Kelly reviews Universal Alien by Gini Koch

Universal AlienTITLE: Universal Alien
SERIES #: Katherine “Kitty” Martin #10
CHARACTERS: Kitty Martin and the whole AC crew
AUTHOR: Gini Koch
PUBLICATION DATE: December 2, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Issues with Australia need to be straightened out, so the White House sends the Vice President and his wife, aka Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, over to handle the situation. But before Kitty can make things worse, she’s suddenly in another world — one where she’s been married to Charles Reynolds for years and aliens don’t exist.

Kitty’s not the only one confused, because the Kitty from that world has taken her place in this one. Can they both save their respective days before it’s too late to go home to the universes they belong to, or will one Kitty decide to keep the other’s life… forever?

REVIEW:
In Universal Alien Kitty’s world gets turned upside down and things may never be the same.

I really liked Universal Alien. I will admit that when I first read the blurb I was really nervous. I didn’t want anything upsetting Kitty & Jeff’s story. But I trusted (after a bit of reassurance) and really liked this story. There were differently a few anxiety moments that I wished that “our” Kitty was with Jeff and the whole AC crew. But both Kitty’s were great and where they needed to be at the time. This world switch-a-roo also gave us a few answers to questions that have been plaguing us for many many books. But like always Ms. Koch give us just enough to drive us nuts with “oh goodness what is going to happen next”.

I have to say that I think that Jamie-Kat (both of them) stole the show for me. Jamie in both worlds is so accepting and so sweet. Jamie-Kat has easily become one of my favorites.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Cursed Bloodline by Cecy Robson

A-Cursed-Bloodline-Cecy-Robson

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Since being cursed with unique abilities, Celia Wird and her three sisters have fought the most bloodthirsty preternaturals in the Lake Tahoe region. But Celia’s greatest threat is someone she would have never suspected: Anara, a werewolf Elder who has allowed his hatred for Celia to spiral out of control. In a play for dominance, Anara tortures Celia and gives her an ultimatum: sever her mate bond with pureblood were Aric—or Anara will kill everyone she loves.

From the instant they met, Celia and Aric have shared an attraction that cannot be tamed. So keeping Aric away is impossible, and Aric would sooner die than allow anyone to hurt the woman he loves. Misha, master vampire and Celia’s sworn protector, also finds his way into the chaos, seeking blood from those who have harmed her.

Now Celia and her sisters are caught in the middle of a war driven by lust, fueled by hatred, and destined to end in tragedy. For Anara is a force to be reckoned with, and he will not succumb without robbing Celia of those who hold her heart.

Amazon/B&N

Excerpt-Banner

I cleared my throat when I reached the open bedroom door and tried to speak as loudly as
possible. “I don’t want to see you, Aric. You need to leave.” And if you don’t, you’ll die.

There was so much pain and astonishment in Aric’s voice my stomach churned in painful
rumbles. “Celia . . . what—”

“I told you, I don’t want to see you!” I croaked. The tears that had stopped just moments
before returned full force. Being cruel to anyone—especially Aric—was unthinkable.

The seconds of stunned silence passed with brutal thumps to my insides until Misha broke through the horrible quiet. “Celia wants nothing to do with you. Go lick your wounds elsewhere, wolf. You are not welcome in our home.”

No one spoke. No one moved. No one breathed. For what seemed like an eternity, time
stood still.

“Come, Aric,” Gemini finally said. “Our efforts are better suited in finding Emme.”

Liam’s growls reverberated against the windows. “You’re an asshole, Misha. I know
you’re influencing her somehow.”

Koda sounded more pissed than Liam. “Tim, if you don’t wipe that goddamn smirk off
your face, I’ll tear out your throat and leave it for the crows!”

Shayna rushed past me, pausing only to shoot me a pained glance over her shoulder. Her
presence would help facilitate the wolves’ departure, despite the confusion and disappointment shadowing her pixie face.

Taran waited with me with her arms crossed. I couldn’t face her. Hell, I couldn’t even raise my head. Yet I felt her taking me in and scented the sharp aroma of her shock as it pierced through my damaged nose. When the last few snarls faded and the roar of the engines disappeared along the lengthy stretch of Misha’s driveway, Shayna returned and clasped my hands. “I know Aric doesn’t look the same, but he’s still the same wolf. He loves you, Ceel. You have to see past his injuries . . .”

Shayna’s voice faded when my sobs overtook me. She thought I was abandoning Aric because of his deformities. And I had to let her believe it was true. Despite how much it pained me, it would keep him, her, and everyone else safe for now.

Taran maneuvered her way between us and led me toward the sink. “Leave her alone, Shayna. Now’s not the time. Come on, we need to get this fucking glass out of her back.”

About the Author:

Cecy RobsonCecy Robson is the New Adult author of Once Perfect, Once Loved, and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of A Cursed Bloodline

Review (5 Stars): Every time I read a book by Cecy Robson, I automatically know that I’m in for a story that will put me through the ringer of emotions and then carefully put me back together again by the end.  I felt so horrible for Celia in A Cursed Bloodline because she had two big secrets that she was keeping from everyone and she did what she had to do to protect the well-being of the people that she loved.  It broke my heart seeing her go through that much pain and not being able to tell anyone the truth as to why she was doing what she did.

Celia and Aric have this amazing connection with one another and he is her true mate, no matter what has happened to them in the past. Celia is now faced with a foe that has an immense amount of power intent on destroying her and the people that she loves.  I hated this character from the very beginning and I was just hoping that Celia could find someone and tell them the truth before it destroyed everything forever.  I can’t tell you how many times I cried because just when Celia found her happiness, it was ripped away from her in the very next breath.

Cecy Robson is one of my absolute favorite authors and each book that she writes becomes more gut-wrenching and brilliant than the last.  A Cursed Bloodline is an amazing addition to the Weird Girls paranormal series and after finishing it, I’m dying to read the next installment.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Geared For The Grave by Duffy Brown

Geared 2

Guest Post

by Duffy Brown

Pets are the best! They are our constant companions. They love us when we’re bitchy and in our sloppy PJs with no hair combed and when we have the flu. And they train us really well. Here I thought we were supposed to train them! Ha!

Pet joke:  What side of the door does the cat like to be on? The other side. That’s why I jump up and down the whole blasted night while trying to watch TV to let my cat in and out of the porch. Am I a well trained owner or what!

Then there’s the food issue. Every three days I bake my cat chicken thighs. Not breasts or legs or wings…but thighs. Then cut into small pieces and served room temp. Not cold and not hot.

And then we have the water glass issue. Know that snotty white cat on TV who eats his kibble out of a crystal glass…that’s my cat’s water bowl. Good grief.

Dr. Watson

I have two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson. Dr. Watson was supposed to be for my son, a gift from my daughter. Yeah, right. We all know how the pet for the sibling thing works…parents get the pet! And I got Spooky out of the grocery store parking lot. He was living in the cart area. I herd this pitiful meow and suddenly had a new cat in my life.

Spooky

If I didn’t have cats I’d have a dog. I know they are more work but they are always happy. Something about a wagging tail will cure any depression, a gift from the pet gods. I have a dog…the other Bruce Willis…in my Consignment Shop mystery series.

In Geared for the Grave there are two cats, Bambino and Cleveland. Here’s a little about Bambino:

I dropped my duffle and snagged a cue, aimed for the far pocket and sailed the yellow-striped ball across the felt till Rudy plucked it right off the table. “Hey, why’d you do that? I nailed that shot.”
Rudy scooped his hand into the pocket, dragging out a sleepy black and white kitten. “Bambino hangs out there, left pocket’s off limits.” Rudy balanced on one crutch–he was a one-crutch kind of guy. “So, Chicago, what brings a pool shark to my doorstep this time of night?”

Tell me about your pet. Where does he hang out? How does he have you trained? I’ll give away two Geared for the Grave totes from the answers.

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Have a meowing-good day.
Duffy

About the Author:

I love anything with a mystery.  While other girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, I longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. I live in Cincinnati, have two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, my license plate is Sherlok and I now conjure up who-done-it stories of my very own for Berkley Prime Crime.  I am a national bestselling author and my Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the CyclePath Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.

Website/Facebook

Geared 2

Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coasts through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it’s up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again…

Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…

After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Geared For The Grave

Review (3.75 Stars): I love Ms. Brown’s Consignment Shop Mysteries so I was very excited to hear that she was starting a brand new series.  Evie Bloomfield has had her run of bad luck and is hoping that will all change when she arrives at Mackinac Island.  Hoping for a promotion, she agrees to visit her boss’s father, Rudy, who just happens to be recuperating from a broken leg and currently runs a bike shop on the island. Shortly after Evie’s arrival, Rudy becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy resident and it is up to Evie to help find the real murderer or run the risk of losing her job back home.  The only problem is that Evie is having a hard time finding someone on Mackinac Island that didn’t want the victim dead and the true killer will do anything to keep the truth from coming out.

Evie was a fun character that always seemed to find herself in the middle of trouble.  She was a bit of a klutz but her heart was in the right place and she was trying to prevent Rudy from being arrested for a crime that he didn’t commit.  Mackinac Island was full of interesting and crazy characters that made this mystery entertaining and I’m looking forward to seeing how Evie acclimates to her new small-town surroundings after being in Chicago for so long.  The only thing was that the mystery was a little on the slow side for me but I’m sure things will definitely pick up in the next installment of this mystery series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Geared For The Grave. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by December 10th, answer Ms. Brown’s question from above in the comments:

Kissin’ the week of Nov 24th to Nov 29th Goodbye

11.24.14

Kelly reviews Something To Talk About by Dakota Cassidy

Kelly reviews Talking After Midnight by Dakota Cassidy

Book Spotlight & Interview: Unwrapped by Maisey Yates

11.25.14

Kelly’s interview with Paige Tyler + a tour wide giveaway

Spotlight & Excerpt from Julie Ann Walker’s Full Throttle + a giveaway

Natasha reviews The Other Lamb by Katie Young

Kimberly reviews Tears Of The Rose by Jeffe Kennedy

11.26.14

Spotlight & Except of Carrie Ann Ryan’s Forever Ink + a tour wide giveaway 

Gift Ideas for the Book Lover#7

Spotlight feature of Stacey Kennedy’s Witches Be Dazzled

Kelly reviews Alien vs Alien by Gini Koch

Winter Romance Wednesday! Jennifer reviews Christmas At Twilight by Lori Wilde

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone by Vivienne Lorret

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Flirting with Love by Melissa Foster

11.27.14

Spotlight feature of Forever Mine by Monica Burns

Kimberly reviews Deep Autumn Heat by Elisabeth Barrett

Kelly reviews Sinful Seduction by Katie Reus

Happy Thanksgiving

11.28.14

Natasha reviews Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Kelly reviews Moon Kissed by Donna Grant

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Share The Moon by Sharon Struth

11.29.14

SINsational Saturday Series

Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Sugar’s Twice As Sweet by Marina Adair

Sugar's-Twice-As-Sweet-Blog-Tour

Adair_Sugar's Twice As Sweet_MM

He’s trouble she doesn’t need . . . Thanks to a cheating fiancé, Josephina Harrington’s perfect life just crashed and burned. Moving in with her overbearing parents is definitely not an option. No, she needs to prove she can make it on her own. And she will-by turning her great-aunt’s old plantation house into a destination getaway. She’s just not expecting her contractor to be so hands-on-and so totally irresistible.

. . . but everything she wants Bad-boy golf champion Brett McGraw figured his hometown of Sugar, Georgia was the perfect place to lay low and get his life back up to par. The leggy blonde with a pint-sized pup is the kind of sweet ‘n sassy trouble he never saw coming. She doesn’t know a nut from a bolt and before long, he’s renovating her house . . . as she steals his heart. Can he convince Josephina that his womanizing ways are in the past and he’s ready for forever?

Amazon/B&N

*EXCERPT*

For three weeks, she’d stared at the door, thinking this had to be some kind of mistake and that at any minute Wilson would walk in and everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be. Then, last night, while watching Under the Tuscan Sun and inhaling a red velvet cake, she realized that she didn’t want to go back to the way things were.
Even scarier, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment she’d lost balance in her life and in turn lost herself. Which was why she was moving out. It was clear that Wilson wasn’t coming back. And every moment she stayed there, in the place she thought she’d grow old and raise babies, the regret ratcheted tighter around her chest, until breathing hurt.
No, she needed to leave—and pronto. Problem was, the only place she had to go was her parents’ house, where the couture décor and upstate judgment would be equally suffocating, just in a different way. Even thinking about it gave her hives.
“Your mother pays me.” Rosalie narrowed her eyes. “She says to come here and help you. You say you need to move. So I fill boxes. What about this?” Rosalie held up an old shoebox covered in stickers and glitter and enough memories to make her heart jerk painfully. Then jerk again until it somehow landed in her throat, creating a whole new set of problems. Because there, in Rosalie’s pudgy hand, was a part of Josephina’s past that she hadn’t thought about in years.
“Where did you find that?” Josephina gently took the box and walked over to the couch.
She’d cried so much over the past few weeks, she assumed more tears would be impossible. Yet as she slipped open the lid and saw the photo resting atop a pile of letters and keepsakes, her eyes went blurry. This pain was different, as though it originated from someplace old and forgotten, and it packed the kind of power that made breathing almost impossible.
Josephina didn’t know how her life had spiraled so far from center, but she did know that she hadn’t felt as free as the girl smiling back at her in years. She picked up the photo and traced a finger over the rolled edge. It had been taken the summer she’d turned ten and her parents had gone on one of their trips to Europe, leaving her, once again, with her aunt.
It was one of the best summers of her life, spent making mud pies and learning from Letty how to
make real ones. Which was why she was standing on a wooden chair in pigtails, pearls, and a too-big apron, with flour down her front, a whisk in her hand, and a smile of sheer pleasure on her face.
If she closed her eyes she could almost smell the bite of lemons and hear Aunt Letty’s voice: “Careful, child. If you have to beat it that hard then you’re missing an ingredient. Might look perfect today but come morning that meringue will be a big pile of trouble, stinking up the fridge for days to come.”
Josephina placed the photo on the coffee table and carefully thumbed through the box. She dug past drawings and sketches—mostly in crayon and big swirly letters with hearts over the i’s—through magazine clippings and all of the ideas and dreams she and her aunt had cooked up for the old boardinghouse that Letty had called home, stopping when she found what she was looking for. At the bottom, postmarked six weeks before Letty had passed, sat a yellow envelope.
With a shaky breath Josephina opened the flap and pulled out the letter. The paper smelled like lilac and mothballs, and Josephina wanted to press it to her face and breathe in. A faded photo of Letty, standing on the front steps of Fairchild House in mud boots and a rain slicker, holding a jug of her finest moonshine, fell to the couch.
She remembered that last summer, sitting curled up in Letty’s arms while looking out the windows of the salon as a summer storm blew past and listening to Letty recount the story about how her great-great-aunt, Pearl Fairchild, came to call the magical boardinghouse home.
According to legend,  Letty had said, the two-story Plantation-style house was built in the mid-1800s by the first mayor of Sugar, Jeremiah Sugar. It was a masterpiece designed to win the heart of the beautiful socialite Pearl Fairchild, who, moved by his romantic overture and promises of a life filled with adventure, left her family and New York behind to become Mrs. Jeremiah Sugar.
Even the name sounded perfect. But after two months of travel, first in a train and later in a horse-drawn wagon, finally walking the remaining eight miles to the house, Pearl realized there was nothing sugary about her husband-to-be.
The man whom she had defied her parents for, had given her heart to, stood in the foyer. His slacks hung around his ankles, his face blotched red, while his pale backside engaged in rapid undulation under the housekeeper’s smock, so engaged that he failed to notice her enter the residence or even pick up his beloved mayoral gavel.
Pearl never took his last name, the mayor’s body was never found, and the housekeeper—prone to gossip—never had to work another day in her life, instead spending the rest of her days as Pearl’s handsomely paid companion.
Thus, the Fairchild House, boarding for the adventurous, was born.
Josephina turned the photo over and on the back, Letty had simply written: Come home, Fairy Bug. Your adventure is waiting for you.
Fairy, she remembered, clutching the photo to her heart to keep it from breaking, was because Letty swore Josephina was born to fly. The bug part was to remind her that sometimes she had to get dirty to really live.
And more than anything Josephina wanted to live again—really live. She tucked the photo into her pocket and looked at Rosalie. “I need a car.”

About the Author:

AdairSUGARISTWICEASSWEETMarinaMarina Adair is a lifelong fan of romance novels. Along with the Sugar series, she is also the author of the St. Helena Vineyard series. She currently lives in a hundred-year-old log cabin, nestled in the majestic redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with her husband and daughter. As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter at @MarinaEAdair or visit her at www.MarinaAdair.com.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

 

Jennifer’s Review of Sugar’s Twice As Sweet

Review (4.25 Stars):  Josephina was such a sweet character and just wanted to go somewhere where she felt safe and was full of endless possibilities such as her great-aunt’s old home in Sugar, Georgia.  Her fiance just broke up with her and everyone treated her as though she was a failure when I saw her as a free spirit who just needed a  place where she could feel loved and accepted.  Meeting the handsome and smooth-talking Brett McGraw wasn’t what she wanted but absolutely what she needed because he accepted her for who she was, not what he wanted her to be.

For Brett, he found Josephina aggravating and lovely all at the same time. She was the one person who made him think about leaving his womanizing ways and try for a real relationship.  And once the McGraw men fall in love, it is for the end of time and their love stories are legend in the little town of Sugar.   I wanted so desperately for Josephina to get her happy ending because after everything she went through she deserved a love worthy of the greatest of “fairy” tales.

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Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld

Dark Beginnings

Lords of the Underworld 0.5, 3.5 & 4.5

#.05 3.5 4.5

This title includes three new stories, Lords of the Underworld, from “New York Times” bestselling author Gena Showalter.

“The Darkest Fire” – He is the guardian of Hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a horde of demon lords – and discover a passion unlike any other…Discover the origins of Pandora’s box and the demon spirits trapped within.

“The Darkest Prison” – passion and danger collide in this brand-new Lords of the Underworld adventure! Once, Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, was the Greek goddess Nike’s slave. Now, he is her master. And soon these sworn enemies destined to destroy one another will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love.

“The Darkest Angel” – An iron-willed demon assassin, the angel Lysander has never known lust – until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of Lucifer, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the purehearted Lysander into temptation.

*****

The Darkest Night

Lords of the Underworld #1

#1

His powers – Inhuman…

His passion – Beyond immortal… 

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments… and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love…
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive — and unimaginably powerful…

Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!

*****

The Darkest Kiss

Lords of the Underworld #2

#2

She has tempted many men…but never found her equal. Until now.

Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of Anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death–a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining.

*****

The Darkest Pleasure

Lords of the Underworld #3

#3

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her–even defy the gods. Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.

*****

The Darkest Whisper

Lords of the Underworld #4

#4

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter returns with her long-awaited next installment of the Lords of the Underworld series…

He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

*****

The Darkest Passion

Lords of the Underworld #5

#5

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting – and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?

With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t.

*****

The Darkest Lie

Lords of the Underworld #6

#6

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie – until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding – or bedding – her.

*****

The Darkest Secret

Lords of the Underworld #7

#7

In this sexy new installment of Showalter’s bestselling Lords of the Underworld series, the haunted Amun meets a woman who tempts him like no other…

Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when the immortal warrior is chained and isolated to protect those he loves, death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty.

Haidee is a demon-assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.

*****

The Darkest Surrender

Lords of the Underworld #8

#8

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he has an agenda of his own-steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter-the love neither had thought possible.

*****

The Darkest Seduction

Lords of the Underworld #9

#9

At long last, New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter unveils the story of Paris, the darkest and most tormented Lord of the Underworld.

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive, but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he thought was forever beyond his reach until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris’s arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally or tear them apart?

*****

The Darkest Craving

Lords of the Underworld #10

#10

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a breathtaking Lords of the Underworld tale about a warrior trapped by darkness and the woman determined to save him 

Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

*****

The Darkest Touch

Lords of the Underworld #11

#11

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet…

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.

She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.

 

 

***

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

Never-Judge-a-Lady-by-Her-Cover-Sarah-MacLean

NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking-in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered…until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear…including her heart.

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He chuckled. “If wishing made it so.” He spun her across the floor, the candles lit around the room leaving trails of light across her field of vision.

“Langley has arrived.”

The viscount had entered not five minutes earlier. She’d noticed immediately. “I saw.”

“You don’t expect a real marriage from him,” Temple said.

“I don’t.”

“Then why not do what you do best?”

Her gaze flickered to the handsome man on the other side of the room. Her choice for husband. “You think blackmail is the best way to go about securing a husband?”

He smiled. “I was blackmailed in advance of finding a wife.”

“Yes, well, I am told that most men are not such masochists, Temple. You’ve been saying I should marry for more than a year. You and Bourne and Cross,” she added, ticking off her partners in The Fallen Angel. “Not to mention my brother.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve heard that the Duke of Leighton has placed a heavy dowry on your head. It’s remarkable you are able to stand upright. But what of love?”

“Love?” It was difficult to voice the word without the disdain.

“You’ve heard of it, no doubt. Sonnets and poems and happy-ever-after?”

“I’ve heard of it,” she said. “As we are discussing marriage at best for convenience and at worst for debt relief, I hardly think a lack of love is of issue,” she said. “And besides, it is a fool’s errand.”

He watched her for a long moment. “And you are surrounded by fools.”

She cut him a look. “Every one of you. Besotted beyond reason. And look at what has happened because of it.”

He raised his dark brows. “What? Marriage? Children? Happiness?”

She sighed. They’d had the conversation a hundred times. A thousand. Her partners were so idyllically matched that they could not help but foist it on everyone around them. What they did not know was that idyll was not for Georgiana. She pushed the thought away. “I am happy,” she lied.

“No. You are rich. And you are powerful. But you are not happy.”

“Happiness is too highly prized,” she said with a shrug, as he turned her across the room. “It’s worth nothing.”

“It’s worth everything.” They danced in silence for a long moment. “Which you see, as you wouldn’t be doing this if not for happiness.”

“Not mine. Caroline’s.”

About the Author:

Sarah

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.

Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com

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Jennifer’s Review of Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover

Review (5 Stars): This is the final book in the Rules of Scoundrels and is the perfect ending to a deliciously romantic series.  Lady Georgiana has spent the last ten years as a ruined woman, unwed mother and an outcast of London society.  To protect her daughter from the same fate, Georgiana is on the hunt to marry a man with a title to give her daughter a fighting chance at a happy life.  Duncan West, newspaper owner, has always been attracted to Lady Georgiana and sympathetic to what has happened in the past to this beautiful young woman.  What Duncan soon learns is that Georgiana has been harboring dark secrets for years and these secrets may destroy everything that she has been planning for her new life.  Duncan is now on a mission to bring these secrets to light but finds that by doing so may break what is left of her precious heart.

Lady Georgiana was an amazing character since she protected her secret identity for so long and no one had any clue what she was capable of doing to London society.  She used the secrets that she discovered while working at The Fallen Angel club to help her one day gain access back into society to help her daughter achieve what she could not.  She was smart, brave and fiercely protective of her young daughter, making her one of my favorite female characters to date.  She once believed in love but those dreams were shattered when a man took her reputation and her heart in one brief moment that she could never take back.  I was hoping that she would give love one final chance to make things right and I’m glad that she gave her heart to the one man who wouldn’t break it.

Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover was a story that had me captivated from the very first page and I was hoping that Lady Georgiana would finally receive her happy ending after so much heart break.  Ms. MacLean has written such amazing books over the years and Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover is a perfect addition to her long list of historical romances.  Can’t wait to read what she publishes next and I’m looking forward to revisiting this series again in the future.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Share The Moon by Sharon Struth

Share-the-Moon-Sharon-Struth

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Sometimes trust is the toughest lesson to learn.

Sophie Shaw is days away from signing a contract that will fulfill her dream of owning a vineyard. For her, it’s a chance to restart her life and put past tragedies to rest. But Duncan Jamieson’s counter offer blows hers out to sea.

Duncan still finds Sophie as appealing as he had during boyhood vacations to the lake. Older and wiser now, he has his own reasons for wanting the land. His offer, however, hinges on a zoning change approval.

Bribery rumors threaten the deal and make Sophie wary of Duncan, yet she cannot deny his appeal. When her journalistic research uncovers a Jamieson family secret, trust becomes the hardest lesson for them both.

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Thud!

Air whooshed from Sophie’s lungs. Pain coursed through her shoulder blades, neck, and spine. The ground’s chilly dampness seeped into her cotton khaki pants, raising goose bumps on her skin. Seconds passed without breath before she managed to swallow a gulp.

Lying flat on her back, she stared at the cornflower blue sky and spotted a chalky slice of the moon. The night Henry died, a similar crescent had hung from the heavens, barely visible nestled among the glittering stars. She prepared for the scrape that threatened to tear the gouge of her scarred heart. Seven years. Seven painful years. She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, the weight of sadness lifted off her chest.

Tears gathered along her lower lashes. She pushed a strand of unruly long hair from her face. Footsteps crunched on the ice pellets and headed her way.

“Matthew Shaw…” Fury pooled in her jaw as she resisted the urge to yell at her son. “You’d better have a good excuse for taking so long.”

A man with cinnamon hair, short on the sides with gentle waves on top, knelt at her side. She studied the strong outline of his cheeks and the slight bump on the bridge of his angular nose that gave him a rugged touch, but he wasn’t familiar.

“Are you okay?” He searched her face.

The stranger hovered above. Tall treetops, clinging to the last of their earth-toned foliage, served as a backdrop to her view. A vertical crease separated his sandy brows.

She couldn’t pry herself from his vivid blue eyes, in part stunned from the fall, but also by her first responder.

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About the Author:

Sharon Struth

Sharon Struth is an award-winning author who believes it’s never too late for a second chance in love or life. When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail. Sharon writes from the small town of Bethel, Connecticut, the friendliest place she’s ever lived. For more information, including where to find her other novels and published essays, please visit her website.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Share The Moon

Review (3.75 Stars): Sophie Shaw has discovered that a big developer has come in and taken away the opportunity for her family to build a vineyard by purchasing the prospective property days before they were going to sign the contract.  For Sophie, this is a devastating blow because the property has a deeper significance than just being a vineyard and she will do whatever it takes to try to get it back.  Duncan Jamieson has decided to make a fresh start after spending most of his life dedicated to the corporate rat race and can’t imagine a better place than buying the lake property where he spent his summers as a youth.  He never expected to run into his teenage crush, Sophie, and find out that his own company has beaten out her family for the lake property.  To make amends, Duncan and Sophie start spending time with another and find that their sexual chemistry is hard to deny.  Sophie soon learns that his family has secrets to hide and these secrets may help win back the property but ultimately destroy any chance that they have to build a future together.

This was a darker romance for me because there was a lot of heartbreak and sadness for Sophie and Duncan.  Sophie had experienced a devastating loss in her family and she was still struggling to recover emotionally from it.  Duncan had suffered a loss as well and he understood what Sophie was going through even though she never wanted to admit it.  I liked them together as a couple because they had that instant attraction and chemistry from the moment that they met, even though they had a rough patch after learning the reason why Duncan was there.  I was glad to see that with the right person Sophie was able to make peace with what happened in the past and bring light and love back into her life. Share The Moon is a promising debut in the Blue Moon Lake series and I’m looking forward to seeing these characters again in the second installment.

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Natasha reviews Changeling by Philippa Gregory

changelingTITLE: Changeling
SERIES #: Order of Darkness #1
CHARACTERS: Isolde & Luca
AUTHOR: Philippa Gregory
PUBLICATION DATE: 5/24/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl.
Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.
Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.
Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I love historical romances and love everything Philippa Gregory writes. She’s extremely knowledgeable about historical characters and her writing is amazing. I was very curious about her Young Adult series since I had never read a YA that was also a historical, so decided to give it a go. I’m happy that I did. This has all the tells of Philippa’s writing. It’s elegant, poignant and full of accurate historical context. There are a number of supporting characters in this book that are all equally intriguing and I am actually very excited to see how all of their stories will play out. Isolde and Luca are both likable enough, though I cannot say I love them just yet. However, the antics Luca and his companions get themselves into is almost comical and his squire – Freize is hilarious. He stole this story in my opinion. This was a great read and I’m excited to see what else is in store for this group of characters!
Disclaimer:
I purchased a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

3hearts-68-77

Spotlight feature of Forever Mine by Monica Burns

Forever Mine
By Monica Burns
Her future lies in the past 

When a bomb explosion thrusts Victoria Ashton backward in time to 1897, she’s forced to

impersonate the Countess of Guildford. Despite Victoria’s attempts to convince the earl she’s not his wife, her counterpart’s infidelity, lies, and ill-tempered personality makes the task almost impossible. Worse, Victoria finds herself falling in love with a man who loathes her. Only when the earl learns to trust her does she realize her future lies in the past. But love always comes at a price, and she must make a painful sacrifice in order for them to be together.

Her love is what will save him 

Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford has been searching for his missing wife for three weeks. Rumors of him being guilty of murder make him unwilling to believe his wife’s latest in a multitude of lies. But the changes in Victoria continuously surprise him. Despite his best intentions, he finds the contempt he once felt for his wife turning into something deeper and stronger. But when danger threatens to separate them forever, he must forge a bond with her that crosses the boundaries of time.

A passion to last forever




Available for pre-order at
Excerpt

 

 

Despite the way he unnerved her, it was impossible to avoid noting how wonderful he
smelled. It was a spicy, potently male scent. Deep inside her, a voice cried out for her to press
her fingers against his beautiful mouth. The thought made Victoria suck in a quick, sharp breath
of air.
Nicholas’ eyes darkened with an emotion she didn’t even want to consider defining.

Slowly, he lowered his head until his mouth lightly touched hers. Fire streaked across her
skin, its warmth sinking into her pores until it heated her blood like molten lava. She sighed then
parted her mouth to lace his lips with the tip of her tongue. A dark sound rumbled in his chest as
his tongue swept its way into her mouth and imitated an act her body suddenly craved as if she
were starving.

Pleasure swept its way through her. The fiery sensation of it settled into every inch of her
body.
He said she’d bewitched him, but she was the one under his spell. His lips teased and
seduced hers until her body screamed for more.

She wanted him to touch her. Needed him. She arched her hips upward in a silent plea for
his touch, and a dark growl vibrated on her lips as he tugged the covers off her. His tongue
swirled around hers, teasing and taunting her with each tantalizing stoke. The hot taste of him
made her nipples grow hard until they ached with a pleasurable, tantalizing sensitivity. Eager to
assuage the need for his touch, she caught his hand and pressed it to her breasts. A growl
rumbled out of him as he rubbed his thumb over the rigid peak. The sensation of soft linen
between her skin and his hand made her moan softly as his mouth worked its way across her
cheek to her neck where he gently nipped at her skin.


Need spun through her, and as he lifted his head to stare down at her, she saw desire
darkening his green eyes. A knot of anticipation tightened in her lower body as his hand left her
breast and slid downward to her stomach where the heel of his hand pressed into the sensitive
spot at the apex of her thighs. The simple pressure made her suck in a sharp breath, and a small
smile curved his lips.
 


 

“I want to watch you as I make you shatter from my touch, Victoria.” His words
whispered across her senses as his hand pulled the hem of her nightgown upward to expose her
completely. 

 

 

About the Author
A bestselling author of spicy historical and paranormal romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today. Her historical book awards include the 2011 RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice Award and the 2012 Gayle Wilson Heart of Excellence Award for Pleasure Me. She is also the recipient of the prestigious paranormal romance award, the 2011 PRISM Best of the Best award for Assassin’s Heart. From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.
You can find Monica here:
            
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Kelly reviews Sinful Seduction by Katie Reus

sinful seductionTITLE: Sinful Seduction
SERIES #: Red Stone Security #8
CHARACTERS: Alexander Blue & Mina Hollingsworth
AUTHOR: Katie Reus
NARRATOR: Sophie Eastlake
RUN TIME: 3 Hours & 40 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He’ll do anything to protect her….

Former Marine and newest Red Stone Security employee Alexander Blue is still adjusting to the civilian world after a decade spent at war, but when he sees someone in danger, nothing can take away that intrinsic need to protect. After stopping a would-be mugger, Blue finds himself being bandaged up by a sensual local artist in her Key West condo. He never expected to stay the night, even if it is on her couch. The mysterious Mina gets under his skin in a way he never thought possible. When it becomes clear that her mugging wasn’t random and she’s being targeted by deadly men, Blue has no problem stepping into the role of protector.

But she doesn’t want to be saved

Tired of being coddled and treated like a child, Mina has tried to distance herself from her family. When danger finds her, she’s forced to turn to the sexy stranger who she feels a strong, unexpected connection with. In him she sees glimmers of herself; a little broken, withdrawn and wary of the world. Soon she learns that the biggest threat might not be from the men trying to kidnap her, but from the quiet warrior who poses an immediate risk to her heart.

Sinful Seduction appears in Sinful Seduction anthology

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts This was my second time reading this book. Well I read the first time and then listened on audio. Here was my original thoughts after my first read.
I would say breaking up an attempted mugging is not the best way to meet a woman, but leave it up to Alexander Blue to do just that. Being in the right place at the right time not only let him save Mina from being mugged, kidnapped or worse, but also gave Blue a chance met a woman that just possible could be it for him. That is if she will let him get close.
Another great Red Stone Security story. My only issue is that I read this story so fast. I wanted more of Blue!! I just loved him and Mina! I hope to get a glimpse of them in a future Red Stone Security story.
If you are a fan of this series you will want to make sure to add this book to your must read list. If you are new to this series not worries this book can easily be read as a stand alone.

My opinion has not changed. I loved this book. I loved Blue even more. And Mina that girl has guts and a wicked right arm. Loved it!! I was very honored to get an audio copy of this book to review. Sophie Eastlake does a great job again in this series. I just love it when a narrator brings the characters to life.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook from Katie Reus in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts