Book Spotlight on A Match Made in Texas by Margaret Brownley (GIVEAWAY)

Girl Power takes on a whole new meaning with this historical romance.  Enemies soon become so much more as the truth is revealed between a woman sworn to uphold the law and a man who epitomizes danger, yet is oh so appealing.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of A Match Made in Texas by Margaret Brownley, along with a fun fact about the book, then count down the days until it releases on June 6th.  In honor of this second installment in the Match Made in Texas western series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win one of three bundles of the books in this series too!

FUN FACT FROM THE BOOK:  You’re invited to a hanging; Amanda was shocked when the mayor sent out invitations to a necktie party, but that’s how it was done in those days—for real.

Welcome to Two-Time Texas:

Where tempers burn hot

Love runs deep

And a single woman can change the course of history:

There’s a new sheriff in town.

Amanda Lockwood gets more than she bargained for when she’s elected Two-Time Texas’s first female sheriff. Anxious to prove herself, she sets out to stop crime in its tracks—taking down wanted man Rick Barrett in the process. But there’s something special about the charming outlaw. Common sense says he must be guilty…but her heart keeps telling her otherwise.

So what’s a sheriff to do? Gather an all-female posse and ride to save the day.

Things sure don’t look good for Rick. If he doesn’t convince the pretty sheriff to let him go, he’ll soon be pushing up daisies. But his plan to woo her to his side backfires when he’s the one who falls head over heels. Now he must choose between freedom or saving the woman he loves…and the clock is ticking.

Who knew A Match Made in Texas could be such sweet, clean, madcap fun?

EXCERPT:

Rick looked up from the newspaper as Miss Sheriff stormed into the cell room. One look at her face told him she was loaded to the muzzle.

Standing, he gaped at her. Never had he seen her horns in such a tangle. “What’s got you so riled this time?"

She glared at him, eyes flashing blue fire. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again!” The red feather on her hat shook as she spoke. “I am not letting you go. So you can just get that out of your head."

He rubbed the back of his neck. “All right."

She narrowed her eyes. “I mean it."

“I heard you."

Her eyes blazed with doubt. “Whether you like it or not, you’re standing trial. Your lawyer--"

“So that’s what this is about. Birdsh…uh…talked to you."

“He’s trying to save your neck."

“By having me admit to somethin’ I didn’t do!"

She blew out her breath. “If you work with him, justice--"

“Justice? Justice! I spent five years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit. Five years! That’s what justice did to me."

She gasped as if someone had just punched her in the stomach and he immediately regretted his hastily spoken words.

“I-I didn’t know,” she stammered.

There was no way she could know. His breath whooshed out of him. He hated arguing with her. She wasn’t to blame for any of this. The endless court delays and failed efforts to find the real killer frustrated him, but it wasn’t fair to take it out on her.  He sensed that she truly cared about him and wanted to help him—or was that just wishful thinking on his part?  All he really knew for sure was that he needed someone to believe in and he wanted that person to be Amanda.

“They thought I killed my wife,” he said quietly, the previously unspoken words sounding strange even to his own ears.

Her lips parted and eyes widened, but otherwise she didn’t move.  “Go on,” she said as he struggled to continue.

And so, at last, he told her the whole ugly story. Each word weighed heavy, like it carried a piece of his heart with it. How he found his wife dead. The long, drawn-out trial. The fact that it took five years before a witness came forward. He told her everything except perhaps the most important thing of all—that the man he was now accused of killing was his wife’s real killer.

The eyes that had moments earlier blazed with blue fire now softened with sympathy and compassion. “I’m so sorry."

Something snapped inside him. He didn’t want her feeling sorry for him. Memories of the past had stirred up the anger he’d thought had been long buried.

“So what do you want me to do? Stand by and let justice fail again?” He didn’t know he’d raised his voice until he saw her flinch.

“You can do that!” she shouted back. “Or you can stand up and fight like a man."

“I am fightin’. The only way I know how. By tryin’ to find the real killer.” He picked up a stack of photographs from his cot and waved them at her. “Given enough time and with Hobson’s help I’ll find him. I swear to God I will."

Her eyes widened. “Hobson took those?"

He tossed the photographs onto the cot. “I gave him the description of the man seen leaving Cooper’s room. He hauled in every man he could find fittin’ that description, but it took too much time. We figured that photographs would be quicker.” He frowned. “I don’t want the kid gettin’ into trouble for this."

He heard her intake of breath. “I-I don’t know what to say."

“Say you believe me. Say you believe I’m innocent. Say—” Surprised that he’d almost asked her to say that she cared, he clamped down on his jaw. “T-that’s all I want."

“I—” She shook her head. “I want to..."

He didn’t mean to make her feel bad. She had enough on her shoulders. Enough to worry about. Guilt washed over him. He’d tried to take advantage of her inexperience and yes, even her good heart. For that he felt ashamed.

“I won’t ask you to help me escape. Never again.” His voice hardened. “Just don’t ask me to put my faith in the justice system.”

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

AUTHOR INFO:

New York Times and CBA best-selling author MARGARET BROWNLEY has penned nearly forty novels and novellas. Her books have won numerous awards, including Readers' Choice and Award of Excellence. She's a former Romance Writers of American RITA® finalist and has written for a TV soap.  She is currently working on a new series.  Not bad for someone who flunked eighth grade English.  Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.

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Book Spotlight on A Sky Full of Stars by Samantha Chase (GIVEAWAY)

Opposites attract in this sensual tale that combines the beauty of nature with the metaphysical with readers getting to be a part of the unexpected romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of A Sky Full of Stars by Samantha Chase, then add it to your bookshelf.  In honor of this fifth installment in the Shaughnessy Brothers series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a bundle of books from Ms. Chase's backlist too!

The stars are about to align in the newest Shaughnessy brothers romance!
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Brilliant astrophysicist Dr. Owen Shaughnessy feels more connected to the cosmos than to people. He’s great with calculations, but when he leads a team of scientists to study a famous meteor shower, he doesn’t factor in his free-spirited artist assistant Brooke Matthews.
LOVE CAN DAZZLE YOU
Polar opposites in personality, the friction between them threatens to derail the project. But the beauty and mystery of the night sky draw Owen and Brooke together—and she’s going to surprise him in ways the stars never could.

EXCERPT:

“That was…interesting."

“I never thought I’d see those two mediums used together."

“I may have to stab my own eyes out to make sure I never see it again,” Brooke said and then shuddered. They had just left the art gallery, and she waited until they were at the corner before looking at Owen. “I am so sorry."

He looked taken aback by her apology. “Why?"

“That was horrible! Everything in there was offensive and tasteless and just…wrong! I can’t believe an art professor would recommend that to anyone!"

“Maybe he didn’t know exactly what kind of art was being displayed."

Brooke shook her head. “He had to know. He raved about the whole thing—like he was familiar with the kind of work this guy did!"

“Maybe he’s into that kind of thing. There were a lot of people there who were praising pretty much everything they saw."

Even though she knew Owen was right, she was still horrified. All of the pictures featured nudes in cages—and then there was wire caging coming out of the picture to give it a 3-D effect. Splashes of color looked as if they were just thrown onto the canvas, and all in all the exhibit had been fairly horrific to her. Brooke didn’t consider herself a prude, but these images were definitely not something she would have chosen to see.

Ever.

And now she was mortified because she had invited Owen along. To his credit, he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the whole thing. It was possible he was trying to be polite and didn’t want to offend her in case she found the work interesting. But after the first five minutes of being there, Brooke had wanted to escape. Somehow, however, Owen had drawn her into conversation as they walked around the gallery and made several observations that had her wondering if he really didn’t see what was so…bizarre about the entire thing.

And that had been eye-opening for her. They stayed much longer than she’d imagined they would—especially after seeing the art—but they had talked the entire time, and after a while, she didn’t even notice their surroundings. She simply enjoyed the conversation, whichturned to the architecture of the building rather than the show.

“So that was an art showing,” Owen said conversationally.

She nodded. “I really wish it had been a better experience."

“Is this the sort of thing you want to do? Have your paintings displayed in one particular gallery?"

“I think so. That was one of the reasons I went to talk to Dr. Kennedy. I really wanted his input on ways to get my name out there to some of the local galleries. I was hoping he’d give me some insight into how to get started."

Without commenting, Owen simply nodded.

“I don’t know about you,” she began, “but the thought of walking back to the pier is just a little exhausting. Would you mind if we grabbed a cab?"

“Not at all.” Walking to the curb, he quickly hailed one, and once they were inside, he instructed the driver where to take them.

“Thank you,” Brooke said, resting her head back on the seat. “I know I could have made the walk, but I’m just worn out."

“It was a lot of walking,” he agreed. “I’ll have the driver drop you at your car and take me back to my hotel."

“Oh."

Turning his head toward her, he looked at her until she met his gaze. “What’s wrong?"

She shrugged. It was silly to be disappointed. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, she knew it was late—almost midnight—but she wasn’t ready for the night to end.

“I just thought I’d drive you back there, and maybe we could have a drink or something before we called it a night.

He studied her for a moment, and she was afraid she had been too forward and he was going to turn her down.

“I’d like that,” he said, surprising her yet again.

“Good,” she said, smiling.

The ride to her car took only a few minutes, and Owen paid the driver and thanked him as they climbed out. Silently they walked to her car, and for the first time that night, she truly felt nervous. There wasn’t anything she could put her finger on, but for some reason Brooke knew it was a big deal that they were out together tonight and they were both unwilling to let the night come to an end.

Or perhaps she was seeing only what she wanted to see.

They stopped next to her car, and she turned to him. “I don’t think I know what hotel you’re staying at."

“It would probably be easier for me to drive. That is…if you don’t mind."

Brooke willingly handed him the keys, and they were on the move minutes later. Traffic was a little bit lighter than it had been earlier in the evening but still heavier than she would have expected for this time of night. Everything was lit up, and the sidewalks were still crowded, and she loved the energy of it all. They turned off the main road, and Owen pulled into an underground garage and parked.

“I was so busy people-watching I didn’t even notice where we are.” There was a possibility that was the wrong thing to admit to, but...

“That’s okay,” he said, taking the keys out and handing them to her. Neither made a move to get out of the car though.

She watched him for a moment—noticed how he was staring at the steering wheel and how he seemed to be thinking about something but she had no idea what. Turning in her seat, she faced him. “Owen--"

“I’d like to kiss you,” he blurted out.

Her eyes went wide, and her heart beat madly in her chest. “You…you would?"

Owen looked at her, his dark eyes so full of emotion. He shook his head. “I’m sure there was a more eloquent way to say that, but…I’m not very eloquent,” he added quietly.

Reaching out, Brooke took one of his hands in hers—relishing the warmth she found there—and marveled at how large it was. And there was strength there. He didn’t have the hands of a man who sat behind a desk pushing papers around, and the skin-on-skin contact was far more arousing than she thought possible. “You’re more eloquent than you think you are,” she said softly.

The look he gave her said he didn’t quite believe her. “I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Brooke, and I know we’re going to go inside and have a drink, and we’ll talk some more and…well…the longer we talk and the later it gets, it’s going to make me want to kiss you even more. It’s wrong for me to want to, but--"

“Why is it wrong?” she interrupted.

And there were those eyes that had her more than ready to crawl across the seat and into his lap. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that was almost her undoing.

“I hurt you. I know you didn’t say anything about it, but I know Howard probably talked to you and told you about Red Rock.” He looked away and shook his head. “It was wrong of me to do it like that. I should have talked to you myself. I’m sorry."

“Owen, I’m not going to lie to you. I was hurt, and yes, I was pretty angry with you earlier. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I thought we were at least becoming friends. I hated hearing about your decision from my uncle, but…I kind of understand why you did it that way. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for you to make."

“None of this is easy,” he murmured and then looked up at her again. “I’m not good at this sort of thing—playing it cool and pretending I’m not interested in you when in fact I am. So…I’d completely understand if you didn’t want to stay and have that drink or talk like we’d planned. You’re probably sitting there trying to figure out a nice way to tell me to get out of the car."

Brooke was about to correct him, but Owen kept talking.

“I thought about hiring you, but I couldn’t. Not because I don’t want you on the trip, but because I knew I couldn’t handle working with you every day and having you close by while I’m attracted to you. And knowing you were only there because you wanted to paint and that you weren’t interested in me."

Now she had to speak. Before he could get another word out, she squeezed his hand and got his attention. “But you’re wrong."

He didn’t seem to understand what she was talking about.

“I do want to go on this trip to paint—I’m not going to deny that—but…Owen, I’m attracted to you too. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, and the more time we spend together, the more I want to spend with you. I was afraid maybe you didn’t want me on the trip because I wasn’t smart enough or--"

She never got to finish.

Owen closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his hands as his lips claimed hers.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  iBOOKS

AUTHOR INFO:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return in November 2011.

Although she waited until she was in her 40s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

With almost fifty titles currently to her name, she has no plans to slow down.  You won't find her books with the erotica or paranormal titles, all of her works are pure contemporary romances.
When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

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Book Spotlight on His Everything by Delilah Hunt

Readers who enjoy romances full of naughtiness will find themselves drawn to this tale of two people who grew up in unhappy households thinking they were half-siblings until the truth was finally revealed.  The close bond they had was altered that day, through the truth and through adoption, as they were tore apart and remade as something else.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of the pseudo-taboo romance of His Everything by Delilah Hunt, then add this erotically-charged tale set amidst the world of MMA to your bookshelf!

Jules and I grew up together, living as brother and sister. Two different moms and the same drunk, abusive sorry excuse for a father Larry.

I’d always wondered why the old man and I couldn’t stand each other, until the day he let me know the truth–he wasn’t my real father.

When social workers finally took Jules and me away from him, she became adopted, and I bounced from foster home to foster home, landing myself in trouble until I wised up, trained like a beast and became an MMA champion fighter.

On the day Jules re-entered my life, I took one look at her cute round face and luscious curves and knew I was a goner.

There’s not a damn thing brotherly about the way I feel for my girl. Jules belongs to me, always has and I dare anyone to tell me what I feel for her is wrong or that we shouldn’t be together.

EXCERPT:

That single realization settles everything. Jules has to be my girl. One way or the other, she has to see we can be more to each other. On that thought, I swallow down the round of nerves threatening to take control of me and hop into my car. Half an hour later, including a drive across the bridge that connects our cities, I find myself pulling up outside the bookstore she’d mentioned. Jules is already on the sidewalk waiting for me.

I rake my gaze over her and feel my balls grow heavy with cum. Only for her. My girl’s hair is held up in a ponytail high on her head with wisps of hair tumbling beside her ears. Her dress is tight at the top, outlining her breasts and cinched at the waist. The thin material flows over her sexy hips downward to the middle of her thighs.
“You have a test or something coming up?” I ask, clearing my throat as she climbs inside to sit beside me. I hope my voice sounds normal, not shaky like I’d just imagined tearing off that dress and whatever she had on underneath to feast my eyes on her naked pussy.
She smiles at me. “Hi to you too."
Heat races up my neck up into my cheeks. Point taken. That was less than smooth. “I only asked because you were at a bookstore and all. Figured it had something to do with your classes."
“No,” she says, biting her lip. “I read sometimes–just for the fun of it. Once in a while, it’s nice to go inside an actual store instead of buying online."

“All right.” I steal a glance at her while watching the road. The truth is, I’m relieved this has nothing to do with her schooling. If Jules gets ready to start talking about college and all that stuff, I won’t have anything to say. The last thing I want is to open my mouth and have her look at me like a dirty ex-con, high school dropout. Then again, I’m not even sure she knows about my time in prison.
“You don’t look bad,” she murmurs out of the blue as the car winds around a curved path leading back to the bridge.

“No?” I chuckle, wondering where she was going with this. “I never thought I did. You trying to tell me something, Jules?"
Her cheeks turn a dark strawberry shade of red. So damn sweet. Exactly how I imagine her lips to taste. “I meant because of the fight. I guess it’s a silly comment though, considering I read that the guy you fought ended up being taken to the hospital later that night."

“He’s okay, Jules. It was just a precaution because of the strikes he took to the head. More for insurance reason than anything else. Trust me; he’s gonna take a whole lot more if he wants to stay in this sport."
“What about you? I didn’t see you getting hit in the head."

Concern for me again. “I know all about how dangerous head injuries are. I don’t train as hard as I do to take hits better. I train to avoid them, especially the ones to the head. It’s all a part of Harv’s coaching method and one of the reasons I train with him."
Her shoulders relax with what looks like relief. I use this opportunity to test the waters, see how much she’s willing to admit. “Still worrying about me after all this time?"
Jules turns to face me, her eyes locked onto mine. “Always Maddox. Always."

Always sweetness. Always. Had she noticed what I’d called her in a moment of madness over the phone? Guess so. My throat tightens and my chest aches with so much love for this girl. A moment passes between us. It feels like the air’s been sucked dry. Focusing on the road and keeping us safe, was the only thing stopping me from leaning over and sampling her luscious lips.

No Sanity.
Jules makes a little sound in her throat then sweeps her tongue across her lips while looking at me. “Did you have fun at your party Saturday night?"
“Not as much as I should have."
“Why not? You earned that big celebration.” Her brows go up, but her voice dips, so low for a second I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly, until she adds, “Or weren’t there enough girls to keep you satisfied?"

“Keep me satisfied?” My hands tremble on the steering wheel. That comment… So unexpected. Hell, that sounds like something a jealous bitch would say. Jules is the furthest thing from a bitch. Is she jealous?
Be jealous Jules. Fuck if I don’t want her to be green and bathing in envy. If she was… I draw in a low breath, my mind racing, spinning out of control. That would mean I’m right and she sees me as more than a brother. Might even be as wet for me as I’m painfully hard for her.
“Jules..."
She shakes her head and looks toward the window. “I shouldn’t have made that comment. It was out of line."
Her jaws tighten and her fingers are locked together, resting on her lap. All right. I’ll give her some time to cool down. “I hope you know we’re not done with this conversation."
At that she snaps to the side, facing me with a look of utter confusion on her pretty face. “I’m sorry I said anything. There’s nothing else to discuss. Really, Maddox, it’s none of my business what you do."
I keep quiet for a while, planning my next move. Once we’re at the gym, I kill the engine and glance over at Jules. She’ still staring out of the damn window, been at it for a good ten minutes. Annoyed, not at her but myself for not knowing the best way to get around all this bullshit, I pull the keys out of the ignition, louder than necessary to get her attention. She looks at me, blinking in surprise. Good.
“Do you want to make it your business?” I grate, unable to mask the edge of anger in my voice.
“Make what my business?"
“Me. Maybe I want you to have a say in what I do. Just like I’d like to have a say in what you do. We can be in each other’s business if that’s how you want to put it."
She stares at me, her brows furrowing then slowly relaxing. Jules sinks a tooth into her bottom lip, appearing unsure while all I can think about is taking those lips between mine and sucking deep, while I feed my cock into her.

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

AUTHOR INFO:

Delilah Hunt lives in Germany with her husband and three children. From the moment she opened her first romance novel at the tender age of twelve, she has never looked back, holding this genre close to her heart. Apart from writing and reading, Delilah Hunt loves to be outside, going for long walks and getting ideas for her next books.

If you enjoyed this book and any of her other books, please be sure to leave a review and stop by her site to see what else she is working on. Thank you.

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK

Book Blast for Hearthstone Alpha by A.C. Melody (GIVEAWAY)

Readers looking for an exhilarating thrill ride will get just that with this erotically-charged romance that pits a strong-willed woman against fate.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Hearthstone Alpha by A.C. Melody, and learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour, then add this paranormal read to your bookshelf.  In honor of this romance of mates and heart pounding decisions make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 bookstore GC too!

All Reyna Daniels wants is to secure her return home to Minneapolis. The last thing she needs is to find her world completely inundated by the magnetizing, hostile Corbyn Bruschard and his group of male-model friends.

Corbyn's not ashamed at being everywhere, since it's his territory, and he's certainly not going to apologize for trying to keep Reyna safe. Especially when she's his mate.

With all signs pointing to an old enemy's return, Reyna's going to have to suck it up and face her ancient Norse heritage fast. That doesn't mean she has to accept being mated to an Alpha who threatens all of her hard-earned independence.

EXCERPT:

He visibly reined it back, calmed. “Why not just let him play hookey for the day?” He suggested, apology lacing a tone that still sounded very determined. “It’s only for a few hours, Serena."

“Because, it’s routine, Corbyn,” Serena countered. “His father and I have already discussed it. I will be joining Justin at school today. Auntie Rey, too, if she wants."

“Well, I was going to—” Reyna started, when Corbyn’s eyes flashed to hers.

“Go to school with your nephew,” he finished for her.

No apology this time, just straight up authority.

“Yay!” Justin clapped, jumping out of Reyna’s arms and taking off out of the room again, which forced Serena to follow, but not before she leveled Corbyn with a stern look.

In the silence that followed, Reyna couldn’t tamp her anger down no matter how hard she tried.

“I don’t like bullies,” she stated clearly, looking Corbyn dead in the eyes.

“And I don’t like having to bully,” he returned gently, sincerely. “But I will do whatever is necessary to keep everyone here safe. That includes you."

Reyna eyed him, unable to find the voice of reason inside her that should have been asking why he found it was his place to protect anyone in that household, when that should be her brother’s job. She turned away from him and felt his strong fingers curl under hers again. It succeeded in stopping her, but she didn’t look back this time.

“You can’t make me the enemy already, Reyna,” Corbyn stated passionately. “I’m just getting started.”

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN

AUTHOR INFO:

A.C. Melody lives in Washington State, is the proud mom of two amazing sons – okay, so they're typical boys and always keep her on her toes! Stemming from a family of artists and musicians, she thrives in all things creative and would call a day without her MP3 player and coffee a day of reckoning. When she's not writing, reading, drawing or cheering on the sidelines at football games, A.C. Also enjoys gardening, which has honed her ability to dodge raindrops into an enviable skill.

A.C. Melody loves interacting with her fans and fellow authors. She can be reached at a_c_melody@outlook.com or on any of the following media sites:

TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  BLOG  |  ABOUT ME

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Book Tour for Without Words by Delancey Stewart (REVIEW)

Readers drawn to characters who are far from perfect will find themselves quickly consumed by this romance between a bubbly and kindhearted woman and a former firefighter dealing with a brain injury.  As both of them try to make lives for themselves readers will be left rooting for them every step of the way.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Without Words by Delancey Stewart, along with getting my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf!

Sometimes love speaks for itself...

After an accident in the line of duty, firefighter Roberto DeRosa’s life is turned upside down. His career fighting fires is over, and he’s left with an uncertain future and an injury that makes communicating difficult for him. The only time words flow easily is when they’re lyrics and he has a guitar in his hands. Talking to women is definitely out, especially if they have bright blue eyes that seem to see right into his soul.

Dani Hodge is on the brink of realizing her dream of opening a small combination wine and book store in San Diego’s funky Ocean Beach neighborhood. But before she can open the doors, there’s work to be done, more work than she can do herself.

When the tattooed guy who completely ignored her at a bar walks by and offers her a hand wrangling a tile saw, Dani can’t afford to say no—and why would she say no to Mr. Strong and Silent when his stare conveys more than words could?

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  iBOOKS  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Readers looking for a straightforward tale of two people trying to be independent after arising from adversity will get all that and more with this charming contemporary romance.  It's a story full of instantly likable characters dealing with issues that are easy to relate to and which had me furiously turning the pages to see what happens next.

Rob DeRosa's always felt lacking.  From his father's careless treatment of him, to his stepfather's constant criticism, Rob's never felt that he ever measured up. Living in an affluent neighborhood, with his different ethnicity, further alienated him and had him desperate to make something of himself.  When a life-altering firefighting accident leaves him with brain damage all those negative feelings are compounded and leave him feeling uncertain of his future.  With anger management issues and problems forming sentences he doesn't feel he has anything to offer but once he locks eyes with the bubbly Dani Hodge he starts seeing himself in a whole new light.  With her he sees possibilities, a sense of peace and contentment that has him feeling worthy once again, until fears and misunderstandings get in the way.  Rob's immensely appealing with a kind heart and though he speaks few words he was still utterly charming.  It's clear he's lonely, with his dog Sampson one of his closest companions, which had me feeling sympathetic towards his plight.  He tended to overthink things though, worried about things he didn't need to and always assumed he was the problem. For such a big, strong guy I was sad to see his self-esteem brought so low.

Dani's childhood was one of neglect with her sister her main form of support and protection until the day their Nan took them in.  All her negative past experiences have taught her to doubt love and assume that she'll always be left behind when she puts her heart on the line.  To keep from being hurt again she focuses on starting up her own business, closing off her heart until she hears Rob's haunting voice.  That chance encounter leads to an even closer connection that has her falling for him just as life takes another unexpected turn for him. Dani's a very likable heroine whose joy is infectious.  Her and her sister Amy are a supportive sisterly duo whose interactions are caring and playful.  They may be opposites in many ways but are always there for each other when they need help most which endeared both of them to me.  A previous bad break-up has her leery of the instant intense feelings she has for Rob and has her jumping to conclusions that end up hurting both of them.  Her attitude frustrated me at times, created problems where they didn't need to exist.  For all the joy and serenity she brought Rob though I found myself liking her.

This was a sweet story overall with a few steamy encounters late in the story. It was a slow burn that kept me turning the pages, rooting for these two bruised souls to embrace their love for each other.  That slow burn was full of cuteness that had me smiling as they danced around each other like grade schoolers. The angst in this story was internal, doubts that each carried, but there were familial issues overshadowing Dani and Rob too.  These issues seemed to come out of nowhere and in dealing with them I felt myself being dragged away from the loving cocoon of Dani and Rob's romance.  Despite that I still found myself drawn to this couple and cheering them on as they worked past their doubts and misunderstandings.  Rob's brain damage was depicted realistically and with a gentle hand.  His frustrations were heartbreaking and made his hard-fought HEA all the richer.  Surrounding this likable couple were an equally likable cast of secondary characters from Amy to Rob's firefighter best friend Trent, who are pairing off themselves in a relationship I would've loved to see play out in greater detail.  Add in a slew of other supportive firefighter friends and readers are left with all sorts of hopes for the future.  Though this book acts as a standalone I'd definitely love to come back to this world with all its sexy firefighters running to the rescue! 

My rating for this is a B-

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

AUTHOR INFO:

Delancey Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wine seller. Despite lots of other interests, she has always been a writer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler, story reader, and tech writer. She tackles all these efforts from her current home outside Washington DC.

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