Book Tour for High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas (Review & GIVEAWAY)

A new week brings us a new book series courtesy of Cheryl Douglas. High Stakes is an emotional roller coaster ride that you get a glimpse of today.  So keep reading and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a slew of wonderful prizes.

Former party girl, Alisa Turner, made a deal with her daddy, Trey. He’ll provide the seed money for her new business venture as long as she promises to stay out of trouble. Too bad her good intentions tumble 30,000 feet when she meets a sexy stranger on a flight to sin city.

Hotel mogul, Liam Bryson, has never believed in love at first sight, but when a sexy little siren twenty years his junior tempts him into a night of high stakes Blackjack, he’s suddenly playing for keeps.

Alisa wakes up in Liam’s bed the next morning, cursing Tequila and the five carat diamond on her left hand. She demands an annulment before her over-protective father finds out she reneged on their agreement, but her new hubby isn’t prepared to let her go without a fight.

EXCERPT:

Liam Bryson cursed his big mouth. Speaking his mind was part of who he was, and he knew people judged him because of it. They’d called him opinionated, arrogant, insufferable, stubborn—the list went on, but those qualities helped him build one of the most exclusive boutique hotel chains in the world, so he refused to apologize for the attributes that made him successful.
But when he realized his unwarranted opinion had offended Alisa, he immediately wished he could retract his words. He’d lumped her in with all of the other women he’d dated, and it was obvious to him in the few moments they spent together that she was nothing like them. She was special. He didn’t know how he knew, and he didn’t question it. He trusted his instincts, and he knew he had to find a way to get back into her good graces, because even if he never saw her again after their plane touched down, he didn’t want her to think poorly of him.
He hadn’t considered another person’s opinion of him in years, and he’d never, ever gone out of his way to impress a lady. He’d never had to, not when the prospect of accessing his bank account seemed to be the only enticement they needed.
He stood up to let Alisa slide into her window seat and impulse prompted him to settle his hands on her waist and pull her flush against his chest as he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK:

I've enjoyed Cheryl Douglas' previous series, Nashville Nights, and am excited by her new foray that tells of the next generation of the characters from that well established series.  Seeing the offspring of those beloved characters on their own emotional journeys added an extra layer of anticipation to reading this book.

It's said that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but for Alisa Turner, daughter of a rich and famous country crooner, her impulsive act upon arriving in Vegas changes her life dramatically.  She's been on a downward spiral after finding out her fiancée was cheating on her and is given the opportunity to do something meaningful by starting her own business.  Wanting to make her daddy proud she's done with living impulsively and after the betrayal by her ex she's keeping her heart locked away.  But the tempting older man she meets on a plane has her forgetting all her plans.  Her regrets of their impulsive act war with her deepening feelings in regards to Liam as she tries to figure out a way to have a HEA when so much is against them.  Alisa acts very immaturely throughout most of the book.  She jumps to conclusions, uses alcohol as an excuse, and lets her ex continually be in the picture.  It's not until virtually the end that she shows a mature side in standing by the man she really loves.

Liam is the kind of man you dream about....sexy, charming, giving the woman he loves her every desire, loving towards his daughter, and rich.  He wants to be loved for himself and not his money and his instant attraction to Alisa has him believing that she's the perfect one for him.  He never regrets their impulsive act and I felt bad that he was more certain of their love than she.  This emotional tug of war was difficult to read and made me dislike Alisa immensely.  Liam is confident in business but feels less certain with Alisa's ex constantly in the picture and this again had me frustrated by her actions. Liam's very dedicated to his work and the juggling of a new relationship that he fought for constantly led to a life altering event that changes the course of the story and finally allows for a HEA.

It's a hard won HEA that's acheived only through some very intensely emotional highs and lows.  I liked that Liam believed in love at first sight and it's sad that Alisa became so jaded.  Her evolution to becoming a stronger more mature woman is one I applauded as it made her worthy of Liam and his intense love for her.  High Stakes is well-written with a wonderful hero but a weak heroine and incredibly annoying ex who refused to go away.  The emotional tug of war between Liam and Alisa went on a bit too long and got a bit too over the top at times but I still found myself fully invested in their relationship and look forward to the next book in this series.

My rating for this is a B-/C+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Cheryl began her professional career as a nutritionist, but her love of books started at an early age. She studied writing for many years before she decided to pursue her passion as a full-time career. After receiving constructive criticism from several well-known authors, Cheryl finally had the confidence to write her first romance novel.
The first book in the Nashville Nights series, Shameless, was a book that had been dwelling in Cheryl’s subconscious for years. For her, the surprise came when the manuscript began taking on a life of its own. Characters came to life, secondary characters became more prominent, outlines were forgotten, and a single title evolved into an eight book series, and another eight book spin-off series entitled Nashville Nights, Next Generation.
One word would aptly describe Cheryl: workaholic. She lives and breathes her writing, when she’s sleeping, watching TV, driving, reading… it’s always in the periphery of her mind. Her imagination rarely takes a holiday, even when she escapes to a sandy beach with her husband and son, she’s planning, plotting, outlining, and daydreaming.
Cheryl feels blessed to be able to get up every day and do something she loves. The thousands of fans who have embraced the Nashville Nights have made that possible. She writes for the readers who ask for more, she writes to satisfy the muse residing inside of her, but most of all, she writes because she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. It took her thirty-seven years to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, but now that she knows, she’s convinced she’s found her purpose.

Website:  http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com
Facebook:  http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Cheryl will be awarding the following prizes to randomly drawn commenters during the tour: two $20 Amazon Gift Cards, ten trading card/cover flat packs (US/Canada), ten eBooks from the Nashville Nights series (winner's choice), and two sterling silver necklaces (US/Canada).

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/3.