Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Tour-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: Breaking a Legend by Sarah Robinson



Breaking a Legend
Kavanagh Legends #1
By: Sarah Robinson
Releasing September 29, 2015
Loveswept 


Blurb

Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.

As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.

Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

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Well, if it isn’t our long-lost brother,” a familiar voice said a few minutes later, as he meandered into the neighborhood bar that everyone he knew frequented. A hand clasped his shoulder. “Sh*t, Rory, where the hell have you been?”
Rory inwardly groaned as he turned to face his younger brother, Quinn Kavanagh. Rory wanted to wipe Quinn’s smug smirk off with his fist. He had been sporting that same cocky attitude since the moment he popped into this world, a trait that Rory found uniquely irritating.
Now I remember why I’ve been avoiding this bar, Rory thought as he forced a smile at his brother.
“Just stopping in for a quick drink, Quinn,” Rory said, attempting to make clear that he wasn’t interested in socializing.
He headed over to the long wooden bar that wrapped around two sides of the small pub and stood before walls of liquor bottles and televisions. Several bartenders moved around swiftly, filling drink orders and talking with the full crowd that O’Leary’s always attracted on weekend nights. Rory found an empty stool down at one end, far away from the door, and quickly staked his claim.
He saw Cian, who had worked at O’Leary’s for as long as he could remember, and nodded his head to him. Cian nodded back and put up his hand, indicating he would be over in a minute, as he finished serving the group of college-aged kids at that end of the bar. The door to the kitchen swung open and a short, petite blonde ambled through carrying a large bucket of ice that seemed much too heavy for her small frame to manage.
Rory smiled slightly as he lifted one eyebrow, watching her with interest while she carefully poured the ice over the liquor bottles that sat in a metal bin below the bar’s surface. She huffed and her face was slightly red at the task, but she still managed to completely empty the bucket’s contents evenly around each of the glass bottles.
He took advantage of her being distracted by her task to stare at her shapely legs, which disappeared under a short skirt barely longer than her small apron. Her skin was delicately pale and smooth, and he wondered what it would feel like to slide his fingers up the length of those legs. His eyes traveled up her body, disappointed that the thick, blond ringlets dangling halfway down her back were also hiding most of her face as she leaned over the bar. He wanted to see her perfectly sloped nose, catch her eyes with his, and see what her small pink lips would look like when they smiled.
Something about this woman was intriguing him, although he couldn’t pinpoint what.
Her work completed, she exhaled loudly and plopped the empty bucket at her feet, taking a breather. Rory chuckled lightly, finally grabbing her attention.
“You laughing at me?” She put her hands on her hips, daring him to make fun of her.
Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, but he was still able to catch a glimpse of the dazzling emerald color that contrasted against her light skin and golden hair so perfectly.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, mhuirnín.” A smile spread across his face as he watched her saunter over to him, her full, pink lips tightly pressed together in irritation.
“What’s that mean?” she asked when she reached him, standing across the bar with her arms folded across her chest and one hip tilted higher than the other. Her tone was defiant and he loved the feisty spirit she exuded.
Mhuirnín? You’re all questions today. I’ll answer your question, if you answer mine.” Rory concentrated on keeping his speech normal and not slurring his words. He might have had a bit more to drink tonight than he had intended.
She turned away from him, looking back down the length of the bar and drumming her fingers on its surface.
Rory could sense her nervousness. He already missed her green gaze and silently begged her to turn back to him. There was something about her that stirred a protective instinct in him, a feeling entirely foreign toward anyone who wasn’t family. She was smiling, but there was an undercurrent of pain breaking through her friendliness.
He didn’t like it.
“I guess that’s fair,” she relented, turning back to him and leaning against the wall.
“I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?” His question was simple, but the desire in his eyes was not as he licked his bottom lip and admired how perfectly her uniform hugged her curves, even on her small figure.
“Clare Ivers. I’m new in town. Needed a job.” She shrugged, not divulging much, but he felt a sliver of hope when he saw that the smile on her face had yet to disappear.
He knew that she could feel his attraction toward her when he saw the blush creep up her cheeks. The smile she couldn’t push away told him she was enjoying their banter as much as he was.
Despite her clear interest, there was a hint of disapproval as he watched her eyes roam over his torso. It was a look he was way too familiar with from the last year. Rory worried he might be slurring his words or sounding more drunk than he felt.
Wouldn’t be the first time, he thought.
“Your turn.” She pointed at him, biting the corner of her lip in an attempt to hide her smile.
Mhuirnín means sweetheart. If you’re going to work in Woodlawn, Clare, you gotta learn some Irish.”
“Is that right? I guess I’ll have to find a good tutor then,” she taunted, before turning on her heels and sauntering off.

Someone needs to tell me where to find my own Kavanagh brother...because wow--even though this book centers on Rory, I'll take any one of these brothers!  For now, I'll just swoon over Rory...and boy is he sure swoon-worthy!  He's got the entire alpha package going on, but in addition can also be sweet and thoughtful--there's more to Rory than meets the eye.

Clare has a past that she's trying to put behind her, and has difficulty warming up to and trusting new people because of that past.  She is strong and determined in her own way, though still looking over her shoulder.

Watching their story unfold was a joy...with Clare's timidity at becoming involved with anyone, and Rory's wonder at wanting Clare for more than just a one-night stand they both travel on a journey of self discovery to find out who they are now as individuals as well as together.  There's a lot of character growth and development, and it's wonderful to see their characters evolve over the course of the story.

There's also a great cast of supporting characters (oh those sexy Kavanagh boys...), and after reading Breaking a Legend I'm now thoroughly intrigued and excited for more stories in this series.  In addition, the writing flowed seamlessly throughout the book, making for a smooth reading experience where I was totally drawn in to the story and didn't want to put it down.

There's romance, drama, and a touch of suspense toward the end, and if that weren't enough--several hot and steamy scenes that may require you to take a cooling off moment or two.  This all added up to a 4.5-star read for me, and the author has me hooked for the entire series!  Recommended for those romance fans in general, and especially for those who love MMA fighter romances...and this is definitely for the 18+ crowd due to adult language and adult sexual scenes.

Author Info
Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.



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Book Blast-Excerpt and Giveaway: Fugly by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff



Fugly
By: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Releasing September 15, 2015
Self-Published


Blurb
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff Comes a New Stand-Alone Story.
UGLY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER...

My name is Lily Snow. I am twenty-five years old, and despite being born with an unattractive face, I have never doubted who I am: smart, driven, and beautiful on the inside.

Until I met Maxwell Cole.

He's handsome, excessively wealthy, and the owner of Cole Cosmetics. It's been my dream to work for this man for as long as I can remember. The good news is he wants to hire me. The bad news is he wants me for all the wrong reasons. Ugly reasons.

In exchange, he's offered me my dreams on a silver platter. The job. The title. A beautiful future. But this man is as messed up and ugly as they come on the inside. I'm not sure anyone can help him, and he just might take my heart down with him.

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“So I just ran without a shirt for a quarter mile and would’ve gotten to go anyway?” 
“Not really. But I wanted to make you feel bad. By the way, has anyone ever told you you’re completely mad?”
I laughed and turned around to unravel my tank top and slip it over my head, a huge smile on my face. “So, what time do we leave for the air—”
I suddenly felt his hot sweaty body pressed up against my back, his one hand on my bare waist, the other sweeping my long hair to one side. “No need to put that back on.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Wha-wha-what are you doing?” I whispered, feeling his hands slide up the front of my body and begin touching my breasts over my bra. He was hard. Really, really hard, and straining against my lower back.
“I think that’s fairly obvious; keeping our deal,” he said, his hot breath tickling my neck. 
I was about to say something to explain how I didn’t really want him to do what he was doing, but it would’ve been a lie. The heat of his skin on my back, his hard cock pressing into me while his hands massaged my breasts felt better than anything I’d ever experienced. 
His lips trailed down the side of my neck and stopped right on the little spot where my shoulder started. 

How was this happening? Because wasn’t he…didn’t he have that problem with…?
Author Info
New York Times and USA Today bestselling Romance author, host of the radio talk show, Man Candy, on Radioslot.com.

When San Francisco native Mimi Jean went on an adventure as an exchange student to Mexico City, she never imagined the journey would lead to writing Romance. But one MBA, one sexy husband, and two rowdy kids later, Mimi would trade in corporate life for vampires, deities, and snarky humor.

She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.

She also enjoys interacting with her fans (especially if they're batshit crazy). You can always find her chatting away on Facebook, Twitter, or saying many naughty words on her show MAN CANDY on Radioslot.com !

Find out more about Mimi and upcoming books at www.mimijean.net



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Cover Reveal: The Steele Brothers Series by Jennifer Probst

SteeleB_CoverReveal

Today we are sharing the brand new covers for Jennifer Probst and her Steele Brothers Series. This series includes the titles Catch Me, Play Me, and Dare Me, but we have a surprise with this reveal! Jennifer has added a new book to the series, Beg Me, that will also be coming soon! Check out the details below for all the re-release dates.

CatchMe(Final)

CATCH ME (Steele Brothers, #1)

Re-releasing October 27th

CATCH ME Synopsis:

Rick Steele has avoided relationships since he caught his fiancée cheating, but when his friend refers him to the exclusive agency, FANTA-C to experience the night of his dreams, he's not prepared for his emotional and physical reaction to his date. Tara shows him a raw passion and honesty he’s never encountered. For the first time, Rick wants more than one night, but he needs to catch her first...

Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to get beyond her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, but is she ready to get caught?


PLAYMe(Final)

PLAY ME (Steele Brothers, #2)

Re-releasing November 3rd

PLAY ME Synopsis:

Professional gambler Sloane Keller is tired of dating weak willed men and longs to meet a man who challenges her dominant personality and forces her to submit. As the Queen of Cards, she’s used to making her own rules and craves the excitement of Vegas. But her inner heart cries out for someone who can be her match, both inside the casino and in the bedroom.

As the new dealer in town, Roman Steele is burnt out on women looking for a quick penny and a man to follow. He craves a woman with fire in her soul and a keen intellect who can challenge him. When his brother recommends the exclusive agency, FANTA-C to give him one perfect night, Rome is amazed at the complicated woman who challenges both his body and soul. But when the evening is over, will she be gutsy enough to offer him forever?


DAREMe(Final)

DARE ME (Steele Brothers, #3)

Re-releasing November 10th

DARE ME Synopsis:

As a military leader back from the war, and the youngest of his two dominant older brothers, Rafe Steele struggles with a secret. He craves surrender in the bedroom under the controlled hands of a Dominatrix. When his brothers offer him an experience through the exclusive agency, FANTA-C, he jumps at the chance to experience one perfect night. After one experiment, he’s sure he’ll be able to move on. But he never counted on Summer Preston to strip down his walls and make him want more so much more...

An elementary school teacher with a girl next door, fresh face, Summer is constantly barraged by men who want to take care of her, but she longs to meet a strong man who can handle her dominant ways in the bedroom. Trapped in her own storybook life, she books a one-night stand to finally experience her fantasy. But she never counted on Rafe Steele to push her boundaries in both the bedroom...and her heart.


BegMe(final)

BEG ME (Steele Brothers, #4)

Brand New Release - Coming November 17th

BEG ME Synopsis:

Remington Steele comes to Vegas to be with his brothers and try to get over the one woman he's never been able to forget. As childhood sweethearts, she hadn't been able to handle his Dominant tendencies, choosing to run away without a good-bye. But when he's suddenly face to face with Cara Winters, all grown up and finally ready to be his, Remington needs to make his own choice. To leave the past behind forever, or forgive and be with the woman he's always loved?

Cara wasn't ready to be the type of woman Remington needed in his life, so she disappeared and broke his heart. But she's changed, and is ready to embrace the woman she always craved to be. She begs him to take her for one night, and Remington finally agrees. Will they get a second chance at love, or are the scars from their past too deep to heal?

AUTHOR INFORMATION:


Jennifer ProbstJennifer Probst - Bio:
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads



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Promo: Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn by Linda Bennett Pennell

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Tour-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: The Heat of the Moment by Katie Rose



The Heat of the Moment

The Boys of Summer #3 
By: Katie Rose
Releasing September 22, 2015  
Loveswept 


Blurb

The Boys of Summer are back! In Katie Rose’s sweet, sparkling novel, the newest New Jersey Sonic falls for the woman who’s trying desperately to save his career.

Physical therapist Jessica Hart has learned her lesson: Never date professional athletes. She’s been down that road, and barely recovered after the relationship crashed and burned. Then Jessica meets Gavin King. An All-Star slugger with chiseled good looks, Gavin was traded to the Sonics because he hurt his knee sliding into second, and now his future is in her hands. Gavin’s no bad boy—but he’s tempting enough to make Jessica think twice about all her rules.


Gavin is trying to find a comfortable routine. If he wants his old life back, he must take it easy, stay out of the limelight, and keep his distance from gorgeous redheaded physical therapists. The thing is, Gavin isn’t the kind of guy to sit on his ass and let other people pull his weight. And when he sees something he wants, he can’t help but fight for it, even if it means risking everything, even if it only lasts a single moment: like one kiss from Jessica. 


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Pete walked into the PT room a moment later, popping his gum with a grin.

“I want you to meet our new player, Gavin King. Gavin, this is Jessica Hart. She is the best sports therapist in the business, and a hell of a trainer. Jess, Gavin just joined the team, but he’s on the DL.”
Jessica turned to the coach, saw the ballplayer beside him, and her heart stopped.
He was exactly her type. Or her former type. As she took in his magnificent physique, black eyes, and Colgate smile, she felt an instant attraction.
Gavin was the kind of guy she used to dream about, drool over, and date. She’d met enough of them growing up, friends of her brothers who started out as decent guys but got caught up in the hype and eventually stomped all over some poor girl silly enough to give up her heart. Unfortunately, she’d had to walk that path herself. She’d made the fatal mistake of falling for an outfielder who played for Cleveland, and eventually played her. Zach had the same dark hair, heart-stopping smile, and killer body.
He’d taught her what the word devastation meant.
“Good to meet you.” She extended her hand, reminding herself to think of him in clinical terms: he was a pro baseball player, a young athlete, and he was hurt. “So what seems to be the problem?”
“I had surgery for a meniscus tear,” he said, lifting his left pant leg and indicating a bandage. “It’s pretty much healed, but the surgeon wants me in physical therapy for a few months to build back up. I think they sent my test results, the MRI, and a script.”
She nodded, squatting before him and removing the bandage to examine the pink half-inch line on his knee. “I’ll take a look at the films. Red zone?” she asked, referring to the location of his tear.
“Yeah, I think so. But they said it spread into the white zone.”
Her eyes shot to Pete’s, and he gave a slight negative shake of his head. This news wasn’t good, and neither one of them wanted to share their misgivings. A tear that went into the white zone could mean big trouble for a ballplayer, or it could heal well and the limb would fully recover. It would take weeks before they’d know, and she understood now how the Sonics had acquired this magnificent specimen of a man:
His previous team didn’t want the risk.
So New Jersey had rolled the dice, gambling on his recovery. She could only hope they’d beat the odds.
“Okay, let’s get started. Have you done any therapeutic exercise up until now?”
“Yes, for a couple of weeks,” he said, flexing the knee to demonstrate. “They had me doing leg raises until they took the brace off.”
“That makes sense. We won’t do much today; we’ll do an evaluation, take a look at your records, and then we will put together a program.”
“How long?”
Her eyes met his and she saw the pain and frustration there. No player ever wanted to be on the disabled list, especially for any period of time. She didn’t want to raise false hopes, but she also didn’t want to discourage him. She took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words.
“It’s different with everyone. Some people recover much more quickly than others. A lot depends on how well you heal, how much you can tolerate, and if you’re willing to do the exercises at home. That will give us the quickest turnaround.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said fervently. “I just want to get back in the game.”
Jessica nodded as she wrapped the limb with the heating pad. No way in hell would she tell him the truth:
He might never be back.


The Heat of the Moment is your classic baseball romance, told with intelligence, smooth writing and a nice dose of spice.  It has well-developed characters (both new and returning ones from the previous books in the series), and the chemistry between the two main characters, Gavin and Jessica, is strong and heated.

Gavin is fantastic-he's your prototypical hot and sexy alpha male, strong and athletic, hardworking and dedicated.  He's also a romantic (even if that doesn't always work out the way he plans), so sweet and giving.  Panties officially dropped ;-)


Jessica is a strong, independent woman-if a bit lonely at times.  She's already done the baseball player boyfriend bit and been burned, so her reluctance to get involved with another player is understandable even if it does get in the way of something that could be pretty special.


Once you have the two of them together, the sizzling starts...and they're not just a match in the bedroom, but also as friends.  They're comfortable with each other even when things get a bit awkward, and it's plain to see that they belong together.


I really like that this story is not just romance-sex-angst-romance-sex-angst.  You also get a good bit of the life of a baseball player, and the continued story of the New Jersey Sonics as a whole, giving the story increased depth and helping to keep your interest.


The Heat of the Moment is a wonderful addition to The Boys of Summer series, and was a 4-star read for me.  Recommended for 18+ primarily due to the adult sexual scenes (which oh yes, were HOT!).  I can't wait for the next book in this great series!


Author Info
Award-winning historical author Katie Rose makes her contemporary debut with the Boys of Summer novels, Bring on the Heat and Too Hot to Handle, which combine Katie’s true loves: baseball and romance! When not watching baseball, Katie is at her lake house in New Jersey, hard at work on her next book.


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Release Blast-Excerpt and Giveaway: The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long


Enter to Win a $50.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller or, 
Complete Print Set of the Pennyroyal Green Series



THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND
Pennyroyal Green #11
Julie Anne Long
Releasing Sept 29th, 2015
Avon Books


Bound by centuries of bad blood, England’s two most powerful families maintain a veneer of civility...until the heir to the staggering Redmond fortune disappears, reviving rumors of an ancient curse: a Redmond and an Eversea are destined to fall disastrously in love once per generation.

An enduring legend

Rumor has it she broke Lyon Redmond’s heart. But while many a man has since wooed the dazzling Olivia Eversea, none has ever won her—which is why jaws drop when she suddenly accepts a viscount’s proposal. Now London waits with bated breath for the wedding of a decade…and wagers on the return of an heir.

An eternal love

It was instant and irresistible, forbidden...and unforgettable. And Lyon—now a driven, dangerous, infinitely devastating man—decides it’s time for a reckoning. As the day of her wedding races toward them, Lyon and Olivia will decide whether their love is a curse destined to tear their families part...or the stuff of which legends are made.

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He’d last seen Pennyroyal Green in the dead of night almost five years ago. His trajectory since then had been as swift and mindless as if he’d been shot from a cannon. And it wasn’t just because of what Olivia had said to him in the garden after midnight, in the pouring rain. Though after she’d said what she’d said, for a time he’d stopped caring what became of him.
No, that fuse had been lit for longer than anyone knew.
No one from Sussex had seen him since.
Though one had certainly tried. He half smiled at the thought of Violet.
And it was this that had broken the speed of his trajectory.
And he’d had his own methods for remaining, however tangentially, informed about the lives of those he’d left behind. He’d proved something over the past five years. He’d at first thought it was all for Olivia. But he was no longer certain. He’d tried to purge his life of her, relinquishing even her miniature.
Clearly it hadn’t worked.
But what no one knew, not even his crew, was that this was his final voyage. He’d risked this trip into London to track down the source of a little mystery that could devastate Olivia and her family.
He now had his answer.
He was, strangely, not surprised by it.
But he hadn’t been prepared to make a decision about what to do next so soon.
Oh, Liv, he thought.
Suddenly it hurt to breathe. Fragments of memories rushed at him, each distinct as stained glass.
Olivia walking along the road to the Duffys’ house, then breaking into a run when she saw him waiting beneath the elm tree, her face lighting like a star. As if even a second away from him was wasted.
That was the memory that always came to him in his darkest moments.
And now she was giving herself to another man.
His fingers curled on a surge of emotion. But he stopped just short of giving the message the crushing it deserved.
She. If Lavay had indeed written that word, he might have seen her, or even talked to her, or … 
He couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t bloody do it.
And this is what decided him.
He tucked the message into his coat. “You can go, Ramsey,” he said. “Thank you.”
The footman spun and nearly bolted, silver braid glinting in the sun.
Lyon turned to face all the expectant faces of his crew.
“And we,” he told them, “are staying in England.”
It was time for a reckoning.
 






Julie Anne Long originally set out to be a rock star when she grew up, and she has the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of her closet t prove it. When playing to indifferent crowds at midnight in dank clubs lost its, ahem, charm, she realized she could incorporate all of the best things about being in a band—namely, drama, passion and men with unruly hair—into novels, while at the same time indulging her love of history and research. So she made the move from guitar to keyboard (the computer variety) and embarked on a considerably more civilized, if not much more peaceful, career as a novelist.
Julie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with a fat orange cat. (Little known fact: they issue you a cat the minute you become a romance novelist.)