MERRY LITTLE SUGAR RUSH, a small-town, friends-to-lovers, return to hometown, holiday romance from USA Today Bestselling Author, Lacey Black, is available now! His time here is temporary and if I’m not careful, I risk …
5 SMOOCHES! * * * * * * * * * * SYNOPSIS: Joy I’m living my dream. Owning a cozy little bakery in downtown Snowflake Falls is everything I ever wanted. …
CHECKING IT TWICE, a fake-dating, close proximity, small-town, holiday hockey romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, Kendall Ryan, is out now! Sometimes the best gifts aren’t under the tree—they’re standing right in …
JUST BREAKING THE RULES, a sexy new single dad, opposites-attract, workplace hockey romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Lauren Blakely, is coming January 21st! Check out this cover! Title: JUST BREAKING THE RULES …
We all have that someone we can’t forget, the summer it all began, and the sleepless nights wondering what went wrong.
For Gage Montgomery, that someone is Layla Baxter. When he was 18, he took one look at the chocolate-haired bookworm with porcelain skin and knew his life would never be the same. But it all came crashing down when Layla suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from St. Simons Island — leaving him with nothing but her angel wing pendent around his neck. For 12 long years, Gage couldn’t shake what happened, if he’s the one to blame, wondering where Layla might be. When their paths finally cross, he’s determined to get the answers he’s spent his life searching for — and to get the girl, too. Quiet Angel is a story of hope, survival, and lost love made new again.
“I missed you, too, but you were never far.” Gage touched his shirt with the wings inside. “You were always there.”
Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life. Connect with Prescott Lane on facebook.com/PrescottLane1 and www.twitter.com/prescottlane1.
Giveaway details:
1 necklace – the actual necklace used on the cover of Quiet Angel
The Five Stages of Falling in Love is a Contemporary Romance. Elizabeth Carlson is living in the pits of hell- also known as grief.
Her husband of eight years, the father of her four children and the love of her life, died from cancer. Grady’s prognosis was grim, even from the start, but Liz never gave up hope he would survive. How could she, when he was everything to her?
Six months later, she is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and get the kids to school on time. Both seem impossible. Everything seems impossible these days.
When Ben Tyler moves in next door, she is drowning in sorrow and pain, her children are acting out, and the house is falling apart. She has no time for curious new friends or unwanted help, but Ben gives her both. And he doesn’t just want to help her with yard work or cleaning the gutters. Ben wants more from Liz. More than she’s capable of ever giving again.
As Liz mourns her dead husband and works her way through the five stages of grief, she finds there’s more of her heart to give than she thought possible. And as new love takes hold, she peels away the guilt and heartache, and discovers there’s more to life than death.
Review
Liz Carlson is the mother of four children and a recent widow. And when a new neighbor moves in, changes happen. Liz is having to learn how to accept help from others and allow herself time to breathe. I could feel the heartache and the daily struggles that Liz had to face. After a crazy encounter that leads her to her neighbor’s house, she begins to feel something very different. Ben Tyler is a lawyer and recently moved next door. He finds something intriguing about Liz. And even though there was the preconceived notion that all men shy away from kids from my personal experience, Ben Tyler was not that. Super sweet and swoon-worthy, Ben was a character the reader was rooting for. I kept talking to my kindle and coaching Ben at every chance I could. Every emotion that was felt with Liz, I could feel. I loved the idea that Liz could get her opportunity for second chance love. Characters were beautifully written. Aside from feeling the emotions from Liz, I especially felt the emotions of the children. Adults can come to terms with death, and well children, after losing a parent, just have a difficult time. The journey the reader embarks is one of heartache, sorrow, mourning of a spouse and also the beauty that can come from a tragedy. The author did a superb job and felt very real to me. I couldn’t get enough of the story and the cover is gorgeous! Romance readers will fall in love with their story and will never look at a pop-tart the same way again. 4 smooches for The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson.
My younger brother is getting worse, and my job – my duty – is to help him at all costs. We’ve tried everything modern medicine has to offer and nothing works.
Nothing.
Deciding to turn to unconventional treatments, we end up at Fire-on-the-Mountain, a holistic resort deep in the Rockies.
In our search for medical marijuana, I find beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell – a girl who may not only hold the key to heal my brother, but to fix me as well. Even though I can’t afford distractions right now, she’s all I can think about. All that I want.
It’s funny how everything can change with one little SPARK.
Erin Noelle is a Texas native, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. While earning her degree in History at the University of Houston, she rediscovered her love for reading that was first instilled by her grandmother when she was a young child. A lover of happily-ever-afters, both historical and current, Erin is an avid reader of all romance novels. In 2013, she published the Book Boyfriend Series, which included books Metamorphosis, Ambrosia, Euphoria, and Timeless, and recently published When the Sun Goes Down, a contemporary romance novel. Her books have been a part of the USA Today Bestselling list and the Amazon and Barnes & Noble overall Top 100.
With a smile, I turned around, then froze when my sight registered the obscured figure leaning against the wall. A strangled gasp caught in my throat, and my heart took off at a sprint, blood pounding hard in my ears.
Pushing from the wall, he stepped from the shadows, his hands again stuffed deep in his pockets.
My heart rate only increased, the energy radiating from him almost as strong as the disappointment he’d left me with when he’d gone.
I pressed my hand to my chest to try to still the panic thundering against my ribs. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.” The words were soft. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
But he did. I was scared of what he was capable of doing to me, the way I knew he held the power to trounce all over this hammering heart, to hold it in his hand and crush it into a million unrecognizable pieces.
“What are you doing here?” I asked on a shaky breath.
He looked to the sky and exhaled heavily, before he leveled his gaze back on me. “The same thing I’m doing every night, Shea. Thinking about you and wondering why the hell I can’t stop.”
My stomach flipped, and I gulped for air.
“What do you want from me?”
He laughed, lifted his elbows out to his sides in a helpless gesture without pulling his hands free. “Dinner?”
Nonsensical laughter shot from me. “At three in the morning?”
“Breakfast?” he amended, a coy smile pulling at his full, crooked lips.
Tingles spread across my skin, and I ran my hands up my bare arms. “I already told you I don’t have time for distractions.”
“Come on, Shea. It’s just food. Go out with me. Just tonight.”
Somehow I knew it was a lie, even though he wanted to believe it was true.
Nervously, I glanced to the back door all the while being inexplicably drawn to this man I didn’t even know. I knew I should make a break for it, run for the safety of my little world and give him no opportunity to rip it apart.
“I am hungry,” I found myself saying. After a long night of work, it was true. But it had nothing to do with the reason I was giving in.
Because I just wanted to…
I shook my head.
That was it. I just wanted. I wanted to be in his space. I wanted to understand why he had this pull on me. I wanted him.
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including If Forever Comes, Pulled and When We Collide, as well as the New Adult Romance Come To Me Quietly due out January 7, 2014.She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.
by New York Times best selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills
Release Date: March 1, 2015
This is a standalone New Adult novel with graphic sex and language.
Introductory price of $2.99 on release day for 24 hours only!
A sassy violinist who lives next door. An obsessed rock star who watches her through binoculars. And one night when she bares it all. Life will never be the same in Tinseltown.
Description:
Vital Rejects front guy Sebastian Tate never imagined his YouTube music video would go viral, sky-rocketing him to acting success in Hollywood. Okay, maybe he did. After all, he’s a cocky dude who knows he’s hot-as-hell, and it was only a matter of time before his stars aligned.
But life in Tinseltown is never what it seems.
After being cheated on, his only rule to falling in love is simple: Keep Calm and Don’t Do It. Spying on his mysterious new neighbor with binoculars seems innocent enough, but quickly escalates into an erotic game between two very unlikely people.
Twenty-year-old Violet St. Lyons is a world-renowned violinist who’s lost her mojo on stage. She hides away in a Hollywood mansion, trying to find her way through her twisted past in order to make her future.
He’s the life of the party with girls chasing him down for his autograph. She’s the introvert with a potty mouth who doesn’t even know who he is.
When they meet, stars collide, sparks fly, and clothes come off. Yet, giving his heart to a girl isn’t Sebastian’s plan; falling for a guy who craves attention isn’t Violet’s.
Welcome to Briarcrest Academy—Hollywood style—where sometimes the best things in life are VERY TWISTED THINGS.
Prologue
Violet
“Fairy dust is not real. This I know.” —from the journal of Violet St. Lyons
Boom!
I, Violet St. Lyons, who once believed herself the luckiest girl in the world, was born on the same day that the Violette–Sells comet was discovered. My parents, two avid stargazers, said it was a sign of how special I was and promptly named me Violet. They claimed my life had been blessed with fairy dust.
At the very least, comet residue.
I’d foolishly believed it for eighteen years, until the moment of my death.
Which was now.
Boom! Another explosion rocked the plane and metal ripped away as a section of the aircraft to my right vanished. Luggage flew through the air. People disappeared. The mom with the baby who’d sat in the aisle across from us—gone. The redheaded flight attendant who’d been collecting trash—gone. Disembodied screams echoed from the surrounding passengers as my own scream took up most of the space in my head. Air sucked at us viciously from the outside as a tornado of people banged around the space and one by one got pulled out into the swirling abyss.
I watched, helplessly transfixed, as I sat between my parents, gripping each of their hands as the plane we’d boarded six hours earlier for Dublin spiraled toward the Atlantic Ocean. I was going to die. My mother was already dead, a twisted piece of shrapnel sticking grotesquely from her chest as her head lolled around her neck. Blood had already soaked her shirt, yet I refused to let go of her hand. She’d be okay. We were always okay. We were the St. Lyons family of Manhattan, an icon of old money wealth with deep political ties. Page six of the NewYork Times featured pictures of us on a monthly basis. We couldn’t die on a plane.
Reality dawned as we plummeted. The yellow breathing apparatus dropped and dangled in my face, taunting me with its pointlessness. Fire and black smoke boiled in front of us where the cockpit had been, and my mind recognized that the pilots had to be dead. Just a few minutes ago, they’d come over the intercom and announced that the plane was making its descent into Dublin Airport exactly on schedule.
Then the first explosion had gone off.
Bits of debris flew around, narrowly missing me. My elderly father grabbed my hand and squeezed, his face drawn back in a horrible grimace. Fear and then horror flickered across his face as he saw Mother, but there was no time to comfort him.
Paralyzed in my seat, we spun like a drunken top, and a part of my brain noticed the sun was rising, its pink tinge lending a soft glow, catching the reflection of clouds and making them silver-lined. The rocky coast of Ireland glittered in the distance. Mocking me. We’d been headed there to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.
Just then my violin case flew past my head from the overhead compartment and crashed against the wall of the plane. Shards flew. I shuddered and wanted to vomit. God, help us. We were here because of me. Our deaths were my fault. I spared a glance at the diamond promise ring Geoff had given me before we’d left. Would the Mayor of New York’s son go on without me?
The air was turbulent yet thin, and my chest tightened as dizziness pulled at me. I resisted. Had to stay awake. Had to be with my dad. I was younger, stronger, faster. My eyes went to the gaping hole in the plane. Had to think ahead. Plan. Water would fill up the plane on impact, ensuring we’d sink rapidly.
My fear escalated as the ocean rushed at us, its surface choppy and ominous. I took in a giant breath and braced myself. We hit at an angle, the plane a torpedo as it sliced into the sea. Daddy disappeared, ejected by the impact, and I yanked on my seat belt, unclicking it to go after him. Heart thundering, I sent a final look at my mother. I wanted to take her with me, but she was gone.
Water everywhere, bubbling and gurgling as it filled up the plane. Salt water stung my eyes. People floated by, some alive as they floundered for the opening. I kept my gaze off the dead ones. Focus. Get out. Only seconds left.
I swam from my seat and fought my way out of the large hole in the plane, lungs exploding. Burning. I’d been under too long.
Daddy! I caught a glimpse of his red shirt above me and kicked harder.
Up, up, up. Must get up. My arms moved. My legs kicked. Excruciating pain. Ignore it. Almost there. So close that I could see the daylight breaking through the water.
The hottest fire I’ve ever known lit in my chest. Scorching.
Air. Just want to breathe. Just get to the top. Please.
My body rebelled and I inhaled and swallowed water, the burn racing down my throat making it spasm as I tried to cough it out. I struggled but took in more and more, the cold liquid filling my lungs.
Dark spots filled my eyes. This was drowning.
Exhausted.
Done.
My body twitched. I grew disoriented.
I let go of the fight. My hands floated in front of me.
Oblivion.
Darkness.
No bright lights, no tunnel.
No heaven, no mother, no father.
No comets.
No fairy dust.
Chapter 1
Sebastian
Two years later
“She was music with skin.” —Sebastian Tate
I tapped my foot.
What was taking her so long?
From my backyard patio in the Hollywood Hills, I watched the odd girl next door with a pair of high-powered binoculars. She flicked on her porch lights, and a low whistle came out of me at the sexy red-as-sin robe she wore, its silky material flashing around her long legs as she moved around her patio. Her hair was down, too.
This was new. Where were the usual yoga pants? The ponytail?
She looked like she knew someone watched, but that was impossible since our outside lights were off. Even the light from the moon hit our house at such an angle that she shouldn’t be able to see us just by glancing over. She’d need a high-powered lens to know I was here.
Usually she played facing her rose garden, but this time she walked to the right side of her patio, which faced us. Weird. But she didn’t play. She just stood there without moving. Staring toward our house. Uneasiness went over me.
What was she doing?
Could she see me?
As if it were a fragile bird, she positioned the violin under her chin and began playing, arms bent and wrist poised, making the most exquisite sounds. And I don’t mean classical like Beethoven or Mozart; I mean body-thrashing, blood-thumping, hard-as-hell music that had me rooted to the ground, like she’d slapped iron chains on me.
Dark and seductive notes rose up in the air, and I got jacked up, recognizing a Led Zeppelin song, only she’d ripped its guts out and twisted it into something electric. She pushed the bow hard, upping the tempo abruptly, her movements controlled yet wild. My pulse kicked up and my eyes lingered, taking in the slightly parted toned legs and the way her breasts bounced as she jerked her arms to manipulate the strings.
Her body arched forward in a curve, seeming as if she might break into a million pieces before she finished the piece or climaxed first. Then, her robe slipped off her right shoulder, exposing part of her breast. Creamy and full, it quivered, vibrating as she moved her arms. Her rosy nipple teased me, slipping in and out of the folds of the material, erect from the cool mountain air and deliciously bitable. I pictured my mouth there, sucking, my fingers plucking, strumming her like my guitar until she begged me to—
Stop, I told myself just as an appreciative groan came out. Whoever Violin Girl was, she didn’t deserve me lusting after her while she was pouring her heart out with music.
I zoomed in as far as the binoculars would go, watching her surrender to the music as she bent and swayed from side to side with her eyes closed, black lashes like fans on her cheeks. Every molecule in my body focused on her, hanging on to each note she pulled from her instrument.
She finished and kept her head bowed for the longest time, perhaps letting the emotion wash over her like it had me. Then, she bowed to the banana trees and gnomes in her garden, waving her hands in a flourish as she rose.
The entire event was surreal, yet poignant as fucking poetry.
I let out a deep breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.
Who the hell plays Stairway to Heaven with a violin? She did.
Bam! She snapped her head up, her eyes lasering in on mine, making every hair on my body stand at attention.
And then …
Standing there in the moonlight, she untied her robe and spread apart the sides ever so slightly, her movements seeming almost hesitant, as if she’d had to work herself up. Unfamiliar jealousy hit me and I panned out and checked the rest of the patio, expecting to see a lover. Whoever it was, I wanted to rip him apart piece by piece.
And didn’t that thought surprise me.
My gaze searched her patio, the backyard, her upstairs balcony. Nothing. No one.
She flicked her dark hair back and stroked the lapels of the robe, her fingers lingering over the lacy material. Suddenly the evening smacked of something more than just music. Her arms moved back and forth across the front, opening the robe halfway and then closing it as if she couldn’t make up her mind.
My eyes went up, trying to read her face. Still as a statue, the only movement was her mouth as it trembled, her full upper lip resting against the pouty lower one. Tears ran down her face, but they seemed more of a defiant act, her jaw tightly set, her shoulders hunched inward as if she’d held it in too long and was giving in, but not without a fight.
Violin Girl was trapped in a cage of darkness.
It still didn’t stop me from holding my breath, silently begging her to bare herself to me. She’d already laid bare her music. Part of me needed the rest of her.
She jerked the robe closed, making me groan in disappointment.
New York Times and USA Today best selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.
She spends her days with two small kids, one neurotic cat, and one husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.
When she’s not crafting a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.
She loves to hear from readers and fellow authors.
We’re so excited to host the release day launch for Daisy Prescott’s Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat!! Daisy is sharing an excerpt with us, and a fantastic giveaway, so be sure to read all the way down to check out all the release day excitement!!
I’ve been told I’m irresistible to women. Like catnip for a different type of pussy-cat. I guess you could call me a Tom Cat.
This is the story about how I lost my wingman, broke all my own rules, and found myself falling in love.
Tom Donnelly isn’t the marrying kind, or the dating kind. Even after losing his #1 wingman to love, he doesn’t see the point in relationships. When his sister’s best friend returns to Whidbey Island and propositions Donnelly for a one-night stand, he breaks one of his biggest rules—no fooling around with his sisters’ friends. It’s just sex, nothing more. That’s what Tom does and does well.
What happens when “just sex” isn’t enough?
Hailey King is more than a match for Tom’s flirtations. She’s known him most of her life and has heard the rumors about his “skills” for years. When her perfectly planned future falls apart, will the last man she should ever fall for turn out to be more than a one-night stand?
Prologue
When she walked toward me, I was ninety-percent certain she wanted to slap me. I spread my stance and tensed for the impact. Sadly, she wouldn’t be the first woman to smack me or attempt it. Good thing I was pretty fast at dodging and weaving.
I held her gaze as she got closer. Part of me wanted to close my eyes and turn the other cheek … literally. Or back down the hall and hide in the men’s room. Ah, the men’s bathroom. A place no woman dared to go unless absolutely necessary. Urinals freaked them out.
I took a big step backward and then another until the darkness of the hall to the back room enveloped me. I wasn’t running. Far from it. I moved slowly and kept my eyes on my assailant stalking toward me.
I probably should have asked myself why she wanted to slap me. Had I stopped to think, I might have realized unlike most women with the same expression on their face, I hadn’t actually given her a reason to be mad at me. At least none I knew about.
Her eyes narrowed and she cut the distance between us in half with two long strides. To my left was the door to the bathroom and potential salvation. Further behind me stood the backdoor and freedom. While I debated hiding or fleeing, she made the decision for me by grabbing the front of my shirt.
“Hey, what’s up?” Always act innocent. In this case, I didn’t have to act.
“I’ve been looking all over for you tonight.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You have?”
She stared at my mouth and pressed her lips together. “I have. Why is a good man hard to find when you need him?”
Her words rearranged themselves in my head after she’d spoken them. “Don’t you mean a hard man is good to find when you need him?”
She snorted out a laugh. “Exactly. You read my mind.” Her hand not clutching my shirt touched the bared skin above my belt.
“Hey, whoa, where you going with that hand?” I jerked my hips back to escape her wandering fingers.
“I need a good man. And since I don’t know any good men, I decided I needed a hard man tonight.”
“Okay.” I grabbed her hands in mine to protect myself from her assault. “Can I ask you one thing?”
“Sssure.”
The subtle slur answered my question, but I asked it anyway. “Have you been drinking?”
“Tommm, don’t be mean. You sleep with everyone on the island. I need you to sleep with me. Now.” The slight rasp to her voice had strengthened into a sultry purr.
Definitely not sober. “What happened to your own man? Have sex with him.”
She pressed a finger to my lips. “No talking, more sex.”
“More implies there’s some sex to begin with.” I couldn’t figure out why I bothered to argue. Sex without strings was my thing.
But could I have stringless sex with her? I had rules.
While I was lost in some sort of moral debate, she kissed me.
Worse, my body responded, and I liked it. A lot.
She was an amazing kisser—even buzzed and with grabby hands, her lips and tongue teased mine with a balance of aggression and skill.
When she bit my bottom lip, I did the smart thing. I kissed her back.
Before writing bestselling contemporary adult romances, I dreamed of being an author while doing a lot of other things. Antiques dealer, baker, blue ribbon pie-maker, fangirl, freelance writer, gardener, pet mom and wife are a few of the other titles I’ve acquired over the years.
Born and raised in San Diego, I currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with my husband, our dog Hubbell, and an imaginary house goat.
I’ve been told I’m irresistible to women. Like catnip for a different type of pussy-cat. I guess you could call me a Tom Cat.
This is the story about how I lost my wingman, broke all my own rules, and found myself falling in love.
Tom Donnelly isn’t the marrying kind, or the dating kind. Even after losing his #1 wingman to love, he doesn’t see the point in relationships. When his sister’s best friend returns to Whidbey Island and propositions Donnelly for a one-night stand, he breaks one of his biggest rules—no fooling around with his sisters’ friends. It’s just sex, nothing more. That’s what Tom does and does well.
What happens when “just sex” isn’t enough?
Hailey King is more than a match for Tom’s flirtations. She’s known him most of her life and has heard the rumors about his “skills” for years. When her perfectly planned future falls apart, will the last man she should ever fall for turn out to be more than a one-night stand?
Review
Tom Donnelly doesn’t date, commit or do relationships. He is all about the hook ups and easy connections and it’s been that way for a while. But Hailey, Toms little sister best friend, could be the woman to finally change that.
Hailey and Tom have known each other since they were little but when Hailey comes back to town, engaged to an idiot, Tom realises just how attractive she is and when Hailey’s engagement ends and she’s looking for a night of sex and fun Tom can’t say no. Soon though Hailey starts feeling more than just casualness towards him but will the Tom Cat feel the same in return or will he revert back to his bachelor ways. With interfering ex’s, a busy-body family and run in’s with his past hook ups, can there two admit to each other what they are truly feeling?
“Confession time: It takes a lot for me not to want to sleep with a woman. Size didn’t matter if she had confidence. Age didn’t matter if she didn’t act old. Language barriers? Not a problem and sometimes a bonus.”
I really enjoyed this story. It was such a fun, flirty, easy, cute and funny read. It was a perfect story for a rainy day or while you are sunning on the beach. It will really make you smile, feel light and happy and make you laugh out loud.
“My body silenced her arguments and anger. My tongue trailed over her skin, leaving behind desire. I worshipped her. She clawed, scraped and dug into my skin, using my body to release weeks of frustration and shame. We weren’t kind. This wasn’t making love. This was claiming and owning one another on a purely physical level. This was passion.”
I LOVED not only Tom Cat and Hailey hut all the supporting characters like John and the Tom’s family. I think these characters are the reason I fell in love with the story and enjoyed reading it so much. Tom is hugely funny, sexy, a dirty talker and when it comes down to it extremely loving to his family, friends and Hailey.
“The expression on her face when I told her what had been on my mind confirmed she may have liked taking the initiative, but like many women, she wanted to give up control, stop thinking, and be told what to do once in a while. I had no problem with that.”
Hailey is feisty, strong, funny and can be in control and let control- so relatable and definitely a female character that you can be proud of.
“I didn’t want to get up and break whatever spell the ice storm created. Feelings of contentment and peace spun a sticky web inside me, pushing away the dark thoughts and loneliness.”
The family are all hilarious and John is a best friend that I would be happy to have. All these characters made you want to get invested into the story just so you could read more from them and see what they were going to say next.
“Says the man whose nickname is Tom Cat?” I dismissed his teasing with a tilt of my head. “I’m more like the catnip. All the pussies go wild for me.”
Now this isn’t a story that’s full of drama or suspense or action. It is a light read but it really works. I didn’t stop smiling throughout and I never once got bored because I felt as those I was watching a real life romance play out. It was funny (I laughed out loud several times), the characters were all loveable and there were some really steamy sex scenes, drama from the ex’s and plenty of Aww moments that made my heart melt a little.
“Still moving above me, but not racing toward her release, she stared into my eyes. In the swirls of green and gold, I saw her heart, and my future. “I love all of you.”
Overall just a really great read. If you are looking for something to cheer you up and make you smile, with loveable characters and a romance that reads as a real true love then this is the story for you.
I don’t care that these men have families at home,
or that they are important people.
I do it for the money.
to survive.
There is nothing that could make me
feel a bit of remorse or
concern about what I do because
I was born with the inability
to experience or feel emotions…
I don’t feel PAIN
I don’t feel SORROW.
I don’t feel extreme HAPPINESS or LOVE
I am VOID.
A blank canvas of emotions.
An empty hole in an endless sea of
circumstances, moods and relationships.
Until one client changes EVERYTHING.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/SNOBFlFJMTQ]
“VOID is filled with intrigue, suspense, and smoldering desire. This story will keep you turning the page until the very end.” –Aleatha Romig, New York Times bestselling author
“Cassy Roop has created a twisted, hot & unique world in VOID.” –Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
“Never have I been so invested in a story line like I was with VOID.” – S.K. Hartley, International Bestselling Author
Cassy is a fitness goddess by day and romance author by night. When she isn’t writing furiously on her next novel, she’s making books look beautiful inside and out as a graphic designer. She has an unhealthy obsession with peanut butter, pedicures, and all things Les Mills group fitness. She has on occasion been seen purchasing clothes that aren’t athletic apparel (although rare).
She released her debut, The Price of Love, in March of 2014.
The Celtic Knot Novels are her first erotic romance series and Books 1 and 2, Ashley’s Bend and Figure Eight both reached #1 in Erotic Thrillers on Amazon. Book 3, Triquetra, released September 22, 2014 and book 4 the companion novel, Axel Hitch in December 2014
Straight-laced 19-year-old Brooke Powers has two goals: First, avoid the party scene and all the drama and disaster that go along with it. Second, focus on attaining her Marketing and Business degrees. When her roommate begs her to attend a fraternity party she reluctantly obliges, but gets more than she bargained for when she meets enticingly charismatic fraternity brother, Dean Parker. After a mishap causes her to wake up in the worst possible place she can imagine, she vows to stay away from anything or anyone fraternity related. Staying away from Dean is a daily battle, one she’s slowly losing. When her feelings conjure up old demons from the past, her strategically planned future turns into chaos. Brooke is desperate to keep herself on track. Will Dean be her downfall or is he exactly what she needs?
Valentine’s Day isn’t always complete bliss.
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BLISSFUL
VALENTINE EXCERPT :
He stops and meets
my gaze, then bends down and grabs a mound of snow, packing into a
tight ball. He takes a step back and winds his arm, throwing the
snowball straight and fast. It smacks against the metal sign on the
far end of the small pond near a cluster of benches, breaking off
into a multitude of pieces.
He wipes his hands
off on his pants. “Give it a try.”
I shake my head. “No
way, I throw like a girl.”
His picks up a mound
of snow and packs it together, forming a perfect sphere. He hands me
the snowball and stands behind me, pressing his body against mine. My
heartbeats thump against my chest, causing a surge of adrenaline to
rush through my veins. I tremble, holding the snowball in my right
hand. At least I can blame the cold for my shaky arm. He runs his
hand down to my wrist and pulls it back, up toward my shoulder.
He rests his head on
my shoulder and talks softly into my ear. “Pull your arm back to
here and step forward at the same time you throw.” He moves to the
side.
Goosebumps form on
my neck from his warm breath gliding against my cool skin. My stomach
flutters. Here
goes nothing.
I stare at the metal No Parking sign and pull my arm back, throwing
the snowball as I step forward. Tiny fragments of snow fly through
the air. A direct hit.
I clap my hands and
bounce up and down on my toes. “Holy crap, I actually did it. I
didn’t think I could hit the broad side of a barn.” Dean comes
over and raises his hand to give me a high five. I lunge forward and
pull him into a hug, before I realize what I’m doing. My chest
tightens and heat creeps across my cheek.
He wraps his arms
around my waist and presses his body against mine. I step back and
ease away, dropping my arms to my sides. “We better head back, I’ve
still got lots of physics studying to do if I plan on passing the
semester.”
He rubs the back of
his neck and nods.
I slide my frozen
hands into my pockets and hold them in tight fists. Note to self:
when
I think I’m finished embarrassing myself I’m usually wrong.
The perfect
untouched blanket of snow moves into an array of chaos as we turn the
corner to my apartment. My heart beats faster with each step I take
forward. This walk is taking forever. If I don’t get away from Dean
soon, I may end up doing something else I shouldn’t. I mean, we’re
just friends. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale as we approach
my driveway.
I dig in my purse
and pull out my keys. “Thanks for my victory celebration.”
He places his hand
in the small of my back on our way toward my steps. “First of
many.” His hand moves to my waist.
Summersaults take
over my stomach. I step onto the first step. My boot slips along the
rim of the concrete edge covered in a thin layer of ice and instantly
it knocks me off balance. My hands flail through the air, desperately
trying to grab onto anything.
Dean jumps into
action, catching me before my head smacks against the hard sidewalk.
I grab onto his sculpted bicep and pull myself to my feet.
Fire burns through
my cheeks, which are no doubt fire-engine red. I drop my chin to my
chest and hunch my shoulders. He lifts my chin and gazes into my
eyes. My heart pounds against the walls of my chest. Electric
shockwaves flows through my veins. He leans in closer. My lips part
and lava flows through my body. He tucks a stray strand of hair
behind my ear. “I knew you’d fall for me sooner or later.” He
places a soft kiss on my cheek and takes a step back, turning and
walking away.
Author Amy Gale
Romance author by night, pharmacist by day, Amy Gale loves rock music and the feel of sand between her toes.She attended Wilkes University where she graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In addition to writing, she enjoys baking, scary movies, rock concerts, and reading books at the beach.She lives in the lush forest of Northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, six cats, and golden retriever.
Contact Amy L. Gale:
1. Can you tell us a bit about the main characters.
Brooke Powers is goal-oriented freshman who wants to focus on her studies and avoid the party scene along with all the trouble that goes along with it.
Dean Parker is an enticingly charismatic fraternity brother and star player on Lakeview U’s baseball team.
When Brooke’s roommate drags her to a fraternity party, an unexpected mishap causes her wake up in Dean’s bed throwing her strategically planned future into complete chaos.
2. How did you think of this story? What inspired you?
Since Dean and Brooke were already a couple in Blissful Tragedy, I wanted to elaborate on their awesome relationship. I decided to go back in time to the girls college years and tell the story. I have to be honest, I was inspired by some of my great college memories.
3. Is there anything special you would like your readers to know about Blissful Valentine?
Valentine’s Day isn’t always complete bliss.
4. Do you get writers block? How do you cure it?
I think every writer gets writers block at some point or another. I try and look to other sources to cure it, like music or re-watching some of my favorite movies for inspiration.
5. Top 5 Favorite Books
1. Beautiful Disaster
2. The Notebook
3. Fifty Shades of Grey
4. Dark Love
5. Thoughtless
6. I know you are a huge music fan AND Led Zeppelin fan. What songs help you write?
I usually come up with a play list based on the book I’m writing. When I wrote Blissful Valentine, I listened to Thank You by Led Zeppelin, Love Song by Tesla, Lay it on the Line by Triumph, Caught up in you by 38 Special, I Can’t Fight this Feeling Anymore by REO Speedwagon, My Kinda Lover by Billy Squire, and Talk Dirty to Me by Poison.
Straight-laced 19-year-old Brooke Powers has two goals: First, avoid the party scene and all the drama and disaster that go along with it. Second, focus on attaining her Marketing and Business degrees. When her roommate begs her to attend a fraternity party she reluctantly obliges, but gets more than she bargained for when she meets enticingly charismatic fraternity brother, Dean Parker. After a mishap causes her to wake up in the worst possible place she can imagine, she vows to stay away from anything or anyone fraternity related. Staying away from Dean is a daily battle, one she’s slowly losing. When her feelings conjure up old demons from the past, her strategically planned future turns into chaos. Brooke is desperate to keep herself on track. Will Dean be her downfall or is he exactly what she needs?
Valentine’s Day isn’t always complete bliss.
Review
I love a good old fashioned College situated romance, I think because I lived on a constant diet of the 80’s movies referenced throughout this wonderful little book when I was younger and gorged myself on those Point Romance books as a teenager. The Frat parties, the beer pong, the initial meet of our power house couple and the general college atmosphere looks like so much fun and a million miles away from what university life in Northern Ireland is actually like, so I’m living vicariously through this story.
It starts off with Brooke going rather reluctantly to a frat party with her best friend where after having accidentally consumed some spiked concoction begins to feel rather altered and super duper ‘friendly’. Enter hero Beta Omega brother member Dean who deems it his mission to look after hapless Brooke.
Brooke was my kind of friend, she came with a past that she wasn’t too proud of but she was taking the necessary steps to straighten her life out and most importantly stay away from frat members and jocks. This was utterly refreshing to have heroine who at one point was a bit of a player herself rather than the doe eyed virgin navigating college campus. Her character is completely likeable and identifiable and often times down-right funny especially when she’s having a clumsy moment.
Dean was a lovely romantic lead, he was a jock with a heart and also a gigantic brain, intelligence and wit, an eight-pack for heavens sake and of course his penchant for winking…a lot. What’s not to love? My only problem with Dean was the whole spiked drink thing that he was aware of. He tells Brooke had he known she was about to drink it he would have warned her but what about all those other unsuspecting party goers that didn’t know either? I can’t help but feel more attention was warranted to this situation and more action should have been taken with Dean or Brooke doing more about it.
It was a lovely short read with a steady progression through friendship to flirting to more. I never felt like the story was stilted or slow it demanded my attention from start to finish with sweet romance, some sexy scenes to add more flavour and a bit of drama to break up the momentum. An absolutely wonderful book to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day, it just might get your significant other in trouble when he doesn’t break out the big grand gesture like most awesome book boyfriends including Dean.
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