Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Coming Home to the Cowboy by Megan Ryder

Hi, everyone!

Today I am happy to be a part of the Release Blitz for COMING HOME TO THE COWBOY (Redemption Ranch Book 1) by Megan Ryder.

Below you will find a book description, an excerpt, my book review and author info and social media links. This is an emotional cowboy contemporary romance and I cannot wait to read all of the books in the series.

Author: Megan Ryder

Genre: Western Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 23, 2019

Cover Designer: Tule Publishing and Lee Hyatt

Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

Buy links:

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2H5xUQj

Apple books: https://apple.co/33vOouH

Nook: http://bit.ly/2MgQzNk

Kobo: http://bit.ly/33yqJd9 

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Book Description:

The town bad boy with hidden pain…

Champion bull-rider and all-around fun guy Chase Summers is everybody’s friend, but his affable personality hides a lifetime of pain. Having been abandoned as a young child at the steps of a church, he learned young that he was unwanted. The only thing that saved him from isolation was his foster dad and life on Redemption Ranch. Now he spends his time on the rodeo circuit, sending home his winnings to help the ranch succeed, and his nights with buckle bunnies, making sure no one gets close enough to touch the pain deep inside. 

The town good girl who saw the good in everyone…

When accountant and small business advisor Hailey Spencer is hired by Redemption Ranch to implement their guest ranch ideas, she and Chase are thrown together. It’s not long before he is introduced to the son that she had with his best friend. The best friend who would’ve following Chase anywhere…even the bull riding circuit with it’s deadly potential. With Hailey hanging on to resentment and Chase racked with guilt, the two try to fight their age-old attraction – in vain. Chase knows Hailey deserves more than a broken-down cowboy for her son and her heart. 

Can Chase resist the call of the rodeo and man up for a woman he’s loved for years or will he leave for the allure of the road?

Goodreads book link:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14121151.Megan_Ryder

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Excerpt:

“Hello, Hailey. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Hailey’s breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard.

Chase Summers.

Her heart pounded in her chest and the world felt like it tilted under her feet. She had expected to run into him at some point. She had only hoped to have some time to settle in, had time to prepare herself before being confronted with the reality of him.

She drank in the sight of him eagerly, despite the pit in her stomach. It’d been three, no four years since she’d last seen him, since Adam’s funeral. Chase had been a rock for her, solid as the granite the town had been named for. He stood by her side, making sure she had everything she needed while she slept-walked through those horrifying days when she tried to figure out what went wrong and how to move on with her life and raise a two-year-old on her own. He had offered to stay on in Billings and help, but what was there for him to do? So, she’d sent him on his way and tried to get on with finding her new normal.

He’d called a couple of times after Chase died, but she had always responded with a text saying she was busy or something. He’d seemed as relieved as she, and she had no trouble staying away from Grand Junction in the Professional Bull Riding’s off-season, effectively avoiding him, even as a part of heart wanted to be near him. But she had to make her own way, and Chase was too much a loner for her to rely on.

Tara’s head was bopping back and forth between the two of them like a tennis match, with Chase was standing at the top of the porch steps, patiently waiting while Hailey took processed him. She took another step to see him more clearly in the shadows of the porch and gasped.

“Oh my God, Chase. What happened to you?”

He was leaning on a cane and his face had a few yellowed bruises to match bruises on his arms. The T-shirt should have revealed the six-pack stomach she knew he had, but instead it showed a smooth area where bandages were wrapped tightly around ribs. Her gaze fixed on the subtle tightening of his jaw and the muscles around his eyes revealing the tension and pain he must be feeling. Damn that moved that had kept her from keeping up with the circuit, damn this fucking sport that injured him, and most of all damn his adrenaline need to risk his life for the sport that killed her husband.

He quirked a grin at her. “Not a pretty sight, is it? Oleander took offense at me riding him for eight seconds and got his revenge. I’ll be all right in a few weeks.”

“But for now, he’s staying here in the apartment I promised you. I’m so sorry, Hailey,” Tara finished in a rush. “I completely forgot yesterday. I was so excited that you were interested. But the whole house is empty and the rest of the place is planned for a B&B, so the other rooms are all finished but not rented until next season. You and AJ can have the run of the place until then.”

Tara’s words slowly sank in, and Hailey pivoted and stared at her. “You mean, have me and AJ live here with Chase? For how long?”

Chase, too, stared at Tara. “Wait a minute. You never said anything about having a roommate.”

“It’s perfect. Chase, someone needs to make sure you’re okay, especially after your lung injury, and Hailey needs a place to stay.”

Chase’s jaw clenched, but he only aimed a questioning look at her, and she flushed. “I have a place to stay. I just prefer to find somewhere else.”

Tara waved her hand and arched a brow. “Come on. Do you really want to stay with your parents when you can live here?”

Chase started down the steps and both women stopped him immediately. He glared at them both. “I can walk down the damned stairs. It’s just a sprain. I was at the barn earlier today. Tara, can you give Hailey and I a few minutes? I think we need to talk before we agree to being roommates.”

Tara’s gaze shot between them, full of questions, but she nodded. “I’ll go hang with Ty at the barn and be back soon. Don’t run her off. She’s the second-best thing to happen to Redemption Ranch, and we need her.”

Chase grinned. “And you’re the first?”

Tara shot him a saucy grin over her shoulder. “And don’t you forget it.”

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My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

COMING HOME TO THE COWBOY (Redemption Ranch Book 2) by Megan Ryder is a new cowboy contemporary second chance romance. The story is written by a new to me author that satisfied me with everything I look for in a genre romance. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone and I will definitely be going back to read book 1.

Hailey Spencer returns to her hometown to help her mother after a stroke. It is a chance for her young son, AJ to spend time with his grandparents. She is also looking for a job so that she can stay in the area, when an old high school friend introduces her one of the owners of Redemption Ranch. She accepts the position as business manager and is excited to start, but she also is worried about running into her dead husband’s best friend, Chase.

Chase Summers is a champion bull-rider. After a terrible accident on his last ride, he has returned home to recuperate. He is grateful his foster dad brought him to the ranch and saved him from the foster care system. Since high school, he has spent his time on the rodeo circuit riding bulls and sending part of his winnings home to help the ranch succeed. He is a fun-loving, cocky cowboy who never lets anyone get too close.

Hailey and AJ move onto the ranch and under the same roof as Chase. Hailey has old hidden feelings for Chase even though she married his best friend and Chase has always had a secret crush on Hailey, but he also feels guilty for Hailey’s husband’s death. As Hailey and Chase’s attraction grows so does AJ’s attachment to Chase. Can Hailey and Chase overcome their pasts or will the rodeo win once again?

I felt so much as I read this romance! Ms. Ryder has written a beautiful story that is heart-breaking, heart-warming and everything in between. Family, hope and love are all interwoven into this story which draws you in and refuses to let you go until the last page. Hailey, Chase and AJ are realistically written characters that I felt could walk right off the page and I will be excited to meet them again in future books in this series.

I highly recommend this cowboy contemporary romance and I am looking forward to reading all of the books in the Redemption Ranch series!

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About the author:

Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.

Social Media links:

Website:  https://www.meganryder.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganRyder1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganRyderAuthor/Newsletter:  https://www.meganryder.com/subscribe.html

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

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

#ThePerfectBetrayal @Lauren_C _North @TransworldBooks

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Blog Tour for a new, emotional psychological thriller THE PERFECT BETRAYAL by Lauren North. It is always difficult to tell you about a thriller without giving away any spoilers, but in this type of thriller I always suspect everyone, even the narrator so I am not usually surprised. This ending has a twist that is SHOCKING!

Below in this Feature Post you will find a book blurb, my book review and author information and social media links.

You have to read this book!

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Book Blurb:

After the sudden death of her husband, Tess is drowning in grief. All she has left is her son, Jamie, and she’ll do anything to protect him – but she’s struggling to cope.

When grief counsellor Shelley knocks on their door, everything changes. Shelley is understanding and kind, and promises she can help Tess through the hardest time of her life.

But when a string of unsettling events happens and questions arise over her husband’s death, Tess starts to suspect that Shelley may have an ulterior motive. Tess knows she must do everything she can to keep Jamie safe – but she’s at her most vulnerable, and that’s a dangerous place to be.

My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE PERFECT BETRAYAL by Lauren North is a psychological thriller by a new-to-me author that is absolutely perfect. This is the type of thriller that makes you question everything everyone says and does, even the narrator. When you believe everything is settled, keep reading. The ending is so SHOCKING!

Tess is barely keeping herself and her seven year old son, Jamie functioning after the death of her husband in a plane crash. Both are depressed, angry and struggling to cope with everyday life and each other. Tess is unwilling to ask for help from her extended family and she has never been friendly with Ian, her husband’s brother.

Shelley is a grief counsellor assigned to help Tess. Shelley lost her son to leukemia and believes her son would have looked just like Jamie if he had lived. Tess and Shelley bond over Jamie and she seems to be helping Tess to move on with her life. As much as Tess is friendly with Shelley, there are times that Tess believes Shelley has ulterior motives.

Since Shelley and Ian have been around a series of unsettling events have occurred that have Tess and those around her questioning her improvement, but Tess believes Shelley and Ian have ulterior motives and are scheming against her. Tess will do anything to keep Jamie safe, but will pushing everyone away keep them safe?

To tell the truth, when I started this book, I thought it was going to be another domestic psychological thriller that would be an escape, but nothing new. I was SO WRONG! The depression and emotions are heartbreaking. All of the characters’ motivations remain hidden throughout. The ending had me in tears and shocked. Ms. North’s writing will pull you in, twist you up and leave you questioning everything you just read. Tess is a character that will stay with me for a long time.

I highly recommend this book!

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About Lauren North:

Lauren North writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lauren_C_North

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

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Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Betrayal-Lauren-North/dp/0552176087/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1561028514&sr=8-1

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-perfect-betrayal-1

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-perfect-betrayal/lauren-north/9780552176088

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Perfect-Betrayal-Lauren-North/9780552176088?ref=grid-view&qid=1561028930577&sr=1-1

Hive: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Lauren-North/The-Perfect-Betrayal–The-addictive-thriller-that-will-leave-you-reeling/23640968

Publishing Information:

Published in paperback format by Corgi Books on 27th June 2019. (also available in ebook and audio formats)