Saturday, October 4, 2014

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Indecent Proposal by Molly O'Keefe


INDECENT PROPOSAL by Molly O’Keefe

September 2014

Boys of Bishop, book #4


BOOK SUMMARY

Perfect for readers of Susan Mallery and Rachel Gibson, Molly O’Keefe’s gritty and sensual tale of passion and politics features the brother of the heroine from the author’s beloved novel, Never Been Kissed. He’s a driven man who refuses to be distracted—until he meets a beautiful bartender who just may change his life.

With his chiseled jaw and his thick blond hair, Harrison Montgomery was born to lead. Four generations of Montgomery men have served the state of Georgia and now he’s next in line. Harrison, though, is driven to right wrongs: namely to clean up the political mess left by his father’s greed and corruption. But Harrison must first win his congressional bid, and nothing can get in his way—not even an angel who served him whiskey and gave him a shoulder to lean on and a body to love for a night. Problem is, she’s pregnant. Scandal is brewing and there is only one solution: marriage.

Damage control? Ryan Kaminski can’t believe that a cold, calculating political animal now inhabits the body of the emotionally vulnerable stranger who’d given her the most unforgettable night of her life. Really, she doesn’t want anything from Harrison, except to be left alone to have her baby in peace. But Ryan is broke, jobless, and essentially blackmailed by Harrison’s desperate family to accept this crazy marriage deal. For two years, she will have to act the role of caring, supportive wife. But what is Ryan supposed to do when she realizes that, deep in her heart, she’s falling in love.

INDECENT PROPOSAL BUY LINKS (book #4): 
Amazon  

BETWEEN THE SHEETS PURCHASE LINKS (book #3): 

NEVER BEEN KISSED PURCHASE LINKS (book #2):
Amazon   

WILD CHILD PURCHASE LINKS (book #1) 

MY REVIEW

With all the books that Molly O'Keefe has written so far, I'm surprised this is the first of hers that I have read.  I found the writing to be pretty good, though in some places things were a bit drawn out, especially when it came to Harrison and the way he kept wavering back and forth.  

 I found Harrison to be a strong male lead, though at some points I wanted to tell him to take a stand and see that Ryan was a strong woman who can take anything you throw at her.  But when you put two strong leads together, you're going to get some head-butting and stubbornness...and Harrison's almost totally derailed what any reader can see is meant to be.

 In addition to our leads, the supporting characters had good depth and helped round out the story well.  Harrison's parents were those love-to-hate-them types (and my opinion of them did not change the whole way through), Wallace and Noelle provided great insights-as did Harrison's sister Ashley and Brody, and Ryan's family provided a bit of drama along with a great scene between Harrison and Ryan's father.

 I'm not normally a fan of books with story lines that deal with politics, but while Harrison is running for office and his father is governor, this story concentrates more on how everything affects Harrison and Ryan's relationship, and how they deal with their circumstances.  Things between them tend to bottle up and suddenly become passionate, then cool off when the political issues creep in again, before bottling up and becoming steamy again.

 An overall good 4-star read recommended for 18+, you'll find yourself with fingers crossed hoping everything works out for Harrison and Ryan...regardless of all the politics and family craziness.

Author Information

MOLLY O’KEEFE's Bio:
Molly O'Keefe is the RITA Award winning author of over 25 books and novellas. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, two kids and the largest heap of dirty laundry in North America.

















AUTHOR LINKS:

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a $50 Gift Card



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Friday, October 3, 2014

Blog Tour-Review and Giveaway: Wednesday by Clare James



Help us celebrate the release of Wednesday by Clare James! We hope you can join us!



Title: Wednesday
Author: Clare James
Age: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Scheduled to release: September 29, 2014

Goodreads

Blurb:

Her. Him. Alone. Beach house. Every Wednesday. Clothing optional.

Twenty-one-year-old Aria Prince has just moved back to her hometown to start over after a painful divorce. She’s always prided herself on being an early bloomer, but had no idea she’d be married, divorced, and the mother of a toddler by twenty-one. Surely menopause was just a few months away, especially considering the hot flashes and night sweats. Or was that just exhaustion? 

Unlike her friends who were at school, going to parties, and sowing their oats—wild and otherwise—Aria’s days were measured in the number of orders she took at her family’s restaurant, the chapters she read in her nursing text, the amount of Cheerios she cleaned up off the floor, and the wet kisses she received from her son.

And that was just fine with her.

But when she began running into her former best-friend Tristan Green—who was home taking care of his sick father—at every turn, she remembered what it felt like to be just Aria. Not a single mother, or sleep-deprived nursing student, or royal screw up. And though she didn’t even have time to shave her legs, let alone consider a sex life, Tristan makes an offer she’d be a fool to refuse.

Each day they’d give themselves to those who needed them. Every day – except Wednesday. Wednesday they’d take what they needed from each other.

Did she forget to mention Tristan was gorgeous?

Or that they hated each other?

Well, you know what they say about the line between love and hate … it’s a skinny-ass bitch. The question was, could they keep their feelings out of it?

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON - AMAZON UK - BARNES AND NOBLE - INKTERA - KOBO

MY REVIEW
This is the first time I've had the pleasure of reading one of Clare James' books...and I'll definitely be reading more by her.  Wednesday was a a nice, quick read that flowed smoothly and had a great cast of characters.  I'd have to say Tristan was my clear favorite, and I loved the scenes with him and Aria's son.  As far as Alex goes...even though we don't see too much of him, what we see makes me want to stick him at the bottom of the barrel for being such an ass.

While Aria and Tristan supposedly can't stand each other, it is plain to see that deep down they truly don't.  I just wanted them to toss aside their attitudes and just admit to themselves and everyone else what I as a reader could easily see.  I really liked getting both Aria and Tristan's POVs, dual POV books always give you so much more of the story.

My only wish for this story was to have more of a resolution of the situation with Alex.  Since things still felt a bit incomplete at the end, I'm hoping another book will be coming to tell more of Aria and Tristan's story and finish off things with Alex.

A good, solid romance read and a 4-star rating from me for Wednesday.

GIVEAWAY:

(1) $50 Amazon Gift card, (10) ebooks winner's choice, Public Lives Series

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author:

Clare James is the author of steamy contemporary romance and new adult novels: BEFORE YOU GO, MORE, DIRTY LITTLE LIES, TALK TO ME, and JUST LISTEN.She’s also a former dancer, and still loves to get her groove on—mostly to work off her beloved cupcakes and red wine.

A fan of spunky women, gorgeous guys, and super-hot romance, Clare spends most of her time lost in books. She lives in Minneapolis with her two leading men—her husband and young son—and loves to hear from her fans.

Find her at:

www.clarejamesbooks.com

Twitter: @clarejamesbooks

Facebook

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Release Day Launch-Review and Giveaway: The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen



I am so excited about this book--I love Sarina's Ivy Years series, and this male/male romance was so gorgeous and beautifully told. Today, we have an interview with Sarina about the series, as well as a great giveaway! Be sure to check it out! :)

 Interview with Sarina:

Q&A for Sarina Bowen:

Q: Is Harkness College from the Ivy Years series based on Yale?

A: Heck yes! But it’s based on a Yale which has gone soft and fuzzy in my mind, in all the best ways. So I’ve fictionalized it to avoid the errors and inaccuracies that I’d be likely to make if I tried to get everything just right.

Q: So what parts of Harkness are the Yaliest?

A: The architecture! The turrets and gargoyles, the Harry Potteresque dining halls, the slate footpaths and the creaky oak doors. The iron gates. The courtyards. The window seats, where you perch while you wonder if you’ll find true love. (Or just do your homework.)

Q: Why did you decide to write a book about two guys this time?

A: In the first place, I didn’t really decide, so much as the idea for Graham’s struggle surgically implanted itself in my brain and would not let go. And when I pictured the two of them meeting up again in a locker room after five years of silence, I just got the chills. This became the book that I cheated on all my other books to write. (If my editors of other projects are reading this… sorry! I’ll get back to work now. Probably.)

Q. Why college hockey?

A. Because… duh! Hockey players are hot. And hockey is a fast-paced game where whining is categorically disallowed. Interestingly, fighting is not legal in college hockey, either. At the college level, it’s all about the game. I love that!

Q: How many Ivy Years books do you have planned?

A: Five, if you’re counting the novella. After Rikker and Graham’s book, Bella is going to need her own book. What, you haven’t met Bella yet? Just wait. She steals quite a few scenes in The Understatement of the Year. She is a kick-ass chick in much the same way as Corey, Scarlet and Katie. You’ll love her. You can read a bit more about all the titles on The Ivy Years page on my website.

Q: How did you come to write romance?

A: I’ve always loved novels—all kinds of novels. And my goal is to make the reader do three things when she’s reading my book: cry, laugh, and sigh. Romance is the best vehicle for that goal, and I’ve really enjoyed the ride.

9780991068067_med

 The Understatement of the Year Synopsis:

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

Previous books in the series:
#1 The Year We Fell Down (March 2014)
#2 The Year We Hid Away (June 2014)
#2.5 Blonde Date (July 2014)

 My Review:

 I can sum this up for you in three simple words-I LOVED IT!  Or maybe I should say I abso-freaking-lutley loved it.  From the writing to the characters to the storyline...I couldn't have asked for a better M/M romance story.  I flew through this thanks to being totally riveted to every word.  

 Just like it says in the synopsis, you're going to get a heartbreaking story.  The fact that Rikker is out and Graham is very much NOT, you know from the start you're in for a lot of tension.  And you get plenty of it-along with spurts of passion that will frustrate you because you know Graham is going to crawl right back in his closet.

 But what's meant to be is meant to be, and though you'll go through a roller coaster of emotion the whole way through, in the end it is worth it.  And when you get to the most pivotal scene of the story near the end in the locker room, well...that's when the fact that this really is a moving love story will be made perfectly clear (if you don't already figure that out before then).

 The characters...every single one of them are so well developed and perfect in their roles.  Rikker and Graham couldn't have been written any better, and you will find yourself hoping, praying, even demanding that they get their HEA.  It's great to see Corey and Hartley again (from The Year We Fell Down)-I love that Hartley is so supportive.  Skippy is an amazing supporting character-funny and a bit flamboyant.  And Rikker's grandmother-loved, loved, loved her!  And of course you have that one character you just want to slap-Big-D (AKA to me as Mr. Intolerance...the ass).  One character that I would be really interested in seeing get his own story is Trevi-something about him just begs to have his story told.

 My final verdict--5 hot, emotional and infinitely re-readable stars!  Whether or not you are an M/M fan, this story is an amazing read and is VERY worth your time.  Recommended for 18+ due to language and adult scenes.

Sarina Bowen Bio:

Sarina Bowen makes her home in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she lives with her family, eight chickens and a large pile of skis and hockey equipment. She is a graduate of Yale University.


Enter Sarina's release day giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch
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Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Dead Over Heels by Alison Kemper


Dead Over Heels
Release Date: 09/29/14
Entangled Teen
269 pages


Summary from Goodreads:
The end of the world just might be their perfect beginning…

Glenview, North Carolina. Also known―at least to sixteen-year-old Ava Pegg―as the Land of Incredibly Boring Vacations. What exactly were her parents thinking when they bought a summer home here? Then the cute-but-really-annoying boy next door shows up at her place in a panic…hollering something about flesh-eating zombies attacking the town.

At first, Ava’s certain that Cole spent a little too much time with his head in the moonshine barrel. But when someone―or something―rotted and terrifying emerges from behind the woodpile, Ava realizes this is no hooch hallucination. The undead are walking in Glenview, and they are hungry. Panicked, Ava and Cole flee into the national forest. No supplies, no weapons. Just two teenagers who don’t even like each other fighting for their lives. But that’s the funny thing about the Zombpocalypse. You never know when you’ll meet your undead end. Or when you’ll fall dead over heels for a boy…


Buy Links:

About the Author

Alison Kemper grew up in South Florida, the only girl on a street with eleven boys. She spent most of her childhood paddling a canoe through neighborhood canals and looking for adventure. She usually found it. Sometimes the police were involved. And large dogs. And one time, a very territorial snake. Now that she’s grown up, she lives in North Carolina and writes books. The books often include girls having adventures. With boys. Cute boys. And cute dogs too. But no cute snakes. Never cute snakes.

Her debut novel, Donna of the Dead, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2014 and followed by two companion books in the series. She loves to meet new people and talk books, so send her a friend request or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.


Author Links
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook 
My Review
RAWR!!

I never used to be into the whole zombie thing.  Then came the movie Shaun of the Dead...and I discovered that zombies don't necessarily mean scary horror.  They can be surprisingly funny-for dead things anyway.  That's one of the things I loved about Alison's first book, Donna of the Dead.  She made the situation serious but a bit amusing, and threw in some great teen romance as well.  

Here in her second book, while not a sequel to Donna it does take place in the same zombie apocalypse world.  And it's funnier...and the teen romance is even better...and there's more suspense...more at stake...everything is just MORE, and all in a very good way.  Since I'm from Florida and also lived up in the mountains of North Carolina for many years before heading back to the Sunshine State, I can very easily relate to a lot of the things I read in this book (Floridiots!  Yes!  Even though at one time I was one LOL).  

The characters of Ava and Cole are so very opposite of each other which works perfectly with this story...and as the saying goes, opposites do attract ;-)  Both of their characters are written well and with depth, making it easy to care about them, root for them to make it out of their situation-and of course fall for each other.  I really liked getting both Ava and Cole's POV, that always adds more to the story for me.  While most of the secondary characters were zombies for the majority of the story, the character of Bethany-Cole's ex-girlfriend-stands out as that one nasty wacko that I couldn't stand and kept hoping would get what she deserved.

It was wonderful to see how much Ava's character grew through the story from a sheltered, afraid city girl into one ready to fight a horde of zombies in the wilderness with almost no resources available.  She serves as a great inspiration to show that you can do anything you set your mind to, and that you should face your fears head on, especially when helping someone you care about.

I give it five fantastic, fun and thrilling stars, and would recommend it for teens and up.  Even if you're not a zombie lover, this is a great story!
GIVEAWAY


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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Blog Tour Promo and Giveaway: Twisted Lies (Dirty Secrets, Book 1) by Sedona Venez

Synopsis
After working her way up, Sinthia Michaels has finally hit it big in the glamorous fashion industry. Young and beautiful, she has it all—a celeb lifestyle, a gorgeous Manhattan townhouse, and a highly anticipated couture fashion line. 

Core McKay, former kingpin of New York City’s organized crime, is now a wealthy and legitimate businessman. However, when Core sets his sights on a corrupt politician, his need for revenge leads him to Sin’s up-and-coming fashion empire.

Weaving together his twisted lies and dirty secrets, Core entangles Sin in his web of deceit. When the backstabbing fashion world, the vicious political arena, and the ruthless criminal underworld converge, Sin becomes trapped in the middle and struggles to fight her way out.

***WARNING: Twisted Lies is intended for mature audiences. Recommended Reading Age 18+***
Buy Now





Excerpt
Jesus, I’m so f**ked.
Our mouths were a breath away. The desire and tension were almost more than I could take. Abruptly, he removed his thumb from my mouth, cupping the back of my neck, pulling hard on my hair, before his lips settled across my mouth. My breath caught as my mind was undecided as to whether I should pull back or allow him to delve further.

Who am I kidding?
There was no allowing. I was Core’s possession, and the cocky bastard knew it.
Sensually, I moaned as his tongue curled around mine, demanding that it come out and play. He awakened a need that lay dormant in the pit of my stomach, a need that only he could satisfy.
His hand skated down and squeezed my hip while his eyes were fixed on me. “I want you. Now!” he growled.

My pulse raced, and my body trembled with want. He was crumbling my resolve. Diabolically, he stripped me emotionally bare, leaving me vulnerable and raw to the bone. He was revealing a piece of me that would be better left hidden. The message was clear. He knew what I needed, and he would give it to me if I took the leap of faith.
Teaser




MeetTheAuthor
Sedona Venez is the New Adult romance author of the following series: Dirty Secrets, Credence Curse, and Valkyries: Soaring Raven. She’s a NYC girl (go Brooklyn!) with a slight obsession with her iPad, Pinterest, Pawn Stars, and Face Off. Her love of music, tattoos, rockers, and alpha men inspires her novels. She also writes as T.L. Clarke. You can find out more about Sedona and her novels by visiting http://www.sedonavenez.com

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