Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Book Review: Seduced by Stratton by Katy Regnery


Synopsis from Goodreads:
"Seduced by Stratton" is the fourth of six books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome English brothers who are all on the look-out for love.

Stratton English, the hottest, youngest, most devastatingly handsome CFO in Philadelphia, has a problem: women make him nervous. Really nervous. Catastrophically nervous. Socially awkward to an extreme, he’s apt to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, and it’s rarely something a woman wants to hear. Quietly in love with his neighbor, Amy, he has no idea how to make his move, but he is committed to figuring out a way to seduce her.

Valeria Campanile, who Stratton knows through one of his four brothers, is a PhD candidate who moonlights as a dance instructor on the side. Ironically, even though Val studies Courtship Rituals, she can’t seem to find herself courted. Pursued by boys from the “old neighborhood” who promise to overlook the fact that she’s so smart, she longs to meet someone who romances her mind as well as her heart.

When Stratton helps Valeria with a financial problem, she is anxious to return the favor. But will Stratton, who needs Val’s expertise to win Amy, find himself seducing Val instead? 

My Review:
Just when you think those English brothers can’t get any better…Katy Regnery writes another one of their stories and blows you away again.

My first thought when introduced to Stratton is “oh, that poor guy” and “oh, how sweet”.  His unsure, hesitant attitude towards females is endearing and charming as is his tendency to take things they say literally and blurt out the first thing that comes into his head, and makes him immediately likable.  I just wanted to keep him for myself (that’s kind of a running theme for me with all the English brothers!).

I love that the two main characters are both intellectuals and critical thinkers because that makes it extremely easy for me to relate to them.  That said, I think those very traits also make the overall story a bit more laid back than the first three, and the relationship between Stratton and Val not quite as intense.  That does not mean the story is not as good as the others-this is a wonderful journey for these two characters, just for me it fell more into the realm of a sweet romance than the fiery, steal-your-breath romances that the first three stories told.

But the author’s continually fantastic writing still kept me blazing right through the book, leaving me satisfied yet again with another amazing installment in the English Brothers series.  Another 5-star read for the sweet tale of Stratton and Valeria as Katy Regnery solidifies her place in my auto-buy authors list.




About the Author:
Katy Regnery, Amazon bestselling author, has always loved telling a good story and credits her mother with making funny, heartwarming tales come alive throughout her childhood. A lifelong devotee of all romance writing, from Edwardian to present-day, it was just a matter of time before Katy tried her hand at writing a love story of her own.
As it turned out, one love story turned into a series of six Heart of Montana romances, following the love lives of the Yellowstone-based Lindstrom siblings. When Katy’s fans asked her to turn up the heat, she wrote the New Adult/Adult Contemporary hybrid romance, Playing for Love at Deep Haven, which offered steamier romance to her readers. Katy is also proud to offer The Vixen and the Vet, a standalone romance that benefitted Operation Mend, an organization that helps heal the returning wounded of our armed services. The English Brothers is Katy’s second series and first indie series.
Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories of all are the messy and unexpected ones.

Have you read any of the English Brothers books yet?  If so, which brother is your favorite?  Just for the record, Fitz is by far and away my fave ;-)

Release Day Launch and Giveaway: His Taste of Temptation by Cathryn Fox

His Taste of Temptation RDL Banner

Today we have the release day launch for His Taste of Temptation by Cathryn Fox!!! We are so excited about this new contemporary romance. Be sure to read the excerpt from Cathryn and enter the giveaway!!

Exclusive Excerpt:

Jesus Christ, Madison was going to be the death of him.

He’d been hoping to avoid her when he showed up to collect his brother, and the last thing he expected was to find her in a goddamn wet T-shirt, looking so f**king hot he almost shot off a load then and there.

Brad drummed his fingers on his steering wheel and shifted in his seat, uncomfortable as his c*ck pressed insistently against his unforgiving jeans. Christ, seeing her in that T-shirt, blinking up at him with those dark bedroom eyes of hers as the lush swell of her body beckoned his touch—his c*ck—had damn near done him in.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want her in his bed. Every time he looked at her all he could think about was caging her beneath him and f**king her long and hard, driving balls deep until she screamed out his name. Oh yeah, he’d make her scream, and when he did—contrary to what Sophie thought—everyone would hear it.

Maybe then he’d be able to stop thinking about her when he was alone at night. Hell, who was he kidding? He thought about her even when he wasn’t alone.

He’d always liked his kid brother’s best friend, but six months ago, after returning home from a long overseas tour, he suddenly began to see the sweet girl next door in different ways.

Sinful ways…

But he wasn’t going to act on his urges, not when she had something going on with Jonah. Sh*t…

Truthfully, Brad wasn’t sure what kind of relationship the two had, considering he’d seen them both date other people over the years. But from the comfort level between them, to the way they took care of each other, even going so far as to sharing a place when Jonah had finished his last tour, he knew there had to be deeper feelings involved, and he wasn’t about to take her to his bed, no matter how much he wanted her naked and beneath him. Or naked and on top.

Or just plain naked.

Jonah tossed his rucksack into the truck bed and slid into the cab, pulling Brad’s thoughts back from fantasyland. “Hey, bro, what’s up?”

Brad put his key into the ignition and turned the engine over. “Nothing.” He clenched his jaw hard as he watched Madison and Sophie exit from the downstairs bakery. A frown marred Madison’s pretty face as she spoke to her friend, the Sweetie’s Bakery Closed sign on the door behind her rattling against the glass pane as she locked up. Brad gripped the steering wheel harder. He hated seeing her living and working in such a shitty place, and he knew today’s loss of income was going to have a serious effect on her bank account.

“You have that look on your face again.”

Brad angled his head toward his brother. “What look is that?”

Jonah grinned. “The one you get just before you kick the sh*t out of me.”

Brad glared at his brother and scoffed. “Evidently, I should have beaten you more often.” Okay, so he might have roughed up his punk-ass brother a time or two over the years, but it was only because Jonah had needed it. The boy was a damn fool sometimes, getting into messes that Brad had to clean up behind him.

“Yeah, well, that’s a matter of opinion,” Jonah said.

He held his brother’s gaze. “You got something to say?”

Jonah held his hands up and laughed. “Nope.”

Madison tapped on the window and Jonah jumped onto the sidewalk to let her climb into the middle. Without conscious thought Brad’s eyes roamed the sexy curves she always kept hidden behind those baggy clothes and icing-stained apron. Damned if he didn’t want to peel those loose-fitting work clothes from her body so he could touch and kiss her lush contours until she writhed beneath him and cried out his name.

As Madison slid in beside him, her duffle bag clutched to her chest, want pumped through his veins, the sudden, urgent need to help himself to a taste of her sweetness pulling at him hard. F**k. He looked away, staring at some random woman walking her dog while he did his damnedest to ignore his raging hard-on.

“Here, give me that.” Jonah took the bag from her and tossed it into the truck bed with his.

Once he jumped back into the cab, Brad put the vehicle into gear, turned his attention to the road ahead and slipped into traffic. Jonah punched up the volume on the radio and hooked his left arm over the back of the seat, pulling Madison toward him.

Brad tried to focus on his driving, he really did, but with Madison’s leg rubbing up against his it took effort to stay on the road.

He drove through the downtown core, and when they passed a vacant building, a For Sale sign on the window, Jonah turned to Madison. “Maybe when I get back we can look for a new place to live.”

She looked at the building, and there was a hint of gloom in her voice when she said, “I can’t afford to rent an apartment and a business front, and it won’t be easy to find a place where I can live upstairs and turn the main level into Sweetie’s.”

Jonah curved his arm around her and pulled her in closer. As she rested her head on his shoulder, he brushed a light kiss over her hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll be making some good coin out on the road. It’ll go a long way in finding something nicer than we have now.”

Feeling like a third wheel, an eavesdropper listening in on a private, intimate conversation, Brad cast a glance their way. His gut clenched when he saw Madison smile up at Jonah. Hell, the two of them even talked like an old married couple. There was no missing how much his brother cared for her, which only solidified Brad’s vow to keep his distance where Madison was concerned.

Of course, she wasn’t the first girl Brad had walked away from because of his brother. Jonah was fun, wild and had a reputation with the ladies. As teens, a few of Brad’s girlfriends had gravitated toward his charismatic younger brother. Even though Brad wanted to beat the sh*t out of Jonah for taking his girl instead of doing the honorable thing and backing off, Brad always walked away. Blood was blood and no way would he allow a girl to come between him and his brother. How much could any of those girls have cared anyway, if they had no trouble leaving one brother for the other? Besides, he’d promised his dad that he’d take care of Jonah, and as a man of his word, he chose his family battles carefully. As long as Jonah treated the women properly, there’d be no trouble between brothers.

His thoughts careened back to a couple years ago, to the night he found his fiancĂ©e Jocelyn in bed with another man—doing the one thing he wouldn’t dream of asking her to do for him, considering she’d blatantly told him oral sex was disgusting and there wasn’t a girl in the world who enjoyed giving it. Although she enjoyed the hell out of it when he’d gone down on her, which he did frequently. F**k, he wasn’t sure what hurt more, seeing her mouth wrapped around some douchebag’s c*ck, or realizing how stupid she thought he was when she starting spilling lies, telling him it wasn’t what he thought. Sure, whatever. Wouldn’t be the first time a woman had fallen and landed with a hard-on in her mouth and a pair of balls in her hand. Oh yeah, sh*t like that happened all the time.

He could have stayed and fought for her, but any girl who would sleep with another man and lie about it while her fiancĂ© was overseas fighting for their country wasn’t worth the battle. And after seeing the same thing happen to a few of his comrades, he’d come to learn that long-distance relationships never worked. Since Brad’s work continued to take him out of state, he decided never to get himself in that kind of situation again. No, now he was into casual sex, no commitments.

“Besides,” Jonah said, “Brad can help us turn any space into a bakery. Right, bro?”

“Yeah, sure.” Brad looked at Madison, and when she turned her bright-eyed smile his way, his heart nearly stopped.

She ran paint-chipped nails along the deep hollow of her throat, and as he watched the movement his mouth watered, his tongue wanting to follow the path of her hands. Heat throbbed through him, and his c*ck thickened once again, aching to pound into her, hard hot strokes that would leave them both sated and breathless and would finally, finally, get her out of his head.

“And if something else goes wrong with the place while I’m away, Brad’s your man,” Jonah said.

As Brad pictured himself stepping in for his brother, his mind ran wild with one delicious idea after the other, and he forced himself to cough, hoping it would rattle some sense back into his lust-drunk brain.

“Isn’t that right, Brad?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I can help you out with anything you need.”

Something flitted across her face when she asked, “Anything?”

“Yeah, anything,” he assured her, but when she drew her bottom lip between her teeth, and her eyes glazed over like she had other things on her mind, he wondered if they were still talking about her run-down rental…or something else entirely.

HisTasteOfTemptation-R[9]

His Taste of Temptation Synopsis:

One affair, thirty days. In the Line of Duty, Book 3

Since his last relationship blew up in his face, bomb expert Brad Crosby has lost his appetite for “permanent”. But his kid brother’s best friend? Now there’s a curvy morsel he could wrap his lips around.

For years Brad has been the star of Madison Graham’s fantasies. If only she were the kind of put-together girl he prefers, not a pastry chef whose makeup consists of a dusting of powdered sugar on her nose. A belief that’s confirmed when her apartment floods and he offers to let her sleep in his bed—alone.

Wrapped in Brad’s sheets, she dreams of his touches, his kisses, the feel of his body on hers. Except her dreams feel like reality—and come morning, she realizes it wasn’t a dream at all. Soon the two are burning up the nights. But as Madison’s sweet love grows on him, Brad can’t help but think of extending their time together.

Too bad Madison keeps reminding him their affair has an expiration date. Warning: May contain heat, explosive sex, and Fourth of July fireworks that pale in comparison to the sparks between a sworn bachelor and a tempting pastry chef.

Cathryn Fox Bio:

New York Times and USA today Best selling author, Cathryn is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.

Enter Cathryn's Giveaway:

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch
Love Us Some Books
My Favorite Things
Born To Read
One Last Page Book Blog
Jen's Reading Obsession

Monday, November 3, 2014

Blog Tour and Review: The Redemption by S.L. Scott


Synopsis:

He was everything she never wanted. Yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Soulful, amber eyes

A sex, drugs, and rock n’roll reputation

A body that beckoned for sin

Three years ago Rochelle Floros was living her dream come true… then lost it all. On the worst day of her life, the last person she expected to be there for her was a rock star and tabloid favorite. Now, she’s trying to rebuild her life after the tragedy that destroyed her fairytale. Slowly, she found herself captivated by a sexy, bad boy drummer she had known for years.

Rochelle was caught between the grief that shrouded her heart and the charismatic man that made it race. What she didn’t know is if he was being sincere or toying with her heart. The Redemption is about finding the pulse of your soul in the most unlikely places and giving love a chance to grow.

Can what she wants really be what she needs? With his rhythm and her passion, can they make music together? Or will their harmony be lost forever?


Excerpt
“Here’s the truth of the matter. If we do this... again, there’s no going back to  square one tomorrow. Not for me. I won’t be able to act like I don’t care about you, like I haven’t thought about you every day since we were together last. So it’s easier to stop now than later.”
With a discouraged sigh, I say, “You’re stronger than me, Dex.”
“No, I just know my greatest weakness is the woman beneath me right now.” He  rolls over sighing in a way that shows frustration has set in. Turning his head to me, he says, “I want to f**k you so bad, but I also want to do all that making love stuff too. And if we do that, I can’t pretend it didn’t happen.” He sits up and walks to the other side of the room, leaning his back against the wall.

I prop myself up on my elbows, caught by the heaviness of the emotions I’m suddenly feeling for him. 
“Go to sleep tonight. Fly home tomorrow.” He walks into the shadow of the entryway. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
I hear the door open as I fall back on the bed, my own sexual frustration setting in. But just when I hear the door close, the weight of his body lands on top of me and he kisses me hard. Surprised, my eyes fly open, but then I go for it just like him and kiss him back with just as much passion. He pushes off of me again and stands between my legs. 

“I make very few promises in life, but this one I can make to you. Rochelle Floros, I’m coming for you. It’s our time, so get ready for me.” He turns abruptly and leaves me sitting there stunned... and tingly.

My Review
After reading The Resistance and getting a brief peek at Dex, I was looking forward to getting his story in The Redemption (a very apt title, by the way).  It was great to go back into the band's world and get to know more about some of the secondary characters from the first book.

The writing was just as good in this book as the first one, and the depth of the characters that we get to see is very satisfying.  You can see just how strong Rochelle really is-regardless of what she might think-and you get to see Dex come to terms with all of his personal demons.  You can't help but root for him to make it through all of his issues because you can clearly see he really does want to change.
While the story overall is a great continuation of the series and it dealt quite well with some very heavy topics (drug use, death, family issues), the constant back and forth...they're together, they're not...they're together, they're not...it honestly was wearing my patience a bit thin as it kept happening over and over...and over yet again.  I can understand both Rochelle and Dex are both going through a lot, but after a bit I almost felt like I was watching a tennis match.
My overall rating...3.5 stars for this sexual-tension filled, deep topic story of...well, redemption of course.  Even if you didn't care for Dex after The Resistance, you'll love him after reading The Redemption.

About S.L. Scott:

S.L. Scott is a former high-tech account manager with a journalism degree pursuing her passion for telling stories. She spends her days escaping into her characters and letting them lead her on their adventures. 
Live music shows, harvesting jalapenos and eating homemade guacamole are her obsessions she calls hobbies.
Scott lives in the beautiful Texas hill country of Austin with her husband, two young sons, two Papillons and a bowl full of Sea Monkeys. 
Her novels include Naturally, Charlie, Good Vibrations, and A Prior Engagement.




Links:
She welcomes your notes at sl@slscottauthor.com

Release Day Launch and Giveaway: A Hope and a Chance by Jennifer Foor




You can't help who you fall in love with.

Hope's whole world is turned upside down when she's forced to live with her estranged father, who she hasn't seen in years. To make matters worse, she's warned to stay away from the handsome young man living out back in the pool house.

Chance is running from his past; a past that would cause any father to be concerned. When sparks fly between them, they begin sneaking around to be together.

Then their secret is discovered, and Chance is sent away, leaving Hope with a broken heart.

What happens when absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Find out in this hot romance brought to you from the


Best Selling Author of The Mitchell Family Series.














GIVEAWAY!




Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books. She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart. 










Saturday, November 1, 2014

Book Review: Kissing Trouble by Morgana Phoenix


Title: Kissing Trouble (In The Dark Series, #2)
Author: Morgana Phoenix
Genre: Psychological Thriller Romance
Warning: Strong language and sexual content


Blurb:
Their screams will be his lullaby.

Escaping into the wilderness should have been a piece of cake for a super-babysitter like Julie Brewer. But even she isn’t prepared for the horror awaiting their arrival, or the man who had broken her heart all those years ago to suddenly show up on the doorstep.

Mason Brody has a plan and it is simple: wait for Julie to grow up. Yet in no way is he prepared for the fierce amazon who ambushes him with a baseball bat, or the way the shy fifteen year old has blossomed into a beautiful, passionate woman he can't get enough of.

But there is so much more than just their past between them. There is a dark force lurking in the shadows, waiting for the chance to appease its hunger for death and it will stop at nothing until it is fed.

Can Mason and Julie keep the evil at bay long enough to escape? Or will the monster add their lives to its list?

My Review

If you haven't put Morgana/Airicka Phoenix on your list of authors that you automatically buy the moment they release a new book, I have to ask...WHY NOT? You can be guaranteed that no matter what she comes out with, it's going to be fantastic...just like Kissing Trouble.

Don't let the relatively tame start of this book fool you. Everything-the romantic and sexual tension, the suspense, the tempers, the raw emotion-all of it starts off simply but gradually builds...and builds...and builds-until that final bursting point where ALL of it comes to a head and the real craziness of this thriller just explodes over the last quarter of the book. And if you think you know what's going on and who the perpetrator is...well, you may want to think again.

The characters of this second stand-alone story in the In The Dark series really come to life off the pages. Julie is a wonderfully strong young woman, capable of taking care of herself and others. Mason is the definition of sexy alpha protective male-the bad boy turning over a new leaf-and you'll be swooning over him for every single page of this story. The secondary characters are very well developed, with their own strong personalities that make each of them stand out in their own way.

And then you have the fabulous writing-keeping you glued to every page, especially the further you get into the book where the suspense just keeps building up. The writing and characters in this author's books are the reason why she is always an automatic buy for me, and Kissing Trouble is no exception.

My recommendation-BUY the book...READ the book...you won't be sorry, and if you haven't read this author before, you're probably going to find yourself with a new favorite. 5 suspense-filled stars for Kissing Trouble!






Author Bio:
International Bestselling author Airicka Phoenix lives in a world where unicorns, fairies and mermaids run amok through her home on a daily basis. When she’s not chasing after pixies and rounding up imps, also known as her four children, she can be found conjuring up evil villains, bad-ass heroines and swoon-worthy heroes to play with.

Airicka is singlehandedly responsible for her greatly anticipated collections, the Touch SagaThe Lost Girl DuologyThe Regeneration SeriesGames of Fire and Betraying Innocence. She also writes mature paranormal and contemporary romance under the dark guise of Morgana Phoenix. To date, she is responsible for the Sons of Judgment SagaMy Soul For You, and Kissing Trouble.









Author Links: