Book Tour for Venetian Love Knots by Normandie Alleman (Review & GIVEAWAY)

What a steamy way to start the week....with Venetian Love Knots by Normandie Alleman.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book and be sure to comment for a chance to win some great goodies......

In Venice, Allison Fox will find love in the arms of two men. Her past collides with her future in a battle for her heart. Which one will win?

Travelling to Venice to be the maid of honour in her best friend’s wedding sounds like a great vacation, and a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day. But when Allison Fox discovers who the best man is, she is torn between duty and self-preservation.

It has taken Allison four years to put her tumultuous relationship with the rodeo cowboy behind her after a violent incident ripped them apart. Now Allison must find a way to face her past and find closure with her old flame. But will she be able to put the past behind her?

Cole is the Texas cowboy who has never got over his love for Allison. But when he declares his love for her after all this time, is she strong enough to walk away from the intense passion they share?

For years Nico, a handsome Italian, was committed to nothing but his work. Nico never expected he would meet an American beauty who would awaken in him a desire to love again. Once he finds her, Nico vows to never let Allison go.

It will be a Valentine’s Day to remember, but who will win Allison’s heart?

EXCERPT:

As he ran the brush down Tinaya’s coat, his mind wandered to Allison. She was all he could think about these days. He had a girlfriend, Mary Ann, whom he saw a couple of times a week, but she couldn’t compare to Allison. For years he had been trying to find someone who could excite him like Allison had. He had never found a replacement for her, and he figured he never would.
Cole knew that he was not really the settling down type. Mary Ann called him a flight risk. Poor girl had no idea how true that was.
But if this trip to Italy was his only chance to make things right with Allison and get her back in his life, then he was going to have to pull out all the stops. He would win her heart. His life had been nothing special without her. His memories of time with her were the brightest spots in his life, other than some of his rodeo wins.
He patted Tinaya absentmindedly, thinking of what it would be like to stroke Allison’s tender flesh again. Cole visualised Allison’s naked body beneath his. He could see her face, her eyes glowing with lust, wanting him and only him. If it took settling down to have that again…now that might be worth considering.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK:

Venetian Love Knots is a steamy book set in an exotic location that is enjoyable as long as you think of it as a woman's fantasy.  The exotic delights that Allison gets to experience courtesy of Cole and Nico are every woman's dirty little secret and are written with lots of sexual intensity.  These scenes are full of BDSM and other erotic play and leave you parched!

As to the individual characters, that's where I was left frustrated.  Even though Allison knows Cole is a heartbreaker she keeps going back to him.  She constantly gives him control and while it leaves her sexually satisfied, she's left emotionally bereft repeatedly.  To keep believing there's more to him than face value will continue to leave her alone. Cole is a womanizer.  He really only wants women for the release they give him.  He says he can't live without her but actions speak louder than words and that's where he repeatedly fails.  Just when the possibility of a future with Allison arises he again runs.......and abruptly drops out of the story to again cement his douchebag persona.  Nico is a charming character from the start and is the complete antithesis to Cole.  He stands by the women he loves til death do they part and always treats them with respect while still bringing on the sexy.

This story makes for a fast read that leaves your head spinning with its abrupt ending.  In a way it feels as though Allison is settling, which makes for a rather uncertain HEA.  Though Allison, and particularly Cole, weren't my favorites I found Nico and the city of Venice delightfully romantic and found myself daydreaming whenever they were on the page.  Ms. Alleman has created a story that will leave you arguing as to who's the better man and I look forward to seeing more of her heroes in the future.

My rating for this is a C+

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

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  ARe  |  TOTAL E-BOUND

AUTHOR INFO:

A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She was surprised when that interest turned her into a writer of erotic romance.
If there were another 5 hours in the day, Normandie would spend more time needle-pointing and playing with photography. Instead, she’s a Pinterest addict and sports junkie who’s crazy for Twitter and the color pink.

Website: www.normandiealleman.com
Twitter: @NormandieA
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NormandieA

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

Normandie will award a "Venetian Love Knots” gift pack which includes a Tote Bag and T-Shirt (winner's size) with the cover graphic and a $30 Amazon GC.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-A winner 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 4/5.