Category: Contemporary Romance

Feature Post and Book Review: Call Her Mine by Melissa Foster

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for Melissa Foster’s new release CALL HER MINE (Harmony Pointe Book One). This friends-to-lovers contemporary romance has a surprise baby, too. If you love Ms. Foster’s writing as much as I do, you know you are in for an emotional read full of laughter, angst, family, and a wonderful hero and heroine all tied together with LOVE.

Below you will find an interview with the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, a summary of the book, the author’s bio and social media links, a link to a FREE preview and a Rafflecopter giveaway.

Curl up in your favorite reading spot and enjoy Ben and Aurelia’s story. As always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway, too!

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Melissa Foster Author Interview:

1) ”If a woman can’t find love in the quaint town of Harmony Pointe, it’s sure to find them…” —this is the tagline for your newest series Harmony Pointe. Tell us a bit about the town and these women who are finding love.

I love writing about close-knit small towns, where gossip is ripe, and embarrassing tales of youthful rascals abound. Harmony Pointe is nestled between Sweetwater and Port Hudson, New York, not far from the city. It offers grand views of mountains as far as the eye could see. Cobblestone streets, brick-front eclectic shops, and old-fashioned street lights add to the small town’s charm. Readers who are familiar with my Sugar Lake series will recognize Harmony Pointe as Derek Grant’s hometown.

2) What was the idea that sparked the beginning of the series? 

I have been itching to write Ben Dalton and Aurelia Stark’s story since I first read about them in WILD BOYS AFTER DARK: LOGAN and BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: MICK (Billionaires After Dark series) and THE REAL THING (Sugar Lake series). Harmony Pointe is a Sugar Lake spin-off, and in the Sugar Lake series several of Ben’s siblings find love. It was finally Ben’s turn.

3) For longtime fans, can you tell us what this series has in common with your previous books? How is the series different from what you have written before?

Avid readers of my Love in Bloom series will have met Ben and Aurelia in several previous books and series. Their story is filled with humor and sexy times, and this one wallops the reader with an ugly-cry worthy punch. This family is very female centric, which is different than most of my other series. The exception is the Montgomerys, cousins to the Daltons, in which the males are also outnumbered. #GirlPower (Bradens & Mongtomerys series).

4) Why was it important that Ben and Aurelia launched this series in Call Her Mine?

Ben and Aurelia were too loud for me to ignore! They were finally ready to share.

5) There are friends-to-lovers romances and then there is Ben and Aurelia who are closer-than-close. Seriously, these two just about live in each other’s heads. What takes them so long to realize that they belong together?

Have you ever had a friend who you love so much that you can’t imagine life without them? I have. It instills a certain level of fear—what if you risk that friendship, lay your feelings on the line, and the other person doesn’t feel the same? True friends, the ones who “get” you, who accept you at your worst, bitchiest states, and at your best, are hard to come by. Risking the friendship is terrifying. I think this was the case for Ben and Aurelia—Plus there’s Ben and his damn planning…

That man made me crazy.
I love him so hard!

6) When romance finally (finally!) is in the cards for these two, they have one very tiny situation that turns up—Ben’s previously unknown infant daughter. What was it like to create an insta-family for this pair? 

It was so frigging fun I wish I could do it again! I loved every second of writing this book. I was able to strip Ben and Aurelia down to their most raw selves and emotions, and then watch as they found their new footings together. It was glorious.

7) While it is unfair to ask if you have a favorite hero, we’d love to know what makes Ben so special to you. 

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes—arrogant, funny, introverted, brilliant, average, overly serious, etc. Ben is like the guy you see sitting at the end of a bar in a fine suit and think he’s probably taken, or at the least too refined to be fun. And then he opens his mouth and melts you, or makes you laugh, at every turn. He’s protective, but not in a bullying way. Don’t even get me started with that man holding a tiny baby, falling in love with her page after page. I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it. 

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Excerpt:

“I’ve got to go.” She tried to pull away, but he dug his fingers into her knotted muscles, releasing tension and drawing a moan from her traitorous lungs.

“Don’t run off,” he coaxed. “I wasn’t kidding. You are my best friend. I trust you with my secrets, and I love who you are.”

Hope bubbled up inside her, and she closed her eyes, glad he couldn’t see her face. Had their time finally come? “Really?”

“Of course,” he said, and she heard the smile in his voice.

That made her feel all sorts of good, and the truth came easily. “I love who you are, too.”

He leaned his chin on her shoulder, his hard chest pressing against her back as he said, “I especially love who you are when you’re making me breakfast.”

“Ugh!” She pushed to her feet, but he snagged her wrist, giving her the puppy-dog eyes she’d never been able to resist. The ones that said, Please don’t leave me. “Ben,” she warned.

“Relsy,” he pleaded.

“I am not making you breakfast. I have to go.” She yanked her hand away and said, “And I’m busy for the next few weeks. Actually, for a lifetime, so . . .” She shoved her feet into her red Converse sneakers and grabbed her purse.

“I seriously have to make my own breakfast?” Ben pushed to his feet and stretched, six-plus feet of hotness towering over her five-two frame. “But you make waffles better than I do.”

“I do a lot of things better than you. Don’t forget to call Aiden back.” Aiden was his business partner. He’d called Ben last night while they were watching a movie and Ben had made her laugh, causing tequila to come out of her nose, which had sent him into hysterics and rendered him unable to answer the call.

“That’s right.” He grabbed his phone from the table. “He was supposed to set up a meeting with our legal team.”

“For the hotel chain you’re buying?”

“Yeah. Hey, take my sweatshirt. It’s early. You’ll be cold.”

He pulled his sweatshirt over his head and tossed it to her, revealing a dusting of chest hair over muscular pecs and a treasure trail that disappeared beneath the waist of his low-slung jeans. His sweatshirt hit her in the chest and landed at her feet, reminding her she was staring.

Ben laughed. “Nice catch, Rels. Remind me not to pick you for my baseball team.”

“I don’t want to be on your team. You run the bases too slow,” she mumbled as she picked up his sweatshirt and tugged it over her head, inhaling his masculine scent. “I’m out of here.”

“How about cereal?” he asked with a wink. “I’ll make it.”

“Since when did you become so needy?”

A coy grin slid across his face. “I know that once you’re in my kitchen, there’s no holding back. You won’t let me eat crap when you can make something delicious.”

“Yeah, you should see me in the bedroom.” She felt her eyes bug out. She slammed her mouth closed, unable to believe what she’d said. She stormed through the hallway and out the door, followed by Ben’s laughter—and almost tripped over a basket. She leaned back, holding the door open, and hollered, “I think Willow left you muffins. There’s a basket on your porch.”

“Way to go, Willow,” he said as he strode down the hall. “Let’s see the goods.”

She realized she was staring at his bare chest again and snapped, “I’m taking the biggest muffin,” as if it was his fault he had great pecs and abs she wanted to lick, and bite, and—

Down, girl.

He cocked a grin and said, “Take as many as you’d like, but you’ll pay for them later.”

In my dreams.

***

My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

CALL HER MINE (Harmony Pointe Book One) by Melissa Foster is a new friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with a secret baby, too. I have never been disappointed in a romance written by this author and this book was no exception.

Ben Dalton is an extremely successful businessman, but when it comes to his love life, he just never seems to get the timing right to get the girl he loves. It seems he has loved his sisters’ friend, Aurelia forever, but the planner in him has never found just the right time to tell her. Just as Ben decides to make the big move, Aurelia beats him to the punch by literally moving to the next town.

Aurelia Stark has decided to turn the page and start a new chapter in her life. She has moved to Harmony Pointe to open her new bookstore “Once Upon a Time”. She has a great apartment above the store and she is hopefully just far enough away to avoid constantly running into her commitment-phobic, unrequited love and best-friend, Ben.

Aurelia cannot believe she gave in and spent the night, as “friends”, at Ben’s once again. As she goes to leave, she opens the door and finds a baby on the porch. The attached note says it is Ben’s baby. Aurelia is there for Ben, though neither knows the first thing about the care of babies. What follows is a journey into nighttime feedings, lack of sleep, learning, laughter and love.

I am once again in love with a Melissa Foster romance. Ben, Aurelia and baby Bea feel like more than just characters in a book. I feel as if I should be able to meet them in Harmony Pointe. The laughter, tears, fears and love are all realistically portrayed in the dialogue and each characters actions. Ben is uber sexy and lovable. The perfect mix of take charge business man and lover mixed with the vulnerable best-friend and new dad. Aurelia works to open her dream bookstore even as she helps Ben. She deals with everything thrown at her and learns that it is not a bad thing to ask for help when she needs it. The love between Ben, Aurelia and Bea is beautiful to read. As in all of Ms. Foster’s romances the sex scenes are sexy, hot and explicit. Keep some tissues handy for the ending; it is emotional.

I absolutely loved this romance and highly recommend it.

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About The Book:

Title: Call Her Mine

Author: Melissa Foster

Release Date: August 13, 2019

Series: Harmony Pointe, #1

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary:

Ben Dalton has always been honest, except where his heart is concerned. He’s been in love with his best friend—saucy, smart-mouthed Aurelia Stark—forever. But Ben’s a planner, and timing has never been on his side. When he finally decides to make his move, Aurelia beats him to the punch with a move of her own—to a different town.

Aurelia loves her new life in the charming town of Harmony Pointe. She has a great apartment and her very own bookstore, and best of all, the sinfully hot, commitment-phobic friend she’s crushed on for years is no longer just around the corner. Maybe she’ll finally be able to leave her unrequited love behind and move on.

But when a baby is left on Ben’s front porch—a baby that is presumably his—Aurelia is there for him. Neither one knows the first thing about babies, but how hard can it be? Ben and Aurelia are catapulted into a world of love, laughter, and tracking down the baby mama, and it might even add up to a very happily ever after… just not one either of them expects.

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Author Biography

Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than eighty books, including The Real Thing and Only for You (from her Sugar Lake series). Melissa and her books have been featured in USA Today, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and more. Her novel River of Love has been optioned for film by Passionflix. Melissa also writes sweet romance under the name Addison Cole. When Melissa isn’t writing up a storm, she’s living her own happily ever after with her husband and a gaggle of grown children. For more news, information about her books, and to chat with her, visit Melissa at www.MelissaFoster.com.

Buy Link

Social Media Links

Website: https://melissafoster.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissa_foster

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster

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Rafflecopter Giveaway:

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Feature Post and Book Review: Jude’s Sweet Fire by Jessica McBrayer

A SAVANNAH HEAT HOCKEY ROMANCE – BOOK ONE

Hi, everyone!

I am posting a Feature Blog and Book Review for Book One of a wonderful new romance series featuring sexy professional Savannah Heat hockey players and their HEA heroines.

JUDE’S SWEET FIRE (A Savannah Heat Hockey Romance Book One) by Jessica McBrayer brings the heat. This book features the gorgeous Norwegian team captain and star, Jude Christensen. He is sweet and smokin’ hot.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, author info and social media. After reading Jude’s Sweet Fire there is a BONUS free novella download offer. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb:

What starts as a routine run becomes anything but ordinary for sexy NHL player, Jude Christensen, when he stops to rescue a yowling kitten in distress. He rushes the mauled kitten to Dr. Megan James, the most gorgeous woman he’s ever seen. Even though she seems reluctant to respond to their instant chemistry, Jude is used to working for what he wants. 

A new town, a new beginning, and a new life put Megan at a safe distance from the man that nearly killed her. But when her past returns to threaten her once again, the Savannah Heat captain walks a fine line; Megan is suspicious. She is hyper-alert to the dangerous difference between a man’s natural desire to protect his loved ones, and the need to own and dominate. Once fooled is more than enough for Megan. Will Jude be able to make her safe without interfering with Megan’s need to fight her own battles? 

Jude’s Sweet Fire is the first book in the Savannah Heat series. Boasting a real hero, a spunky heroine, fun and sassy friends, Southern charm and danger. The passion in this suspenseful romance will leave you breathless with satisfaction.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45416250-jude-s-sweet-fire


Purchase Link (Amazon)

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My Book Review:

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

JUDE’S SWEET FIRE (A Savannah Heat Hockey Romance Book One) by Jessica McBrayer is the first book in a new series of contemporary romances by a new to me author featuring Savannah Heat NHL hockey players.

Jude Christensen is the captain of the Savannah Heat NHL hockey team. On a morning run, he rescues a kitten being attacked by a feral dog. He runs all the way to the veterinary clinic he passes on his route to see if the kitten can be saved. He meets Dr. Megan James and asks her to save the kitten at any cost.

Dr. Megan James is intrigued by the gorgeous man who is willing to pay for the surgery of a kitten that does not even belong to him. She is able to save the Maine coon kitten which Jude names “Gordie Howe”. Even though Megan is not looking for a relationship, fate continues to bring them together.

As the press tries to identify the mystery woman with Jude, someone else is watching their growing relationship, also. Megan thought she was done with an abusive ex-boyfriend, but he is not happy that she has found someone new.

As the danger escalates, Megan refuses to be intimidated and hide from the life she has built for herself. Jude will do anything to find a way to protect and save her, but will it be enough?

I loved Jude and Megan together! Jude is so sweet with Gordie Howe and how can you not love a man who loves animals while also being considerate, hot and sexy. Megan is a combination of grit, determination and a loving heart so her father’s nickname of “Sweet Fire” is very appropriate. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but I never felt they were gratuitous. Their relationship does move quickly, but that is due to the danger posed by Megan’s ex.

Ms. McBrayer writes realistic dialogue that had me laughing out loud and blushing with the characters. The plot escalates in pace along with the increased suspense. I also, enjoyed that the suspense climax was resolved before the very end of the book, so the HEA is not quickly written into the ending.

This is an enjoyable romance read that left me satisfied, but also interested in reading the next book in the series.

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Author Bio:

Jessica McBrayer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She enjoys reading voraciously as well as writing and is often daydreaming about her next book. A die-hard San Jose Sharks fan, you can find her during hockey season wearing her favorite player’s name on the back of her jersey and yelling at the TV. She never wants to find out what the world would be like without hockey in it.

Social Media:

Facebook: @JessicaMcBrayerAuthor

Jessica’s Bookinistas Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/568621823624240/

Instagram: @jessica.mcbrayer

Be sure to visit www.jessicamcbrayer.com for info on new releases, bonus material and inside information on characters from Jessica’s books.

Feature Post and Book Review: Only a Good Man Will Do by Dee S. Knight

Hi, everyone!

I am happy to bring you this Feature Post and Book Review for Only a Good Man Will Do (The Good Man Series Book 1) by Dee S. Knight which is the first book in a new contemporary romance series by a new to me author.

Curl up in your favorite reading spot and fall in love with Daniel and Eve just as I did. (And make sure a fan is handy.) You are going to want to start this series right now with book 1. Below you will find a book blurb, buy links, an excerpt from the book, my book review and the author’s bio and information.

Enjoy!

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Blurb:

Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Daniel Goodman is a man on a mission. He aims to become headmaster of Westover Academy. For that he needs a particular, special woman to help him set high standards. Into his cut and dried life of moral and upright behavior, comes Eve Star, formerly one of Europe’s foremost exotic dancers. Her life is anything but cut and dried, black and white. Daniel is drawn to her like a kid to chocolate. Nothing good can come of this attraction. Or can it? He is after all, a good man.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2q7ovi4

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129630612?ean=2940161770603

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/898008

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/only-a-good-man-will-do

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Excerpt:

Daniel walked into the parlor of the headmaster’s house Saturday afternoon seeking first the food table and second, his friend, Stan Baxter. He spotted them both near the front window.

“You’re late,” Stan said.

“Lots of people wanted to chat.” Parents’ Weekend, when teachers sat in their classrooms to meet their students’ mothers and fathers, meant mandatory tea afterwards for all professionals at the Academy. Board members and parents attended at their own discretion, and the boys—the reason the school existed and they were all there—mostly stayed out of sight and hearing.

“Fortunately for me, a good many parents now have grabbed their progeny and left campus, so I have access to the snacks unimpeded,” Daniel said, examining the finger food on display before making his selections. The challenge was always how to load his plate while appearing to take a socially acceptable portion. “Did I miss anything?”

“Only an angel.” Stan turned toward the window. “Holy Mother! Look at that,” he muttered.

“What?” Daniel asked, fitting a cucumber sandwich beside the smoked salmon-topped cracker on his dessert plate. “Am I missing a table of fare? I swear, every year the offerings at these teas are more meager than the last.”

Stan chuckled and answered in the same low voice, “Is your stomach all you think about? I was talking about another kind of dish. One you can have fun eating in bed, if you catch my drift. And she just slipped out onto the lawn.”

“Is your libido all you think about?” Daniel bit a carrot stick in two and sighed. Only three more hours and he could order a pizza. With all of his charges gone from the dormitory for Parents’ Weekend, he had a rare, private, two-day holiday ahead of him. With the tiny plate full, he joined Stan at the large windows. “Where is this goddess?”

“There. In the red dress and hat.”

Daniel saw nothing but the shapely form of a woman walking away. Slender ankles topped three inch heels. A dress of some kind of lustrous material hit her mid-calf. The style was soft and feminine, and berry red. Not many women showed up at Westover in a color sure to make them the focus of attention. Not that most of them didn’t expect to be the focus—didn’t demand it, in fact—but they usually weren’t so obvious. The breeze at her back molded the material to the curves of her hips and ass, and fluttered the dress’s full sleeves. A wide-brimmed hat hid her hair, but based on what was visible, Daniel easily imagined a long column of neck designed for kissing.

“If the rest of her matches the back view, you’ve got reason to be drooling down the front of your gown.”

Frowning, Stan glanced down as though to make sure the drool comment was only facetious. “Can’t afford to drool on this. I had to use my tax refund to pay for the thing and show off my Master’s chevrons. I don’t know how you afforded to pay for your Ph.D. paraphernalia.”

“The new degree looks sharp on you. Now, why are you mooning over a woman you see at the headmaster’s tea, when you know she’s some student’s mother and off limits?”

“She looks young enough to be a sister, so it’s not a given she’s out of bounds.”

At that moment, a young boy wearing the school uniform and a big grin ran up to the woman. She bent to catch him in her arms. When she straightened, she ruffled the boy’s hair. His expression and his wagging finger showed that he chastised her, but then he laughed and finger-combed the mussed hair back into place. She took his hand and they walked toward the circle where most of the parents parked. Looking up at the woman, the boy’s lips moved the whole while, carrying on a steady monologue.

Something in her actions captured Daniel’s attention. They were artless, performed naturally and with unabashed love. The child fairly skipped beside her and the frequent turns of her head showed she looked at him as though hanging on every word he spoke.

“How wonderful,” Daniel murmured, impressed with her total attention to the boy. “Did you see that?”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think her hips would ever stop swaying, and it’s a crime they make hemlines so long.”

Daniel laughed. “You’re such a hedonist.”

“And proud of it. But you were right. Looks like she’s a student’s mother after all. Damn the luck.”

For once, Daniel agreed with his friend. But not just because of the woman’s obvious good figure. More because she seemed to love her son and didn’t care who knew it. He normally kept his distance from flashy women, as this one appeared to be, based on her dress color, but her easy manner with the boy would be enough to make him ignore his own inclination toward the conservative. If she weren’t also a patron of the school. Assuming the gods smiled on him and he became headmaster, he and the woman would be on business terms, and nothing good ever came from mixing business with pleasure. Pleasure is what every male instinct in him screamed she would be.

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My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ONLY A GOOD MAN WILL DO (The Good Man Series Book 1) by Dee S. Knight is a contemporary romance by a new to me author that had me falling for the hero and heroine, fanning myself during the well written sex scenes and looking forward to the other brothers’ stories.

Daniel, Jonah and Mark Goodman are a set of natural born identical triplets. Growing up in North Carolina to loving, but eccentric parents, each brother may look alike, they have gone in very different directions in their adult lives.

Daniel Goodman loves being an educator. He has worked for years to achieve his goal to become the Headmaster of Westover Academy. Westover Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in the country and only accepts boys. There are stringent rules for both the students and those who teach them. Daniel wants to become Headmaster to carry on some of the school’s traditions, but also to make changes that would better serve the students.

Jonah visits Daniel, who has not been home for several years to ask him to come home for Thanksgiving. Daniel loves his parents and brothers, but the reason for his visit home could derail his path to the Headmaster’s office which requires a life of moral and upright behavior.

Enter Eve Star and her son Timmy. Eve is formerly one of Europe’s foremost exotic dancers. She will do anything to provide her son with an education at Westover Academy. This includes making up a false background. All it takes is one night of helping a young man from Westover for the possibility of her secrets being revealed and her son removed from the school.

Daniel decides to help keep everything he has learned about Eve to himself, but is it to help his students or is it because he cannot control his attraction to this beautiful mother? And are Daniel’s years of sacrifice to achieve his goal more important than one woman?

I sat down and just got lost in this romance. Daniel was a great hero to follow through his journey in this book. At first, everything was black-and-white and goal oriented and then… Eve upends his world. I knew from the glimpses of his childhood remembrances that there had to be a hero under all of that pomp and circumstance. Eve was a wonderful single mother doing her best for her son and not letting others define her or her past. Daniel and Eve challenge each other and their beliefs. The sex scenes in this book are explicit and smokin’ hot, but not gratuitous. I also fell in love with all the boys who were secondary characters. I completely agree with Daniel who believed in rules, but there are also times, as he discussed when you have to let kids be kids.

I highly recommend this romance and I am looking forward to reading Jonah and Mark’s stories!

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Author info:

Bio:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That’s how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she’s lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors. Contact Dee at dsknight@deesknight.com.

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

Newsletter (sample): https://preview.mailerlite.com/o2g1i0?fbclid=IwAR0COlyuPY-Hu30KTBdT092j_GZeuN5z4pc1LtsvHTyr6IbiSpsGqeIgT90

Feature Post and Book Review: Only Ever You by C.D. Reiss

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for C.D. Reiss’ new release ONLY EVER YOU. This romance is different than the steamier, darker stories from this author. This romance is lighter and all about a reunited friendship, family, hope and love.

Below you will find an interview with the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, an author biography and social media links, book summary and a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book. Enjoy and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Author Interview: CD Reiss 

Please introduce your newest release. 

Only Ever You is about a girl who planned for everything but never got what she hoped for, and a dweeb who hoped he’d to marry the girl, but never planned for it.

Rachel and Sebastian have an interesting history. They were friends as kids, but have lost touch as adults… 

They’re really strangers when they reunite at 30, but they’re burdened by what they think they know about each other. Sebastian was supposed to be an artist and Rachel was supposed to be a screenwriter. They have to shake all that stuff loose before they can see each other. When they do, they’re strangers. 

I think attraction between strangers is real. Sexual heat is real. But “hearts and flowers” are earned. (I know that sounds like I’m your dad telling you to mow lawns, but that’s where the magic is. Not the lawns.) In the time just before you’re struck by lightning there’s a real electricity. It’s pure potential and anything can go wrong. It’s the best thing ever.

When they were kids they made up a ‘contract’ to get married at 30—which is pretty much panned when they do meet up and have the most awkward first kiss EVER. How do they overcome such an incredibly uncomfortable situation?

They overcome it by running away!


Sebastian is thinking “now or never” because he thinks Rachel’s never going to think he’s any cooler than when she sees him in the office of his own company. And she isn’t ready because her whole idea of herself is tied up in what a failure she is. Neither one of them is feeling good enough about themselves to have a really hot first kiss, which is the same reason they’re not ready to get married.

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Excerpt: Only Ever You by CD Reiss

After I left her and CJ with Lucinda, I spent the weekly staff meeting wondering if Rachel was the same warrior I’d loved or if she was more the woman who’d held her laptop to her chest as if she needed protection.

I was obsessed.

I had to know.

Her text came in as I was leaving the meeting.

I need to check that we’re kidding

Before I could finish typing a response, I caught her coming out of the bathroom with her laptop under her arm.

Alone. Me and her. Nothing between us but the question of who we were and how we fit.

“Seb, I—”

She didn’t have a chance to finish. I crowded her back into the bathroom and locked the door behind us.

“Kidding about what?” I said.

“About getting married.”

“Why would that even be a question?”

“Our parents have been in negotiations about it.”

My mother couldn’t keep herself from talking if she tried, and I was her favorite subject. 

“It might be a little soon for marriage, but—”

“Soon? I don’t like you seeing what I do for a living while you’re in a glass-walled office overlooking the ocean. I mean, I’m not marriage material, and the odds are that’s never going to change.”

“I don’t see why a date’s off the table.”

“Do you know what’s going to happen if we date?”

The list of possibilities was as long as my arm. I could have counted them off, from “We decide we hate each other” to “We end up in bed.” But I didn’t, because I was still trying to figure her out.

What did she want to hear?

With her wide eyes and parted lips, what did she want? Did she have a fondest wish where I was concerned? Was she leaning forward? Was her expression soft and yielding?

My mind spent too long deciding what to say, so my body spoke for me.

I kissed her hard and was met with teeth and stiff resistance. It was a kiss I’d wanted since I’d had hairless armpits and a voice somewhere in the low soprano range. I’d dreamed about it. Fantasized about it. Thought about it so hard in the middle of the night I could practically feel it.

But never, ever in my fantasies did she push me away so hard I fell back against a towel dispenser, watching her face twist into surprised rage as the machine spit out a ragged rectangle of brown paper.

“That was—”

“Messed up. I know.”

“Then why? What is wrong with you?”

She was livid, just like she would have been. Just like she should have been.

The tiger within Rachel was in there, and my attempt to tease her out had probably alienated her. She’d be right to never speak to me again.

“I’m sorry,” I said with my hand on the door lock. “I misread you. It won’t happen again.”

I started to open the door, but she held it closed.

“If we date, my mother’s going to get her hopes up that I’m going to settle down. And I’m sorry, Seb, but if we break up while she’s in chemo, it’s going to crush her.”

“You don’t even know if she’s sick again.”

“You’re right.” She pointed a rigid finger at me as if I were her mother. “I’m going to make her tell me.”

“You’re really beautiful when you’re telling it like it is.”

She slid her hand off the door. Having been called out, the warrior was sent into hiding.

No. I wouldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t allow it.

“Let’s just go out and catch up,” I said. “Saturday.”

“Can’t. Saturday’s the soonest I can talk to Mom.”

I unlocked the door. “I’m sorry about . . . the thing.”

“Kissing me?”

“No, wasting paper towels. Of course kissing you.”

“Next time, give a girl a little warning.”

Next time? Her eyes darted to the door. Was she calculating the distance to her getaway? Or making sure it was closed?

“How about now?” I asked.

“Now what?”

“Fair warning. Now.”

I stepped a little closer and put my hands on her arms. Not right away. I let them hover an inch away before touching her to give her the chance to move away. A chance I was sure she’d take.

“Seb, really?”

But she didn’t move away.

Not this time. When I laid my hands on her biceps, she leaned in to me just a little. I smelled the floral lotion on her skin and a hint of cool water on her breath.

“Really.” I slid the laptop from her arms and placed it on the counter. “This is your warning.”

You’re doing this. I cannot believe you’re doing this.

“It doesn’t feel like a warning,” she said, and again—I noted—she didn’t move away.

“Flashing red lights.” My lips brushed her cheek, heading for her mouth. She felt better than I ever imagined. “A buzzer, maybe.”

“Just a kiss?” she asked, her lips moving against mine.

Before I could consummate what she was agreeing to, I was smacked by a swinging door.

“Oh!” CJ said. “I’m sorry! I was looking for you.”

Rachel snatched up her laptop and walked out. CJ raised an eyebrow with good reason, since I was in the ladies’ room. I left, and we all gathered in the hall.

Awkward.

“Well,” Rachel said. “Thanks for showing us your tedious financial-sector company.”

“Thank you for coming,” I said and let them walk away. I could have done or said much more, but not without getting her into trouble. She glanced back at me when they turned the corner, as if she wanted to make sure I was still there.

***

My Book Review:

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ONLY EVER YOU by C.D. Reiss is a new contemporary romance not like any previous books I have read from this author. I think dark, erotic and intense usually when I see this author’s name, but this romance is different. Sebastian and Rachel’s story is lighter, full of family, hope and love. The angst and steamy is still there, but not as often and with a twist.

When Sebastian was in school, he was a stick thin, nerd who was bullied.

Then a beautiful girl named Rachel moved in across the lane. She became his best friend. She defended him and included him.

As they plan their futures, they decide on a back-up plan and write a marriage contract stating if both are single when they turn thirty years old, they will marry each other.

The future happens and it does not always go as planned. Rachel and Sebastian are both home for Christmas. Sebastian has become an extremely successful and gorgeous man. Rachel is still struggling in her career and has dated a string of losers. Nothing has gone as she planned, but she also would not have changed the time she put her career on hold to help her mother through her cancer.

Are they really going to go through with their marriage contract?

This is a very entertaining friends to lovers contemporary romance. Sebastian is a hero we all love to cheer for. The dweeb to heart-throb, smart to successful, but no matter the success, he is still very vulnerable. Rachel was strong as a young girl, but she let fear and the wrong men make her doubt herself to the point of losing her confidence in herself. As the two reunite, they learn how they are still alike, but also different. This is a cute couple with crazy family members and friends that love them and only want them to be happy. The sex scenes occur towards the end of the book and there is a very interesting twist involved, especially from this author.

This is one of those feel good, fun romances to enjoy curled up on your favorite chair.

***

About the Book:

Title: Only Ever You

Author: CD Reiss

Release Date: July 9, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary:

Rachel knew exactly what turning thirty would be like. She had a plan, after all. First college, then a climb up the professional ladder. Love, marriage, children. All of it was on the schedule.

The cheap Hollywood apartment wasn’t on the list. Neither was the string of heartbreaks. Or the effect her mother’s cancer had on her career.

It’s hard to stay practical and on point when everything takes a left turn.

Enter Sebastian, the nerd across the street. The boy she defended when he couldn’t defend himself. The best friend she promised she’d marry if life didn’t go according to plan.

Not only is he successful, confident, and gorgeous, but he also still has their handwritten marriage contract.

No one goes through with childhood wedding pacts.

That’s crazy.

But their families might just be crazy enough to rent a hall and set a date. All Rachel and Sebastian have to do is fall in love.

***

Author Biography:

CD Reiss is a New York Times bestselling author. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God, but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well hauling buckets. Born in New York City, Reiss moved to Hollywood, California, to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere—but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.

Reiss is frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut, which is flattering but hasn’t ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood. If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine. Text cdreiss to 77948 to get a notification whenever she has a new release.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://cdreiss.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDReiss.writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDReisswriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6896405.C_D_Reiss

***

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Book Review: The MacInnes Affair by Blair McDowell

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE MacINNES AFFAIR by Blair McDowell is a contemporary romance intertwined with a historical romance with a mystery subplot. The present MacInnes and Glendenning investigate a mystery and the history tied to their MacInnes and Glendenning 19th century ancestors. This is a standalone romance read.

The Present

Canadian Lara MacInnes is getting away from her broken engagement with a trip to Athdara castle B&B in Scotland. Athdara castle has been in the Glendenning family for generations and the current generation has done everything to ensure it continues on for many more. None more so than the handsome Highlander Iain Glendenning. As Lara and Iain begin to discover how much they have in common, they also discover the journals of a long ago Glendenning woman in love with Lara’s very great-grandfather.

The Past

Elspeth Glendenning is in a carriage accident and rescued by a rugged Highlander named Lachlan MacInnes. While the clans may have been feuding since Culloden, Elspeth and Lachlan fall in love. They discover the carriage wreck was not an accident and the two are caught up in events beyond their control.

Lara and Iain research the long ago romance and historical events that intertwine their two families. As these two work to uncover a murder mystery from the past, they fall in love as well. Can this generation of MacInnes and Glendenning’s solve a mystery that persists from their clans’ past?

I really enjoyed reading this entertaining contemporary and historical romance mix. It was not what I was expecting from the genre listings on the description because it is not a time-travel or paranormal romance. It has two time-lines that intertwine, but no one travels to another time. That said, both plot-lines are well written and I never felt confused as the two stories shift from past to present and back again. The present day romance progresses at a believable pace and the historical romance is filled with situations that are appropriate to that time.

This is the type of book you can just fall into and get engrossed by the history and mystery and not want to put down. This is the first book I have read from this new to me author, but I will definitely be looking for others.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Gateway Crescent by Brenda Margriet

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

GATEWAY CRESCENT (Bendixon Sisters Book 2) by Brenda Margriet is a contemporary romance set in British Columbia. This romance is the second in the trilogy and features the youngest of the three Bendixon sisters. It can easily be read as a standalone, but it does give you glimpses of book 1 as the timelines run simultaneously.

Josephine “Jo” Bendixon loves bright colors, singing and life in general. Her two older sisters believe she is flighty and never finishes projects she starts and this is hurtful to Jo. She does not share that she is teaching herself computer coding and she is working toward combining all of her interests into a career. When her volunteer job at the library is taken away, she gets the opportunity to work at Gateway Crescent teaching disabled children computer skills. At the same time she volunteers to work with Luke on the end of school year music concert in the park.

Luke Donwell is the music teacher at the local high school. He loves working with teenagers, but he has always had a deep faith and contemplated becoming a Catholic priest. He has set up a weekend away at the seminary to decide if the priesthood is what he truly wants to do with his life. When his friend’s younger sister, Jo volunteers to help with the end of the year concert and a new music therapy program at Gateway Crescent, he is glad for the help, but being with Jo makes him begin to question many of his long-held beliefs.

Jo and Luke work well together and both are surprised by the attraction each feels for the other. Luke is up front about his possible vocational change and Jo encourages him to keep his weekend obligation even as both have feelings of more than friendship. Luke has a major decision to make for himself, but it will effect all who love him.

I must admit that I do not usually read romances with religion as a major focus, but I loved the first book in this series and all of the Bendixon sisters. Luke is a complex character who pulled me in with his faith and beliefs and is an extremely caring and giving person, but also at times he demonstrated the intolerance of others’ beliefs that makes me dislike religious doctrines. Jo is a loving, free spirit who may not have found her true calling yet, but is open and searching. Jo and Luke’s story was a heartwarming romance with many realistic bumps in the road. The secondary characters all added depth to the storyline. There is one sex scene and I felt the author handled the emotions and dialogue in a realistic way that was true to the story.

I enjoyed Luke and Jo’s romance. I also enjoyed the glimpses of book one that remind you of that sister’s story. I am looking forward to reading the oldest Bendixon sister’s romance next.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.