Tag: Romance

Blog Tour | Hickville Crossroads | Review

DeAnne1 Comment

Frasier Anderson is one of the hottest teenage actors in the UK, but he’s virtually unknown in the US. Now he’s landed the leading role in a big-budget Hollywood film that could make him an international star. 

So how do you prepare a Scot for a role as a Texas high school student? Give him a fake name, a fake accent, and embed him in a Texas high school. He only has to follow three rules:

No drama. No girls. And no telling who he really is.

Jenna Wiley is smart, funny, and has a few no-drama, no-dating rules of her own. Her friendship with new kid Ethan Smith is perfect and might even lead to something more. Except for a few things that don’t add up. Like his mom being afraid to have company. Or their house, which is more staged than lived in. Or his sister, whom nobody talks about.

It all comes to a boil when Frasier’s biggest secrets hit the tabloids and the paparazzi swarm Hillside with Jenna in their sights.

Can Frasier convince Jenna that shy, goofy Ethan Smith is closer to real than the image the tabloids have created?

And can she ever forgive him for breaking the most important rule of all? Because for Jenna, when it comes to love and science, the truth is all that matters.

BUY LINKS | Amazon |iBooks|Kobo

If you’re looking for something lighthearted yet with an appropriate dose of angst, this will fit the bill. Though this is the 4th book in the Hickville High series it can be read as a standalone. It features Frasier and Jenna, the former being an actor from Scotland who is having to take a crash course in American high school so that he can better prepare for his new role.

I really enjoyed the humor in this story, it had it’s quirks while still being serious at times. It is written a little younger but is a fun story and a heartwarming romance.

Mary Karlik has always been a dreamer. When she was a teen, she read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and then sat in every wardrobe in her Nanna’s home, trying to open the door to Narnia. She didn’t find it, but she did discover her voice as an author: one filled with her young adult self, and grounded in her roots as a Texan and her Scottish heritage, nourished by obscure Scottish folklore. 

You can find her Texas roots in her indie published, YA contemporary romance Hickville series , which has been described as “100% solid storytelling,” and begins with Welcome to Hickville High, a “lovely story about growing up.”

She digs deep into her Scottish roots – there is magic there, she just knows it – for her YA epic fantasy Fairy Trafficking series published by Ink Monster Publishing LLC. Her first book, Magic Harvest, debuted in September of 2018. It reached #1 in 3 categories of YA Fantasy on Amazon. Magic Heist, the second in the series has been described as “a fun twisty read which will never let you guess what will happen next.”

Mary recently moved from the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of Northern New Mexico where she was a certified professional ski instructor to Texas. She loves visiting Scotland where she is currently earning a degree in Gaelic Language Studies at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye—part of the University of Highlands and Islands system. Mary also earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, has a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, and is a Registered Nurse. 

Mary is an active member of Romance Writers of America and serves on a national committee of RWA. She formerly served on the board of the Young Adult Romance Writers of America. She is an active member of the Dallas Area Romance Authors and looks forward to raising a glass or two of gin and tonic with her fellow writers every year at RWA’s national convention. 

Author links | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Goodreads


GIVEAWAY! Enter to win the Anderson tartan (her Scottish character is Anderson), a $25 Amazon gift card + 2x ebook copies of Hickville Crossroads
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Want to check out more posts on the blog tour? Check out the schedule below!

May 4th
–BookHounds ya >> Interview
–Viviana MacKade >> Guest post
–Rockin’ Book Reviews >> Review

May 5th
–Living in a Bookworld >> Excerpt
–breen.rb >> Review
–Wicked Reads >> Review

May 6th
–Read Your Writes Book Reviews >> Interview
–Wishful Endings >> Guest post
–Underneath the Covers >> Excerpt
–The Wandering Wordsmith >> Review

May 7th
–Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author >> Excerpt
–book junkie reviews >> Excerpt
–Beckybookstore >> Review

May 8th
–Lisa Loves Literature >> Interview
–ACME Teen Books – Kids, YA, & NA Too! >> Guest post
–One Girl and A Book >> Review

Happy reading!

Book Blitz | The Best Mistake

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The Best Mistake
Cookie O’Gorman
Publication date: April 23rd 2020
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

Honor Tierney just wants one night with the playboy.

One hot, steamy, meaningless hookup, and then she’ll happily go back to reading her favorite books, studying to be an accountant and writing for the campus-paper-nobody-reads. Too bad she ends up in the wrong bed, with the wrong brother…who gives her the hottest night of her life.

Archer O’Brien just wants to play ball.

Well that, and for his brothers to stop acting out, so he won’t have to worry 24/7. As the oldest O’Brien and team captain, it’s his duty to make sure they don’t drink too much, party too much, or get in too much trouble. But when she walks into his bedroom—mistaking him for his brother—life throws him a curveball.

She’s determined to guard her heart. He’s not giving up.

And when Honor gets assigned to cover the Wolves baseball team, it’s game on.

This new adult sports romance features one hot (and hilarious) case of mistaken identity and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

Sometimes, the best mistakes are worth making.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

My heart was pounding.

And all Archer was doing was holding my hand.

Gah. It wasn’t even a sexy place on the body to be touched. In my head, I knew this, but the reality was more complex. The feeling of his thumb as it swept against my pulse point sent a shiver straight through me. It felt like there was some kind of magic tether between his hand and mine, one that ran to the center of my being, making it feel like he had a direct line to my heart.

Who knew such an innocent touch could light me up like this?


Author Bio:

Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, and The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romance, The Best Mistake.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter


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Blog Tour: Temper by Chantal Fernando | Review

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Every year, the hot, tatted biker comes into Abbie’s bar, orders whiskey and asks her out. Every year, Abbie turns him down. After all, dating a man that goes by Temper seems like a really bad idea, no matter how attracted she is to him.

But this year is different. Abbie’s different. Older, wiser and tired of being stuck behind the bar in a sleepy town. This year, she’s ready for whatever adventure the sexy but sweet biker has in store for her.

Or so she thinks…until an elegant candlelit dinner ends with a dead body.

Now Abbie finds herself on the ride of her life, whisked away to the big city in Temper’s protective custody. She should be scared, but—despite his nickname—it’s clear the last thing Temper would ever do is hurt a hair on her head. And when danger catches up with them, Abbie soon realizes that holding tight to her man while straddling a Harley may be the safest place of all.

Buy Links | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Google

I haven’t read a ton of motorcycle club romances, but it is a genre that I enjoy, especially when the stories are like this one. We follow Abbie who feels like she’s stuck due to her circumstances, and Temper who has been asking Abbie to go on a date with him for the last five years. She’s always said no, until this year – and things get a little crazy.

This was such a fun read! The interactions between Abbie and Temper were so enjoyable and seeing her start to open up and really find her place was great. There were definitely a few twists that kept me on my toes, but it was a wonderful story.

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book. Find her online at AuthorChantalFernando.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.

Website | Facebook | Twitter |Goodreads

Happy reading!

Blog Tour: Seduced By a Steele

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New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson brings you a brand-new story in the Forged of Steele series. Perfect for fans of the popular Westmoreland series and readers of passionate contemporary romances!

A notorious heartbreaker is about to meet his match…Will a damsel in distress be his redemption?

When the “thief” caught driving his stolen vintage car turns out to be a stunning runaway heiress, Mercury Steele is conflicted. On the one hand, Sloan Donahue, penniless and on the run from her tyrannical family, triggers the billionaire playboy’s protective instincts. But she also triggers red-hot desire. Mercury refuses to think his simple seduction is becoming something deeper, especially when Sloan is keeping secrets…

BUY LINKS: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble Google
Indie Bound Harlequin.com

This was my first introduction to the Steele family and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. I’d have to say that the family interaction was some of the best parts of the book. I did have a hard time believing how naive Sloan was (a vintage car in wonderful condition for $300? even people who don’t know cars know that they are worth quite a bit more than that), but that was a small thing that didn’t dramatically affect the story. It was obvious she was sheltered and had been strictly controlled by her parents, which I think was the author’s intent.

I’ll definitely be picked up more from Brenda Jackson, her writing was easy to read and flowed wonderfully and I loved the interactions with the family. For a quick romance that was a little formulaic it was a great read!

Brenda Jackson is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling. Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.

Happy reading!

Series Launch: Tactical Crime Division

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Today I’m super excited to be part of the series launch for the Tactical Crime Division from Harlequin!

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. 

Each title can be read as a standalone novel, featuring a unique hard to solve crime case.

48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy (on-sale March 17, 2020)
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.

Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter (on-sale April 21, 2020)
In the wake of a tragedy, the Tactical Crime Division is the first call. When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she’s being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?

Midnight Abduction by Nichole Severn (on-sale May 19, 2020)
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.

Running Out of Time by Cindi Myers (on-sale June 16, 2020)
When a terrorist is on the loose, the Tactical Crime Division is on the case. To find out who poisoned medications, two of TCD’s agents are tapped to go undercover posing as a married couple and infiltrate the company. But as soon as Jace Cantrell and Laura Smith arrive at Stroud Pharmaceuticals, someone ups the ante by planting explosives in their midst. Turns out that the small-town family business is hiding a million secrets. Could they unknowingly be protecting a vengeful killer?

If you want to find out more about the books check out Harlequin’s Store!

Happy reading!

Blog Tour: Hers To Tame

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As an avtoritet for the most powerful crime syndicate in New Orleans, Kir Vasilek doesn’t act without purpose, doesn’t speak without thought and never, ever loses his cool. The lives of his brothers, his family, depend on it. But then Cassie McClintock strolls back into his life, and staying cool is next to impossible. Cassie was the one who got away—and Kir is willing to break all his own rules to keep it from happening ever again.

It’s one thing to report on the Russian mafia; it’s quite another to sleep with one of them, especially one as dangerous, and as sinfully sexy, as Kir Vasilek. Even though the information he once provided helped make her career—and the memory of his touch still keeps her up at night—Cassie knows too much about his world to go down that path.

But when Kir reaches out for help after a rival family comes for one of his own, Cassie doesn’t want to say no, either to investigating a gruesome murder or to the heat that pulls her right back into his arms…and his heart. Taming Kir—and helping to save the family she’s come to call her own—is not the story she thought she’d write, but it’s the one she’s determined will get a happy ending.

Hers to Tame is the highly anticipated follow-up to His to Defend. And don’t miss Roman’s story in Mine to Keep, coming soon from Rhenna Morgan and Carina Press.

Buy Links: Amazon B&N iTunes Kobo Google

This is my first Rhenna Morgan book that I’ve picked up but the story sounded like a dangerous story with a great romance in it, so I was eager to give it a try. I loved how the characters were crafted – and not just the main characters – they were given depth, vulnerablity and unique personalities that suited them and their stories well.

The story itself moved along at a good pace, even if there were a few spots where you hoped for a little more information and the romance between Cassie and Vir was expertly crafted. While this one can be read as a standalone, I’m eager to go back and pick up the first once since I’m sure there are things that further connect the two when both are read.

Morgan’s writing style was easy to read and fun. I loved Aunt Frieda especially as her attitude and sass was perfectly portrayed in the story while also not stealing the limelight from Cassie and Vir. This was a great story with a mystery that kept you wondering for quite a while and I definitely recommend it.

A native Oklahoman, Rhenna Morgan is a certified romance junkie. Whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack romantic escape full of new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who fight to keep the women they want. For advance release news and exclusive content, sign up for her newsletter at http://RhennaMorgan.com. You’ll also find all of her social links there, along with her smoking hot inspiration boards.

Social Media Links
Website: http://rhennamorgan.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RhennaMorgan 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RhennaMorgan 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhennamorgan/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8596977.Rhenna_Morgan

Happy reading!

Review: Rescuing the Ranger

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Gabe Preston’s been sent on a mission: clean out his beloved grandmother’s house in Havenport and help move her into senior living—or so he thinks. Havenport had always been a special place to visit while growing up, but during this ride into town he finds more than he bargained for. Surviving multiple deployments as an Army Ranger hadn’t ever proved this type of challenging. All Gabe desires is to ride his motorcycle, enjoy his time out of the Army, and figure out his next stop in life. The best laid plans don’t necessarily work out when you’ve got a meddling, matchmaking grandmother.

Francesca Montefiore loves Havenport, and her recently acquired florist shop. She’s finally made a fresh start in her life, one stem at a time. When she’s “adopted” by the local Garden Club members she treasures the ladies as family, something she’d been sorely lacking. When her past comes back to threaten her contentment, she’ll need the help of one hunky, visiting Army Ranger, the Garden Club President’s grandson to come to her rescue. But will she be the one doing the rescuing instead?

This was such a fun story. We’re introduced to Francesca and Gabe through their letters when he’s in the service, then pick up again when he goes to Havenport to see his grandmother. The story progresses very quickly and there’s definitely action mixed in.

I do feel like it would have been even better if it had been a little longer since there were some things that felt like they were glossed over or just got resolved really quickly. Still the story and characters were really fun and fast paced, so I really enjoyed it.

Happy reading!

Review: Blue Flag Vol. 1

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An unexpected love quadrangle with a dash of unrequited love as two classmates, a boy and a girl, begin to fall for each other when each of their best friends have already fallen for them.

It’s the last year of high school, and love is in the air. Romantic feelings that have been building up over years of friendship come to light. When Taichi’s classmate Futaba asks him to help her confess to his best friend, Toma, it sparks the catalyst that begins the sweet and heart-wrenching journey of their third and final year of high school.

For some reason, Taichi Ichinose just can’t tolerate Futaba Kuze. But at the start of his third year in high school, he finds himself in the same homeroom as her, along with his childhood friend and school sports star Toma Mita. But one day Futaba opens up to Taichi, admitting she has a crush on Toma and asking for his help in confessing to him! There’s just one problem—Toma seems to already have a secret crush on someone else…

I really felt that this one was a great first volume to a series. It sets up the characters well as well as establishing their existing relationships, or lack thereof. It immediately starts discussing typical status’ that happen in high school, how people end up in different cliques and how those cliques may be treated by others. While this isn’t a focus of the story, it’s important that it’s set up in the beginning to differentiate the roles.

Taichi is portrayed in a very raw way, perfectly displaying his conflicting emotions as we progress through the story. You really get to see his internal struggle as well as his growing emotions for those he’s spending time with and helping.

When you reach the end of this first volume, there’s definitely quite a lot hanging in the air that you have to wonder how all these things will resolve. It will be interesting to see where this series goes.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour: Before He Vanished

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Today’s post is another blog tour for a book in Harlequin’s Intrigue line. I’ve really been enjoying this line and the mystery/suspense storylines they feature. Thank you again to Harlequin for inviting me to participate in their blog tours!

Twenty-five years ago, Halle Lane’s best friend vanished from their Tennessee town. When a childhood photo brings Liam Hart to Winchester, Halle is certain the man is the same child who vanished. Now Liam seeks out Halle to help him investigate the circumstances of his mysterious past. Can Liam and Halle uncover the truth before a killer buries all traces of the boy Halle loved—and the man he may have become—forever?

This was only my second title from Debra Webb and I’m swiftly discovering that I really enjoy her writing in general. I was sucked in from the beginning of the story and there weren’t any points where I felt the story dragged.

The characters were very compelling and it really felt like their emotions and feelings were really well fleshed out. Plus the suspense and mystery was definitely not an afterthought and was full of so many surprises and twists. The romance didn’t overshadow it and was balanced really well.

I really applaud Debra Webb on creating mysteries that are full of heart and keep you on your toes. I will be picking up more of her books in the future!

DEBRA WEBB is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama. Visit Debra at http://www.DebraWebb.com or write to her at PO Box 176, Madison, AL 35758.

Harlequin Series celebrates 70 years of feel-good entertainment! Founded in May 1949 and a pioneer of the category Series romance model, Harlequin is a globally recognized brand with offices all over the world.

Unique to Harlequin are the category romance novels, which are short romance novels, usually no more than 200 pages, and about 55,000 words. That means you can finish a book in 2-4 hours, making them perfect binge-reading! Plus, they’re great for the budget-conscious reader, with print prices starting at $4.99 and ebook prices starting at $1.99.

Before He Vanished is out now, so be sure to pick up a copy if it interests you – happy reading!

Review: Heart of the Matter

DeAnne1 Comment

Addison Moore, a well-known psychiatrist, is having difficulty coming to terms with the death of her grandmother, Cookie. The woman was everything to her after her parents died in a plane crash over Lockerbie, Scotland. Little did Addy know, an old picture tucked away in the family bible of Cookie with a handsome stranger would lead her to a discovery for which she is little prepared.

Ethan Taylor is an art historian. He’s lived with his Great Uncle Ben for a long time and would do anything for him. He never anticipated Ben’s dying wish would introduce him to his biggest sacrifice.

Neither Addy nor Ethan are prepared for the lengths at which their families went through to keep Cookie and Ben apart. As they put the pieces together, they uncover a decade’s old unsolved murder implicating Cookie and Ben. Will Addy and Ethan’s blossoming love be able to stand the strain of finding the truth? Will they be able to get to the heart of the matter?

This one was such a fun read! We follow two people who have recently gone through tremendous loss and are drawn together because of the relationship between the people they lost. Addy and Ethan are instantly attracted and both want to discover what the relationship was between their loved ones. Along with that there’s a mystery that needs to be solved regarding events that happened in the past.

It is a whirlwind story and a super quick read. There is a touch of insta-love but with the length of the book that is completely reasonable. There’s just enough mystery to keep you intrigued within the story. In essence it is a very warm story about two people finding love, but there are definitely some deeper subjects explored such as grief and moving on. I would definitely pick up more stories by this author in the future as I truly enjoyed this story, the characters and the writing style.

Heart of the Matter is currently available on Kindle Unlimited, so be sure to pick it up!

Happy reading!