Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Book Tour for Play Your Heart Out by Crystal Kaswell (Review & GIVEAWAY)


The sexy bad boys of Sinful Serenade are back as a relationship made for the media becomes something more between two people betrayed by past loves.  Keep reading to get a super steamy glimpse of Play Your Heart Out by Crystal Kaswell, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf.  Learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this fourth installment in the series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC too!

He parties like a rockstar.
She's there to make sure no one finds out...
Jess James has her eye on the prize. She is finding the money to pay for law school. Period. She is starting a new life on her own. Period. And she's absolutely staying in Los Angeles, three thousand miles away from the people who expect her to lie for them. It doesn't matter how lonely she gets on her own, how exhausted she is from working overtime as a cocktail waitress, or how deep the knife wound in her back cuts. She is going to be a lawyer, whatever it takes.
Only she doesn't have what it takes. She can barely afford to pay her rent.
Sinful Serenade bassist Pete Steele has enough to pay Jess's rent and buy her a small island in the Caribbean. The famous, talented rock star has everything... except the one thing his manager wants. Pete rose to fame as a devoted boyfriend. Doesn't matter that his ex slept with his best friend, he needs to stop screwing his way through Los Angeles to keep his reputation clean. Pete works hard, and parties harder... and the sweet, blond waitress is exactly the girl he needs on his arm if he wants to keep the record company happy.
Their arrangement is simple: he pays her tuition, she plays his girlfriend. They'll lie to the world, but not to each other. Especially not when they're alone, in his bed, him figuring out exactly which buttons to push to get her moaning his name.
Jess is good at keeping up appearances. She can play the enigmatic rock star's girlfriend. But Pete shouldn't play games with a girl who's been broken before...

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BUY THIS BOOK AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

With this fourth installment in the Sinful Serenade series readers are once again swept up in the lives of these larger than life musicians and the women who connect with them, issues and all.  The romance between Pete Steele and Jess James may start out under the guise of a lie but it quickly becomes apparent that these two are a match made in heaven if Pete can put his past to rest and take a chance on love one last time.  It's a rocky journey though, with lots of steamy interludes and feelings kept bottled up, from the first page to the last that kept me fully immersed in a HEA constantly in doubt.

 Jess is the proverbial good girl who let an emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend keep her from living a life of her own choosing.  With him out of the picture now, after a final blow to her self-esteem, she's ready to live life to the fullest. With money the final roadblock to her future of becoming a lawyer she makes a deal with a sexy devil that leads to heartache and lies.  After a childhood full of lies that's the hardest part of their time together as she aches from the lies she has to tell his supportive friends and family.  What hurts even more are the lies she has to tell herself as she grows ever closer to him and all the sweet things he does to make her life easier.  When she can no longer hide her feelings an ultimatum will leave readers on the edge of their seat as Jess finally speaks up for the thing she wants most...Pete's heart.  Jess is strong-willed and immensely likable but she's carried the weight of the world on her shoulders by keeping family truths hidden.  She has a caretaker personality that has left her vulnerable and hurt by those closest to her but it's what draws Pete to her after his own heartbreak.  On a whole she's a heroine you root for as she's a good girl deep down, despite Pete getting her to enjoy the naughty aspects of romance, and is true to herself and others.

 Pete's the mysterious member of the band, known for being the devoted boyfriend...until his recent heartbreak that has turned him into the King of meaningless encounters.  When a sweet and shy blonde waitress interrupts his current encounter she leaves an indelible impression that has him making an unconventional proposal that the media soon latches on to with glee.  A lot of change surrounds Pete at the moment, from his brother moving out after a decade of living together to his high school sweetheart leaving him in a most hurtful way, and it's left his heart hardened.  Being with Jess though makes it hard to keep his heart closed off as she likes heartfelt talks and demands truth between them at all times.  As he gets to know her body he also gets to see her kind heart that loves him for himself instead of the rockstar persona who gives her everything she's dreamed of...minus his love.  A childhood with his love leading to pain has him doubtful of the feeling and leery of giving his heart away after it's been thrown in his face by the two people closest to him.  It leads to a rocky romance with Jess, full of angst, as he struggles to give her what she most wants from him.  Pete's a sweet and sexy man who treats Jess like a queen.  She's carried so many burdens in the past and in many subtle ways he shows he cares by handling them now.  Their sexual encounters are combustible too and the most obvious way he shows his feelings.  Their encounters are also playful which helps ease his emotional burdens too.  Pete's a compelling rockstar who captured my attention in every scene he was in and held his own in interactions with his more flamboyant bandmates.

 This was a super sexy story with a wide variety of sensual encounters, almost too many, that fogged up my glasses with their intense dirty talk and the heavy haze of sexual tension.  Through each encounter Pete and Jess grew closer together with Jess growing stronger in asking for what she wanted and Pete guarding his heart more fully despite his subtle slips.  They scorched up the sheets in the bedroom while outside of it they were fun and flirty.  The interactions with the other members of Sinful Serenade, and their women, were funny with a familial vibe to them that left me charmed by all the supposed bad boys clearly tamed by love.  While we don't get too deep of a look into the music part of the band's world we get to see the fame side and the benefits of getting and doing what you want.  Along with that though is the cattiness and superficiality of people which caused a few problems along the way.  While I enjoyed getting to know Jess and seeing things through her eyes, I wish we'd heard more from Pete.  I wanted to dig deeper into his psyche and have him describe his deepest feelings himself instead of getting his feelings second hand. All in all though this was an entertaining story that kept me fully invested in the HEA of Jess and Pete and is another decadent part of the Sinful Serenade series. With the glimpses of other rockers hovering in this band's world I'm excited for the next series and the promise of more naughty and nice rockstars!

My rating for this is a B+

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

BUY THE PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS IN THE SINFUL SERENADE SERIES AT AMAZON:


AUTHOR INFO:

Crystal Kaswell writes steamy new adult and erotic romance books. She loves when flawed characters fall head over heels for each other. Especially if they fall into bed first. She loves police procedurals, tea, and The Hunger Games series. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

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Monday, May 30, 2016

Book Blast for Stare Him Down by Riley Murphy (GIVEAWAY)


Fans of romances that take a walk on the wild side will find themselves drawn to this story that seems conventional but soon breaks the mold.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Stare Him Down by Riley Murphy, and its erotic marriage of convenience-theme with a decadent dose of BDSM, and discover even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this book make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 bookstore GC too!

This Dom’s life is turned upside down when he agrees to enter into a modern-day marriage of convenience with a woman who’s sassy and vanilla.
Only problem?
She’s not vanilla. And the side of sassy she comes with is sure to get them both into trouble when he finds out.

EXCERPT:

One deep breath later, she squared her shoulders and sent up a silent prayer that James was still in the front hall waiting for her so she could make a grand entrance. The more she put herself in front of him the less likely he’d be able to turn away.
Oh yeah, when she rounded the corner on the stairway landing, James was there and he certainly wasn’t looking away.
Not even a blink over his rapidly descending scowl. Which told her one thing.
She’d nailed the outfit.
*****
James waited until Mickey stopped on the bottom step. They were almost eye-to-eye between the boots she was wearing and the additional inches afforded by the stair riser. “Did I misread the invitation?” He let his gaze flicker down to her snugly fit bustier. “Are costumes required?"
“Nope, just for me. Don’t you like it? The kids are going to love it."
No he did not like it. And as for the kids? “Is this an all-boys hospital?"
She made a face that said he was being a jerk, and then tilted her head as though assessing him. “Why would you ask that? Because Wonder Woman is a babe?” She straightened her head and glared at him. “Superheroes are not to be sexually coveted."
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared right back. “Says who?"
“Says every mother and father ever."
That made him grin. “Oh. I suppose you went to Comic-Con and took a survey when those mother and fathers were drinking their costume-coiffed faces off, before they sexually coveted each other in their hotel rooms at the end of the evening?”

AUTHOR INFO:

Riley Murphy writes sexy, humorous, and emotional romance, happy ending guaranteed. An optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are complicated, but in a good way, and we should never stop learning. Riley currently calls Florida home with her gorgeous husband. She has two phenomenal kids, one adorable-to-the-max grandchild, and a very bossy pooch.
When Riley’s not working she enjoys reading, oil painting, and getting to the Sunday crossword before anyone else does, so she can fill-in all the easy answers first, and pull the smart card with the family.
Things Riley loves:
Writing books
Connecting with readers
Doing giveaways for her readers
Things Riley Hates:
Laundry. Seriously. She’d rather slam her fingers in a car door than do the dreaded bleach load
A few of Riley’s favorite reviewer quotes:
If you love intellectual mind candy, read Ms. Murphy’s work!
Creative, profound and soul searing scenes abound...
One wonders if Ms. Riley is in the sex therapy and marriage counseling business as a day job. The D/s part of this story is Fabulous.
If Riley wasn’t an author she’d be an international spy with top-level security so she could have a peek at Area 51 and decide for herself if those green guys are for real. Failing that, she’d likely go with chicken sexer.

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Saturday, May 28, 2016

Book Spotlight on To Love a Wolf by Paige Tyler (GIVEAWAY)

Fans of the paranormal have a reason to celebrate with the upcoming release of this shifter romance that beautifully balances exhilarating action scenes with sensuous encounters between the two strong-willed main characters.  Keep reading to get a tempting, and generous, taste of To Love a Wolf by Paige Tyler and then count down the days until its June 7th release.  In honor of this fourth installment in the SWAT series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a print copy of the first book in this series, Hungry Like the Wolf, too!

HE’S FOUND THE ONE...
SWAT officer Landry Cooper is certain Everly Danu is The One. The problem is, she has no idea what Cooper really is. And as much as he wants to trust her, he's not sure he can share his deepest secret...
When Everly’s family discovers Cooper’s a werewolf, her brothers will do anything to keep them apart—they’ll kill him if they have to. Everly is falling hard for the ridiculously handsome SWAT officer, and she’s not about to let her brothers tell her who she can love...
Until Cooper’s secret is exposed and she discovers the man she thought she knew is a monster in disguise.
BUT CAN HE KEEP HER?

EXCERPT:

Outside Samarra City, Iraq, 2009
Staff Sergeant Landry Cooper moved carefully through the rubble covering the floor of the partially demolished building, inching his way closer to the target. The maze of shattered brick and broken pieces of wood weren’t the biggest reason he was moving slowly, though. That had more to do with the hundred-degree temperature and the seventy-five-pound Kevlar bomb suit he was wearing. He despised the army’s suit with a passion that few people outside the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community could understand.
It wasn’t simply that it was hot and heavy. No, what he hated most about the suit was the nearly complete sensory deprivation that came with wearing it. Inside the claustrophobic helmet surrounded by a neck gusset designed to keep your head from getting ripped off your body during an explosion, you couldn’t hear much of anything, your line of sight was distorted by the thick, curved face piece, and your peripheral vision was non­existent. Having to make a manual approach—better known in EOD circles as the long walk—on a suspected improvised explosive device, or IED, was bad enough. Doing it when you had an armor-plated pillow wrapped around your head?
That sucked.
But he didn’t have a choice. Local construction workers had come in this morning and found a sus­pected IED half buried in the dirt between two build­ings. Cooper and his team had been able to use a robot to drop a small demolition charge near the device, but his disposal charge, combined with a bang from the IED, had caused part of the surrounding buildings to collapse, pissing off the locals and making it impossible to get the robot back in to clear the area.
If there was one cardinal rule in EOD, it was that you never released an incident location back to the good guys without being one hundred percent sure all hazards had been cleared. That meant doing a manual approach in the bomb suit to make sure there weren’t any explo­sive materials or secondary devices around.
Cooper wasn’t too worried about walking up to the package he’d just blown in place. While the relation­ship between the city’s Sunni population and ruling Shiite government forces would never be described as anything other than tense, lately things had been better. IED responses were way down, and they hadn’t seen a secondary explosive device, typically planted to target police and other first responders, in months.
Still, he played everything by the book, keeping the protected front of his suit facing the spot where the IED had been, and using the building’s structure for protec­tion as much as possible. At the same time, he kept his head on a swivel, looking for anything that seemed out of place.
“I’m about twenty feet from where we blew the IED,” he murmured over his suit’s radio to his team members waiting in the safe area three hundred yards away, and then remembered he was wasting his breath. The damn radio had stopped working about a month ago, and a replacement wasn’t due for weeks. He was on his own.
Sweat trickled down his nose as he stepped over a low wall and moved toward the crater where the IED had been. He automatically lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from his face and thumped against the plastic face piece.
“Shit, I hate this suit,” he muttered, forced to make due with wiggling his nose.
He reached the edge of the shallow crater and looked down. Two feet deep and six across, it looked like a big soup bowl. There were some rusty nails the bomb maker had added for fun, but the IED itself was long gone. Even better, his demo shot hadn’t exposed another one buried underneath.
Cooper pulled a sharpened fiberglass rod out of his pocket, then jumped into the crater. If there was any­thing here, the blast from the disposal shot would have uncovered it, but it didn’t hurt to check. Unfortunately, the heavy spine protector in the suit that helped keep an EOD tech’s back from being crushed if blown backward against something hard meant he had to squat down like a sumo wrestler to stick the probe into the dirt. He ignored the sweat and aggravation and made it work.
He’d moved almost all the way around the shot hole and was about to climb out to walk around the rest of the area when his probe hit something hard. He tensed, but then relaxed. He was still here, so it couldn’t be that bad. Dropping to one knee, he used his hand to slowly uncover what he’d found. When a horizontal, cylindri­cal pipe took shape, he assumed it was a water or sewer line.
They weren’t exactly common in structures as old as this one, but it could have been placed here to supply another building nearby. As he uncovered it, the pipe began to get smaller on one end. His gut clenched as realization dawned on him. He brushed off more dirt, revealing the nose of the 155-millimeter artillery round, as well as the metal electrical conduit extending out of it and running underground.
Fuck.
Cooper pushed himself to his feet and backpedaled toward the edge of the crater as fast as he could. An artillery round didn’t usually have a conduit sticking out the end. This one had been booby-trapped so the bomber could set it off manually whenever he wanted. The conduit was there so the IED wouldn’t cut the line if an EOD tech like him destroyed it. And with the conduit there, Cooper couldn’t cut the line either.
This device was an EOD killer put there because somebody knew a bomb tech would come down and look around before turning the site over to the local police.
His mind raced. A projectile this size carried fifteen pounds of high explosive. When it went off, even a bomb suit as good as the one he had on was unlikely to stop all the frag that came off it.
He reached the top of the crater and backed away as fast as he could. He would have been able to run faster if he turned around, but the weakest part of a bomb suit was the rear. If this thing went off when his back was to it, he’d have no chance.
Time slowed as a thousand thoughts zipped through his head. How he seriously didn’t want to die. How maybe the bomber on the other end of that firing line might have needed to go take a piss, and the 155 wouldn’t go off. How his parents and brothers were going to be crushed when they found out. How he should have gone to the prom with that cute girl in his math class back in high school. How one of the junior members on his team was going to be forced to step up and take over his job. How the new unit lieutenant was going to have to write a condolence letter on his first fucking day on the job.
Cooper pushed those thoughts away, yanking his hands inside the arms of the suit to keep them from get­ting ripped off in the blast as he focused his attention on moving backward as fast as he could.
Just get twenty feet away. Then you might have a chance.
He didn’t make it ten.
The blast threw him backward before his head even registered the flash of the projectile exploding. Luckily, he was so close that the wave took out the brick wall behind him before he could smash into it. But that luck ran out, and he slammed into the one behind it.
He felt a sharp stab in his back, then nothing from the middle of his chest down. The suit’s spine support had broken—and so had his back.
He hit the ground hard, tumbling like a kid’s toy until he came to a sudden stop against a pile of bricks. He felt pain—lots of it—at least from the chest up. He wasn’t sure how he was able to, but he lifted his head enough to look down, and saw long, jagged fragments from the 155 sticking out of him like he was a damn pincushion.
Cooper let his head drop to the ground and swore long and hard. He was so fucked.
A detached part of his mind noticed that pieces of the building were burning around him. That was interesting, considering how little flammable material was in the area. The flames weren’t too bad, but the smoke would probably choke him to death sooner or later. Not that he was likely to live long enough for that to happen. The frag had penetrated the bomb suit. He’d bleed out fast enough. He’d just be too numb to feel it.
Then someone was at his side, roughly prying up his face, telling him to hold on. That’s when he realized his ears weren’t working right. He could barely hear the person speaking. No shock there. The blast had blown out his eardrums.
He opened his eyes, expecting to see one of his junior teammates, and was shocked when he saw that it was Jim Wainwright, a fellow senior team leader and the best friend he’d ever had. Cooper hadn’t even known another team had arrived.
Get the hell out of here!” Cooper shouted. Or at least he tried to. The words came out as nothing but a gurgling whisper. “Jim, you know this is stupid. There could be another device down here."
Jim didn’t answer, but simply shoved his arms under the bomb suit, as if he thought he could pick up Cooper and carry him out of here. He didn’t bother to tell his friend how stupid that was. Besides all the frag sticking out of his body, making the task of picking him up akin to hugging a porcupine, Cooper and the bomb suit he wore weighed nearly three hundred pounds combined.
There was no way in hell Jim could pick him up.
“Go!” he ordered again. “You know I’m done anyway."
Jim ignored him. Tears running down his face, he tried grabbing the heavy-duty rescue strap at the suit’s shoulder and dragged him across the rubble.
“Shit!” Cooper wailed in agony, white-hot fire shooting through his neck and shoulders. “Just fucking leave me alone and let me die!"
Jim disregarded that request too, grunting like a crazy man as he dragged Cooper over, around, and through the obstacles that separated them from the dilapidated building’s exit. Cooper was stunned his friend could actually move him at all. He’d heard of soldiers doing some insane shit in battle to save a buddy, but this had to be the craziest. Too bad he was already a goner. Cooper only hoped Jim would get a medal out of it. Then, at least, one good thing would come out of this day.
Cooper didn’t get much time to think about what the award write-up would sound like because the pain climbing up his neck like a wave of water drowned him until everything went black.

NOW THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN SUCH A COMPELLING TASTE, DOWNLOAD THE FIRST SIX CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS  |  BAM  |  BN  |  CHAPTERS  |  INDIEBOUND

AUTHOR INFO:

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast. Visit http://paigetylertheauthor.com/

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Book Cover Reveal for #Kissing by Ellie Brixton


Readers who enjoy rockstar romances will find themselves drawn to the premise of a good girl taking a walk on the wild side with a rocker and the boy she left behind who soon becomes the man she wants.  Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of #Kissing by Ellie Brixton and then add this to your bookshelf when it releases on June 14th!

I was always the good girl.
Then when the pressure became too much, I took off and found me a bad boy.
Niko. The hot, British rock star and frontman of the Halos.
He took my angel wings and gave me a lot of things, well, everything but the Big O.
And fidelity.
So with my #fail in hand, I did the worst thing imaginable.
I went home. The insta-nagging, criticism, and impossible expectations reminded me why my life #sucked—the reason I left in the first place.
Well, everything was the same except for JQ, my high school crush. With a snug T-shirt and jeans that fit in all of the right places, it looks like he became man and maybe it was time for me to become a woman.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

PRE-ORDER AT AMAZON here.

AUTHOR INFO:

Ellie Brixton is a unicorn by day and an author by night. She's a firm believer in eating dessert first and fancies herself a cookie connoisseur. Although she runs five miles every day, she wishes for a 1959 Cadillac convertible, in pink of course. This is her first novel.
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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Book Tour for Owned by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott (Review & GIVEAWAY)


The sexy and compelling bandmates of Oblivion are back in this tale of big personal changes amidst attempts to resurrect their past glory in the face of self-doubts.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of the rockstar romance Owned by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about it by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this fifth installment in the Lost in Oblivion series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC and an e-copy of Manaconda, the first book in the author's new rockstar series, too!

Music kept them going. Now it's torn them apart...
Guitarist Nick Crandall lost the most important thing in his life—his band—just as he was falling in love. A year has passed, and Oblivion is returning from hiatus. And Nick is ready to ask Lila to spend forever with him, even if he won't have his best friend at his side for the ceremony.
Simon has spent the past year trying to find his way back to the thing that sustained him in his darkest hours, then grew to be his biggest demon. Margo has been at his side, but she's tired of him denying his dreams. With her help, he’s ready to admit it’s showtime.
Perhaps he's even ready to stand up for his best friend…and face him on the stage that united them so long ago.
It’s do or die, one more time.

EXCERPT:

Simon’s chest constricted. The crash of piano and soaring blend of Margo’s strings was as powerful as it was haunting. He’d been expecting a lively jaunt. Jazz had demanded Frank Turner for more than half the ride up from the city.
But no. It was a passionate and sweeping song that had more in common with an epic battle of man and nature. In his head it felt like there should be a piano on top of a cliff a la 90’s Bon Jovi videos in MTv’s heyday.
Jazz’s fingers dove up and down the keys and Margo followed her as if she was tethered to every note. The song got bigger and bigger and he itched to match it.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d found the urge to sing. He sang lately out of spite. To prove that he could. But the actuality of the pull had him so out of sorts that he had his hand on the doorknob to the room before he knew what he was doing.
Jazz looked over her shoulder when the door opened. Her purple tipped lashes fluttered so wide they touched her eyebrows. He quietly sat on the stool with the winding arm. Tension fried the edges of every nerve. Why the hell did his fingers ache? He looked down at the white of his skin under his nails from the death grip he had on the arm.
He could do this.
He released the chair arm.
It wasn’t the box.
The room he’d practiced in before.
He was used to the closet in Ripper Records. It gave him cold sweats, but he was used to it.
Here he was in front of Jazz. Sitting right beside her.
In front of strangers.
In front of Margo. He kept the music separate from her for so long, it was odd to have her in his space.
Jazz handed him her notebook.
He took it with shaking fingers. He cleared his throat. “Play it through from the top?"
Jazz nodded. He hummed his way through it once, scanning her lyrics as he followed along. When they went through it a second time his brain was on fire to join in. He wanted his voice to match that sound.
Around the last quarter of the song, he let the words out in a whisper. Margo brought down the power of her strings to account for his sheer cowardice.
He cleared his throat. “Again."
He closed his eyes and let the music take him. This time there was a guitar added into the lilting opening of the song. His voice was rough with disuse.
No, don’t concentrate on that.
He needed to find the heart of the song.
Jazz’s words were heartfelt, but they weren’t quite his. He followed instincts that had never steered him wrong before. He changed the bridge and let his voice soar up with the epic battle of violin and piano.
His voice evened and went bell clear as he climbed up an octave he hadn’t touched in two full years. He bowed his head as Gray came in with the guitar solo that hadn’t been there the first few times through.
But it was right.
Logan piped it in from the main studio.
Gray and Margo merged until there was nothing but a breathtaking crescendo. He stepped in. His voice ached with the loss that was burned into the lyrics. His head fell back as he brought it full circle with the final verse, and finally…the bridge.
The room was silent.
He was terrified to open his eyes. He avoided both of the girls as he twisted in the chair and went out the door and past a stunned Gray. He couldn’t look at Margo. Not now. He couldn’t watch when the disappointment filled her big brown eyes.
He took the stairs two at a time and scanned the area for the nearest exit.

FIND THIS BOOK AT GOODREADS here.

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 FIND THE LOST IN OBLIVION SERIES ON GOODREADS here.


 MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

After combusting in spectacular fashion, the future of Oblivion is in doubt.  With personal demons weighing on former best friends Nick and Simon it's unclear if they can ever recreate the magic that once took them to the top of the charts. Will they be able to work past emotional hurts and inner fears to once again become the formidable force that guides the band to success?  From the first page to the last there's lots of ups and downs, lots of uncertainty, that tugs at reader's heartstrings as we root for them to rise above all the noise.  It all leads to an ending that's uplifting, rousing, and results in an unforgettable crescendo.

 Nick grew up doubtful of love as those he loved walked away which affects him still today and has him conflicted regarding his future with Lila.  His confusion is endearing though as he desperately wants to do right by the woman who puts up with him, foibles and all.  To fully claim her he's willing to go outside his comfort zone and make major changes he once laughed about.  As if the chaos of his personal life weren't enough, he's having to deal with the band reuniting to talk music which has him fearful of their ability to make music and leads him to alienating his band mates through his need to overly control things.  As Nick defines himself by his music he'll do anything though to make things right with Simon.  Simon's walking away harkened to Nick's fear of loved ones leaving and results in bruises, bloody noises, and deep-seated emotions that brought a tear to my eye.  Through it all, and despite his occasional pigheadedness, I adored Nick and his unfiltered comments.  He's sexy, honest, and boyish when it comes to interactions with his band mates.  With Lila he's caring and supportive with their sexual interludes scorching and showing flashes of playfulness which had me blushing one moment and smirking the next.  He's charming too, the quintessential book boyfriend, and I loved every moment he was on the scene.

 Simon was once a man totally in control of his life and his talent but the after-affects of his vocal injury have left him lost and uncertain, a blow to his self-esteem.  When he walked away from the band though he also walked away from Nick who saw it as a personal affront to their lifelong friendship.  It's left their friendship in tatters, leaving both of them angry and lost, which has their band's future hanging in the balance.  Simon's personal life is also in chaos over his fear of returning to the stage which has him alienating Margo and stifling her career.  With everything around him in chaos the one thing he's certain of is his love for Margo which has him wanting to fully commit to her, but her familial issues have their HEA looking a bit murky.  It only takes a moment though, when one of their own has a crisis, to realize what's important and return him to the rockstar god he once was who lets nothing stand in his way in an empowering scene that had me cheering.  Simon's a sexy man who oozes sex appeal whose current uncertainties had me aching for him.  He was stuck doing modeling to make money but found no satisfaction from it and felt as if he was losing himself in his choices which made me even more sympathetic towards his struggle, despite his pigheadedness.  The connection between Simon and Nick was powerful with interactions that were intense, both good and bad, and I was completely caught up in their bromance which was just as satisfying as their romances with their ladies.  It was a vital part of the story and brought out the best and worst in these two strong-willed men.

 This series has captivated me from the very beginning, weaving an emotional and sensuous web around my heart that has now left me in tears with this being the final installment.  Though this story went on just a tad too long things finally come full circle in this intensely emotional story about healing and the powerful affects of friendship.  The men in Oblivion have never been ashamed to show their feelings, have fought tooth and nail for the women they love, and each one has a special place in my heart.  The women are equally strong-willed and just as vital to the success of the band.  The romance was beautifully balanced with the vividly depicted realities of being a rockstar keeping me further immersed in the story and banging my head along with the music.  It's been a deliciously decadent journey for the band mates of Oblivion and I feel lucky to have seen all the ups and downs that kept me on the edge of my seat and cheering for the richly rewarding conclusion seen here. With this series this dynamic writing duo has proven themselves masters at rockstar storytelling and I look forward to the other series that take place within this world and that have already given me hours of naughty delights.  If you haven't yet read this series now's the time to start as you'll enjoy every step they take, every move they make in this addictive and sexy series with larger than life characters!

My rating for this is an A-

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


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AUTHOR INFO:

USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn likes music and men, so she figured why not write about both? When she's not writing, she's screaming at men's college basketball games on TV, playing her music too loud or causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.
USA Today bestselling author Taryn Elliott is obsessed with rock stars, men, and her unending playlists--maximizing these things seemed like a very good idea. When she's not writing, she's losing hours to hot men on TV, and/or a graphic design project. Multitasking is her middle name.
They decided to combine forces and found that hey...this writing deal is even more awesome when you collaborate with your best friend.
And so Lost in Oblivion was born.

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Book Cover Reveal for Wicked Sexy by J.T. Geissinger (GIVEAWAY)

Opposites attract in this sexy tale of espionage and intrigue with the fate of the country, and two people's hearts, on the line.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Wicked Sexy by J.T. Geissinger and then drool over this cover while waiting for this book to be released on July 18th.  You'll also get a glimpse of the book that precedes this one that will release on July 11th that has an equally delicious book cover.  In honor of this second installment in the Wicked Games series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC too!

A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.
Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.
Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.
But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.
When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all?

EXCERPT:

For a moment Connor just examines my face in silence. There’s a strange tension in him, a stillness, like a held breath but in his entire body. Then he abruptly swings around in his seat so he’s facing me, his massive thighs on either side of my bar stool, his booted feet planted on the floor.
Trapping me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, my voice high with panic.
“Got something to say to you. It’s important, so don’t talk until the end."
He looks dangerously intense. His dark eyes are heated, drilling into mine. His cheeks are flushed from the fire, or from something else, but I don’t have time to think about what that something else might be because he opens his mouth and starts to speak, and my brain faints dead away, leaving me to fend for myself.
“I want you. Bad. Don’t know exactly why, you’re a complete pain in my ass and pretty much the most contrary, foul-tempered woman I’ve ever met, and you’ve made it really clear what you think about me, but every time I look at you I have an almost overpowering urge to touch you, kiss you, do a lot of bad things to you, and I don’t know how to manage it.Yeah, it might be more prudent for me to keep this shit to myself, but I know that when you don’t talk about shit it festers, gets worse, and if the way I feel about you gets any worse I won’t be able to put my goddamn shoes on in the morning. So I’m putting it out there."
He takes a breath. Deeply shocked, I stare at him with my mouth open, my heart up in my throat.
“We’re both professionals. We have a job to do. And I don’t mix business with pleasure. Ever. But the way I figure it, we’ve got one more night until the work actually starts, and if I don’t do something to get you straight in my head I won’t be able to do the job at all."
He stops abruptly. Then he waits, watching me with unwavering intensity as I attempt to digest what just happened.
I whisper in disbelief, “You’re propositioning me?"
His gaze drops to my lips. When he looks back into my eyes, his own are burning. “You liked that kiss."
He gives me time to deny it, but I don’t. How could I? We both know I’d be lying.
He adds, “And you called me hot, so I know you don’t think I’m a complete troll, even though you act like you do."
“That was an accident."
“Yep.” He nods. “And you fuckin’ hated yourself for it. Which is why I know it was true."
Things are happening in my body. My nipples harden, my breath quickens, there is a distinctive throb and ache between my legs. All because this jarhead I hate just told me he wants to do bad things to me.
Bad things. Dear God, were any two sexier words ever spoken?

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GET A GLIMPSE OF THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIES, WICKED BEAUTIFUL, THAT WILL RELEASE ON JULY 11TH...

Life coach and best-selling author Victoria Price has it all: a successful career, fabulous friends, a fantastic penthouse in Manhattan. What she doesn’t have—and doesn’t want—is a husband. Fifteen years ago her high school flame broke her heart so badly she swore she’d never love again. Now she makes millions teaching other women how to be just like her: a ruthless bitch.
Drop-dead sexy restauranteur and infamous playboy Parker Maxwell has only three rules for the women he dates: no questions about his past, no expectations for the future, and no spending the night. When he meets Victoria, however, he’s willing to break his own rules if it means sating the explosive desire she arouses in him. What he doesn’t know is that the alluring Victoria Price used to be the mousy Isabel Diaz, the girl he deflowered and dumped long ago.
Presented with a perfect opportunity for revenge, Victoria decides the game is on. But when her connection with Parker proves more than just skin deep, she has to make a choice: continue with her plan for payback, or risk her career, her reputation, and her heart by taking a second chance on love?

 FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (PRINT)  |  iBOOKS  |  BN  |  KOBO  |  GOOGLE PLAY

AUTHOR INFO:

J.T. Geissinger is an award winning and best-selling author of dark, sexy romance.
She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and was a finalist for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.
She lives in California with her husband, on whom all her heroes are based.

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