Takedown Teague (CAGED #1) by Shay Savage Review

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5 Smooches!

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Synopsis

This is not made for TV. This is the raw, brutal underground of no-holds-barred combat. Inside the cage there is nothing but me and the pain I inflict on those who dare enter. In the cage, I never have to worry about anyone but myself. Yet, when she began standing outside of the cage, everything changed. I was no longer fighting for the money or the glory – I was fighting for her.

Review

So Takedown Teague is the very first Shay Savage book I have ever read.  I have been wanting to read her caveman books but I am always so swamped with arcs, so I was glad this came in as a request to review.  And I really am glad I took a chance on it, because I really loved this book.

Cage fighter Liam spends his nights fighting in a dive bar on a terrible side of town for just $100 a fight most nights struggling to make ends meet and he seems to like it that way.  Tria also happens to live and work on this side of town and is new to the area, oblivious to her dangerous surroundings.  Guy saves girl and they seem pretty darn inseparable from that point on.  Only Liam has big secrets.

“As long as I kept moving, I wouldn’t go searching.”

Well, so does Tria and I was literally left with as many questions as Tria when this book ended.

“Give me your past,” “Tell me why.”

Things just went kind of crazy and I literally could not stop reading.  The first 20% of this book moved kind of slow for me, but after that I was enthralled and literally could not put it down; staying up most of the night to finish.  So many unexpected things kept happening, so many happenings that were just odd.  And I loved it for it.  This series is just so unique.

I went into this thinking it was a serial, but it is not.  It is a series, each book ending in cliffhanger, all about the same couple; Liam and Tria.  So many things happened in this book and I still do not know what the heck is going on.  I am dying for answers.  Oh, the questions are endless, and I cannot wait to dive into the next one.  The writing is fabulous and the story was at times funny, but still managed to be really dark and raw.  It was also very sexy, even though no actual sex happened.  I do love sexual tension and this book had it in spades.  I also really enjoyed the fighting aspect.  So many fighting books in the romance genre never include the fighter actually fighting.  But this one does and it seems like Liam is forever fighting with someone or something.  I wish I could tell you more about the plot but I honestly do not want to ruin anything and furthermore I am still pretty confused about the plot myself.  I can tell you one thing though.  It was awesome! 😉

“There was me, and there was her, and there was us.”

~Amie

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Never Say Never by Nicole Edwards Cover Reveal

Are you ready for Nicole’s newest M/M book?

It’s coming August 18, 2015!

Never Say Never, book 2 of the Sniper 1 Security series!

 

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? 

 

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!

 

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Code 11 KPD Series by Lani Lynn Vale Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Series: Code-11 KPD SWAT
Author: Lani Lynn Vale
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Miller Spurlock might seem like a laid back man on the outside, but piss him off, or violate his trust, and he’ll show you the meaning of pain.

He was a Navy SEAL. He could kill a man a hundred different ways and not break a sweat.

He’s also a police officer and member of the SWAT team, which means he has the knowledge and skills to get away with it.

Rage boils in his gut when he witnesses what happens to the beautiful Mercy Shepherd during a SWAT op from hell that even his worst nightmare couldn’t conjure up. And it surprises the hell out of him when she wants him, and him only, to comfort her in the aftermath.

Miller becomes the one shining beacon of light at the bottom of Mercy’s pit of despair.

The one man that could pull her through the rough days ahead and make her whole again.

And during her road back to herself, she realizes that she’s got the one thing she ever wanted in life…a hero to call her own.

Title: Execution Style (Code-11 KPD SWAT #4)
Release Date: August 4, 2015

Foster made a promise in his hospital bed when his leg was taken from him that he’d get back to one hundred percent. Leg or no leg, he’d get back on the SWAT team if it killed him.

And he does get back. But he has a problem.

He can’t let go of the past.

The anger burns deep, making his emotions volatile at the best of times.

Then he meets Blake with her haughty attitude and inability to distinguish the difference between a pocket knife and a sword.

Little by little, she makes him whole again, one bad joke at a time.

She doesn’t see the revenge in his eyes, though. Doesn’t see the rage burning deep.

Rage so pure and all encompassing, that he knows it’ll explode.

It’s just a matter of time.

What Foster doesn’t realize, though, is that the love that Blake has for him is enough to fight his demons, one kiss at a time.

Foster never stood a chance.

Title: Charlie Foxtrot (Code-11 KPD SWAT #5)
Release Date: September 3, 2015

Bennett had the world in the palm of his hands when he was sixteen, then he allowed his dick to do the thinking for him.That one night changed his life, giving him a child that would forever alter the course of his life, and an ex that was a crazy nut case on the best of days.

With the help of his parents, he went into the Navy, becoming the SEAL that he always wanted to be. However, with that came a price.

A price he wasn’t willing to pay anymore once his little girl started to realize why he wasn’t there. So he came home and joined the local SWAT team, starting his life anew, just his daughter and him.

Then he meets the cute little physician’s assistant that looks down upon him like one would an annoying fly, and he finally realizes just what he’s been missing.

Something that takes his mind off of the challenge of everyday life. Someone that dares him to be a better father and cop.

And Lennox is one hell of a motivator.

Their relationship starts off rocky as the two of them circle each other like opponents ready to do combat rather than two civil adults. Every day brings a new battle for the two of them to overcome, and before they realize it, they’ll be fighting for each other instead of against each other.

Because there’s one woman who doesn’t want either one of them to be happy…especially not together.

Title: Kill Shot (Code-11 KPD SWAT #6)
Release Date: October 7, 2015

Title: Coup De Grace (Code-11 KPD SWAT #7)
Release Date: November 5, 2015
Michael was that guy.

The one that everyone was cautious of. Maybe it was the tattoos. Maybe it was the way he gave off a ‘don’t screw with me’ vibe. Maybe it was because he just told them to leave him the hell alone.

Regardless, people gave him his space.

He was screwed up, and everyone knew it.

He got tattoos because he liked the pain. He was standoffish. He didn’t have many friends outside of work. And the only thing he had going for him was that he was a good cop.

Everyone wondered about him, but no one asked.

The only one that didn’t treat him as if he was screwed up was Nikki Pena, a woman that he couldn’t have.

Nikki was that girl.

The one that everyone loved.

The one girl that he’d destroy if he let her have her way. What did she want?

Him.

But, he couldn’t give her him. She didn’t deserve what it would take to be with him.

So Michael would suffer in silence…or so he thought.
The woman who loved him had different ideas.




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

 

“I am addicted to this series of books, they are funny,sweet, romantic and you can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next book” ~ Amazon Customer

“I just happened to stumble upon Lani Lynn Vale, but I have read all of her books and love them all. Can’t wait for the next. Keep up the writing!!!!! Really enjoy the books…” ~ Kindle Customer

“I love this series. So much it makes me go back and read others in the series again when I’m done just so I can have more of these character…this writing…this world she wraps me up in.” ~ Goodreads Reviewer

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Author Spotlight – Tia Louise

 

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Tia Louise is the Amazon and International Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series.

From “Readers’ Choice” nominations, to picking up USA Today “Happily Ever After” nods, to winning a 2014 “Lady Boner Award” (LOL!), nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories.

A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the USA with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations…

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Let's_Connect

Website | Amazon Page | Goodreads | Pinterest | Facebook | Spotify | Twitter | TSU | Youtube

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Synopsis:

Paris fashions, Chicago nightlife, Secrets and lies…

Welcome to the North Side.

Marcus Merritt doesn’t chase women. He doesn’t have to. But when the spirited and sexy blonde who left him wanting more shows up in his office looking for work, little things like the rules seem ready to be rewritten.

Amy Knight is smart, ambitious, and back home in Chicago to care for her mother. A courtesy meeting with one of the top lawyers in the city should be a boost to her career…

Until the polished green-eyed player turns out to be the same irresistible “random” she hooked up with at a friend’s wedding in Wilmington. Bonus: He’s the brother of her older brother’s new wife. What the hell?!

Who’s chasing whom? It all depends on the day. Or the night.

A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Contemporary/Erotic Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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FREE

Short Prequel to OTC! (It’s a fast & dirty way to meet Marcus & Amy and be all ready for OTC!)

Runaway

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AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AmazonCA | AmazonAU | iBooks | B&N | KOBO | ARe | Google Play

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📖 📖 San Fran Golden Gate Author Event 📖 📖

Organizer: Nadine ~ Hooke Me Up Book Blog Promotions

Event: August 8th

Where: San Francisco, CA

Signing: 11:30 – 4:00

Website | Buy Tickets | Facebook Page | Hotel Info (Holiday Inn San Francisco – Golden Gateway)

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📖 📖 Naughty Nashville Author Event 📖 📖

Organizer: Hilary Storm & Julie Bailes

Event: August 29th

Where: Nashville, TN

Signing: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Website | Buy Tickets | Facebook Page | Hotel Info (Millennium Maxwell House Hotel)

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Heat Wave Anthology Release Blitz and Giveaway

 

 

 

Title: Heat Wave: A Summer Loving Anthology
Authors: Various
 Release Date: July 14, 2015
HEAT WAVE: A Summer Loving Anthology

 


13 authors with 13 hot romance novellas sure to heat up your summer!

All proceeds will benefit Paws With A Cause®, a leader in the dog assistance industry. Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

This collection contains seven never published and six currently loved books from a variety of authors, including New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble best sellers.

Hilary Storm – Banded Together

Chelle Bliss – Rebound

AD Justice – Just One Summer (NEW!)

Cassy Roop – The Other Side (NEW!)

Rebecca Brooke – Acceptance (NEW!)

LA Casey – Sheltered (NEW!)

S Moose – Interrupted

Michelle Dare – Persuading Him

Kathy Coopmans – Exclusive Preview of Keep Me (NEW!) AM Madden – LOVE on the Horizon (NEW!)

Alexis Noelle – Fractured

Tamsyn Bester – When Summer Ends (NEW!)

Kelly Robinson – Taming Alec

This collection of hot summer reads is available for a limited time. Grab your copy before they’re gone!

Links to Buy
99c 

 

AMAZON US / UK
Banded Together by Hilary Storm


‘Banded Together’ is a continuation of the Rebel Walking Series that will give you insight on Talon and Eaven’s wedding as well as the rest of the characters in the series. Taron and Ivy are not left out of this one and you’ll quickly see the banter between them remains.


Connect with Hilary Storm


 

Rebound by Chelle Bliss


After losing the love of his life to another man, Flash is heartbroken and lost. Wanting to forget, he heads to New Orleans. He finds the unexpected. A chance encounter could alter his fate or will she become his rebound?

 

Connect with Chelle Bliss

 

 

Just One Summer by A.D. Justice
 
Jagger York is the sexy, confident lead singer of a popular band who plans to take his music to the next level. Mali Greyson is a sheltered good girl who has her sights set on the gold–Olympic gold. Their paths would’ve never crossed until a mutual friend introduces them one summer night.


Jagger can give Mali the one thing she secretly wants and desperately needs–the courage to be a little wild and crazy. Mali can give Jagger the one thing he desperately seeks–access to her father, a well-known, music producer.


The deal is they both walk away at the end of the season. No strings, no regrets, and no looking back. This agreement is supposed to last for just one summer. But this one summer may just turn out to be too hot to handle.

 

Connect with A.D. Justice

 


The Other Side by Cassy Roop

 

Lillian Monroe and Jason Castle have been inseparable nearly their whole lives. Having formed the deepest of friendships at an early age, they created a bond that no one was able to break.


Both being offered amazing job opportunities after college, they had to come to terms with the distance those opportunities would create.


Deciding to take a vacation with a few of their closest friends was their way of saying goodbye to each other before their lives would be altered forever.


Two weeks of sun, sand, and bonding was all they planned on, but faced with the realization they wouldn’t be together in the same way again, both began to wonder if their relationship ran deeper than just friendship.


Will Lillian and Jason be able to let go of each other to chase their dreams? Or is what they have always dreamed of right in front of them?

 

Connect with Cassy Roop

 

 

Acceptance by Rebecca Brooke

 

Nick Thompson spent the last few years watching his friends fall in love and find their happily ever after, only to watch his slip through his fingers. Tired of always feeling like the third wheel, Nick takes a trip by himself to the Jersey Shore. What he doesn’t expect is to steal a wave from a sassy brunette that sets him on fire.


Olivia Harper has never been the girly girl. Surfing and soccer rate higher than heels and jewelry. After being dumped because she couldn’t fit the ‘arm candy’ roll, she wants to write all men off. Are they really worth the aggravation? Then the blond surfer boy steals her wave and she’s lost.


While Olivia fights her attraction to Nick, he makes her a deal. They’ll enjoy the week together, no strings attached. Will Nick be able to walk away at the end? Can Olivia let go of her anger long enough to accept Nick into her life? Nick Thompson spent the last few years watching his friends fall in love and find their happily ever after, only to watch his slip through his fingers. Tired of always feeling like the third wheel, Nick takes a trip by himself to the Jersey Shore. What he doesn’t expect is to steal a wave from a sassy brunette that sets him on fire.


Olivia Harper has never been the girly girl. Surfing and soccer rate higher than heels and jewelry. After being dumped because she couldn’t fit the ‘arm candy’ roll, she wants to write all men off. Are they really worth the aggravation? Then the blond surfer boy steals her wave and she’s lost.


While Olivia fights her attraction to Nick, he makes her a deal. They’ll enjoy the week together, no strings attached. Will Nick be able to walk away at the end? Can Olivia let go of her anger long enough to accept Nick into her life?

 

Connect with Rebecca Brooke

 

 

Sheltered by L.A. Casey

 

Shay Logan is an animal lover. She is a bubbly, but shy girl. Her life revolves around her work, which just so happens to be with the animals she loves so dearly. Her parents own a family run shelter for injured and neglected animals. She would do anything to protect the shelter and animals no matter the cost. Working at the shelter gives Shay a sense of peace, it makes her happy… until it doesn’t.


Trace McCarty is driven. He is a stern, no bullshit taker kind of man. His life also revolves around his work, and the deadlines he must meet thrill him to no end. He co-owns a construction business with his four best friends who are more like brothers to him. Their latest job was meant to be a quick summer spent leveling out land and building the new headquarters for their expanding business. It was easy… until it wasn’t.


Shay was used to dealing with animals. Trace was used to dealing with wood. Neither of them knew how to deal with one another.


When Trace’s new construction site causes problems for Shay’s beloved shelter, war is declared. Trace didn’t see the blonde pixie as a threat, but when she infiltrates his business and throws a monkey wrench into his carefully laid out plans, all bets are off.


Shay and Trace go head to head and engage in a battle of both words and flying timber. May the best person, and business, win.


Connect with L.A. Casey

 

 

 
Interrupted by S. Moose

 

There are only three things Cam Ellison wants in life: a loving husband, a baby and to find her first love, Ayden Park. But all that is taken away from her in a blink of an eye.



Picking up the pieces to her life, Cam buries herself in work and her new boss, a young, millionaire CEO, A. Sharp.


But he’s the man with two rules:
1. No repeats
2. No relationships


Cam pushes herself into Sharp’s life, breaking down the walls he’s built. Soon they find themselves in a situation neither wants to walk away from. But when the door opens, everything changes.


Interrupted is a three book erotic romance novella serial.
 
Connect with S Moose
 
Persuading Him by Michelle Dare

 

Kasi Markson has been in the public eye since she was a small child. Her father is the founder of Markson Aviation, a top name in the private jet industry. When her parents go through a public divorce battle, she is shoved into the spotlight. Now in her late twenties, she lives a comfortable life, but likes to keep the media at a distance.


Radek Cole is a retired Air Force officer who agrees to a last minute job. He flies the rich and famous around the country in their private aircraft. Kasi needs a pilot for her upcoming trip and Mr. Cole comes highly recommended. Little does she know that one encounter would change everything.


Kasi has an immediate and intense attraction to her new pilot and is used to getting what she wants. Initially, he turns down her advances, but her skills of persuasion are no match for him. Unfortunately, the media won’t leave them alone. What Kasi doesn’t know is that she isn’t the only one who has a public past.


Find out what happens when the heiress meets the pilot.
 
Connect with Michelle Dare

 


Keep Me by Kathy Coopmans


Four months ago Shelby Morris left Michigan with bitter words to Antonio Schavone. Words that cut him deep. Made him re-think every aspect of his life.


Even when she left he didn’t give up. He’s changed, and he wants her.


And now she’s coming back!


She has her reasons for why she said what he did. A secret she has carried with her since she was a teenager. The reason why she has never let herself get close to a man. The reason why she lives only for her job. The reason why she doesn’t feel like a complete woman. Her sister Erin doesn’t even know why she has never had a relationship.


Will he be able to break through her strong willed ways? Make her realize he doesn’t care what her secret is and show her she is definitely the one he wants. Or will Shelby and her feisty mouth, wicked tongue and stubborn ways be just a little bit to much for Antonio to handle?


The two are going to heat things up in this final installment of The Shelter Me series.


Everyone knows that the Schavone men get exactly what they want!
 
Connect with Kathy Coopmans

 


LOVE on The Horizon
~ A summer love novella by A.M. Madden


Rebecca Stanton was an unemployed college graduate looking for excitement. When she stumbled on a new job opportunity with a cruise line, she packed her bags and never looked back.


Marco Puglia worked very hard to climb the corporate ladder with Sunset Cruise Lines. Offered the Cruise Director position on their newest ship The Horizon, he couldn’t wait to revolutionize the cruising industry.


Rebecca loved her new job and impressed everyone around her, including her new boss Marco. Getting hired by Sunset Cruise Lines finally gave her a goal to work toward. The only problem she needed to hurdle was Marco Puglia. Marco felt adding Rebecca to his staff was both the best and worst decision he’d ever made. In all of his years, he’d never met anyone with the tenacity, drive, and motivation that Rebecca had. He’d also never met anyone who affected him as much as Rebecca did.


On the one hand, an attraction like theirs only came around once in a lifetime. On the other hand, a career opportunity like theirs only came around once in a lifetime.


One romantic cruise ship, one hot summer, endless wanton possibilities.


Love on The Horizon is a contemporary romance novella meant for readers who are 18+ due to mature content.
 
Connect with A.M. Madden

 

Fractured by Alexis Noelle
 
Nothing in life is ever fair.
There are wars we battle and face every day.
Some too close to home.
I had it all.
The perfect husband.
The perfect house.
The perfect…Everything.
Then one moment changed everything forever
 
Connect with Alexis Noelle

 

Blurred Lines by Tamsyn Bester


Jade Matthews and Reid Cole have been best friends all their lives. He was the boy who chased away the monsters from under her bed, and she was the girl he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with.


But even friendships aren’t always built to last.


This is a story about two best friends who’s lives change after one night – a night that not even Fate could have stopped. In the aftermath, Reid and Jade lose their friendship, but soon come to find that they were destined to be so much more.


**Due to language and sexual situations this book is intended for readers older than 18. Although it is about two supporting characters from The Line Between, it is not recommended as a standalone. If you don’t like somewhat clichéd stories, this book isn’t for you. HEA. No cliffy**
 
Connect with Tamsyn Bester

 

Taming Alec by K.A. Robinson


Rebecca is the good girl. She doesn’t have time to think about a normal social life—let alone, her nonexistent love life. Fresh out of college, she moves into her very first apartment. Her safe world explodes when she meets her new neighbor, Alec. Tattooed, pierced, and with a body to kill, he’s every woman’s wet dream. Too bad he’s arrogant beyond belief. Rebecca instantly hates him. Unfortunately, her body doesn’t agree. When Rebecca’s best friend, Arie, comes up with a plan to put Alec in his place, Rebecca jumps at the chance. Their plan is perfect—except neither of them counted on Rebecca falling for Alec when she sees another side to him. Caught somewhere between lust and hate, Alec and Rebecca each fight against their own emotions. Will Rebecca walk away? Or will she be able to tame Alec and his wild ways?
 
Connect with K.A. Robinson

 

Giveaway

Elude by Rachel Van Dyken Review Tour

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The sixth book in the internationally bestselling Eagle Elite Series.

*Interconnected Stand Alone*

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Twenty-Four hours before we were to be married–I offered to shoot her.

Ten hours before our wedding–I made a mockery of her dying wish.

Five hours before we were going to say our vows–I promised I’d never love her.

One hour before I said I do–I vowed I’d never shed a tear over her death.

But the minute we were pronounced man and wife–I knew.

I’d only use my gun to protect her.

I’d give my life for hers.

I’d cry.

And I would, most definitely, lose my heart, to a dying girl—a girl who by all accounts should have never been mine in the first place.

I always believed the mafia would be my end game–where I’d lose my heart, while it claimed my soul. I could have never imagined. It would be my redemption.

Or the beginning of something beautiful.

The beginning of her.

The end of us.

 Check out our 5 smooches review HERE.3

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23271538-elude

 4 2

BUY LINKS:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1JTAvrk
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DZlP2S
Nook: http://bit.ly/1FWBCpi

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TRAILER:

Elude by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.

LINK: https://vimeo.com/130929958

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About Rachel Van Dyken:

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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken  or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com .

Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachVD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882127.Rachel_Van_Dyken?from_search=true

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Van-Dyken/e/B0054TW5AA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1407369649&sr=8-2-ent

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/8l7hP

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EXCERPT

Loneliness tasted like hell. It also, lucky for me, tasted like a fifth of whiskey and what would most likely be a throbbing headache come tomorrow morning.

I brought the bottle to my lips and tilted it back, my eyes trained on the fire in front of me, the flames licking higher and higher, reminding me that I wasn’t exactly in any position to ask God for any favors…it may as well have been hell waving back at me and confirming my suspicions.

I’d killed too much.

I’d lied even more.

And I was officially out of favor within my family — within my world.

I hissed as a drip of whiskey landed on my blood-caked knuckles. Beating the shit out of the wall hadn’t even stopped the anger.

Ah anger, that was something I could talk about, something I could tangibly feel as it pulsed through my body. It had been my mistress for so long that I knew if I actually let it go — I’d be even more lonely than I already was.

I tried to take a deep breath, to calm myself down, but air wouldn’t go into my lungs, I felt paralyzed and on an adrenaline high all at once.

Maybe that was another part of my punishment. I had exactly twenty-four hours before I had to marry a Russian.

And not just any Russian.

An enemy, a double agent who had worked for both the FBI and, apparently, the Nicolasi family. She had sold out her own crime family, the Petrovs, and now… she was under the protection of the Italians.

How messed up was that?

I took another swig of whiskey and eyed the clock. Make that twenty-three hours and fifty-eight minutes.

I wasn’t drunk enough.

I wasn’t even close.

Marrying someone for protection I could do. Marrying someone and even killing them afterwards? Piece of cake. After all, that was my MO. I was a killer, a ghost, whatever the family wanted me to be.

But marrying someone, keeping them safe, only to watch them die within six months?

No. Hell no.

She had leukemia.

So why keep her alive this long?

I snorted and took another sip of whiskey. “I’d be doing her a favor by killing her.”

“Ouch,” a light airy voice said from somewhere in the room, causing all my hair to stand on end. “So as far as pep talks go, yours officially needs work.”

I carefully set down the whiskey, not trusting myself not to throw it in her direction in an anger-filled rage. “I was talking to myself.”

“Another sign you need to get laid.” She laughed.

I didn’t.

“Go away, Arabella.”

“My name’s Andi.”

“Your legal name is Arabella Anderson Petrov. Care to know your social security number and credit score as well?”

“Romance is lost on you.” I felt her move around the room. The air seized with electricity; she’d always had a presence about her, and right now I was five seconds away from losing my shit and ramming my head into the fireplace just so I could escape it all.

“Don’t I know it,” I huffed and reached for the bottle again.

Small warm hands clasped around mine before I could get there. I jerked away, causing her to stumble in front of me.

White-blond hair covered her soft features. Big brown eyes blinked back at me. I hissed in a breath and cursed. “You should go.”

“We need to talk.”

“Oh goody. Is this the part where you tell me I have to give up my virginity on my wedding night?”

“What?” She blinked like a startled deer, then a weak smile pulled her lips upward.

I ignored the way my body reacted and rolled my eyes in irritation.

“Aw, he has jokes now. At least, I hope it’s a joke. You’re not, are you? A virgin, I mean.”

I snorted and eyed the bottle, calculating my odds on reaching it before she stopped me, then gave up. “Fine.” I huffed. “Hurry up and get to talking so I can get drunk.”

Andi sat opposite me in the leather chair and tucked her feet under her body. She was small, around five-one, but she packed a punch, knew how to use every automatic weapon on the market, and I was pretty sure I had once overheard that she was well-versed in torture. Looking at her, you’d think she was just graduating high school and getting ready to go shopping for her favorite pair of shoes with Daddy’s credit card.

“You’re upset,” she finally said.

“No.” I licked my lips and leaned forward. “I’m enraged. There’s a difference.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know you can talk to me — since you’re stuck with me for the next… while. That is, unless you kill me first… like you did that FBI agent.”

My blood ran cold. No one knew about what I’d done last week. When I’d gained intel from another agent. “Her cover was blown. I did her a favor.”

“Did you?” Her eyebrows arched.

“Have you ever been shot, Andi?”

She sighed and leaned her head back against the lush cushion. “No, why? Are you going to educate me on what it feels like?”

I exhaled and popped my knuckles; the sound reverberated through the empty room. “It happens in three stages.”

“What does?”

“Getting shot.”

“You mean you don’t just pull the trigger?” she joked.

Ignoring her, I continued. “Shock. It’s always the first emotion because the human brain hasn’t yet caught up with the fact that you’ve been wounded. So your body starts going into shock, and then the pain happens, but it’s not the type of pain you’d think. It burns, but it’s more of an empty, hollow pain, that starts to spread from the wound throughout the rest of your body until a slow chill starts to descend. When the chill descends, the shock wears off and confusion sets in. Why was I shot? Why me? What have I done? As humans, our brains aren’t meant to understand violence, so we have to logically explain it away. I had to have done something wrong to get shot. Or maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The minute your brain finds something that makes sense you move onto the last stage.”

Andi barely moved a muscle. “Death?”

“Worse.” I reached for the bottle and took a long swig. “Denial.”

“Why is denial worse?”

“You tell me.”

Her eyes closed briefly before she offered a shrug. “Because it means you aren’t ready.”

“Look who just earned an A in class,” I mocked. “And you’re right. Denial happens when you realize it shouldn’t be you, that even if your brain connected the dots, it isn’t yet your time. The lovely little memories of your life start to play on repeat in your head — the moments you should have done something but didn’t, the things you’ll never say, the things you’ll never do. And then… you either get lucky or, if I’m the one who pulled the trigger, your memories will click off after about one minute, and you’ll be no more.”

The fire crackled.

Andi refused to look at me.

“I’d make it fast, Andi.”

“Are we seriously doing this?”

“What?” I shrugged.

“Having a conversation in what should be a nice cozy room, about you killing me?”

“It would be a kindness.”

“Go to hell!”

“Already there, Andi. Already there. Don’t you know? I belong nowhere. My family’s punishing me, the FBI’s investigating me for the murder of my superior, and now I have to marry a Russian whore.”

“So…” She stood. “…you’d rather kill me than marry me?”

“Was I not clear? I thought I was… Allow me to say it slower, perhaps in Russian? If that’s all you people understand.” I stood, meeting her chest to chest. “I’d rather kill you than see you suffer… I’d offer a dog the same kindness.”

“I’m not a dog.”

“You’re Russian.”

“Stop saying that.”

“What?” I sneered. “The truth? Well, sweetheart, it doesn’t get any truer than your reality. Allow me to kill you before your family or cancer does, and at least you can own your own death rather than fearing it.”

She reached for me, touched my shoulders, and then cupped my face. I hated it because I liked it; my body leaned without me telling it to. She was so warm. “And what makes you think I fear my own death?”

“Everyone is afraid of dying. The hardest part is never admitting we’re mortal, but coming to terms with the fact that we have no control over how long we’re given. You do.”

“No… I don’t… You’re trying to take that control.”

“Say the word.” My hand moved to the Glock strapped to my thigh.

“I’m not afraid.” Her lips trembled. “At least not of death… but I am afraid of something.”

“Oh yeah?” I hissed. “What’s that?”

“Yours.”

Confused, I stepped back, immediately looking for a weapon. “I don’t understand.”

“You wouldn’t.” She shrugged. “Because you, Sergio Abandonato, are already dead.” She moved gracefully across the room. “You’re dead inside… and you don’t even know it. Forget cancer — and take a long hard look in the mirror — that’s what death looks like.”

 5

Elude by Rachel Van Dyken Review

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5 Smooches

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Synopsis

Twenty-Four hours before we were to be married–I offered to shoot her.
Ten hours before our wedding–I made a mockery of her dying wish.
Five hours before we were going to say our vows–I promised I’d never love her.
One hour before I said I do–I vowed I’d never shed a tear over her death.
But the minute we were pronounced man and wife–I knew.
I’d only use my gun to protect her.
I’d give my life for hers.
I’d cry.
And I would, most definitely, lose my heart, to a dying girl—a girl who by all accounts should have never been mine in the first place.
I always believed the mafia would be my end game–where I’d lose my heart, while it claimed my soul. I could have never imagined. It would be my redemption.
Or the beginning of something beautiful.
The beginning of her.
The end of us.

Review

“I’d rather kill you than see you suffer . . . I’d offer a dog the same kindness.” “I’m not a dog.” “You’re Russian.”

I am raw. This beautiful, thought provoking, timeless book has tore me down to the core and I loved every hilarious and emotional moment of it. Rachel’s words can take a action packed mafia story and turn it into a beautiful love story that makes you ponder if you were forced to marry someone you couldn’t fall for what would you do? Would you fight it with everything you are or would you let fate take control?

“His kisses didn’t give – they took, they stole little parts of me I didn’t even know I was keeping close until they were gone.”

The first half of Elude had me laughing my ass off. The smart and witty humor I have come to know and expect from Rachel was present in full force. Even when things start to get tough Andi is right there to lighten the mood and have you rolling with with laughter. However, the second half of Elude has tears streaming down my face and me in a frantic search for tissues. As hard as parts of this story were to read I would not have changed a moment of it.

“Her kiss had been real. Our love was real.”

 Sergio is a beautifully broken man who comes into this marriage knowing it is his penance for the damage he has done. But from the moment he says I do everything changes and he knows he will do anything he can to keep Andi safe and happy. Andi is fun and fearless and possibly the best heroine Rachel has ever written. She faces everything head on with a smile on her face and refuses to let her reality stop her from living and loving.

“The girl I never wanted. But desperately needed.”

Being the sixth book in this series (of standalones) you would think you know what to expect but once again Rachel proves that she is the Queen of emotion and surprises and Elude was no different. While parts of this book will break you, I promise Rachel knows what she is doing and while it might be hard everything has a purpose and a plan. Please don’t read spoilers just dive in and be prepared for an emotion journey like no other.

~miranda

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Sinfully Mine by Kendall Ryan Release Launch

 

She was forbidden.

I didn’t care.
As my best friend’s little sister, Macey Hale was
off-limits, but the girl was tempting as sin and forbidden as fuck. I wish I
could say that stopped me. I wish I could tell you I behaved like a gentleman.
I didn’t.
When she waltzes back into my life with that same spark I
fell for, looking every bit the beautiful woman I knew she’d grow into, I have
to force myself to remember I’m different from the man she once knew. I’m
colder. Harder. And for good reason.
With my heart on lockdown and my hands aching to touch her,
I set out to prove that I can keep myself in check this time.
No strings. No attachments.
And definitely no falling for her again.
If you love steamy romance, you won’t want to miss this older brother’s best friend romance.
This is book two in the Lessons with the Dom series, following The Gentleman Mentor. Both are
complete standalone novels featuring sexy Dominant men you’re sure to fall in
love with.
Enjoy!

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Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break.

She’s a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss. She lives in Minneapolis with her adorable husband and two baby sons, and enjoys hiking, being active, and reading.

Visit her at:www.kendallryanbooks.comfor the latest book news, and fun extras

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Black Dawn by Cristin Harber Release Blitz and Giveaway

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We’ve been anxiously awaiting Parker’s story – and it’s finally here! Get your hands on BLACK DAWN now!

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ABOUT BLACK DAWN

What happens when nothing is as it seems?

Lexi Dare is on a one-woman mission to stay alive. Both at home and at work. Because how did she end up with a ring on her finger and an abuser in bed as she readies to hit the high point in her career? Everything should be perfect. Amazing job. Handsome fiancé. It’s all a disaster.

Parker Black is the brains behind Titan Group, an elite security firm. In his world, everything is ordered and controlled, except what he feels for his buddy’s girl. Something in her eye screams for help, but he has no idea what.

When Lexi disappears, Parker realizes what he should have known. The lines blur between friendships and work, and they must find each other to survive a terror attack that only Lexi can stop.

Black Dawn can be read as a standalone and does not have a cliffhanger.

Add BLACK DAWN to your Goodreads list here!

Buy BLACK DAWN now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Giveaway!

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Black Dawn Release Party!

Want to celebrate the release of BLACK DAWN by Cristin Harber? There’s a release party on facebook on July 16th! Join the event here for more details!

ABOUT CRISTIN HARBER

Cristin Harber is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author. She writes sexy, steamy romantic suspense and military romance. Readers voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was both a #1 romantic suspense and #1 military romance bestseller.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Team Titan Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Kinda Maybe by Elise Daniels Review

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3.5 Smooches!

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Synopsis

Determined to live out a lifelong dream, Kat Hilliard moves cross country after college to New York City to chase her destiny. Knocking out 140 character tweets for a financial firm by day and engaging in all the sexy options New York has to offer by night, Kat is not prepared when New York’s most eligible bachelor, Reese Tremaine, bumps into her on a downtown train. Her simple life will never be the same.

Swept into the hideaways and haunts of the extremely rich and decadent, burdened by an unwanted celebrity, Kat fights to remain true to herself as great sex, a heated political campaign and the dark secrets of a soldier returned home push her toward the one mistake that could keep her from living out her New York fairytale. 

Review

Kat is meant to be living the dream in New York, new city, new job, what could be better? All of a sudden she is thrown into a whirlwind romance with one of New Yorks most eligible bachelors, Reese, a famous ex-athlete running for mayor. But one slight problem… Reese is brother to Kat’s moody, sexy and elusive roommate Evan, who she has absolutely no feelings for whatsoever….well that’s what she tells herself. Who will win Kat’s heart? Who’s heart will break in the process? Not even Kat is sure.

“Reese might be the most appetizing man I have ever seen up close in real life. It would be incredibly easy to lose myself completely, to melt down into nothing but a series of fevered reactions for as long as he decided to flash his celestial smile my way.”

I definitely had a love/hate relationship with this book. It started off slow and Kat honestly did annoy me immensely to start however it definitely did grow on me; both the plot line and Kat. And in the end this was an exciting, lust filled romance with drama and sadness but a beautiful HEA.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he asks. “To me, you’re the only girl in town.” He arches his eyebrows in a vulnerable but still smooth way. “The entire female population of the city was instantly wiped out the first time our eyes met, that day we bumped into each other in the subway.”

I can’t deny how much Kat irritated me at first. She was too abrasive for me and just rude however, as the story progressed she developed more and you start to see a more vulnerable side of her. I truly felt for her conflict of her feelings between the two brothers and despite this confusion she was still fun, happy and looking out for her friends. When it comes to the two brothers I have to say I loved them both! I’m not sure if I was meant to but I can’t help it. Evan is quiet and calm, but kind, protective and brave as well as projecting a very sexy broodiness. Reese was the louder, more confident brother who was funny, sexy and charming. Both had very different personalities but both could have been Kat’s perfect match I believe.

“I’m here,” he says. “I’ve been yours since the first time I saw you laughing. You made the coldest part of me warm again.”

The story itself did start off a little slow, with the writing not quite flowing together well. However as it went on, the author really progressed with the plot and flow of the story and it became a book that I was eager to keep reading till the end. There was a lot of lust, love, laughter and fun but there was also a lot of surprising turns and moments of heartache and suspense. A perfect mixture that kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next.

~Bethany

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