallery


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Available now!
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery welcomes readers back to Fool's Gold, where a one-time fling could become the real thing...

Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away...on the morning after the hottest night of her life. Her freaky smarts have limited her close friendships, and romance, but she came to Fool's Gold looking for ordinary. Gorgeous, brooding Gideon is anything but that. 

Black Ops taught Gideon that love could be deadly. Now he pretends to fit in while keeping everyone at arm's length. Felicia wants more than he can give-a home, family, love-but she has a lot to learn about men...and Gideon needs to be the man to teach her. 

As these two misfits discover that passion isn't the only thing they have in common, they just might figure out that two of a kind should never be split apart.

The Fools Gold series continues with Two of a Kind the story of Felicia Swift and Gideon Boylan. Gideon we met a while back and Felicia more recently. Both have issues with their past. Felicia is pretty much a genius but was left at the age of 4 by her parents with a college because they couldn't handle her. Raised at the college and taken care of my professors she was smarter than most of them but didn't learn how to socialize for her age and so grew up being a little on the odd side in some ways. She got into the military where she met Ford Hendrix and Justice Garrett.  Justice became like a brother to her as well as Ford. Wanting to be normal she sought out a man and picked Gideon to be her first time. Now years later they are both in Fools Gold and the spark from that one night is still there. Gideon was a soldier taken prisoner of war for 2 years before he was rescued. He was the only one of his men to survive and now has survivors guilt and PTSD among other things. He can't be what Felicia really needs but decides to help her learn to socialize in the normal world. Throw a 13 year old son in the mix he didn't know he had and it's a interesting mix. You get some back story on a lot of the characters in this story. Most of course for Felicia and Gideon but a bunch of the secondary characters as well. Felicia is this brilliant person but is trying to learn how to be like a average young woman. How to be loved and make friends and in a surprise for her how to me a mother. Gideon is good at faking normal although with Felicia he feels more normal than he has in years. I found myself rooting for Gideon to want to try to get to a place he needed to be to heal. Felicia is much stronger a person and much more normal than she thinks. You watch her blossom and grow in this book. Kent and Gideon's sons are hilarious in their quest to get Gideon to figure out he loved Felicia. My heart melted a little bit every time Gideon and Felicia had scenes together. You just want it to work out because they've been through so much in their lives they deserve some happiness. Another brilliant addition to the Fools Gold series. 4 out of 5 stars for Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery. I hope we get to see Gideon's brother in a future book!

To find out more about Susan Mallery and the Fools Gold series check out her website here www.susanmallery.com

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Book review: Mine to Take by Cynthia Eden

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Available June 12th 2013
Sometimes you want someone so much…
Sometimes you need someone so much…
Lust can become love.
And love can turn into a deadly obsession.


***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

Author's Note: MINE TO TAKE is a sexy romantic suspense novella—it contains approximately 41,000 words. MINE TO TAKE is intended for adults. Sexy situations and adult language will be found within the pages of this story—please consider yourself warned.


This is a 150 novella that's part thriller part suspense with a healthy dose of sexy romance tossed in. The book takes place 10 years after Trace and Skye have broken up. He pretty much threw her up for her own good although she didn't know that. She thought he didn't want her anymore. Skye was this phenomenal dancer and he knew for her to succeed he needed to let her go. It killed him to do that but he did. What he didn't know is she would have given up everything to be with him. Ten years later though she comes to him as a last resort because she thinks someones been stalking her and possibly trying to kill her.  Trace has his own security firm and has connections and is rich now. He takes over Skye's lief pretty much to find out what's going on.  Who is the stalker? Is there a stalker? There is so much packed into these pages. Lots of secrets to unravel and a mystery or two. Can love last after so many years apart and so much hurt? This is action packed. Cynthia Eden drags you right into the middle of it. Can't wait for the follow up to this! 4 out of 5 stars for Mine to Take by Cynthia Eden.

Find out more about Cynthia Eden and this book here www.cynthiaeden.com

Monday, July 29, 2013

Hot Cover Monday! Targeted (Deadly Ops #1) by Katie Reus

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Targeted
Book 1: Deadly Ops series
NAL/Signet Eclipse
Release date: October 1, 2013
Hidden in plain sight…
Former Marine sniper and current NSA agent Jack Stone has a new face to go with his new identity. But he still has the same tortured memories—which include the woman he let get away years ago, when they were teenagers. Now his new assignment in Miami will put him so close to the woman he’s never been able to forget, he could reach out and touch her—if only she weren’t under suspicion.
When Sophie Moreno uncovers evidence linking the medical supply company she works for with arms smuggling—and worse—she doesn’t know who to turn to. After a shocking betrayal, she realizes the only person she can trust is a mysterious new person in the company—a man with hauntingly familiar eyes.
As Sophie questions her intense attraction to this man and Jack struggles not to blow his cover, the two of them must race against the clock to stop terrorists from killing scores of people—starting with them.

Find out more on Katie Reus website www.katiereus.com

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Pitch Perfect (Boys of Summer #1) by Sierra Dean

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Available Aug 6th from Samhain
She’d be the perfect catch if he could take his eye off the ball.

Emmy Kasper knows exactly how lucky she is. In a sport with few opportunities for women at the pro level, she’s just landed her dream job as head athletic trainer for the San Francisco Felons baseball team. Screwing up is not an option.

She’s lost in thought as she pedals to the spring training facility, her mind abuzz with excitement as she rounds a corner—and plows head-on into two runners. The end of her career dances before her eyes when she realizes she’s almost run over the star pitcher.

As Tucker Lloyd watches the flustered Emmy escape with his bandana tied around her skinned knee, the view is a pleasant change from worrying about his flagging fastball. At thirty-six, the tail end of his career is glimmering on the horizon. If he can’t pull something extraordinary out of his ball cap, the new crop of rookies could make this season his last.

The last thing either of them needs is a distraction.

The last thing either of them expects is love.


Warning: Contains a down-on-his-luck pitcher, a good-girl athletic therapist, chemistry that’s out of the park and sexy times that’ll make them round all the bases.

This is the first book is a new baseball themed contemporary series by Sierra Dean. So far we know her from her paranormal Secret McQueen series, which i love. She's taking a crack at baseball this time. Tucker Lloyd is a aging baseball pitcher at 36 years old. He's coming off a surgery and a years worth of therapy getting his arm back in shape.  Emmy Kasper is the daughter of a famous baseball player and game announcer and a the new Athletic Trainer for the San Francisco Felons and she's a rare breed in baseball as there are few females in her position. She's tasked with helping Tucker get back on track and become the pitcher he used to be. If he can't get it together he's probably going to be traded off. There first time seeing each other is a crash meeting literally when Emmy runs him down almost with her bike and hits the pavement hard. Sparks fly between the two but there are things that should prevent them being together. First Emmy has a boyfriend although it's not much of a relationship these days and two they kind of work together and that's probably another good reason.  They decide to try and be friends instead.  Emmy struggles with her feeling for Tucker all the while trying to keep a professional distance. She finally realizes that her relationship with boyfriend is over and breaks up with him clearing the way with Tucker. After a night trying to meet Tucker's best friend Alex drink for drink in a bar all the while confessing her feeling for Tucker she wakes up at Tucker's house.  Things take off between the two then but will it how will it end?  I love the all the characters in this story. Tucker and Emmy are awesome. These aren't young 20 somethings with both being in their 30's. They've lived some life and that's really refreshing. Alex, Tucker's best friend is fun and flirty with something a little dark inside and will make for a great main character in the next book. I felt like i knew these people by the end of the book. Like they could be someone you might hang out with. The dialogue lends to that feeling. I'm not big into baseball. I watch it occasionally especially if the Detroit Tigers are doing something big but i don't feel you need to be a crazy fan to enjoy the baseball talk in this book. It's fairly easy to understand for any non baseball person too.  Sierra Dean rocked this story. Her writing brilliance comes through with this sweet, sexy contemporary romance. 5 out of 5 stars for Pitch Perfect!


Find out more about Sierra Dean, this book and her other work on her website www.sierradean.com

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Book review: Hotshot (Buchanan-Renard #11) by Julie Garwood

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Available August 6, 2013
Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit—only then will they own it.

A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful.

There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property.

It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again.


Finn MacBain meets Peyton Lockhart when she's a little girl in the beginning of this book. He's 14 and she's 6. Peyton's family is the MacBain's new neighbors and because of a incident with the Lockhart's pool Finn and his 2 brothers aren't allowed over there.  Just so happens the evening the Lockharts are having a party Finns observes a little girl wander out to their pool and sit down and in a matter of minutes she falls in. Finn runs to the rescue when he bursts into the party knocking Mr Lockhart down in the process and dives into the pool and saves her. From then on Finn has a fan for life in Peyton.  Years later Finn is with the FBI now and home for one of his twin brothers wedding. Peyton walks right up to him and says hi and he has no idea who she is until she calls him the knickname she gave him years before,"Hotshot".  Peyton  has just gotten a job at a foodie magazine and uproots herself from  her home to move to another state only to find out her new boss is a major sexual predator. After getting some evidence against him she takes off only to be chased in a snow storm and almost run off the road and shot at.  When Finn notices the bullet holes in Peyton's car he starts looking into what's going on. In the mean time  Peyton and her two sisters are offered a deal by their wealthy uncle who owns a bunch of resorts.  They can run Bishop's Cove in Florida for one year and make a profit they can keep it forever. While Peyton and her sister Lucy move down there to start working on the resort and getting it ready they have to deal with a cousin who is hell bent on ruining their chances. All the while this is going on someone is still trying to kill Peyton or at the very least scare her to death.  Finn is on the job and although they become close he's in denial that he he loves her can't leave her alone. He can't although he does try it just doesn't work.   This book has  a lot going on. Peyton and her sisters trying to fix up the resort while someone is trying to sabatoge the whole thing and then Peyton nasty ex-boss  trying to silence her from exposing what he's been doing  to his father in law. Peyton comes across as a strong female character trying to do the right thing by exposing her boss and protecting other women from him and trying to run a resort while dealing with her crazy family. Finn is this larger than life good guy, former Olympic champion and now super FBI agent. The man is saving the world one day at a time.  I love how Julie Garwood brings back past characters in small ways.  You'll find a few previous characters mentioned in this book and hearing tidbits about past characters always gives me a thrill.  This is a fast read and i enjoyed the main characters as well as all the secondary characters. Another win for me from Julie Garwood. 5 out of 5 stars for Hotshot!

Find out more about this book and everything Julie Garwood on her website here www.juliegarwood.com

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Book review: This Time Next Year by Catherine Peace

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Available July 11th from Decadent Publishing 
Vampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.

Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.

Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?


This is a short 38 page story by a brand new first time published author Catherine Peace. It's always hard to try brand new authors. It's a risk of course to our pocketbook and our reading time.  Miss Peace started with a beautiful cover and a great little blurb so i had good hopes i would enjoy the story.  it's It's hard to put enough  story into something this short and make it feel enjoyable. This is really like the after story of a horrific tale where years ago a little girl is forced to watch her parents get torn apart and murdered by a vampire. Now years later and grown up the newly made vampire who was forced tostand back and  watch what happened is back. Kiernan  had a good vampire maker that was murdered by another vicious vampire then was forced to watch him murder Moira's parents. He's watched over her all the years after and now wants to make amends. This story reminded me a bit of Twilight and Christine Feehan's Dark series. It's well written and your drawn through it by the intense emotions experienced by both Moira and Kiernan. A lot had to happen in a short amount of time and at the end i just wanted more. I would love to see this author write a longer story. Definitely would like to read more. 5 out of 5 stars for This Time Next year by Catherine Peace.

Find out more about Catherine Peace www.lexcade.blogspot.com

Monday, July 22, 2013

Cover reveal! I'll Be Home for Christmas (Coming Home series)Read chapter one! by Jessica Scott

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Chapter One
Sergeant Vic Carponti paused outside his company operations office, taking a deep breath. It was funny how their corner of Fort Hood felt deserted the night before a deployment. The company colors had already been cased. They would uncase them in a few weeks, once they got settled into their new home across the ocean in the middle of the war.
He didn’t know why this deployment was bothering him so much. It wasn’t his first time heading off to war, so he knew what to expect when the shit hit the fan in combat. But there was something hanging over his head this time. A fear that maybe this time his luck would run out.
He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands before walking into the company ops. The only thing they’d left up was the plaque that bore the names of their fallen brothers from the last deployment. The commander—Captain Trent Davila, a man Carponti had known for years—was planning on carrying that with him personally so it couldn’t ever get lost.
And so no one would ever forget. Carponti reached up and took it gently off the wall, then strolled into his company commander’s office with a nonchalance painted on his face that he damn sure didn’t feel. But people expected him to laugh and joke and make them forget the bad shit all around and so that’s what he was going to do.
“Don’t forget this,” he said, placing the plaque on Trent’s desk. He plopped down in a chair, then kicked his feet up on Trent’s desk. “Are you coming out with us tonight?”
Captain Trent Davila lifted one eyebrow at Carponti’s feet and said nothing. Carponti looked at his commander and longtime friend, then at the plaque next to his boots.
“Fine,” he said with a sigh, dropping his feet to the floor. “So answer the question.”
Trent sighed. “I can’t go out with you guys. I’m the company commander. I’m not allowed to have fun,” Trent grumbled. “Besides, my boss would have my nuts in a sling if anything happens while I'm there.”
“It’s the last day before our deployment. You’re allowed to have fun. You can just say you’re supervising all of us miscreants.” Carponti took the last Dr. Pepper out of Trent's fridge. “The deployment hasn’t even started and you already look stressed the hell out. You should be working your lieutenant to death instead of trying to do everything yourself.”
Trent shook his head and pushed his glasses to the top of his head. “Yeah, well, my new executive officer seems to think he’s God’s gift to the army. He’s good but he’s not as good as he thinks he is.”
“Oh, the boys just love him,” Carponti said.
“Really?”
“No, not really. He’s an arrogant fuck who believes his own press. Personally, I can’t stand him, but luckily I don’t have to deal with him much. I just sic Sarn’t Garrison on him.”
Trent grinned and reached for the plaque, sliding his hat on top of it so he wouldn’t forget it. “Yeah, Garrison has a way with words.”
Garrison was Carponti’s platoon sergeant. Garrison and Trent had been squad leaders many moons ago when Trent had still been enlisted. In Carponti’s world, it meant a whole lot that Trent had stayed close with his enlisted friends even after he’d crossed over to the dark side and become an officer.
“I’m swinging by his place on my way home. He needs to go out before someone shoots his grumpy old ass. He’s been a complete buzz kill since his wife left him.”
“Your sympathy is astounding,” Trent said dryly. He grinned and shook his head. “Why do we put up with you?”
“Because I’m charming and funny and good in a firefight?” Carponti said with a grin.
“Pretty much. You can make anyone laugh.”
“It’s an important life skill. Like balancing a checkbook. So seriously, find a babysitter and come out with us. Your wife could use some fun before she has to spend the year dealing with all the spouses in the Family Readiness Group and chasing your kids around while you’re off on another fun adventure.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call going to combat a fun adventure.” Trent rubbed his chest. There was a scar there, Carponti knew. A scar that had damn near killed Trent several years ago. Carponti wondered just how much stress his commander was carrying and not telling anyone. Trent’s face flushed when he realized Carponti had caught him rubbing his scar and he tapped the pencil hard enough to snap the eraser off. “You know, you’re right. Let me see if we can’t find a sitter.”
“Excellent. We’ll be congregating by the bar when you get there. Now I just have to go convince Garrison to come out with us.”
“Good luck with that,” Trent said, pulling his glasses down. “He’s on the verge of becoming a warrior monk.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Carponti mumbled as he strolled out of his commander’s office. He wished he hadn’t seen the flicker of worry that flashed in his commander’s eyes when he’d mentioned his wife. He’d thought that Laura and Trent were one of the strongest couples he knew. She’d put up with him deploying back to back to back since he’d almost died a few years ago.
But that flicker of worry? Yeah, Carponti hadn’t missed it. There were problems there, hopefully small ones that Trent would take time to fix after this rotation into the sandbox.
Carponti looked down at his own wedding ring. It was his last night home and his last night with his wife.
He was glad he’d convinced her to come out with him and the boys. That way he could make sure they had a most excellent party and spend time with Nicole at the same time. He was going to spend part of  the night chaperoning his guys to make sure they made the most of it—which meant making sure no one ended up in jail—but then? Then the time he had left was going to be spent making his wife laugh.
Because try though he might, he couldn’t shake the quiet dread that settled in the pit of his stomach that tonight was the last night of normalcy he had on this earth.
Nicole Carponti breathed deeply and fanned her eyes, trying to stop the burning of hot tears. She leaned against the wall of the bathroom in Ropers and tried to stuff down all the churning emotions chained to the fact that her husband was leaving for war tomorrow. Again.
The first time he’d left she’d been scared, but then the war, the deployment…the waiting…it had all been unknown. She’d worked on finishing her degree and kept herself busy and waited by the phone like all the military wives who had gone before her.
The second time he’d left, she’d known better what to expect. The long waits between phone calls. The silence when he couldn’t talk long. The quick e-mails saying “I’m alive” that once upon a time would have been too little, but during the war were more than enough to keep her going.
But this time? This time was different. The Surge was different. They were sending in massive amounts of soldiers to try to quell the Iraqi insurgency. It was bloody and deadly and soldiers were getting attacked at higher rates than at any earlier time during the war.
And Nicole was terrified.
She had to hide it, though. She’d agreed to come out with him tonight just because it gave her a chance to pretend that she was fine. She had to keep everything in check until after he left. She couldn’t let him know how much she worried this time.
Fanning her eyes once more, she stepped out of the bathroom and into the rowdy country bar. A place like this was guaranteed trouble on a normal night, but tonight her husband’s platoon was rolling deep. Which was either going to be a really good thing or a really bad thing for her future job at the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, depending on how cantankerous tonight got.
She spotted her good friend Laura Davila at the bar with a cute blond woman Nicole had met in the bathroom a little while ago. She had already completely forgotten the other woman’s name. She was terrible with names.
She wound her way through the pulsating crowd until she reached them. Laura grinned at her and she exclaimed, “I can’t believe you came out tonight.”
“You’ve already said this twice,” Laura said. They had to shout to hear each other.
Nicole flagged down the bartender and leaned around Laura to her friend. “I’m a terrible person but I already forgot your name. I’m Nicole Carponti.”
The petite blond held out her hand. “Jen St. James.”
“Nice to meet you, Jen. I won’t forget this time,” Nicole said with a smile.
Laura leaned toward Nicole. “I’m trying to get her out of her shell. She had cancer and she’s been struggling with her self-esteem ever since.”
Nicole frowned, glancing toward Jen, who was now trying to get the attention of the bartender. On the other side of her, though, was Garrison, her husband’s platoon sergeant. He was a big man and he was currently leaning down to talk to Jen. “How’s that for a self-esteem boost?” Nicole said, gesturing toward the two.
Laura glanced over, then quickly looked away before she was caught. Her eyes lit with a brilliant smile. “Oh, that couldn’t be more perfect if I had planned it.”
Nicole studied her friend through narrowed eyes. “Did you plan it?”
“I wish. But let’s just see how this little situation develops, shall we?”
Nicole raised her beer in mock salute to her friend. “You, m’dear, are a devious and loyal friend.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Laura said. “So how’s Carponti taking this deployment?”
Nicole heard the undercurrent in her friend’s voice. “You know how he is. Always cracking jokes, which I suppose is a good thing. I’m fucking terrified, though.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been talking to some of the spouses. The Surge has everyone terrified. One of the spouses told me it was a death sentence.” Laura took a sip from her beer, scanning the bar.
Nicole scoffed quietly. “How’s that for melodramatic?” But she didn’t voice her own fear that this deployment was going to be worse than the previous ones. “I don’t envy you as the Family Readiness Group leader.”
“Oh, come on, don’t you want to volunteer? You can be responsible for keeping me from going crazy. It’s a primary duty position, you know.”
Nicole laughed. “Not in this lifetime,” she said. “I always feel out of place once the spouses find out I’m pretty much a cop.”
Jen leaned over, rejoining their conversation as Shane wandered off in the direction of Laura’s husband. “What’s going on over there?” she said, pointing at Laura’s husband.
Nicole sighed heavily and took another drink. “Oh joy. Looks like Trent is giving one of his lieutenants some love. Couldn’t have the rest of the night without drama, could we?” She glanced back at Laura and Jen. “We should go interrupt before the second round of fireworks go off.”
Earlier Vic had gotten into an argument with Lieutenant Randall and now it looked like Laura's husband was finishing things off with the arrogant prick. The LT made Nicole’s skin crawl and she wasn’t looking forward to another bar fight. Not two in one night, that was for sure.
But whatever had happened was over now. She watched as LT Randall made a beeline for the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garrison talking to Jen again. And Laura? Once Randall was gone, she and her husband moved off to a dark corner of the bar and were deep in conversation.
She hoped it was a good one. She didn’t like the worry she’d seen in her friend’s eyes when she talked about her husband.
She snuck up behind Vic, sliding her hands over his hips and up his t-shirt and the smooth hard skin of his body, placing a kiss at the little indentation at the indentation between his shoulder blades.
He turned and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “There you are.” He kissed her fiercely, reminding her of how much she loved this man. “I was about to send out a search party for you in the little girls’ room.”
Nicole wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. He was leaner than he’d been when he’d come home last year. His body was more solid from long ruck marches and hard training for this deployment. His eyes, though, were the same bright, mischievous green that they’d always been and she counted herself lucky that whatever he’d gone through in the war, he’d come home okay so far. She just prayed their luck held.
“No search party required,” she murmured against his lips. “I was talking to Laura. I’m impressed that you got Garrison and Trent to come out.”
“You should be,” Carponti grumbled, biting her bottom lip gently. “I had to guilt both of them into it. It’s like they both turned thirty and amputated their fun genes or something.”
Nicole laughed against his mouth. “Dance with me?” she asked.
“What in our history makes you think I know how to dance?” he grumbled even as he allowed her to lead him onto the dance floor.
“You’ll figure it out,” she said, sliding her arms around his neck. She rubbed her body against his, sensuously moving her hips in time with the music.
He dropped his hands to her hips, guiding her exactly where he wanted her. “Keep that up and we’ll have to sneak out to the car,” he said, his breath hot on her ear.
She nibbled on his bottom lip, biting it gently. “I think you’re trying to seduce me,” she whispered. She dug her fingers into his back, her blood humming with latent arousal. God but she loved this man.
“I’m absolutely trying to seduce you,” he said. He angled his thigh between hers, pressing close to the juncture of her thighs. The pressure sent vibrations through her body and straight to her core.
“I’m kind of ready to go home.” Her words were a gasp as he rubbed his thigh against her swollen center. “Before you get into any more fights with your lieutenant.”
“Can we not talk about work when I’m trying to turn you on?” he mumbled. He slipped his hand beneath the hem of her shirt, stroking his thumb down the centerline of her back. A shiver ran through her.
“You don’t want to talk about work? That doesn’t turn you on?” She undulated against him, grateful for the crush of bodies that swayed around them and enabled them to be lost in the crowd.
“No, trying to get you naked turns me on,” he said. “We really need to get out of here.” His breath traced over her ear a moment before he bit her earlobe gently, a fierce burst of pleasure in the pain.
“That sounds like a brilliant idea.”
He sighed as a commotion cleared a corner of the dance floor. “I hate being one of the responsible adults.” He kissed her hard. “Let me get everyone out of here first? That way no one goes to jail on our last night in the States.”
She kissed him fiercely. “I’ll be waiting over here for you to get done being all caveman.”
“I’ll show you caveman later,” he said with a grin before wading into the crowd and diffusing the situation between Garrison and Trent.
It took the better part of an hour before they’d shuffled everyone off to their respective cabs and vehicles. Nicole talked with Laura and Jen and tried not to notice how Jen kept watching Garrison. Oh now wasn’t that interesting?
It felt like forever before her husband strolled across the parking lot and scooped her up, carrying her toward their vehicle.
Their car was parked deep in a shadowed corner of the parking lot, and the moment her husband closed the door Nicole crawled into his lap on the passenger’s seat. He pulled her close, kissing her hard and fast. Pouring a thousand unsaid things into that kiss. His hand threaded into her hair and he slanted her mouth until he owned her—all of her—and she was lost in his taste, his touch.
Then he broke off abruptly. “What the hell?”
“What?”
“Who is that with Garrison?”
Nicole twisted around in time to see Garrison, one of Carponti’s oldest friends, lean in to kiss Jen.
“Oh now that’s interesting,” Carponti whispered.
Nicole spun around. “Don’t you say anything to him,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Because this is the first time Garrison has done anything for himself since his wife left him. Leave him alone.”
Carponti blinked innocently. “What makes you think I would say anything?” he said. His words slurred and Nicole grinned before fishing around in his pockets for his car keys. “A little more to the left.”
Nicole laughed then climbed into the driver’s seat as Garrison stepped back, letting Jen walk to an ancient sedan. “She’s cute. She’s friends with Laura.”
Laura, who was being carried across the parking lot by her husband. She hoped for Laura’s sake the happiness lasted longer than just tonight. The war was taking its toll on everyone, and Nicole had noticed more than once that there was a strain in her friend’s voice when she talked about her husband.
Vic just looked at her. “Oh really?”
Nicole drove them away before her husband could interrupt what had looked like something very sweet between Jen and Garrison. She’d known Garrison as long as she’d known her husband and it was long overdue for him to find someone that made him happy outside of the army.
She glanced at her husband, who had closed his eyes the moment the vehicle started moving, a lazy smile on his lips. Something warm bloomed inside her.

She wished Garrison could find the kind of happy that she had with Vic.


Find out more about Jessica Scott and this series here www.jessicascott.net

Hot Cover Monday! Tease Me (Semper Fi Marines #1) by Melissa Schroeder


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Available in August 2013

A man who thinks he has what he wants.

Bran Johnson always knew he wanted to be a Marine. What makes it even better is longtime gal pal TK is now stationed at the same base. Unfortunately, Bran is having a hard time dealing with his feelings when he realizes that TK is considered a hot commodity on base. Worse, he finds himself taking a backseat to her admirers.

A woman who always wished for more.

Tess Keller has loved Bran since they were in high school. The former football captain always treated her like a friend so she tried to move on. Unfortunately, he’s in her business constantly now. One passionate argument leads to more than either of them expected. Tess knows it isn’t going to last because Bran is never going to settle down. So, to save face, she suggests they stay friends, only with the side benefit of being sometime lovers.

A Marine determined to win at all costs.

Bran agrees to the friends with benefits idea just to keep himself close to Tess. She might think he’s not around for the long haul, but this is one Johnson brother who knows exactly what he wants…and just how to get it. And what he wants is Tess in his bed and in his life forever. Nothing will stop him, not even Tess herself.


Find out more about the series and a contest on Melissa Schroeder's website www.melissaschroeder.net

Friday, July 19, 2013

Book review: Curveball (Philadelphia Patriots #4) by V.K. Sykes

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Taylor Page has never wanted anything but a career in major league baseball. Through talent and guts, she’s finally landed a position as Assistant General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots. But she wants the ultimate prize—General Manager. The only problem is that most men in baseball still don’t take a woman exec seriously, especially a thirty-year old blonde with no on-field experience. She needs to do something big to convince her bosses she has what it takes to run a team.

Veteran Pittsburgh outfielder Ryan Locke’s career is in jeopardy when a suddenly unreliable throwing arm comes on top of rehab from a major injury. He’s had a solid run but he’s not a star with a mega-contract. A single parent with a troubled daughter and an alcoholic mother to provide for, retirement is out of the question. Ryan’s best hope is for a trade to an American League team as a designated hitter, allowing him several more years of play.

When Taylor needs to find a replacement for an injured first baseman, she comes up with an innovative but risky idea: convince her boss to make a trade for Ryan Locke, and then convince the still talented slugger to play first base for the Patriots. With Ryan dead-set against that plan and both their careers on the line, neither Taylor nor Ryan can afford the explosive physical attraction between them. But despite Taylor’s best efforts to resist Ryan’s campaign of seduction, she’s not sure she’s got to willpower to keep from playing along.


This book is a mix of romance and baseball. If you like those two thing you might like them together. Taylor Page grew up with a love of baseball. Her dad was a minor league scout that she adored and when he was killed when she was a young teen she was devastated. Now an adult she's really close to her dream job as the General Manager of the Philadelphia Patriots. She's a brand new Assistant GM right now and thinks that getting Ryan Locke on the team will be the thing to get her closer to that goal. Outfielder Ryan Locke is struggling a bit with his arm. He's having trouble on the field with throwing and he's hoping to get traded to an American League as designated hitter at least if he can't stay where he is now. He's not a young man anymore at 33 but hopes to eek out some more time still before retirement. Taylor gets him traded to the Philadelphia Patriots though instead and he's asked to learn 1st base . Things get complicated when Taylor and Ryan find themselves attracted to each other after Taylor actually gets a chance to get to know Ryan.  Taylor is kind of his boss in a way so she's nervous about how it might look if they are together. The relationship is like a roller coaster with tons of ups and downs. Throw in Ryan's 13 year old troubled daughter and there is a lot of things going on.
 I enjoyed the angst between Taylor and Ryan when it was there. Both struggled with decisions about their personal lives and professional lives as they were both tangled together.When they came together though it was crazy sexy!  This is book 4 in the Philadelphia Patriots series. While i have never read the previous books in the series i feel you can walk right into the series and start reading here if you want. I didn't feel like i lost anything by starting with book four.  4 out of 5 stars for Curveball by V.K. Sykes.

Find out more about this series here www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Catherine Peace THIS TIME NEXT YEAR Blog Hop and giveaway!

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Guest author Catherine Peace 
I wrote a book— one 38-page read with a cover. It’s about vampires. Well, a vampire. And a human woman. But it’s not really like True Blood, except that it kind of is. In retrospect, it’s like if True Blood and Interview with the Vampire had a 38-page love child.
In its own way, This Time Next Year is my love letter to the vampires I’ve adored over the years—to the Louis de Pon du Lacs, the Lestats, the Alucards, the Eric Northmans and even the Vlad Tepeses. It’s a short homage to the mythology and folklore that’s ingrained in my mind, a tribute to the light and dark sides of the fanged.
More than any other paranormal creature, the vampire takes the human experience and cranks it up to 11. Every passion is heightened—hunger, lust, anger, hate, need, love—and vampires live life accordingly. They take the greatest joy in whatever dominated them in life, and they utilize it to make their eternities fulfilled. It doesn’t always work. Okay, it almost never works. But they give their best efforts to making sure that it’s damn good to be them. They tend to be terribly self-absorbed.
Two of the three vampires mentioned in the story don’t quite fit the bill of the self-absorbed vampire, while the third embodies it perfectly. Marguerite, Kiernan’s maker, shows pity and compassion, and offers the chance of vampirism to him, though she doesn’t tell him about the bad side of vampirism. In kind, Kiernan offers the same to Moira, this time with complete information. He refuses to make the decision for her, while most would have taken advantage of her…eagerness. I attempted to make a legitimate relationship between the two, and not something built completely on lust and “OMG YOU’RE A VAMPIRE,” because that’s just lame. Moira is smart and capable and sure of herself. She’s not the type to fall for that, no matter how hot Kiernan is.
It’s a story with bite and heart. And sex.
What do you love/hate about vampire stories?
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Vampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.

Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.

Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and is still chasing the dream of being super rich and famous, mostly so she can sit around in her PJs all day and write stories. When not being a slave to the people in her head, she’s a slave to two adorable dogs.
Reviewer for Indie Books R Us

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

V.K. Sykes book blast giveaway winner!

The winner of the V.K.Sykes book blast giveaway is Jenny Dauska Schaber 
Congrats!!!  
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Find out more about V.K. Sykes on the Vanessa Kelly website here www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Monday, July 15, 2013

Hot Cover Monday! The Hitwoman and Neurotic Witness ( Hitwoman series Book 5) by JB Lynn



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When her apartment building is blown to smithereens, bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee is forced to move back into the Bed & Breakfast she grew up in.

Living with her three meddling aunts is bad enough, but it just so happens that the B&B is also occupied by a U.S. Marshal, an FBI agent, her old friend Zeke who’s on a mysterious mission, and a woman who claims she can see dead people. These aren’t the kinds of roomies Maggie wants to spend time with, considering that in order to pay for her niece’s medical care she supplements her income by killing people.

Maggie avoids arrest and deals with a crazier-than-usual home life while trying to track down exactly who is blowing up the holdings of various crime families. To make matters worse, she’s walking a precarious tightrope between keeping her mobster bosses happy and protecting her murder mentor (and almost lover) Patrick Mulligan.

Aided by the warped predictions of her semi-psychic friend; her sarcastic, demanding, talking lizard; and an always ravenous, dyslexic Doberman; Maggie juggles keeping secrets, unraveling riddles and protecting those she loves.

Can she do it all? Or will she suffer yet another unspeakable loss?

Find out more about JB Lynn and the Hitwoman series on her website here www.jblynn.com

Thursday, July 11, 2013

'Highland Giveaway Celebration - Monica McCarty's THE HUNTER on sale now - Enter to win books 1-6

I reviewed this book yesterday and now here's your chance to win book 1 through 6 in this series! Find out more about Monica McCarty here on her website www.monicamccarty.com

Starts NOW through 7/31
Check out the sponsor of this giveaway,  Romance at Random here www.romanceatrandom.com

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Book review: The Hunter (Highland Guard #7) by Monica McCarty


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The war for Scotland’s freedom continues as King Robert the Bruce battles on. At his command is an elite army of trained warriors, soldiers dedicated to their king, their country—and to the remarkable women they love.

Available as of June 25th 2013
Prized for his unbeatable tracking skills, Ewen “Hunter” Lamont accepts a dangerous assignment: locate a missing undercover courier. But this is no ordinary target. Ewen has met his prey before as “Sister Genna,” a fiery, forbidden woman forever etched in his memory after one stolen, sinful kiss. Now that he knows her real identity, he’s more determined than ever to keep her safe. But without the protection of the veil between them, fighting the allure of the beautiful lass may be the toughest battle this extraordinary warrior has ever faced.

After her ill-fated attempt three years ago to rescue her twin sister, Janet of Mar has found salvation acting as a royal messenger—until she surrenders to a darkly handsome warrior whose rough, sensual kisses stir feelings the woman in her can’t deny. But when betrayal leads to danger, and a crucial communiqué is put in jeopardy, Janet has no choice but to put her faith in the hunter who can find anything—perhaps even her heart.

This is book 7 in the Highland Guard series by Monica McCarty. I have to admit i have not read all the books in this series. I'm usually pretty compulsive about stuff like this too. I have not had the time to go back and read all of them. This is actually only the 2nd one i have read. Some things are not always clear but you can figure it out soon enough and i don't feel too left behind.  Once i read the blurb for book 6 The Recruit i was intrigued enough to read it and i enjoyed it so much it stuck with me enough that when i saw The Hunter i knew i wanted to read it.  The Hunter is Ewen Lamont's code name in the Highland Guard. His job as a tracker for the guard nets him the job of locating a missing Courier. That Courier turns out to be Janet of Mar disguised as Sister Genna. The missing and thought dead twin sister of Mary of Mar the heroine from book 6. Janet had a plan to save her sister and when it went horribly wrong and she was terribly injured in the process she felt such guilt she decided to let everyone think she was dead and become a courier for King Robert. She believes she can never receive forgiveness for what she caused no matter what she does but still she needs to help to make partial amends if nothing else. Ewan is in precarious position since he has only a sliver of land left  to for his clan and the clan itself  is banished. He can't afford to make the king angry.  Once he finds out who Sister Genna really is ( Janet) his attraction to her grows but then he finds out that's she's to be betrothed to another. Now he's trying to protect her and fight his attraction for her.  Janet is totally in the dark about being betrothed and up until she starts to get to know Ewen plans to really become a nun.  Both Janet and Ewen have some self hate going and something to prove. Each is trying to understand the other. It takes  Ewen a long time to give into the inevitable but he finally succumbs to his love for Janet.  Action packed with no shortage of bad guys.  The characters are well thought out and individual. Janet is a bit of a rebel and a lot of her dialog portrays as a tough woman but at the same time she comes across as vulnerable too. Ewen is a BIG tough guy too and is horrified by what he feels for Janet when he thinks she's a nun. Later he still struggles with his feels and his need to be blunt. Overall a very enjoyable story and i still hope to read the back list and hopefully any future books. 4 out of 5 stars for The Hunter by Monica McCarty


Monica Mc Carty has a really interesting section on her website dedicated to this series. You can get a brief back history of everything that has happened so far and a whose who as well as some history. At the back of each book is short history lesson too if you are interested. It all really adds to the experience. Find all that here www.monicamccarty.com

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Book review: Making It Last (Camelot #4) by Ruthie Knox

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Available July 15th 2013 136 pages novella
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.

Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.


Ruthie Knox takes us back to Camelot one more time to put us in touch with the couple from the first book in the series Amber and Tony.  This short book takes place 10 years and 3 kids after they met in How to Misbehave . Like many marriages the Mazzara's are busy trying to make ends meet, take care of their kids and eek by with some kind of life.  After a family wedding in Jamaica Amber and Tony are trying to get their brood on the airplane when Tony tells Amber to stay. Her aunt has a few days paid for a room at the resort and she should relax and he'll take care of the kids etc. She is left standing there before she can say anything. Amber feels lost. She has doubts about her husband love and her place in the world now that her baby has started school she has time to think about these things. When Tony leaves her in Jamaica she should be happy to be able to relax and be on her own for a while but what she really wants in for Tony to be there with her and reconnect. Finally with the help of his mother in law he comes back to find her and get back to being a couple. Being married for over 20 years i can totally relate to this story. It's not easy being married. Many can't see past the wedding that marriage is give and take and being there for each other. It's kid of fun to go back and see how couple turn out from past books. This was an emotional journey that any married couple can relate too.  I was so happy to see Amber and Tony find their way back to love and life. 4 out of 5 stars for Making it Last by Ruthie Knox.

Find out more about Ruthie Knox and her work on her website here www.ruthieknox.com

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Book review: Caught in the Spotlight (Hollywood #1) by Jules Bennett

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A True Hollywood Love Story?Who's the exotic beauty on the arm of mega-hot ladies' man Bronson Dane? Word is she's Mia Spinelli, recently rumored to be the mistress of her former boss—and Bronson's longtime industry rival. Now she's the personal assistant to Bronson's mother. Is Mia getting "personal" with Bronson, too? He's been spotted escorting her into a Hollywood doctor's office, and Mia has a noticeable baby bump. Has the sultry assistant managed to get under the playboy producer's skin—and into his bed?

This is a true Hollywood kind of story. Lots of Drama and intrigue, secrets and sex! Mia is a sweet innocent girl but her beauty gets her in trouble when working for one brother( Anthony) proves scandalous because the press make it seem like she's having an affair.  Even if the relationship is honest she leaves  to protect her friendship with Anthony and if possible his marriage. She finds herself working for a Hollywood actress who is a icon and falls into a relationship with Anthony's brother Bronson. To bad Bronson doesn't know his rival in Hollywood is actually his brother. After a wonderful week together Mia find Bronson is to busy for her and then later she finds out she's pregnant. Now what? Bronson was suspicious of her supposed affair with Anthony and what she's might be after by coming work for his mother. Now with this sudden pregnancy he makes comparisons to the last time a woman said she was pregnant with his baby. Mia is a strong and proud woman though and tells his flat out she doesn't want anything from him and doesn't need anything from him. Her heart wants him but she's more concerned about the child she will have and that comes first.  The story has a very Hollywood style vibe to it that fits right in with the idea behind the story. If it didn't have all the secrets and cynicism would wonder why it doesn't.  Bronson's past experiences shape his views on life and love and he has to try very hard to overcome that and see what he might have in front of him. Mia's parents were killed when she was just 5 and it's not been a easy life since. She sees this at her chance for a family. She would love to include Bronson in that but she won't do anything that won't protect her baby either.  I enjoyed this fast paced read and liked the attention to detail Bronson had in the little things when he attempts to get know Mia better. His struggle to believe is a real one and not overly rushed.  The characters are strong and interesting and draw you through the story. 4 out of 5 stars for Caught in the Spotlight by Jules Bennett.

Find out more about Jules Bennett and her work on her website here www.julesbennett.com