Book Tour for Chasing Charli by Kat Mizera (REVIEW)

A shy and quiet school teacher finds herself drawn to a sexy hockey player in need of a tutor in this endearing and sensual hockey-fueled romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Chasing Charli by Kat Mizera, along with my impressions of it, then add this sixth installment in the Alaska Blizzard series to your bookshelf!

Resisting her may be his toughest test of all...

Finnish hockey star Miikka Laasonen may seem to live a charmed life, but the reality is that he's lonely. His struggle with learning the English language makes it hard for him to fit in and to make matters worse, his Finnish girlfriend tires of their long-distance relationship and dumps him.

Kindergarten teacher Charlotte “Charli” Bartosiewicz made a life-changing decision in her teens, and she’s battled guilt and regret ever since. She punishes herself by refusing to date and staying to herself because she doesn't feel worthy of love.

When introduced by a mutual friend, Miikka recognizes another lonely soul in Charli, but there’s more to it than that, something he’s never felt before. He convinces her to take a chance on him by tutoring him in English, but he really wants her to take a chance on love.

Miikka is determined to convince Charli that she's worthy of him. But even if he does, will their love be strong enough to go the distance?

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (INT)  |  iBOOKS  |  BN  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Though there was a sense of familiarity about this story I still found myself falling for these characters while their words and deeds pulled at my heartstrings.  From the first page to the last Ms. Mizera took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as a woman with a past full of betrayals puts her heart on the line one last time while teaching a sweet and sexy Finnish hockey player English...which soon turns to the language of love instead.

Miikka Laasonen is a delicious hero, a talented hockey player with a kind heart.  He's a true gentleman too who was recently dumped by his long distance girlfriend and is still feeling a bit lost because of it.  He's the kind of player who's focused on the game, has partaken in puck bunnies from time to time in the past, but is happy to stay in the background for the most part while doing his job on the ice.  He clearly struggles with English throughout the story and Ms. Mizera's depiction of his difficulties was realistic and utterly endearing, winning me over from the very start.  His difficulties bind him to kindergarten teacher Charlotte “Charli” Bartosiewicz early on and from there they evolve from friends to lovers as Miikka's confidence grows.  Behind his gentlemanly demeanor is a master at dirty talk, a man quite comfortable with sensuality and it made his scenes with Charli combustible.  While scorching up the pages they also had to deal with her insecurities and fears, her deep-seated pain from feeling abandoned when she needed support most.  Miikka's there for her through it all though, sexy and supportive, and quickly showed himself to be the quintessential book boyfriend in a relationship full of realistic highs and lows.

Charli Bartosiewicz desperately wants to move forward in life, but a painful past keeps holding her back from embracing happiness.  She's clearly stuck in a rut when readers first meet her, keeping to herself while closing off chances to make friends (and more) out of fear of being left alone.  Her intro to Miikka is unexpected but very fortuitous as he's just what she needs to finally move beyond her past.  Their sweet and subtle friendship put a smile on my face from the very start, allowing them to grow closer in a connection that warmed my heart before the fireworks flew in a relationship that turned super steamy.  Every step of the way saw Charli at war with herself, waffling between feeling empowered one moment and feeling unworthy the next.  My heart ached for her during those times while I cheered each time she put herself out there.  With each turn of the page Miikka was the perfect companion for her as they made each other better in a romance that shined with both tender and scorching moments.

Though this is the sixth installment in the Alaska Blizzard series it definitely stands strongly on its own with an uplifting romance full of heart and soul.  With its near-perfect hero, and a realistic heroine dealing with her own emotional baggage, readers will be glued to their journey to HEA and rooting for them every step of the way.  There's a beautiful balance of romance too, both as friends and as lovers, in this story set amidst the backdrop of hockey to keep fans of both themes happy.  Along with this entertaining main couple was an equally strong cast of secondary characters whose connections were reminders of previous stories as well as promises of what's to come in future pairings.  I enjoyed getting glimpses of Ryder and Donovan, new additions to the time, who appear to enjoy the ladies while dealing with their own uncertainties and I'm left counting down the days until their HEAs land at their feet.

My rating for this is a B+

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

AUTHOR INFO:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she'd probably choose the west coast.

A typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat can usually be found scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) - traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible.

Kat's been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist, waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles.

As you can guess from her Las Vegas Sidewinders series, Kat loves hockey and occasionally writes articles about her favorite team, the Florida Panthers. The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...

FACEBOOK  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  |  TWITTER  |  BOOKBUB  |  WEBSITE

FREEBIE ALERT - Our Options Have Changed by Julia Kent & Elisa Reed

Readers rejoice as this delightful tale of a woman wanting to start a family, who finds herself attracted to a man who’s already raised a family of his own, is currently FREE!  Until February 12th you can get Our Options Have Changed by Julia Kent & Elisa Reed for free after being tempted by the glimpse I’m giving you of it today.  Start reading this first installment in the On Hold series right now by visiting your favorite book seller and adding it to your bookshelf!

Having it all is a fantasy, right?

Chloe Browne knows all about fantasy. Fantasy is her job.

And she’s very, very good at what she does.

As director of design for the O Spa chain, a sophisticated women’s club that is trending its way into being the Next Big Thing, Chloe’s ready to take on the world.

One baby at a time.

Her home study’s done, and she’s about to adopt, a thirty-something single mother by choice. Who needs to put her life on hold for the right guy when the right baby is waiting for her?

Besides, talk about fantasy.

The right guy?

Pfft. Right.

And then in walks Nick Grafton, with those commanding sapphire eyes and wavy blonde hair and a sophisticated mouth that only smiles for her.

He’s perfect.

But the last thing Nick wants is to start fresh with a new baby as his college-age kids fly the coop. A single father for more than fifteen years after his wife walked out on her family, Nick finally tastes freedom.

But he likes the taste of Chloe more.

EXCERPT:

O is a twenty-first century club for sophisticated women. A fourth space for women of a discerning taste.

Home is the first space. Work is the second space. Third spaces are locations like coffee shops and malls.

O is the fourth space. The space where you can arrive. Rest. Relax. Indulge. Be someone you can’t be in the other three spaces.

Based on our membership rates, we’re onto something. Our investors are, shall we say, pleased.

O does have a public presence, thanks to our retail environments. In Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and soon in New Orleans, sophisticated consumers can spend hours—and hundreds of dollars—browsing our selection of “elegant accessories for intimate pleasure.”

That’s right—sex toys. That’s what the masses call them. Except at O, we cater to a clientele that doesn’t want to be one of the hoi polloi. They want to be unique. In the know. Enlightened and cosmopolitan on the surface.

But a wildcat down…below.

Which makes a Grade C unacceptable. No one wants to be average.

Especially down below.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  iBOOKS  |  KOBO  |  BN  |  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (CA)  |  AMAZON (AU)  |  BOOKBUB  |  GOOGLE PLAY

AUTHORS INFO:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

Elisa Reed is a journalist-turned-fiction-writer whose snappy,  irreverent prose combines with an irrepressible zest for the simpler, and often intimate, pleasures of life to produce fun(ny) contemporary romance with a focus on second chances. New England born and bred, Elisa Reed now lives, writes, and plays in New Orleans and along the sugar sands of the Gulf Coast.

FIND AT FACEBOOK here.

Book Tour for The Other Brother by Meghan Quinn (REVIEW)

Readers will find themselves drawn to this tale of second chances as a woman returns to her hometown to find herself the neighbor of her ex-boyfriend.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Other Brother by Meghan Quinn, with its charming romance and surprising complications, along with my impressions of it too!

I got the call. The dreaded call every child fears. My dad wasn’t well, and the man who had always been my everything needed me.
There was only one thing to do; pack up and head back to my hometown. I had finally made my dream life in the city with the great job and loving boyfriend. But was there really a choice not to go?
I found a wonderful job, a quaint house to rent, my boyfriend was working on joining me in Binghamton, and my favorite pizza place was only miles away. Life was good.
Until I met my neighbor.
It's been three years since I'd seen Aaron Walters, and my God is he all kinds of sexy gorgeous. Figures. He was supposed to be my forever, the man I grew old with, but he had different plans. How can a man who ripped my heart apart still trip me up? How can he make me still want him now more than ever?
I’m tempted, I’m drawn toward him, I’m completely and utterly unaware that I’m dating his biological brother.
Now two men own my heart. The question is, which brother will I choose?

EXCERPT:

Why? Why does he have to magically appear in my life? Moving back to Binghamton, I thought about the possibility of maybe running into him, but I thought it unlikely, something that would never really happen.

Boy, was I wrong.

What a sick joke life is playing on me.

Aaron Walters, the boy who broke me into pieces is my neighbor.

I can’t fathom the impact I feel already.

Seeing him in hip-hugging jeans and a tight, plain shirt did a number on me. It kept me up all night as memories of what we used to have flooded my mind.

His voice.

His stature.

The way he used to kiss my neck.

The way I felt so protected in his arms.

Too bad his arms couldn’t protect me from his devastating, heart-breaking self.

And hell, he looked good. Too good.

He’s always been tall with handsome features and a chiseled jaw, but now he’s bulked up to the point that I could see his abs flexing under his shirt, the same shirt that stretched over his biceps.

But it wasn’t his muscles or handsome features that once again made my heart ache, it was those eyes. So bright, so blue, so kind, but still so sad. It reminded me of the first day I met him, of the day he stole my heart from every other man on the market.

Broken, unsure, yet yearning for love. It was all there, and like experiencing a moment of déjà vu, I was transported back into a time when I felt invisible, like I could conquer anything with him at my side.

Once again, I was wrong.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (PRINT)  |  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (CA)  |  AMAZON (AU)

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Readers will find themselves charmed by this tale of a second chance romance courtesy of a delicious hero teeming with self-esteem issues and a heroine who‘s never forgotten her first love.  Lots of warm fuzzies abound in this standalone read that put a smile on my face while pulling at my heartstrings. By the turn of the final page readers will be left cheering and counting down the days until Ms. March releases yet another unforgettable read.

Amelia Santos knew the moment she met Aaron Walters that her life would never be the same.  After over a year of being together Amelia thought Aaron would be her forever, but he inexplicably broke up with her and left her reeling with self-doubts.  She moved on and found a new man to care for but when she returns to her hometown to care for her father fate finds her the next door neighbor to her tempting ex-boyfriend.  Sparks fly from the very beginning in sweet and sensual interludes that show Aaron to be as tempting as ever as Amelia continues to hang on to the past while trying to make a new future for herself.  Amelia may be caught up in heartache over her past, but she never loses sight of what she wants.  She sticks up for herself, but doesn’t hesitate to ask hard questions that create conflict.  Amelia seems content at first but as the story progresses we see a heroine dealing with her own self-doubts and her own painful past as she tries to forgive past heartache to embrace the future.  She’s a feisty heroine who gives as good as she gets, is kindhearted, and values family above all else.  Her interactions with Aaron early on may be a bit awkward but as the story progresses they ease into a friends-to-lovers romance teeming with sexual tension that kept me glued to the pages.

Aaron Walters is used to settling as his childhood teemed with moments of unworthiness because of brothers given up for adoption in order to get a better life.  While his brothers went on to lives full of everything they wanted he was stuck longing for more as his mother’s addictions left them with nothing.  The only bright spot in his life was Amelia as with her he finally felt worthy. Belonging to her finally made him feel like a winner and drove him to decisions that were heartbreaking but ultimately led both of them to success.  It’s been a lonely existence since he pushed Amelia away, an existence of all work and no play. Seeing her again though gives him all sorts of hope, gives him the chance to make his wrong decision right.  Unbeknownst to him, Amelia’s current boyfriend has a complicated connection to him that brings all his old feelings of self-doubt to the surface to put their new-found HEA in doubt.  Aaron’s a delicious hero with a heart of gold.  Despite all the emotional pain his mother inflicts on him he’s still there for her whenever she calls.  His whole life he’s felt like second best, but with each sweet word and deed it’s clear that he’s the quintessential hero and is deserving of HEA.  With his kind heart and protective instincts it all adds up to a deliciously unforgettable hero who I was rooting for every step of the way.

This was a sweet and sexy tale of second chances that pulled at my heartstrings with each turn of the page.  Amelia and Aaron were a charming couple when they were younger, but know that they’re older and wiser they’re a formidable one.  Before they thought nothing could tear them apart, but now they know better and it makes them less likely to give up without a fight.  Surrounding this immensely likable main couple is a cast of appealing secondary characters that are larger-than-life and strong supports in helping Amelia and Aaron get their HEA.  Aaron’s friends Racer and Tucker often made me smile and endeared themselves to me as they were always there when Aaron needed a shoulder to lean on.  Their own romances brought out a sweet side to both and has me ready to pick up their stories to learn more about them.  Amelia’s friend Amanda was another bright spot in this story that brought a bit of humor and wise words when needed most and she too deserves her story to be told.  Ms. Quinn set this romance in a quaint small town full of colorful denizens that added even more spark to an already charming romance as each citizen played their part in matchmaking.  From start to finish this was a romance full of heart and soul, a romance of second chances and accepting love when it’s offered. It’s a powerful romance that stands strongly on its own and is one I wholeheartedly recommend.

My rating for this is an A.

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

AUTHOR INFO:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.
Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.
Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  WEBSITE  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  |  INSTAGRAM