TROUBLE (Dogwood Lane Book #3) by Adriana Locke is another
great contemporary romance in the Dogwood Lane series. This romance has another
of the lifelong friends meeting their match with all of the fun, sex and emotional
angst I have come to expect in Ms. Locke’s romances. This book can be read as a
standalone romance, but being set in a small-town all of the main characters crossover.
Penn Etling had a rough start growing up, but he is now the
laid-back, fun loving friend who is always willing to help. He is a player, but
everyone knows and understands what they will get from him. No harm and no
foul.
Avery Perry has moved to Dogwood Lane to live and work with
her aunt. She can no longer take the type of life she was expected to live in
L.A. as the daughter of a movie star. She is excited to make real friends who
want to know her without expectations. As she is attempting to hang a speaker,
she falls right into Penn’s arms. Avery knows guys like Penn and she is not
willing to go there. She wants a real relationship, not a one-night stand.
When these two come together the sparks fly, but is Penn
willing to give more of himself than ever before and stop his playboy ways? And
will Avery tell Penn the secret she is keeping and give him a chance to prove
he can change?
I absolutely love Penn. His hard body, bad boy persona, but
his soft heart are why all the girls want him and he is the perfect opposite
for Avery. And yet, they were not opposite in their emotional scars from their
upbringings. Avery is the type of heroine I like because even though she falls,
she is still willing to pull away and stick up for what she truly wants in her
life. All the secondary characters are fully fleshed out and many carry over
from the previous two books.
In this series, Ms. Locke has written realistic and fun
dialogue, sex scenes that sizzle and burn up the pages and characters in this
small-town setting that make you want to be friends with them all.
I recommend this contemporary romance and all the books in the series!
***
Author Biography
USA Today bestselling
author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly
obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys dreamed up by other authors,
she decided to create her own. She is the author of Tumble, the
first novel in her Dogwood Lane series; the Exception series; the Gibson
Brothers series; and the Landry Family series.
She resides in
the Midwest with her husband, her sons, two dogs, two cats, and a bird. She
spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and
cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice, and there’s always a
piece of candy in her pocket. Besides cinnamon gummy bears, boxing, and random
quotes, her next favorite thing is chatting with readers. She’d love to hear
from you! Look for her at www.adrianalocke.com.
I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on this Blog Tour for SUGARCOATED (Hot Cakes Book #1) by Erin Nicholas.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, an excerpt from the book, author info and social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
She’s
his best friend’s little sister. He’s known her all his life. He’s practically
part of the family. There is nothing either of them could do to surprise the
other at this point.
Then
she showed up in his bedroom in lingerie and asked him to take her V-card.
Now,
that was a surprise.
Aiden
is pretty sure Zoe was equally surprised when he told her no.
To
say that he didn’t handle it well would be a massive understatement. Almost as
massive as the amount of work he’s going to have to do now to convince her that
he wants her. Forever.
Right
after he tells her that he’s bought the company that’s her bakery’s biggest competitor.
Maybe
if he tells her he’s in love with her first, that will help sugarcoat the whole
we’re-rivals-in-business-now thing.
So, first “I’m in love with you”, then “take off your clothes”, then “I’m now your business adversary”.
Piece of cake.
***
“You can always count on Erin Nicholas for fun, sexy
contemporary romance.”―Melissa Foster,
New York Times bestselling author
Sugarcoated, an all-new sexy and laugh-out-loud standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas, is out now!
SUGARCOATED (Hot Cakes Book #1) by Erin Nicholas is
the first book in a new contemporary romance/romantic comedy series. This story
is a best friend’s little sister/friends-to-lovers mash-up with all the emotion,
humor and sexual chemistry I expect in a romance by Erin Nicholas.
Fluke, Inc. is a highly successful company started by five
college friends who sold their highly popular, original video game for millions.
Aiden and Camden grew up in a small town in Iowa, which is where they all become
involved in the purchase and rescue of the town’s largest employer – Hot Cakes.
Aiden is looking for an investment project so that he can
return home and claim his best friend’s sister and live happily ever after. The
opportunity to buy and save Hot Cakes to keep three hundred people employed in his
hometown pops up and he feels it is the perfect opportunity for Fluke, Inc. and
him. How can he tell Zoe he loves her, but he also bought her hated rival and
competition?
Zoe has been dreading Aiden’s return to town ever since he
turned down her surprise offering of her virginity on Christmas Eve. He is back
and shaking up everything she believes in and Zoe does not like change. As Zoe
begins to open up and believe in Aiden’s love, he is still hiding his other
reason for his return.
This is such a sweet and tasty treat of a romance. When I started this book, I thought Aiden and Zoe were so different, but they both ended up having the same fear. Ms. Nicholas’ dialogue is witty and her sexual tension and inuendo continue to ramp up the heat to a sexy and hot scene in Zoe’s bakery. The sexual banter and sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. The introduction of Zoe’s friends and all the other men in Fluke, Inc. has you anticipating even more fun and sexy romance to come.
I recommend this first book in the Hot Cakes series and I
will definitely be waiting for more.
***
Excerpt
“Yes!” It was the wrong answer, he knew, even
as he said it. But it was true.
“You are so full of yourself!” She
frowned. “You actually thought I’d be waiting around, pining for you, didn’t
you?”
Maybe not crying herself to sleep
every night, but thinking about him? Yeah. Fuck. He hadn’t been able to get her
out of his mind for more than a few hours at a time. “It’s only been five
months,” he said. “Is it really crazy for me to think that you didn’t get your
virginity ‘taken care of’ yet?”
“Exactly! It’s been five months!” she said.
“You went twenty-five years without
sex, and you couldn’t go five more months?”
“Well, it’s not like you gave me an IOU!”
she shot back. “I had no idea when you were coming back, and I assumed your
answer would have still been no. So yeah, I moved on, Aiden.”
“Who was it?” he asked, noting his
tone was suddenly a little ominous.
“I’m not telling you that.” She
looked at him like he was insane.
“Tell me, Zoe.”
“No.”
“I’ll find out. This is Appleby. I’ll
probably know by the end of tonight.”
“You won’t.” She lifted her chin. “I
can promise you that.”
“Bet I do.”
“Why do you really even care? Now you
don’t have to do it.”
“Because you’re mine.”
Yeah, shit. See, he’d known
that was the wrong answer to give. Guys didn’t go around claiming women like
they were property or possessions. He knew that. He’d never had that urge
before. This woman was strong and independent and confident and certainly
didn’t need him for anything.
But the idea of another man touching
her, seeing her naked, making her feel the ultimate pleasure, made his blood
boil.
She stood, just staring at him. Then
she picked up a cake ball. And threw it at him. It hit him square in the red
tie and bounced back onto the table.
“You’re a jerk.”
Yeah, maybe he was. A nice guy would
probably just take all her explanations and excuses about why they shouldn’t be
together and admit his idea was crazy.
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t
wipe away the sticky crumbs the cake ball left on his tie. He picked up the
ball and rounded the worktable.
Her eyes widened, and she backed up
as he came closer. He kept going. Until her back was against the front of the
fridge.
He didn’t say a word as he stopped
right in front of her, lifted his hand to cup her face, and leaned in.
Aiden ignored her hands on his chest.
She wasn’t pushing. She wasn’t pulling him closer either, but she wasn’t trying
to get away. She wasn’t lifting her knee to his balls. She wasn’t saying no.
He stared into her eyes for a long
moment. She could stop this. He knew she knew that.
She didn’t.
So he kissed her.
***
About Erin
Nicholas
New
York Times and USA
Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as
long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy,
contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,”
“steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and
happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her
husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who
will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who
claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).
Today I am excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for Christi Caldwell’s new book IN BED WITH THE EARL (Lost Lords of London Book #1).
Below you will find an author guest post, a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an author bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck and enjoy!
***
Author Guest Post: Flaws Make the Man
My newest release, In Bed with the Earl, features an unlikely Regency hero. He was born to nobility, was kidnapped, and grew up in the roughest streets of London, as a ‘tosher’…a sewer scavenger. Nothing about Malcom or his past is in any way conventional, but he also represents how our pasts shape who we are. And there is no doubting, his past molded him into who he is… a man who doesn’t let people close…and who protects what he does have. Which is why…when he does meet Verity, someone who wants to be close for him (first, for reasons related to her work…and then, the more she knows him, simply because she’s falling for him) he resists.
People are impacted by life, in different ways. We all have many layers; and for Malcom, those layers are protective ones; a shield to protect himself from being hurt…because he’s already known so much. Yes, he’s coarse and ragged, and rough, but beneath that, readers (I hope) will see what Verity sees…that he has a good heart, and is deserving of a happily-ever-after, not only for who he is to others, but because, with the life he’s lived, he deserves it for himself.
***
Summary
To solve a mystery that’s become the talk of the ton, no clues run too deep for willful reporter Verity Lovelace. Not even in the sewers of London. That’s precisely where she finds happily self-sufficient scavenger Malcom North, lost heir to the Earl of Maxwell. Now that Verity’s made him front-page news, what will he make of her?
Kidnapped as a child, with no memories of his well-heeled past, Malcom prefers the grimy spoils of the culverts to the gilded riches of society. Damn the feisty beauty who exposed the contented tosher to a parade of fortune-hunting matchmakers. How to keep them at bay? Verity must pretend to be his wife. She owes him.
The intimacy of this necessary arrangement—Verity and Malcom thrust together in close quarters—soon sparks an irresistible heat. But when the charade ends, the danger begins. Will love be enough to protect them from a treacherous plot devised to ruin them?
About the Book
Title: In Bed with the Earl
Author: Christi Caldwell
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Publisher: Montlake
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
IN BED WITH THE EARL (Lost Lords of London Book #1)
by Christi Caldwell is the first book in a new historical romance series that
had me engrossed from page one!
While sick in bed and his parents dead, Percival Northrop is
kidnapped and his life becomes a day to day struggle to survive in the St.
Giles area of Victorian London. He blocks his memory of his younger life and learns
the life of a tosher. He is now known as Malcolm North and is ruthless as he
fights to survive and thrive in the sewers of London.
Malcolm does not quite fit with his fellow toshers. He can read, calculate and speaks as if he is upper class. He is located by a private detective and told that he is the actual true heir to an Earldom. Malcom wants nothing to do with that life.
Verity Lovelace has worked for The Londoner since she was
twelve years old. She worked her way from inkwell girl to reporter, but because
she is a woman she is only given the opportunity to write the gossip column. She
is the bastard daughter of an Earl and has been the sole support for her sister
and nursemaid for years since her mother died. After having one of her stories
stolen, her job is on the line and she must find the missing Earl and interview
him or be out of a work.
Verity is rescued in the sewers by Malcolm. The two butt
heads as Verity refuses to be give up her chase of the story. Malcolm has never
let anyone get close, but there is something about this female that he cannot
forget. Verity is determined to get her story, but is she ready to pay the price?
I loved Malcom and Verity so much! I could not put this book
down. Malcolm’s fight for survival and life as a tosher was interesting and a
life that was new to me. Even as he refused his memories and emotions, he took
care of others. Verity was a survivor as much as Malcolm and that is what made
them so perfect for each other. The author’s writing is emotionally charged banter
that made me laugh out loud as well as tear up. The sexual tension between
these two was well written and there is only one sex scene towards the very end
of the story. It is explicit, but not gratuitous. All the secondary characters
were fully fleshed and wonderful additions to the story.
I highly recommend this historical romance and I am waiting
anxiously for the next book in this series!
***
Excerpt: In Bed with the Earl by
Christi Caldwell
“May
I help you, Miss Lovelace?”
That lethal purr sounded from the front of the
room, a silky taunt.
With a gasp, the page slipped from her fingers
and fluttered to a damning place at her feet.
Mr. Bram yanked the cloths from his eyes, and
he took in Verity beside Mr. North’s open desk. And all the color left his
face. “Oh, bloody hell.”
Oh, bloody hell, indeed. And all thoughts of
having been rescued by a savior, and even the importance of this story, fled in
the face of the danger staring back at her in his ruthless gaze.
He is going to kill me…
Verity swallowed hard. “If you’ll excuse us?”
Mr. North murmured.
Verity took a step toward the door.
“Not you, Miss Lovelace.”
Mr. Bram climbed awkwardly to his feet. “Oi’m
so sorry,” he said hoarsely, an apology that went ignored by Mr. North.
Her heart lurched. Every muscle in her body
lurched. This was bad. Which would have been the understated statement of the
century. She curled her toes into the soles of her borrowed slippers and
followed the stranger’s—nay, he was no longer a stranger in name—the Earl of
Maxwell’s gaze. As dread slowly wound its way through her, Verity curled those
digits all the tighter.
And as it was all the easier to focus on
matters within her control, she looked to her older patient as he limped across
the room. “Be sure and try out those remedies, Mr. Bram.” She felt Mr. North
sharpen his gaze on her person. “And I’ve something that might help with that
limp, too,” she promised.
The older man stopped. “Do ya, now?”
She may as well have promised him the sun,
moon, and stars for the way he looked at her. “Oh, yes. You’ll require—”
“Bram,” Mr. North snapped, and the older man
instantly scuttled off, but not before flashing her an apologetic look.
“It is really not Mr. Bram’s fault. He’s not
done anything wrong. You really shouldn’t take your…”
Not taking his eyes from her person, he reached
behind him with an agonizing slowness and drew the door shut. Click. That soft but decisive snap that served as a seal of
her fate.
Just like that, Verity’s bravado flagged. She
clutched at the fabric of her skirts. Wanting to be the composed reporter
gathering her research, and undaunted in the face of peril.
And she came up … pathetically empty.
That cold smile affixed to hard lips remained
in place, a grin that no person would dare mistake for anything but the feral
threat it was. He pushed away from the door and started a languid stroll toward
her.
Had she truly been relieved about determining
the identity of her savior and captor?
It was now all muddled.
“Now, Miss Lovelace? If that is your name?”
“M-my name?” Wasn’t it? Even her name eluded her
in that moment. “Of course it is.” Her voice ended on a croak as he drew ever
closer; the ice that frosted his gaze sprang her to the reality now facing her,
the menace that spilled from his broad frame. Mayhap she’d been wrong. Because
she’d experience with earls—was, in fact, the daughter of one. They were
nothing like the predatory devil that stalked her now. “I am Miss Verity Lovelace. What grounds would I have to lie?”
She hurried to place the chair of his desk between them as another barrier.
He stopped his pursuit. “And how may I help
you?”
Ironically, the stranger—the gentleman—could
have uttered no truer words than those.
They fortified her, and sent resolve creeping
back into her spine as she brought her shoulders back. Verity met his gaze
squarely. “Are you the Earl of Maxwell?”
Except, she already knew as much … she simply
sought the confirmation from the gentleman’s mouth.
His eyes grew shuttered, but not before she
caught the flash of horror in their blue-black depths.
He was a man unaccustomed to being challenged.
And his unsettledness eased away further frissons of fear. Verity slid out from
behind his desk chair and glided slowly across the room. She stopped when only
a handful of steps separated her from the very stranger who’d put a knife to
her earlier that night.
“Do I look like an earl?” he countered, belated
with that reply—that deliberately evasive one.
Taking that as an invitation to study him,
Verity peered at Mr. North. That slightly hooked nose, which had been broken
one or more times, did little to conceal the aquiline appendage that served as
a signal of his birthright. The small white nicks and scars merely marred a
canvas of otherwise flawless high, chiseled cheeks and a hard, square jawline.
Glorious. Her pulse throbbed a beat harder. His
features, melded with those flaws, only served to mark him beautiful in his masculinity.
His mouth crept up in a tight, one-sided smile that didn’t meet pitiless eyes. “Did you have a good look, Miss Lovelace?” He’d noted her appreciation. Verity’s cheeks burnt, and she curled her toes into the soles of her borrowed slippers. He merely sought to disconcert her. It was a familiar state she’d found herself many times before, with many men before him. Feigning nonchalance, Verity gave her head a little toss. “You have the look and the tones of an earl,” she pointed out. “And more…” She gestured to those private missives she’d availed herself to. “You have letters written regarding the Baron Bolingbroke.” Verity stretched up on her tiptoes so she could at least hold his gaze and not be peered down at. “Therefore, Mr. North, I would say you are, in fact, the Earl of Maxwell, after all.”
***
Author Biography
USA Today Bestselling, RITA-nominated author
Christi Caldwell blames Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught for luring her into
the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment
at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and
pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect
heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them
before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after!
Christi makes her home in southern Connecticut where she spends her time
writing her own enchanting historical romances and caring for her three
spirited children!
Today I am very excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MY WAY TO YOU (Canyon Creek Series Book #1) by Catherine Bybee. This is an emotional and heartfelt romantic start to this new series.
Below you will find an author interview, a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author blurb and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!
***
Author Interview
Please tell us about the fire that inspired your
newest novel My Way To You.
I was taking my youngest son to his senior
pictures for the school when we noticed a plume of smoke in the rearview
mirror. I have lived through many fire scares in the twenty years I lived in my
home. Only this time, it wouldn’t be a false alarm.
You had to evacuate your house because of the fire. How did you feel in those
moments?
I was thankful my children and I escaped, and terrified that I would come home
to nothing but ash and debris. I’d packed up the cars with pictures and things
I felt I couldn’t replace, but had to leave one of my cars behind because the
fire engine was blocking my ability to drive it away. But none of that truly
mattered. I felt like all the work I had done to keep my children’s family home
after my recent divorce was for nothing. That fire was going to undermine the
stability I had desperately tried to preserve. In short, I was an emotional
mess.
While your property suffered immense damage, thankfully your home was
left standing. Did this experience change the meaning of that word for you—home?
Home is stability. It’s a base for all the
things we cherish. But it’s the people who make it so. I had a conversation
with my youngest son not too long ago. I asked him if he missed the home he
grew up in. (I’ve since moved to San Diego and sold my property in Santa
Clarita.) This is what he said, “The day we ran from the fire, I stopped caring
about the house. I didn’t think it would be there when we came back.” So no, he
doesn’t miss his childhood home. I was shocked to hear this since my youngest
tends to hold back his feelings. I lived in that house for 21 of my 51 years of
life. There were memories in every corner. But in the end, the fire and flood…
and exhaustion made it easier for me to sell it and walk away. Now that I’m in
a new place I’m reminded that my family and memories are always with me—and a
house is wood and stone. Whether I like it or not, however… it is stability.
And that was shook to its core because of the fire.
Your life changed drastically in just one day, which is something your heroine
Parker experiences—twice. The first time is when her parents die. How does this
one event inform the course of her life?
She has to stop thinking about herself and put others before her. She had to
grow up. Trauma changes you! Period. And I needed Parker to experience that so
she could realize just how strong she was.
She has to find that strength again when fire almost destroys her home. Tell us
how your heroine changes during all of this.
She needed to learn to lean on others again. Her parents death took that away
and made her a very controlling person. (Ahummm… that’s my own epiphany.) It’s
through the course of the book, and all the other players, that she learns to
open herself up to live a full life. I think she also learns to be a big sister
again and not the parental figure she took on.
In what ways is Parker like you? In what ways is she different?
She learned to let go, I still can’t do that.
She fell in love… That’s not me.
She had a privileged childhood with tons of
options… Not me.
Parker fought to keep her home and make it right to live in it. I fought to
keep my home and make it right to sell it. After so many years and so many
struggles, it just wasn’t the peaceful place it once was. And with an empty
nest and no Colin there to give it meaning, I needed to let go and start
new.
***
Summary
When a wildfire nearly destroys Parker Sinclair’s family home, it’s just one more disaster to add to her mountain of stress. For the past two years, she has shouldered the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister after their parents’ untimely deaths. Forced to leave college for a crappy job that barely pays the bills, Parker manages her family property, which consumes every aspect of her life. Now winter is coming and the forecast isn’t spreading sunshine on the dark cloud over her head. The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain.
Colin Hudson’s job as a public works supervisor is to protect Parker’s property and neighborhood from further damage. But it’s a little hard when the owner of the land is a control freak who tries to do everything herself. The hardworking, attractive young woman is far from the “hot mess” she claims to be. In fact, her tight grip of control is one of the things that attract him the most. It’s also the hardest to crack. Now Colin’s working overtime to help Parker open up her heart, trust him, and let him in.
As Parker and Colin work together to keep her home and neighborhood safe, they may be in for another disaster. Or they may just realize that sometimes it takes destruction to create something new.
About the Title
Title: My Way To You
Author: Catherine Bybee
Release Date: March 10, 2020
Publisher: Montlake
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
MY WAY TO YOU (Canyon Creek Series Book #1) by
Catherine Bybee is the first book in a new contemporary romance series that is a
powerful and engaging emotional read. I have enjoyed many books by this author,
but this one grabbed me and would not let go.
Parker Sinclair had to grow up fast. Her parents were killed
in an accident which meant she had to drop out of college and return home to finish
raising her two younger siblings. After two years of a job that barely pays the
bills, Parker is managing to keep the family property up in Canyon Creek, but
it takes everything out of her.
When a wildfire strikes and burns all of the outbuildings
and vegetation on the surrounding hills, Parker knows she is lucky to have had
the house survive, but now with the rainy season coming Parker has to worry
about mudslides that can destroy everything she has worked hard to save.
Colin Hudson is the county public works supervisor sent to
evaluate Parker’s property for mud slides. He is struck by the tenacious and strong
young woman shouldering such a large burden. Colin and Parker butt heads due to
Parker not willing to give up control, but Colin is the is willing to work hard
for Parker’s trust.
Can Parker and Colin work together to save her home and
neighborhood?
I absolutely fell in love with Colin and the way he treated
Parker. I know how hard it is to give up control even when you feel like you
are drowning and I could relate with Parker. Ms. Bybee gave the couple witty
banter and realistic dialogue. The sex scenes were explicit, but not gratuitous
and did not overshadow the tenderness of the romance. I will be thinking of
these two H/h’s for a long time to come. This story also has a third major
character in Mother Nature and the destruction that she can bring. All the
secondary characters are fully fleshed and are completely believable.
I highly recommend this emotional contemporary romance! I am
now anxiously waiting for more books in this series.
***
Excerpt: My Way To You by Catherine Bybee
“Excuse
me?”
Parker turned toward the sound of the male
voice and brushed aside hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. The sun
glared in her eyes, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the man
standing on the other side of her gate.
“Hello,” she greeted him.
“Do you live here?”
Probably a neighbor, she thought to herself.
They’d shown up constantly after the fire to see how close the flames had
actually come to their homes. Many of them invited themselves in without
knocking. That was until she paid to have someone come in and fix the broken
gate and stop the trespassers.
“I would hope so,” she said, waving the pruner
in her hands. “I don’t think I would take this job for actual money.” The
closer she got to the gate, the better the features of the man came into focus.
He stood at least three inches taller than her, no easy task when she was five
nine. Broad shoulders and arms that didn’t look like they slaved in an office
all day. He wore jeans. It had to be over a hundred degrees, and the man wore
jeans.
And filled them out nicely, if she wasn’t too
tired to notice.
Parker forced her gaze back to his face, his
eyes hidden by his sunglasses; his thick brown hair wasn’t covered by a hat.
She stopped in front of him, the gate to the
property a clear division. The intense set of his jaw softened slightly. “Is
your, ah … husband here?”
Three years ago, in a bar … or while out with
friends, she would have instantly denied a lack of a husband. Out here, with a
stranger … even an attractive one standing at her front door, she wasn’t about
to correct him. “Who’s asking?”
The man’s smile fell and he quickly removed his
sunglasses. “I’m sorry. My name is Colin Hudson. Colin to my friends.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Hudson?” She wasn’t about to
call him by his first name.
“I work with the Public Works Department and
wanted to see if you’d let me take a quick look at the wash that runs through
your property.” He reached into his back pocket and removed his wallet. Out came
a business card that he handed her through the bars of the iron gate.
She had to move close enough to take the card,
but retreated once she had it in her fingertips.
He instantly shoved his hands in his front
pockets and took a step back.
The card looked legit. Parker reminded herself
that anyone with a computer could make a business card. “Does your department
work on Saturdays, Mr. Hudson?”
“All the time.”
She peered beyond the gate, didn’t see a car.
“Did you walk here?”
Mr. Hudson looked over his shoulder, pointed
his thumb down the street. “I have a company truck. I parked around the
corner.”
“Ah-huh.” She wanted to believe him. His
caramel brown eyes looked kind enough. “Even Ted Bundy was good-looking,” she
said loud enough for him to hear.
Parker looked up to find him staring, his mouth
gaped open. “That’s a first.”
“Sorry.” Not sorry. “By-product of being a lone woman on a large piece of property with
a stranger asking to come in. Business card aside, you could be anyone.”
He lifted his hands in the air. “Very wise. I
hope my sister would do the same. I was just hoping to get an eye on the canyon
before Monday’s meeting. But I can wait.”
She relaxed her grip on the tree pruner. “What
meeting?”
“The city and county are meeting to discuss the
concerns of the watershed after the fire. We’re developing a plan to preserve
property during the winter. If I could take a quick look it would help.”
“You mean prevent mudslides?”
“Control mudslides,” he corrected her.
She shifted from foot to foot. “You can do
that?”
“It’s a big part of our job.” He smiled, looked
over her shoulder. “I can wait. I don’t want to make you uneasy.”
Parker looked back toward the house. “Tell you
what. You go get your company truck and I’ll grab a snake fork and show you the
wash.”
His eyes narrowed with an unasked question.
“It’s summer. Rattlesnakes are a thing,” she
explained.
“You sure?”
Yeah, she was sure. “I’ll open the gate. You can park inside.”
***
About the Author
New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has
written thirty-four books that have collectively sold more than seven million
copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in
Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a
movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and
became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency
rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the
Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series.
For more information on the author, visit www.catherinebybee.com.
Today I am happy to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for YOURS IN SCANDAL (Man of the Year Book #1) by Lauren Layne. This is an entertaining start to a new series by a new-to-me author.
Below you will find an author interview, a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!
***
Author Interview
Tell us
about your new series.
The series
features three men who are named “Man of the Year” (think: People’s
Sexiest Man Alive) and the unexpected ramifications that come with that! Yours
in Scandal kicks off the series with a young, wealthy mayor of NYC who
falls for his political rival’s daughter.
Why was it
important for you to start your series with Addie and Robert?
The real
answer? There’s is the book listed first in the contract 😉 In truth I’m
equally excited about all three books in the series, and could have happily
jumped in anywhere! That said, writing a politician was a unique and fun
challenge for me (I tend to write a lot of businessmen!) so a new take on my
“hot guy in a suit” was a fun creative challenge!
Even though
she is still young, your heroine Addie has lived quite a life. Where did her
teenage rebellious streak come from?
The first
thing I always do when I get a new story idea is to figure out where the
conflict is—I have to make sure these two people, however attracted, can’t get
together (easily) by chapter three. When I decided to take on a hero who’s a
mayor, I took a step back to think which woman would be most off-limits to him.
One with a bit of scandal was the obvious answer, since the spouses of
politicians are usually held to the same exacting standards (if not more so)
than the politician him/herself! From there, I dug into Addie’s character and
her scandal-laden past.
Do you have
anything in common with your heroine?
Honestly? No
🙂 Other than being a little mouthy during puberty, I was a pretty easy kid
and teenager, and skipped the rebellious phase, at least according to my
parents! I sort of skipped the whole rebellious phase growing up no underage
drinking, no missed curfews, I’ve never even gotten a ticket. Though, I think
perhaps I was saving up all my rebellious urges for my mid-twenties, where I
seemed to chafe really hard at being managed in the corporate world, and quit
my practical, well-paying job rather spontaneously and irresponsibly with
almost no safety net, and dove headfirst into being a full-time writer. And I
suppose, for that matter, I’ve made some rebellious choices as an author
(quitting Facebook, not doing ARCs on my self-pub title, etc). So, I guess I
change my answer! Yeah, I have a little in common with Addie after all!
Your hero
Robert is fantastic! He is smart, successful and just earned the title ‘Man of the Year’.
What made you fall in love with him?
He really is
great, isn’t he? 🙂 I actually knew from the start that Robert was going
to be a pretty stand-up guy. I wanted to steer as away from the cliche, corrupt
politician as possible, and show that it’s absolutely possible for people to be
in public office simply because they want to do good, not because they’re power
hungry. I think what I love most about him is how he never wavers in wanting
best for Addie and the people around him, even if it hurts him personally. He’s
a really unselfish guy, and that is so, so appealing to me!
Would you
say that there are similarities that all of your heroes share?
I’d say
they’re all pretty quick with a comeback. Whether they’re the charming playboys
or the more reserved, Mr. Darcy types they’ve got a bit of a sharp, clever
tongue! Also, the vast majority tend to be wealthy and suit-wearing. I’ve got a
few exceptions, but I think there’s something so sexy about a buttoned-up guy
in a suit coming undone over a woman, so I tend to come back to that again and
again!
Some of the
best moments in Yours In Scandal happen when your heroine and hero are
around their trusted friends. Are any of the secondary characters we meet
destined to get their own happily-ever-afters?
No plans for any spinoffs with those characters! Not because I don’t love them, but because the writing schedule’s pretty jam-packed!
***
Summary
Fresh off being named Citizen magazine’s
Man of the Year, New York City’s youngest mayor, Robert Davenport, decides it’s
time to strategize. Next move: a bid for the governor’s seat. In his way: an
incumbent with a flawless reputation. He also has an Achilles’ heel: an
estranged wild-child daughter with a past so scandalous it could be Robert’s
ticket to victory. And a charm so irresistible it could be Robert’s downfall.
Rebellion is a thing of the past for Adeline Blake. As New York’s premier event
planner, she’s all about reform and respectability. Then she’s approached by
Robert to organize the party of the season. Curious, considering he’s her
father’s most formidable opponent. And alarming, too. Because Addie can’t help
but fall for the righteously popular candidate with the movie-star smile.
Now it’s Robert’s choice. Does he pursue a future that holds his legacy? Or the woman who holds his heart?
About the Book
Title: Yours In Scandal
Author: Lauren Layne
Release Date: March 10, 2020
Publisher: Montlake
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
YOURS IN SCANDAL (Man of the Year Book #1) by Lauren
Layne is the first book of a new contemporary romance series by a new to me
author. This is a fun and sexy, feel-good romantic comedy.
Robert Davenport is almost at the end of his two terms as
the youngest man ever elected as the mayor of New York City. Just named Citizen
magazine’s Man of the Year, Robert’s campaign manager decides it is time for
him to use the publicity and work towards his next goal as governor. His main
competition is an incumbent with a flawless reputation who also happens to have
an estranged wild-child daughter.
Adeline Blake has a scandalous past, but she is now working
hard to reform. She is New York City’s premier event planner. She is curious why
she is approached by her father’s most formidable opponent to organize the party
of the season.
Robert feels a strong, immediate attraction to Adeline that
is not part of the plan and Adeline has many reasons she should not get
involved with Robert. Can Robert follow his heart over his head?
I really enjoyed this story. It was predictable, but so well
written with funny banter and witty dialogue that it did not matter that I could
predict the HEA. I loved Robert and Adeline’s chemistry. I felt they handled
the obstacles placed in their way as mature adults which made the characters
seem more realistic to me. The secondary characters are all entertaining and
fully fleshed to support both main characters.
This is a very entertaining and heartfelt start to this new
series and I am looking forward to reading more.
***
Excerpt
“I just need
to be sure . . . am I going crazy? I am, right? Our girl’s not seriously
telling us she had dinner with the mayor,” Rosalie said, turning to Jane.
“You’re not the crazy one—she is,” Jane said, emphatically pointing at Adeline.
Adeline nibbled on the corner of a chip. “It’s
really not the big deal you two are making it out to be. It was just dinner.
Pizza.”
“That’s even worse!” Jane said shrilly. “It’s
so intimate.”
Adeline glanced over at her calmer friend.
“Please tell her there’s nothing intimate about Italian sausage.” She winced as
she caught herself. “Yeah, I heard it.”
“It is a little out of character,” Rosalie said
slowly. “You haven’t exactly made it a secret how you feel about men these
days. To say nothing of your thoughts on elected officials.”
“I didn’t sleep with the guy, we just had
pizza.”
“I’d actually be less concerned if you’d slept
with him,” Rosalie admitted.
“Agreed,” Jane said, smacking the table. “A sexy fling with the Man of the
Year is one thing. A cozy dinner at his place is just . . .” She threw her
hands up. “I can’t. I literally can’t process it.”
“You don’t have to process anything,” Adeline
said, dunking the chip into the salsa and stuffing the whole thing in her
mouth. “It was a one-time thing. The party’s next weekend, and then I’ll
probably never see him again.”
“What if he wants you to be his forever event
planner?”
“He won’t. His regular planner’s one of the
best in the city, and I’m sure she’ll be back from maternity leave by the time
he needs to hire someone again.”
“Is his regular event planner hot and single?”
Jane pointed out.
“She’s married.”
“Exactly. Much less susceptible to his sexy
face than single you.”
Adeline sighed and looked again to the
perpetually calm Rosalie. “Make it stop.”
“Just promise you’ll warn us if you start to
fall for the guy,” her friend said, fiddling with her chip. “Much as I love the
idea of you landing the hottest guy in the city, I also know just how tricky
that would be for you.”
“Tricky is an understatement given he’s likely
running against The Bastard in the next election,” she said, knowing that both
of her lifelong friends knew she was referring to the father she’d all but
disowned.
Adeline hadn’t known Rosalie as long as she’d
known Jane, but they still went all the way back to high school. Adeline had been
the loose cannon, Jane the genius, and Rosalie had been, well . . . perfect.
“You know,” Adeline said, looking thoughtfully
at Rosalie over the top of her margarita. “I actually thought about setting you
and the mayor up.”
“Wait, what?” Rosalie’s eyes went wide.
“You said yourself he was hot,” Adeline pointed
out. “You’re also beautiful, well spoken, polished. You never look bad in a
photograph, and you never say the wrong thing. I literally can’t think of a
more perfect future First Lady of New York.”
“Oooh, I see that!” Jane said, pivoting in her
chair to stare at Rosalie.
Adeline gave Jane an exasperated expression.
“You were just warning me off of the
guy.”
“Warning you off, yes. But Rosalie . . .”
Adeline tried to ignore the sting. It wasn’t as
if Jane were saying anything Adeline herself hadn’t thought. Even if she were
inclined to pursue the mayor, and she wasn’t, she knew that she was the last
thing someone like him needed. Her past alone made her an inconceivable choice
for him, and even if she could keep her past mistakes under wraps, she would
never be the right woman for him. She may have mastered the bun and the
blazers, but she was still the woman who collected adventurous lingerie and
loved tequila.
“The guy’s definitely attractive,” Rosalie
said. “But I don’t know that I want one of Adeline’s rejects,” she said with a
smile intended to annoy Adeline.
“I wouldn’t let that stop me,” Jane said,
fanning herself. “If it weren’t for Dan . . . . Too bad I love that man so damn
much. Seriously, Rosalie, let Adeline fix you up, so I can live vicariously.”
“Hello,” Rosalie said, staring at the
admittedly, occasionally tone-deaf Jane. “Are you not seeing what I’m seeing?”
She pointed at Adeline.
Jane glanced over and narrowed her eyes.
“Ever since she came back from New Mexico with
her hair brown, she’s been like this buttoned-up ice woman. But when she talks
about him . . .” Rosalie made an
unrecognizable hissing, clicking noise.
“What was that?” Jane asked.
“Fire igniting,” Rosalie explained. “Whatever,
so sound effects and act-outs aren’t my strong suit. The point is—”
“If I sound fiery when I talk about the mayor,
it’s only because he’s a control freak and pain in the ass,” Adeline interjected.
“The man doesn’t know how to delegate, is hell-bent on carrying on his father’s
legacy without ever checking in with himself, and . . .”
Adeline’s thoughts scattered a little as she
realized she wasn’t being entirety fair to the mayor. Yes, he was obsessed with
his image, as a man in his position had to be. But he could also be funny and
irreverent. He could also be spontaneous and casual.
He’d proven that yesterday, first with the tour
of his home, then the invitation of dinner. Even the way he ate pizza was
appealing, somehow both buttoned-up precise and outright relishing, all at the
same time.
“We need more margaritas.”
***
Author Biography
Lauren Layne is the New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels,
including Hot Asset, Hard Sell, and Huge Deal in
her 21 Wall Street series, as well as her Central Park Pact series. Her books
have sold more than a million copies in nine languages. Lauren’s work has been
featured in Publishers Weekly, Glamour, the Wall
Street Journal, and Inside Edition. She is based in New
York City. For the latest updates, be sure to check out her website at www.laurenlayne.com.
I am very excited to be posting for the Release Blitz for Freya Barker’s new Police and Fire Operation Alpha Book – ABSOLVING BLUE (On Call Book #4). This is another great addition to the series and it can be read as a standalone, but there is crossover of characters from other books in the Police and Fire Operation Alpha Books.
Below you will find a book description, an excerpt from the book, my book review, an about the author section with social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Description
For long-time Durango Fire Department EMT, Ava ‘Blue’ Navarro, her teammates at Station 3 represent a family more loyal than her own.
However, when patients start dying on her watch, she draws the attention of local law enforcement. In particular the smooth-talking detective she’s successfully evaded for years, fearing he might stir up her quiet existence.
Detective Tony Ramirez considers himself a likable guy, which is why the perpetual cold shoulder from the athletic blonde first responder is confusing.
Now he finds himself in charge of a murder investigation that threatens to shake his world both personally and professionally. A situation that won’t earn him any brownie points.
When medical examiner, Calder Stonewall, is called in to assist, it only seems to throw more suspicion Blue’s way, and Tony has to pull out all the stops to prove her innocence while securing her heart.
“I really hate this,” she says when I lift my head.
“I must be losing my touch, then,” I joke, and she slaps my chest.
“Not that, you idiot. I hate being weak.”
“Now who’s being an idiot?” I lightly shake her. “If you sprained your ankle, would you think it weak to see a doctor? Do you think the people you tend to on a daily basis are weak?” When she reluctantly shakes her head, I push my point home. “So how’s this any different? We’re just talking about another part of you that needs some healing. Shit, if you think that makes you weak, you’re calling every cop in Durango a pussy. Wait ‘til I tell the guys.”
“You wouldn’t,” she snaps, her eyes spitting fire.
ABSOLVING BLUE (Police and Fire Operation Alpha Series, On
Call Book #4) by Freya Barker is another great romantic suspense addition to
this series. This book can be read as a standalone, but there are several
crossover characters from previous books in this series and others from Susan
Stoker’s Operation Alpha world. I have enjoyed reading all the “On Call” books
in order.
Durango Fire Department EMT, Ava “Blue” Navarro holds her
own with all her teammates at Station 3. She considers them her family, but no
one knows anything about her biological family. Blue works hard and volunteers
at the humane society, but she does not get close to anyone to date.
Detective Tony Ramirez has had his eye on the tiny, athletic
first responder, but he receives nothing but the cold shoulder from that
direction. Tony finally gets a way into Blue’s life by offering to share responsibility
for her new rescue dog. As the two begin to see each other, Blue opens up to
the handsome detective, but it could all be derailed when Tony’s new
investigation involves patients dying after emergencies that Blue has ties to.
As Tony works to prove Blue’s innocence, her past returns to
threaten her new life. And even as the growing evidence is incriminating Blue, Tony
and all of his colleagues work to prove her innocence. Her life will depend on
what they discover.
I love this series and this book was another great read from
this author! I have been waiting for Tony to meet the woman who was right for
him and Blue is perfect even with all of the past and present drama she brings
with her. The romance moves at a realistic pace as Blue opens up and begins to
share with Tony who is being very supportive. The sex scenes are explicit, but
not gratuitous. I love how Ms. Barker gives me mature characters to read about;
both Tony and Blue are in their forties. The suspense story kept me on the edge
of my seat even knowing who they were looking for it was still a page turner.
I loved this book as I have all the books in this series. Ms.
Barker never fails to give me realistic, genuine, mature and likable
characters. She is a must buy author for me.
***
About Freya:
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
