STONE BY MAX MONROE-REVIEW TOUR

STONE Blurb:

First, hate. Then, want. But in the end? Heartbreak.

My celebrity life was supposed to be easy, and this movie was the biggest break of my career. But from the moment Officer Levi Fox gave me a speeding ticket on my way into town, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side.

Dominant. Cocky. Callous.

Midnight blue eyes, a bad attitude, and muscles for days, he’s exactly the kind of man I should avoid.

But as the Cold, Montana Police Department’s official movie liaison, he’s taken up a permanent place in my life that I can’t shake.

We fight. A lot.

Then, we kiss—and my carefully crafted hate toward him no longer feels so much like hate.

I’m falling

falling

falling.

But how often do alpha-jerks cushion the landing?

Note: Levi and Ivy’s story will continue in Book Two—Cold.

I love Max Monroe. I have loved them from the first book I read from them. They are a one click writing duo for me-so naturally, when I saw Stone I knew I wanted to read it-and that was before I read the blurb. Reading the blurb though? Had me raising my eyebrows just a bit...because this didn't sound like any Max Monroe I've read before. I was absolutely right about that-and I loved it.

Love and hate are separated by a really thin line at times and that is expressed really well in this book. Enemies to lovers isn't my normal cup of tea, but it works in this story just beautifully. Levi doesn't like Ivy right from the get go. And my reaction to that would usually be oh come on, admit it, you like her. But there was more to this story and I liked seeing the WHY behind how these two felt.

I like the genuineness of Ivy. She really is interested in what happened and wants to portray things correctly. Levi, well...I'm used to falling hard for Max Monroe's heroes and I couldn't help but fall for Levi. Did I want to shake him? OMG yes. I really, really did. But because this is a trilogy, I'm still holding out hope for him.

If you haven't read Max Monroe before then jump on in! If you have, be prepared and open to a darker Max Monroe. Their humor is still present in this book-but this isn't the RomCom you may be expecting from them. There's definitely angst in book-which I normally am not a huge fan of-but it works here and I'm fascinated as to what will happen next. I loved this book and can't wait for the next installment.

I haven't read all of this author's titles. I know they lean toward the more lighthearted rom-com, and that is ok...but I am not really that drawn to those. I do enjoy them occasionally, but the other titles I have read by this author tend to be on the more off-the-wall angle of the rom-com trope, and I don't usually connect with those. Nothing wrong with them, nothing at all, but I like the darker stories.

That said, I read the last title by this author (well, duo of authors) and really enjoyed it. And, when I saw the details for this one appear, I admit, I was interested.

And, I am so glad I read this one. It's darker than the other books I have read, and darker, I think, than a lot of their fans will be expecting. But, that is a good thing. And, I love it when authors take a step out of their comfort zones (especially when they have been very successful there) and allow themselves to tell a different story.

Especially when the story they tell works this well. There's so much depth, so much intensity, so much hurt, anger and raw emotion in this story that you are immediately drawn in.

Levi and Ivy do not like one another. Let me repeat, they do not like one another. And, as this is a 3 book trilogy story, this dislike is allowed to breathe, and it is allowed to become something tangible. This makes their attraction more interesting, the time they spend together more intense, and the moments where they feel for one another (during table reads, and disastrous moments on set) jump out even more strongly as they, genuinely, do not like one another.

Until they do. Ivy figures it out way before Levi does, she realizes that there just might be something there. He fights it, he doesn't want to feel anything for the actress bringing to life one of the most painful parts of his past. So he fights it, and her, and his attraction to her...and in this fight, he does some things that end up being incredibly cruel in the light of day...and making the attraction Ivy has for him into something else that is dead and in his past.

But, in this case, he can fix this...and, we will all have to wait until book 2 to see if he manages. Although, I am guessing it is going to be book 3 before they totally sort this out and get the Happily Ever After they deserve...but, no matter how many books this takes, I am along for the ride.

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FALLING UNDER BY LISA RENEE JONES-REVIEW TOUR

ABOUT

A new sexy standalone from Lisa Renee Jones…

Ex-special forces, Jacob King, is a man who keeps to himself, having learned the hard way that letting people close to you, trusting them, might just get you killed. A lesson he learned when members of his Special Ops team turned dirty, while others, men he considered friends, died. He made them pay. He made them hurt. He put them in jail. And so he doesn't trust anyone anymore. He keeps his women hot and fast, his friends few to none, and his clients through the elite Walker Security at a professional distance, but safe.

It works for him. Until it doesn't.

His newest job should be simple and cut and dry. Jewel Carpenter, the daughter of the CEO of Carpenter Enterprises, is receiving death threats. He's to protect her and find out who is issuing the treats.

Simple. Cut and Dry.

Until it's not.

Until the chemistry between he and Jewel is all about love, hate, and sex. But even as he fights the attraction to Jewel and discovers there is more to her than meets the eye, the real threat comes not from the threats she's receiving, but the connection she has to him. Because his past has come full circle, and those men he's made pay for their sins now want him to pay. And what better way than the woman in his bed?

I want to start out by saying that I really like Lisa Renee Jones. Her writing is always, sharp, dynamic and very engaging. For those reasons she's one of the few authors that I'll always one click. So I was looking forward to this book for both the story and because of the author. While not my favorite book from this series, I did like it overall.

If you haven't read a Lisa Renee Jones book before let me tell you something about her characters-they are always strong, stubborn and smart. That was the case in this book as well, but I have to say I just had a bit of a harder time connecting with these two. I'm not sure if it was the back and forth that I felt was a little long or what exactly, but I just never got fully invested in them.

I did like the plot but I think it moved a little slower than previous books. But the book was definitely well written. I like the law enforcement side of things, I liked seeing all of those elements here. This may not have been my favorite in the series but overall I did like it and would recommend it.

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“Just to be clear,” he says, his voice low and rough. “I’m breaking every rule I own with you. I don’t fuck women I’m protecting.”

“You could hand me over to someone else,” I suggest, “and it won’t matter.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he says, his hand sliding under my hair to cup my neck. “We’ll break the rules together.”

“I’m not sure I like how you do ‘together’.”

“I’ll make sure you do,” he promises, his lips slanting over mine, and this time he kisses me like he owns me, like he wants to control me, and like I really am his, like I belong to him, and in this very moment, I can honestly say

I am. I want him, and I can’t get enough of him.

And how can it ever be enough when he’s this damn impossibly hot, and he’s such a damn good kisser. The way he makes me want his mouth on every part of me and the way he makes me want my mouth on every part of him. And so, there it is. I’m his, but I’m going to make damn sure he’s mine, too. I kiss him back as passionately as he’s kissing me. I meet him stroke for stroke, arching into him, telling him I am here and present, and I’m not even close to afraid of him or of this. He doesn’t get to control me. He isn’t making me do this. I control me, and I choose him and this.

Arching into him, his shoulder holster and mine are in the way, and I want them gone. I want him naked. Just to be certain that he knows that’s where I want this to go, my hand presses between us and I stroke the hard line of his shaft. He groans low in his throat, a sexy rough sound that tells me he gets the point. This isn’t his show. It’s ours. It’s us together, or there is no show, with or without our clothes on.

His reaction is to tear his mouth from mine, his lips lingering there though, as if he wants to kiss me again, and just when I would kiss him again, he leans away just enough to shrug out of his jacket. I take one step backward, and do the same with my blazer. I reach down and pull off my boots and he does the same. Next, we disconnect our shoulder holsters, and the truth is, it’s the first time I’ve ever been with a man who is probably more armed than me. That feels significant when it perhaps is not. He’s not a cop. He’s not that kind of career complication. He’s a Green-fucking-Beret, and one hell of a hot one, for that matter.

He sets his weapon on the couch and snags my hand, walking me toward him and taking my holster and weapon as he does. “Just making sure you don’t end up shooting me before this is over,” he says, setting it with his before shackling my hip.

“I told you I’ll wait until after the orgasms.”

“Careful,” he says, a hint of a smile on his lips again. “I might hold that orgasm and you captive.”

“You can try,” I say, but my head isn’t in the game in this moment, and somehow my hand is on his face, right by the almost smile, that seems to have complicated what should be sex, an escape, a way to pull back the emotions that umbrella stirred in me. That smile reminds me that Mr. Robot is his wall, his way to cope with death, with whatever makes him protect Jesse Marks.

He captures my hand. “What are you thinking?”

“That you have on too many clothes,” I say, before I let this go someplace emotional, somewhere that two people like us never want to go.

My hands press under his shirt, but he doesn’t immediately give me what I want. He studies me for several beats and then kisses me hard and fast. Too fast, but I get over it when he pulls his shirt off. He cups my face and kisses me, his hand sliding up my shirt, his touch fire that has me helping him pull my shirt over my head. Letting him drag me to him where he now sits on the couch. I straddle him, my bra somehow gone by the time I’m there. But my hands press to his shoulders, and I hold him at bay. “I will still arrest you if I need to,” I promise. “This doesn’t change that.”

“You aren’t going to arrest me any more than you hate me.” He glances down at my chest, his gaze a hot caress as it rakes over my breasts, my nipples, before his eyes meet mine. “Because you know I’m protecting you.”

I ignore the ache between my thighs. Or I try. “From what? The slayer or the Jesse Marks damage patrol?”

His hand slides between my shoulder blades and he molds my chest to his. “Do you really want to talk about Jesse Marks right now? Because if you ask me questions, I’m going to ask you questions when I’d much rather be inside you, giving you as many reasons as I can not to arrest me. But you pick. Conversation or fucking.”

“Both,” I say, because it’s the truth. I want answers and I want the conversation my emotions are having in my head to shut up. “Fucking first.” I push away from him and stand up, unbuttoning my pants, sliding them down my hips, and he watches me with that unreadable, robot expression that is admittedly sexy as hell. I press my lips to his and that’s all it takes.

We are crazy, hot, kissing, his hands on my breasts, my nipples, my neck. I can’t touch him enough. I can’t feel him enough, can’t get close enough, and that’s new to me. I don’t need anyone the way I feel I need this man. I don’t want to need anyone this much, but it’s too late. At least, right here, right now, I do. He rolls us to our sides, facing one another, the wide cushion of the couch more than holding us and the next kiss isn’t fast and frenzied. It’s long, drugging, and somewhere in the midst of his tongue stroking my tongue, I end up on my back with the heavy weight of him on top of me...

Check out books one and two in the WALKER SECURITY series: Deep Under and Pulled Under are both available now and FREE in the KINDLEUNLIMITED PROGRAM! All three books in the series are standalones.

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STILL BY KENNEDY RYAN-REVIEW TOUR

"Grip is my ultimate...If I was forced, gun-to-the head, to make one book boyfriend real to be mine, it would be him. No questions asked." 

-- Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling Author

STILL, the sexy,emotional final installment of the GRIP series, 

is available NOW!

 

I'll be there. Through thick and thin. Ride or die. You can count on me. The promises people make. The vows we take. Assumptions of the heart. Emotion tells us how we feel, but life...life has a way of plunging us in boiling water, burning away our illusions, testing our faith, trying our convictions. Love floating is a butterfly, but love tested is an anchor. For Grip and Bristol, Love started at the top of the world On a Ferris wheel under the stars But when that love is tested, will they fly or fall?

So sometimes a book comes along that just makes you FEEL.  Still, from Kennedy Ryan, is a book that gave me all the feels.  From the moment I picked up this book I was back in Grip and Bristol's story as if I had never left, but I wasn't prepared for the journey I was about to embark on with them.

This love story is incredible.  It's thought provoking.  I already loved these characters from Grip but this just made me love them all the more.  They GET each other.  They have each other's backs.  They're willing to fight for the love they deserve, they're willing to lay it all out there for each other.  Who wouldn't want that kind of love?

But their story isn't perfect. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows-and that's what I love about this book. It's so incredibly authentic.  When you're reading you HAVE to go through all of these emotions.  There were scenarios I couldn't relate to-but got me thinking in a different way.  The story is so well crafted, so well developed.  There were moments I was grinning like a fool and times I was a sobbing mess.  Am I crier? Sure. Happy tears, sad tears. But this book? My eyes were puffy for days.

As a side note, I collect book boyfriends.  Grip? He's definitely near the top of the list for me.  There's no other place for him!

This isn't a standalone book, you must read Grip before reading this.  If you haven't read that yet go now so you can get to Still.  I promise you won't regret it.  I absolutely recommend this title.

 

“Mmmmm, that looks good.” The comment grabs my attention, and I find myself smiling for the first time since I left Bristol. As she walks toward me, the approaching sunset paints the roof in shadows, but I see her clearly. Dark hair, burnished in places, falls around her shoulders. She has already discarded the dress she wore at lunch today in favor of a T-shirt and nothing else; it’s the one I just tossed into the hamper. She tugs at my HABITUAL LINE STEPPER T-shirt, the hem landing at the top of her thighs. Where the T-shirt stops, my eyes keep going, past the lean muscles of her legs and the cut of her calves, the delicate bones of her ankles and to her bare feet. I love this girl, head to toe. Beyond this gorgeous packaging, it’s everything beneath that makes me beyond grateful she’s mine. The loyalty, the bottomless pit that is her heart, her sense of humor. The toughest girl I know is also the most tender, and I’m so honored I get to see both sides, all her sides. “You out of clean clothes?” I nod to my T-shirt. “You gotta wear my dirty stuff now?” An impish smile tugs at her bare lips. She’s washed away her makeup, and with it, all the sophistication she wraps around herself for her job. Up on this roof in my T-shirt, she’s just my girl. I love her in every iteration, but this is the one only I get to see, so it’s probably my favorite. “I have clean clothes.” She steps close enough for me to smell her scent and mine mingling in the fabric. “I like the way this shirt smells.” I drop a look over her, my eyes resting on the curves of her breasts in the soft cotton, where her nipples have gone taut under my stare. “How does the shirt smell?” I ask, my voice as smoky as the steaks I should be paying attention to. “Like you.” She leans forward until her breasts press into my chest. “It smells like you.” My hands are twitching to touch her, and I finally surrender, slipping under the shirt to grasp her waist, pulling her up the few inches until our lips meet. I’ve been thinking about these steaks all day, and before Bristol arrived, I thought I was starving—but this, what I feel having her in my arms after hours apart, this is starving. It starts in my balls and tunnels up through my chest, infiltrates my heart, and presses its way to my mouth, which is open and devouring in a lips-searching, tongues-dueling kiss. I grip her by the ass, grinding our bodies together until the texture of her skin and mine, the scents of her skin and mine meld into this one panting, voracious thing that never seems to get enough. “You better not burn my steak,” Bristol pants in between kisses. I angle my head to send my tongue deeper into her mouth, holding her still, teasing her until she’s straining up, open and begging when I pull back. “Grip.” My name is a whimpering complaint. She cups my neck and tugs my head back down. “Oh, no.” I resist, laugh, and turn to the grill. “You were so concerned about me burning these steaks, Ms. Medium Rare.” “I am.” She slides her arms around me from behind and I feel a sweet sting, her teeth gently biting my shoulder through my T-shirt. I love it when she bites me, but I’m not giving her that satisfaction yet. “But that doesn’t mean you get to stop kissing me. You have to multitask.” One slim hand slides over my abs and past my belt to cup me through my jeans. Damn. Not sure how long I can keep up this charade that I don’t want to screw her into the wall on the roof where anyone with half a telescope could see. “Wow,” I say, keeping my tone unaffected, though she’s gotta feel me getting longer and harder in her hand. “Somebody’s horny as hell.” She makes a sound that’s half outraged laughter, half indignant grunt before stepping around to stand in front of me by the grill. “I will not be slut-shamed by my own boyfriend.” Amusement lights her eyes, turning them to quicksilver. “Shamed?” I put down the grilling fork I’m using for the steaks and reach for her again. “No shame in being horny for me, baby. I wanna give you a gold star.” Her eyes slide down to the erection poking her in the stomach. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Should we name it?” “Guys who have to name their dicks probably aren’t using ’em right.” “So I ask again . . . should we name it?” I cock a brow and press our hips together. “Are you implying that I don’t know how to use mine? Because that’s not the impression I got this morning when you came so hard you were singing like a bird.” She tilts her head, her eyes wide and considering. “Did you say like a bird?” A small smile plays around her lips. “What made you say that?” “I don’t know.” I give a careless shrug. “Why?” “It’s silly,” she says, rolling her eyes in self-derision. “I was thinking today when I laughed it sounded like . . .” Bristol blushes about once every Halley’s Comet, so the color washing across her cheeks makes me wonder. “What?” I probe. “Your laugh sounded like what?” “Like a happy bird,” she mumbles, peering up at me like I’m going to laugh in her face. Which I do. “Stop laughing at me.” She narrows her eyes in mock warning. “Right.” I dip my head to catch her eyes and tease her. “Because when you tell me you laugh like a happy bird I’m just supposed let you get away with that.” “I’m not telling you things anymore.” She narrows her eyes and folds her arms over her chest. “Yeah, right. I’m your best friend.” I pull her back into me. “You’ll tell me everything like you always do.” “You are, you know.” Her voice softens. “My best friend, I mean.” When she looks at me like this, her eyes stripped of every defense, no guard in sight, completely honest and open and vulnerable, I feel slightly invincible. It’s a trick of the heart, I know, but I can’t help but think that as long as she looks at me like this, there isn’t anything I couldn’t survive, that our love is the stuff of legends, rolled in Teflon, disaster-proof. I’m as fanciful as Bristol, my laughing bird. “You’re mine, too,” I echo her sentiment. “My best friend.” “I won’t tell Rhyson,” she promises with a grin. “I’m pretty sure he spits the same line to Kai.” I keep a straight face. “We have to say that shit to get laid.” “I hate you.” “Orrrrrrrrr do you love me and want to blow me after dinner?” I shrug and lift my hands, my palms up. “Just saying. Listen to your heart, Bristol. Listen to your heart.” “I’m listening to my belly right now, smartass, and it’s growling. Feed me.” “Like my mama used to say, ain’t no freeloaders in this house. What’ll you give me for feeding you?” “Um . . .” “I do have a suggestion, if you’re searching.” “Let me guess—you have a ‘Will fuck for food’ sign up here somewhere?” “I used bubble letters.” I laugh and give her ass a light smack. “You can barter that booty.” It’s so damn easy with Bristol—our banter, the chemistry, the perfect rhythm of our conversation. It was one of the first things I noticed when we met all those years ago. We didn’t read each other’s minds or finish each other’s sentences. It wasn’t cosmic, but it was a connection that seized me by the brain and grabbed me by the balls. She was as smart as she was sexy, as curious as she was forthcoming. There were years in between when we made things complicated, when things were strained, but now with our hearts settled on each other for good, it’s simple. This. Her. Us.

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About Kennedy:

Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

  

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READY TO RUN BY LAUREN LAYNE-REVIEW TOUR

Named Best Book of the Month by Amazon and iBooks

READY TO RUN

I Do, I Don't #1

Lauren Layne

Releasing Aug 22, 2017

Loveswept

The Bachelor meets The Runaway Bride in this addictive romance novel about a reality TV producer falling for her would-be star: a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.

Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the perfect candidate for Jilted, a new dating show about runaway grooms: Luke Elliott, a playboy firefighter who’s left not one but three brides at the altar. The only problem? Luke refuses to answer Jordan’s emails or return her calls. Which is how she ends up on a flight to Montana to recruit him in person. It’s not Manhattan but at least the locals in Lucky Hollow seem friendly . . . except for Luke, who’s more intense—and way hotter—than the slick womanizer Jordan expected.

Eager to put the past behind him, Luke has zero intention of following this gorgeous, fast-talking city girl back to New York. But before he can send her packing, Jordan’s everywhere: at his favorite bar, the county fair, even his exes’ book club. Annoyingly, everyone in Lucky Hollow seems to like her—and deep down, she’s starting to grow on him too. But the more he fights her constant pestering, the more Luke finds himself wishing that Jordan would kick off her high heels and make herself comfortable in his arms.

NOW AVAILABLE!

I keep thinking it is going to happen, that one of these days Lauren Layne is going to write a book that I don't love. Maybe a character I don't connect with, or a setting that I don't connect with. A pet I find irritating. Something.

Well, this was most certainly NOT that book. And, really, I don't actually think this is going to happen. if you have read Lauren Layne before, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you haven't, what are you waiting for?

I loved this title. The premise, so new and it felt different. The idea of a fireman who had jilted numerous brides (or had he???) and the television producer who thinks that it is impossible to believe that someone wouldn't want the opportunity to be a part, the central figure, of a reality tv series.

Jordan and Luke have intense, and instant chemistry, but their lives are so different it is difficult for them to see why they would ever be able to work out. Even if Jordan were to give up on the idea of Luke being a part of the show, she is a New Yorker, and one who left small town life, intentionally. For reasons that, I think, would result in a lot of us doing the exact same thing.

Luke is small town, but in a good way. In the way that there are people who lie in small towns because they like knowing everyone, and being a part of the closeness that only exists in a small town. Working as a fireman in this town is a way of life for him, it is protecting the town, and the people in the town, and it is what makes him who he is. Luke protects the people that he loves, whether it is leaving the am of a wedding, pulling them (and the occasional cat) out of a burning building, or keeping their secrets, even at a cost to himself.

Layne almost makes living in a small town sound good. And, as someone who understands where Jordan is coming from (I grew up in a smaller town and there is no way, none, that I can see myself going back for longer than a visit) this was quite a trick.

You like Jordan. She isn't selfish, and she isn't really looking to exploit Luke, she is just convinced there is a story there, in the idea of someone who has left not one, not 2, but 3 brides...on the day of their wedding. And, she is right, there is a story. It just isn't what she was expecting. I am not going to say what it is here, but I am going to say that it works. It feels real, and that it would compel the people involved to act in the ways they do...and really, that is what matters in a book, that you can believe that the people in the story are acting the way real people would. As long as this is an element, you can make just about any story work.

Neither was falling in love with Luke. But, that happened too. And, the way it is resolved, and the inclusion of the stories of the people in the town as the "what happened" around those weddings starts to become clear, well, you fall in love with Luke right along with Jordan.

Go read this one. You will be glad you did.

I recommend this title and I can't wait to read the next one.

I have to admit reality TV shows about love are just not my thing. Lauren Layne writing about them? Definitely my thing. Ready to Run is the first book in a new sexy, sweet and fun series from Lauren Layne and I absolutely loved it. It's full of the heart and wittiness I've come to expect from this author.

I adored Jordan. She's determined, focused and just plain fun. She had me laughing with how she handled Luke initially. I loved how she carried herself throughout the book. She's on a journey that she wasn't prepared for-not just for work, but emotionally as well, and the way the author weaves all of that together is fantastic. This is a character I want to hang out with, even if it means becoming running buddies...and I hate running.

Luke had me swooning. Hot, sexy, and a fireman to boot? He's guarded which just made me want to peek inside him to see what made him tick. He positively stole my heart and is one of my favorites heroes from this author.

There's an undeniable chemistry between these two characters. There's a spark, like two pieces of flint rubbing together, and once the inevitable fire starts? It's safe to say I thought my kindle would melt in some spots. The connection that is formed between these two is sweet and special.

I love the secondary characters in this book. Luke's firefighting friends had me cracking up. I loved how these people added to how Luke's story, I loved how they encouraged Jordan to push him. This is one small town where I'd love to go visit.

The pacing in this book was spot on. I never felt rushed nor did I feel the story lagged anywhere. It simply flowed from start to finish. The writing is sharp and fun. I thought this was a fresh look at a reality show based romance...because it's about more than the show. You become invested in these characters and their lives. I didn't want this story to end.

Lauren Layne has another hit on her hands with Ready to Run-and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. I recommend this book.

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in 2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she's written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAY, New York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.

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REVENGE BY LEXI BLAKE-REVIEW TOUR

   

  

Passion and danger collide in the latest contemporary romance featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake. When Drew Lawless discovers a fatal flaw in his plan to avenge his parents’ deaths, he turns to the one woman he promised he wouldn't touch. He offers her a deal, one that will bring her into his investigation, his life, and his bed. Investigative reporter Shelby Gates never dreamed how twisted the case would become—or how fascinated she would be with Drew. Every day they spend together binds them. And every night brings her closer to realizing he might be the man for her. As Drew's feelings for Shelby grow, so does the danger. From the streets of Dallas to Austin’s high-tech business world, Drew and Shelby play a game begun twenty years before—a game they will win, or die trying.  

 Amazon: http://amzn.to/2etd4xJ 

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 Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rgrK98
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The more I read of this series, the more fun they are as you start to have an idea what happened, and the reasons behind the cover up and the lies of the events of their childhood.

Drew and Shelby start as a contract, as a way for her to investigate the situation without arousing suspicion. At least that is what Drew tells himself, and her. The reader quickly discovers that Drew wants something real with Shelby, he just has absolutely no idea how to achieve it. And, this is the interesting part of the story, as each of them are drawn to the other, and come to love one another, but their personalities and the things they need from one another are fighting against what they need to be happy.

It gets a little convoluted in the middle and a little tough to follow all of the players and all of the plots, although I am not sure the story is possible to be told without it.

I also had a small issue with something that was thought a lot but not verbalized. While as reader I knew what they were each thinking, it also needs to be something I know the characters are sure of. And, in this case, the lack of the verbalization (after a comment that it hadn't been) was an issue. I know this is vague, and I am trying not to put something into the mind of someone that may have not been a previous issue.

I think I just made that more, not less, confusing.

This is not a standalone, at least I don't think it is, as there is no way you will have enough of an idea of the characters and the past events for it to really make sense. I guess you could read it as a standalone, maybe, but I think there are parts that will be too confusing.

Kind of like this review. Trying to be vague, without spoilers and still get my opinion into words was not easy. I enjoyed the book. I liked Drew. He is the most compelling of the Lawless family as he is the one who sort of took on the leadership of the family and the responsibility of keeping them together. Watching him figure out how to balance that while falling in love with Shelby was a fun ride.

I thought Drew was a little more developed in this case than Shelby, but I also think this is because of the previous books. He is not a completely new character at the beginning of this book, and she is...so I think some of the seeming imbalance came from that.

I do recommend this title.

 

 

   

   

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

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