Friday, May 31, 2019

Book Spotlight on Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore (GIVEAWAY)

A caring and exuberant young woman brings good into the world through her service dog endeavor that brings her into contact with a gruff soldier in need of a bit of care in this charming contemporary romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore, then add this heartwarming tale of opposites attracting to your bookshelf.  In honor of this first installment in the Forever Home series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win copies of this book along with a slew of other doggy-themed goodies too!

No matter the job, no matter the need.
These service dogs in training will always fall in love at first bark.
When Sophie Vasquez and her sisters dreamed up Puppy Promise—their service puppy training school—it was supposed to be her chance to bring some good into the world. But how can she expect to do anything when no one will take her seriously?
Enter Harrison Parks: a rough, gruff, take-no-bull wildlife firefighter in need of a diabetic service dog. He couldn't be a more unlikely fit for Sophie or Bubbles—the sweet Pomeranian she knows will be his perfect partner—but when Sophie insists he give them both a shot, something unexpected happens: he listens. Even better, he keeps on listening, even as Sophie and Bubbles turn his lonely, uber-masculine world upside-down.
As it turns out, they all have something to prove...and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love.

EXCERPT:

Oscar didn’t say a word as Harrison stretched out the sock and slipped it over the puppy’s head. It went easily. There was so much fur on her, she could be decompressed to half her size. Gently guiding her limbs to fit through each of the holes he’d made was more difficult, especially since some of his measurements had been a little off, but the end result was about what he expected.
In other words, Bubbles was wearing a sock. One of his favorites too, the sweat-wicking kind he wore when he was out fighting fires for long stretches at a time.
“What the hell did you just do to that poor creature?” Oscar demanded.
“What do you mean? She loves it.” Harrison set Bubbles down on the table. The puppy wriggled once, scratched twice, and decided she’d never been so pleased in all her life. With a toss of her head, she began prancing along the table’s edge, just in case they hadn’t noticed her the first time. “Look at her—she’s preening.”
Oscar scratched his chin. “Well, I’ll be damned. She does like it.”
“Hello, boys.” A soft, feminine voice arose from behind them. “Sorry to barge in, but I rang the doorbell three times. No one answered.”
Harrison’s pulse leapt at the sound of Sophie’s arrival. It wasn’t a scared leap or an alarmed leap—it wasn’t even a wary one, which should have been his reaction given how far she’d managed to push him already.
No, this was the most dangerous kind of leap of all—attraction.
His heightened pulse didn’t lessen when he turned to find her standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He’d been more grateful than words could express when she’d showed up yesterday wearing sensible pants and a shirt with a Puppy Promise logo embroidered on the front. She’d still looked amazing, of course. The playful wisps of her short hair set off her pretty features, and the simplicity of her attire only enhanced her neat figure. But the uniform had helped.
I’m here to do a job, that uniform said. I’m here because of the dog.
Today, she’d gone back to wearing her own clothes. He wasn’t sure why the sight of her in faded jeans and a loose gray top should be so alarming, but he suspected it had something to do with the gentle curve of neck exposed on one side of her shirt. He’d seen women wear similar clothes before, but there was something about the sight of Sophie’s bare clavicle that made it difficult for him to breathe.
He wanted to kiss her there. He wanted to run his fingers up and down that slope of perfect skin until she shivered under his touch.
She shifted slightly, the shirt shifting with her. As if aware he was watching, the material slid even farther, giving him a glimpse of the rounded softness of her shoulder, broken only by a thin pink bra strap.
Shit. What was he doing? He couldn’t lust after Sophie. Not when she showed no signs of reciprocation. Harrison might go numb at the sight of her dressed in casual wear, but he doubted his jogging pants and decades-old Pink Floyd T-shirt were doing anything in return. Nor was she likely to lose herself at the sound of his rough grumbling.
“Sorry,” he said in a voice that was, unfortunately, both rough and grumbling. “The doorbell doesn’t work. It hasn’t worked in years.”
“Nothing around this place has worked in years,” Oscar added with a cheerfulness that seemed inappropriate, given how recently he’d been threatening Harrison’s life and livelihood. “Except for Harrison and Wallace, of course. Two more dedicated workaholics I’ve never met in my life—it’s the only thing they’re good at, if you want the truth.”
He wasn’t wrong. As much as Harrison would have liked to leap to his own defense, there wasn’t much to say. He wasn’t a man with varied interests or a whole hell of a lot going on in his personal life. Fighting fires was literally the only thing he was good at—the only thing he’d ever been good at since the summer he’d turned fourteen and made friends with a group of delinquent kids from around town.
His dad had been working around the clock at the time—his default for as long as Harrison could remember—so when he’d caught his son in the middle of a tractor-stealing incident, he’d handed him over to Oscar with plea that he do something with the blasted boy.
Oscar had done it, of course, and in the process, created a monster. An irritable, overworked, firefighting monster who had nothing to offer a woman except a newfound talent for making dog sweaters out of socks.
“Speaking of, when can I expect to have him back?” Oscar asked. “I’ve got a contract to start training a team from Fairchild Air Force Base with his name written all over it.”
“Right now.” Harrison almost shot out of his chair in his enthusiasm. Work would get him away from this house. Work would distance him from Sophie and her goddamn shoulder. “Pull the crew together, and I can start the training as soon as you want. You know how valuable the air force support can be for the flyovers. We’ve been after a contract with them for years.”
“I do know, which is why I’m going to delay the training until you’re free to run it.” Oscar turned his attention to Sophie. “What do you anticipate? What’s the expected timeline?”
Sophie glanced down at the puppy, considering. Not by so much as a flicker of a long, curled eyelash did she betray that she noticed anything out of the ordinary about Bubbles’s appearance.
Harrison couldn’t decide whether to be grateful for her tact or outraged at her disinterest. He’d worked really hard on that sock.


BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS  |  BN  |  INDIEBOUND  |  BaM

***GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MS. GILMORE AND HER BOOKS here.***

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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Book Tour for Broken Silence by Felice Stevens (Review & GIVEAWAY)


It’s a sensual and sentimental romance between an older man who’s just discovering himself and the younger man who’s lived a life full of hardships.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Broken Silence by Felice Stevens, along with my impressions of this forbidden m/m romance, then add this series starter to your bookshelf.  In honor of this first installment in the Rock Bottom series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC too!

Justin Molina has secrets. He’s served his time but remains a prisoner of his past, unable to  forgive himself for failing his family when they needed him most. Justin’s grief is overwhelming, but he keeps silent and focuses on his goals. About to graduate college, he tries to keep his head above water—no matter how many times life keeps knocking him down. When he’s forced to register for a poetry-writing class, Justin discovers putting words to his feelings might be exactly what his fractured heart needs to heal. Or is it the older professor with the bow ties and gentle smile who gives him a chance when no one else will?
Professor Foster Faraday Harding is a broken man. His divorce is final, and he’s reverted back to the safety of his books. Even his poetry no longer brings him joy; he’s sleepwalking through life. The raw emotion of Justin’s poetry awakens Foster to desires he thought long buried in the ashes of his marriage. When he discovers Justin is struggling financially, Foster offers him a solution that benefits both of them. Soon it’s Foster who’s struggling with emotions he can’t understand: Justin is his student. And a man. One crazy night years earlier doesn’t mean anything. Foster is straight.
After months of denying the growing attraction between them, an unexpected kiss changes everything. Justin and Foster are no longer only professor and student—they’ve become lovers, but the strain of hiding their relationship increases with each passing day. Words have the power not only to hurt but to heal the greatest pain. If Foster and Justin listen to what their hearts are saying, they might break through their silence and live their own love poems—together.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY AT AMAZON here.


MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Fans of m/m romances will find this an entertaining read full of heart and soul, a romance that in many ways is familiar but no less satisfying.  For readers it’s a slow and steady journey to HEA as a young man full of regrets ends up in the class of a staid professor still trying to find himself.  Sparks soon fly as these two opposites find healing in each other’s arms while along the way predictable roadblocks regarding their age and socioeconomic differences keep their future in doubt.

Foster Harding was born to studious parents who had him later in life.  By the time he was born they were very set in their ways with little time for fun or strong emotions.  It was a lonely life for him growing up with only books for comfort and friendship, a life where he felt lacking and that was rich in objects but not attention.  The recent demise of his marriage left him feeling even more lacking because of his young wife’s harsh words and her desire to change him.  His self-esteem is at an all-time low when readers meet him and he’s equally confused by the surprising feelings engendered in him from his ex wife’s last-ditch planned threesome.  He never felt attracted to men before but since that night it’s been a secret temptation that becomes even more blatant when a sexy bad boy ends up in his latest poetry class.  Through the tattooed young man’s heartfelt words Foster finds himself wanting to know more about his stoic student and goes out of his way to make things easier for his most promising pupil.  As a bond starts to form they find their emotions taking a more intense turn in a forbidden romance that might end before it barely begins.  Foster’s a serious-minded professor who enjoys bow ties and matching sweaters.  He’s a tightly buttoned man who’s lived quietly, but who seems on the cusp of breaking out of his shell.  And it quickly becomes clear that his new student is just the person to help him start living in a romance that’s a slow burn that pushes Foster to new limits that had me rooting for him every step of the way.  Though he was tightly wound he had a kind heart, never judged anyone for their past, and went out of his way to do good when given the chance.  When it came to Justin he constantly built up his self-esteem, saw him as an inspiration, and encouraged him in ways both big and small.  Foster was an endearing character on many levels, a bit bland at times though too, but he was a good balance to the edgy Justin which made their romance fun to explore.

Justin Molina was always a wild child, stealing candy and jumping turnstiles.  His relationships were fluid and he was quick to indulge in every interlude offered.  His actions were mostly harmless though but with his father’s declining health he made a fateful decision that ended with him in jail.  After being released he’s a changed man now, a man full of guilt and regrets, a man who keeps to himself as he feels like a failure.  Writing poetry for his class unleashes feelings he’s long kept hidden, attracts the attentions of his teacher, which all leads to Justin seeing himself in a whole different light in a journey where each of them start to see themselves differently.  Justin’s a bit of a loner early on, someone who doesn’t like to share bits of himself.  He’s brutally honest though when it comes to his impressions of himself and there were many times throughout the story where he would tear himself down.  Early on he was mired in desperation and it was those moments that drew me to him as he didn’t revert to criminal behavior as an easy way out, he just worked harder and remained the joy of his mother’s life.  It’s his relationship with her that showed his kind heart, a big heart hiding behind his anger over his past.  It’s a past that’s never sugarcoated, and though he worries that Foster will turn away from him knowing the truth, he still did the honorable thing in opening up to him completely.  It’s that honesty that fueled their connection, a connection that grew frustratingly slowly, as worries over their age difference and the forbidden nature of their roles as teacher/student weighed on Justin.  On their own and in interludes in the bedroom Justin was shown as the teacher with Foster his willing student in scenes that were playful and unburdened by doubt.  In public though Justin was desperate to keep them a secret even as he longed to be claimed in a frustrating tug of war.

From the first page to the last this was a likable read with a nice balance between sweet and sensual.  Though the main couple was appealing on their own it was clear that they were damaged by their pasts and I became quickly invested in their healing journey, a journey where their roles became reversed a time or two.  Much of what befell them were familiar issues, but they were issues that were handled In a believable manner that kept me glued to the action.  Surrounding this realistic main couple was an even more tempting cast of secondary characters that have me hoping we’ll see more of them in the future.  The first character is Benny, friend to Justin, a young man belittled by his stepfather and stepbrother who’s devoted to his sister.  He’s average looking, longing to find love, and has a heart of gold that made me want to hug him.  There’s also Foster’s long time friend Ross, a man still coping with the death of his husband, a man who’s hiding from new love but whose leaving promises big changes for him.  These two characters energized the story and I lapped up their scenes.  On a whole this was a satisfying series starter that has me counting down the days until we revisit these entertaining characters!

My rating for this is an B.

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


AUTHOR INFO:

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, Her characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice has written over twenty books in the gay romance genre. Her books been translated into German, French and Italian. Her novel. One Call Away, part of her Soulmates series, was mentioned in Buzzfeed as one of the best “Out for You” gay romances of 2017.
Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. She recently retired from the practice law and now daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.


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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Book Spotlight on Million Dollar Devil by Katy Evans (GIVEAWAY)

A man who’s very rough around the edges gets a makeover from a rich girl looking to impress her father in this modern twist to the Pygmalion theme.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Million Dollar Devil by Katy Evans, along with hearing from the exhilarating hero of this story, then add this crackling contemporary romance to your bookshelf.  In honor of this first installment in the Million Dollar series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC along with a digital copy of this book too!


Daredevil Jimmy Rowan Describes His Most Dangerous Stunts
Hey, girl. Jimmy Rowan here. You might know me from my YouTube channel. Yeah, I’m the guy who nearly gets killed on every video. Say what? You want to know how I got started?
Ahh, long story. Maybe for another day. Or a night with some tequila Cuervo handy. The short is, I’m a daredevil. And I’m good at it. So…imagine my shock when prim and proper Miss Elizabeth Banks comes up to me at a bar, a really seedy, not-her-damn-type bar, and offers me a hell of a lot of money to be her ‘perfect’ freaking man.
Kind of wild, right?
All I have to do is wear her suits and act “civil” – whatever that means.
And I’m having a great time just raking her with my eyes.
This woman is all long legs, pouty lips, and looking all business in a business suit that’s just begging to get rumpled.
Definitely what Lizzy wants me to do is a walk in a park compared to some of the stunts I do. I mean. I’ve thrown myself off tall buildings and pulled my chute way, way past the moment when I should’ve.
I’ve crashed motorcycles on top of cars when I tried to leap over them.
I’ve broken a rib or two, and sometimes several at a time, and I’ve got a good number of black eyes, with no help at all from anyone but me.
With Sexy little Lizzy here, there’s no physical risk at all. Not one you could see anyway, except the one that I never really saw coming.
Damn her.
Damn her and her little big million dollar contract.
Damn this sexy, smart, closet-crazy perfectionist just waiting for more than just a sweep off her feet. Oh man, this girl needs a flat out toss to the ground. And I’m the man up for the challenge. What? You’re shocked? Lady, they don’t call me devil for nothing.

Heir apparent to her father’s company, Lizzy Banks needs a man. The perfect man. But when the rich “fundbabies” she usually rubs shoulders with prove impossible to hire, she takes a chance on a raw beast of a man salvaged from the wreckage of a bar brawl.
James Rowan earns a modest income as a YouTube daredevil, but he can’t refuse Lizzy’s million dollar deal. As she polishes his rough edges, creating a sophisticated gentleman fit for the highest circles of society, not only does she bring out the perfect man—it’s like she’s making the man of her dreams. How can she resist?
Though Lizzy loves seeing James in his clothes—and out of them—he isn’t the kind of man you bring home to Daddy. Her father’s disapproval and the pressure of the campaign have her eyeing the straight and narrow, but Lizzy’s finding it awfully hard to resist the devil on her shoulder...

EXCERPT:

There’s a long, almost-empty bar and a couple of customers having nachos and chips and salsa at the tables.
But as I walk across the tilting cement floor, every single one of those eyes is on me.
What am I doing here, again?
Oh, right. Probably trying to get myself mugged.
Summoning my courage, I take a middle stool at the bar and tell the bartender, who’s busy watching something on his phone, “Tequila, the finest you have—straight up,” in a gruff voice that I hope makes me sound like I can hold my own, in case someone is eyeing up my purse.
He doesn’t look up, merely smiles down at whatever he’s watching as he pours me something from a bottle called Montezuma and serves with his free hand. What the hell is Montezuma?
Great service. “Um. I said the best you have.”
He looks up at me, finally seeing me for the first time. A frown of annoyance on his lips. “This is the best, princess. Also the only.”
I probably don’t want to upset him, seeing how he has arms the size of tree trunks, covered in tattoos.
I take my shot and guzzle it down. It’s awful, like paint thinner, squeezing tears from my eyes. Whatever. I tap the bar for another. When my curiosity gets the best of me, I ask, “What are you watching?”
“Jimmy.”
“Jimmy what?”
“Jimmy Rowan. The stunt guy on YouTube? He’s going to get killed one day.”
“Hopefully not today.” I frown and peer at the screen as he shows me. “What kind of stunts does he do anyway? That’s so dangerous.”
He tilts his phone in my direction. A guy in a helmet and nylon jumpsuit is throwing himself off an airplane. He’s speaking into the camera saying, “So I was dared to pull the strings fifteen seconds after any sane, normal human being would. So, let’s count down from right about … now.”
My eyes widen, and my insides clutch in concern for the idiot behind the camera.
Fourteen...
The static from the wind makes his voice sound shattered, strained.
“Thirteen.” The bartender is counting.
I watch the idiot continue his free fall as land grows closer beneath him.
“What an idiot,” I mumble, but I’m still unable to take my eyes off the video.
“Five!” the bartender says. I look away.
“Just tell me he lived.”
“Oh, he lives.” He shows me the camera when the guy finally pulls the cord on his chute, and a few seconds later, crashes into the ground. The guy growls, “Ouch,” then starts laughing, a low, rumbly laugh. I can’t help but smile and shake my head.
“And he did this all because...”
“They dared him to. Five hundred bucks.”
“He did all of that? For five hundred bucks?”
“He gets more from the video views. A man’s got to put food on the table.” He eyes me up and down. “Specially when he doesn’t have a trust fund coming to him.”
Shaking my head, I push my empty glass forward. “Bartender. Another drink. Please.”
I’m on my third.
He pours it for me. “Classy guy, that Jimmy.”
“In what dictionary?”
He frowns as he sets his phone back into his pocket and polishes a glass. “Huh?”
“What dictionary would define him as classy?”
His eyes widen as if I’ve just murmured something blasphemous. “Well, maybe not your class. He doesn’t own a Rolls. But around here, he’s royalty. Jimmy hangs out here all the time.” He nods at a dark corner booth situated to the right of the bar. “His office is right over there.”
I see the cluttered tabletop and wonder what kind of man leaves a tripod, camera, and old laptop set up in a bar. He must trust the people who patronize this place. Either that or the patrons fear him.
“Jimmy Rowan will do anything for a dare—he’s a man of honor.”
“If he’d do that for five hundred, what would he do for half a million or more?” I grumble, smiling and shaking my head at the thought. At least I can still smile.
“He’d do anything. What? You offering?” He eyes me with new interest, in kind of a smarmy way, as if he thinks I’m asking to buy his services. Who the heck does he think I am? “Ladies go for him.”
Oh god, he does think that.
No, thank you very much,” I mutter. “Ladies or women? I don’t think a lot of ladies would go for someone that foolish.”
He raises his gaze past my shoulders. Silence falls over the room, and then the bartender murmurs, “Speak of the devil...”
There’s a loud crash, followed by a ruckus.
“What’s that?” I glance around at the commotion.
The bartender smiles. “Jimmy Rowan.”
I turn my gaze to the door, and my heart skips a beat. The tall, raw-looking sex machine the bartender refers to doesn’t look anything like a Jimmy. The guy is too tall and eye catching and too...well, hot.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

AUTHOR INFO:

Katy Evans loves family, books, life, and love. She’s married with two children and a dog, and she spends her time baking healthy snacks, taking long walks, and taking care of her family. To learn more about her books in progress, check out www.katyevans.net and sign up for her newsletter.



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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Book Tour for To Tame a Wild Cowboy by Lori Wilde (GIVEAWAY)


A sexy bull rider finds himself an unexpected single father in this endearing small town romance that ends with a marriage of convenience that catches both he and his bride by surprise.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of To Tame a Wild Cowboy by Lori Wilde, then add this contemporary tale to your bookshelf.  In honor of this seventh installment in the Cupid, Texas series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a set of the most recent books in this series too!

New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s series set in Cupid, TX continues as one free-wheeling cowboy discovers he has a child—and a chance at real love with the last woman he expected.
What would it take to tame a wild cowboy?
One minute, Rhett Lockhart is a love ‘em and leave ‘em bull rider with a slow, sexy smile, a swagger, and not a care in the world. The next, he learns his free-wheeling days are over: a baby has been abandoned in the hospital, and there’s no question: he’s the father. But from the first moment he gazes into his daughter’s eyes, he knows the moment has come to say ‘no’ to no-strings. It’s time to grow up.
Standing in his way is the baby’s foster mother, Tara Alzate, who doesn’t quite believe Rhett is ready to change his ways. Still, she’s not not immune to his considerable charms. So when he proposes a marriage of convenience and shared custody, against her better judgement, she says “I do.” Can Tara tame this wild cowboy and make her own, long-buried dreams come true?
EXCERPT:

“Rhett, you may now kiss your bride.” Here it was. The moment Tara had been dreading since she’d cooked up this farcical idea. She’d made him promise to dole out nothing by a mere hint of a kiss, the barest brushing, the smallest increment of lip touching that they could get away with. He’d promised. She trusted him. He leaned in. She braced herself, locking her knees. Hang on. It’ll be over in an instant. His head dipped. She tipped her chin up. Rhett’s mouth came down on hers and for a second, he was playing by the rules and she sighed with relief, and thought, wow, this is nice...But the thought was premature. Her lips parted involuntarily, and she closed her eyes and sank against him. Well and completely lost.


BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  AVON ROMANCE  |  BN  |  iBOOKS  |  GOOGLE PLAY

AUTHOR INFO:

A fifth generation Texan, LORI WILDE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 82 works of fiction. She’s a three-time nominee of the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award and has won numerous other awards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University, and a certificate in forensics.
She is also a certified Hatha yoga instructor, and runs a yoga/creativity retreat for artists at Epiphany Orchards in Weatherford, Texas, the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.


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Book Cover Reveal for Forever With You by Jennifer Labelle (GIVEAWAY)


Two bruised souls find a connection in this intensely emotional romance that will pull at reader’s heartstrings while keeping us glued to the pages.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Forever With You by Jennifer Labelle, then start counting down the days until this series starter hits bookshelves on June 4th.  In honor of this first installment in the Misfit Tattoo series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win an e-copy of this book too!

We’re both broken. Together we’re a disaster waiting to happen.
I know what it’s like to bleed. To have so much pain you can barely breathe. My entire life got burned down in flames, and now I’m nothing.
My escape? Friends, booze, and willing women. They make me feel numb. Better yet, they keep me distracted from the memories that plague me.
When a curvy brunette walks into my tattoo shop I immediately recognize the sad look in her eyes. Pain. Regret. Grief.
But I’m drawn to her, wanting to be near her all the time. Maybe it’s because we have something in common. A broken heart.
Harlow has just about as many walls around her as I do. We’re both ruined, but despite being shattered into a million pieces, the more time we spend together the more she’s beginning to show me what hope looks like. It’s terrifying.
If I keep on pursuing her, there are only two ways this could end. We’ll either help each other mend, or we’ll destroy the last bit of humanity we have left.

PRE-LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (AU)  |  AMAZON (CA)


AUTHOR INFO:

Jennifer Labelle resides in Canada with her husband and three beautiful children. After her third child she became a stay at home mom. In her busy household Jennifer likes to spend her down time engrossed in the stories that she creates. She is an active reader of romance, mystery and anything paranormal. With an education in Addictions work she's decided to take a less stressful approach in life and hopes that you enjoy, as she shares some of her imagination with all of you.


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Monday, May 27, 2019

Happy Memorial Day!


Book Spotlight on Wicked Highland Ways by Mary Wine (GIVEAWAY)

A woman soured on love after an unhappy first marriage does all she can to make herself undesirable, but still finds herself catching the attention of a sexy Highlander in this thoroughly entertaining historical romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Wicked Highland Ways by Mary Wine, then count down the days until this book releases on May 28th.  In honor of this sixth installment in the Highland Weddings series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 5 copies of the previous book in this series too!

Brenda Grant has no desire to marry. Ever since her first, horrible marriage she's made herself into a hellion of a woman to keep men from wanting her. But the Campbells, her previous husband's family, are determined to find her a new husband.
Highland Chief Bothan Gunn is smitten by the woman who won't be tamed. It takes all Brenda's willpower to resist the brawny Highlander who takes her to safety. But as they spend time together—and grow ever closer—Brenda finally finds the freedom she's been longing for all along.

EXCERPT:

Someone pulled her back, encircling her waist with a hard arm and lifting her right off her feet. It happened in an instant, and Addams was knocked in the jaw with a hard fist as a man grabbed a handful of his doublet front to keep Addams from flying into the wall. His head jerked back and his eyes rolled back in his head before the man who’d laid him flat lowered him to the floor in an unconscious heap.
“He needs a wee nap to think about the tone he was using with ye,” Bothan Gunn informed her firmly.
Brenda didn’t care for the way her heart accelerated. Perhaps if she could have attributed it to fear, it might not have mattered, but she knew that wasn’t the cause. Which only alarmed her more.
She knew the danger of emotions. Aye, she knew it well.
“Chief Bothan Gunn,” she muttered as she caught sight of his captain offering a coin to the cook. The man took it in a blink of an eye before settling down and casting his attention toward the hearth. “Ye should not have followed me.”
Bothan Gunn was a huge man. He’d ducked to make it beneath the roofline and had to stay away from the edges of the kitchen because the roof sloped, preventing him from standing upright. They were still close enough to the border that his kilt did not cause too great a disturbance with the men he’d walked past in the yard. But she knew him for what he was: a Highlander. The English around them might make the mistake of believing all Scots the same, but Brenda knew better, and anyone who took the time to look at Bothan Gunn would see he was far harder than any Lowlander.
Bolder too because he was standing there. Somehow, she wasn’t really surprised. Bothan Gunn had always been a man who wasn’t afraid to reach out and grab what he wanted.
“Did ye think I would no’ come for ye, Brenda?” Bothan asked softly, his lips twitching up into a mocking grin.
She’d hoped...
Brenda stiffened, chastising herself for the stray thought. She couldn’t afford such things as personal ideas.
Especially with regard to Chief Bothan Gunn. It wasn’t his clan the King of Scotland would hold accountable if she didn’t go through with her wedding.
Duty. So very sharp-edged. She felt like the very word left open wounds as it crossed her soul. She drew in a deep breath, looking at Bothan and the freedom he represented and knowing she had to deny herself.
Deny yerself…what?
Brenda had refused his suit and ignored the stirrings inside herself.
And she would not be acknowledging any of them now.
Not now, when she had duty weighing her down like a heavy yoke.
“I didn’t realize ye were one to waste yer time,” she muttered as she reached into the barrel and retrieved the pitcher. Water drained down from her hand as she fought to maintain her composure. Her tone wasn’t as bored as she would have liked. And the way his eyes narrowed suggested he saw through her pose.
Bothan always had affected her oddly. Of course, tonight she was certain her heart was beating faster because she longed to be free of her English escort and her date to be wed. The response was only natural after all.
Yes, that was why she felt so very breathless.
“Keeping ye from being forced to wed a black-hearted bastard is no’ what I’d call a waste of me time,” Bothan informed her.
He eased closer to her. She caught a glimpse of his blue eyes in the dim light and realized she was savoring the moment, putting off answering him because he was correct—she had no liking for her circumstances.
Still, duty was duty. Bothan was not just a man. He was chief of the Gunns. It was somewhat more than laird because he’d been elected by his fellow clansmen. He didn’t just have their loyalty; he’d earned it beside them. She drew in a deep breath and stood firmly in place. Me cousin will be branded a traitor if I do not wed Galwell Scrope.” Brenda forced the words past her lips. “I will not shirk from my duty to me family and laird. And ye would not have me if I did. Yer clansmen would vote against ye if ye brought home a woman who turned her back on her kin. Ye should go now, for there is no reason for ye to stay.”


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Sunday, May 26, 2019

Book Spotlight on Sweet Wild of Mine by Laurel Kerr (GIVEAWAY)

It’s a romance that will put a smile on your face as opposites attract in a tale that has a solitary author falling for an outspoken zookeeper in humorous small town interactions.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Sweet Wild of Mine by Laurel Kerr, then start counting down the days until this book releases on May 28th.  In honor of this second installment in the Where the Wild Hearts Are series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of the first book in this series too!

Love runs wild at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo...
In a bid to revitalize his career, bestselling author Magnus Gray has come to Sagebrush Flats to write about the local zoo's latest rescue—an orphaned baby polar bear. But Magnus dreads the drama of small towns and is bullishly determined to keep to himself.
June Winters is a people person, and delights in welcoming Magnus to Sagebrush Flats, though it seems unlikely she can get the handsome stranger to crack a smile. Then a mishap with an open gate forces Magnus and June to deal with a stampeding flock of fainting goats, an adorable but clingy polar bear cub, a cranky pregnant camel, and two star-crossed honey badgers. Never mind small town drama—the lively animals may just convince these two that opposites really do attract...

EXCERPT:

A flicker of softness flashed in Magnus’s blue eyes before they froze over again. “I don’t talk about that isle, lass.”
All of June’s carefully constructed arguments blew from her mind as frustrated anger swept through her. The man was as bullheaded as a groundhog after a fresh tomato. “You wrote an entire book about it.”
“It was a purge.”
“A purge?”
“An enema.”
“Did you just call your bestseller an enema?”
“Aye.”
“You are a complicated man, Magnus Gray.”
“Nay. Just a simple bloke who likes peace, quiet, and a good tattie scone.”
Although June fully believed the man liked solitude and Scottish cooking, she didn’t buy his first claim. The reclusive author had depths greater than Loch Ness that hid mysteries even bigger than a fabled sea monster. Although June excelled at charting a person’s personality within minutes of meeting them, she still couldn’t fathom this man.
“Good day.” With that parting salvo, Magnus Gray started to turn and walk away from June for a fourth time in a row. Before he could take one step, however, everything broke loose in the form of cloven-footed critters.
*****
Honey’s nose twitched as she watched the Giant One and the Blond One. She respected the devious spark lurking in the woman’s green eyes. And she’d been monitoring the hulking newcomer since his arrival. Unlike the careless Fluffy, Honey knew how to conceal her presence. The Giant One had no idea she’d stalked him for days.
He intrigued her. He was not like most weak-willed humans who craved the company of their own kind. The Giant One preferred solitude, just like honey badgers.
Since her arrival at the zoo, Honey had been watching for suitable adversaries. Although the young female cougars had the speed and agility to keep her reflexes limber, they lacked foresight and cunning. The grizzly was elderly and slow. And the rest of the animals did not interest her. Unfortunately, the human keepers did not provide the same amusement as her old biped. They were too pleasant.
But these two were different. They reminded Honey of bees, full of energy as they buzzed at each other. Yes, these two could sting if properly motivated.
Honey smiled as she scurried up a pole of the goat pen. With one swift nudge of her nose, she lifted the latch. Hanging on to the gate, she used her body weight to swing it open. The silly goats immediately bolted for the exit.
Honey shimmied back to the ground. The Giant One was busy tripping over the horned creatures, but the Blond One stood upright. As Honey scampered away, she made sure the female spied her. It was time to make her presence known. After all, what was the point of starting a game if her opponent didn’t know she was a player?
*****
Magnus was not sure what had happened. One moment he was arguing with the barmy lass, and the next, he was surrounded by a blasted herd of bleating, screaming goatsHe’d just started to pivot away from June when two kids darted between his legs. The blighted things must have mistaken him for some sort of shelter as they twined about his ankles. Caught off-balance, he felt his massive frame sway. He couldn’t right himself without stepping on one of the cloven beasties. And, as much as goats annoyed him, he didn’t wish to crush them under his weight.
Twisting his body, he managed to avoid them, but he ended up crashing to the gravel path with a painful thump. Since Magnus couldn’t use his arms to brace his fall, his back collided with the ground, knocking the wind out of him. As he lay gasping like a landed sea trout, one of the wee devils climbed on his chest while the other started eating his hair. Magnus could only lie there as he tried sucking air back into his lungs.
Suddenly, June appeared in his vision, her blond hair hanging around her face like a golden curtain. For once, mirth didn’t sparkle in her bonny green eyes. To his surprise, real concern shone there instead. If he hadn’t met her already, he’d say she looked like an angel hovering over him.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You hit the ground pretty hard.”
He would have reassured her, but that would have required oxygen. Her mouth twisted, and she reached down and lifted a bleating goat off his body. That helped, marginally. Using his eyes, he gestured to the one chewing his hair. She removed that one too. “You just breathe easy now, you hear?”
He had no choice but to listen. As he sprawled spread-eagle on the ground, the lass stood guard, a squirming kid under each arm. A couple adult goats tried to clamber on his body, but June shooed them away. It was odd, he thought, having someone watch over him. His da would have called him a muckle nyaff and left him in disgust for tripping over his own feet.
Finally, Magnus could breathe again. He slowly raised himself on his elbows and then almost plopped right back down. The manky goats were all over the path. How had they escaped?
“A honey badger let them out,” June explained.
Magnus swung his gaze toward her in disbelief. A honey badger had caused all this? What would possess the wee beastie to open the pen?
“By its size, I think it was the female, Honey. I saw her darting away just after you fell.”
Baws.” Magnus finally managed.
“If you’re okay, I’ll go put these two critters back in their home before we get the rest,” June said, lifting the kids in her arms. They bleated loudly in protest. Magnus nodded. As he heaved himself to his feet, June dropped the two bairns back in the paddock.
Sighing heavily, Magnus took after two of the goats. They screamed like banshees and darted away. Magnus swore. He hated chasing the slippery wee devils. Give him a cow or even a pig.
“I don’t think we need to run them down,” June said.
He swung toward her, irritated. He doubted she’d done much farming. “How do you propose we get them back in the pen then, lass?”
She smirked, that gleam back in her green eyes. “Strategy.”
Then, she reached down and grabbed a metal feed bucket hanging from the corner of the pen. She smashed it against the steel gate, the sound ringing sharply through the air. The fainting goats toppled and hopped everywhere, and Magnus had to admit it made corralling them easier.
She grabbed the wee ones, while he hoisted the adults. They had to bang the gate a few more times, but they managed to quickly clear the path of goats. When the last bleating goat was dumped back in its home, Magnus turned to regard his unexpected helper. The cold and the exertion had brought color to June’s cheeks, making her bonnier than ever. She was as fair and delicate as the fae folk in the German tales, and just as devious. And something about her made Magnus wonder what the price of kissing a fairy would be.
Too steep. Much too steep.


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