August 28, 2018

BIG TALKING MAN BY MARQUITA VALENTINE - RELEASE BLITZ

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Kings of Castle Beach #2 

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Growing up, Tate Prescott was just my older brother’s best friend, but over the years he became my first love… and my biggest secret.

Yes, you read that right...Tate Prescott, The Tate Prescott, Hollywood Superstar and now the most sought after movie director in the industry is mine. We’ve hidden our relationship from the world for so long that it’s become second nature. The last thing we wanted was a media frenzy to rain down on us.

But after my little brother drowned at sea and I became wrapped up in the guilt of knowing that his death was my fault, I shut down… and Tate left when I needed him the most.

Four months have passed since then, and now Tate’s back in town, demanding that I give him thirty days to make our relationship work.

All I want is to forget about the mistake we made the weekend my brother died.

Only Tate’s not so easily deterred and he’s not just some big talking man from Hollywood—he’s my husband, and he wants a second chance to prove to me that he can win back my heart.

I still want him. I still love him. But can I forgive him for abandoning me?

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About the Author:
Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs and Boys of the South series.
Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self publish, Marquita Valentine has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She's been called "one of the best new voices in romance" (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being "a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read" (The Book Queen).
When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.

Connect with Marquita:
GoodReads: https://goo.gl/n84vKD 

August 27, 2018

THE DUKE OF SEDUCTION BY DARCY BURKE - BLOG TOUR

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Burke, Darcy- The Duke of Seduction (final) 800 px @ 300 dpi high res

Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if—and only if—she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems imminent.

William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice…



DUKE OF SEDUCTION_AVAILABLE NOW

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The room wasn’t overly large, and it was—seemingly—empty. It also wasn’t terribly well lit, with a low fire burning in the grate and a pair of sconces flickering on the wall on either side of the fireplace. She was either beneath the desk or behind the curtain. He couldn’t see the underside of the desk from the door. It wasn’t a pedestal as Lord Evenrude’s had been. Circling around, he saw no one hiding there. That left the draperies on the window. He moved to the far wall and instantly noted the slight lump behind the blue damask. Moving forward, he reached for the fabric but hesitated before he pushed it aside. What if it wasn’t her? The fabric moved, and she bared her face. “You found me.” Her dark gaze registered surprise. “Oh, it’s you!” “It’s me.” “Are you still looking for a place to hide?” “I am.” She reached for his lapel and held the drapery wide, pulling him into the darkness beside her. “He’ll be done counting shortly. If he isn’t already.” “I should probably hide somewhere else,” he said, though he was loath to move. Ensconced in the dark with Lavinia, he was acutely aware of her heat and the intoxicating scent of lilies and honeysuckle. “Yes, I suppose you should.” She turned toward him, and they were so close, her breasts brushed against his chest. “Sorry,” she murmured. God, he wasn’t. He was only sorry he had to leave. “Before you go, I wanted to thank you again for the fossils.” She whispered, her breath tickling his neck as she spoke. “I can’t stop looking at them. They’re absolutely extraordinary. I hope I have reason to visit Devon one day so I can hunt for my own.” “I hope you do too. Consider yourself welcome at Waverly Court any time.” “That’s very kind of you.” He heard the smile in her voice and resisted the urge to run his fingers over her mouth so he could feel the curve of her lips. He really should go— But first, he wanted to ask her something. “Do you know the Duchess of Kendal?” “Yes, but not well. Fanny’s sister is a good friend of hers. Why?” Why indeed. Beck wanted to enlist Lavinia’s help to see if the Duchess might be able to help him learn who SW and DC might be. However, if the Duchess had been part of a scandal, she might prefer to leave those memories in the past. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure he should include Lavinia in any of this. And yet, he found he simply couldn’t resist. “Do you know what happened with the Duchess when she was out in Society—maybe sixteen years ago? The Duke mentioned something, and I was curious. Because my sister was out at the same time.” He added the last because he felt he had to share a reason for his inquiry. Still, he hated bringing Helen up since he didn’t want to answer too many questions about her, particularly regarding her fate. “She was compromised. A gentleman—I can’t remember who—wooed her. They were caught kissing, and he refused to marry her. She was ruined. It was horrible because it wasn’t even her fault. It’s so unfair. Men can kiss whomever they want, and women are blamed for any indiscretion.” “The key is to not get caught. It sounds as though this gentleman was rather inept.” “Are you saying it was his fault?” She sounded surprised. “Most would argue they were at least both to blame.” “Certainly she retains some culpability, but a decent gentleman would ensure they could kiss and not get caught.” “And how would they do that?” Something in her tone changed. Her voice lowered, and it felt as though she’d moved just a hair closer. If he leaned just a tiny bit forward, he was sure he’d feel her breasts again. God, how he wanted to. “They might hide themselves behind a drapery in the library.” “During hide-and-seek?” Beck’s cock lengthened and grew stiff as the air around them heated. “Probably not. In that case, someone is actually looking to find them.” “And yet here we are.” Her voice had changed again, going nearly breathless. “Yes, here we are.” “Are you going to, then?” she asked, her breasts grazing his chest as she edged herself against him. “Kiss me.” “By God, I think I am.” “Oh, good.”


About Darcy:

740B2310 DarcyDarcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing 
gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.




Connect with Darcy:

August 26, 2018

UNDER CONTROL BY SHANNON STACEY - ARC REVIEW

When faced with the opportunity to change shifts while staying in the same house, veteran firefighter Derek Gilman jumps at the chance. His new schedule means not working Saturdays, which means more time to spend with his two kids. His divorce may have been amicable, but being a firefighter and a single dad is a lot to juggle. And when fate brings a gorgeous, wealthy woman into his life, he’s pretty sure he can’t handle more than he already is.


Olivia McGovern loves plans. She planned to start her own business and planned its growth. It’s earning her seven figures now, but her personal life simply doesn’t exist. Getting trapped in a broken elevator figures in exactly nowhere, and freaking out in front of a sexy firefighter definitely isn’t on the agenda. Especially not one with two kids and an ex.

What would have been a random incident with an attractive stranger becomes something more when a charity event brings them back together. They’re from different sides of the tracks, literally—with friends, family and careers to consider. But as Derek and Olivia are discovering, chemistry doesn’t allow for plans, and love doesn’t bother with logistics.


Derek and Olivia meet when they are trapped in an elevator together. They make it work for them...I can't say anyone who is trapped in an elevator with me will still want anything to do with me by the time we are freed....but that is not the point.

Olivia has a plan. For everything. Ever. And, it's written down, as it's not an official plan until it's written down.

Derek, well, he has kids. So, less of a plan and more of a list of things he hopes work out on his days off and while the kids are in school or with their mother.

These are not people who should work. Their attraction shouldn't be one they are unable to forget, it shouldn't keep them awake at night thinking of the other, knowing that they won't ever see one another again. Until they do, at a meeting for a charity Derek is involved with and Olivia has just started volunteering for.

Sparks fly (I had to make at least one fire reference, I just had to) and the relationship moves more quickly than either of them planned. Well, Olivia planned it, as she schedules EVERYTHING.

But, their lives don't work well together. He has kids, she lives in the city. He can't afford to live where she does, and won't allow her to pay for their home. So, where do they go from this point?

In life, and in a romance novel, things happen that reset your expectations. And, when those expectations change, you find yourself a little more open to the things you thought would never work but are so worth it when you manage to figure out a way to balance everything.

I thought the balance of the story, the 2 people coming together, and wanting to be together, and being willing to figure out what needed to be done felt authentic. And, for me to be willing to believe in the happily ever after for the characters, I need to believe in the connection being stronger than anything struggling to pull them apart. I believed it here.

I recommend this story.

THE GOVERNESS GAME BY TESSA DARE - ARC REVIEW


He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess.

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart... without risking her own.

The infamous rake.

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling... and he’s in danger of falling, hard.



This is my first title by Tessa Dare, and I can definitely say it won't be my last.

There are a whole bunch of ways to deal with the forced propriety that keeps the hero and heroine in a historical romance from spending a lot of alone time together.  Some of them work well, and others of them feel like complete filler.  I have mentioned before, and I am mentioning here again, that this is a difficult balance, as often there are societal constraints that keep the couple from spending a lot of time alone, and this is one of the hurdles you have to work around in order for the romance to be fulfilling, yet still feel that it is set in a historical time period.

In this case, Alexandra and Chase have a bit of a mistaken identity issue.  She is not the governess he so desperately needs to help him care for the 2 young girls who have come to him as ward of his estate.  Alexandra is not, however, a governess and refuses his offer, no matter how much money he states he is willing to pay.  Following a series of mishaps, she finds herself back at his door and accepting, albeit reluctantly, the position of governess.

Hilarity, mishaps, funerals for dolls (which were really quite clever) and sexual attraction ensue.  And, in the middle of all of this, I found myself charmed by all of the characters.  

While I do see the need for them in the story, I did think that the children were featured a little too strongly and often pulled away from the central story.  That said, in a historical romance, you have to be careful to make sure there is enough plot...as there is not always the possibility of a lot of romance.

I did enjoy this title, I recommend it, and I will be reading others by this author.





ACE OF HEARTS BY CHANTAL FERNANDO - REVIEW

The New York Times bestselling author of the “swoonworthy and addicting” (Kim Karr, New York Times bestselling author) Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series is back with more bad boy bikers in this first novel in the Cursed Ravens Motorcycle Club series.

Erin Dawson had the perfect life growing up in a perfect home with a perfect family. Her parents gave her and her sister everything a child could want. But after learning that the man she’s called “dad” her whole life isn’t actually her biological father, Erin is determined to find the man who is.

Armed with her original birth certificate, she finds her father, but begins questioning if her mom had been right all along to keep this information buried. It turns out he is the president of a motorcycle club, which could not be further from the life Erin leads. But, she’s determined to get to know the man who she gets her striking blue eyes from. Despite getting what she wants and finding her biological father, it’s the slightly older, much rougher but incredibly sexy biker Ace that catches Erin’s eye.

As the new “princess” of the Cursed Ravens, Erin is learning a whole new world, but her father has made it clear she is off limits. Will Ace follow his President’s orders or will he put his heart ahead of his duty? A sizzling tale of family and passion, Ace of Hearts features Fernando’s signature “snark and sass” (Booklist) and is perfect for fans of Kristin Ashley.


Growing up, Erin thought she had a pretty ideal life.  Until, that is, she discovers she's actually adopter, and that the man she thinks of as her father is actually her step father.

Her real father, however, is a bit of a mystery and after a little digging around, she discovers he is the president of a motorcycle club.  One of the tough, hard living, clubs parents warn you to stay away from kind of MC...although I am not sure there are any other kind?  No way this can go well, and I admit I was immediately interested in how this was going to go.  Erin, as most of us would, found herself faced with a completely foreign world and a father who lives a life she has nothing in common with.  The idea of a complete innocent walking into an MC isn't new...but the idea of that complete innocent being welcome because of her connection to one of the members felt like a different take on the MC trope.

Ace, after the surprise of Erin showing up wears off, is tasked with watching out for her, and keeping her safe.  Of course, there is an attraction between them, and it is complicated by the fact that she is the daughter of the president of the club and Ace is a member.

There's an element of the forbidden beyond the MC aspect of this that made it fun, however there was a lot of time spent developing the other characters who will be featured in other stories, so this one left me wanting a little bit more of Ace and Erin.  However, overall I did enjoy this title and I do recommend it.