Reft by Libby Austin Book Blitz and Giveaway

Today we’re hosting a book blitz for Libby Austin’s Reft!! Check out today’s excerpt and giveaway!

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About Reft:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. ~

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Brandon “Brand” Carmichael’s life was the stuff dreams were made of…too bad it was an illusion. As a guitarist for Inert Motion, Brand traveled the world, performing with his brothers in all but blood. He never stopped moving all the while his mind played in a never ending loop. Now outside influences have changed the band’s course, leaving Brand’s life void of the balance he craved. Once again, his dream had become a recurring nightmare. Brand coped the only way he knew how; retreat into solitude.

Magdalena “Layna” Delacroix had achieved the long sought goal of her Ph.D. in Psychology, but success came at a high cost: over one hundred thousand dollars in debt. After being presented with the opportunity to fulfill her desire to help someone in the aftermath of tragedy, along with earning enough money to clear her debt and start a psychology practice of her own, Layna had to balance the means against the outcome. Could she be the force to stop the downward spiral of someone who refused to seek help?

Neither Brand nor Layna expected the reaction they had to one another. It was the opposite of everything they sought.

Could Layna live a lie while pushing Brand to live in the truth?

Would Brand forgive her for committing one unforgivable sin?

Or was he branded by destiny to be…

Reft

 

Buy Now: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

 

Portrait Of Semi-Naked Couple Embracing

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Exclusive Excerpt:

“Sometimes I get in the zone and everything else gets tuned out. I forget to eat and sleep, or even what day it is. Things just blur together when I’m focusing. It’s like my mind can only devote itself to the creative. And I had a disagreement with my brother, which didn’t help matters.”

“Oh, do y’all fight a lot?” she asked while continuing to chow down on her syrup with a side of waffles. “My siblings and I fought all the time growing up, but now that we’re older, we get along much better, as long as we don’t have to share a room or a bathroom.”

“Not so much anymore. We did when we were younger. Then we didn’t talk for a long time.” My truth-telling danced a fine line. One conversation with my mom about Barrett and me having contact and everything would come crashing down. I loved my parents, but I couldn’t let go of Barrett again, not even for them.

“What made you, or him, get back in touch after not talking for such a long time?”

“Umm, well, uhh, I guess somewhere around the time Bow and Danelle got married, the dynamic of the band started changing. There was just a lot going on; Joker and Ruff stopped trying to kill each other and started fuc—dating each other, and then Touch met Kaitlyn and all of their shit went down, and I realized that even though my band had been my surrogate family for years, I needed my real family, my blood and my best friend since the beginning. So I began trying to reach out to Barrett, and one day, he responded.

“It’s been nice catching up with him and talking about all the things I’ve done with the band and stuff. He kept track of it all. We talk pretty much every day now, except when he’s pissed at me.”

“Does he ever come to visit? Maybe I’ll get a chance to meet him while I’m here. If he’s half as pushy as you are, I might like him,” she claimed with a smile, but panic rose inside me. Not because she thought I was pushy or she might like him better—Barrett and I had never been the type to compete or fight over a girl—but she wanted to meet him. Total no-go situation.

“Yeah, he probably won’t make it anytime soon. He’s got other obligations right now. But, uhh, but I need you to promise me you won’t tell my parents or your mom about Barrett.” My hands clinched the hard bench seat and my legs bounced up and down nervously. I didn’t know why I couldn’t keep my mouth shut around her, or just stay the fuck away from her.

“Why’s that?” By now, she’d stopped eating and was focusing on me, studying me, looking at me as if she could see the thoughts ripping through my head like a natural disaster in the making.

“They don’t talk to each other. My parents have, uhh, they have a different view of Barrett. He doesn’t want contact with them, and it’s just easier for everyone if they don’t know he’s talking to me. I don’t want to hurt them.”

“Do you think you could help them heal their rift before it’s too late and it can’t be fixed?”

“It’s already too late. The only thing I can do is try to salvage what I have left and not cause any more damage or harm or pain to anyone else.” I stopped and thought for a moment before I said anything else. “I shouldn’t have even told you; something about you makes you easy to talk to. But I need you to promise me that you aren’t going to repeat the things we talk about or that you see to my mom, your mom, or anyone else for that matter. If you can’t do that, we can’t be friends, or even friendly neighbors.”

Layna looked me directly in the eye. I’d always heard a person’s soul and true intentions show through the eyes, telling you if their intentions were good or bad. The look in Layna’s eyes told me her intentions were good.

“Brand, I promise I won’t repeat the things you tell me or that I see to your parents or mine.”

I took her promise at face value. What I should have remembered was the saying about good intentions and the road to hell being paved with them. I knew all about good intentions, and I knew all about hell. I’d lived in my own personal tormented version of hell for over a decade.

Kisses On A Park Bench

Beautiful dramatic woman face. Closeup. Black and white

 

About the Author:

One day some words came to mind, so I wrote them down. Soon the words became sentences, which formed paragraphs, which, in turn, formed chapters. Before long, those words had become a book.

When I’m not reading or writing, I’m a wife, mother, and business owner. I’ve lived on the Gulf, East, and West Coasts, but as a born and raised Southern girl, my favorite will always be the Gulf Coast. There’s just no place like home…

Guitarist

Libby’s Webpage

Facebook Author Page

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Libby Austin Google+

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Enter Libby’s giveaway!

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Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye Release Week Blitz and Giveaway

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We are so, so excited to bring you guy the Release Week Blitz for Laura Kaye’s HARD TO BE GOOD!! HARD TO BE GOOD is a novella in Laura’s Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Romance. We absolutely love Laura’s Hard Ink men and are so excited to see Jeremy and Charlie get their HEA!!

 

Hard to Be Good - Cover

Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes| Kobo

HARD TO BE GOOD on Goodreads

 

About HARD TO BE GOOD:

Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.

Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.

With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

 

Check out our 4 smooches review HERE.

Shirtless muscular attractive young man model wearing sweatpants

EXCERPT:

“You should be inside celebrating,” Jeremy said, his voice a raw scrape. “You and Marz did an amazing thing this morning.” An hour ago, Marz and Charlie had cracked open a heavily encrypted microchip that contained a wealth of information that not only seemed likely to help the team clear its name, but proved that Charlie’s father hadn’t been dirty, like they’d all thought. “And I’m so happy for you about your dad.”

A wounded darkness passed through Charlie’s gaze, but he finally nodded. “Didn’t feel right without you there.” Pink filtered into his cheeks, and damn if that wasn’t as cute as it was sexy. Jeremy wasn’t sure anything had ever made him blush.

“I’m just not—” Jeremy shrugged and looked down at Charlie’s chest again. Having seen the guy dress more than once, he knew that shirt covered lean muscle that ran from strong shoulders down to his narrow hips. Jeremy fisted his hands against the urge to burrow them under the hem of the tee. After weeks of looking, and wanting, he was dying to touch. Jeremy found Charlie hard to read though, and hadn’t wanted to do anything to scare him off. “—very good company right now. I’m sorry if that—”

Charlie nudged Jeremy’s chin up with his hand, his fingers just barely touching Jer’s stubble-covered skin. But then his thumb landed softly against his lips.

Jeremy’s heartbeat kicked up and his lips fell open. Slowly, oh so tentatively, Charlie stroked the soft pad of his thumb back and forth across them.

“Charlie,” Jeremy whispered as arousal surged through his body, spiking his pulse, tensing his muscles, hardening his dick.

Uncertainty poured off Charlie as the man’s hand trembled where it touched him, but those blue eyes absolutely blazed desire. No way was Jeremy imagining that.

“You’re always good company, to me,” Charlie said in a low voice, his gaze dropping to Jeremy’s lips. Charlie leaned in closer, and closer still, and Jeremy could hardly believe the other man was the one to initiate this. But he was fucking thrilled.

Jeremy swallowed, his lips anticipating that first soft brush. Charlie was so close his shaky breath caressed Jeremy’s lips. His pace was maddening but so damn sexy Jer could barely breathe. And then Charlie’s eyelids fluttered closed and he was right there…

And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:

Hard as It gets

Hard As It Gets

 

Hard as You Can

Hard As You Can

 

Hard To Hold On To

Hard to Hold On To

 

Hard To Come By Cover

Hard To Come By

Praise for the HARD INK SERIES:

“TOP PICK! If you’re looking for danger, gritty action, and sizzling passion, then Kaye has just the book and the series for you.” ~RT Book Reviews Magazine

 

Author PhotoAbout Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

 

 

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Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye Review

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4 SMOOCHES

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Synopsis

Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey

has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.

Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.

With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

Review

“Charlie tasted like sweet, innocent temptation, and Jeremy wanted to consume every last bite.”

Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye is book 3.5 in the Hard Ink series but can easily be read as a standalone. While I have read the series before I was not all the way up to date and had absolutely no problem keeping up with the storyline. Hard To Be Good continues with the drama and action that follows the team and centers around that of recently rescued Charlie and Hard Ink tattoo parlor owner Jeremey, These two have been thrown together in the chaos of everything that is going down but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

“Jesus, A ten-inch cock and no gag reflex.Are you sure you’re not just a dream?”

I want to say that I am not a fan of the phrase “gay romance” because for me this is just a romance. The beauty of two people falling in love doesn’t need any extra clarification. Jeremy and Charlie’s story is one of finding two men finally opening up to the idea of love and understanding that their is absolutely nothing in that that need to be hidden. Love should be celebrated and rejoiced.

“Amazing how, sometimes, really fucking good things came out of really fucking bad ones.”

The book is full of sexual tension and hidden glances and nothing makes me happier. For all the pain and torture that Charlie endured recently he deserves someone who will fight for him and love him unconditionally. But he lacks confidence in the fact that what he has with Jeremy isn’t just two attractive people hooking up and relying on each other when tension is at an all time high and danger is following them all around.

“Your brother might’ve saved me, but you’re the one who rescued me from a lonely life not worth living.”

This has been my favorite book in the Hard Ink series to date. Charlie’s story is so hard and emotional and Jeremy is just what he needs. But these two have to develop confidence in their feelings for each other. I recommend this book for fans of the series as well as those new to the men of Hard Ink.

~miranda

Buy It Now

Wait For Morning by Nicole Edwards Blog Tour and Giveaway

 

 

Welcome to Sniper 1 Security.  Wait for Morning is the first in a new series called Sniper 1 Security. This series

will focus around two families that are in the private security business. This

book is different for Nicole as it’s the first for her in the romantic

suspense genre. For readers, they will find the normal Nicole Edwards style of

writing, with a nice mixture of excitement, suspense and her erotic touches

where needed. For the die-hard Nicole Edwards fans, they will see a bit less of

the erotic, but when it’s present it will set your e-reader on fire!

 

 

 

Trace Kogan will go to any length to protect those who need protecting. That is the business he is in; the business his father, Casper Kogan, started with Bryce Trexler more than thirty-five years ago. Trace spends day and night eliminating threats to clients, so when the danger hits too close to home, he won’t let anything come between him and the woman who desperately needs his help.

His fear… the physical reaction he has to Marissa may pose a bigger danger than the ghost that they find themselves up against.

Marissa Trexler has spent the last twelve months of her life in hiding, tucked away in one safe house after another for her own protection. The threat to her is real even if the reason is still unknown. Strangely, whoever is after her seems to find her no matter where she goes, leading her family to believe it’s an inside job.

So when the decision is made that Trace will provide personal protection, she can’t say no, even if being close to him adds another level of danger… and this one is to her heart.

 

Check out our 5 Smooches Review HERE.

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.

Find out more about Nicole on her website:

www.NicoleEdwardsAuthor.com

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Blog

Instagram – Goodreads – Amazon – Google + 

 

Be sure to stop by the Nicole & Colt Edwards Group for release day giveaways! Plus we have a Rafflecopter running through April 17th with 5 signed paperbacks up for grabs and this grand prize: ONE winner will receive an iPad Mini***, $50 iTunes gift card, $25 Amazon gift card and a signed Wait for Morning paperback!

***Details:Brand: Apple  Storage: 16 GB Operating system: iOS Screen size: 7.9 inch color     Connectivity: Wi-Fi Only

Camera resolution: Rear-facing 5 megapixel camera  Model: MF432LL/A. Restrictions apply, see contest for full details. 

PRE ORDER LINKS:

Thanks again for all y’all do for the author community!!!

–Colt Edwards

Nicole Edwards Limited

www.NicoleEdwardsLimited.com

Nicole Edwards Twitter

Nicole Edwards On Google+

Nicole Edwards on Facebook

“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” –Paul Sweeney

Wait for Morning by Nicole Edwards Review

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5 Smooches!

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Synopsis

Trace Kogan will go to any length to protect those who need protecting. That is the business he is in; the business his father, Casper Kogan, started with Bryce Trexler more than thirty-five years ago. Trace spends day and night eliminating threats to clients, so when the danger hits too close to home, he won’t let anything come between him and the woman who desperately needs his help. 

His fear… the physical reaction he has to Marissa may pose a bigger danger than the ghost that they find themselves up against. 

Marissa Trexler has spent the last twelve months of her life in hiding, tucked away in one safe house after another for her own protection. The threat to her is real even if the reason is still unknown. Strangely, whoever is after her seems to find her no matter where she goes, leading her family to believe it’s an inside job. 

So when the decision is made that Trace will provide personal protection, she can’t say no, even if being close to him adds another level of danger… and this one is to her heart.

 

Review

 

Wait for Morning has one of the best and most suspenseful beginnings to a book I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It lulled me in to a false sense of security with it’s relatively innocent and peaceful first couple of sentences but after that I was catapulted into an action-packed adventure jam packed full of conspiracies, murder and a relentless revenge plot that leaves our heroine Marissa in fear of her life and on the run. Protecting her along the way and sometimes unbeknownst to Marissa, is Sniper 1 Security agent Trace Kogan, a man who has been battling his complex and unwanted attraction to his bosses daughter. Wait for Morning has a fantastic array of players involved. Although Marissa and Trace are the heroes and main focus of the story we’re still introduced to a multitude of complicated and diverse side characters that seem to enhance the story, giving a real sense of community and family within it. If one of the family hurts, they all hurt. If one of the family is in danger, they all handle that danger as a unit, a very deadly, intricate and intelligent unit. Nicole Edwards is superb at building upon her characters and creating a marvellous sexual tension that causes friction burns between the two leads. The looming sense that the long denied passion between Trace and Marissa will ultimately explode onto the page any minute creates immense tension.

‘The next thing even she knew, Trace was even closer, his lips hovering directly over hers, his breath- the sweet scent of mint-fanning her face. If she moved just a millimeter, she’d fulfill every teenage fantasy but she didn’t. She couldn’t. Her body was frozen in place, her brain misfiring from the heady scent of this man, the warmth of his touch. Her stomach plummeted to her toes, gravity not caring one iota that its sole job was to keep her grounded. “Fuck,” Trace whispered, but then he was gone.

Trace is equal parts stern and stoic with sexy and secretly sweet and a perfect match for our girl Marissa. She’s fierce and independent but has a hidden vulnerability when it comes to Trace and being caught up in the cross-fire of a very deadly game of cat and mouse with the bad guys that are pursuing her. Waiting for the Morning has everything I look for in a great action adventure novel. Guns are fired, explosions are going off, car chases are speeding by, hot dominant-submissive sex is being had and hearts are being conquered. Nicole Edwards is fantastic at what she does and this book is just another sterling example of the artistry of her words.

~Nicole

BUY IT NOW

Black Number Four by Kandi Steiner Blog Tour and Excerpt

Title: Black Number Four
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 4, 2015
Find on Goodreads

Known as one of the youngest and most ambitious poker players in the country, Skyler Thorne has a reputation to uphold in Vegas this year. Her sole focus for spring semester is to perfect her game and get tournament ready – and have some fun with her sorority sisters, of course. Meeting a care-free pledge with incredible arms adds a whole new element of fun to her semester, but when a shocking discovery about his past surfaces, Skyler finds herself stuck in a game she wasn’t prepared to play. 

Kip Jackson is on a mission from his father. His plan was to get in, have a little fun, and then get out – on to bigger and better things. A feisty girl with bright blue eyes wasn’t on his list of things to do, but she quickly moves her way up to the very top. When he realizes completing his dad’s mission means crushing her in the process, he must decide if his dreams are worth the risk – or if he even has the same dreams, at all.

Two secrets. Two hearts. Two hands being played in one twisted game of deceit.

When the cards are on the table, will anyone be left standing?

The perfect poker face can only hide them for so long.

 

Check out our 4 smooches review HERE.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

We get to my apartment around noon and I throw together a couple of turkey sandwiches for us. By the time we finish eating, we’re both exhausted – both from paddleboarding and from not sleeping last night.
“Why don’t we take a shower and watch a movie?” I suggest as Skyler yawns.
“I don’t have any clothes here besides the ones I have on now and they’re all sandy.”
“You can borrow a pair of boxers and a shirt of mine.”
Skyler chews her lip, unsure. “I don’t know, I’m pretty tired.”
“So am I,” I say, standing and pulling her up with me. “So maybe we watch a movie and maybe we take a nap. Don’t leave yet. I barely see you during the week and I know there’s not many weekends where you don’t have sorority stuff going on.”
“I actually have a sisterhood event tonight.”
“See?” I pull her wrist and lead her toward my bedroom, which really is just my bed separated by hanging curtains on a rack. I rummage through my clothes until I find a clean shirt and pair of boxers, tossing them to her and pointing to the bathroom. “Towels are above the toilet in the cabinet, shampoo and shit’s in there.”
She still seems unsure, so I pull her into me and move the fallen strands of hair from her face. “Come on. Just for a few hours. You’ll feel better once you shower and I know you’re tired. You’re not going to get any sleep if you go home to your sorority house.”
At that she sighs and nods. “You’re probably right about that.”
I smile and nudge her toward the bathroom again.
“Fine,” she says. “But just for a little while. And no trying to ambush me in the shower, either.”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “I promise. You can shower in peace.”
“Mmm hmm,” she says, suspicious, but she walks to the bathroom and closes the door behind her.
I smile and start straightening my bed, turning on the TV to find something for us to watch. I’m flipping through the channels when I hear the shower turn on and the smile leaves my face. Suddenly, I’m completely aware of Skyler’s naked body in the other room.
Shaking my head, I focus on finding something to watch, willing my own body to behave. After a few minutes, I realize I’ve flipped through the channels three times now without stopping or even recognizing what I was seeing on the screen. I bite my lip hard, cross my arms, and pace.
Don’t do it. Don’t make this more complicated than it is. She trusts you, she’s opening up to you – that’s what you need from her. Poker. Poker. Poker.
That’s all.
I pace more. Back and forth. Back and forth. Before I know what I’m doing, my knuckles are knocking softly on the bathroom door. I have no idea what I’m going to say or what the fuck I’m doing, but I can’t stop my hands. The door opens slightly on the third knock, as if it wasn’t completely closed, and through the slit, I see Skyler.
She’s standing there shocked, her mouth open slightly as the water continues to drip down her body, running in rivers down over her breasts and meeting between her thighs. I swallow hard, unsure of my decision. I have nothing to ask, no reason to be staring at her through this door – but Skyler doesn’t cover herself, she doesn’t scream, she doesn’t tell me to get out.
I open the door a little further, still wondering what the hell I’m doing. I consider asking if she needs anything else, if she found a towel, something – but we both know I didn’t come in here to give her a towel.
“I suck at keeping promises,” I admit, just above a whisper, and I wish I could tell her I’m not just talking about the promise to not interrupt her shower.
“And I suck at pretending like I don’t want you.”
Latch
Hannah Trigwell & Nick Howard
Chapter 1: Ante Up
Scene: “Latching onto the transfer already?”
Hell Yeah
Midnight Red
Chapter 1: Ante Up
Scene:  “What do you say we make this party a little more interesting?”
Blank Space
Tyler Ward
Chapter 2: Lady Luck
Scene: “Passion can be a dangerous thing.”
Take U There
Jack U ft. Kiesza
Chapter 3: Ace
Scene: Ralph’s is packed when we arrive, which isn’t out of the ordinary for a Friday night.
Slow to Learn
Manchester Orchestra
Chapter 4: Deuces
Scene: I’ve been too damn distracted by how sexy she is when she’s schooling these tools.
Sledgehammer
Fifth Harmony
Chapter 5: Hot Table
Scene: There’s also the fact that I like being around him. I like it way more than I care to admit and that’s not good.
Heartbreaker
Jayme Dee
Chapter 5: Hot Table
Scene: He smiles and licks his lips, his eyes smoldering, which causes practically the entire chapter room to swoon.
Blame
Calvin Harris
Chapter 6: Nicely Played
Scene: But then I remember that I will hurt her, whether I want to or not. It will happen. It’s inevitable.
Shower
Becky G
Chapter 7: Two Can Play That Game
Scene: “How is it that you infuriate me yet turn me on at the same time?”
What Makes You Beautiful
Boyce Avenue
Chapter 8: Power Moves
Scene: “Hold me so I won’t float away?”
Try
Colbie Caillat
Chapter 9: Poker Face
Scene: “We’re just trying to help,” Ashlei says.
Life of the Party
Shawn Mendes
Chapter 10: Weakness
Scene: “I don’t care about what people think, Skyler. I know you do, but I don’t.
Break Free
Ariana Grande
Chapter 11: Angle Shooter
Scene: There isn’t another option in this game, no matter how badly I wish there was.
Lay Me Down (acoustic)
Sam Smith
Chapter 12: Blank
Scene: How was I supposed to know the kind of drug I was getting into?
Bumper Cars
Alex & Sierra
Chapter 13: Bluffing
Scene: I hate this. I hate this so, so much.
Here We Go Again
Mat Kearney
Chapter 14: Tilt
Scene: “You’re coming home with me tonight.”
Hideaway
Kiesza
Chapter 15: No Limit
Scene: I have no idea what I’m doing.
Same Sea
Lights
Chapter 16: Black Number Four
Scene: “I never thought studying could be so sexy,”
#GetItRight
Miley Cyrus
Chapter 16: Black Number Four
Scene: “You’re killing me, Sky,”
She Looks So Perfect
5 Seconds of Summer
Chapter 16: Black Number Four
Scene: “IT’S SPRING BREAK, BITCHES!”
Give Me Something
Alex & Siera
Chapter 16: Black Number Four
Scene: “Yeah, good luck with that game.
Surrender
Cash Cash
Chapter 17: Bad Beat
Scene: And the rest of the world can just deal with it.
Strip
Jessie J
Chapter 17: Bad Beat
Scene: “And what would make it perfect-perfect
Blame It On Me
Mapei
Chapter 17: Bad Beat
Scene: I can’t lose him.
Tenerife Sea
Ed Sheeran
Chapter 18: Rush
Scene: When we’re alone, that same electricity buzzes to life. The air feels tight, hot, charged.
All About You
Hilary Duff
Chapter 19: Game Changer
Scene: It’s crazy that a simple text can make my stomach flip like this, but it’s exactly what I needed.
Breathe Again
Sarah Bareilles
Chapter 19: Game Changer
Scene: I want him to fix it. To fix me.
It’s Not Over
Secondhand Serenade
Chapter 20: Downswing
Scene: “You don’t want to kiss me.” “Yes I do.”
Growing Up
Alex G
Chapter 21: Tell
Scene: As if I’m a glutton for punishment, I pull his oversized black t-shirt from my bag and slip it over my head, taking everything else off.
Pretending
Glee Cast
Chapter 22: Freezeout
Scene: For a moment she just stares at me, and I just stare at her. We don’t wave or nod or even really acknowledge that we’re both looking. We just look.
The Sun is Rising
Britt Nicole
Chapter 23: Game Over
Scene: And somewhere in those ocean blue eyes of his, I find what I’ve been searching for.
Stay With Me
Janxx
Chapter 23: Game Over
Scene: Love doesn’t care about the games we play.
Real Love
Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne
Chapter 24: Break Even
Scene: “I’m done leaving my life to chance. Black number four can suck it.”
Don’t Go Home Without Me
Lights
Epilogue: Heart
Scene: “I could get used to kisses like this.”

Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer. 

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

 

 

Black Number Four by Kandi Steiner Review

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4 Smooches!

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Synopsis

Known as one of the youngest and most ambitious poker players in the country, Skyler Thorne has a reputation to uphold in Vegas this year. Her sole focus for spring semester is to perfect her game and get tournament ready – and have some fun with her sorority sisters, of course. Meeting a care-free pledge with incredible arms adds a whole new element of fun to her semester, but when a shocking discovery about his past surfaces, Skyler finds herself stuck in a game she wasn’t prepared to play. 

Kip Jackson is on a mission from his father. His plan was to get in, have a little fun, and then get out – on to bigger and better things. A feisty girl with bright blue eyes wasn’t on his list of things to do, but she quickly moves her way up to the very top. When he realizes completing his dad’s mission means crushing her in the process, he must decide if his dreams are worth the risk – or if he even has the same dreams, at all.

Two secrets. Two hearts. Two hands being played in one twisted game of deceit. 

When the cards are on the table, will anyone be left standing?

The perfect poker face can only hide them for so long.

Review

I’m confident. I’m sexy. I’m Skylar fucking Thorne, damnit! I play boys. Boys don’t pay me. 
Skylar Thorne is a junior at Palm South University and a sister in the sorority Kappa Kappa Beta. The start of the spring semester brings to life the Greek world. Kip Jackson is a transfer to Palm South and has a hidden agenda for his move.
Interested in screenwriting, Kip starts off his semester with a Writing for Television class and guess who is taking the class as well, Skylar. After their first impressions on one another, the chemistry is undeniable between the two. But sometimes life isn’t so black and white. Everyone has dreams to strive for but at what cost would these two go to get what they want?
This is not my first Kandi book and it won’t be my last. I was blown away with Black Number Four! I was drawn in from the very beginning! I loved all the poker references. I could not get over the chemistry Kip and Skylar have! The banter between the two made me laugh and even swoon at times.  I truly enjoyed reading and falling for these two characters. Oh and then that moment when you realize the reason for the title, gah total mind blown! I loved this book!
4 smooches for Black Number Four by Kandi Steiner.

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Absolute Love by Erin Everleigh Review

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5 Smooches!

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Synopsis

Phoebe thought she had her Happily Ever After. She had a beautiful little girl and was married to the man of her dreams.

But the unexpected death of her mother causes Phoebe’s world to come crashing down.

Confronted with the realization that the missing pieces of her past are lost to her forever, she watches herself morph into a person she no longer recognizes. A person she quickly grows to hate.

Barely making it through each day, Phoebe struggles to repress her darkest thoughts. But at night, she is held captive in nightmares from which she cannot escape.

With her marriage dangling by a thread, Phoebe fears a future with Justin may no longer be possible.

Refusing to give up, Justin fights for the life they used to share. But when he stumbles upon what could be the missing piece to Phoebe’s past, he is faced with a choice that could cost him everything.

When you feel like all hope is lost, is there a love that can transcend all and revive a broken soul?

**Intended for readers 18+. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone.**

Review

It’s such a cliche to use the term ‘emotional rollercoaster’ but I think there really isn’t a more apt description in this instance. In Absolute Love Phoebe our main heroine spirals in a never-ending cycle of anger, depression, confusion and self-sabotage as she tries desperately to overcome her personal tragedies and find her way back to stability and happiness. In the after-math of so many personal tragedies her marriage ends up suffering as collateral damage. Having shut herself off in a self-contained bubble full of resentment and unsurety Phoebe struggles to see the light at the end of the tunnel and so begins one of the most poignant and memorable stories I’ve come across in a long long time. Phoebe’s character is staggering, the turmoil of her feelings both good and bad and the repercussions that comes out of those feelings of guilt flares off the page and into the readers heart. I cried, a lot and I’m not ashamed to admit that, there’s something in Phoebe that just resonated with me. She’s brave, hurt and isolated. The one consistency through Phoebe’s dark times and even when she was unaware of the support, her husband Justin waits patiently in the wings living is his own personal purgatory not knowing how to help his wife through her grief whilst struggling with his own feelings of inadequacy. Justin is absolute perfection, heroic, humble, beautiful inside and out and even when I started doubting his character he managed to win me round and prove me wrong.

‘I resist as best as I can showing Phoebe how overjoyed I am to receive her offer, not wanting to scare her off with any indication of how high my hopes are for where this temporary arrangement may lead. “I would really like that. Thank you, Phoebe,” I say, my eyes beginning to swell as I struggle to contain my emotion. Phoebe’s expression then turns to reveal the most beautiful and loving smile. A warmth moves through my chest and a flicker of hope ignites within my heart.’

What I thought was going to be a disastrous love triangle with the introduction of Lucas became something so much more profound and realistic and grounded. It was sterling writing and characterisation from Erin. To be able to transform the usually unredeemable and give them substance without any romantic entanglements was magically done. This book is phenomenal and I don’t say that lightly. Your emotions will be all over the place, up and down and just when you think you can’t take anymore angst or revelations, you will probably be sucker punched with just a bit more but it’s so worth it for when you manage to navigate through with the characters to the end you will be so so glad you survived, loved, hurt and experienced this joy of a read.

~Nicole

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Intercepted by Emma Hart Blog Tour and Giveaway

Release Day April 13
INTERCEPTED EMMA HART ITUNES EBOOK COVER

Four people. Four goals. Four endings.

In the third and final book of the USA Today bestselling By His Game series, the rules of the game no one knew they’d have to play are blurring, and when the past becomes the opposing team, hearts aren’t the only thing at stake of being lost…

Finding naked pictures of her best friend on her boyfriend’s phone wasn’t in Everleigh White’s five year plan. Neither was moving back to Los Angeles, the city of dreams that never managed to make hers come true. There’s only so many years you can be in love with your best friend before you realize he’s never going to love you back, after all. If only her ex would stop showing up at the gym where she works, she’d be much happier.

Being a father at nineteen wasn’t how Reid North, the Vipers’ wide receiver, imagined his life going, but when his ex-girlfriend tricked him into parenthood, he accepted it. Eventually. Now, with his ex on the verge of being released from prison, he’s holding onto full custody of his seven year old son, Leo. Football and Leo have left Reid no time for dating… Until Everleigh comes back.

His best friend his whole life, Everleigh never knew Reid loved her. She left before he could tell her. Now she’s back in front of him, and he’s not letting go. Even if all he gets is her friendship again. But in a city like L.A., dreams come true when you’re least expecting it.

So do nightmares.

With their exes beating down their doors with demands and explanations, their hesitant and building relationship is threatened at every corner. They’re at serious risk of being intercepted by the past, and that’s a ball Reid is determined to catch.

Except desperation can lead to stupidity—and Reid soon realizes he can’t catch every ball, no matter how perfectly it’s thrown to him. This time a fumble could cost more than a few points.

It could cost him everything.

 

(INTERCEPTED is the third and final book in the By His Game series and can be read as a standalone, although it is advised to read BLINDSIDED and SIDELINED before, in this order.)

Check out our 4 smooches review HERE.

EXCERPT

I follow him down the sidewalk, feeling a little antsy. I mean, he looks like Reid. Okay, an older Reid, but still Reid. He sounds like Reid, he acts like Reid, but he… feels like someone else. He doesn’t feel like the guy who dragged me out from behind curtains at parties and forced me to the dance, or the guy who begged me to go to his high school and college football games because he insisted he always caught better when I was there.

He feels… rawer. Realer. Rougher.

And I’m terrified.

He was always the one person I struggled to say no to. It was his eyes, and his smile, and the fact that I was crazy fucking in love with him. I’m afraid that now, although four years have passed, that I won’t be able to say no, either

That much is obvious by the fact I’m standing outside a sandwich shop I’ve never seen in my life.

“Trust me,” Reid says, smiling as he pushes the door open.

I stare at him flatly. Still, I follow him in like a little puppy because I’m always game for a good sandwich.

“Two meatball subs,” Reid orders. “Both toasted with cheese, but one with extra cheese. No salad or sauces on either.” Order done, he looks back at me and winks.

God. He even remembers the sandwich.

“This isn’t good for my diet,” I mutter, following him along the counter to the register.

“Or mine.” He smirks, glancing at me and running his eyes over my body. “And for what it’s worth, you could probably have another cheat day without it making a difference.”

I hit his arm again. “Shut up. You can’t perve on me. It’s wrong.”

“That’s what you think.” He hands over twenty bucks and raise his eyebrow at me. Then, leaning in, he whispers, “My cock thinks different, Ever.”

I swallow. Well, shit. How am I supposed to respond to that?

I’m not. That’s right. I’m not.

I take my warm sandwich from the counter and grip it tightly, heading toward a table in the corner. I slide into the seat against the wall and unwrap my sandwich at a snail’s pace. Each crinkle of the paper surrounding it seems ten times louder than normal as I studiously ignore Reid’s bulky, muscular form sitting opposite me.

Dammit. I shouldn’t be attracted to him. I shouldn’t consider being attracted to him.

Sure, I was before. In the ‘you’re handsome, be my Prince Charming’ kinda way. Now, though? Now it’s a, ‘holy crap, rip off my clothes and ravish me on your backseat!’ kinda attracted.

I’m not saying either way is bad. I’m just saying that I would prefer for the first type of attracted.

I bite into the sandwich so I don’t have to talk to him. But, apparently, he doesn’t get the message.

“I didn’t know you worked at the gym.”

I swallow. “You say it like it’s the only gym in Los Angeles.”

“It’s just… the gym.” He smirks. He studies me for a second before the curve turns downward. “Why’d you leave, Ev?”

“You knew I was going.”

“Sure I did. I just didn’t know you were going Casper on my ass and fucking off without a word.”

My eyes fall and I focus on my sandwich. Carelessly, I pick at the top of the bread. “I had my reasons, okay? It was easier for me if the media didn’t follow me so intently. You know they thought I was going to star on Broadway instead of college.”

“God, you’re a damn shit liar, Everleigh White.”

“It’s the truth, Reid, okay? They were all up in Dad’s business because of the Hartman movie, and when those Broadway rumors started it was bullshit. I ran without anyone knowing so they wouldn’t follow me. It lasted a week, but I didn’t have them timing my pees on the plane so there we go.” I glance up. “Believe me, okay? I’m not lying.” Not entirely, anyway.

“Whenever you’ve told me you’re not lying, you’ve been lying.” The force of his gaze makes me look up. “I still fucking know you, Ever. You haven’t changed a single damn bit.”

“And you still can’t control your f-bomb,” I shoot back.

“Says the girl who drops it like she drops the word ‘hi’ at a high school reunion.”

“Kiss my ass.”

“You offerin’, firecracker?”

“You taking me up on it?”

“I could flip you over this table in a second and you know it.”

I narrow my eyes and grab my half-eaten sandwich. Standing, I reach toward the trashcan and slam the screwed-up package into it, leaving the lid to slam down as I turn on my heel and head for the door.

Reid says nothing. But he follows me. I hear his footsteps against the tiled floor of the sandwich place, and he grabs the door the second I let it go, stopping it from slamming.

My feet pound against the sidewalk. Jesus, I don’t remember him being this so fucking infuriating before. Was he this demanding? Or frustrating? Or goddamned annoying?

Hell to it all. Was he this fucking sexy?

No, siree. No, he was not.

And that’s the frickin’ problem.

 

 

 

From Emma Hart, the New York Times bestselling author of the

Game series, comes a brand new series where the game is realer, the tension is

tighter, the sex is hotter, and the stakes are the highest of all…

Two people. Two agendas. Two games.

What happens when the out-there It-Boy of football meets the

secret It-Girl of fashion?

As the daughter of Hollywood’s sweetheart, Leah Veronica

can’t even buy a coffee without finding her face on a magazine stand, so it’s no

wonder she’s launching her first fashion line in secret. With it debuting at

New York Fashion Week in just under a month, extra time in the spotlight is the

last thing she needs.

The son of the best quarterback the league has ever seen,

filling legendary shoes as the L.A. Vipers’ quarterback was inevitable for

Corey Jackson. So was meeting Leah Veronica—the first girl to hand him his ass

without putting a hair out of place.

Getting the handsome, prickly blonde into his bed becomes

his number one goal. But getting the sexy, over-confident footballer the hell

away from her becomes Leah’s—at least until she realizes the best way to do

that is to give him what he wants.

If only it was that simple.

When Corey discovers who she is, and private photos of

Hollywood’s finest find their way online, everything they thought they knew is

thrown into disarray.

And when secrets are exposed and hearts are shattered, they

have to figure out if they’ve been blindsided by love or reality, and if it’s

worth running the extra yard to win the game they never meant to play.

 

 

 

Three people. Three motives. Three reasons.
When the game leaves the field in the second book in the USA Today bestselling BY HIS GAME series and mixes with sex, lies, and betrayal, the future isn’t the only thing on the line…
Macey Kelly has sworn off men. Unless they’re going to zip in and out of her apartment—and her vagina—quicker than they can give her an orgasm, she’s not interested. Finding out her boyfriend of three years got her cousin pregnant was a total confidence knock. Luckily for Macey, confidence is
something she has in abundance, so all Mitch’s asshole move did was make her pretty cynical toward men.
The last thing Jack Carr needs at the start of the season is for a dark-haired, sexy as sin, gyspyesque beauty to be consuming his thoughts. Football is his life, which leaves no time for girls. Unless they’re the love ‘em and leave ‘em girls. Becoming one of the best running backs the league has ever seen by racking up the yards is his top priority… not bedding Macey Kelly, despite her affinity for blow jobs and total sexual abandon.
Avoiding each other is the perfect solution, but when your best friends are in a serious living together kind of relationship, that isn’t always an option. Sometimes, sex on tap is the easiest option. And the sweetest.
Until Mitch shows up with a bombshell that could shatter Macey’s perfectly carved out life. It’s been a year, but he isn’t giving her up, not now he has a chance at winning her back. And he knows her buttons. Every single one of them.
Unfortunately for him, Jack Carr isn’t a loser. The star running back has his eye on the Vince Lombardi—and on Macey. But seeing her hanging between them both isn’t something he’s down with, not when he discovers why she’s so against anything more-ish, as she puts it.Macey quickly realizes she’s the ball being passed between two desperate yet opposing teams, and that only one of them can score the touchdown. But will the winner be the guy she lived with and loved for three years, or will the winner be the guy who understands her and makes her body come alive?
In this game, someone will be sidelined, and calling the play isn’t always as easy as it seems.
(SIDELINED is a full-length, standalone novel. It’s not necessary to read BLINDSIDED before this book, but it is advised.)
RELEASE DAY: MARCH 2, 2015

 

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.

 

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.
She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

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Intercepted by Emma Hart Review

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4 Smooches!

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Synopsis

Four people. Four goals. Four endings. 

In the third and final book of the USA Today bestselling By His Game series, the rules of the game no one knew they’d have to play are blurring, and when the past becomes the opposing team, hearts aren’t the only thing at stake of being lost…

Finding naked pictures of her best friend on her boyfriend’s phone wasn’t in Everleigh White’s five year plan. Neither was moving back to Los Angeles, the city of dreams that never managed to make hers come true. There’s only so many years you can be in love with your best friend before you realize he’s never going to love you back, after all. If only her ex would stop showing up at the gym where she works, she’d be much happier. 

Being a father at nineteen wasn’t how Reid North, the Vipers’ wide receiver, imagined his life going, but when his ex-girlfriend tricked him into parenthood, he accepted it. Eventually. Now, with his ex on the verge of being released from prison, he’s holding onto full custody of his seven year old son, Leo. Football and Leo have left Reid no time for dating… Until Everleigh comes back. 

His best friend his whole life, Everleigh never knew Reid loved her. She left before he could tell her. Now she’s back in front of him, and he’s not letting go. Even if all he gets is her friendship again. But in a city like L.A., dreams come true when you’re least expecting it. 

So do nightmares. 

With their exes beating down their doors with demands and explanations, their hesitant and building relationship is threatened at every corner. They’re at serious risk of being intercepted by the past, and that’s a ball Reid is determined to catch. 

Except desperation can lead to stupidity—and Reid soon realizes he can’t catch every ball, no matter how perfectly it’s thrown to him. This time a fumble could cost more than a few points. 

It could cost him everything. 

Intercepted is the third and final book in the By His Game series and can be read as a standalone, although it is advised to read Blindsided and Sidelined before, in this order.

Review

 Intercepted is the third book in the By His Game series and for me it was definitely the most heartfelt and emotional.  You can totally read this book as a standalone but I wouldn’t.  The first two books are awesome and you get a taste of Reid in them.  The first two books were more funny and revolved around play boy type guys but Reid was a completely different ball game.  Parts of this story absolutely broke my heart.

“I’ll never forget you, Ever.  I promise.”

Ever and Reid were childhood best friends.  Ever leaves as soon as she turns eighteen.  She doesn’t realize that the boy she loves her was waiting for her to be of age before claiming her.  She takes off but after a bad break up and some time away, she is home and Reid still wants her.

“You killed me, and you broke my goddamned heart all in the same second.”

Reid’s life is pretty damn complicated.  He has a son he is raising own his own, he has a busy schedule playing professional football, and his baby momma is in jail.  The problem is that she is getting out soon and Reid is terrified for his son.  Ever proves to be another distraction in Reid’s busy life.

“Fuck.  Will the guilt ever die?”

This book was just as sizzling and sexy as the rest of the series but this one definitely pulled at my heart strings more than Blindsided and Sidelined.  Maybe it was a father fighting for his son or maybe it was the whole friends to lovers aspect but this one was just so much more moving and touching.  Get ready for Emma Hart to make you swoon in this last installment of the By His Game Series.  Grab some tissues, folks.

“It’s Reid.  It’s me.  It’s us.  It’s perfect.”

~Amie

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