Monday, November 27, 2017

REVIEW: A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur



There are some writers who immediately grab your heart and know exactly what to do with it. Suanne Laqueur has, in two books, earned my trust and my instant purchase of anything she writes. This woman knows how to tell a story. To rip me to shreds. To sew up my wounds with the tenderest of hands. Her storytelling is exquisite and I know I'd follow her down any rabbit hole, any yellow brick road, and any trail of crumbs she leaves I'm there. 

Her latest, A Charm of Finches, left me in a puddle of goo--worthless except my brain, which was whirring and processing and pondering. I rushed to get to the end to see how these characters were going to (if they were going to) make it out alive and loved and yet my instinct was to put on the brakes and s-l-o-w down. I just couldn't, though. The story of Stef and Jav and Geno had my heart in my throat and my curiosity piqued and I couldn't fully give anything my attention until I read their ending. 

I loved it. 

It broke me and yet I feel so comforted now, at the end. This novel is not an easy one-- be forewarned --but it was worth every heart dropping moment, every horrific scene, to get to the ending. I think. I'm still processing but ... I think it had to be exactly what it was for it to mean as much as it did.

Anyway.
I could ramble on forever and tell you how I'd read her fantasy novel of Trueblood if she wrote it and how fascinated I am by Jav's notebook and process. How inspired she made me to want to be and do better. How my heart is so full I want to smile and cry , simultaneously.

Just. Ugh. Go buy this book and love it like I did. And if you didn't, I really don't want to know about it.

BUY IT ON Amazon.

SYNOPSIS:
“I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it.”

Ex-escort Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. And the third time is the charm. He meets an art therapist named Steffen Finch and what starts as casual deepens into a passionate relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing. 

Stef’s business card reads Curator & Sailor. His creativity and insightful nature have made him into a talented therapist, the one to call for tough cases. His professional success can’t conceal a deep need to connect with someone, but Javier Landes is the last person Stef expected.

Geronimo "Geno" Caan is Stef's most challenging case. To cope with his ordeal, he's allowed an alter-ego called Mos to make decisions, and now lives a double life within a web of lies. Under Stef’s navigation, Geno uses art to express what Mos forbids to be spoken aloud. But as Geno’s attachment to Stef gradually extends to Jav, the boundaries between professional and personal begin to blur.

Over the course of a year, Jav, Stef and Geno form an unexpected and unconventional triangle, revealing how men make love in times of war and how love is a great wisdom made up of small understandings. The long-awaited second book of the Venery series, A Charm of Finches is an epic tale of survival and secrets guaranteed to make you think and feel and remember.

Find the author on Goodreads.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

REVIEW: An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur

OUR REVIEW:

This being the start of my break (and most intense grading season of the year) and coming off another book that gave me a severe book hangover, I knew I wanted a novel that would cure my hangover ...with another book hangover. Mission accomplished. The Exaltation of Larks swept me up in the story of families braided together through chance, necessity, tragedy and love. The narratives of the characters were woven together so well that by the end I felt like all along I'd had the puzzle pieces and knew how they were put together and didn't know it until I saw the final product--and what an interesting final product to see.

These characters repeatedly healed my heart and broke it and I'm not 100% recovered yet but I don't have to be. I have the rest of the week off, papers have been graded (thanks to using this novel as an incentive to get them done faster), and A Charm of Finches loaded and ready to read.

I am really enjoying the writing and storytelling of Suanne Laqueur and am ready to explore her backlist as time permits. I cannot recommend this novel highly or frequently enough. Buy it. I think you're going to love it.

BUY IT ON Amazon

SYNOPSIS:

"We're so alike, you and I. It's no wonder we kept finding each other."

September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten. Though burdened by unresolved grief for his disappeared parents, he becomes fiercely loyal to the Larks, eventually marrying one of their daughters, Valerie.

September 11, 2001: Javier Landes watches from his apartment window as New York City falls to terrorism. As one of Manhattan’s top-paid male escorts, this professional lover has never lacked for company and is loyal only to himself. But in the wake of 9/11, Jav is named guardian for an orphaned nephew in Guelisten and must open his carefully-guarded heart to pain he's long suppressed.

Alex, Valerie and Jav meet first in their twenties, with a sudden attraction each finds strange and compelling. When they meet again in their forties, they discover not only is their bond still strong, but their life experiences are strangely similar. All have been shaped by separate 9/11's, and their unfinished business from the past will change everything they know about love, loyalty and friendship.

"Life has rules. You cannot come in the middle of the night and take what we agreed isn't yours."

Across three decades and two continents, Suanne Laqueur's fifth novel explores the unpredictability of sexual attraction, how family ties are forged, torn and mended, and how love's downfall can turn to exaltation.

Learn more about the writer: website | Goodreads

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

REVIEW: Bad at Love by Karina Halle

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Bad at Love by Karina Halle Release Date: November 16th

Bad at Love, an all-new contemporary STANDALONE by New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle is LIVE!!!


OUR REVIEW:

In today's edition of too much information about things you don't care about, I almost hesitated when deciding to review Bad at Love. Why? Because I am in research grading HELL and I wasn't sure how much time I'd have to devote to focusing on anything other than that. But it's Karina Halle and I was loving all the teasers and things she was posting on social media about this novel so I decided to not worry about grading. BEST.DECISION.EVER. Bad at Love was exactly the reprieve I needed--it was funny and sexy and sweet. I found myself completely enamored with Marina and Laz and their story; I think it's one of my favorite friends to lovers romances I've read in quite a while, actually. And, if I'm going to be completely honest, I was unprepared for the romcom parts of this. I realize, now, that I've come to expect Karina Halle to give me these atmospheric, angsty, and sometimes violent, sexy romances. And while I love all of these aspects to her writing, I really loved that Halle did something I didn't expect. There were so many moments when I chuckled to myself, or just found myself smiling from ear to ear, that I found myself reaching for Bad at Love every free moment I had. 

Going into the holiday season, I can't think of a better novel to lift your spirits--you're going to finish Bad at Love with a full heart and a smiling face. 


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She's bad at love, but he's even worse...
Marina is hot, blonde, and wickedly smart, but when it comes to men? She's hopeless. Between her quirks and her lack of filter, there isn't a man in Los Angeles that will stick around after the third date.
Her handsome, charming friend Lazarus has the opposite problem. Everyone wants to be his girlfriend, but he gets bored and moves on quickly.
There's only one way to figure out why neither of them has cracked this love thing-- they'll date each other. On paper, it's the perfect experiment. But in reality, things between Marina and Laz get complicated quickly.
They might be bad at love, but they are even worse at being friends.

Excerpt:

The place is called Tanner Smiths and is one of those trendy bars with a prohibition theme. It’s packed and dark and there’s a small dancefloor by the door so that when you walk in, you’re sucked into a group of people grooving all up in your space. Beyonce blares from the female DJ in the corner and everyone is drunk and happy. “I approve of the vibe,” I say to Laz. “What?” he yells back mockingly over the noise, cupping his ear. Then he leans in, close. Very close. “What you havin’ to drink, sweet girl?” His breath is hot on my ear and I momentarily close my eyes, letting the feeling sink along my skin, down my back, all the way to my toes. “Anything,” I manage to say. I open my eyes and his face is still at my neck, lips at my ear. “I had no idea you were so easy to please,” he murmurs and I swear his lips are grazing my skin. Goosebumps spread and I’m hot and cold all at once. My throat feels thick as I speak. “Only when it comes to drinks. Anything else, you might have to work at it.” “Is that so?” he says, pulling back enough to look me in the eye. There’s fire inside him. God, how I want to burn. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?” I tell him. His languid gaze drops to my lips, his nostrils flaring with impatience. Fuck, do it, just fucking kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me. He leans all the way back, gives my hand another squeeze before letting go. “Don’t you dare go anywhere.” “Bossy,” I comment, my stomach summersaulting like crazy. “You have no idea,” he says. Then he winks, a bit of a smile, and heads down to the bar to place the order. I watch him. I watch him and I watch the girls in the bar watching him and I know tonight, tonight he’s mine. I have him. I’ve never felt so alive before, a swarm of electricity underneath my skin, my heart happy, happy, happy with anticipation, knowing what might finally happen between us. BadAtLove-AN

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2yJATbB
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Meet Karina:

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books. Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Connect with Karina:

Join her Reader Group: https://goo.gl/wpCBSS
Stay up to date with Karina by signing up for her newsletter here: https://goo.gl/Ve4eCh

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

REVIEW: The Rivalry by Nikki Sloane




Title: The Rivalry
Author: Nikki Sloane
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: November 21, 2017

Our Review:

Fans of college football are going to love The Rivalry, and if you don't love football you may not quite get how or why people (families) get so rabid-dog-like crazy about certain match ups but you'll definitely find this novel entertaining. As someone who lives in SEC country and more notably LSU land,  I'm very much aware of how crazy people can get when it comes to their teams (hello #bamahateweek ) and yet I've never seen it quite as bad as Kayla and her family (which made it that more interesting and entertaining). 

Not only did I enjoy the story of Kayla and Jay and their unlikely pairing, the humor, and their struggle, I also enjoyed that this gave me a new type of read from Nikki Sloane. I've known her to have these passionate, tense stand offs between her couples and this was more humorous and light. 

If your team has a bye week or you're just hungry for a college cheerleader/football player romance, you're going to enjoy this.


Blurb


This tight end is at the top of his game.

He’s good with his hands, even better with his sexy mouth, and the best at making me forget my own name. His, ahem, stats are perfect.

But I can’t fall for him.

He might be everything I want, all rolled into a glorious package of gridiron god, but there’s one teeny-tiny problem. The vile, loathsome team I’ve spent my entire life hating—my beloved school’s arch-rival?

This guy is their star player.







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






Author Bio

Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For eight years she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there. Now she lives in Kentucky and manages a team of graphic artists. She is married and has two sons, writes dirty books, and couldn't be any happier.


Author Links




REVIEW: Dirty Filthy Fix by Laurelin Paige

   

From New York Times bestselling author Laurelin Paige, comes a sexy novella in her Fixed Trilogy Series…DIRTY FILTHY FIX, a new novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights! Grab your copy of this amazing novella today!

   

OUR REVIEW:

Admittedly we've not read everything that Laurelin Paige has written, but what we have read, we've really enjoyed. And actually, not knowing her work as well makes for an exciting experience because we don't know what we'll get, but we know from past experience that we'll like it. 

In Dirty Filthy Fix, the heroine, Trish, is not at all what we expected. She's fiercely, stubbornly independent and it's this trait of hers that makes her very different than many heroines we've read before. She's so fixated on what she envisions for her life that she's left very little wiggle room for anyone else. Some readers are going to not like her for that, others will love her for that, but most importantly, Nate respects her for it. He's really the perfect partner for her. Whether they're sexting, sexing, or sitting in the back of a cab, the connection they share just sparks.

This novella is a fun read that you can consume while you're waiting for the holiday festivities to begin. 

Happy reading!


About DIRTY FILTHY FIX:

I like sex. Kinky sex. The kinkier the better.

Every day, it’s all I think about as I serve coffee and hand out business agendas to men who have no idea I’m not the prim, proper girl they think I am.

With a day job as the secretary to one of New York’s most powerful men, Hudson Pierce, I have to keep my double life quiet. As long as I do, it’s not a problem.

Enter: Nathan Sinclair. Tall, dark and handsome doesn’t come close to describing how hot he is. And that’s with his clothes on. But after a dirty, filthy rendezvous, I accept that if we ever see each other again, he’ll walk right by my desk on his way to see my boss without recognizing me.

Only, that’s not what happens. Not the first time I see him after the party. Or the next time. Or the time after that. And as much as I try to stop it, my two worlds are crashing into each other, putting my job and my reputation at risk.

And all I can think about is Nathan Sinclair.

All I can think about is getting just one more dirty, filthy fix.

 

Grab your copy of DIRTY FILTHY FIX today!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon AU

Download the Free Kindle App

        Excerpt : “I’d like a try.” It was the stranger with the green eyes. Hot damn. Of course the night would ramp up right when I announced I was leaving. I looked up at him expectantly, but he didn’t approach. I realized he was waiting for my invitation. He was definitely new. Everyone else knew Miss T was one of the most ready and willing participants in the room—to the point where some tried to take advantage of it. I never needed to issue invitations, but I often needed to reinforce boundaries. “What are you waiting for, then?” I sat up straighter, ignoring Chuck’s grunt of complaint. The stranger came forward with slow, swaggering steps. When he reached me, he loosened his bowtie a little before lowering himself to one knee at my side. He placed his arm next to mine on the chair, his fingers barely grazing my skin. Goosebumps sprouted up my forearm all the way to my neck, and he hadn’t even bent in to whisper yet. And then he did. His breath skated over the shell of my ear, and my heart tripped unexpectedly in my chest. How long had it been since that had happened from just the feel of someone breathing against me? “I’m going to kiss you one way or another tonight,” he said, low and with such surety a shiver ran down my spine. “It’s your decision whether it’s now or later.” So. Not just a voyeur then. He sat back to study my features. My jaw was slack, and I scanned his expression, searching for a hidden motivation. My body tingled from head to toe. I was used to men—strangers—wanting me. I was used to them approaching me. I was used to them telling me how much they desired me. Why was this man so different? Maybe it was because those other men always looked everywhere in the room. When their eyes landed on me, I knew I was just one of many options. This man… He’d looked around the room. I’d watched him throughout the night. But nothing had interested him. I could tell by the way he was still wearing his jacket, by the way his eyes were only now beginning to dilate as they stared into mine. He’d studied the room and decided nothing here had interested him but me. That was definitely not the kink that usually got me off. That was Cinderella-story kind of kink. The fairytale kink with a happy ending was traditional, but a kink all the same—being chased. Being placed on a gilded pedestal. I never wanted to be somebody’s Only One in the Room. I liked having my own space. I liked being able to disappear when I wanted. I liked not having chains or boundaries. I was turning thirty-five soon. I wasn’t a starry-eyed teenager anymore. I knew what I wanted from life and love and relationships and sex. And it wasn’t a pedestal.        
   
About Laurelin Paige: USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.        

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

       

Friday, November 17, 2017

NOW LIVE: Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh




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New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…



Cherish Hard is NOW LIVE

Meet Sailor & Isa TODAY!





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More about CHERISH HARD

CHERISH HARD
A Hard Play Novel by Nalini Singh


New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…


Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.


Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.


And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.


As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.



☆☆☆☆☆☆

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Excerpt from CHERISH HARD by
Nalini Singh

ÍSA WONDERED WHAT THE HELL she was doing.
Being a devil woman, she reminded herself. Having fun for a change. Not being a grandma at twenty-eight years of age.
Still, she couldn’t stop second-guessing herself as Sailor led her out of the house through a side entrance that opened out into a small, manicured garden. “I’ll have to take off my heels,” she whispered when she saw the pebbled path snaking through the garden.
“Want a piggyback ride?” A playful grin. “I promise not to molest your thighs.”
Goose bumps broke out over Ísa’s skin, her nipples tight. Reckless as she was feeling tonight, she might just have taken him up on his offer if she hadn’t been worried her damn dress would split in two. “Maybe when we’re naked,” she said instead, Devil Ísa in full flower.
Groaning, he doubled over as if she’d punched him.
Her lips twitching despite the melting sexual heat liquefying her bones, she leaned down to slip off her heels.
Sailor waited, his hand firm around hers, until she was done. Taking the heels from her, he carried them in his other hand as Ísa padded beside him on the grass that lay on this side of the pebbled path. The path ended at a weathered wooden gate, which, when opened, put them at the top of a narrow walkway that led down onto a beach Ísa couldn’t yet see but could hear.
Her heart crashed in time with the waves as they made their way down to the beach while the mansion behind them pulsed with light and music. But she didn’t turn and run away, she didn’t stop and talk herself out of it, she didn’t attempt to be a sensible adult. She followed a gorgeous, blue-eyed man down a dirt pathway to an effectively private beach.
The sand that had been tracked onto the path was gritty under her feet, the air coming off the sea cool but not cold.
“The water’s going to be icy, isn’t it?” she whispered to his broad back.
“Don’t worry, spitfire. I’ll keep you warm,” was the deep-voiced response. “Stop here.” Jumping down to the beach, he reached up to grab her by the waist, swinging her down as if she were a featherweight.
Something fluffy and mushy came to life inside Ísa. “Here?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Raj told me there’s like a little cove area—not a proper cove, but caused by— There.”
Ísa saw it at once. A huge tree had fallen into the water at some point and smashed up against some rocks where it appeared to be stuck. Between the jutting rocks on either side and the fallen trunk was a naturally created pool. The water within it was pretty calm, and it looked as if they could get to it by clambering over some rocks that didn’t appear too sharp or slippery.
Of course, she’d be walking over those rocks naked.
Ísa looked up at the moon. Imagined it shining on the stark white of her body. Gulped. “Will you close your eyes while I go in the water?” Even Devil Ísa wasn’t up for blinding him with her glow-in-the-dark form.
A glance back. “What’re you going to bribe me with?”
Ísa scowled. “Not pushing you into the water right now.” It was a toothless threat given his muscles and her lack of them.
Rubbing his jaw, he said, “Three tongue kisses. That’s my price, and I’m not budging.”
Ísa wanted to pounce on him all over again. “Two,” she countered.
“Nuh-uh. Three. Or I’m keeping both eyes wide open.” Leaning in, he pressed his nose to hers. “I really want to keep my eyes wide open.”
And Ísa really wanted to kiss him and run her hands all over that sculpted chest. “Three,” she whispered.

Copyright © 2017 by Nalini Singh




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Haven’t read this series yet? Start the Rock Kiss Series NOW!
Rock Addiction (Book One) Rock Kiss Series


Rock Courtship (Book 1.5) A Rock Kiss Novel:

  • Rock Redemption (Book Three) Rock Kiss Series

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hP7G54

Nook:http://bit.ly/1VIYkH2

iBooks: http://apple.co/1ITi0i7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1VIYoXo


Rock Wedding (Book Four) Rock Kiss Series

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/29GM7Rp

iBooks: http://apple.co/2a2dcmx

Nook:http://bit.ly/29O9I22

Kobo: http://bit.ly/29TozeO


Author Information
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Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.

If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.


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