Thursday, January 30, 2014

Deadly Dancing (Mars Cannon #1) by Nicolette Pierce

Deadly Dancing by Nicolette Pierce is the first book in what I hope is a long series. Mars Cannon is an events coordinator who works about 80 hours a week for a lazy boss. This explains her lack of love life – and social life for that matter. However, all that changes with a murder of an exotic dancer. Now, Mars has multiple people after her: a gorgeous E.M.T. who wants more than friendship, an exotic dancer who is known by many different aliases and wants to show Mars his moves in the bedroom, and a stalker who wants her dead. The latter does not seem to be as much fun as the first two choices.

If you are a lover of Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series), Camilla Chafer (Lexi Graves series) and Shelly Fredman (“No Such Thing as a…” series), then you will love this series. So far, only two books have been released (the second is Predator Patrol).  Nicoletta Pierce has another series that I might check out as well since it has the same ingredients as this series (one strong character, two hunky guys, and a mystery to solve). I love these kinds of books, especially when the female character is strong and not whiney. They are a fun read and here’s the best part: the first book is free (as of this posting). Yep. It’s over 400 pages for a fun free book. So go check it out.
Review by Amber

Friday, January 24, 2014

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Worn Me Down (Playing with Fire #3) by Tara Sivec

“Worn me down like a road. I did everything you told. Worn me down to my knees.
I did everything to please.”

Austin Conrad has never taken his personal life seriously. As a Navy SEAL, he spends all of his time in dangerous, life-threatening situations. The only way to leave behind the horrors he’s seen throughout his career, is to turn it all off when he gets home. He’s too much of a playboy to settle down; even if he did find a woman he could stand to be around for more than one night, he would never taint her life with the demons of his past.

When his best friend and SEAL team member, Brady Marshall asks him to keep an eye on his baby sister, Gwen, Austin figures it will be a walk in the park. The only thing Austin likes more than flirting his way under a beautiful woman’s skin, is walking away with a smile on his face. Austin never expects that the single mom and her little girl will be the ones getting under his skin.

Gwen Stratford knows all too well about living in a nightmare. After taking her daughter and fleeing from her abusive husband in the middle of the night several months ago, she’s worked hard to get her life back on track and forget about the man who tried to break her. Growing up under the iron thumb of her parents and then moving right on with a man who ruled their marriage with his fists, Gwen is finally able to breathe and live her life the way she wants.

When scary, mysterious things begin to happen to Gwen and her daughter, she realizes you can never outrun your past; it always has a way of catching up with you. As she struggles with the desire to keep her newfound independence, she knows she won’t be able to protect herself and her child alone. She’ll need to lean on the one man who drives her crazy.

Can Gwen really put her trust in a man who thinks life is one big joke, or will he be just another man in her life who tries to wear her down?

Where to buy


Review

Worn Me Down was amazing!  Austin is 100% swoon worthy.  He may think he hates everything pink and girly but when he and Gwen (Brady from Because of You's sister) are thrown together in Brady's absence that all changes.  I cried so many times reading this book.  From reading about Gwen's past, Austin's past or the totally unexpected ending my emotions really got a workout!

Austin tries keep his walls built up.  He has never had anything close to a real family and he doesn't think he needs one.  He is all about the job, going from mission to mission with little to no down time between them.  He lives and breathes being a Navy SEAL.  Gwen brings out a side of him that I LOVED and oh my god, he turns into a big ball of Barbie playing mush when Gwen's daughter is around.  He is everything I love in an Alpha Male!

Gwen is an awesome leading lady.  She is independent, self sufficient, and she refuses to take anyone's crap.  She can take care of and defend herself and her baby.  She does her best to make sure her past does not control her.  I loved watching her grow as a mother and a woman thought this story.

I can't wait to read Cole's book, Closer to the Edge, due out sometime this summer!
Review by Danielle

About the author

Tara Sivec is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when they all three of them become adults and move out.

After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She is the author of the Playing with Fire series and the Chocolate Lovers series. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book.

In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she’ll do and naps she’ll take when she ever gets spare time.

Tara also writes under the pen name T.E. Sivec.

Connect with Tara Sivec 

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Worn Me Down (Playing with Fire #3) by T.E. Sivec

Worn Me Down was amazing!  Austin is 100% swoon worthy.  He may think he hates everything pink and girly but when he and Gwen (Brady from Because of You's sister) are thrown together in Brady's absence that all changes.  I cried so many times reading this book.  From reading about Gwen's past, Austin's past or the totally unexpected ending my emotions really got a workout!

Austin tries keep his walls built up.  He has never had anything close to a real family and he doesn't think he needs one.  He is all about the job, going from mission to mission with little to no down time between them.  He lives and breathes being a Navy SEAL.  Gwen brings out a side of him that I LOVED and oh my god, he turns into a big ball of Barbie playing mush when Gwen's daughter is around.  He is everything I love in an Alpha Male!

Gwen is an awesome leading lady.  She is independent, self sufficient, and she refuses to take anyone's crap.  She can take care of and defend herself and her baby.  She does her best to make sure her past does not control her.  I loved watching her grow as a mother and a woman thought this story.

I can't wait to read Cole's book, Closer to the Edge, due out sometime this summer!
Review by Danielle

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Connected (Connections #1) by Kim Karr

Connected is the first book in the Connection Series by Kim Karr.  Dahlia is a woman who has an instant connection to a man she only met for a second in a bar.  But it was not meant to be.  Why you ask?  Because Dahlia had a boyfriend at the time. Poor Dahlia.  Kim Karr definitely had it out for her and had me tugging at my heart strings for relief.  Her life is a story of tragedy, but she keeps trucking on with the help of her boyfriend and his family.

Years later tragedy strikes once again and Dahlia doesn't know if she will ever recover.  Until she meets River.  Again.  And again they have the same instant connection.   Do you believe in love at first sight?  Dahlia’s not sure but when she meets up with River –who by the way, is a lead singer of a famous band and is super-hot – she starts to wonder if they were fated to be together.

I loved the story.  I loved how this nice little web Ms. Karr weaved was created.  I was definitely pulled in and after reading the last page of the book, I had to immediately purchase book two, Torn.  I have a feeling Dahlia’s tragedies are far from over.  The story wraps up nicely, however, the epilogue leaves you with a cliffhanger for book 2.  I’m typically not a fan of cliffhangers, but I didn’t mind it in this one.  In fact, my thought at the end of the book was, “Well played Ms. Karr. Well played”.  In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how the insta-love connection was going to go with me, I’m not usually a fan. However, after reading the book I don’t know how it could have been anything other than love at first sigh for Dahlia and Rivert.  It had to be written that way.  Dahlia and River are two people who love hard and with all their hearts so it is really hard to imagine them in a different scenario. They definitely can’t get enough of each other, that’s for sure (there are plenty of scenes that back that up!).

I have an idea how things are going to play out and what will be revealed Torn as Kim Karr provides plenty of foreshadowing throughout the book to keep our wheels turning.  I cannot wait to see what is in store. According to Goodreads there are six books and 2 novellas planned for the Connections series, with books 1-3 and one novella already published (click here for details).  Kim Karr also includes an awesome playlist and suggests listening to those songs before each chapter is read. I found myself playing the songs in my head as they were brought up in each chapter. I have no doubt that listening to the songs before each chapter would enhance the experience, I don’t think I could stop reading long enough to do so.
Review by Amber

Thursday, January 16, 2014

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Euphoria (Book Boyfriend #3) by Erin Noelle

After a series of catastrophic misunderstandings and impulsively poor decision-making, Scarlett MacGregor finds herself once again torn between two loves, as different as they may be. Lacking proper closure with their relationship, accompanied by the overwhelming guilt for her role in his devastating downfall, Scarlett resolves to help Mason recover and reclaim his life as a budding rock star. However, now that he has finally claimed her as his, Ash Walker is bound and determined to keep her by his side, and he will go to any lengths necessary to do just that.

Mason Templeton has hit rock bottom. He’s in love with a girl whose heart and soul belong to another and he’s partied his way off of an international music tour that was supposed to be his big break. Returning home for rehab sounds like the worst possible way to start a new year, but when an unexpected friendship emerges, he begins to realize that maybe everything does happen for a reason.

Euphoria is the third and final installment of Scarlett, Ash, and Mason’s self-discovering journeys to happiness and understanding the meaning of true love ~ the kind that begs for complete surrender
Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual content and harsh language.

Where to buy

Euphoria (#3)

Metamorphosis (#1)

Ambrosia (#2)

Review

Fair warning - I ugly cried.  I ugly cried so bad I woke my husband from a sound sleep in full panic mode because he was worried something had happened to me.  At first I was crying because I was upset, then I was crying because I was pissed.  Maybe its the pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc though my body, but this is the first time I ugly cried that I didn't feel it was worth it by the end.  Not to say I didn't love Euphoria, because I did, 4 stars all the way, it just that the events that lead up to the ending were not the events that I was hoping for and I can't seem to get over it.

The final installment of the story between Mase, Scarlett, and Ash is truly the biggest roller coaster ride of the series.  It's been a long time since a story has played with my emotions so fully that I experienced everything from pure love and exhilaration to an anger so intense I almost threw my eReader across the room.  I'm glad I got on the ride, even if I wasn't happy about everything that happened.  That's life, right?  Not everything happens as perfectly as it does in the books we read, even sometimes the books themselves!

Overall I really liked this series.  I like seeing the names of and references to so many of my favorite books throughout the series.  I enjoyed how Erin Noelle used inspiration from the books Scarlett read as inspiration for Scarlett's story, it was a unique twist that I really enjoyed.
Review by Danielle

About the Author

Erin Noelle is a Texas native, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. First a bookkeeper, and now an author, she often jokes that she’s a woman of numbers by day and letters by night. Erin is an avid reader of all romance novels and a huge sports fan. Most nights you can find her cuddled up in bed with her husband, her Kindle in hand and a game of some sorts on tv. You can follow her on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/erin.noelle.98.




GIVEAWAY #1

Comment on this post or your chance to win an eBook copy of Euphoria. (International)

Giveaway #2

US Only
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Euphoria (Book Boyfriend #3) by Erin Noelle

Fair warning - I ugly cried.  I ugly cried so bad I woke my husband from a sound sleep in full panic mode because he was worried something had happened to me.  At first I was crying because I was upset, then I was crying because I was pissed.  Maybe its the pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc though my body, but this is the first time I ugly cried that I didn't feel it was worth it by the end.  Not to say I didn't love Euphoria, because I did, 4 stars all the way, it just that the events that lead up to the ending were not the events that I was hoping for and I can't seem to get over it.

The final installment of the story between Mase, Scarlett, and Ash is truly the biggest roller coaster ride of the series.  It's been a long time since a story has played with my emotions so fully that I experienced everything from pure love and exhilaration to an anger so intense I almost threw my eReader across the room.  I'm glad I got on the ride, even if I wasn't happy about everything that happened.  That's life, right?  Not everything happens as perfectly as it does in the books we read, even sometimes the books themselves!

Overall I really liked this series.  I like seeing the names of and references to so many of my favorite books throughout the series.  I enjoyed how Erin Noelle used inspiration from the books Scarlett read as inspiration for Scarlett's story, it was a unique twist that I really enjoyed.
Review by Danielle

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Cake by Nicole Reed

Would you be willing to make a mess of your life to get exactly what you want?

Kylie Lord has known Trent Moss and Dray Savage since college. Trent, the smart and kind-hearted humanitarian has had her heart from the moment they met, but someone else always has his. Dray is an arrogant professional football player who happens to be Trent’s best friend and Kylie’s nemesis “with benefits.”

Five years after graduation, Kylie is commanding the world with a new image and a successful business; however, she lacks the one thing she wants and the one thing she can never have. That is, until one fateful night when Kylie decides to go after all of her forbidden fantasies and risk everything.

Two men, completely different and poles apart, but together they are her idea of perfection. One can only offer her tonight and the other forever, but can Kylie settle for just one man, or can she have her cake and eat it too?

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!


Where to buy


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Review


If you are looking for a quick, hot read then this is your book! I wanted something that would draw me in and keep me interested and this certainly did the trick! There were a few aspects of this book that I didn't love (a few plot points that kind of just disappeared or were left unresolved), but overall I really enjoyed it.

There are several "mind candy" men in this book, but I think Drey was my favorite.  The bad boy with commitment issues who falls madly in love is always a plus... and then there is his brother Trent... the good boy next door who is literally out saving the world. SWOON!  Add them together in a nice little love triangle, and you have all of the makings of a great book!

I felt a lot of compassion for Kylie.  Pining for a man she has loved for years but can never have, while her true love could very possibly be right in front of her!  And I absolutely LOVE Madison and her blunt way about her.  Every girl needs a best friend like her, especially when it comes to telling you the hard cold truth that everyone but you can see!

Review by Jillian

About the author


I love angst….I thrive on it, but only the fictional kind. I adore a story that grips the reader from the beginning and doesn’t let go…EVER. I’m an avid reader who just recently discovered my love of writing. My favorite things in life include my three wild & crazy kids, Reese’s Pieces, and every genre of music.  I reside in the Deep South.







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Monday, January 13, 2014

COVER REVEAL: On The Rocks (Last Call #1) by Sawyer Bennett


He left to travel the world for fame and glory, but only after spurning Gabby Ward and crushing her young heart. Now Hunter Markham has come back home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open up Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic. 
Gabby Ward is not happy that Hunter has returned. Bitter over his rebuff years before, she’s content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways. 
Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents an offer to her that she simply can’t refuse, throwing them together in a common quest to each reach their goals. Working together day in and day out proves to be problematic for Gabby, who soon realizes that the feelings she had for him are still very much alive. Hunter struggles to reach through to Gabby’s cold heart, all while starting a new career away from his life as a top ranked, professional surfer.
What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither of them can continue to deny. 
Hard choices lay ahead for both of them when Hunter is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to return to the pro surfing tour.
Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they ever had dared to hope.

Releasing February 17, 2014

Cover designed by Vitalink


About the author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.




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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Legal Affairs: Objection (Legal Affairs #1) by Sawyer Bennett

Wow!  What a steamy read!  I absolutely LOVED Legal Affairs.  What happens when a best friends good intentions go horribly right AND horribly wrong at the same time?  Just as McKayla.  Her life gets turned upside down by her best friends gift of one night with the "dating service"  One Night Only.

Legal Affairs is as amusing as it is steamy.  I'm looking forward to learning more about McKayla's legal career just as much as I'm looking forward to seeing more of Matt!  The story of McKayla and Matt is one I can see playing out to be a very interesting  and very sexy love story.  I am on pins and needles waiting for January 24th to roll around so I can grab the next installment, Legal Affairs: Stipulation.
Review by Danielle

Each volume will be $0.99
Legal Affairs – Objection – releasing January 10, 2014 - Free for a limited time
Legal Affairs – Stipulation – releasing January 24, 2014
Legal Affairs – Violation – releasing February 7, 2014
Legal Affairs – Mitigation – releasing February 21, 2014
Legal Affairs – Reparation – releasing March 7, 2014
Legal Affairs – Affirmation – releasing March 21, 2014

GUEST POST: Legal Affairs: Objection (Legal Affairs #1) by Sawyer Bennett

One year ago, I graduated from law school and embarked on a career as a purveyor of high priced legal shenanigans.
Six months ago, my boyfriend dumped me when I thought he might be proposing.
Two weeks ago, I got drunk and joined a secret sex club.
Two days ago, I had a torrid one-night stand with a stranger.
Today? Well, today I’m contemplating having an affair with my boss.
Matt Connover is all kinds of forbidden temptation wrapped up in a deliciously wicked package, and he’s made it clear… he’s only interested in sex.
My name is McKayla Dawson but everyone calls me Mac. I work at the powerhouse firm of Connover & Crown, LLP, where the law has never felt so hot.
But between you and me, I’m afraid my heart won’t survive these Legal Affairs.

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

Where to buy

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Smashwords
Legal Affairs: Objection is FREE for a limited time.

Bringing My Real Life Into Fictional Writing
By Sawyer Bennett


So, I’m a lawyer. A trial lawyer to be exact. I’ve spent the past 16 years arguing my heart out to juries but honestly, it wasn’t that big of a transition to bring my creativity in oral prose to the pages.

I’ve been dying to write a romance with a legal theme floating in the background. Legal Affairs was the perfect opportunity and I have more ideas for future books that revolve around lawyers, hot sex, gooey romance and interesting cases.

In Legal Affairs, I went light on the legal action. This was mainly because each volume has a limited budget of words, but there is a defined case that our heroine, McKayla Dawson handles in this story. It’s an actual case based on one of the very first cases I handled when I was a young lawyer fresh out of law school. The factual details are straight from my own files and it was an amazing trip down memory lane.

One of my biggest challenges as a trial lawyer was getting a jury to step into my client’s shoes… to make them feel in their gut how much my client had been affected. It’s been an incredible journey to make my readers feel an emotional tie to the characters in my stories.  When that connection happens, it is beyond awesome.

Legal Affairs is a serial romance with a whole lot of hot and a little bit of funny. It has six volumes that will be released every two weeks, the first one, entitled Objection, on January 10, 2014. Each title is between 12,000-15,000 words with the last one close to 20,000 words.

Legal Affairs – Objection – releasing January 10, 2014 
Legal Affairs – Stipulation – releasing January 24, 2014 
Legal Affairs – Violation – releasing February 7, 2014 
Legal Affairs – Mitigation – releasing February 21, 2014 
Legal Affairs – Reparation – releasing March 7, 2014 
Legal Affairs – Affirmation – releasing March 21, 2014

About the author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.




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Thursday, January 9, 2014

Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon

You know those books that you have that you just keep putting off? The ones that sound good, but something keeps getting in the way? I have learned something about these kind of books.  DON'T KEEP PUTTING THEM OFF! I did this with a few books recently, and have been VERY pleasantly surprised with most of them.  Must Love Otters is definitely not an exception to that.  It was AWESOME.  One of those sleeper books that you think, yeah...I could read that...sounds like it could be ok and then BAM -- no sleep, completely sucked in and wanting more as soon as it is over!

When I first started reading about Hollie, I felt really sorry for her.  Then when she first met Ryan (SWOOOOOON) I wanted to kick her in her teeth, but by the end of the book I felt like a proud big sister, cheering for her!

If you are looking for a fun, light, HYSTERICAL read, get this book immediately (and even if you aren't looking for that, get it anyway!).  I haven't laughed this hard from a book in awhile and it was very refreshing! Don’t be mislead, this book also left me in suspense at points, and tears in others.  You get the WHOLE PACKAGE right here!

Review by Jillian

Let Love Shine (Love #3.5) by Melissa Collins

*****If you have not read Let Love In, Let Love Stay and Let Love Heal stop here, this review contains spoilers for those books.*****

 This is a feel good story.  All the drama is past Reid and Maddy and we get a glimpse into their future a married couple with a baby.  Life of course isn't perfect,  Maddy is struggling to finish school while Reid has stress at work,  but it all felt very, very real, and I loved that about this book.  There were also a number of scenes between Maddy and Reid that were super steamy!

All in all this was a great quick read and I really enjoyed it.   The last section of the book contains a number of bonus scenes.  There were alternative POVs as well as a few deleted scenes.  The extra bonus scenes at the end really added to the series as a whole and I was glad to have the opportunity to read them.  Now that I've gotten my Maddy and Reid fix, I can hardly wait to read all about Lucy (aka Mama) and Evan (Reid's hunky uncle)!   I really hope their book, Let Love Be, will be out soon!
Review by Danielle

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

REVIEW BLITZ AND GIVEAWAY: Let Love Shine (Love #3.5) by Melissa Collins


What comes after “they lived happily ever after?”

Maddy and Reid have seen their fair share of trials and tribulations, of love and loss. Facing down the biggest challenges of their young lives, they managed to survive and endure. With the future stretching out before them, they must learn to navigate new and unfamiliar paths.

Being new parents, starting new jobs, and continuing college is enough to overwhelm any couple. New challenges come up daily, as do small victories. Watch Maddy and Reid grow stronger together in this “one year later” tale of the everyday stuff that happens in real life.

With a solid foundation of love under their inexperienced feet – and with the help of their family and friends – Maddy and Reid learn how to let love shine, lighting the way for a beautiful future to come.

Where to buy


Review

*****If you have not read Let Love In, Let Love Stay and Let Love Heal stop here, this review contains spoilers for those books.*****

 This is a feel good story.  All the drama is past Reid and Maddy and we get a glimpse into their future a married couple with a baby.  Life of course isn't perfect,  Maddy is struggling to finish school while Reid has stress at work,  but it all felt very, very real, and I loved that about this book.  There were also a number of scenes between Maddy and Reid that were super steamy!

All in all this was a great quick read and I really enjoyed it.   The last section of the book contains a number of bonus scenes.  There were alternative POVs as well as a few deleted scenes.  The extra bonus scenes at the end really added to the series as a whole and I was glad to have the opportunity to read them.  Now that I've gotten my Maddy and Reid fix, I can hardly wait to read all about Lucy (aka Mama) and Evan (Reid's hunky uncle)!   I really hope their book, Let Love Be, will be out soon!
Review by Danielle

About the author

I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

RELEASE DAY BLITZ AND GIVEAWAY: Stolen Wishes (New Hope, #1.5) by Lexi Ryan

**Contains sexual content and adult language and situations. Intended for mature readers.**

Cally…
A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn't ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me--a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.

William…
Since the death of my parents, I've always done what’s expected of me, what's "best" for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.

Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness.

**This novella takes place seven years before the events in WISH I MAY and shows William and Cally falling in love for the first time. It can be read before or after WISH I MAY or on its own.**


Where to buy?

Barnes and Noble | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

A note from Lexi: 
Attention Kindle Readers: I'm working very hard trying to get Amazon to offer STOLEN WISHES for free like it is at other retailers. However, they won't allow authors to set their book price as free and price matching is up to their discretion. I hope I can get them to offer it free soon and it's ready for you by the time you read this, but in the meantime, I sincerely apologize for your wait.

Review

I hated William in Unbreak Me.  I adored him in Wish I May.  After reading Stolen Wishes I want to have his babies!  Which totally makes me feel pervy since William is only like 17 in this book... so let me try that again... I want to have babies with the William from the other two books now that I met him when he was still young and un-jaded by the world (or at least less jaded).  He is kind and giving to a fault.  It's obvious that every single one of his actions comes directly from his heart because he truly cares about the people in his life.  Cally is quiet and introspective.  She is trying to figure out how to deal with the hand life has dealt her and  feels trapped by the decisions of her parents.  Watching them fall in love is really special.

It's not often I say this about prequel type stories but I'm personally glad I didn't have this story until now.  I really enjoyed the shock of learning who William was the way I got to know him.  Had I read this story first I my whole opinion of William would of been different and therefore changed my opinion of other characters in New Hope.  I cannot wait to learn more about the rest of New Hope in future books from this series!
Review by Danielle

Excerpt

“Hey, William,” a girl calls from the kitchen. “Why don’t you come in here and take a shot?”
I hardly have a chance to tense before Will pulls me closer. “Can’t do that, Meredith. My date’s here.”
Lizzy and Hanna both turn to us at his words, and I feel my own eyes go wide.
“I’d consider it a personal favor if you could roll with this,” he whispers into my ear. “Meredith has been trying to get me to do body shots since she got here two hours ago.”
“You don’t drink?” I ask, not that it’s my business. I’ve just never been to a party with alcohol before, and I’m not sure what to expect. From the stories I’ve heard, I half expected everyone to be wasted by the time we got here.
“It’s not the drinking that I mind. She’s just not my type.” When I frown at him, confused, his lips quirk in a half-smile. “You do know what a body shot is, don’t you?”
I shake my head.
“Want to find out?” His fingers trail over the sensitive dip in my spine as he asks, and I nod. I would probably agree to anything he asked me right now.
He takes me to the kitchen, his hot hand never leaving the small of my back.
Lizzy and Hanna step back and study us as he leads me to the island. I’d feel guilty about abandoning them tonight, but they seem to be having a great time.
“Where’s the tequila, Max?” Will calls.
Max hoists a bottle of amber liquid in the air and snags a shot glass off the counter.
“Do you know what a snakebite is?” Will asks me quietly. He’s standing close so only I can hear him when he talks.
I bite my lip. “I don’t really go to many parties.”
Next to us, Max fills the shot glass with tequila.
“A snakebite is a shot of tequila that you take with salt and lime,” Will explains to me.
“What makes it a body shot?” I ask.
His throat moves as he swallows, and his blue eyes go darker somehow, his pupils getting bigger. His lips part as he studies mine. “It’s a body shot if you take all the parts of the snakebite off someone else’s body.”
That makes my pulse kick up a notch. I’m still trying to puzzle out the logistics when Max calls, “No hands, Bailey.”
Will winks at me. “And I can’t use my hands for anything but putting the salt on you. Are you still game?”
I nod wordlessly, and I’m rewarded with one of Will’s full-out grins. I don’t need to know details to understand his mouth is going to be on me, and I like the idea of that. A lot.
Will’s hands slide to my waist and tighten, and before I realize what he’s doing, he’s hoisting me up on the counter. I squeak, and the girls cheer. All of them except Kristen and Meredith, that is. They’re leaning against the fridge, scowling at me like I killed their puppy.
Max hands me the shot glass and looks at me expectantly.
“Do I hold it?” I whisper.
“If you want,” Max says. “But I think you shouldn’t make it so easy on my boy here.”
Will shakes his head. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Lizzy rushes over and cups her hand around my ear. “Slide it between your breasts. Trust me.”
I gape at her, and she shrugs innocently before joining Hanna at the edge of the kitchen.
I may be inexperienced, but I’m not naïve and I get what this game is about. My cheeks heat as I slide the glass into my cleavage. It’s cool against my hot skin, and Will’s eyes burn into me as he watches me position it.
Max offers me a lime wedge.
“Do you need your friend to tell you what to do with that too?” Kristen calls.
“Shut up, Kristen,” Will says. “You didn’t know what you were doing your first time either.”
But she’s right. Lizzy shouldn’t have to tell me what to do. I take the lime and put it between my teeth, facing out. The citrusy pulp presses against my lips, making them tingle. Or maybe the tingle is from the idea of William’s lips close to mine.
Will grins and brushes my hair off my neck. “Ready or not.”

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author, Lexi Ryan considers herself the luckiest chick she knows. Her books have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. Lexi herself has only been described using two of those adjectives (feel free to guess but she’s not telling). When not writing, she enjoys watching football, perfecting her chocolate martini, and reading her way to the title of Biggest Romance Fangirl Evah. A former college professor, her biggest fears include faculty meetings and large stacks of ungraded freshman composition papers. She now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband and two children and their neurotic dog.


GIVEAWAY!


Want an eBook copy of Wish I May so you can read the rest of William and Cally's story?  Just comment below and we will pick a random winner on 1/10/14.

Stolen Wishes (New Hope, #2.5) by Lexi Ryan

I hated William in Unbreak Me.  I adored him in Wish I May.  After reading Stolen Wishes I want to have his babies!  Which totally makes me feel pervy since William is only like 17 in this book... so let me try that again... I want to have babies with the William from the other two books now that I met him when he was still young and un-jaded by the world (or at least less jaded).  He is kind and giving to a fault.  It's obvious that every single one of his actions comes directly from his heart because he truly cares about the people in his life.  Cally is quiet and introspective.  She is trying to figure out how to deal with the hand life has dealt her and  feels trapped by the decisions of her parents.  Watching them fall in love is really special.

It's not often I say this about prequel type stories but I'm personally glad I didn't have this story until now.  I really enjoyed the shock of learning who William was the way I got to know him.  Had I read this story first I my whole opinion of William would of been different and therefore changed my opinion of other characters in New Hope.  I cannot wait to learn more about the rest of New Hope in future books from this series!
Review by Danielle

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Return to Poughkeepsie (The Poughkeepsie Brotherhood #2) by Debra Anastasia

Return to Poughkeepsie is intense, tender, insane, sweet, cringe inducing and heart warming, a total emotional roller coaster.  AND I LOVED IT!  It's like Debra Anastasia pulls out your heart, throws it on the ground, kicks it, then picks it up to dust it off only to do it again and again.

While Blake takes center stage in Poughkeepsie, Beckett steals the show in Return to Poughkeepsie.  We see a side of Beckett we didn't get in Poughkeepsie, yet somehow I felt like I always knew it was there.  Beckett has the single most beautiful heart of any character I have ever met.  Its true he has done some pretty horrific things in his life but the reasons he did them somehow makes them less evil.  The way he chooses to live his life when he is away from everything is truly noble; I'd be proud to call him my friend.

I also loved getting to know Eve better in Return to Poughkeepsie.  There is so much of herself that she insists on hiding from the world.  I really felt connected to her in a way I never thought would be possible.  Who she is, who she was, and who she wants to be come together in one really amazing package.

I was actually really sad when Return to Poughkeepsie ended.  I NEED more of these brothers.  The story that was beginning to unfold for Cole and Kyle has me captivated already.  We get one chapter at the end of Return to Poughkeepsie but it was not enough!  I truly hope the wait for The Pougkeepsie Brotherhood book 3 isn't too long.
Review by Danielle

Friday, January 3, 2014

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Return to Poughkeepsie (Poughkeepsie Brotherhood #2) by Debra Anastasia

Beckett Taylor is a murderer. His calling, his craft are destruction and intimidation—whether he wants it that way now or not. He left Poughkeepsie to keep his brothers safe, to keep Eve safe. Set up with happy lives to live, they’re better off without him, right?

But all his willpower crumbles when he hears his brother Blake’s frantic voice on the phone. An unknown enemy has moved in on his old territory, and Livia’s been taken. In an instant, Beckett knows it will take an attack only he and Eve can execute to bring her back. All his self-imposed embargoes are torn to shreds, perhaps along with the new man he’s struggled to become.

“Brother, call Eve. I’ll be there soon.”


In this emotional and action-packed sequel to Poughkeepsie, Debra Anastasia conjures a tale of love at its most raw and ragged. With Beckett and Eve, how could we expect anything less? But even when it’s messy, not magical, true love perseveres. Real love finds a way—for better or for worse until death does part.


Where to buy

Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Review

Return to Poughkeepsie is intense, tender, insane, sweet, cringe inducing and heart warming, a total emotional roller coaster.  AND I LOVED IT!  It's like Debra Anastasia pulls out your heart, throws it on the ground, kicks it, then picks it up to dust it off only to do it again and again.

While Blake takes center stage in Poughkeepsie, Beckett steals the show in Return to Poughkeepsie.  We see a side of Beckett we didn't get in Poughkeepsie, yet somehow I felt like I always knew it was there.  Beckett has the single most beautiful heart of any character I have ever met.  Its true he has done some pretty horrific things in his life but the reasons he did them somehow makes them less evil.  The way he chooses to live his life when he is away from everything is truly noble; I'd be proud to call him my friend.

I also loved getting to know Eve better in Return to Poughkeepsie.  There is so much of herself that she insists on hiding from the world.  I really felt connected to her in a way I never thought would be possible.  Who she is, who she was, and who she wants to be come together in one really amazing package.

I was actually really sad when Return to Poughkeepsie ended.  I NEED more of these brothers.  The story that was beginning to unfold for Cole and Kyle has me captivated already.  We get one chapter at the end of Return to Poughkeepsie but it was not enough!  I truly hope the wait for The Pougkeepsie Brotherhood book 3 isn't too long.
Review by Danielle

About the author

Debra Anastasia is busy, just like every other mom. There's dinner, the dogs, the two kids, the two kids, and her ongoing battle with...ahem... digestive issues, which combined with her adolescent boy sense of humor makes for colorful and sometimes cringe-worthy social media updates. Her first love and crowning achievement is her thriving career as the weirdest mom on the block.

Her writing started a decent handful of years ago when--along with the animals and humans in her house--the voices of characters started whispering stories in Debra's ear. Insomnia was the gateway to plots that wouldn't give up, wouldn't let go. Now they stalk her everywhere. Halfway through making lunches, a twist takes hold and--fingers full of peanut butter--she finds somewhere, anywhere to write it down.
She's eternally grateful to Omnific Publishing, which has now published four of her books: two in the Seraphim Series and two in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, as well as her novella, Late Night with Andres. That one is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!) She also very much appreciates her open-minded readers, who embrace everything she has to offer, with a focus on anti-heroes and bathroom humor.

Debra lives in Maryland with her family. You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter @Debra_Anastasia. But be prepared.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!