Monday, December 24, 2018

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: OPERATION TOY RESCUE by Sarah Hadley Brook



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Length: 29,000 words approx.
Publisher: JMS Books


Blurb

When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.

Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.

When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?


Excerpt

He was surprised that no one else was in the building yet. Unless they were upstairs in the loft, or locked away in an office. He thought he’d seen Eve’s coat hanging from a peg up front.

Jules opened the laptop and logged in, ready to get started. He really wanted to take that trip to the warehouse with Felix and the quicker he finished logging things in, the quicker that could happen. As he carefully opened a rather large box, he heard a door open and turned to see Felix, Eve, and Zuzu hurry out of Felix’s office. All wore a look of panic and his heart jumped.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as Eve grew closer.

“The Big Guy is coming for a visit three days before Christmas! We just found out. He never does this. Never, Jules.” Her voice rose as she spilled the news.

Jules glanced at Felix and caught his eye, holding it for a moment. “Isn’t Santa coming a good thing?” he asked, confused.

“We don’t know. He never does this. Never,” Eve reiterated.

“She’s right. He doesn’t. What if he wants to make major changes? Or move us to the North Pole?” Felix asked.

Jules crinkled his brow. In his mind, moving to the North Pole would be great. Felix would be closer to Jules. “You don’t want to live at the North Pole?”

All three of them looked at him in shock, their mouths gaping open.

“What?” he asked.

“The North Pole is headquarters. It’s chaos,” Zuzu explained.

Okay, I’ll give them that. But there were good things, too.

“But you’d be closer to ...” he flicked his gaze to Felix and felt his cheeks heat up. “The main operation,” he finished lamely.

“But we like it here. Our island is beautiful and we’re like a family. What if we’re torn apart?”

“I don’t think Santa --”

“You don’t know, Jules,” Eve broke in. “Maybe he thinks we don’t do enough to help these toys.”

Felix was vigorously nodding his agreement, so Jules shut his mouth and sat down in front of his laptop, considering the possibilities. He finally glanced back up, his lips curving up into a small smile as he eyed all three. “Then I guess there’s only one thing to do, guys. We need to show Santa how important the island is to children all over the globe.”

“How do we do that?” Eve asked quietly, her brow furrowed.

“By developing a kick ass plan to get these ‘inadequate toys’ into the hands of kids,” he explained, using air quotes. It was really just expanding what he and Felix had talked about last night. But calling it a plan made it feel more real. More promising.

Again, they gaped at him. Well, all but Felix. He was grinning. Happiness filled Jules’s chest and his heart raced as he grinned back, warmth spreading through him. Their gazes held and Jules felt like Felix was peering inside of him. Like he was seeing the real Jules. Not the guy that always screwed up. Not the guy that only thought of himself. But the one that finally -- finally -- wanted to do something worthy. Something that would bring others joy.

“Jules is right. We need to work together to show Santa we can handle the responsibility of taking care of the toys on this island. To prepare them for new homes. To convince him to take them with him on Christmas Eve.” Felix straightened his shoulders as determination flitted across his face and hope flashed in his eyes.

Jules couldn’t look away. The man was beautiful in every way.


Carra's Review

If you’re looking for a cute, lighthearted holiday romance in a unique setting with just the lightest touch of spice, you’ll find it here in Operation Toy Rescue.  Given the short length of the story, don’t expect a huge amount of depth, but even so it’s still a fun, complete tale with engaging characters that intersperses a romance with the inner workings of the North Pole—focusing particularly on those toys that aren’t perfect and what happens to them.

Jules and Felix are adorable together, not quite a love at first sight but definitely a quick attraction.  I would have loved to read a longer version of this story since I really liked their characters.  Their relationship was sweet and believable even with the story being a quick one.


Operation Toy Rescue is a fun quickie escape holiday romance that was a 3.5-star read for me.  It can be read in probably a couple of hours, and is meant for readers 18+.  It's hard for me to say much more without giving  away too much of the story, just know if you're a fan of short M/M holiday romances, you'll want to check this one out.


About the Author

Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.





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Saturday, December 22, 2018

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: BEAR'S EDGE by Christina Lynn Lambert (Stranger Creatures #2)

Bear's Edge Tour Graphic
Series: Stranger Creatures Book 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Publication Date: November 30, 2018
Grant fell hard for Shayla. The problem? She's his boss. Will Grant risk everything to be with the woman he loves?
A boss can't date her employee  simple as that. No matter how much Shayla wants to unravel a few of Grant's mysteries and take her friendship with the shy, sarcastic man to the next level, she's determined to keep her fantasies of him to herself.
After bear shifter Grant lost his girlfriend and three best friends in a fire, he did his best to shut himself off from everyone around him. Falling for Shayla wasn't part of his plan, but after a kiss that leaves them both speechless and hungry for more, Grant can't keep his desire for his boss under wraps any longer.
When things between the two of them get hotter than he could have imagined, Grant wonders if some of his darker desires will be too much for Shayla or will she embrace the needs he's kept hidden for so long?
An obnoxious reporter and Shayla's bitter ex have teamed up to chase down conspiracy theories that could destroy Shayla's business and worse, put her life in danger. To find their happily ever after, Shayla and Grant will have to trust in each other and find a way to crush all the obstacles standing in their way.

Excerpt

Grant the mystery man—a delicious mystery Shayla would like to unravel, piece by piece, layer by layer. Ah, but I can’t. I’m his boss. In a different lifetime, if we didn’t have the whole boss-employee obstacle going on…. No harm in looking, though, just a little, since he sat so close. She promised herself to keep her thoughts G-rated—okay, maybe PG-13. Grant had a talent with numbers and paid attention to detail. Also, he was a little shy and standoffish to a lot of people when it came to anything other than work. Shayla wondered where he sometimes went in his head, because, every now and then, his smile slipped from his face, just for a second, before being replaced with one a little harder. None of my business, she reminded herself. 

She had really wanted to hug him this morning after seeing him so frustrated but decided it might be wiser and more appropriate to show him there were a few people on his side. Seeing him break things and try to be all strong and humorous about it made Shayla want to unravel the Grant mystery even more. It kind of hurt to watch him pretending to be fine, but all she could offer him was lunch and good conversation. Hopefully, Mr. Strong and Silent—Sydney called him that sometimes, although never to his face—knew Shayla and Sydney cared. And Shayla did care. Because he’s a friend. Just a friend. 

Grant raised his soda in a toast. “To things not being worse,” he announced with a rueful half smile. “And, uh”—he cleared his throat—“to good company.” He nodded at Sydney, and when he met Shayla’s gaze, he held it. In his dark eyes, she saw hunger, wide-open desire, and about a million other things she couldn’t puzzle out. Grant looked at her that way sometimes, and she did her best to ignore it. He might have a small crush on her, or he could have a thing for petite, small-breasted girls possessing a great fashion sense. 

Sydney broke the silence. “To good food and even better friends.” She clinked Grant’s glass, and Shayla came back to reality and smiled, pretending she wasn’t experiencing several different kinds of inappropriate thoughts and feelings for a sexy, complicated man who was her employee and also her friend. She needed to behave and remember things could never go any further than a panty-melting gaze.

About Christina Lynn Lambert

A few years ago, I read my first romance novel and I was hooked, so much so that I decided to give the idea of writing a story a chance. My style is more gritty than sweet and I look forward to writing many more stories with strong heroines and imperfect but determined characters. Love, courage, hope, and second chances are a few of my favorite themes. When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two daughters, and a sweet, hairy monster of a dog.

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Friday, December 21, 2018

Review & Giveaway: CHRISTMAS PRINCE by RJ Scott (The Christmas Angel Series)





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Length: 40,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell


The Christmas Angel Series


Christmas Angel - Eli Easton - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield's Angel - Kim Fielding -  Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician's Angel - Jordan L. Hawk - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Homecoming - L.A. Witt - Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier's Wish - N.R. Walker - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Shrewd Angel - Anyta Sunday - Amazon US | Amazon UK



Blurb

Prince Raphael, the youngest son of the Montaunoit royal family, is the custodian of his country's history. At a Sotheby's auction, he outbids Marc on an item he doesn't even want. Just because he can.

Meeting the museum curator turns Raphael's world upside down, and when lust turns to love he knows he has to change.

Can Marc be the one to show Raphael that he doesn't have to stay the lonely prince forever, and that love is always an option?

This story is one of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.

The Christmas Angel Series

In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.

Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton's Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.


Carra's Review

So here I am at the final book in The Christmas Angel series, we’ve now arrive at present day and what better way to cap the series off than with a prince!  I love stories like this since they give us all the hope—however unlikely—that we may all one day find our own royal prince. The angel makes a more prominent showing this time around nudging our guys along, which I did like quite a bit…kind of like she was playing the fairy godmother from behind the scenes.

Marc is dedicated to his work, fascinated by the past and those objects and stories that unravel it.  He’s pretty serious, but just like many of us the lure of a gorgeous royal makes him ponder what *could* happen.  Prince Raphael at first does come off as an entitled, playboy smartass.  But as the story unfolds, you can see how being around Marc affects him, and how he changes as the two of them grow closer as they work together…and eventually become more.  

This story is charming and largely lighthearted with a low angst level, and just enough heat to spice things up a touch.  The majority of the story moves along at a good, even pace and didn’t feel rushed—until the end which did seem a bit abrupt to me.  The epilogue though was a great look at Marc and Raphael a few years down the road, and brought the story—and the series—to a sweet and happy close.

A solid 4 stars for Christmas Prince, Marc and Raphael were great together and I would definitely recommend their story to any M/M romance, holiday romance, or fairytale prince romance fans…you’ll all enjoy it!  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.  As with the rest of the series, it can be read as a standalone.  I read the series in order, and personally I think that’s the best way to read it so you can see things change through time.


About the Author

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:


Thursday, December 20, 2018

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: HEART'S INFERNO by Georgia Lyn Hunter

Heart's Inferno Tour Graphic
Series: Fallen Guardians Book 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Georgia Lyn Hunter
Publication Date: December 18, 2018
The last thing he expects to find is the one exasperating female on his hunting ground in the middle of a dangerous demon ruckus, hauling him into chaos...
He's a killer...
Through the ages, deadly Guardian Týr watches over the mortal realm with a sword that is as blood-drenched as his soul in his quest for vengeance-his sarcasm a shield for the deepening hell inside him. Until one glimpse of a breathtaking, carefree female stops him dead in his tracks...but she's the one person he can never have. Still, she has to be the most exasperating female on the planet, with a tendency to land herself in sticky situations.
She's happiness incarnate...
Bumping shoulders with intractable immortals is not Kira Smith's idea of fun. An unfortunate encounter with a certain annoying, Ã¼ber hot warrior undoes all her hard work, and the homeless boy she rescued escapes back into the demon-infested alleys. Kira's determined to find the child-even if it means tolerating the arrogant, know-it-all as a bodyguard.
For her, he'll break every rule...
Thrown together in this treacherous hunt, long suppressed emotions unravel. Týr will do anything to claim the woman who stirs his deepest desire and Kira longs to succumb to the happiness she finds in him. But Fate isn't always kind, revealing a dark destiny that could very well tear them apart...

Purchase Links

Excerpt

As Týr jogged down to the ground floor, Hedori acknowledged him with a nod, and the ice queen who’d reigned during the reception and tacitly ignored his provocations turned, too. Her hazel-green eyes flared in irritation, the color a startling contrast to her luscious, creamy-latte skin.
“Sire, we have a bit of a situation,” Hedori said. “With the fae here, and guests still about, I cannot leave the castle just yet. Would you take Kira home?”
“No-no, Heds,” she quickly countered. “I’ll wait for you.”
He should leave, walk out. Aethan or another could take her, but Týr couldn’t resist. “Ah, Fluff, you wound me. Truly.”
Her head snapped his way. “Yes…maybe, if I thought for one second there was a heart or soul buried somewhere deep down under that shell,” she said sweetly, tone spiked with venom. She faced Hedori again, sweet as treacle. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
Hiding his amusement, Týr sighed loudly as if put out. “C’mon, Fluff, let’s get you home.”
She pivoted so fast, fingers fisting as if she wanted to punch him. “Call me that again, and I swear, I’ll—” She broke off, her expression tightening as softer footsteps echoed. Lila Smith, their Oracle and the she-devil’s grandmother, rounded the staircase a moment later.
Hedori nodded to them and departed.
“Thank goodness you’re still here, Kira dear,” Lila breathed. “Would you— Oh, hello, Warrior,” she greeted him softly with a regal incline of her gray-haired head.
Lila usually treated the Guardians injured by those annoying demon bolts with her miracle potions and salves since they couldn’t self-heal that crap fast enough. More annoying, those open wounds acted like a damn tracking device for the hellscums.
“Oracle,” he returned politely.
Lila glanced back at Kira. “I have to go to Seattle for a few days. The coven has a problem and needs my help. It would ease my mind if you stayed here at the castle until my return.”
“Gran, I don’t know why you worry so much. It’s not the first time I’ve been alone. Besides, I have to go to work. I’ll be okay, really.”
Týr could sense the Oracle’s growing anxiety, though her expression remained serene. It could only mean that whatever had gotten her so worked up was serious. Michael should talk to her. Better if the Guardians knew what trouble was stirring.
Lila glanced at him. “Warrior? Would you—?”
“Gran, no!”
Her horrified yell had Týr narrowing his eyes. He’d be the first to admit that he wasn’t fit company for females to be around for any length of time, but she and the Oracle were under Michael’s protection, and by default, the Guardians’, too.
And he took his damn job seriously.
“It would be my absolute pleasure,” he overrode Kira’s protest with as much sincerity as he could dredge up.
If it were anyone else they would have undoubtedly stepped back at her death glare.
But his own perverse nature when it came to her wouldn’t let him back down. He merely quirked an eyebrow, enjoying her flush of frustration, and sent a quick telepathic message to Aethan. Babysit Ely tonight. Have to do a favor for the Oracle.
Would that have anything to do with a certain bridesmaid who wants to leave immediately? the Empyrean shot back, laughter echoing through their mental connection.
Damn smug bastard. As if he needed another funny-man around. Týr shut off their mind-link with a hard slam.
“Are you leaving also?” Týr asked the Oracle, suspending his silent stand-off with Kira.
“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind, Warrior.”
“Not at all.” He crossed to the enormous front door, opened it, and stood back.
“I’ll go get my coat.” Lila hurried off.
Kira stomped past him with no outdoor wear or scarf. Hell, he’d never known lush lips could thin so much. Týr followed her out into the freezing weather. “Where’s your jacket?”
“I’m hot.”
“Yeah, you are,” he muttered under his breath.
Her head snapped to him, eyes flashing in suspicion.
He cast her an innocent stare. 
Scowling, she went back to slaying the trees with her glower.
He shook his head wryly. It must be the drugged air from so many flowers in the castle responsible for him uttering that provocative nonsense.

Other Books by Georgia Lyn Hunter

In the shadows of the night, they trawl the streets, keeping supernatural evil at bay. It's a pledge they must uphold to live in this world. But with darkness in their souls and hell in their eyes, solitudeís their only companion, or so they thought. Until their gifted daggers showed them another path. Hard, treacherous, and strewn with wonder...

Absolute Surrender

Echo, Mine

Breaking Fate

Guardian Unraveled

For You I Will

About Georgia Lyn Hunter

I've been creating stories from the moment I could string two words together. No matter the tale, it always has romance woven through them. I'm a hopeless romantic.
When I'm not writing or plotting new books, I like to read, travel, or troll flea markets where I usually buy things I might never actually use because they're so pretty.
After working a few jobs all art related, a chosen career as a fashion designer, then an art teacher, I finally found my passion eight years ago: writing. There really is no other job I'd rather do.
Oh, and I hail from the beautiful country of South Africa, and currently live in the Middle East.

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Contest runs from December 18 - 24, 2018.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Review & Giveaway: SHREWD ANGEL by Anyta Sunday (The Christmas Angel Series)




Buy Links: 


Length: 70,000 words approx.
Cover Design: Meredith Russell

The Christmas Angel Series


Christmas Angel - Eli Easton - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield's Angel - Kim Fielding -  Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician's Angel - Jordan L. Hawk - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Homecoming - L.A. Witt - Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier's Wish - N.R. Walker - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince - RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK



Blurb

Pax Polo is the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Correction: Was the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Now he sports a black eye and his bros have kicked him out of their band—three weeks before Christmas. It’s an unfamiliar kick to his over-inflated ego, but . . . whatever.

No problem.

Thanks to some stellar eavesdropping, an unexpected angel ornament, and a bribe to open for his favorite band ever, Pax will weasel his way back into his mates’ good graces.

All he has to do is friend Clifford, the neighborhood man-shrew, for the summer. Distract him a bit so Clifford’s younger sister can sneak around.

It sounds like a piece of beginners Beethoven. Jolly good fun.

Easy.

Because, Pax totally knows how to friend people. He has heaps of friends. This shrew’s no match for his shrewd ways. Or is he?


The Christmas Angel Series

In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.

Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton's Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.


Carra's Review

A little bit cute, a little bit silly, a little bit snarky…and a VERY heavy emphasis on slow burn.  That’s what you’re going to find as the angel moves closer to present day, here stopping in the 1990s to try and nudge Pax and Cliff together.  There’s also a very prominent theme of friendship in this story, which honestly was probably my favorite part.

I liked the characters of Pax and Cliff well enough; nothing in particular stood out about them, though I did admire Cliff’s dedication to his studies as well as taking care of his sister.  Pax gets pretty cutesy in this story, and it was funny how he kept scheming to work around Cliff so Luca and Henry would each have their chances with Cliff’s sister, Bianca.  But what I thought was even better was how Cliff saw through every single plan Pax cooked up…even though Pax had no clue.

So many friendships form in this story—every permutation between Pax, Cliff, Bianca, Luca, and Henry in twos, threes, and as a group overall.  I liked watching the group dynamics evolve, along with that between Pax and Cliff.  Pax helps Cliff lighten up while Cliff helps Pax become more serious.

Remember I said slow burn?  This story is that to the max, something that did make me a little impatient at times.  There’s more concentration on learning about each other and Pax’s scheming for much of the story, but even so it’s not to the detriment of the development of the relationship between Pax and Cliff.  If you’re looking for the juicy bits, you’ll have to wait quite a while to get to them.


Since my attention did want to wander thanks to the super slow burn, I’m placing Shrewd Angel at 3.5 stars.  This time around, the angel seemed to act more as a way for Pax to remain grounded and focused than as a good luck charm as we’ve seen in some of the previous books in the series.  Since I’m reading this series in chronological order, there’s one more to go!  Shrewd Angel is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.


About the Author

A bit about me: I'm a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

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