Monday, February 27, 2017

[Review] Damage Control, by: Lisa Renee Jones

Dirty Money #2

DAMAGE CONTROL

by: Lisa Renee Jones
Published Date: February 21st, 2017
Read Date: February 26-27, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Pages: 304

Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in Damage Control, the smoldering, scorching next novel in the explosively sexy Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

The only thing more dangerous than a dark secret is a damaged heart…

Shane Brandon has been pushed to the brink, torn between his corrupt family and his explosive, all-consuming desire for Emily Stevens, who he now knows is not who, and what, she seems. Has he trusted the wrong person? Will she, not his brother Derek, be the ultimate destruction of his family Empire.
Emily tries to run from Shane, but he will stop her, confront her, force her to reveal all – one hot touch and kiss, at a time, under every intimate detail of who this woman is, and what she wants, is exposed. But as he tears away the dangers of the unknowns with the woman in his bed, and in his heart, The Martina Cartel, has set their sites on his company, his family, and the one piece of leverage they believe he won’t gamble with: Emily.

MY RATE:


When I noticed this book was out, I couldn't wait much to read it. Last book left me wanting more and this one was not an exception. DAMN IT ALL. I need more of their story. I need to know more of how everything is going to be solved. I just need MORE, thank you very much.

I loved this book from beginning to end, I swear. But it was kind of short for me. Everything happened so fast and when I noticed, the book was done. I got lost at some points, but the narrator told me what I need to know later on and better explained. Its gonna be a long wait for the next book, of that I am sure.

The book continues just right after the last line of the first book. No more lies. And those lines stir so many shit inside Emily's head that it's a little hard to keep up. Shane feels betrayed once more thanks to her "lies", but he has to understand that is not actually her fault. Everything clicks to well after some more chapters that I am beyond impressed of how everything ended. Other than the relationship between Emily and Shane, the book spins around the Brandon family war, the Cartel and now the new piece of the puzzle, the Geminis. Everything got so complicated that I am doubting if something good will remain at the end.

The story goes from a peak to an even higher peak. It doesn't go down and it quickly escalate. I love all of it. My piece is... I WANTED MORE. Dammit, I still wonder why I read series that doesn't have an end yet. My fault though, so I have to deal with it. Anyways, the book is a good step for the series, which I fully recommend.

LAST REVIEW


   

[Book Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway] #FinishLine, by: Cambria Hebert



GearShark #5

#FinishLine


by: Cambria Hebert
Publication date: February 27th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Every race has a finish line.
Where you go after you cross it is what matters most.
And sometimes, that’s the most intriguing.
Here at GearShark, we’ve featured lots of drivers.
All of them are well acquainted with the finish line.
And as race fans, we’re well acquainted with cheering as they cross it.
What we aren’t privy to is riding shotgun, seeing where they drive once the race is over.
Our interviews barely scratch the surface,
offering just a glimpse of the men and women behind the wheel.
The discovery of vanished Motocross sensation Jayson Hamilton,
who has been right under our noses for years, proves secrets abound.
It’s time to dig deep. Look beyond the racetrack at the drivers who continue to pique our interest. In addition to scoring an exclusive, all-access interview with the elusive Jayson Hamilton (his first and only since the death of his fellow racer and partner Matt Lewis),
we’ve caught up with some of our most popular featured men and women in the racing world.
Where are they now?
Who are they now?
What do these hot commodities do when they escape the spotlight?
Rumors of weddings, babies, and new tattoos swirl through the media on a weekly basis.
And though we’re headlining the hashtag #Finishline, we’re far from finished.
In fact, we’re just getting started.
This newest issue of GearShark is jam packed with everything you’ve been dying to know…
and it just might be our biggest page-turner yet.

EXCERPT

Copyright by Cambria Hebert; do not copy or distribute
Hopper
“What’s wrong?” he demanded the second I opened the door.
“Nothing,” I said and motioned for him to come in.
He pulled off his Oakleys and slid one earpiece beneath the neck of his dark-blue T-shirt so they were out of his hands and stepped into the apartment.
His eyes searched out his brother, wanting to be sure all was well.
“He isn’t here,” I said and shut the door.
Lorhaven turned. “Where is he?”
“Meeting,” I replied.
“Why aren’t you there?” He scrutinized.
“Because I didn’t need to be.” I cleared my throat. “And, I, ah, wanted to talk to you. Alone.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why?”
Arrow’s big brother was an asshole. It wasn’t anything new to me, and his constant suspicious demeanor didn’t offend me like it used to. I understood his extreme overprotective nature when it came to Arrow (and Joey). I even respected it.
There was a time when I doubted we would ever get along. Hell, sometimes I still doubted it. But ever since the day I raced across the track to pull Arrow out of a multicar pile-up, things were different between me and Lorhaven.
Friendlier.
He welcomed me to the family that day, and since then, he’d backed up his handshake with actions. Arrow and I hung out with him and Joey regularly, something I knew meant a lot to A. To me, too.
Joey was my first and only real friend since Matt died. The months we’d spent not really speaking had hurt. To have her friendship back along with a new one in Lorhaven gave me the sense of family I’d deprived myself of for so long.
“There’s something I want to ask you,” I said. He made a sound, sort of an agreement, and shrugged out of the jacket to fling it over the back of the couch. “You called me down here because you want to ask me a question?”
“It’s not something I could do over the phone.”
He folded his arms over his chest and regarded me in a way that would probably make a lesser man piss his pants. Lorhaven didn’t intimidate me. He never did, and he never would.
But, uh, yeah… I was anxious right now. “I know how close you are to A.” I began. “He told me you’re more like a dad to him than The Fucker ever was.”
Lorhaven’s arms dropped to his sides. “He told you that?”
I nodded. “Yeah. And honestly, I’m fucking grateful to you for that.”
Shock widened his very dark eyes. I committed the look to memory as I smothered a smile. I’d likely not see that look on his face ever again.
My voice dropped. “I think you were the one thing that stood between Arrow and total shutdown a few years ago.”
“Until you came along,” he replied, gruff.
“Thank you for everything you did for him, for everything you do. I know you already know how much he appreciates you, but now you know I do, too.”
“He’s my family,” he said, like it was all he needed to say.
I half smiled.
“As touching as this is…” Lorhaven studied me. “Why do I get the feeling you want something?”
“Because I do.” I took a deep breath. “I want Arrow.”
He made a sound. “Pretty sure you already got that.”
I shook my head once. “I want to marry him.”
Lorhaven jolted like someone tossed a bucket of ice water over his head. “You wanna what?”
“I’m gonna ask Arrow to marry me, but before I do, I’d like your permission.”



AUTHOR:


Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). 
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

GIVEAWAYS!

PLUS:

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Stalking the Shelves [22]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. You can read more about the creation of this meme by visiting the official launch page here.

December 31st, 2016 to February 25th, 2017

READ THESE PAST WEEKS:
RE-READ:
CURRENTLY READING:
  • Her Touch, by Alexa Riley

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Thursday Tracks [39]

Ohhh! You know, and if you don't you'll know now, that I LOVE, love, LoVe music. Just as I live and breathe words, I live and breathe music. Those two things are just part of me as any other organ in my body. As you can see in my Music page, I hear music while reading! My Thursdays will become from now on... Thursday Tracks day! A feature created to share what song, album, playlist, artist I got stuck in my head every week. Now, this week song is...

SHAPE OF YOU

Artist: Ed Sheeran
Album: ÷

favorite lyrics: I'm in love with the shape of you. We push and pull like a magnet do. Although my heart is falling too, I'm in love with your body. And last night you were in my room, and now my bedsheets smell like you. Every day discovering something brand new, I'm in love with your body.

Hear me next Thursday!

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday [77]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

YOU'RE WELCOME, UNIVERSE

by: Whitney Gardner
Release Date: March 7th, 2017

Friends are a liability.
Julia learns this the hard way when she covers up a slur about her best friend with a beautiful (albeit illegal) mural, sprayed right across the gymnasium of the Kingston School for the Deaf.

Her (supposed) best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her mom’s set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a “mainstream” school in the suburbs, where she’s treated like an outcast as the only deaf student.

Out in the ‘burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. A tag on a sign, a piece on an overpass. But soon Julia leans that she’s not the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off – and showing Julia up in the process. She expected her art might get painted over by cops. But she never imagined getting dragged into a graffiti war.

Now Julia must risk arrest and expulsion to go toe to toe with her rival…or face losing the only piece of her identity that still makes sense.

   

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

[Book Blitz + Excerpt] Royally Matched, by: Emma Chase


Royally #2

ROYALLY MATCHED

by: Emma Chase
Release Date: February 21st, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance

Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry John Edgar Thomas Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.

He’s not handling it well.

Hoping to help her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora agrees to give him "space"—but while the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:

Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.

A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.

While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.

The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit... and her naughty sense of humor.

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | iBooks | Nook | B&N Paperback | Kobo | BAM | IndieBound




EXCERPT

Sarah stands up and presses her lips against mine. And it’s so unexpected, so surprising—I freeze up. But only for a moment. As her mouth gently moves over mine, I begin to thaw. She’s so fucking soft, her taste so very sweet. The kiss is almost chaste—at least it’s the most chaste I’ve ever had. Unpracticed.
And yet, it still manages to make my heart pound against my ribs like an animal in a cage.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, when she pulls back just a little.
“I’m distracting you.” She looks up at me uncertainly. From behind those ridiculously prim little glasses with those big, dark eyes that could bring me to my knees. “Is it working?”
My tongue traces my lower lip, craving more of her.
“I’m not sure. Keep trying—I’ll let you know.”
She smiles quick and relieved . . . and then she reaches back up, wraps her arms about my neck, and kisses me.
Her two lips envelop my lower one, then the upper, all eager, pleasing sweetness. My hands find Sarah’s lower back and I pull her in close, tight against me. Slowly, I open my mouth and she mirrors my movement, opening for me. And it’s good. So very, very good.
It’s like my blood has turned to gasoline, and the touch of her wet, warm tongue is the spark.
I delve deeper, kiss her harder—more demanding—taking the lead. I cup her head in my hands, holding her still while I plunge and devour. A moan seeps from her lips and I devour that too.
But then, breathing harshly, I tear my mouth away.
“Sarah, maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe we should just—”
“I’m sick of being afraid, Henry. And I’m so tired of being alive . . . but not really living. I’ve wanted this for a long time. I want . . . you.” It’s only then that hesitation dims her eyes. “Do you want me too?”
I grip her arms. “More than I’ve wanted anything or anyone in my entire life.”
She takes my hands in hers, lifts them and presses my palms to her breasts. They’re soft and full and absolutely perfect.
“Show me.”
Beneath her robe, her bedclothes are paper thin. I trace my thumbs across her nipples, feeling them harden and peak. I want to suck on them until she’s mindless. I want to lick every inch of her skin and watch her flush with desire.
I wrap my arms around Sarah and lift her right off her feet. With a groan, my mouth is back to hers. Her small pretty hands cup my jaw as I carry her toward the bed. I stop against a wall on the way, knocking a frame sideways, lifting her leg in one hand and wrapping it around my hip so I can thrust against her.
There’s so much I know—deviant, filthy, lovely moves. And I want to teach her every damn one.

AUTHOR


Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefs series. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.


Thursday, February 16, 2017

Thursday Tracks [38]

Ohhh! You know, and if you don't you'll know now, that I LOVE, love, LoVe music. Just as I live and breathe words, I live and breathe music. Those two things are just part of me as any other organ in my body. As you can see in my Music page, I hear music while reading! My Thursdays will become from now on... Thursday Tracks day! A feature created to share what song, album, playlist, artist I got stuck in my head every week. Now, this week song is...

SAFE WITH ME

Artist: Sam Smith
Album: Nirvana EP

favorite lyrics: Don't you know your secret is safe with me? All your worries can be put to sleep.

Hear me next Thursday!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday [76]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Rebel of Sands #2

TRAITOR TO THE THRONE

by: Alwyn Hamilton
Release Date: March 7th, 2017

Mere months ago, gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she's fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne. 

When Amani finds herself thrust into the epicenter of the regime—the Sultan's palace—she's determined to bring the tyrant down. Desperate to uncover the Sultan's secrets by spying on his court, she tries to forget that Jin disappeared just as she was getting closest to him, and that she's a prisoner of the enemy. But the longer she remains, the more she questions whether the Sultan is really the villain she's been told he is, and who’s the real traitor to her sun-bleached, magic-filled homeland.

Forget everything you thought you knew about Miraji, about the rebellion, about djinni and Jin and the Blue-Eyed Bandit. In Traitor to the Throne, the only certainty is that everything will change.

   

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

[Book Blitz] Tempt Me, by: J. Kenner


A Stark International Novella

TEMPT ME

by: J. Kenner
Publication Date: February 14th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Adult

     Sometimes passion has a price …

     When sexy Stark Security Chief Ryan Hunter whisks his girlfriend Jamie Archer away for a passionate, romance-filled weekend so he can finally pop the question, he’s certain that the answer will be an enthusiastic yes. So when Jamie tries to avoid the conversation, hiding her fears of commitment and change under a blanket of wild sensuality and decadent playtime in bed, Ryan is more determined than ever to convince Jamie that they belong together.

     Knowing there’s no halfway with this woman, Ryan gives her an ultimatum – marry him or walk away. Now Jamie is forced to face her deepest insecurities or risk destroying the best thing in her life. And it will take all of her strength, and all of Ryan’s love, to keep her right where she belongs…

Amazon | Amazon UK | Print | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play



EXCERPT

“Kiss me,” he says, and I close my mouth over his, losing myself in the sensation of being body on body like this, so close I can’t tell if the heartbeat I’m feeling belongs to Ryan or me.
We move slowly at first, but there’s no holding back, and soon our motions are frenzied. Soon, he’s exploding inside me. Soon, I shatter in his arms.
  “Oh, baby,” he murmurs when we’re sane again and he’s looking at my face with eyes filled with love. “You are so beautiful.”
  I bend and kiss him—my heart overflowing. And I can’t help but think how different it is with Ryan than the men I’d been with before. Before, when a guy called me beautiful, I’d mentally cringed, at least a little.
  Because the truth is, I am beautiful. It’s not an ego thing—it’s just an empirical fact. It’s useful, and I’ve definitely traded on it. But it’s not who I am. Not the heart of me. And in my life BR—  
  Before Ryan—whenever a guy called me beautiful, I never knew if he cared about me, or if he was just happy to have a pretty piece of a**.
  With Ryan, I know without a doubt that he loves me. And the beauty he sees in me is more than what a camera sees.
  He sees the whole woman. A lover, a friend. He sees a girl he can laugh with. That he can talk to. A woman to spend long, lazy nights with. A woman with hopes and dreams and fears and doubts.
  He sees me. Jamie Archer. And that’s a really nice feeling.
  “I love you,” I say, those little words just spilling out of me. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
  The moment I say the words, though, I regret them. Not because they aren’t true—they are.  
  But because I can see the response on Ryan’s face, though he knows enough not to say the words out loud.
  If that’s true, then why won’t you marry me?


AUTHOR

J.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.


Thursday, February 9, 2017

[Book Blitz] A Thousand Letters, by: Staci Hart


Today we have the release day for A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart! I love this fantastic new contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Check it out and grab your copy today!

A THOUSAND LETTERS

by: Staci Hart
Publication Date: February 9th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

     Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.

     I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.

     But now he’s back.

     I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.

     Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.

     One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey bought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.

Get Your Copy Today!


AUTHOR

     Staci Hart has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.

     From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.