Friday, August 14, 2015

Book Tour for Seven Dirty Words by Charlotte Howard (Review & GIVEAWAY)


Readers looking for a memorable heroine will find themselves drawn to Seven Dirty Words by Charlotte Howard and its erotic and compelling battle for her soul between two very different men.  Keep reading to get a taste of this story, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this release make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $10 bookstore GC too!

Paige Holmes hides herself in a masculine world in a desperate attempt to remain safe.
Just as she is ready to face her fears and her past, she finds herself torn between Matt Jackson and Vance Ellery: handsome, rich, and safe – or handsome, rich, and dangerous?
Which will she choose?
The one who appears to be the most perfect, or the one who makes her use all Seven Dirty Words?

EXCERPT:

“I’ve never seen a girl eat like you.” He laughed.
“I’m starving,” I said, in between mouthfuls of prawns and peas, trying to ignore the dimming room. A crash overhead started the storm’s symphony. Fat raindrops splattered against the window as the room lit with a sudden flash. Seconds later, another rumble filled the air. I shuddered.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t like thunder storms,” I admitted, finishing the last of my noodles. The truth was I was afraid of any loud noise.
“Don’t worry, I won’t force you out in this.”
“I forgot to bring a coat,” I grumbled, rubbing my arms as though it had suddenly got cold.
Matt stood and peered out the window. “It’ll be a while before this is over.” He picked up the plates and took them into the kitchen. I followed him, not wanting to be alone.
As I walked in, I suddenly remembered the large windows, and saw the dreary sky blanketing the village. My eyes widened in fear as another flash filled the sky.
Matt smiled at me.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are.” He laughed, nearing me. “I didn’t think you were afraid of anything.”
“Appearances can be deceptive.”
“They most certainly can!” He took my hand and led me back into the living room. “Well, it looks like we’ll be here a bit longer than intended.” We sat back down on the sofa.
“And no TV to kill the time,” I said, staring at the empty fireplace. “Look, if you want to get rid of me, I can make a mad dash to the car door. It’s only rain.”
“I don’t want to get rid of you, Paige.” As he said my name, the hairs on my neck and arms stood on end. “But I’m not willing to share you either.”

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a reader who enjoys emotionally intense reads, this one had that in spades. From its heroine who's been put through the wringer to the friends and family equally tortured by her poor choices and painful past, there's a constant feeling of foreboding and frustration that kept me turning the pages.  Add in two powerful men that treat Paige like a bone to battle over and you end up with a compelling read that keeps you on edge.  Though there's a HFN conclusion readers can expect more from Paige as she has a lot of healing to do and a past that's come back to haunt her leaving her HEA in flux.

Paige is a young woman who has a tough exterior but is torn up inside after a painful incident hinted at but not revealed until the latter half of the story. She's thrown herself into work, exercise, and sports hoping to keep her demons at bay but they're slowly eating her up.  She may cuss like a sailor and give off a badass vibe but inside she's still a little girl with daddy issues that are the root of many of her problems.  Meeting the dangerous and mysterious Vance awakens her libido while meeting Matt awakens her heart as he provides her with unconditional support.  Being torn between two men harms her recovery even more but she can't help herself as they both call to her.  Even after her decision is made there's still doubts radiating off her and with past secrets coming to light she'll have even more doubts.  Paige left me conflicted as I applaud her putting her past behind her, but it's obvious she's still hiding from it as seen by her poor choices in romance and in her life.  She lets herself be dominated but demands control which reflected a wishy-washy nature.

Vance and Matt are both larger than life characters with power and money to burn.  Vance is controlling while Matt is sweet and easier to talk to.  Vance is teeming with danger as he's not above using his power to crush others.  Matt's more likely to apologize for being overbearing whereas Vance doesn't know the meaning of sorry and relishes using his power to get what he wants.  Vance doesn't take no for an answer while Matt's willing to wait as long as Paige needs.  They're both intensely sexual though, teeming with sensuality, with both having crackling chemistry with Paige as seen by their steamy encounters with her.  Ultimately they're both compelling and I can understand being torn between them.

Along with a memorable main cast of characters comes an equally appealing cast of secondary ones.  From Paige's brother Mark to his friend Danny, Paige has a caring support system who have problems of their own just hinted at. They're both sexy and would do anything for Paige, but aren't oblivious to her needing to get help when her pain starts taking over her life.  Their friendship's left hanging due to Paige's past coming to light and I hope to see more of them. This was a sexy story with a good flow.  The ending had many things come to light that threw Paige's life into chaos, a few surprising (not to me though) twists that greatly affected the course of her life throughout the story.  It all makes for an engaging tale that I couldn't put down despite my frustrations with the heroine and that will leave readers thinking long after The End.

My rating for this is a C.

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

AUTHOR INFO:

British author, Charlotte Howard, was born in Oman and spent much of the first part of her life flitting between Oman, Scotland, and England. Now settled in Somerset, Charlotte lives with her husband, two children, and growing menagerie of pets.
Her career as a writer began at an early age, with a poem being featured in an anthology for the East Midlands. Since then Charlotte has written many short stories and poems, and finally wrote her first full-length piece of fiction in 2010.
During what little spare time she has, Charlotte enjoys reading and writing (of course), spending time with her family, and watching action movies whilst eating curry and drinking tea.
Charlotte is an active member of Yeovil Creative Writers Group.


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

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7 comments:

  1. Thank you for your review. (Paige's story concludes in Four Letter Words!!)

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  2. Thank you for the chance to win :)

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  3. Thank you for sharing your review, I like the blurb and I'm looking forward to checking it out myself!

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  4. Thanks for the giveaway! I like the excerpt. :)

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  5. I enjoyed the blurb and am waiting to read more. Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

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  6. I have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.

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