May 06

Jack & Coke by Lani Lynn Vale Release Blitz with EXCERPT

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

Title: Jack & Coke

Series: Uncertain Saint’s MC #2

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: May 6, 2016

Lies

Mig’s wife is a bitch.

How else do you describe a woman that lies, cheats and steals to get what she wants?

That’s exactly what happens when she traps him into a marriage he wants nothing to do with, saddling him with a kid that he knows doesn’t deserve to be in a world like his.

He’s doing a pretty bang-up job at ignoring everything but his responsibilities as a DEA officer and a member of The Uncertain Saints MC.

Then his neighbor knocks on his door, and everything he thought he knew is blown out the window.

Deceit

Annie teaches Mig that not every woman is out to get him.

Her love for Mig stretches past what’s appropriate for two friends, and Annie soon straddles that invisible boundary between appropriate and inappropriate.

Annie’s not a cheater, though.

When she tries to say goodbye, Mig won’t let her leave, and soon the tiny town of Uncertain blows up with the news of Annie and Mig’s innocent friendship.

Betrayal

Matters of the heart are foreign to Mig, and it takes Annie being gutted for him to see the wrong he’s done.

He waits too long, though, and Annie’s heart is broken.

She wants it all, or she wants nothing. She can’t take anymore half-hearted attempts at being just friends.

The heart wants what it wants, and it doesn’t take long for Mig to realize that.

But just when Mig finally has it all in the palm of his hand, his life is ripped to shreds by a new player in the game, and it takes all of Annie’s love and devotion, as well as help from the men of The Uncertain Saint’s MC, to put Mig back together again.

Check out our 5 smooches review HERE.

“Jack and Coke is a must read for fans of romantic suspense with a whole lot of competent humor mixed in, and a romance that’s so real and raw that you can’t help but relate to the characters and their struggles.” ~Literary Treasure Chest

“WOW! A totally engrossing, beautiful, hot love story! I have read every book by Ms. Vale and with each book she gets better and better, she has a gift for drawing you in and holding you captive.” ~Guilty Pleasures

“Go get the door for the policemen I can see outside,” I called. “And tell them you have a DEA Agent in your house so they don’t try to shoot me when they enter.”

“I already did,” I heard Annie say as she got closer.

I saw her only a few seconds before she disappeared around the edge of the hallway into the entry way beyond it.

Then the door was unchained, unlocked, and swung open.

Three cops were the next to enter, and I nodded at the one I knew.

“Hey there, Officer Kirkpatrick,” I called to my good friend.

We had drinks every week, sometimes multiple times a week.

I had to do some creative thinking to get away from my wife, and Officer Kirkpatrick, a.k.a. Bullseye, was one of them.

Well, I didn’t do him…but I hung out with him.

Often.

And Bullseye had a hell of a wife that didn’t care if I was over there as much as I was.

“What’s shakin’?” Bullseye asked.

“These two men here decided to break into Annie’s house. I’m just here making sure that they don’t get off with anything valuable,” I answered.

The other officer, Antonio Juarez, I didn’t know very well.

He was new, and hung out with the young’uns instead of us old folks.

Well, I was thirty-four, which wasn’t ‘old’ per se, but it sure as fuck wasn’t young, either.

“What’s that in his hand?” Juarez asked.

I looked down at Howard Ryan’s hand, and narrowed my eyes.

“That’s Annie’s purse,” I answered.

Annie’s ‘purse’ was more of a beach bag, and I didn’t know how the hell she found anything in it.

But I wouldn’t know what to do with her if she didn’t have it with her.

She’d been able to supply me with an ice pack, and a water on two different occasions, so I wasn’t one to complain when it was beneficial to me.

“Well, boys, let’s go for a ride downtown,” Bullseye said, walking behind Howard Ryan and handcuffing him.

Ryan shot me an evil look as he left, promising retribution, and I smiled at him.

Bring it, little boy. You can’t handle this, my look said.

Forty-five minutes later, the cops were leaving with both men in the back of two separate cars, and I was left standing on Annie’s front porch with her next to me.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up at me with all sorts of promises in her eyes.

I touched my fingertips to her cheek and smiled down at her.

God, she was beautiful.

Long, wavy brown hair that went down to her mid back. Beautiful, full lips.

A smokin’ ass.

Light brown skin that was nearly the color of mine.

She wasn’t Italian like me, though.

She was Puerto Rican, and she wouldn’t let anyone call her otherwise.

I’d give anything to be with her but my life, and name, belonged to my wife.

God, if there was any way I could rewind a year, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I would’ve never invited my now wife, Jennifer, to the club party.

Jennifer was the exact opposite of Annie.

Rude, opinionated, and selfish.

Now she was six months pregnant with my child, and I hated every fucking second of my life.

“You’re welcome,” I said roughly. “I’m gonna have a few men over here in the next few days to install an alarm and make sure nobody can ever do that to you again.”

“Mig, what the ever loving fuck are you doing over there?” My wife screeched.

I winced and slowly dropped my hand, looking over at Jennifer like one would a pile of fish heads and vomit.

Then I turned around when I saw she was dressed in little to nothing.

How not surprising.

I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.

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May 06

Jack & Coke by Lani Lynn Vale Review

By Amie Knight in 5 Smooches, Reviews

5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Lies

Mig’s wife is a bitch.

How else do you describe a woman that lies, cheats and steals to get what she wants?

That’s exactly what happens when she traps him into a marriage he wants nothing to do with, saddling him with a kid that he knows doesn’t deserve to be in a world like his.

He’s doing a pretty bang-up job at ignoring everything but his responsibilities as a DEA officer and a member of The Uncertain Saints MC.

Then his neighbor knocks on his door, and everything he thought he knew is blown out the window.

Deceit

Annie teaches Mig that not every woman is out to get him.

Her love for Mig stretches past what’s appropriate for two friends, and Annie soon straddles that invisible boundary between appropriate and inappropriate.

Annie’s not a cheater, though.

When she tries to say goodbye, Mig won’t let her leave, and soon the tiny town of Uncertain blows up with the news of Annie and Mig’s innocent friendship.

Betrayal

Matters of the heart are foreign to Mig, and it takes Annie being gutted for him to see the wrong he’s done.

He waits too long, though, and Annie’s heart is broken.

She wants it all, or she wants nothing. She can’t take anymore half-hearted attempts at being just friends.

The heart wants what it wants, and it doesn’t take long for Mig to realize that.

But just when Mig finally has it all in the palm of his hand, his life is ripped to shreds by a new player in the game, and it takes all of Annie’s love and devotion, as well as help from the men of The Uncertain Saint’s MC, to put Mig back together again.

Review

“…here I was, years later, still just as hot for him as the day I’d seen him for the first time.”

Annie has been crushing on Mig for years, since he first rolled into town. After her marriage to her cheating ex ended, Annie unknowingly purchased the house next door to Mig, and a friendship began. Annie settled into the friendship, after all what choice did she have? He was married with a baby on the way.

“…if there was any way I could rewind a year, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Mig is a DEA agent and a member of the Uncertain Saints. He has always had difficulty trusting women—with good reason. It began after his parent’s marriage fell apart, when his dad’s girlfriend’s would behave towards him in one way when his dad was present. But out of his father’s sight was another story, as Mig became the bothersome little boy to his father’s bevy of girlfriends.

“…she’s a master manipulator, and she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

His opinions are only solidified after he meets Jennifer. She came into his life with a purpose. He was her target, and she was intent on a relationship with him. This is not a loving relationship, but one born out of deception and entrapment and through a heinous act. Though her actions were premeditated and criminal, Mig’s moral code forces him to do the right thing by his child and thus the woman carrying her. Despite his vehement dislike for the mother of his child, he does the unimaginable—he marries her. But this is no real marriage. Jennifer is selfish and rude, and Mig is miserable. The only pleasant thing about his home life is his pretty and sweet next door neighbor, the woman he has befriended and who his heart longs for.

“I wanted Annie to be the woman carrying my child and not this deceptive bitch…”

All of Jennifer’s lies start unraveling when Mig confronts one of Annie’s customers. There is more going on here than Mig suspected, and while he may be the target, it is Annie who winds up in the crosshairs. Can Mig track down the source of their problems before the danger swirling around them comes crashing in?

This is the second book in Lani Lynn Vale’s Uncertain Saints series. This series is different than Vale’s previous works. Her voice here is edgier, the storylines are grittier than what we’ve seen from her before, and I am truly loving this evolving side of her talent. She tackles some tough topics, and she does it well, with empathy and detail. Her books are always fresh and exciting, rich with her trademark sarcastic humor and deliciously sexy. This one, though, is all of that but so much more. The suspense portion of the plot is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and it kept me turning the pages. Vale balances all of the action, though, with a passionate romance. Incredibly, she has really ramped up the steaminess in this series and that’s truly saying something considering her books are never short on that element.

Each month, Iike all Vale fans, I get a new book from her, and it should no longer surprise me that she manages to amaze me every month, but it does. Her talent and her creativity are evident on every page, and as a long time fan of hers, I am so excited about the direction she’s taking her writing in this series and her Kilgore FD series. I enjoyed this book so much, and I’m anxiously awaiting the next one in this series. Lani Lynn Vale’s Jack & Coke gets 5 smooches from me!

~ Danielle Palumbo

BUY IT NOW

May 06

Dex by Stephanie Witter Release Boost with Excerpt and Giveaway

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

Title: Dex

Series: Kinky Shine #1

Author: Stephanie Witter

Genre: Rockstar Romance/Contemporary

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Blurb

She succeeded in making him feel like a man. A normal functioning man when he hadn’t felt that way in years.

“Who’re you f*cking?”

When my father, manager of the worldwide phenomenon Kinky Shine, asked me to come and help the band members appear more approachable I never thought my first meeting with Dex Bowers would start with such a question.

Immediately, I wanted to strangle him, wipe the smirk off his face and force him to mutter more than three words.

But there’s something mysterious about him that was electrifying and the more he pushed me away and angered me, the more I wanted to know him and push through his hangups.

“Trust. That f*cking trust thing didn’t come easily to me.”

In the five years since my band became famous, not once had I been photographed with a woman. I knew it fed the supposed mystery surrounding me, but the real truth was far more humiliating than I was comfortable with.

That was until Harley Floyd walked in and I was left with a mind numbing lust for her that scared me shitless. It should be easy to let go and trust her just enough to have fun, to be happy I could finally come up with new material for our next album. But nothing was easy and with a life made of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll I wasn’t sure if anything could last. Not even my band.

“What twenty-five year old was f*cking lost when his cock was rock hard when close to a gorgeous woman? One answer to that; a man who hadn’t had sex in a really long time.”

ADD TO GOODREADS

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Excerpt

“Harley…’’ There was a fucking warning in her name, but she didn’t budge, didn’t bat an eye. But she did stop breathing for a second and her green eyes darkened again. My whole body shivered at her reaction. I inhaled and I didn’t smell the traffic exhaustion or other smells associated with LA. No, what I smelt was her vanilla perfume.

I pressed harder in the wall, the concrete biting into my back. I clenched my fists and kept my eyes locked with hers. I traced my lower lip with my tongue and her eyes went down to my mouth. My heart tripled in beat and a low growl escaped me. It couldn’t be heard with the bustling noise of the city, but it shocked me. I couldn’t remember the last time I had such a reaction.

When I thought she’d take a step toward me, she took one backward and away from me. Her eyes widened and she blushed. “I guess this time I should be the one leaving,’’ she said in a small voice, her words stumbling into each other’s .

“No.’’ What the fuck was I saying?

“What? I mean,’’ she shook her head. “I’m leaving.’’

I grabbed her shoulders and crowded her space before I realized what I was doing. Her scent enveloped me, enticed me. The thin material of her top was soft under my fingers, almost like nothing was separating me from her body. If I took a half step toward her I would feel her perfect breasts against my chest. I clenched my jaw and tried to calm my labored breathing. After a few seconds without moving she tilted her head upward to look at me and I was fucked. I thought I had been before that, but now, now I was lost to the sensations she was awakening in me, sensations I thought were gone.

Her lips, lush and parted called out to me. Her cheeks coloring more and more into a deeper red had me ready to damn myself for this show of innocence. Her eyes, bright and yet getting glassier showed nothing akin to innocence and that made me ready to come in my fucking pants. She was a contradiction and I would have never thought it’d be so tantalizing.

“What are you doing?’’ she whispered and her breath brushed my neck. I closed my eyes, my lips parted on a low moan. Fuck. What was she doing to me?

“Push me away. Now.’’

I kept my eyes closed to better feel the brush of her breathing on my skin. My cock was pushing against my zipper and it was fucking painful. I wanted to squeeze myself and jerk off to find a release, but I couldn’t. We were on a street in broad daylight.

I waited and waited and nothing happened. She kept on breathing irregularly and didn’t push me away.

So I did the only thing I could; I opened my eyes.

Author Bio

Stephanie Witter is a dreamer. She started

learning English at three, and fell in love with the language. Always with a

book or two close by, she can’t spend a day without reading (or writing).

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May 05

Unexpected Circumstances Book 1: The Handmaid by Shay Savage Cover Reveal

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES

BOOK 1: THE HANDMAID

RELEASE DATE: 5/31/2016

SYNOPSIS

In a bold political move, Sir Branford claims a handmaid as his bride instead of the expected princess in an attempt to spark a war. Poor Alexandra knows little of how to behave as the wife of a future king and knows nothing of the man who is suddenly her husband.

Alexandra knows she is being used as a pawn and must do her best to avoid scheming noblewomen and the scorned princess, accept her position as her husband ascends to the throne, and overcome her fears of the man with whom she now shares a bed.

Sir Branford is determined to have it all – the kingdom, a wife of his choosing, and the revenge he seeks for the death of his father. He doesn’t expect the naïve handmaid to become more important than he ever could have foreseen.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30096545-unexpected-circumstances-book-1

_________________________________________________________________

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1rni4pE

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01F3Q9TT8

Amazon CA: www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01F3Q9TT8

Amazon AU:www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B01F3Q9TT8

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/…/ebook/unexpected-circumstances

ibooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1110442538

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unexpected-circumstances-book-1-shay-savage/1123753150

____________________________________________________________________________

SHAY’S BIO:

Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her family and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, masquerading as a zombie, is a HUGE Star Wars fan, and member of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. When the geek fun runs out, she also loves soccer in any and all forms – especially the Columbus Crew, Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Savage holds a degree in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.

Stalk Shay Here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Bethany (Shay Savage Street Team member)

Book Reviewer @ LitSlave.com

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May 05

Just Once by Rebecca Brooke Cover Reveal

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

Title: Just Once

Author: Rebecca Brooke

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 19

A chance encounter changes everything.

After the loss of his closest friend, and with a scheduled deployment closing in, the last thing Army Ranger Colin Dunham wants is to start any new relationship. But Joey, with her gorgeous eyes and blunt honesty, grabs Colin’s attention from the moment he catches her watching him from across the bar. He knows one night is all they can have. This mysteriously addictive girl ends up taking over every one of his dreams and nightmares, though, crossing the line of another night he’d rather forget.

As dreams become reality, Colin steps in to protect Joey from a threat he never imagined. And when tables turn, it’s Joey who must protect him.

Circumstances are never what they seem.

Can just one night lead them to the other side of heartache?

Rebecca a New Jersey native has had a passion for reading all of her life. No matter the genre, turning her dreams into stories for her readers to treasure is more than she could ask for. She lives with her family wishing every day could be spent in the summer sun.

**Website * Facebook * Twitter**

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May 04

Never Let You Go by Monica Murphy Review

By Miranda Arnold in 3.5 Smooches, Reviews

3.5 Smooches

Synopsis

The second novel in this darkly sexy contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up an emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.

The truth hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies. When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be destroyed.

The connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.

I don’t want to let him go.

While we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.

Despite my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain? Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and for all?

Review

‘I can’t change who my father is. I’m stuck with that burden no matter how much I try to ignore it. I can change my name, change my looks, and move to another country, but the fact still remains. I’m the son of a monster.’

As a follow up to a book I loved I was real excited to start Never Let You Go, and while there were quite a few parts I really enjoyed overall my love for it just is not as strong as it was for the first book, Never Tear Us Apart. After being left with a giant cliffhanger of Katie finding out Will and Ethan are one in the same I anticipated a lot more resistance than we got from her. Sure she starts out wanting to be only friends but I really expected it to be even harder.

‘Katie reenters my life and she’s like a bright light I can’t resist. Her warmth, her sweetness, the way she made me feel like a goddamn hero every time she so much as looked at me, I’d never experienced anything like it. I began to crave her. Need her. And once I lost her . . .’

I do like Will and Katie’s story as a whole though. Their relationship is not easy or traditional but through out all they go through together I did feel a pull and connection between them. The hardest part I had with this book was getting a POV from Will dad, the serial killer who raped Katie as a child. Every time his POV came up it pulled me out of the romance. This might be just an issue for me but it did make it personally hard to get back to the romantic aspect of the story. I did like the suspense that built and the way it all came together in the end for the most part but even in that some things were almost too convenient. But one thing that never waivered for me was that I did love Will and his sweet and protective nature for Katie. Together they fit and that part of the story held strong for me.

‘I’m lost. Lost in the feeling, lost in him. Ethan. Will. The boy of my past. The man of my future. The one I can never, ever let go.’

Monica Murphy is a great writer and while certain parts of this conclusion to Will and Katie’s story didn’t work for me personally I did still enjoy their journey and I do look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

~miranda

May 04

Pepper Winters Giveaway Blitz

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

Want to win a Kindle copy of Unseen Messages

and Destroyed by Pepper Winters?

Now is your chance, Red Cheeks Reads is offering one lucky winner a copy of these two fantastic reads!

Disclaimer: Winner must have a Kindle address. Prize can be gifted

Come by our FACEBOOK PAGE to enter!

NOW AVAILABLE & FREE ON KU

Unseen Messages

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Tt8zfn

“Instincts are what keep us safe from fate.

Ignoring them can change your life forever.”

Destroyed

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UwtwuT

“Secrets brought us together but they ultimately destroyed us.”

About the Author:

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Paperback copies of Unseen Messages & Destroyed

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May 04

Topped by Kayti McGee Release Blitz

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

Title: Topped

Author: Kayti McGee

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Release

Date: May 4, 2016

Blurb

Miranda Rose absolutely lives for writing. Unfortunately, there aren’t many readers that live for her books.

At least she can distract herself from bad reviews with her favorite hobby – trolling Charlie Shivers online. That dinosaur smut peddler wouldn’t know literature if it mounted him from behind. And, for further distraction, she meets the world’s hottest guy at her favorite writing conference, and when he mounts her from behind, she forgets all about that wannabe author.

Until she realizes Mr. Hottie Pants isn’t the cover model she’d presumed. He’s her archenemy in the flesh, Charlie Shivers.

She’s mortified!

And yet she still can’t keep her pants on around him.

Joe McCoy, aka Charlie Shivers, is over the moon attending his first Romancing The World conference as a panelist, especially when he meets the smoking author at the bar. But now that he’s discovered the true identity of his one-night stand, he’s tangled in a sticky web, thicker than a spider shifter (dibs on writing that one next!)

Though, sleeping with the enemy is kind of hot.

And scandalous.

And awesome.

But then he finds himself falling hard for the too-serious novelist, and now he’s pretty sure there’s no way he’ll make it out on top.

ADD TO GOODREADS

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AMAZON US / UK

Author Bio

Kayti McGee is a former Kansas Citian who now follows the Royals from Colorado. Besides writing, her hobbies include travel, cooking, and all thing Whovian. She also writes as the latter half of Laurelin McGee. Like her co-author Laurelin Paige, she joined Mensa for no other reason than to make her bio more interesting.

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May 04

Until June by Aurora Rose Reynolds Excerpt Reveal

By Miranda Arnold in Reveals & Tours

The Boom is real!

Meet June & Evan in Until June releasing on May 24th!

Now available for Pre-order!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1T8B4ns

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TRbaVd

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1QNOL4n

Blurb

June Mayson and Evan Barrister’s whirlwind courtship resulted in a secret marriage right before he left for boot camp. Evan knows deep in his gut that June is too good for him, but after getting a taste of the beautiful life they can have together, he’s unwilling to let her go. June promises to wait for him, knowing neither time or distance will ever change her feelings for Evan—that is until she’s served with divorce papers while he’s overseas and she’s forced to let him go.

Her marriage and divorce a well-kept secret, the last person June expects to run into when she moves back to her hometown is Evan. Angry over the past, she does everything within her power to ignore the pull she feels whenever he is near. But how can she ignore the pain she sees every time their eyes meet? How can she fight the need to soothe him even if she knows she’s liable to get hurt once again?

Is it possible for June and Evan to find their way back to each other again? Or will they be stopped by an outside force before they ever have a shot?

Prologue

Looking at my reflection in the mirror across from me, I cringe. My hair is a disaster, there are bags under my eyes, and the nightgown I have on isn’t even one of the cute ones I normally wear. It’s the one my sister, December, got me as a joke, but I wear it occasionally, because its comfortable, even if it was made for a woman three times my age. Resting my elbows on the desk in front of me, I run my fingers through my hair, pulling the strands back away from my face.

“I hate men,” I whisper into the empty interrogation room, where I was told to wait over an hour ago after the police kicked in my door and dragged me from my bed. Lifting my gaze, I look at myself in the mirror again and vow that whenever I get out of the mess my ex-boyfriend has gotten me into, I’m going to learn how to be a lesbian, even if I’m not sure that’s actually possible.

“June Mayson.” Turning my head, I look over my shoulder at the now open door behind me, and my eyes meet those of a man who reminds me of my dad. He looks to be in his mid-forties, and is one of those men time has been kind to. He’s built, with dark hair that’s cut short and parted on the side. His eyes are a blue that stands out against his dark lashes and tan skin. “I’m Officer Mitchell, and this is Officer Plymouth.” He nods behind him and is followed in by a man who must be playing the roll off ‘Bad Cop’, judging by the frown on his face and the look he gives me when our eyes meet. Time hasn’t been as kind to him; he looks like he has enjoyed one too many beers. His middle is soft, and his skin doesn’t look healthy.

Nodding, I cross my arms over my chest and run my hands down the bare skin of my biceps that’s chilled from the cool air coming from the vent above me.

“Would you like something to drink?” Officer Mitchell asks as he walks fully into the room.

Shaking my head, I mutter, “No, thank you.”

“Hot chocolate?” he offers, and I feel tears burn the back of my eyes. Since I was little, whenever I was having a bad day, my dad would offer me hot chocolate. His hot chocolate has magical powers that always make everything seem okay, but I doubt police station hot chocolate would have the same effect.

“No, thanks. I’d just like to know why I’m here,” I tell him as he takes a seat in the metal chair across from me and places a thick folder on the table between us.

“We may be here awhile, Miss Mayson, so I’d like you to be comfortable,” he says gently, and I look at Officer Plymouth, who is leaning against the wall, then back to him.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Mitchell, but I’d really like to get to the point. I have class in a few hours and I’d really like to make it on time.”

“I’m afraid you’re probably going to miss your class today, Miss Mayson.”

Closing my eyes, I open them slowly and ask, “Can I get a sweater?”

Surprisingly, Officer Plymouth slips off his suit jacket and walks it over to me, placing it around my shoulders.

‘Thank you,” I whisper up at him, and his eyes soften around the edges. Pulling my eyes from him, my gaze goes back toward Officer Mitchell.

“How long have you known Lane Diago?” Officer Mitchell asks, and I sit up a little taller.

“I don’t know anyone by that name,” I tell him, and he opens the file folder, fanning out a few pictures of my ex-boyfriend, Aaron, and me directly in front of me. Each of them were taken while we were a couple, showing we had been followed more than a few times. Him coming to my apartment…him kissing me outside my car…at the store, walking hand-in-hand down the aisles…at the movies…out to dinner…both of us doing normal couple things.

“You mean Aaron?”

“That what he told you his name was?” he asks, and I nod looking up at him.

“I’ve known him for about a year,” I whisper, dropping my eyes to the pictures again, realizing I actually didn’t know him, since his name isn’t even Aaron.

“How long have you two been dating?” he inquires, and my eyes drop to the pictures once more.

“We dated for about four months. I broke up with him a month ago,” I tell him truthfully as a feeling of sadness hits me unexpectedly. I wasn’t in love with Aaron—or Lane. Not even close. But I cared about him, and believed he cared about me as well. That was, until he sent me a text to meet him at his house. When I got there, one of his roommates let me in, and I found him up in his room with Susie Detrei’s mouth around his cock, proving I was wrong about him.

“You were close,” Officer Mitchell states, and I nod because we were, or I thought we were. “Can you tell me who this man is?” he asks, pulling out a picture of Aaron’s—Lane’s cousin, or at least the guy he told me was his cousin.

“Aaron…I mean Lane’s cousin Cody. He lives in Mississippi,” I tell him.

“Did you ever overhear them talking?”

“Overhear them talking?” I ask, looking at a picture of Cody and Lane sitting in what looks like a bar, Lane with his favorite beer in his hand, and Cody with a short, wide glass with dark liquid and ice on the bar top in front of him, and his hand wrapped around it while he laughs at something.

“Overhear them talking about anything out of the ordinary?”

“No.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Maybe if you told me exactly why I’m here, I can give you the information you’re looking for.”

“Lane Diago’s uncle is one of the biggest distributors of illegal narcotics in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.”

“What?” I whisper as my eyes focus on one of the pictures of Lane and me standing outside my apartment. I was wearing a short colorful summer dress and gold strappy sandals, and Lane had on a pair of black cargo shorts and a plain white tee. His head was bent toward mine, my hand was resting against his chest, and his was wrapped tight around my hip. It was our third date and our first kiss. I had waited forever to even go on a date with him, because I wasn’t ready for a relationship. I finally gave in to him, because he was so persistent. He asked me out every time we saw each other, and he was always dramatic in the way he did it.

“Did you ever see—”

“I never saw anything,” I cut him off. “Lane didn’t even smoke pot, and almost everyone I know smokes pot,” I whisper, pulling my eyes from the picture to look at him.

“You two were together a lot. He would have you drop him places. My men saw you on more than one occasion.”

“To friends’ houses,” I tell him, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “If he asked me to drop him to a friend’s or to run him somewhere when we were going out, I would do it, but I never saw him do anything illegal.”

“Do you understand you can go to prison if we find out you spent any of the money he earned from selling drugs on things for yourself.”

Laughing, I cover my face with my hands and lay my head on the table while I try to pull myself together. I probably shouldn’t be laughing right now but its either laugh or cry.

“What do you find funny about this?” Officer Plymouth asks, and I lift my head to look at him.

“I paid for us to do things more than once, and he even asked me for gas money a couple of times. I never, not once, took money from him, not even for a coffee,” I tell him, and his eyes go to Officer Mitchell, who mutters, “Fuck.”

“He cheated on me a month ago, and I haven’t talked to him since then,” I tell him, and he shakes his head.

“We have time stamps for phone calls between the two of you over the last month.”

“Did you ever look at how long those calls lasted?” I ask, knowing that if he did, he would know we didn’t actually talk. “He called. He called over and over. Finally, I had to pick up to tell him to stop calling me. I didn’t want anything to do with him a month ago, and I sure as hell don’t want anything to do with him now.”

“Another fucking road block,” Officer Plymouth grumbles, and my head swings to him.

“I’m sorry. I swear that if I knew anything, I would help you out, but I don’t. Lane never told me anything, and I sure as hell didn’t see anything. If I had, I would have talked to my uncle about it.”

“You’re sure you didn’t see anything, hear anything?”

“I’m sure,” I tell him, wishing I did know something, not because I’m a rat, but because I know what drugs can do to people. I know not everyone dies from using drugs, not everyone’s life goes to shit from using them, but my best roommate freshmen year of college overdosed and died, and that was only after she turned into a completely different person. Someone I didn’t like much. Someone I couldn’t trust. So, there’s no way I would ever protect anyone who is responsible for supplying those drugs, no matter how much I care about them.

“Would you be willing to get back in with Lane?” Officer Plymouth asks, bringing my attention to him. My heart flips in my chest at the thought, but I don’t get a chance to answer, because someone bangs hard on the glass mirror in front of me, causing my image to go funny.

About the Author:

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

Website: http://aurorarosereynolds.com/

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May 03

The Purest Hook by Scarlett Cole Review

By Miranda Arnold in 5 Smooches, Reviews

5 Smooches

Synopsis

Can a love built on secrets survive?

Rugged, hot, and rock hard, Dred Zander is exactly the type of man that normally sends Pixie running. Not dreaming about running her hands down his washboard abs…and lower. The lead singer and guitarist for the band Preload embodies trouble behind his quick smile and guarded eyes, and Pixie left trouble behind her years ago along with the name Sarah Jane Travers and the pathetic trailer her mom called home. With her abusive past in her past, she has a new life, a new family at Second Circle, and a dream of opening her own business. She needs capital and time. What she doesn’t need is a tempting long-haired rocker or the paparazzi that follow him around.

But Dred has other ideas. Pixie’s sweet hazel eyes, purple hair and kaleidoscopic tattoo of exotic flowers that swirl up her arm haunt his dreams, and he knows she wants him too. He just has to convince her. But as a juicy exposé threatens to expose their pasts, and a blackmailer terrorizes their present, Pixie and Dred have to decide what really matters and fight like hell to keep it.

Review

‘”Hey Pixie” Then he winked at her. Not just any wink. No, that was his rock star wink. The one that caused panties to drop and heartbeats to race on a global scale.’

The Purest Hook is the third standalone in the Second Circle Tattoos series by Scarlett Cole and after staying up all night to complete it I think I can honestly say that it is my absolute favorite in the series. Full of action, deeply emotional situations and wickedly sexy talk I loved Dred and Pixie’s story from the first page to the last.

‘Shit. They were still at the airport. Struggling to regain his composure, he ran his nose along Pixie’s jaw to her ear.

Fuck all the people going by him in a whirl. Fuck the group of tourist laughing as they walked by. And fuck the Greater Toronto Airport Authority for building the airport so far away from his fucking bed.’

Pixie is the manager at the shop and if Trent and Cujo hadn’t rescued her six years ago when she stumbled into the shop she would still be a junkie on the streets. Running from her past has left her both innocent and over aware of the dangers that can lurk around. Especially from men. So while she is insanely attracted to the famous metal band singer she has yet to fall for Dred’s charm. But her resolve can only last so long, but is Dred ready for the baggage that Pixie brings? Is she ready for his?

‘His kiss consumed her and turned her inside out, leaving her all kinds of raw.’

Dred and his band have been close since they all were in the system together. Each has his own personal demon he is struggling with and Dred is no different. These two have so many issues individually and yet when they come together it all seems to fade away a little bit. They honestly make the other better. I never imagined I would be lusting over a long haired metal playing book boyfriend but leave it to Scarlett Cole to show me what I never knew I wanted. From his gentle way of pursuing the skittish Pixie and the loving way he calls her Snowflake to the way he has power to open her up sexually, Dred is utter perfection.

“Can I help at all?”

“Just don’t give up on me Pixie.”

A delightful mix of emotional scenes and laughable situations The Purest Hook was impossible to put down and distracted me from my day in the best way possible. I am incredibly intrigues by the other men in the band and am beyond excited to hear their stories will be told as well. This book has something for everyone and in my opinion is the best in the series. Scarlett Cole is definitely working her way into my list of favorite authors. Just trust me READ THIS BOOK. As part of the series or as a standalone, but really read this book!