End of Day by Jewel E. Ann Review

25109543

5 Smooches!

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

Synopsis

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.

Four caskets. Two bodies.

Jessica and Jude Day witness their funeral and that of their parents a few yards away from mourning family and friends. Stripped of the only life they’ve ever known, the Days say goodbye to San Francisco forever.

Six months later, two thirty-year-old misfits with elite self-defense skills and penchants for alcohol, sex, and trouble arrive like an earthquake to Peaceful Woods, a retirement community in Omaha, Nebraska, that thrives on rules and gossip. Welcome home, Jackson and Jillian Knight.

Jackson celebrates his new beginning by embracing his job and wiping his cavalier past clean with a temporary oath of celibacy. But Jillian’s past is branded into her soul—the deaths, the insanity, Dr. Luke Jones, and the need to make her lovers bleed. Her chance for redemption comes in the form of a next door neighbor, one Senior Master Sergeant Monaghan. He’s sexy, dangerously alluring, and riddled with emotional issues from years of service. He’s also … So. Damn. Grumpy.

Their mission is simple: Let go, start over, don’t kill anyone, and pray that nobody wakes the dead.

Review

What in the ever loving hell did I just read?  Why did I love it so incredibly much?  Why haven’t I read this author before?  I mean I have a couple of her books just sitting on my kindle waiting to be read and I just have not gotten around to it yet.  When this arc request came in, I snatched it up because the premise of this book really intrigued me, but End of Day was so much more than I expected.  It was well…EVERYTHING.

“Because everybody needs somebody.”

I say it was everything because it was.  I will try to explain this without giving too much away, but this book told two stories simultaneously.  You get Jillian Knight’s story in the present with grumpy and troubled military serviceman AJ or Sarge but you also get Jessica Day’s story with romantic and brutally sweet Dr. Luke Jones.

“I’m so … very … one-hundred percent … madly in love with you.”

Jessica and Jillian are the same person but Jessica is the past and Jillian is the present.  God, I do not know how to describe how much I loved this book.  I adored AJ but I wanted to hug Luke two.  This isn’t a love triangle but it was almost worse because both of these men captured my heart in different ways.  So this book is everything because you get 2 love stories, not just one.  Two completely different but both unconventional romances.  It was a little dark but a little light too. You get SO MUCH mystery.  You get a ridiculous amount of laughs.  AND ALL THE FEELS YOU COULD EVER WANT.  See, EVERYTHING!

The heart never forgets skipping a beat.

A couple of warnings.  This book is told in third person.  I will be honest, third person can sometimes go really wrong for me but the writing is really spectacular and I hardly noticed I wasn’t reading in first person.  Also, this is a book that you have read very very closely.  There is a lot happening in both story lines (the past and the present) so make sure to pay attention or you will be completely lost.  So, basically, if you are looking for an easy beach read, this is not the book for you.  One more thing that may displease some folks is the HUGE EPIC cliff hanger at the end of this book.  Nothing gets resolved.  There are a shit ton more questions and the last couple of sentences of this book literally took my breath away and left me hanging.  I love that kinda thing so I am so excited for the next book.  So after that bit of warning, I will say that all of those things are everything that made this book brilliant.  This book made me want to go and read everything this author has ever written.  MIND. BLOWN. I will leave you with a little quote from End of Day that pretty much described what this book did to me.

“I’m going to take you the way you took me – by surprise, relentlessly … completely.”

~Amie

 

BUY IT NOW

Getting Hot by Mia Storm Blog Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

9

Release Day August 17

7

Blurb:

Rules of engagement:

1) You have the right to use force to defend yourself.

2) Fire may be returned to stop a hostile attack.

3) You may not seize the property of others to accomplish your mission.

4) Detention of civilians is authorized in self-defense.

Delilah Morgan and her older sister Destiny have been on their own for two years, since their parents burned down the family home and went to jail for cooking meth. She’s street smart and tough. Nothing about her says sixteen, and she’s not about to tell anyone, especially Bran, the hot ex-marine bartender Destiny has her eye on. He’s stable and successful and everything her sister needs to keep them off the street. The only problem, something about Bran inspires her and suddenly she’s writing the best music she ever has. About him.

Branson Silo knows what it means to be in the line of fire. Home for a year from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, he thinks he’s safe…until he meets Delilah. Despite her sharp tongue that makes him want to take cover, he can’t deny the attraction. But when he hires her to play weekends at his family’s saloon, he finds out she’s more than he can handle…which is saying something considering he used to blow things up for a living.

When the grenade finally explodes and the shrapnel flies, will Bran be left standing? Or has he survived years at war only to be taken down by Jail Bait?

6 5

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25610476-getting-hot

Buy The Book

AMAZON US

4 3

About the Author:

Mia Storm is a hopeless romantic who is always searching for her happy ending. Sometimes she’s forced to make one up. When that happens, she’s thrilled to be able to share those stories with her readers. She lives in California and spends much of her time in the sun with a book in one hand and a mug of black coffee in the other, or hiking the trails in Yosemite. Connect with her online at MiaStormAuthor.blogspot.com , on Twitter at @MiaStormAuthor, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MiaStormAuthor

2 1

EXCERPT:

I’m blending a pair of frozen daiquiris with one hand and shaking a martini with the other when out of the corner of my eye, I see a solo blonde slide onto the barstool at the end, near the beer taps. I finish what I’m doing and prepare the tray for Carol to pick up before glancing over and seeing its Destiny.

A guy in the middle of the bar makes eye contact and nods at his empty beer mug. I grab it and start filling without really looking up at her. “Didn’t think I’d see you again till closer to closing.”

“Sorry?” she says. “Are you talking to me?”

The voice is off—slightly raspy and a pitch lower than her usual. I look up again and squint at her, wondering if she’s already started drinking. She’s taken her straight hair down from the ponytail she always wears it in and it’s not as long as I remember it from the other night—the only other time I’ve seen it down. There’s also a fading blue stripe cutting through the platinum over her right ear that I’ve never noticed before.

“What can I get you?” I ask her instead of pushing it.

I’m already reaching for the vodka and cranberry to start on a Madras, her drink of choice last week, when she answers, “Rum and Coke.”

“That’s different,” I mutter, shooting her another glance.

She gives me a puzzled look. “Look, I really just wanted to find out if you hire entertainment.”

My face mirrors her puzzlement, I’m sure, as I try to process her statement. “Why?”

She hunches to the side and pulls something up from her feet. I see it’s a battered black guitar case when the narrow end peeks over the top of the bar. “Because I need a gig.”

“Didn’t know you played,” I say, pushing her drink across the bar to her.

That baffled look is back as she pulls it toward her and takes a swallow. I can’t help following the curve of her long neck downward toward a pair of large round tits perfectly outlined by her snug, low-cut T-shirt. She is definitely hot, and if we’re on the same page, then I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. She wants me to fuck her till she screams? I’m perfectly capable of that. She sets her drink down and catches me staring. She cuts me that wicked smile again, causing my cock to stir. I return the smile, sending the innuendo right back at her.

She props her elbows onto the bar and leans forward, giving me a clear look down her shirt. “Considering that we’ve never met before, I don’t find that surprising.”

I’m so absorbed in images of my face buried in those magnificent tits that it takes me a second to process what she said.

My eyes snap to hers. “Wait…what?”

She reaches across the bar, offering me a hand. “Lilah.”

There’s a full second all I can do is stare, wondering if this is one of those split personality things you hear about sometimes. And in that second, through the dim lighting, I take in all the tiny details—a dark mole at the outer corner of her right eye; her eyes, silver instead of blue; the missing white crescent-shaped scar above Destiny’s right eyebrow; and lips, a little fuller than I remember—which are smirking at me now.

“You’re not Destiny,” I say as it all clicks.

It’s not a question, but she shakes her head. “No. I am most definitely not Destiny.”

“Twins?” I ask.

She cocks her head playfully. “What do you think?”

“You’ve got to be. You’re fucking identical except for the eyes.” I tap my forehead. “And you’re missing a scar.”

Her perfect blond eyebrow raises in amusement. “She’s the pretty one and I’m the smart one.”

I bark out a laugh as I reach across and shake her hand. “Bran Silo. Good to meet you.”

She doesn’t let go of my hand for a second after we’re done shaking—just long enough to send a clear message that she’s interested.

A knot forms in my gut, and I realize it’s guilt. Destiny and I have an understanding, but regardless, I’m pretty sure fucking her sister would be way outside the bounds of gentlemanly behavior. Not that anyone would ever mistake me for a gentleman. “Destiny never mentioned she had a sister.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” She takes another drink, nearly polishing it off in a few big gulps.

I tip my head at it her glass. “Another?”

“My limit is one,” she says, pushing her glass toward me. “Just Coke this time, thanks.”

Carol sweeps by on her way to the kitchen, dropping an order on my bar. “Thought you left,” she says to Lilah without slowing down. “Careful or your favorite customer might ask for you,” she adds, jerking her head at Mr. Hendricks as she disappears through the swinging door.

I bark out a laugh as I scoop ice into Lilah’s glass and fill it with Coke. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”

Lilah shrugs. “Happens all the time.” She slides out of her chair, lifting the guitar case. “So do you want to hear me play or what?”

I look around the crowded room, loud with chatter, drowning out the background music. “We don’t generally have live entertainment,” I say, which is really an understatement. We’ve never had live entertainment. But for some reason, I’m not willing to shut Lilah down so fast.

When my eyes find her again, annoyed impatience shines loud and clear out of her gaze. “So that’s a no?”

I feel my mouth pull into a cocky half-smile. “I didn’t say that.”

She opens her case and pulls out her guitar, unabashedly climbing through the window I left ajar for her. I watch as she sets herself up on the stool and rests the guitar in her lap, gripping it softly but confidently. She starts strumming, and I expect her to be discrete, since this is basically an audition, but there’s not a shred of self-consciousness or embarrassment anywhere in her disposition as she begins to belt out lyrics—an old No Doubt song that I can’t remember the name of.

The way she plays, as if on instinct; the passion in her voice, and the fact that she’s really fucking good, starts to turn heads at the tables closest to us. As they quiet and listen, more tables still, and soon the only thing she’s competing to be heard over is the Kat Country on the speakers. But she doesn’t decrease her volume. If anything, as eyes find her, she becomes louder, feeding off the attention.

I reach under the bar and click off the stereo, then lean onto the back counter and cross my arms, listening as she finishes one song and launches into the next.

A guy at the bar pulls a five from his pocket and flags me down with it. I grab his beer mug, but he shakes his head. “Is there a tip jar?” he asks with a nod toward Lilah.

I pull a fresh mug from under the bar and he slips the five inside, then I set it at the end of the bar near Lilah. She cuts me a smile and her eyes slide down my body as she sings.

And fuck me. I lean my hands on the bar and press against the lower counter when my dick won’t yield to my will. Without a doubt, everything Destiny has going on, Lilah’s got that and more.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wishful Thinking by Gabbie S. Duran Cover Reveal

WISHFUL THINKING

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 21, 2015

  

Lexie has one goal in life: to grant one last wish for each of her patients. There isn’t a request she will deny, and has yet to fail to deliver a promise. That is, until the day she goes in search of the infamous rock star Kaleb Knight, who can’t care less about her life’s ambition, or the children she is determined to help. 



Kaleb has his own dark secrets. He lives each day as if it’s his last, and refuses to spare a moment of his time to play the part of a knight in shining armor—especially for someone like Lexie . . . or so he thought. Now, his head and heart are at war, and his soul is screaming she is exactly what he needs. 



Will Lexie be the only one that can save him in the end? Or will he instead succumb to the darkness threatening to consume him? 

 

Insignificant by Kelly Lincoln Review

25314920

5 Smooches!

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

Synopsis

When Taylor was four years old, she became an orphan and her childhood spiraled into darkness. She spent years lying, hiding, and avoiding any love offered to her until she was old enough to run away from all the threats of her past.

Now twenty-two, Taylor doesn’t think she’s worth more than being the kind of girl a guy hooks up with in the back room of a bar after her band plays. She definitely isn’t the one you bring home to meet Mom and Dad.

An unlikely rescue puts her in Ethan’s sight. He’s her total opposite, though. Ethan is a sexy dork who sees beyond Taylor’s guarded exterior. He sees past the tattoos and piercings. He sees her.

But they both have secrets capable of destroying their relationship. And if Taylor’s past ever catches up with her, the consequences could be deadly.

Due to explicit language, sexual content, and dark themes, reader discretion is advised.

Review

Taylor is running away from something in her past but she’s finally settled down somewhere she actually likes. She has friends, is in a band and then Ethan comes along and she has the job as well. But Ethan isn’t just someone who got her a job, he’s someone Taylor could really fall for. But will she risk not only his life but her friends as well, by becoming too attached?

What a thrilling, exciting and unexpected roller coaster of a book that has been one of my favourite reads this year! We have so many twists, so many brilliant characters, romance and drama, with a thrilling plot line that seriously will keep you guessing the whole way through.

“I wasn’t the kind of girl who guys fell in love with. I was the one they fucked in the back room at a bar, or called in the middle of the night when they were drunk and horny. Nothing more. I just had to deal with it.”

Taylor was an amazing character. Her strength, courage and selflessness are so easily admirable. The way she continues to laugh about life and care for her friends means you not only want her to be happy but you wish you could be friends with as well.

“He was eye fucking me. I did it sometimes when I was on stage as an I see you and only you right now kind of thing. But this was more than that. He wasn’t just looking; he was penetrating. There was an energy pouring from him and flowing into my soul, pumping into my heart.”

Ethan was one of my favourite book boyfriends ever!! He is so sexy but cute. I loved his shyness and how he still made it sexy and mysterious. He was still protective and strong at the same time as well which all added up to the one of the best book boyfriends I have ever read about.

“He laced our fingers together as his lips brushed against mine, soft and gentle. No tongue or anything. The kiss was pure Ethan—a little shy and a fuckload sexy.”

The plot was absolutely fascinating. Completely unexpected, you have no idea where it’s going, whether you are reading a romance, a suspense, a thriller; it really keeps you guessing. I laughed, I cried, I was kept on the edge of my seat gasping and yelling at my kindle; never knowing which way the story was going to go.

“All of these years, I felt so cheap because I was never more than someone to fuck, and the very second someone made me feel like I was worth something, I had to fucking blow it. That was me. Ruining everything. On purpose or not, it didn’t matter.”

A really fantastic read that I couldn’t put down and would recommend to readers of nearly all genres. Pick this one up today and I promise you won’t regret it.

“I love you. I love you for showing me how beautiful the world is, for letting me in and showing me how beautiful you are, for making me feel like I am special because of the way you look at me.”

Get ready for one hell of a ride!

~Bethany

 

BUY IT NOW

Newly Exposed by Meghan Quinn Release Tour

 

cooltext128330355802924

cooltext131674818817185ExposedFullCover

add-to-goodreads-button

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

cooltext128330063418212

NewlyExposedAdam James is a corn-fed, Nebraska raised, piece of man meat with a chiseled body and baby face. He is in desperate need of a paycheck and will do just about anything to get one, including stripping down to his skivvies and lathering up in baby oil.

Solo Cohan is a quirky hipster with a strong work ethic,raised by two gay dads who are head over heels in love with Harrison Ford and Star Wars, hence the name, Solo. She works for Teeg Model Management, the same modeling agency that decides to book Adam as their next up and coming model. Sparks ignite between her and Adam the minute her baby oil soaked hand connects with his practically naked body.

Even though Solo can’t stop thinking about Adam during photo shoots, she quickly and awkwardly, shows Adam her distaste for male models and her inability to engage romantically with them. Adam is captivated by her nerdy talk and peculiar tendencies and sets out to make it his mission to turn the Star Wars loving hipster to the dark side, where mingling with models is widely arousing.

 

Check out our 4 smooches review HERE.

cooltext128330404127011

 
 
 

 

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

cooltext128330437578016


Aug - 14th

Aug17th

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

cooltext128330139012723 (1)

00Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

cooltext128330221187949

Website | Facebook | Twitter | TSU | Goodreads | Amazon Page | YouTube

11016548_1619805378249149_1138335969_n

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

cooltext131674731390082Thunderclap_Graphic_BuyNowCLICK HERE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF MEGHAN QUINN’S NEWEST RELEASE

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Hosted_By2

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own Logo

Newly Exposed by Meghan Quinn Review

000

4 Smooches

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

Synopsis

Adam James is a corn-fed, Nebraska raised, piece of man meat with a chiseled body and baby face. He is in desperate need of a paycheck and will do just about anything to get one, including stripping down to his skivvies and lathering up in baby oil.

Solo Cohan is a quirky hipster with a strong work ethic,raised by two gay dads who are head over heels in love with Harrison Ford and Star Wars, hence the name, Solo. She works for Teeg Model Management, the same modeling agency that decides to book Adam as their next up and coming model. Sparks ignite between her and Adam the minute her baby oil soaked hand connects with his practically naked body.

Even though Solo can’t stop thinking about Adam during photo shoots, she quickly and awkwardly, shows Adam her distaste for male models and her inability to engage romantically with them. Adam is captivated by her nerdy talk and peculiar tendencies and sets out to make it his mission to turn the Star Wars loving hipster to the dark side, where mingling with models is widely arousing.

Review

“He was sweet, funny, and damn it, he liked Star Wars. He was almost my type, except for the fact that he was about to be standing in a scrap of underwear, rubbed down in oil in front of Zia and Meryl. He was a model, and that meant off limits.”

Newly Exposed by Meghan Quinn is a flirty, fun and geeky read that is a good way to pass a lazy day. Lighthearted and low angst following Solo, a PR specialist at a modeling agency and Adam the Nebraskan raised new model who has his eyes set on Solo. Adam is beyond sweet and patient with Solo and works hard to become her friend before pursuing more. Nerdy and Funny these characters were right up my alley!

“You can speak geek to me any day, muffin.”

Solo’s reluctance to give him a chance had me gritting my teeth and rejoicing when the moment finally arrived. I loved Solo’s dad’s and Adam’s beyond sweet mom and the entire cast of characters that lived in the model house. It is clear that the author took an artistic license to the model world so when dive into the book don’t take it too seriously and instead sit back and enjoy the ridiculous and sweet ride!

While I enjoyed the story there were parts of dialogue that felt forced for me and made me cringe, mainly when any “older” character talked, such as her dads.

“Watch that tone, young lady. I’m not opposed to spanking you, although, is that something she enjoys now, Adam?”

or his mom

“Don’t worry, honey, we’re not old biddies; we know you youngins have overactive libidos,”

By my calculations his mother would be in her 40s or early 50s and this sounded too old for me. Probably done in jest and meant to be funny it just stood out to me as a tad odd and was worth mentioning. It didn’t happen often and was not a make or break point for me.

“God, I so want to cuddle the fuck out of you right now.”

Overall, I enjoyed the book but I will say that it felt a tad too long for the story. Still a good read that was easy to get through and had plenty of moments that had me snickering and giggling. I loved Adam and Solo while frustrating at times warmed my heart too. I am looking forward to hearing the stories of the other men in house and finding out what secrets they are hiding behind their man-whorish ways!

~miranda

Buy It Now

Show Me How by Anna Brooks Review

25155998

4 Smooches!

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

Synopsis

One choice can ruin everything…
When a stop at a shady motel puts Brandon Parker face to face with his best friend, Mary, for the first time in over a decade, he almost didn’t believe it.
He’d never stopped searching for her, but even a career in law enforcement couldn’t help him find a woman who wanted to stay invisible.
When Mary Benson ran away at eighteen, she did it with good reason. A man was in the hospital because of her, and the people she loved were in danger. She had to leave to keep them safe.
Mary’s guilt was her consolation. She’d lived with her decisions and accepted the hand dealt to her. But Brandon was about to shuffle the deck in a way she never expected.
One thing was for sure, he thought she’d be happy to see him… and he’d never been more wrong about anything in his life.

Review

This is one book that managed to surprise me right from the very beginning. Just as I had it all figured out in my head and had it written off as another highly predictable second chance romance novel Anna Brooks made me hang my head in shame. Mary is living the life of a terribly neglected girl, unwanted and considered a cumbersome nuisance by her continually intoxicated parents, her home life has become an unstable and unsafe one at the tender age of seventeen but through it all she has her best friend Brandon and his wonderfully caring family. Just as these two realise how deep their feelings for each other run Mary’s life is threw into utter chaos and turmoil, resulting in her young life altering in a drastic way that causes Mary and Brandon to be separated from each other for years.

‘“And about one year after that first kiss, I had plans. So many fucking plans. I knew it would be hard. I was gonna go to college, but with the knowledge you were mine. And I was yours. We’d visit each other as much as we could. I was finally going to have you. The things I was going to say to you were fucking carved into my mind. I rehearsed them. Literally said the words out loud.”’

Anna has a great balance of innocence and sweetness in her writing as she portrays the complicated and unfurling relationship between young Mary and Brandon but at the same time showing you how ugly things can be behind closed doors and away from the concerned eyes of those that love you. The tension and uncertainty in Mary’s situation spins out of control when she makes what she thinks is a sacrifice to keep those she loves safe and out of danger. The entire first part of the book is filled with suspense and heartache and doubt and is so well written that you can’t help but feel for all concerned. It’s only when we get to the years later part that the book wavered from its solid foundation a little. There were some things I found a little difficult to comprehend (I won’t state what as it would be a pretty big spoiler) and it just seemed a little far fetched. The other thing that annoyed me to no end was Brandon’s immediate possessiveness towards Mary after the first day of seeing her again but the one thing that saved that situation was Mary had a back bone and wasn’t afraid to tell Brandon exactly where to stick his attitude. After the initial meeting however the story picked back up with a more mature love story taking us on a ride of hot sex, messy emotions, learning to forgive and forget and a brand new danger lurking in the shadows.

It was a very clever book and nicely written with a lot of engaging characters, not just the hero and heroine, but the supporting characters too. I sincerely hope that Anna is going to give us the details regarding Travis and Charlotte’s complicated relationship and hopefully Kelsey gets her own happily ever after as well.

~Nicole

 

BUY IT NOW

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: