Today’s Feature Post/Bog Tour and Book Review is for the first book in a new romantic suspense series with a unique plot setting – the world of on-line gaming.
OFF HER GAME (The Game Lords Book 1) by Zoe Forward is a unique suspense plot which will continue to arc over more books in this series, but the romance is a complete HEA in each book. Below you will find the book description, my book review, author social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
You will enjoy this new romantic suspense series whether you are a on-line gamer or not and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Tori Duarte’s big dreams to be a video game designer…well, they haven’t panned out. And a girl’s gotta eat. Enter: the Stadium, a secretive video game gambling ring. As a world ranked eGamer, winning should be cake. Until it’s not. Gambling debts suck her in deep.
A chance encounter with the media shy, ridiculously handsome video game CEO Noah Harrison offers her a way out. The deal: 1) Assist the FBI to catch the underworld eGaming kingpin (doable but dangerous). 2) Keep the FBI connection secret by pretending to date Noah (not optional but keeping it PG is problematic).
Noah’s never been more attracted to a woman in his life. Maybe because he’s never been the focus of anyone as sexy, smart, and badass as Tori. But while the dates are fake, the threat to Tori’s life is real. What neither expected was an explosive chemistry that’s more than convincing—it’s sizzling. Falling for each other is the most dangerous thing they could do…
OFF HER GAME (The Game Lords Book 1) by Zoe Forward is the
first book in a new romantic suspense series set in the unique world of on-line
gaming. The suspense plot was very intriguing and keeps the pages turning. The
romance has a gamer nerd turned hot hunk game creator, rich CEO still being a
nerd in personal situations in a fake relationship with a feisty, sexy female
gamer, game creator.
Tori Duarte is ranked as one of the top female gamers in the
country. She attended MIT, she can program and code and she has a video game
she is trying to sell. She also has a big chip on her shoulder because of the gender
bias in the gaming world. When she needs help with money, she gets involved in
a secretive on-line video gambling ring called the Stadium. The game is rigged
and she just keeps getting further and further in debt.
CEO Noah Harrison is co-owner of a major gaming company. He
is set up on a chance meeting with Tori. He lost his brother to the Stadium and
is now helping with an FBI sting. He wants Tori’s help to stop them from
killing more people and bring them to justice. They will pretend to date to
cover for the FBI.
Tori and Noah play at dating, but with the sparks flying
between them, could this lead to more? As they are caught up with this dangerous
cyber-criminal, the stakes continue to rise. Can Tori get out of the Stadium to
have a real relationship?
Tori and Noah were an interesting pairing. The shy CEO who is inept with women, but can sure turn it on and take control during sex with the snarky, but insecure gamer girl. When they were together it was really hot, but I felt the author pulled them apart too frequently. There was too much insecurity coming from such a supposedly smart and talented heroine. The sex scenes were explicit, but not over the top. All of the secondary characters were well fleshed out and I am looking forward to seeing how the author continues on with their stories, also. I did like the twist during a very well written suspense plot when the heroine faced the kingpin without the hero at her side. Overall, I loved the suspense plot and that the Stadium plot will arc over future books with this book having a complete HEA romance.
I can recommend this first book in this new series and I am
looking forward to reading more.
***
About Zoe:
Award winning author Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can’t decide between paranormal and contemporary romance. So, she writes both. Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
When she’s not typing at her laptop, she’s cheering her son on at baseball, chasing the toddler or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s a small animal veterinarian caring for a wide range of furry creatures, although there has been the occasional hermit crab.
She’s madly in love with her globe trotting conservation ecologist husband who plans to save all the big cats on the planet, and she’s happiest when he returns to their home base.
I am so excited to share this Feature Post with you. Riley Edwards is starting a new series featuring the Gold Team which is a crossover with Susan Stoker’s new Legacy SEALs. BROOKS (Gold Team #1) is full of action, adventure, ex-SEALs, ex-military, spies and the hot men and women who work behind the scenes to protect us.
If you love hot, sexy romance on the run with plenty a twists and turns in the action, this is definitely the series for you.
Below you will find the book description, book review, the author’s social media and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck on the giveaway!
Title:Brooks (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Gold Team Book 1)
Tatiana Jones is no stranger to the battlefield. One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it’s not only her skin the bears the marks her failures, doubt and a healthy dose cynicism now clouds her vision. She has also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity.
Former Navy SEAL Brooks Miller is living the good life working as a mercenary. Employed by the highly sought-after Z Corps, a private, special-ops company, there are no shortage of contracts sending him around the world. He lives wild and free with nothing tying him down—just the way he likes it.
When the Gold Team’s latest mission takes them to Bahrain, Brooks thinks it will be a quick in and out. That’s until he walks into a shitstorm and comes face to face with the woman who’s about to turn his world upside down. There was something working behind her intelligent eyes, and it looked a lot like pain. Not the physical kind, the emotional aftermath of heartache. And when she tries to hide behind snark and sass he decides on the spot he wants to know more.
Tatiana doesn’t have time for games. She’s on the hunt for the man who left her life in ruins. Brooks has something else in mind, something more, something far more permanent than the no strings fun Tatiana is offering. He had her right where he wanted her until the hunters become the prey and their world explodes. It will take more than the Gold Team to bring down a Saudi Prince out for blood. Their only hope is the one and only, king of all things cyber, John “Tex” Keegan. Can Tex get search and rescue team to them in time, or will it be a recovery mission?
Brooks: Book 1 in the all new Gold Team series features Susan Stoker’s new Legacy SEALs. *
BROOKS (Gold Team #1) by Riley Edwards is the first book in
a new romantic suspense series which will have crossover with Susan Stoker’s
new Legacy SEALs series. This book takes off from the first page with ex-SEALs,
ex-military, spies, action and suspense that engrosses you in the story and
keeps you turning the pages.
Tatiana Jones knows the risks of being a spy intimately.
Ex-CIA and working for a private firm now, she has the scars on her body from
days of torture. She made a mistake. Now she is out for revenge.
Former SEAL Brooks Miller is now working for Z Corps. Z
Corps is a private special-ops company with no shortage of contracts for their
highly specialized work. He loves his team and the freedom of working for a
private company.
While in Bahrain, the Gold Team’s latest mission crosses
Tatiana’s mission with an assassination attempt on her life. Brooks does not
know what it is about this snarky, sarcastic female, but he sees beyond her attitude
and scars to the emotionally wounded female inside. Tatiana does not have time
for this man who sees far too much. She is out to get the man who left her life
in ruins.
Brooks has Tatiana’s back and she has his, but will it be
enough as they face multiple enemies and life and death situations?
This book is fast paced, exciting, emotional and hot. Brooks
is the definitely an alpha hero, but Tatiana is with him every step of the way
with her kick-butt self. Tatiana’s emotional past includes a failed marriage to
a mentally abusive adulterer and physical torture from terrorists which makes
her exterior tough, but Brooks works to prove to her that that is not who she
is. Ms. Edwards does an excellent job of balancing emotional turmoil, hot sex,
action and suspense. The suspense plot twist and turns with surprises and
thrills. The sex scenes are explicit and steamy. I started this book and could
not put it down.
I am looking forward to reading many more books in this
series!
About Riley:
Riley Edwards is a bestselling multi-genre author, wife, and military mom. Riley was born and raised in Los Angeles but now resides on the east coast with her fantastic husband and children.
Riley writes heart-stopping romance with sexy alpha heroes and even stronger heroines. Riley’s favorite genres to write are romantic suspense and military romance.
This Feature Post is for Catherine Bybee’s new release FAKING FOREVER (First Wives Book 4). Below you will find an excerpt from the book, my book review, a book summary, info about the author, her social media links, and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
I have been waiting for Shannon’s story and it did NOT disappoint. If you have been reading and following my posts on the other books in this series then you have been waiting for this book, too.
Enjoy this post, read this series and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Excerpt: FAKING FOREVER by Catherine Bybee
Victor
noticed Shannon sitting in the open dining area of the hotel the next morning,
drinking coffee and reading on her e-reader. He’d spent most of the previous
day licking his metaphorical wounds and nursing a headache.
Dressed in cotton pants that went midcalf and a
light shirt, she looked like she was dressed for a long plane ride home. As
much a pain in the ass as the woman had been, he felt compelled to say goodbye.
After all, he was the reason she was there.
He walked up quietly behind her. “If it isn’t
woman who fed me mezcal.”
The sound of his voice made her jump.
Too bad she wasn’t holding her coffee.
“You have got to stop doing that.”
Without an invitation, he sat and smiled. She
took a deep breath and looked away, came painfully close to rolling her eyes.
For some reason, he appreciated the fact she held back and wondered just how
much it would take for her to disregard him with such a gesture.
“Please, sit down,” she said.
He glanced at his chair. “Thank you.”
She set her e-reader aside and regarded him. “I
thought for sure you’d be back at the office by now.”
So did he. “I couldn’t fly yesterday even if
I’d found a flight.”
“Oh?”
He didn’t miss the tiny shine in the corner of
her eye.
“No. I had one too many the other night.
Inflicting that on whoever had the misfortune of sitting next to me on the
flight home was more than I could take after my flight here.”
She smiled, briefly, and lifted her chin. “I’m
glad to hear you’ve evolved since Friday.”
Unable to help himself, he laughed.
Her smile returned.
Victor felt a twist in his gut, a pull to
something he didn’t want to name. “I guess you’re leaving today,” he said.
She shrugged. “I am.”
He nodded. “Justin informed me you made sure I
didn’t decide to go for a late night swim.”
“It was tempting. But then I realized you
wouldn’t be able to pay me if you swallowed too much water.”
“Self-preserving. Very smart of you.”
“It’s a gift.”
When the woman wasn’t tossing barbs at him, she
was beautiful. Perfect lines in her face, high cheekbones … he couldn’t tell if
her olive skin was from an ancestor or the byproduct of living in Southern
California. Not anything like anyone he’d been attracted to before.
What was he thinking? He wasn’t attracted.
Victor shook his head and stood. “Well, I saw
you sitting here and thought I’d at least say goodbye.”
She stood with him and extended her hand. “For
what it’s worth, I’m sorry things didn’t go as planned this weekend.”
Her fingers were long, elegant. Just like the
woman. Disappointment saying goodbye was an emotion he had no business feeling.
Yet there it was, like a lump in his chest.
“Are you?”
Her smile cracked. “No. But it seemed the right
thing to say. I am sorry for the heartache. That’s never easy, even if it’s for
the right reason.”
Victor realized he was still shaking her hand
and let go.
“Goodbye, Victor. Good luck to you.”
“Goodbye, Shannon.” And because it was the
appropriate thing to do once you said goodbye, Victor walked away. When he
turned to take a last look, Shannon sharply moved her gaze to her coffee.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
FAKING FOREVER (First Wives Book 4) by Catherine Bybee is a
contemporary romance and the fourth book in this series. I have been anxiously
waiting for Shannon’s story. It was not what I was expecting or hoping for and
yet it was the perfect story for Shannon’s HEA and I loved it.
Shannon Wentworth is in Mexico as the photographer for a destination
wedding. She has decided that while she is in Mexico, she will also find
willing man to give her what she desires – a baby. Her biological clock is
ticking and she is not going to let being single stop her.
Victor Brooks is a workaholic in Mexico to marry his much
younger finance. She walks out and he is suddenly alone on a honeymoon for one.
Victor blames Shannon of sabotaging his wedding.
Even though Victor blames Shannon, the sparks are flying between the two. Shannon thought she knew Victor’s type, but between the beautiful Mexican setting, tequila and sun she discovers a very different side to the man. They go from enemies to wanting more. Worried that it is just the surroundings, they both decide to return home and wait three months to see if they can be just as attracted to each other at home.
But the past comes calling and all of their plans are at
risk.
Shannon surprised me in this book. She was always the quiet
and steady First Wife. I was expecting a different romance for Shannon and yet
Ms. Bybee took me to a completely new place and made it perfect. The emotional changes
in both Shannon and Victor make this work. It was also great to catch up with
the other First Wives. Their bond is what made these stories special for me.
Ms. Bybee always gives me an emotionally realistic romance read that is hard to
put down and this one had some unique twists. I am sorry to see the First Wives
all paired up now, but hopefully Sasha will get a story even though she is not
technically a First Wife.
Thank you so much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for
allowing me to read this eARC. It has been a wonderfully entertaining romantic
series.
***
About the Title
Title: Faking Forever
Author: Catherine Bybee
Release Date: March 12, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Shannon Wentworth’s biological clock is ticking, and she
isn’t going to let her single status keep her from having a baby. When her
wedding-photography business takes her to Mexico, she has every intention of
finding a willing baby daddy to help her out. Until the bride goes AWOL,
leaving Shannon to coddle the arrogant fiancé who has accused her of sabotaging
his wedding.
Victor Brooks never could have imagined that he’d be on a
honeymoon for one. Only here he is, taking a hard look at his life after the
younger women he thought he loved walked out. The woman who volunteers to help
him reflect is the last person he expects to be attracted to. Between the
tequila, the sun, and one earth-shattering kiss, Victor finds Shannon a
distraction too sexy to ignore.
They strike a deal: wait three months, cool off, and see if their tropical beach attraction is worth taking up when they go back home. Unfortunately, that’s just enough time for the past to come calling. All their best-laid plans are at risk. So is the last thing Shannon expected to matter the most: her heart.
***
About the Author
New York
Times, Wall
Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author
Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more
than five 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.
I am very happy to be a part of the Blog Blitz for Heleyne Hammersley’s new book BAD SEED (DI Kate Fletcher Book #3). This Feature Post contains a book blurb, my book review and the author’s social media info.
Even though this is the third book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone and it is definitely a page-turner. (I will be going back to read the first two books, too.) I love Kate and all of her team. I am hooked on another British police procedural series!
***
Bad Seed Blurb
When the body of a woman is discovered near
Doncaster’s red light district, DI Kate Fletcher is called to the scene.
The victim has an abdominal wound that looks
like a Caesarean incision, leading the police to believe she may have been
pregnant.
Kate’s team establish the woman’s identity
but it soon becomes clear that those close to her have something to hide.
The post-mortem reveals the victim wasn’t
pregnant and, when a second body is discovered with similar wounds, the police
realise they are hunting for a serial killer with a sinister fixation.
Can Kate solve the case before another
woman dies?
And can a ruthless, methodical killer be brought to justice?
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BAD SEED (DI Kate Fletcher Book #3) by Heleyne Hammersley is
the latest DI Kate Fletcher British police procedural in the series. This is
the first book I have read in this series by this author and it is easily read
as a standalone. I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely be going back to read
the first two books.
DI Kate Fletcher is called to the scene of a gruesome murder victim found dumped in a field. The victim has been strangled, raped and had her abdomen sliced open with a precision cut similar to a Caesarean incision. She was not pregnant. As Kate’s team works to identify the woman, they soon discover that those around her are hiding something.
When a second body is found with similar wounds, Kate
believes they may have a serial killer. Can Kate and her team catch this methodical killer before
another woman dies?
This is a fast paced procedural that kept me turning the
pages. Ms. Hammersley’s writing pulls you in and with all the twists and turns I
could not put it down. I love DI Kate Fletcher. A strong female lead character
done well. The whole team makes a great cast of secondary characters that I
hope to learn more about as I follow the series.
I can highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read
more in the series!
***
Author Info
Heleyne
Hammersley is a British writer based in Cumbria. She writes psychological
suspense thrillers and crime novels.
Heleyne has been writing since junior school –
her first work was a collection of poems called ‘Give Them the Works’ when she
was ten years old. The poems were carefully handwritten on plain paper and tied
together with knitting wool.
When she’s not writing, Heleyne can often be
found wandering on the fells or in the local park with her dog.
Below is the Feature Post for Adriana Locke’s new book TUMBLE (Dogwood Lane #1). This is the start of a new contemporary romance series set in the small town of Dogwood Lane, TN. Also included in this post is a message from the title’s hero, an excerpt, my book review, the author’s info and social media and a Rafflecopter giveaway for you.
This first book in the series is a second chance romance and also introduces several secondary characters that I am looking forward to reading about in their own books in the future. Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and enjoy!
***
Guest
Post: Spend a Morning with Dane Madden, The Hero of TUMBLE
I looked in the mirror this morning to shave. As I lifted the razor to my cheek, I saw a little scar that sits just to the side of my right eye. It’s not something most people would ever notice. Hell, I don’t notice it every day. But the light caught it just right and suddenly it was all I could see.
I’m Dane Madden, the carpenter, not Dane Madden the philosopher, so why I stood there for a good five minutes remembering the night I got that scar is beyond me. But I did. I thought about how the barbed wire caught my skin and ripped the flesh and how Neely Kimber’s face filled with so much concern I was kind of glad I was bleeding.
She and I were inseparable back then. From the moment she opened the door and our eyes locked, there was a bond between us that grew stronger. We went from finding ways to bump into each other, to hanging out with a group of friends, to dating in the sincerest way. She wasn’t just a girl. Neely wasn’t a pretty face I wanted on my arm, or in my bed as things evolved, like many of the guys I knew back then labeled their girlfriends. She was more than that to me—my best friend. My confidant when things with Dad went sour. My trusty right hand that bailed my ass out of more trouble than I was worth.
The night my eye was cut, she remembered to go back and get my hat so it wouldn’t be found the next day. Had she not done picked up the evidence, the farmer whose cows my friends and I had been trying to tip (terrible idea, if you’re wondering) would’ve been able to track the mess in his field to me and my friends.
Dogwood Lane is a small town. Word gets around easy enough without trying. Then there was the night my brother Matt, our friend Penn, and I went corning around Halloween. That’s another terrible idea, if you’re wondering, and involves throwing shucked corn at cars passing by. Let’s just say a certain driver in an oversized pick-up truck didn’t appreciate the sentiment. After being chased on foot to the outskirts of town, we had to hide in a chicken coop until Neely could come get us. Despite my antics, she was there. She might’ve laughed at me or pointed out how stupid we were, but she took my worst right along with my best.
Our lives were entwined by shenanigans, stories, and so much love. Damn, I loved her. I didn’t know where she stopped and I started. I didn’t want to know. She was the best thing in my life. She made me better. And that was the ruination of us because I couldn’t bear to think I would make her life worse.
Seeing her again after all these years lit a fire inside me that I didn’t think was possible. I haven’t felt this burn since the day I walked off her porch having broken her heart. I want to talk to her, touch her, hold her and I can’t do any of it. Even though so much of our lives were built together, our memories from the easiest time of our lives shared, we aren’t those people anymore. And it’s all my fault.
***
Tumble
Excerpt
Splat!
The sound of the hammer crushing my thumb—swung with more force
than was necessary, to boot—ricochets across the front lawn. The tool falls
from my hand, striking against the sawhorse, and flips into the soft grass with
a gentle thud.
“Son of a…!” My hand shakes, the top of my thumb threatening to
explode. I tilt my head to the sky and try to find some peace in the clouds.
I come up empty. “Matt!” I call to my younger brother. “I’m taking
ten.”
He nods from halfway up the ladder leaned against the side of the
house.
Wrapping my good hand around my thumb, I head toward my truck.
Sounds of construction ring out behind me. It’s usually music to my ears, the
lifeblood of the Madden name. But each cut of a sawblade, buzz of a power
drill, and swing of a hammer feels like a distraction this morning. I have a
throbbing thumb to show for it.
Beads of sweat cluster along my forehead. I remove my hat with my
good hand and run the back of my forearm along my brow.
“Damn it.” Everything feels sticky. Mildly irritating. And the
progress on the project that usually energizes me has failed me epically this
morning. I just don’t want to be here. Not that I have a better place to be. Quite
frankly, I have a lot of places I shouldn’t be, and with Neely, or thinking
about Neely, is one of them.
I would’ve recognized her anywhere. Same gray eyes that glimmer
like she’s about to tell you a secret. Full lips that spread into a smile so
infectious you can’t help but feel your own mouth following suit. The hint of
floral perfume, the golden hair that may as well be silk, and the aura about
her that’s just as strong as the day she left Dogwood Lane and me—it’s all the
same. It’s like time forgot to age her. She somehow has become more beautiful,
sexier, stronger.
The world hates me. I’ve postulated this for a long time, but it’s
obvious today.
The tailgate of my truck lowers. Scooping a handful of ice from
the cooler in the bed into a bandanna, I wrap it around my injured digit. The
relief lasts only a few moments.
“What are you doing down here?” Penn rests his forearms over the
side of the truck, the tattoos carved in his skin like mini masterpieces on
full display. He eyes my makeshift bandage. “What happened to you?”
“Hammer,” I groan, adjusting the ice.
“That’s interesting.”
“How you figure?”
“Never knew you to hit yourself with a hammer before. I find that
interesting.”
“If that’s interesting, you need a hobby. Or you could work like
I’m paying you to do . . .”
“I have a hobby, thank you, and you should’ve seen her last
night,” he says, smacking his lips together. “Lord Almighty, she’s a—”
“Penn.”
“Yeah?”
The tip of my finger sticks out of the bandanna. It’s bright red
and hot to the touch despite the ice packed around it. “All your escapades
really sound the same at this point.”
“Is that jealousy I hear?” He cups his hand to his ear. “I thought
so. Not my fault you’re in a dry spell.”
Leaning against the truck, I look at him. “Jealousy isn’t how I’d
describe it. But if that makes ya feel good, go for it.”
“My hobby makes me
feel good.” He moves his lips around, like he’s fighting the next words trying
to pop out. He does this when he knows he shouldn’t say something but can’t
quite convince himself not to. “From the looks of you, I’d say you’re more than
jealous. I’d say you’re . . . tempted.”
My tongue presses on the roof of my mouth. “Tempted to what?”
He leans against the truck, too, the gold St. Christopher’s medal
he’s worn since elementary school clamoring against the side. The corners of
his lips nearly touch the corners of his eyes. He knows.
“Word travels fast, huh?” I say, prodding around to see if my
guess is right.
He slow blinks. Twice.
“What?” I ask.
“That’s all you have to say about Neely being back in town? ‘Word
travels fast.’ What’s wrong with you?”
We don’t have time for that conversation.
I sigh. “What do you want me to say?”
“I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that little run-in.”
Penn snickers. “Did you stutter around like I imagine? Or did you not manage to
say an entire sentence?”
Working my jaw back and forth, I point a finger his way. “You
better stop while you’re ahead.”
He reads me correctly, and his animation drops a notch. “Really, though.
How’d it go? But before you answer that, let me toss out there that I heard
sparks were flying all over the diner so hot Claire had to call the fire
department.”
I shake my head. “Shut up.”
“Just telling you what I heard.”
“The firemen were there to order food, you idiot.”
He thinks he’s onto something. There’s a glee in his face that
means only one thing: it’s going to be a long day around here.
“So, what happened?” he asks, resting his arms over the truck bed.
“You know, sometimes I think you should’ve been a girl with all
the gossiping you do.”
“This isn’t gossip,” he contends. “This is Neely-freaking-Kimber,
man. Every memory I have of my entire adolescence has her in it. She bailed me
out of jail when I was too scared to call my dad and you and Matt were passed
out on moonshine. Remember that?”
My chuckle is so hard, it causes my thumb to throb. “I forgot
about that. She was pissed.”
“Neely came through, though. God, I miss her.”
Those last words echo through my mind.
I have shoved her out of my head for the last few years. Took over
Dad’s business, took care of my business. Trudged forward without her because
that was the only choice I had. I hardly even think about her anymore unless
someone brings her up in conversation.
So why do I itch to crawl into the truck and hunt her down?
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
TUMBLE (Dogwood Lane #1) by Adriana Locke is a second chance
contemporary romance that is the first book in a new series set in the small
town of Dogwood Lane, TN. The hero and heroine have some issues that are still
as fresh today, 10 years later, as they were when the heroine left town for
college and then on to New York City to work in sports publishing.
Neely Kimber was on track to achieve her dream job until she
was cheated out of a promotion. She quit and returned home to Dogwood Lane and
her childhood home to lick her wounds and regroup. She is happy to be home with
her mom until she runs into the boy, now man, who broke her heart and is the
main reason she stayed away for so long.
Dane Madden knows he is the reason Neely has stayed away. He
hurt her in the worst possible way, but it gave him his daughter, Mia so he
cannot regret it. Now she is back in town and she ends up helping at the gym
were Dane’s daughter is a junior gymnast. Even though Dane knows Neely is only
home for a short time, he cannot stop himself from pursuing her and letting her
get close to Mia.
Is a career in New York City really what this small town
girl’s heart really wants? Can the past be forgiven and this couple become a
family?
I have to say that I was having some difficulty in the first
few chapters liking Neely, UNTIL I found out what Dane had done. I felt that
Ms. Locke’s handling of all the strong emotions is well written and realistic. There
is only one sex scene not behind-closed-doors and it is not overly explicit.
The secondary characters are all entertaining and I am
looking forward to reading their stories in future books in this series.
***
About the Book
Title: Tumble
Author: Adriana Locke
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
After being burned by her dream job in New
York City, sports journalist Neely Kimber suddenly finds herself jobless and
paying a long-overdue visit to her hometown in Tennessee. Her plan? Relax,
reset, and head back up the corporate ladder. There’s just one unexpected step.
Neely’s back in Dogwood Lane for barely a day when she sees the man she ran
from nine years ago: the bad boy next door who was her first kiss, her first
love, and her first heartbreak.
Devoted single
dad Dane Madden knows he hurt Neely in the worst way. He’s got a lot to make up
for. And as passionate as their reconnection is, it’s a lot to hope for. Having
her back in his arms feels so right. But falling in love all over again with a
woman who wants to live a world away is bound to go so wrong.
What’s it going to take for Neely to give him—and Dogwood Lane—just one more chance?
***
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 so happy to bring you this Feature Post on Erin Nicholas’ new book NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3). This entire series is smokin’ hot and makes you want to get to NOLA immediately to find one of these boys for yourself.
Below you will find the book blurb and an excerpt, my book review and all of the author’s contact information. There is also a link to get the first book in the series Easy Going for FREE.
***
Nice and Easy, an all-new sexy
standalone in the Boys of the Big Easy series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas available now!
A
hot firefighter who just wants to take care of her and her little boy? Sign her
up.
Moving
in with him and his little girl who already has a huge chunk of her heart? Very
nice.
Roommates
with benefits? Yes, please.
Convincing this take-charge alpha to let her take care of him too? That’s not going to be as easy.
Lexi could feel Caleb’s breath on her lips, and his
bunched muscles under her palm were hot and hard. She stared at his mouth. He
stared at hers. And she decided that if he wasn’t going to look at her breasts,
looking at her mouth like he was starving and she was a grilled BLT—his
favorite food in the world—was just fine with her.
Being compared, even in her own head, to a grilled BLT
might not seem sexy, but in her mind, it so was. Caleb devoured those
sandwiches. He’d do almost anything for one. He made sexy moaning sounds when
he first tasted them. And he’d proclaimed that hers were the best he’d ever
tasted. Yeah, put that way, along with the schnapps still coating her brain, it
was strangely sexy.
“Caleb.”
She watched his pupils dilate and his jaw clench.
Her hand went to the front of his shirt and she
bunched it in her fists, watching his eyes. He didn’t try to stop her. Then she
tugged, urging him forward.
And he came,
the hand next to her hip pressing into the mattress as she tipped her head to
one side. Their lips touched. Softly. Briefly. But she felt it all the way to
her bones. Heat, want, relief. She
suddenly had to have more. She made a
little almost-a-sob sound and licked her tongue along his lower lip.
“Lex.”
Her name was more of a groan than a word. It was the
sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
“Caleb,”she breathed.
Then the next
groan became the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. It was a combination of hunger
and resignation, and she felt like he’d just set her nerve endings on fire.
Suddenly, Caleb’s hand came up to cup the back of her
head, his fingers diving into her hair. And he took over.
His mouth opened over hers and his tongue stroked deep
and hot. Every glide of his tongue felt as though he was running a finger over
her clit. Some were firmer, some softer, some longer, some shorter, and her
need ratcheted up with each one.
She ran her hands over his chest to his shoulders and
up the sides of his neck, loving the hard muscles and the heat under her palms.
Then she slid her hands down his sides to the bottom of his shirt. She slipped
her hands underneath, moaning as she met hot, bare skin. He sucked in a quick
breath and she smiled against his lips, loving having an effect on him.
And suddenly she was on her back and Caleb was moving over
her. Her hands slid to his back, the muscles there bunching as he braced
himself above her, still kissing her like it was his job. Instinctively, she
slid her legs apart and he settled between them. The comforter was between
them, but she felt him hard and hot and deliciously heavy against her. The feel
of his cock pressed against her made her ache. She’d done that to him. She’d
made him hard.
Hallelujah.
***
Start the Boys
of the Big Easy series for FREE with Easy Going!
NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3) by Erin Nicholas is
another smokin’ hot contemporary romance which makes you want to travel down
south and try to grab one of these boys for yourself. This series is based
around a single parent group in NOLA and each book focuses on one of the
parents becoming a HEA couple. The books can be read as standalones per couple,
but the characters do help each other out and build on their relationships
throughout each book as in real life.
Lexi Scott is one of the younger members of the single parent
group. She has been living with her mom while attending nursing school and raising
her baby son, Jack.
Lieutenant Caleb Moreau is used to being in complete control
and in charge. He and his men save people from burning buildings. When his
sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, Caleb is suddenly the
guardian of his little niece, Shay and joins the single parent group for
support.
For two years Lexi and Caleb have found that their hectic
schedules work for sharing the raising of their kids, but Lexi has always
wanted more. Caleb knows Lexi wants him, but he is afraid that she wants him
out of gratitude for all he does. When circumstances have Lexi and Jack moving
in with Caleb and Shay, these two are going to find out that they do not know
each other as well as they thought.
There is so much happening in this story. As in all of the
other Boys of the Big Easy books, Lexi and Caleb have their chance at romance,
but there is a little more going between with this couple. Lexi wants to be
dominated in the bedroom. Role playing, spanking and submission are included in
this romance. There are several serious scenes with Caleb trying to learn that
he cannot always control everything and Shay’s long-term prognosis to deal
with. This book is as hot and fun as it is serious and Erin Nichols balances it
all to perfection!
This author just keeps giving me more great stories and characters. I am looking forward to many more books in this series.
***
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).
