Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino Release Blitz and Giveaway

 

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City.

BWWSfinalcoverTo the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

AMAZON *** BARNES & NOBLE *** iBooks

 

 

 

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of romantic women’s novels. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or
working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to
concerts, and eating dark chocolate.
 

 Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Heart Breaker by Cole Saint Jaimes Review

26022684

4.5 Smooches!

kis34-1-3-4 (1) kis34-1-3-4 (2) kis34-1-3-4 (3) kis34-1-3-4 (4) kis411

Synopsis

Aidan

Surf.

Fuck.

Get high.

Sounds like the perfect day to Aidan Callahan. As second-born son to Chicago’s most influential business owner, Aidan’s life has always been about responsibility. Tradition. Toeing the goddamn line. Just do as you’re told, Aidan. Don’t make waves.

Well, screw that. Riding waves is way more fun than making them.

Hawaii is paradise on earth. Smoking hot women. Tiny bikinis. As far as Aidan’s concerned, wild horses couldn’t drag him kicking and screaming back to the windy city. Or at least that’s what he thought.

When his brother crashes his Mercedes, killing himself on impact, Aidan finds himself next in line to the Callahan fortune and all the ties that come with it.

And this time there’s no getting out of it.

Essie

A warm bed.

A steady job.

A brother who loves her.

For Essie Gray, life’s been one hard kick in the teeth after another. With her parents both dead, her brother is her only living relative. That is until Vaughn’s truck is written off, his life snatched away by the careless actions of a rich playboy in a flashy sports car.

Now, the only thing that will bring Essie peace is revenge. She must take what was taken from her. Only when the name Callahan has been wiped from the face of the earth forever will she be able to start living again.

Of course, the new head of the Callahan Corporation isn’t what she expected. Aidan’s sexy and sad, and just as damaged as she is. Will she be able to distance herself enough to accomplish her goal?

After all, ruining a man’s really hard when you find yourself falling for him…

Review

Oh, I love when a new writer comes on the scene and I take the book blindly trying to help out and I end up really enjoying it.  This is Cole Saint Jaimes debut novel and I am truly shocked at how much I enjoyed this first novel from him.  The writing is good for a debut work but the story is tons better.

‘Hatred is a curious thing.  It feeds you, threatens to completely overwhelm you, yet at the same time, it leaves you feeling hollow.’

I admit from the teasers and the fact that a male author is writing in the romance genre, I thought it would mostly be a sexual read, but this book is pretty thick with plot and story.  So, the beginning started out a little slow for me and I had concerns that I was not being hooked fast enough.  Heart Breaker is on the short side and I felt time rearing it’s ugly head.  In my mind, nothing was really happening yet, Essie and Aidan haven’t even met and I was over a quarter done with the book.  Where is this going, I kept thinking to myself.  Turns out I had no need to worry, because Cole was really laying the foundation blocks of this story and a big part of that is Essie and Aidan before the ‘big accident’.  In fact, getting to know Essie and Aidan before the accident is super important because these two become changed so gravely as a side effect of it.  And that, my friends is where the real story comes to life.  Post accident where revenge is the main goal of one character and absolution for the other.  So, if the story starts off a bit slow for you, keep going.  “IT” is going to happen.  The story is going to get good and hook you.  I was hooked from about halfway through and couldn’t stop.  I enjoyed the dual POV writing style and the sex scenes were pretty hot with a good dose of dirty talk.  Ill definitely be checking out some more of Cole’s books in the future, especially the conclusion of this story since it does happen to end on quite a big cliff hanger!

‘It won’t just be his end.

It will be mine, too.’

~Amie

BUY IT NOW

Gay For Pay by TM Smith Blog Tour and Giveaway

Title: Gay For Pay
Series: An All Cocks Story
Author: T.M. Smith
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Christopher Allan Roberts thought he had a promising future; Captain of the football team with the promise of a scholarship to play for Alabama. His high school sweetheart and best friend for as long as he could remember, Amanda, by his side, and the love and support of his family. One night, one mistake changed everything. Chris moves to New York, adrift and alone. A walk one night brings him to the flashing lights, loud music and thrumming bodies at club Berlin. A flyer in the men’s room promises fame and fortune for anyone willing to go on camera and have sex, with another man. Money is money, and how hard could it be, right?

Christopher Allan Roberts becomes Kris Alen, All Cocks newest addition, a gay for pay porn star. 

Lincoln Carter is honest with everyone in his life, including his family, about who he is and about his sexual preferences. Linc Larson, the openly bi-sexual gay porn star will do anything with anyone, which pretty much writes his ticket in a versatility charged industry. It’s not his sexuality that interferes with his personal life; it’s his inability to trust. 

What Linc wants right now, more than anything, is the chance to do a scene with All Cocks newest acquisition, Kris Alen. Six foot two with Auburn hair, an exquisitely toned and inked up body, Kris Alen is sex personified. Linc doesn’t know if it’s the “I want the shiny new toy” aspect that calls to him, or the distant and wounded expression that haunts Kris’s eyes. 

Linc figures out early on that Kris is only working the gay for pay angle that All Cocks brings to his bank account. Can a bi-sexual man with trust issues break down the barriers that Kris has built around himself and help Christopher overcome the painful past he is running from. 

Gay for Pay is a gay for you story about two men that will have to come to terms with the mistakes they made in their past, if they want to stick around and have a chance at a future.

 Check out our 3.5 smooches HERE.

 

~ Chapter 1 | Life, as he knows it ~

January 2015

It was an unusually cold winter in New York this year, one for the record books. Blizzard like storms had shut down roads, airports and schools alike. Chris wove his way through the crowded sidewalks that were busting at the seams with tourists, all but blind and numb. He didn’t want to spend another night flipping through channels, listless, tossing and turning on Michael’s couch. Braving the artic temperatures and the crowded New York streets seemed like a far better option when he left the house, leaving his best friend and his boyfriend alone for the night, instead of being the constant third wheel. 

Chris kept his head down, his eyes only scanning his surroundings, making sure he didn’t bump into anyone or worse, walk into a street sign. He chuckled at the thought, he’d seen the video on TV a while back of a famous rapper walking right into a street sign while trying to avoid the paparazzi. Chris didn’t much care for the guy anyway, always rude to his fans and generally everyone around him, he thought it was karma and was certain even the street sign laughed that day.

Karma, that thought stopped him in his tracks. Chris tried hard not to think about the accident five years ago, the accident that took Amanda from him and alienated him from damn near everyone in his life. He lost his girlfriend, his family, most of his friends and his football scholarship in one fail swoop. The only person that stood by him through it all was his best friend, Michael. 
Waking up in the hospital alone because no one you knew could bear to be in the same room with you. The trial that not only tore apart Chris’s once close knit family, but rocked their small Alabama town. Losing his dream of playing football for the NFL, partly because of his poor decision making abilities, and partly because of the permanent injury to his spine in the accident. While he remembered every event with striking clarity, nothing tore at his soul more than what he did to Amanda. 
Michael and his boyfriend Max were the only shining light in Chris’s otherwise dark life. Michael left for college in New York not long after the trial, and convinced Chris to come with him. Chris quickly agreed knowing there was nothing left for him in Alabama. Truth be told, he didn’t really feel like he belonged anywhere, still convinced his life should have ended the night he killed his girlfriend. Michael was his strength, the brother he never had, and he helped Chris find some semblance of a life in New York. 
Chris was drawn out of his miserable memories by the loud music shaking the windows of the building he was passing. Looking up, he was drawn closer to the building by the bright lights that flashed and matched the beat of the bass perfectly. The closer Chris got to the doors the louder the music got, and the lights were almost blinding. Oddly, once he entered the building the music became hypnotic, and the darkness would have enveloped the large space within if not for the pulsating light show coming from the middle of the room.

Slowly circling the room, he took in his surroundings. There were different sized cages circling the lights and the DJ in the middle of the room, cages that held nearly naked men in various stages of undress. They were dancing, kissing, groping and in one cage, Chris was certain they were fucking. As he came around behind the center stage he saw there were several chairs and couches lined up against a back wall, and there was a man between another man’s legs, head bobbing up and down keeping time with the beat of the music. 

He stood frozen in place for a minute, staring at what was obviously a man giving another man head, right there out in the open. He wasn’t staring out of disgust, more disbelief. How was it, these men were so brazenly open about what they were doing, and the place wasn’t swarming with cops. And how was it Chris lived just a few miles away and had never noticed this place before. Michael and Max would be in heaven here, he thought. 
Making his way over to where he saw a bar set up, Chris ordered rum and coke then turned and leaned back against the bar, just watching and taking it all in. 
“Well hello there gorgeous! Haven’t seen you round these parts before.” A petite blonde had walked up to the bar next to Chris and was eyeing him like Chris usually eyed a steak. 

Chris laughed out loud, “So gay men’s pick up lines are just as bad as us straight guys eh.” Chris smiled at the smaller man. 

Chris thought he may have offended the little guy for a minute, but then he threw his head back and barked out a high pitched laugh, then straightened and smacked Chris harder than he would have thought possible on his much larger bicep. He mock flinched, “Ouch!” and grabbed his arm, still smiling though. 
The little guy shoved his hand toward Chris’s chest and he took it before shaking. “Names Colby, and who says I’m gay?” he winked at Chris before turning toward the bar and ordering a Cosmo.
“That right there little man, that says you’re gay.” Chris laughed.
“Oh ha ha, and what is your beverage of choice Jolly? Jack and coke? Budweiser?” Colby was trying hard to come across as serious, Chris could tell, but the smile never left his eyes, so Chris knew he was messing with him.
“Close, Rum and coke. Jolly?” 

“You know, the jolly green giant.” Colby winked at him again.
“Funny. Names Chris.” They both turned and watched the mass of bodies dancing, writhing, kissing and touching on the dance floor just in front of where they stood. Chris didn’t know what else to say, so he didn’t say anything. He kept stealing glances out of the corner of his eye at the man that stood next to him, Colby stood there with his head bobbing to the beat of the music, smiling and watching the scenery before him. 
Just about the time the silence bordered on awkward, Colby nudged Chris’s arm with his elbow, “So,” Colby leaned closer to Chris, making sure he could hear him over the loud music. “Are you really straight? Or are you bi? OH, is it my lucky day and you are bi-curious?” Colby waggled his eyebrows.
Chris laughed at him, shaking his head. “Nope, sorry man, I’m as straight as a board. But don’t worry, I got no problem with the lifestyle, my best friend and his boyfriend live together so I’ve spent a lot of time around gay guys and couples. Doesn’t bother me in the least.” 
Colby nodded his head as he tipped back the pink drink and took a large swig, the silence was creeping in on them once more, and then Colby nudged Chris’s shoulder again. “Can I tell you a secret?” Chris simply nodded. “My names not Colby, its Colton.” 
“So you use a fake name just in case you don’t like a guy or something.” Chris asked.
“Or something.” Colby, no Colton said. “Gay boy 101 when you live in the big apple, never use your real name unless it’s family or someone you know you can trust.”
“And you think you can trust me?” Chris asked, attempting to leer at his new friend. Colton threw his head back and laughed again, but this time Chris dodged the swipe at his arm.
Colton frowned at Chris when he sat his empty glass on the bar and ordered a glass of water instead of another drink. “You driving?” he asked. Chris shook his head. “Then why the water?”

“I have a one drink rule, and before you ask, don’t. Let’s just say, alcohol and I have a history, an ugly one, so I consume in moderation when I drink.” Chris stared down at the smaller man, waiting to see what his reaction would be. 

Colton just eyed him for a few seconds before smiling and shrugging his shoulders. “Ah, well, more for me then!” 

Chris laughed at his new friend. After a few more rounds of water, cosmos and some pleasant conversation, Chris asked Colton where the bathrooms were and they headed off in that direction. More than once Chris had to hold Colton up, the cosmos working their magic, turning Colton’s legs to jelly. When Chris was washing his hands after, he noticed a stack of fliers sitting on the counter. Grabbing one he skimmed over it then turned to Colton, “What’s this place? Do you know?” he asked.

“Ah yes, All Cocks, the end all be all of gay porn.” Colton sort of sang the words instead of speaking them. “I thought about it once, its good money, but I have this fear of public speaking, so I don’t think I could even be on camera much less have sex on camera. Jesus, but the models on that site are H.O. double T… HOT!” Colton fanned himself with his hand and Chris just laughed. 
Colton shook his hands out instead of drying them, and then ran his damp fingers through his hair, taming the unruly blonde locks. He continued to ramble on as he headed out of the restroom with Chris following behind, but not before grabbing a flyer and folding it, tucking it into his back pocket.

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls Texas home from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee! 

At 44 years young, she’s decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of “author” to her list of accomplishments. Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, Smith is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights.

 

 

 

 

HOSTED BY:

Gay For Pay by TM Smith Review

25593943

3.5 Smooches

kis34-1-3-4 kis34-1-3-4 (3) kis34-1-3-4 (4) kis411

Synopsis

Gay for Pay
An All Cocks story

Christopher Allan Roberts thought he had a promising future; Captain of the football team with the promise of a scholarship to play for Alabama. His high school sweetheart and best friend for as long as he could remember, Amanda, by his side, and the love and support of his family. One night, one mistake changed everything. Chris moves to New York, adrift and alone. A walk one night brings him to the flashing lights, loud music and thrumming bodies at club Berlin. A flyer in the men’s room promises fame and fortune for anyone willing to go on camera and have sex, with another man. Money is money, and how hard could it be, right?

Christopher Allan Roberts becomes Kris Alen, All Cocks newest addition, a gay for pay porn star.

Lincoln Carter is honest with everyone in his life, including his family, about who he is and about his sexual preferences. Linc Larson, the openly bi-sexual gay porn star will do anything with anyone, which pretty much writes his ticket in a versatility charged industry. It’s not his sexuality that interferes with his personal life; it’s his inability to trust.

What Linc wants right now, more than anything, is the chance to do a scene with All Cocks newest acquisition, Kris Alen. Six foot two with Auburn hair, an exquisitely toned and inked up body, Kris Alen is sex personified. Linc doesn’t know if it’s the “I want the shiny new toy” aspect that calls to him, or the distant and wounded expression that haunts Kris’s eyes.

Linc figures out early on that Kris is only working the gay for pay angle that All Cocks brings to his bank account. Can a bi-sexual man with trust issues break down the barriers that Kris has built around himself and help Christopher overcome the painful past he is running from.

Gay for Pay is a gay for you story about two men that will have to come to terms with the mistakes they made in their past, if they want to stick around and have a chance at a future.

Review

I am huge fan of steaming hot m/m books.  I especially love if one of the characters is straight.  There is something about a delectable gay man finding a straight guy attractive and pursuing him.  Because I really love the idea that is love is love and that you could possibly find love with anyone, gender/race/religion be damned.  So, after reading the synopsis of Gay for Pay for I decided to give it a try because it seemed right up my alley!

There were a lot of good things about this book.  The book had great bones.  The basis of this story was fantastic.  Chris makes a poor decision in high school and all of his dreams of being a college football player are dashed and he loses his best friend and girlfriend in a horrific way.  The town he grew up in and his family alienate him.  Years later, he is living in New York with his best friend trying to make a living but still not really happy with his life and definitely not earning enough money to live.  So he stumbles upon some work in the gay porn industry.  Chris is not gay but he is definitely open to the idea of being gay for pay.  He needs the money.  This is he where he meets pornography co-star Linc.  These two have a immediate attraction and so their story begins.

OK, a few things that I liked.  The writing is clean and well done.  The sex scenes were really hot and I enjoyed the whole watching themselves on video aspect.  The bones of the story are there and at first I thought this was going to be a 5 star read for me but I just didn’t feel connected to the characters like I wanted to.  This story really should have upset me and gotten to me but instead it felt more like a hot beach read.  Just really light, almost to the point where I found myself skimming sometimes.  I just wanted to care more about the characters and feel a little more angst.  But if you are looking for a hot m/m read with low angst than this is probably the one for you

~Amie

BUY IT NOW

Never Say Never by Nicole Edwards Release Blitz and Giveaway

NOW AVAILABLE: 

Never Say Never by Nicole Edwards

A Sniper 1 Security Novel, Book 2. M/M Romance

 

 

 

Ryan Trexler has devoted his entire life to his family’s security business. And now that he’s slated to take over the reins for the company, RT knows that his life is only going to get more complicated. Add in the fact that he’s lusting over one of the men who works for him and RT knows that there are some serious tough times ahead. 

 

Zachariah Tavoularis—nicknamed Z—has been employed by Sniper 1 Security for a decade. Despite being known as the most loyal enforcer outside of family, Z also has a reputation of being quite the playboy, though that was based more on rumor than fact. When an assignment comes up that forces the two of them to work together, Z knows it’s time to show RT he’s not the man he thinks he is. 

Can they complete the mission, despite the fact that it puts them in a tenuous situation, bringing them closer than either of them ever expected? And will Z allow RT to convince him that they can never be together, no matter how much they both want it? 

m/m romance

 

 

 

Amazon  iTunes  Barnes & Noble  Kobo  ARe  Google Play

Smashwords  Website  Goodreads 

 

 

 

 

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, their three kids, and four rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about sexy alpha males, Nicole can often be found with her Kindle in hand or making an attempt to keep the dogs happy. You can find her hanging out on Facebook and interacting with her readers – even when she’s supposed to be writing.

Nicole also writes contemporary/new adult romance as Timberlyn Scott.

Nicole would love to hear from you!

 

 

Built by Jay Crownover Cover Reveal and Prologue

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Cover Reveal and Prologue for BUILT by Jay Crownover! BUILT is the first novel in her upcoming Saints of Denver Series, a spinoff of her Marked Men Series, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. BUILT is releasing on January 5, 2016! This is a definite one click, friends!

Check out the cover of BUILT!

Studio portrait of young bearded man --- Image by © pinkypills/Corbis

Preorder BUILT Today!

Amazon US ** iBooks ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo

About BUILT:

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes an electrifying new spin-off series,Saints of Denver, featuring all the characters fans have been dying to read about.

Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She’s French silk, he’s all denim and flannel.

Zeb’s wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn’t matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest—either that or she doesn’t return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior.

But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can’t risk what’s at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming. But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored.

And don’t miss this sneak peek of BUILT! Check out the prologue here!

Prologue

I met her at a bar.

She had a beer bottle in her hand even though she looked like she should be sipping champagne out of an expensive flute, and that inexplicably turned me on. She was pretty and looked completely out of place in the no-name bar sitting across from one of my longtime friends who also happened to be her long-lost brother. He was the reason she was here. In that split second that I laid my eyes on her I wanted to be the reason she stayed.

I knew it was rude and that the two of them needed some time together, some time to figure out what they were to each other now that she had blasted into his life unannounced. If I was a better friend I would have left them alone. As it was, I made my way over to the tiny table and sat down. I was covered in sawdust and had drywall mud caked in the hair on my head and on my face, but she didn’t flinch or bat an eyelash when I purposely broke up their party of two and placed myself as close to her as I could without actually touching her.

My buddy Rowdy St. James lifted his eyebrows at me as I stared at her while he introduced us. Sayer Cole. Even her name was elegant and sophisticated sounding. She was an enigma, this pretty woman that seemed like she should be in any place but this bar with the two of us. She’d showed up out of the blue a couple of months ago claiming to be Rowdy’s half sister, claiming that they shared a father, claiming that all she wanted was to be in his life and have some kind of family of her own. She looked too delicate to be that brave. Came across as way too proper to have said “fuck it all” and picked up her life to move it someplace unknown without being sure of her welcome. She looked like silk, but if my guess was right about her, it was silk wrapped around steel.

Luckily Rowdy was a good guy. After the shock of discovering he wasn’t alone in the world, and once he realized he had someone tied to him by blood forever and ever, he had warmed up to the idea of having a sister and appreciated that the sister was Sayer.

I liked Rowdy a lot. He was a stand-up guy and a good friend, but I had a feeling I was going to like his newly found big sister even more. In my usual tactless way I asked him without looking directly at the knockout blonde, “So you have a sister? A hot, classy sister?” A sister that was also a lawyer, so beautiful and smart.

I expected a giggle from her or an eye roll at the outlandish compliment, but what I got was a wide-eyed stare of disbelief as eyes bluer than anything I had ever seen on earth danced between me and her brother like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself or with my overt interest in her.

I thought that I had gone too far, pushed the beautiful stranger too far out of her comfort zone. I was a big guy and knew I looked far wilder and rougher than I actually was. I figured it might be too much for a woman already obviously out of her element and depth to take.

Instead, Sayer surprised me and I could see by the way he stiffened that she surprised Rowdy, too. While she wasn’t exactly overflowing with welcome and warmth, she did ask me about the current project I was working on after Rowdy explained I was a general contractor and had rebuilt the new tattoo shop he worked in. She seemed genuinely interested, and when I told her that my specialty was rehabbing old houses and giving them new life, her eyes practically glowed at me. I wanted to touch her to see if she felt as smooth and polished as she looked. I wanted to leave streaks of dirt on her perfect face to mark the fact that I had touched her, that she had let me touch her. It was a primal and visceral reaction that I couldn’t explain and I liked the way it felt. Liked the weight and heft of it in my blood even if I knew the feeling wasn’t likely to be returned.

She told me all about a fantastic but crumbling Victorian she had purchased that was falling down around her. She asked me for a business card and I saw Rowdy stiffen across the table. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my already messy hair. I watched her eyes follow the light cloud of dust that escaped the strands. I was great at my job, loved what I did, but I couldn’t do anything with her or for her without laying everything on the line. Especially not with Rowdy giving me the death glare from just a few feet away.

I dug the card out of my wallet, and when I handed it over our fingers touched. I saw her eyes widen and her lips part, just barely. She looked a little dazed when I grinned at her.

“You take that card, but understand that the man giving it to you has a past.”

She blinked at me and cleared her throat. “What kind of past?”

It wasn’t something I liked to tell a beautiful woman when I first met her. It was something I liked to work up to, liked to prove it was behind me, but with this one it seemed like I wouldn’t get that chance.

“I tell everyone that I do any kind of work for or that considers hiring me on for a project that I have a criminal history. I spent time locked up for a few years, and while I’m not proud of it I can’t deny it happened. I was a hotheaded kid and it got me in trouble, but I’m the best at what I do, so I hope that doesn’t discourage you from giving me a call.” Hopefully for more than some construction.

Usually I got a concerned frown followed by a hundred questions about what had led me to serving time. I got none of that from the stunning blonde. She tilted her head to the side and considered me silently for a long moment before reaching down and slipping my card in her purse. If anything, I could have sworn she was wearing a look of sympathy when she told me softly, “I see it every day from the inside. Sometimes the system simply gets it wrong.” A slight grin turned her mouth up at the corners, and I wanted to lean over and kiss it. “People make mistakes. Hopefully they learn from them.”

I don’t know that “wrong” was accurate in my case so much as misguided, but the complete lack of judgment or censure coming from her made me want to pull her into my arms and hold on to her even more. I had made a mistake, a huge one, one that I was forever going to have to carry around with me, but I had learned from it, was still learning from it. That kind of understanding from a total stranger was so rare, especially coming from someone in the legal field. I wasn’t accustomed to someone looking at me and seeing me, just me, not an ex-con loser after I explained where I had been. It was wildly refreshing and attractive. I couldn’t quite get a handle on what made the woman tick, but I would welcome any opportunity she gave me to figure it out. I found her outwardly flawless and pristine demeanor tempting to taint with my dirty hands and ways, and there was something about the way she watched me, the way she turned toward me like she was drawn to me, that made me think maybe I wasn’t alone in the inexplicable pull department.

Rowdy left and she stayed.

We had a couple more beers and talked some more about her house and what she wanted done with it. She already hired one contractor but felt like the guy was ripping her off. It happened a lot in the industry, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy was taking her for a ride. Spending time with her was easy. She was fun to talk to and really fun to look at. I really wanted to get my hands on her house and of course on her, and I felt like she was maybe, kind of, slightly leaning in the same direction when I made the mistake of asking her about her past.

I asked about where she had been before she found out about Rowdy and decided to move to Denver so that she could get to know him. I was curious what kind of life she had where she could leave everything behind and not be missed. Really I wanted to know if she had a boyfriend or husband stashed somewhere, but the simple inquiry must have touched a nerve. The next thing I knew she had paid out the tab for both of us and disappeared into the night. She went from glowing and bright to frigid and untouchable in the span of a heartbeat.

I figured I blew my shot by being too blunt, as always. I assumed she probably did have someone else in the picture and had been friendly and polite only because I was good friends with her brother. I thought I would never hear from her again and was baffled why the thought of that made my chest ache and my heart feel like it weighed two tons.

Imagine my surprise when she called me and hired me to renovate her house a week later without a bid, without a contract, without even knowing if I was half as good as I claimed to be.

Of course I accepted, but I knew once I was inside I would need to knock down and rearrange more than just the walls of the house, in order to get at something beautiful and lasting.

Jay CrownoverAbout Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

BUILT Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New

Better When He’s Brave by Jay Crownover Review/Excerpt Tour and Giveaway

Better When He's Brave - Review & Excerpt Tour banner

We are so incredibly excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Jay Crownover’s BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE!! BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel being published by HarperCollins, and it is the 3rd book in Welcome to the Point Series. This amazing book releases on August 11th!!

Better When Hes Brave - cover

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

About BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE:

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without.

Titus King sees the world in black and white. Right and wrong. Which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray.

The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and the difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town, and she might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point because he needs her—in more ways than one.

Reeve knows all about how ruthless this new threat to destroy The Point can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. She has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.

With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.

Check out our 5 smooches review HERE.

 Excerpt

Prove it.

Those odd, dark blue eyes flashed the challenge at me and I couldn’t resist it. Not the challenge or the girl. I didn’t like that she got under my skin. I hated that she was right at the center of this mess with Roark, and it really, really grated across my already taut nerves that even with no makeup on and looking like she hadn’t slept a wink, she was still the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. I didn’t want to notice that. I didn’t want my dick to twitch when she touched me, but it did, which was going to make pretending to be infatuated with her easy and so much harder at the same time. She knew it too.

Prove it.

Okay. I would prove the shit out of the fact that I could do what I had to do in order to make this scheme of mine work. I could pretend to like her, which really was the only thing that would be fake. I couldn’t reconcile the way my pulse leaped every time she turned that midnight-blue gaze on me with the fact that she had orchestrated a man’s murder. She was beautiful but she was also deadly. She was just as hard as this place we came from, and I’d had enough of the city hammering against my foundation, as it was. Lusting after a woman who had it in her to be just as cold, and just as calculating, as any other criminal I locked up on a day-to-day basis was nowhere for my head to be while I was on the brink of war with her deranged ex-lover.

I was pissed off when I bent my head toward her. I was mad at myself. I was mad at her. More than all of that, though, I was furious that either one of us had to be in this situation in the first place. Every time I turned around, another bad thing or bad person was nipping at my heels. It was getting harder and harder to stay a step ahead. Eventually I was going to trip up and go down and there would no one left with any kind of conscience in this place, no one left that cared about justice and righteousness.

That anger had my hands shaking as I reached up and used my thumbs to tilt her head back so her mouth was pointed up at me. I didn’t have much time to date, didn’t have the patience for a woman who didn’t understand that I was trying to save an entire city from itself and that this took up most of my attention and energy. The ones I did date were never just the right height, just the right size, and they sure as hell never looked as perfect and as tempting as this woman did. None of them had ever fit me the way she did and that pissed me off even more.

Jay CrownoverAbout Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

And don’t miss the previous books in The Point Series!

Better WhenHe's Bad

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

Better When Hes Bold

BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

a Rafflecopter giveaway


InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New

Better When He’s Brave by Jay Crownover Review

23148605

5 Smooches

kis34-1-3-4 kis34-1-3-4 (1) kis34-1-3-4 (4) kis34-1-3-4 (3) kis34-1-3-4 (2)

Synopsis

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without.

Titus King has always seen his world in black and white. There is a firm right and wrong in his mind, which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray.

The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and walking the straight and narrow seems far less important now. The difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town. This girl might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point but he can’t walk away because he needs her—in more ways than one.

Reeve knows all about the threat trying to destroy The Point. She knows how ruthless, how vicious, and how cruel this new danger can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. Reeve knows that she has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.

With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.

Review

“Some men wanted to watch the world burn. Titus was a man that wanted to put out all the flames single-handedly from inside the blaze.”

You know when you read and love a book so much that you just don’t know where to start when explaining your thoughts to people because your mind is going a mile a minute and it is impossible to get it all out coherently . . . yeah that is where I am when writing this review. So I apologize in advance if I ramble.

“I wasn’t afraid of him. I was afraid for him.”

The beauty in this series is that the good guys are not purely good and the bad guys find ways for you to love them too. Everyone is human and a mix of good and bad and you will find yourself rooting for characters who in a different book you would be fighting against. We found ourselves hatting Reeve in the first book. She is flawed and the decisions she made had devastating results for characters we loved (it was all covered in Brave so if you are reading this as a standalone do not worry.)

“I can cover it all up, it’s not going to change the fact that you want me and are angry about it.”

The Point is a place we have all been, whether literally of figuratively, it’s the dark place you can’t escape that place that draws you back even when you think you have escaped. In my past I have battled depression and when reading the about The Point it feels like a literal translation of how I felt inside during those times. This series really resonates with me, often in books we have clear lines of right and wrong, good and evil. This series takes those lines and shows you that sometimes you have to blur them just to survive.

“The cop might only need me as bait, but the man . . . the man and the things he kept so tightly controlled inside of him needed so much more.”

From the beginning of this series we have known that Titus was the good guy, the man that attempts to bring justice to the point nad keep those he love safe. He follows the law and was even willing to send his own brother to jail when necessary. So for him to fall for Reeve, the woman who threw Dovie to the wolves to save herself was hard for me at first. But their love was not an instant connection, it was a slow burn filled with redemption, building trust and undeniable chemistry.

“She was going to be my corruption and my vice. She was going to be my addiction and my compulsion and I was still going to fall headlong into her knowing the landing was going to be rough for both of us.”

Reeve’s struggle to give into the easy temptation and the fast justice that is so much at the core of what The Point is and to be the kind of woman that lawful and honorable Titus deserves is the beauty of the book. She is the ying to Titus’ yang and shows him that sometimes the world is grey and people cannot be put into the black and white molds he has formed. Titus for his part, is himself around Reeve. Passionate, protective he shows her parts of himself that no one else has seen. I loved their balance and their struggle. The entire story was emotional and suspenseful!

“So much of Titus was now woven into the fabric of who I was  and who I knew I deserved to be.”

This is a series that is not to be missed. Each book surprises me and leaves me desperate for the next and will be counting days until I get Nassirs story!

~miranda

Buy It Now

Danny’s Main by Lisa N Paul Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Danny's Main Front

Synopsis:

A man walks into a bar…

That’s how all jokes start, but this isn’t a joke.

This is their story.

Their lust.
Their love.
Their loss.
Their life.

And all because, a man walked into bar.

Goodreads

Excerpt:

“Look at me, baby,” he said. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Men stare at you and wish you were theirs. You are not; you’re mine. You chose me, and that makes me one lucky motherfucker. Will I kiss you in public? Touch you in public? Fuck yeah, I will. That’s me claiming you. However, you chose me. Your sex is a gift you give to me. Only me. That’s something I cherish, and I don’t share things I cherish, Julie. I worship them.”

Man hands take sexy woman buttocks in lingerie isolated

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Lisa N. Paul is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, reader, writer, blogger, and self-proclaimed comedian—just not always in that order. Ever since she was a little girl, she has devoured books. Falling in love with the Sweet Valley High series at a young age drew Lisa to series books and inspired her to write her own. Thursday Nights is the first book in her Charistown series.

When not writing, Lisa can be found eating french fries and Godiva raspberry truffles, or hanging out with her husband and two sons.

Connect with her online:

Website: http://lisanpaul.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaNPaul3

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisanpaul3

Instagram: http://instagram.com/Lisa.Spivackpaul

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5168809.Lisa_N_Paul

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-N-Paul/e/B00G4KFDK

 

Other Books in the series:

Thursday Night

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17185521-thursday-nights

Synopsis:

Pain can leave even the strongest of people weak and hollow. But when fate brings two weak souls together, will the love they find mend the fragments that are barely holding them together, or will the weight of their past finally cause them to crumble?

Max DeLucca has spent seven years trying to forget the betrayal of his past. He lives his life from day to day never looking forward and never looking back. The walls around his heart keep anyone from getting too close and prevent him from feeling too much…until he meets her.

Her entire life, Janie Silver searched for the kind of love that wouldn’t leave her broken and more importantly, wouldn’t leave her behind. She longs for a love that can heal the wounds of her past and give her the future she knows she deserves. She thought she was looking for something that just didn’t exist…until she meets him.

Danny’s on Main is where their story begins. A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family and some … become lovers

… it all started on Thursday Nights

AmazonUS: http://amzn.com/B00COURBWO

AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00COURBWO

AmazonAUS: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00COURBWO

AmazonCA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00COURBWO

Storm Front:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214229-storm-front

Synopsis:

The Darker the Storm, The Deeper the Pain…

Love knows no bounds when two people are destined to be together. One fights to maintain the distance; while the other battles to close the gap.

The Brighter the Light at the End…

Will they move forward together or finally close the last remaining door to their past?

It’s time for Ryan and Ashley to decide. But once that decision is made, there will be no going back…

Always Reach for the Light…

A Neighborhood bar where old wounds heal, friends become family, and some…become lovers…

Danny’s on Main is where their story continues… Where they all shelter each other during the…

Storm Front

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Front-Charistown-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00HMT7SX4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04NE3N60C5HEY526DA17

Breaking To Breathe:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20565048-breaking-to-breathe

Synopsis:

Two people so bent they can no longer stand tall…

With his sexy looks, his seductive dirty talk, and his resident bad boy reputation,

Kyle Marx was the thrill-ride every woman wanted to experience…at least once.

And once is all he’d ever offer.

Suffocating in his own personal hell, Kyle thought sex, booze, and drugs could numb the pain of his past

Until an angel challenged him to fight…to feel

After living through a childhood that left her vulnerable and exposed, Cate Lockton mastered the art of blending in instead of standing out. She locked herself away to prevent more damage to her already fractured heart. She never imagined a man with a past more broken than her own would crash into her world and force her to let him in.

Their lives first collided on a stormy night.

But Danny’s on Main is where they finally connected. A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family and some become lovers, and where the strong learn that while you can bend to exist, sometimes you’ve gotta

Break… so you can Breathe.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Breathe-Charistown-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00LNRQLG6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=11SVW7WDH1HQAQE7WFY7

Cocky Bastard by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland Release Blitz

01

Meet Chance in COCKY BASTARD!

A standalone Contemporary Romance novel by

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Authors

Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

NOW AVAILABLE

02

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1DW9XpB

Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/1WwPzkC

iBooks: http://apple.co/1J7vbN0

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY

Read Chapter One of Cocky Bastard HERE:  http://bit.ly/1MCrJk9

03

Blurb

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.

A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.

I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

3

1

About the Authors:

Vi Keeland

6

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Life on Stage series (2 standalone books)

Beat

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

Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/1fczMX5

iBooks: http://apple.co/1DnI6f6

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1aqrmbS

B&N:  http://bit.ly/1O1Ah0q

Throb

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CsRg9d

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1x5c3P8

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1slglLN

MMA Fighter series (3 standalone books)

Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xC6epE

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

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dbzZ8R

Smashwords – http://bit.ly/1is0zNX

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1co2ZpF

Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xC71aa

B&N: http://bit.ly/1gwTyJw

iBooks:  http://bit.ly/1gHMCZg

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1fqQcnj

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/NU2rCR

Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)

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

B & N: http://bit.ly/1ljdVzb

iBooks:  http://bit.ly/XBTLFX

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1kWP4ka

The Cole Series (2 book serial)

Belong to You (Cole Series, Book One)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr26W2

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

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/belong-to-you-vi-keeland/1114962845

IBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/belong-to-you/id639401754

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/belong-to-you

Made for You (Cole Series, Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Mi0AzQ

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

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/made-for-you-vi-keeland/1115883225

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/made-for-you/id84550637

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/belong-to-you

Standalone novels

Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

Amazon US:http://amzn.to/1G9HdDK

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Rmi3xp

First Thing I See

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr3dF7

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

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JWFo21

Meet Penelope Ward

7

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Other books from Penelope Ward

Stepbrother Dearest

Amazon  http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg

B&N: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG

ITunes: http://bit.ly/YER0mT

kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs

Gemini

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE

B&N: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD

iTunes: http://apple.co/1QTaONj

kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu

Jake Undone (Jake #1)

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6

iTunes: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8

kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M

My Skylar

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F

B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi

iTunes: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR

kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB

Jake Understood (Jake #2)

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z

iTunes: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC

kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk

1