Blog Tour | Jagger by Amanda McKinney | Review

Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations
Amanda McKinney
Publication date: June 18th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Secrets, lies, deceit… A former Navy SEAL turned homicide detective has met his match in this new *standalone* addition to the number #1 Bestselling Steele Shadows Series…

He found her covered in blood.
She promises she’s innocent.
The question is… Can he trust her?

Feared just as much on the streets as at a crime scene, Homicide Detective Max Jagger has dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems… including this suspect.

Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Clever, cunning, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes… including secrets that could take them both under.

With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny… before they both get burned.

Goodreads / Amazon



This is my first experience with McKinney’s writing so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the blurb sucked me in for sure. I really enjoyed how much complexity she put into characters like Jagger and Sunny and while the romance definitely wasn’t the focus, it was enjoyable. The main focus was definitely the mystery. Still, the story was packed with tension and suspense as it unfolded. The building of Jagger and Sunny’s relationship, though it wasn’t necessarily the focus, was great. All of the characters were great and the story was full of twists and turns, it was a great read!

Author Bio:

Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than ten steamy romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, in 2017 after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries packed with steamy romance.

Her books include the HOT new bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series and BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES.

Text AMANDABOOKS to 66866 to receive Amanda’s newsletter and get the latest on new releases, promos, and freebies!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub


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Blog Tour | That Summer in Maine | Review

A novel about mothers and daughters, about taking chances, about exploding secrets and testing the boundaries of family

Years ago, during a certain summer in Maine, two young women, unaware of each other, met a charismatic man at a craft fair and each had a brief affair with him. For Jane it was a chance to bury her recent pain in raw passion and redirect her life. For Susie it was a fling that gave her troubled marriage a way forward.

Now, sixteen years later, the family lives these women have made are suddenly upended when their teenage girls meet as strangers on social media. They concoct a plan to spend the summer in Maine with the man who is their biological father. Their determination puts them on a collision course with their mothers, who must finally meet and acknowledge their shared past and join forces as they risk losing their only daughters to a man they barely know.

Buy Links | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | AppleBooks | Google Play

This was my first experience reading Brianna Wolfson’s writing and I enjoyed her style overall. It was descriptive and flowed well, while also being filled with heart. I found myself feeling for many of the characters and their individual situations, even if they weren’t something I could identify with myself, it was written that well.

I felt this was really a story about families and all the different relationships and roles that different members play and how those roles can change with life events, time and changes to the family. I really enjoyed the look at how family dynamics can shift and the different emotions that can happen with those shifts. I didn’t necessarily like all of the characters, but each of their specific situations were well examined and explained.

Brianna Wolfson is a New York native living in San Francisco. Her narrative nonfiction has been featured on Medium, Upworthy and The Moth. She buys a lottery ticket every Friday.

Social Links | Author website | Goodreads

Happy reading!

Tactical Crime Division | Author Q&A with Nichole Severn

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and Blacklist…

Uncover the lives and loves of the FBI elite as they take on the toughest assignments. This is a new four-book miniseries featuring an ensemble cast of characters spread across 4 books, featuring 4 urgent cases, with one stellar team of crime solving experts. 

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever increasing response time to criminal events, the FBI created a specialized tech and tactical team combing specialists from several active divisions that include: weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation and IT. 

Midnight Abduction by Nichole Severn – For the Tactical Crime Division, no case is left cold. When Benning Reeves’s twins are kidnapped, the frantic father knows who can help: the Tactical Crime Division and Ana Ramirez. Even though Ana once shattered Benning’s heart, the special agent is the only one he can trust. But Ana is still tormented by the unresolved case that brought them together years before—a case somehow entangled with Benning’s children. It’s up to the TCD and Ana to discover why…before it’s too late.

Purchase links | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Harlequin.com

  1. The Tactical Crime Division is a specialized unit of the FBI. Did you do any research before writing about this type of fast-paced, high-adrenaline lifestyle? 

A: I’ve written a few FBI characters throughout my career (one of my favorite kinds of novels to write!), but for Midnight Abduction, I really had to look into missing persons statistics and break that data down into manageable chunks.

As an agent trained in missing persons, my heroine has to know the probabilities of a parent being involved in the abduction (or someone the child knew), the child’s daily habits, schedule, and so much more than age, weight, height and a recent photo. It’s unbelievable how the smallest detail could contribute to her bringing home a missing child, and how quickly evidence can change the course of an entire investigation.

I also found the more attention I put into reviewing actual missing persons from the FBI’s website, the more conflict and mystery I was able to add to this book.

  1. The Tactical Crime Division series includes four books written by four different authors; what was it like to collaborate with other authors and how did you decide who got to write each storyline?

A: Thankfully deciding who wrote which book was completely up to our editors, but collaborating with three other authors really was a huge change of pace for me. Up to this point, I’ve been in control of every minute detail throughout my books and have never had to rely on another author for the story I’m writing. 

But the TCD series features multiple points of view in each book, including main characters from the other three. I’d say the most difficult part of working together was just trying to get each other’s characters right. We didn’t want to overstep, make these side characters do something out of character or get the details of their past wrong, but every author involved in the series was great about answering questions and updating our shared series bible. 

  1. Can you share a recent book you have read that you would like to recommend?

A: I’ve just finished Loreth Anne White’s IN THE DARK and could not put it down! The use of setting to add to the psychological mystery she’s created was so well done, I’m still thinking about it weeks later. 

Nichole Severn writes romantic suspense with strong heroines, heroes who dare challenge them, and a hell of a lot of guns. When she’s not writing, she’s injuring herself running and practicing yoga.

Blog Tour | Stranger In the Lake | Review

When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.

At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.

As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.

Buy Links | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | IndieBound |
Books-A-Million | Kobo | AppleBooks |Google Play

This is the first book I’ve read from Kimberly Belle and based on her writing style alone I will be picking up other books from her. I enjoyed the way the story slowly unwound through both modern day and flashbacks, though there were some portions that I felt were a little slow.

I loved the setting and the descriptions of the environment, town and their house. I definitely had a creepy shiver when thinking about those big windows that weren’t covered in any way. So many secrets and moments of deception wove things together and really were the meat of the story, it definitely kept me wondering and on my toes.

All in all I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and will definitely be checking out more of Belle’s writing in the future.

Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of six novels, including the forthcoming Stranger in the Lake (June 2020). Her third novel, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller, and a #1 e-book bestseller in the UK and Italy. She’s sold rights to her books in a dozen languages as well as film and television options. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.

Social Links | Author website | Facebook: @KimberlyBelleBooks |
Twitter: @KimberlySBelle | Instagram: @kimberlysbelle | Goodreads

Happy reading!

Blitz | The Longing of Lone Wolves

The Longing of Lone Wolves
Lana Pecherczyk
(Fae Guardians, #1)
Publication date: June 8th 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

He bargained with her to break his curse. She stole his heart instead.

Rush is a Fae Guardian, a wolf-shifter whose enhanced abilities have made him a ruthless protector of Elphyne. His job is to protect the realm from the human enemy, and to ensure the sins of the past never come to pass again lest magic die forever. But one night of weakness resulted in a curse worse than death – exile. He now spends his lonely time longing to be part of the living, once again protecting them from monsters… until one washes up on the shores of his lake.

Clarke is human. She’s beautiful, feisty, and fierce. She’s also the only person who can see him, speak to him, and touch him.
If he hands her over to the Order, she’s his ticket to having his curse removed. The more he learns about this human enemy, the more he realizes she’s not the monster he’s been trained to believe. In fact, she’s capable of inciting passion he’d never dreamed possible again, but Clarke has a message from the past… sins are already repeating. This time, if they don’t stop the coming evil, it won’t just be magic that dies. It will be everything.

The Witcher meets Beauty and the Beast in this gripping, epic fantasy featuring steamy romance, a dash of time travel, a band of brothers, shifters, fae protectors and their strong willed women from our time. If you love your books full of page turning action, intrigue, and romantic tension then this book is for you. For fans of Kristen Ashley’s Fantastical series or Sarah J Maas’s adult fantasy romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

As Clarke wended down rocky terrain, the snow melted and revealed fresh dirt and abundant nature. The more they descended, the grumpier she got. Something shifted inside when she saw how the world had changed because of the way she’d lived her old life. Death had been on one side of the mountain and life on the other. Even though she’d had a part, she didn’t want to be lumped in with humans who’d intentionally destroyed the world.

The fae’s words came back to her. We dont choose the rules of life, but if we dont follow them, were destined for nothing.”

“You know,” she said as she dodged a divot in the path. “We’ve been walking for hours and you still haven’t told me your name.”

She was also tired, itchy, and hungry.

The fae nudged her between the shoulder blades. She almost lost her footing.

He may have a giant sword, scary mother-fucking teeth, and a powerful body she was sure could snap her in two, but her instinct just wasn’t feeling the fear. He had the ability to control her words and her actions, yet he’d only just used the power. She rounded on him.

“Take these off me,” she demanded. “Free me.”

He looked down his nose and flicked his gaze to the restraints. Her breath stuck in her throat and, for a moment, she thought her instincts needed a serious talking to. But then he moved toward her. Fast.

With a speed that left her breathless, and a flick of his powerful hand, his bone knife sliced through her restraints. Clarke’s fists dropped to her sides.

He leaned forward, his menacing presence only inches from her face. And then he sniffed, nostrils flaring as he trailed his nose along her cheek, jaw and neck. Where he stayed. Hot air puffed out as he exhaled, and goosebumps erupted over her flesh. The tattoo under his eye flared, casting an eerie blue glow as he bared sharp teeth and bit the air, snapping with an audible click.

Clarke squeaked. A tremble of fear skated up her spine.

He raised a brow. “It matters not if you are free. You will not run.”

“And why not? Because you’ll compel me to stay?”

“Because, woman,” he growled, mouth curving into a wild, wicked grin, “I am the reason for those goosebumps on your skin. I am the reason children have nightmares, and in there”—he pointed into the shadowed woods only a few hundred feet away—“there are far worse things than nightmares. I am the reason you will live to breathe another day.”

“So I need a monster to fight a monster, is that it?”

Stupid woman. Stop provoking the beast.

His eyes narrowed and held her gaze.

An unearthly howl came from deep within the woods. At least, Clarke thought it was a howl. It could be any manner of creature in this foreign place. His pet wolf stiffened and raised his hackles.

Watching the woods, the fae stilled in a way that was wholly inhuman. He reached for his sword. Fingers locked tight around the hilt. Knuckles whitened. His ears pricked up straight.

Leaves rustled and trees whispered that night was falling. Then the tension left his shoulders and he let go of the sword. He tossed a self-righteous look at her, and then swaggered away, continuing toward the very forest that had caused him concern only moments before.

Goddamn it. She wanted to stomp her feet.

Smug, smug bastard.

She should leave just to spite him. But where would she go? To the human city that brutalized fae and animals through a barbed wire ceiling? The one the source of her dread came from? No thanks. She had to face facts. She was in a strange place and on her own. There were dangers out there in the night, and her gut said to go with the fae. He had the upper hand.

She hurried to catch up, for she knew something he didn’t. She could make friends with nightmares. She’d had practice.

Author Bio:

Lana Pecherczyk is an author from Western Australia. She makes a mean chocolate cake and is a fan of ‘pro-caffeinating.’ She writes kick-ass, action-packed, sometimes funny romance in all sorts of sub-genres – Paranormal, Fantasy, Superhero, Sci-fi and a dash of Contemporary. Basically, if it’s got swoony men, strong women and page turning action, then she’ll write it. She also wins love by daylight, fights evil by moonlight.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter


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Blog Tour | The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season | Review

For fans of Robyn Carr, commercial women’s fiction about three generations of women who come together at the family orchard to face secrets from the past and learn to believe in the power of hope and forgiveness.

In cherry season, anything is possible…

Everything Hope knows about the Orchard House is from her late-mother’s stories. So when she arrives at the Northern Michigan family estate late one night with a terrible secret and her ten-year-old daughter in tow, she’s not sure if she’ll be welcomed or turned away with a shotgun by the aunt she has never met.

Hope’s aunt, Peg, has lived in the Orchard House all her life, though the property has seen better days. She agrees to take Hope in if, in exchange, Hope helps with the cherry harvest—not exactly Hope’s specialty, but she’s out of options. As Hope works the orchard alongside her aunt, daughter, and a kind man she finds increasingly difficult to ignore, a new life begins to blossom. But the mistakes of the past are never far behind, and soon the women will find themselves fighting harder than ever for their family roots and for each other.

BUY LINKS | Harlequin | Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  |
Books-A-Million | Target | Walmart | Google | iBooks | Kobo

I was sucked into this story in the first couple chapters alone and couldn’t put it down, which is always a quick sign of a great read. There were so many different facets of emotions, secrets, family relationships and more in this book and it was not a simple story in any way. I absolutely loved the setting and the way it was crafted by Fader. We get perspectives from Hope, Peg and Tink, who are all so different and yet, so very alike in some ways.

This story surprised me in so many ways, all of them good. It wasn’t completely what I was expecting, but I loved it. It was full of raw emotion and beautifully written.

Molly Fader is the author of The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets. She is also the award-winning author of more than forty romance novels under the pennames Molly O’Keefe and M. O’Keefe. She grew up outside of Chicago and now lives in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter, @mollyokwrites.

SOCIAL | Author Website | TWITTER: @MollyOKwrites |
FB: @MollyFader | Insta: @mokeefeauthor |Goodreads 

Happy reading!

Release Day Blitz | Carolina Beach

I’ve got great news. If you haven’t already discovered Cecy Robson’s Carolina Beach series you can now download the complete set. All three novels – Inseverable, Eternal, and Infinite–are together in one steamy eBook bundle. Check out the series fans love and enter to win as we celebrate its release.

Carolina Beach Boxed Set
Amazon | iTunes | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

A wounded soldier returning from war, a man struggling to move forward following a painful divorce, and a businessman caught in a web of lies, discover love, healing, and redemption. Set along the backdrop Kiawah Island, the Carolina Beach series is the perfect getaway told in the soulful and witty voice of international and award-winning author Cecy Robson 

INSEVERABLE 

Winner of 2017 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence 

Callahan is a former army sniper who wants to make an escape from his past and everything he experienced at war. When he inherits a house on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island, he packs his bags, believing he will finally have the peace and seclusion he craves. Unfortunately, Callahan never counted on meeting Trinity. She is a native who has returned to Kiawah for one last memorable summer with friends before leaving for the Peace Corps. Callahan doesn’t want to get close to anyone–let alone Trinity. He finds her perkiness insufferable and her attempts to entice his smile distracting. After all, he’s in Kiawah to leave all feelings behind. But when it comes to Trinity, who feels everything, it’s hard not to feel something.
Neither expected to fall in love. And no one could have predicted how inseverable they’d become.

ETERNAL

After months of bad luck and even worse men, Luciana Diaz just wants to crawl under the covers and forget the year ever happened. Her friend has other plans, convincing Luci to attend a New Year’s Eve party on the affluent shores of Kiawah Island. Luci never expected to have fun. She also never expected to wake up next to Landon Summers, a man she just met. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that this man happens to be the new attorney at her firm! After an ugly separation and even worse divorce, Landon has no desire to jump into another relationship.
Neither Luci nor Landon planned on meeting each other, and they definitely didn’t plan on love. But the New Year means a fresh start, and eternal possibilities neither can deny . . .

INFINITE


National Reader’s Choice Award First Runner-up

Hale Wilder and Becca Shields grew up together on Kiawah Island. They were close in high school but have not seen each other since that humiliating night long ago when her family caught them on the beach, barely clothed. He strived to be the best student and the best athlete and grew into a successful businessman taking the finance world by storm. Hale is rich, powerful, and seemingly unstoppable. That is until a company scandal threatens to destroy his reputation and bring down everything he has worked for. Becca is now a kickass public relations goddess spinning scandals into gold and launching has-beens into superstardom. She never expected to see Hale again. But, when Becca discovers Hale is in trouble, she can’t turn her back on the boy who was once her world and the man she never forgot.
Hale never thought he’d have another shot at greatness or with Becca. Now that he has both, he won’t let either go without a fight.

Praise for the Books

“This is, hands down, one of my favorite books of 2016 thus far… INSEVERABLE, the first book in the upcoming Carolina Beach series, is FUNNY, like really funny. Heartfelt and sweet and goofy and just plain amazing.” —Top Pick, The Romance Reviews

“Eternal is a heartfelt and beautiful love story of two wounded hearts who find each other when and where they least expect it.” —USA Today, HEA

“[Infinite] hit all the feels and when I say all, I mean All. Of. Them. in one form or another and it made it very difficult to put the book down…So, if you love second chance romances then this is a must read!” —Books-n- Wine

Read an Excerpt from Inseverable

We reach the end of the driveway where he’s left his truck. I shift back and forth on my feet as he positions himself beside the driver’s side door, struggling to find the right words to say.
“I know parties aren’t exactly your thing,” I say. “But I hope you had fun.”
Okay. Not exactly the right words I think I need. But they’re true enough.
He watches me, falling back into deadpan silence I hoped was far behind us. Ordinarily, I’d make an obnoxious comment to stir a grin or maybe even a chuckle. But it doesn’t seem right at this moment. So instead of tapping into my playful side, I search my heart, hoping it will speak better than my mind.
I take a step forward, keeping my voice light. “You know, I was hoping you’d kiss me tonight, especially after you sang me that beautiful song.” I clasp my hands in front of me, feeling suddenly shy. “Am
I crazy for thinking you might?”
“No. Not at all,” his deep voice rumbles.
I raise my head slowly, shock hitching my breath. Callahan edges back and opens the door. Instead of climbing in, he stretches his long body across the seats, slipping back out with a spray of gorgeous wildflowers.
“You brought these for me?” I ask, barely able to get the words out.
“No.” The corners of his mouth lift. “They’re for Sean seeing how I make his panties wet.”
I start to laugh, but it doesn’t last, because the way Callahan is looking at me is very different from the way he was looking at me seconds before. This expression is the perfect blend of sweetness and ardor, just as it was when he sang to me.
He doesn’t know that the song he chose is among my all-time favorites. Nor does he realize how his deep soothing voice and the gesture affected me. I want to tell him, but I’m not sure how to express something that touched me so deeply simply with words, especially now that the sadness he stows deep inside of him, finds its way to the surface.
I take a risk, and ask him what
I’ve wanted to know since I first saw him. “Are you okay?”
When he doesn’t answer, I’m not sure he will. Yet when he does, I feel it like a pull, drawing me closer.
“Not always,” he admits quietly.
I purse my lips, struggling to stay strong for him. “Do you hurt?” I ask.
His stare travels down as I inch to his side, close enough that the leaves from my flowers sweep against his chest. “Sometimes,” he answers.
I tilt my chin and meet his face.
“Are you lonely?”
He lifts his head slowly, pitching me with such an intense stare, it holds me in place. “Not when I’m with you,” he whispers.
He moves forward, sliding his right hand behind the curve of my neck to cup the base of my skull. His other hand winds carefully around my waist. As I try to remember how to move, he skims my jaw with his thumb and lowers his mouth to meet mine.
At first his lips scarcely touch, trailing over me so softly I can barely sense the contact. The care he uses is sweet, subtle, but carries enough fire to warm all the right places and make me crave more. Yet what he’s doing feels so right, and so pure, I don’t force it, allowing him to lead us.
My lips follow his, brushing lightly, teasing gently, fitting perfectly. It’s only when his tongue probes forward and the tip flickers over mine that everything changes.
And dear God, there’s nothing pure or tender about what happens next.
Callahan devours me, fueling a frenzy within me and inciting me to ravish him just as hard in return. I moan and whimper, my heart racing hard enough to fill my ears with its beat. This isn’t a kiss. Oh, hell no. This is our tongues having sex!
He grunts, whirling me around and pressing my back against the truck door. My legs fasten around his waist as he hoists me onto his hips and deepens our kiss.
“Trin?”
Something hard presses against my belly.
“Trin?”
My lids flutter when he slips his tongue inside my ear.
“Trin?”
My hands yank up his shirt, traveling upward to smooth over his hard chest and graciously erect nipples. But when my teeth find his neck, and he swears, I just about rip his clothes off.
“Trin? You out here?”
Callahan breaks our contact and lowers me to my feet, stepping on my abandoned flowers as Sean appears with Mason.
“Trin?” Sean calls out, yet again.
I stomp forward and throw my hands out. “What? Tell me what is so important you have to interrupt quality face sucking time?”
“Can we have the wine?” Sean asks, looking at Mason who’s doing his best not to crack up.
“Sean!” I yell. “Did you even have to ask? Drink the whole thing for all I care.”
“Thanks, Trin,” he answers all excited-like. “Later, Callahan.”
“Night, Callahan,” Mason says, no longer able to hold back his laughter.
I turn back to Callahan who, like me, is panting. But very unlike me he’s chuckling as he rubs his jaw.
“Sorry,” I squeak.
“It’s all right,” he tells me. But then he says the last thing I want to hear. “I should go.”
We’re not going to have sex against your truck? It’s what I think— and after that kiss no one can blame me. But contrary to popular belief, I don’t always say what I think.
“You don’t have to,” I stammer.
“It’s late,” he says.
“Oh.” Let me rephrase that, how about we have sex against your truck?
“Okay.”
He stares at me for a beat then bends to retrieve my flowers and passes them to me. The daisies are broken and the peonies have seen better days. And yet I’m so touched by the sweet gesture from a man who’s so hard and almost impossible to get to know, I find it hard to keep my voice steady. “Thank you,
Callahan. They’re lovely.”
His features soften apologetically. “They don’t look quite like they did in the store.”
“I don’t care about that. It’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a long time,” I tell him truthfully. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
Again he watches me. I’m hoping he’ll change his mind and stay.
But he doesn’t.
“Goodnight, Trin,” he says quietly.
I find a way to smile despite my disappointment. “Goodnight,


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About the Author

Cecy Robson is an international and multi-award-winning author of over twenty-five character driven novels. A registered nurse of eighteen years, Cecy spends her free time creating magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure. After receiving two RITA® nominations, the Maggie Award, the Award of Excellence, and a National Reader’s Choice Award nomination, you can still find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story.

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Blitz | Unveiled by Jacklyn Daher

Unveiled
Jacklyn Daher
Publication date: June 6th 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

What if your entire life was a lie?

Sixteen-year-old Luxor Everstone had the idyllic life-wealthy, popular and beautiful. Until in a fit of rage, she almost killed her best friend. And herself.

Waking up from a coma she senses everything is different. She is different. A darkness lingers deep inside laced with rage, further fuelled by a faceless man who haunts her.

Exiled to a sleepy town for a new start and to attend a juvenile rehabilitation centre, all she wants is a clean slate. Except the universe has other plans as crimson eyed people reeking of sulphur throw her life into peril at every turn.

Encountering Hunter is a surprise in more ways than one. Enigmatic and antagonistic, against her will a strong electric connection draws her to him. But Hunter’s curious nature and innate ability to know Luxor’s thoughts keep her on edge so does his offer of helping her uncover the lies.

Torn between attraction and her instincts to flee, will she put herself at risk for answers?

Or will the truth heal, or taint her soul?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Warm streaks of sunlight broke and radiated through the luscious looming oak and elm trees, the harmonious melodies of hummingbirds gliding mid-air dancing with butterflies, an array of multi-colours swirling around. Straight ahead, high above on a branch an owl hooted, its wide eyes wise enough to know this was a twisted world of danger under the guise of beauty.

Luxor was sucked back into a world she dreaded and submerged wholly. She inhaled a sharp breath and puffed out her cheeks. She twirled around and wondered aimlessly, refusing to inhale the polluted air, all too aware of the fate which behold them.

No, no, no! Not again!

It was a repeat performance.

The Forest.

The Hunt.

The Fall.

This isn’t real, it’ll be over soon.

Since the accident, the night terrors were her reality. Night after night. Luxor wanted to run to wake up, but it was futile. She was a prisoner inside her own nightmare. A low hiss echoed from one of the low branches. She cradled herself and shivered as she peered up, but she couldn’t see anything. She curled her barefooted toes into the dirt and moved forward. For the first time it was a new addition.

Ready.

Luxor changed a bit of the game to gain control, she couldn’t keep going the same way. Sixteen years was enough.

Set.

“What do you want?” she said into the void. It was the same question she always asked, hoping for an answer.

A rumble shook underneath, a sign of a muted answer, followed by a melodious laugh echoing through the trees. But it didn’t offer a reprieve. The chase was about to commence.

Go!

Luxor played the part and lifted the hem of her ivory dress and clutched the chiffon tightly. She glanced over her shoulder and dashed into the distance to nowhere. She dodged any obstacles in her way, her arms scratching against rough bark. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched under her bare feet as bugs were squashed mixing in with a gritty residue of burnt dirt which stuck between her toes.

As usual nobody was there, but a deep sense of foreboding awaited her and a deep chilling presence arrived which ultimately welcomed her.

A gust of wind whooshed in and brought a frosty chill, a telltale sign of ominous danger, just as the flash of a violet lightning bolt ahead lit up the sky. The environment transformed, and the wildlife scampered away in all directions, leaving a mess in their wake.

The lush foliage died and transformed to black, stripped of all its beauty as oak trees extended their branches, knocking the grand apple tree beside it. Apples rained down and cast her surroundings into darkness.

Nobody was in sight, but that meant nothing, this was the perfect setting.

Luxor stopped dead in her tracks as an iridescent glow hypnotised and blinded her. Shielding her eyes with the back of her hand, she squinted. Even if she wanted to look away, she couldn’t. The glow was utterly alluring.

A large root bulged up from a towering tree and long blades of grass sprouted into weeds, curling about transforming into vines. Luxor stumbled to her knees, the spell she was under momentarily broken. After blinking three times, she noticed the vines shackled her ankles as mud covered her feet and stones lacerated them with navy blue liquid oozing out. She rid herself of the constraints and low crawled.

Whispers murmured in the air, incomprehensible like static through a telephone wire.

A choking mist, tasting of sulphuric acid, clouded from above just as long canopy leaves blanketed and closed her in. The suffocation phase began. It was always the same—beauty, dying, suffocation, and the promise of death. The further she ran, the louder the whispers became until it was all she could hear. The hissing joined in and she expected at any moment for a lethal boa constrictor or python to make an appearance, but nothing did.

“Stop changing the game,” she cried out, her lips chaffed from the toxic air.

Luxor could handle the night terrors, but this was something unfamiliar, and she hated it. While concentrating on blocking out the recent additions of the whispers and hissing she had forgotten all about the next phase. One by one, hummingbirds rained down on her until it had become a full-blown down pour, their hums replaced by caws. She peeked upwards and released the lush foliage hadn’t turn black because of death, the crows had covered them like a blanket. She ducked and covered her head and crawled to find shelter.

“Bloody psycho,” she grumbled, squeezing through a hole and underneath a harsh log to hide. Pushing aside scorched, prickly pine needles, her hands brushed against mountains of hummingbirds with snapped necks and broken wings. She was exhausted, more emotionally than physically.

Luxor stifled back the urge to throw up, tucking her knees to her chest, becoming rigid. Not long now she would wake up. It couldn’t change the game that much.

Silence.

Another round of laughs, this time darker with not a hint of a song. Luxor shivered and scratched her arms, chilled to her bone, but not because of the weather. Peering down, mosquitoes had nibbled at her skin creating navy blue spots before being glued on with her blood.

“The game has just begun,” the crows cawed out in a high pitched screeched, their beaks peeking the eyes of the wise owl. “And you better get ready.”

Author Bio:

A mother of two boys, I’m a self confessed nerd who loves to write dark and twisted characters in modern settings. You could find feisty MC’s and bad boys with filthy mouths. Doesn’t mean I don’t love to read or write saucy romances too!

Website / Instagram


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Blitz | Billionaires on the Beach

Billionaires on the Beach: A Sweet Billionaire Romance Boxset
Published by: Enchanted Quill Press
Publication date: June 1st 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Sink your teeth into this addictive anthology of gorgeous Billionaires finding true love on the beach.

Billionaires on the Beach is a limited collection of stories from clean and wholesome authors.

Packed with adorable meet-cutes, swoon-worthy romance and so many happily ever afters, you’ll be left beaming ear to ear by the end.

This collection includes:

Forbidden romance
Secret Babies
Fake marriages
Second Chances
Enemies to lovers
Sun, sea and sand
And many heart-soaring dates!

This anthology is the perfect staycation for readers who enjoy sweet and clean Billionaire romances. Only available for a limited time. Scroll up and one click now to get started.

Goodreads / Amazon

SNEAK PEEKS:

“The Billionaire’s Nanny” by Laura Burton

Benjamin’s smile turned to a look of horror as she waved her phone at him.

“I’ve followed you on Instagram.”

Benjamin dragged a hand through his messy hair and looked away with a sheepish smile.

“Ah. You found me, then.” He stooped down and picked Maggie up in his arms. She cuddled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Benjy,” she said in a baby voice. The sight made Krista melt inside.

“You were right. You are fun.”

And insanely sexy, she added silently with a smirk.

“Well, you might notice I haven’t posted for a month,” he pointed at her phone as he bobbed Maggie up and down. Krista got to her feet and patted the sand off her legs.

“Well, I’m sure your 1.2 million followers miss you. Let me take a picture of you with Maggie.”

Krista positioned her phone up to capture a picture of Benjamin stooping his head low against Maggie’s brow. She looked up at him with big eyes and her hand touched his cheek. The two of them were perfectly framed by the sunset and glowed dark against the ocean.

“Your followers will die when they see this.”

“My Real Life Time Out” by Rimmy London

“The way you navigate the world around you—the way you care for it. There’s something so genuine about you that makes me want to be more. I love being around you. Everything about you.”

He paused to take a shaky breath. “I just wanted to tell you now instead of pretending I didn’t feel anything…because I do.”

His gaze was tentative, vulnerable and so unusually insecure. He’d said the perfect words, all smothered in simmering glances like butter.

“I Never Told You” by Jessie Cal

Jess finally shoved the last piece of her s’more into her mouth. “I think it’s time to call it a night,” she said with her mouth full, and his heart ached a bit. Thoughts of holding her in his arms and watching the night sky flooded his mind, and he shook his head like shaking off a spell.

“Do you need help getting Bill’s grandkids in the tent?” he offered, standing with her.

“That would be great.” She squeezed his arm as a thankful gesture, and he forced himself to ignore the electricity that came with her touch. “If you can carry Zach, I’ll pick up little Cole.”

Even in the way she dragged her feet, he could tell she was tired. His mind suddenly conjured an image of him pulling her into a comforting embrace, but he pushed it aside.

After laying the last boy down inside the tent, he stepped out only to find himself standing in front of her again.

“Thank you.” She let out a tired sigh. “You must be exhausted.”

“I enjoyed every minute of it, though,” he said, flashing her a soft smile. “Minus the shark incident, of course.”

She blurted out a laugh then covered her mouth so as not to wake the kids. “Really? Cause that was the highlight of my day.”

“You’re mean.”

She stifled another laugh. “Good night, Logan.” She leaned in and wrapped him in a hug. Her hair smelled like salt water which was oddly comforting. When she pulled back, he grabbed her hand. He had no idea why, or what he would say. And she was looking at him, waiting for an explanation, but he didn’t have one. He simply wanted to hold her hand.

No, that wasn’t true. That wasn’t all he wanted.

He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her about all the crazy flutters he’d been feeling in the pit of his stomach all night, but then she looked down at their fingers laced together, and he no longer knew what to say. What was she thinking? Did she like the way it felt as much as he did? Should he just pull her into his arms and kiss her?

“I think being on this island is messing with our heads,” she whispered, slipping her hand out of his and pulling away. “Good night, Logan.”

And there was his heart again, racing at the sound of her saying his name. “Good night, Jess.”



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Blog Tour | 48 Hour Lockdown | Review

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI.They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations.

When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

Purchase links | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google | IndieBound | Harlequin.com

If you’re looking for a book that reads like an episode of Criminal Minds, this one is definitely that. The tension and suspense starts right at the beginning with the school invasion and hostage situation. From there we see the story from multiple viewpoints, all of them having different roles to play. The romance of the story is definitely in the background but it’s not a detriment since the action is pretty much non stop. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more about the Tactical Crime Division.

Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books.  She is listed on the Romance Writer’s of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.