Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Cover Reveal for ALL I WANT, an anthology by 9 HOT authors who will make it even HOTTER this winter

ALL I WANT
an Anthology featuring stories
by J.M Darhower, L.P. Dover, 
Jennifer Foor, HJ Harley,
BJ Harvey, Heidi McLaughlin,
K.A. Robinson, S.L. Scott,
and Tijan

Releasing December 13, 2014


SNOWFLAKES & FIRE ESCAPES by J.M Darhower
Cody Moran and Gracie Callaghan wanted nothing more than to escape the life they'd been born into, but it's the kind of life that doesn't like to let go. A story of love and heartache spanning the streets of Hell's Kitchen to far, far away, where it doesn't snow.

WINTER KISS: Ryley and Ash by L.P. Dover
Now that his time for revenge is over, Ryley wants to make the season special for the woman he loves. Not only will you hear the sound of Christmas bells during the holiday, but maybe another type of bell followed by the pitter patter of little feet.

A MERRY MITCHELL AFFAIR by Jennifer Foor
Come join the entire Mitchell clan for a very merry Christmas and a surprise wedding.

HIT OR MISTLETOE by HJ Harley
London and her twin brother Trent are headed home for the holidays. This year Trent has brought home his hockey teammate and friend Pratt Montgomery. Who if wasn’t for Trent, would have spent them alone. London is convinced Pratt is just another beer drinking jock, until she sees a completely different side of him when he opens up to her.

STRANDED by BJ Harvey
Stranded in Chicago just two days before the holidays, Porter Daniels and Harlow Wilson have to clear the air. Can they finally stop circling each other and get what they really want for Christmas?

12 DAYS OF FOREVER, a Beaumont novella by Heidi McLaughlin
The Christmas trees are trimmed and the bells are ringing. For one lucky couple in Beaumont, Christmas has a whole new meaning.

ADAM, a Torn series novella by K.A. Robinson
In Tamed, you heard Amber's side of the story. Now, it's Adam's turn. What happened after Tamed? What was going through Adam's mind in key scenes of Tamed? It's time Adam had his say.

LOST IN TRANSLATION by S. L. Scott
When two opposites attract in Paris, can the language of love bring them together or will they be Lost in Translation?

FIGHTER by Tijan
Jax Cutler is one bail jumper Dale doesn't want to help her family catch, but he soon becomes the one she can't let go.


ALL I WANT, an anthology by J.M Darhower, L.P. Dover, Jennifer Foor, HJ Harley, BJ Harvey, Heidi McLaughlin, K.A. Robinson, S.L. Scott, and Tijan – releasing December 13, 2014 in ebook formats.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Unwrapping a Review of LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE, a Holiday for Romance novella by Peggy Bird

The Holiday for Romance series by Peggy Bird from Crimson Romance is so much fun and so full of delights that I eagerly look forward to each one as it releases. So it goes with Peggy’s newest – LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE – a delightful all inclusive holiday adventure that will leave you feeling the spirit and it’s available now!

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE:

Ah, the holidays. David Shay can’t get enough of the December festivities. He especially enjoys sharing his love of the season with the underprivileged children at his non-profit organization SafePlace for Children and Parents. Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. As manager of a large retail store, she’s seen first-hand how the rampant commercialism of the holiday can bring out the worst in people.

When David’s organization is the charity Hannah’s boss picks for their annual donation, it falls on her to organize a huge holiday party, whether she likes it or not.

Can a nice Jewish boy—with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party—teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year’s Eve kiss to remember?


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With Black Friday upon her, Hannah Jenkins is not in the holiday mood this year, but then that seems to be usual for her. Every year, she loses more and more of the Christmas spirit to seeing the commercialism of the season take over. Working retail confirms her belief that the holidays bring out the worst in people not the best, but then her faith in people’s goodness during the holidays began to fade in her youth. So when her assistant manager goes on maternity leave early and her boss informs her the office Christmas party is going to involve a local charity, she’s definitely not in the mood – especially since the charity liaison is a sexy man named David Shay who is far too full of holiday cheer. When he challenges her that he can help her rediscover the true meaning of the holidays and if he wins, she has to kiss him on New Year’s Eve, she takes the bet confident he’ll never win.

LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE by Peggy Bird is a blend of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens mixed with every holiday movie you’ve ever enjoyed along with that good feeling, which makes you eager to hear Christmas music playing everywhere. This novella made me smile, laugh on occasion, and even melted this old Scrooge heart a bit. It’s been difficult for me to catch any holiday cheer the past few years because of personal reasons but after reading LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE, even this doubting Thomasina is looking forward to whatever kind of magic the holiday season might bring. I forgot that I’ve seen the good this season can bring to so many people, and even to a little girl who once asked for something she’d been told she couldn’t have, yet Santa made happena anyway. Yes, my darlings, there is a Santa Claus – he lives in the spirit of giving and sharing with a little magical luck thrown in.

So, grab yourself a copy of LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE, a Holiday for Romance novella by Peggy Bird and get that magical feeling. It is that time of year after all. I highly recommend this novella to everyone who loves a good holiday story and believes even the smallest miracles are possible in the season of LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE. You'll fall in love with it too.

Happy Reading Everyone!

LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE, a Holiday for Romance novella by Peggy Bird, Crimson Romance, available now in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Special Guest Review: Lisa Lin's Review of NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER by Sarah MacLean

Today, I have a guest review for you by one of my Avon Addict sisters, Lisa Lin. The review is for NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER, book four of the Rules of Scoundrels series by Sarah MacLean releasing tomorrow, November 25, 2014 from Avon Romance. I hope you enjoy her review as much as I do.

***eARC provided to reviewer by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER:

She is the most powerful woman in Britain,
A queen of the London Underworld ...
But no one can ever know.

He is the only man smart enough to uncover the truth,
Putting all she has at risk . . .
Including her heart.


The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s incredible Rule of Scoundrels/Fallen Angels series. These four dark heroes will steal the hearts of their heroines, and the readers alike! This is the last in the Rules of Scoundrels series—Chase’s story

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a Duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking—in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered . . . until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear . . . including her heart.

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Review by Lisa Lin:

I first discovered Sarah MacLean and her books shortly after the release of her debut romance, NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE. I had the good fortune to attend Lady Jane’s Salon where Sarah was one of the guest authors. I heard her read and was immediately sold. I bought the book right then and there, and have been a Sarah MacLean fan ever since. Her writing is captivating, clever, and irresistible.

Throughout the entire Rules of Scoundrels series, we get intriguing glimpses into Chase, the mysterious all-powerful founder and leader of The Fallen Angel. At the end of NO GOOD DUKE GOES UNPUNISHED, readers were hit with the bombshell that Chase was a woman. Not only was Chase a woman, she was Georgiana Pearson, the sister of the Duke of Leighton whom we met in Sarah’s previous Love by Numbers Series. Once I found that out, I knew I had to get my hands on this book, NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER, as soon as humanly possible.

The Rules of Scoundrels series tells the story of the four owners of The Fallen Angel, an infamous gaming hell/casino set in Regency England. Each book opens with the story of the owner’s fall from grace. In NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER, we get the story of how Georgiana came to be disgraced and shunned from the ton – she conceived a child out of wedlock. Being the object of ridicule and scorn made Georgiana strong and determined to prove herself unbreakable against those who wanted to tear her down merely because of her one indiscretion. Towards that end, she opens a gaming hell with the other Fallen Angels, and collects all of the scandalous secrets of the ton in the process. By using those secrets as leverage, Georgiana shows that she has more power than all of them combined. In fact, it is by using these secrets that Georgiana plans to find a groom who will give her and Caroline the respectability and security she’s looking for.

I really loved Georgiana. I admire her strength and fortitude in building a new life for herself, and what a loving mother she is to Caroline. She has come a long way from the scared and lost young girl we first met in TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD. As Chase, she has London at her beck and call, except she must keep her double life a secret if she is to continue to survive, reign, and maintain her power. One of my favorite aspects of this book is how Sarah expertly illustrates the transient nature of power, and how destructive secrets can be. Due to her past, Georgiana is determined to have control over her own destiny, to be beholden to no one, and to never feel hopeless or powerless again. But having secrets and constantly living your life in the shadows with a fear of discovery is not real power or real freedom at all. Secrets isolate you, and make you unable to trust or be vulnerable. Only by trusting and being truthful with herself, and those she loves, and by stepping into the light, does Georgiana finally find the peace, love, and happiness she has been seeking.

Duncan West is a man with secrets and demons of his own. A powerful and popular newspaperman who can swing public opinion with a headline, he offers Georgiana his assistance in restoring her reputation and landing a respectable husband. Soon, he is fascinated by the alluring Georgiana, and becomes desperate to make her his. But due to secrets from his past, and a dangerous man who threatens his very life and livelihood, he is sure that a future with Georgiana is impossible. I really fell in love with Duncan as a hero. He is sexy, charming, brave, protective, smart, and extremely handsome. I loved how wonderful he was with his sister Cynthia, and with Caroline. Sarah does a great job of showing his great strength of character and substance beneath his exterior of the successful wealthy businessman.

The relationship between Georgiana and Duncan is truly wonderful. There is an instant connection, and attraction between them, which immediately draws the reader in. These are two people who recognize and understand each other in a way that is both enthralling and scary. Indeed, the strength of what they feel for each other makes Georgiana and Duncan put walls up to protect themselves. The tug back and forth between them plays out beautifully like an intricate dance. I found the way Sarah gradually had Duncan and Georgiana lower their guards, trust in each other, fight for each other, and their future lovely, and the epitome of what love and the romance genre is all about.

NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER is not just Duncan and Georgiana’s love story. This book is also a powerful testimony to the fierce and all-encompassing might of a mother’s love. Georgiana’s determination to protect and provide Caroline with a life of opportunity untainted by her scandal is a perfect example of the lengths a mother will go to ensure her child is happy, healthy, and safe. Similarly, Duncan’s mother was also forced to make terrible, heartbreaking sacrifices and decisions for the sake of her children.

NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER is the fourth and final book in Sarah MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series. While it is not necessary to read the three previous books, I highly recommend reading the series in order to get a better and richer understanding of what happens in this book. I loved the cameos from the previous couples in the series, and how they rallied around Chase/Georgiana.

I cannot recommend NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER by Sarah MacLean highly enough. This book is Sarah writing at the top of her game, with an emotionally gripping story and characters that will stay with the reader long after they get to The End. It is a satisfying ending to the series, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next from Sarah!

Happy Reading Everyone!

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Lisa Lin is as addicted to romance novels just as I am, it’s one of the reasons she is such an important asset to the Avon Addicts super reader group for Avon Romance. She joined the Avon Addicts with the third group and quickly proved her worth by joining in discussions, and sharing all things Avon. She’s fanatic about Tessa Dare, her absolute favorite romance author, and her books, but opens her heart and her reading time to the rest of the romance community as well. She contributes greatly to discussions and events held for the authors and I call her a good friend.

Thank you, Lisa for a wonderful review and you’re always welcome at Unwrapping Romance to share your thoughts and opinions.

NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER, a Rules of Scoundrels novel by Sarah MacLean, Avon Romance, releasing November 25, 2014 in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes &Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Cover Reveal for RINGING IN LOVE, A Holiday For Romance novel by Peggy Bird

RINGING IN LOVE
A Holiday For Romance novel
by Peggy Bird

Coming December 29, 2014 from Crimson Romance

With a business to grow and a teenaged son to raise, Catherine Bennett doesn’t have time for a social life. Even if it is the holiday season. Besides, after her ex’s betrayal, she's not willing to open up her heart again. But when she leases office space in Dominic Russo’s building, she can’t keep her mind—or her eyes—off her new landlord. Only problem is he happens to be a known womanizer…and her professional rival.

Unfortunately, for Dominic, Philadelphia’s most eligible bachelor is definitely experiencing a dry spell. He hasn’t dated in months, contrary to the rumors, yet convincing career-minded Catherine that there’s more to him than his reputation will be a challenge. Since she’s determined to focus on work, he offers her an irresistible chance at winning a huge contract if she partners with his company.

Can he show Catherine that mixing business with pleasure wouldn’t be such a bad idea this New Year’s Eve?

*                  *                  *                  *                  *


About the Author:
A message from Peggy,

Born in Philly, raised in the suburbs, I moved to the Northwest as an adult and, other than a year in England and a couple years in Montana, have happily lived here ever since.
My work life has been more complicated. I was a nurse, political staffer, lobbyist, association executive, and community affairs consultant before I followed my passions to writing and art glass. Not as much money but a whole lot more fun.
In 2012, my life changed dramatically when several of the books I'd started out writing as mysteries were contracted for publication by Crimson Romance. Since June of that year, I've had six books in the Second Chances series released as ebooks and trade paperbacks, and a second series, A Holiday for Romance, begun.
Some of the characters in my books share my love of glass art--there's a gallery owner and a kiln-formed glass artist, a glass jewelry artist who has better luck making perfect beads than I do and, in the first Holiday for Romance book, a glass blower. It's an enjoyable way to share my love for glass art through my other love, writing.
All of the books take place primarily in the Pacific Northwest where I live but sometimes Philly, where I grew up, slips in. It's easy writing romances in such a beautiful setting!
I love to hear from readers so feel free to visit my website, and follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.  

Be sure to check out all of Peggy's fabulous romances. 
Releasing on November 24, 2014 is Peggy’s LIGHTS, LATKES, AND LOVE, a Holiday For Romance novella which I’m going to be reviewing it right here on release day so stay tuned for that one. Her Holiday For Romance series has been an absolute delight so far, so I doubt we’ll be disappointed with Christmas and New Year’s treats.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Unwrapping a Review of HARD TO COME BY, book 3 in the Hard Ink Series by Laura Kaye

I love the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye and it honestly saddens me to think it will be ending eventually but in the meantime, we now get to enjoy getting to know Marz a bit better in HARD TO COME BY. If you haven’t read any of this amazing series…why not?

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for HARD TO COME BY:

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…

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Derek ‘Marz’ DiMarzio is lonely. He’s envious of his friends who even under the adverse conditions, which they are all living right now, have managed to find love. He spends his days, and many nights, staring at a computer screen trying to solve the puzzle of what’s on the chip found in Becca’s bear, and what the code on her bracelet might mean to them and how it might help clear the team’s name. Losing part of his leg during the ambush that changed all of their lives was hard enough, but not having anyone to care about him was much worse.

Emilie Garza is worried about her brother. His behavior is erratic, and completely opposite of the Manny she leaned on so many times throughout her life. He frightens her and she knows she must do something to help him before he harms himself, or someone else. Climbing out of the mess left behind after a divorce was hard enough while leaning on him, but now she feels like she has no one. Then along comes a man who makes her laugh, makes her forget the horrors of her screwed up life, sadness at work, and worry over her brother until she discovers this amazing man is using her to get to her brother. Why did Derek have to be so sexy, amazing, and able to steal her heart so easily?

Laura Kay writes the most amazing, three-dimensional, engaging, sexy, and likable characters I’ve ever read. The interactions between the members of the Hark Ink clan never bore me or distract me from the romance, but rather endear me even further to these extraordinary guys and gals. Never is this more evident or true than in HARD TO COME BY, book three of the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye.

Marz is one of the sweetest, most alive, and most endearing of the tough guy members of the Hard Ink crew. He also carries the most scars from as far back as his childhood to the prosthetic leg he wears as a reminder of all he lost in the ambush, which left seven members of their Special Forces unit dead, and the rest injured and now fighting to regain their honor. Emilie is caring, respectful, and a perfect match for Marz. Their steamy sex scenes come close to setting the pages on fire. I might have seen a bit of smoke coming off my reader...

Laura touches on postwar effects on our veterans with love, respect, and admiration. Combine that with the romance she creates mingled with danger, action, and some hard times, and it's easy for me to recommend highly everyone read HARD TO COME BY by Laura Kaye. Well, make sure you read the rest of the series too, because this is an ongoing story and although you can pretty much pick up any of them and be okay, truly to understand the Hard Ink men and women, you need to read from the start. I hope Beckett is getting his story next – Katharine would be a great match.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HARD TO COME BY, a Hard Ink novel by Laura Kaye, Avon Romance, release date – November 25, 2014, to be available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Monday, November 10, 2014

Unwrapping a Review of AT THE BILLIONAIRE'S WEDDING, an anthology by Miranda Neville, Caroline Linden, Katharine Ashe, and Maya Rodale

Everyone loves a wedding and when the wedding is the biggest thing to happen and stars the lovely Jane Sparks and her handsome billionaire, Duke Austen, everyone is going to want an invitation. So what happens when four of the most talented romance authors get us inside the action and a front row seat to the event of the year? We get to attend a week-long celebration where all kinds of things might happen – AT THE BILLIONAIRE’S WEDDING by Miranda Neville, Caroline Linden, Katharine Ashe, and Maya Rodale – the best wedding ever!

***eARC provided by authors in exchange for an honest and unscripted review – thank you, my darlings.  

AT THE BILLIONAIRE’S WEDDING:

A stately home in the English countryside seems the ideal place for a bad boy billionaire and his bride to tie the knot. Until the Internet fails. And the oven breaks. And paparazzi invade. And police crash the bachelorette party. And four unlikely couples discover that passion never waits for perfection, and happily ever after is just an “I do” away.
THE BEST LAID PLANNER by Miranda Neville


Arwen Kilpatrick gets her big break when she’s hired to organize the wedding of an old friend—to a billionaire. Arwen doesn’t have time for romance, not even with the sexy hotel handyman, Harry Compton. But putting on the wedding of the year means dealing with one surprise after another, including the discovery that Harry is so much more than he seems. 
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Arwen Kilpatrick has landed the wedding of the century and all she has to do is make sure it comes off without a hitch and stays as private as possible. Of course, the English estate where it’s originally planned burns down, then when she goes to check out the private English manor procured by Duke Austen himself, she discovers it needs a lot of work and has virtually no cell signal or wi-fi, which just won’t do at all. However, it does have a very sexy handyman. Now, if she can just stay focused.

I loved THE BEST LAID PLANNER by Miranda Neville. It is a delightfully sweet and a very steamy start to this wedding anthology. Miranda writes with humor, and realism while creating a setting in which you can almost feel you’re there. Of course, Miranda has a way of doing this anyway but this time, I could almost smell the wildflowers. I love how it has a WEDDING DATE meets THE HOLIDAY feel to it while being true to itself without effort. Through Arwen and Harry, we meet a bevy of characters who we will get to know better as we progress through the anthology as we attend the wedding of Jane Sparks to her billionaire, Duke Austen. Let the fun begin...

WILL YOU BE MY WI-FI? by Caroline Linden

All Natalie Corcoran wants is peace and quiet while she writes her cookbook. The lavish wedding party at the hotel next door is driving her crazy—especially the sexy lawyer who wants her wi-fi password. But Archer Quinn is swamped with work and will do anything to convince her to take a chance on him… first with her wi-fi, then with her friendship, and then with more. But he only has a week to persuade her they'll be scrumptious together…
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Natalie Corcoran hoped for some peace and quiet so she could think, and work on a cookbook, which is actually just an excuse to escape everything stressful back home at the restaurant and with her brother – the know it all. Borrowing a friend’s cottage in the English countryside seemed like the best plan until the noise and trucks trekking back and forth on the road become more than a distraction, they become an annoyance. As if the noise wasn't enough, now she has strangers wandering around her patio and even one couple having sex out there. What was going on next door? It seems there’s a wedding happening, and now one of the guests – albeit a very handsome one – wants to pay her to use her Wi-Fi for work. He is very handsome, and very charming – and he says he’ll stay on the patio and out of her way. Then again, maybe she doesn’t really want him to stay on the patio…

WILL YOU BE MY WI-FI? by Caroline Linden continues the wonderful feel of this exciting week in the English countryside started by Miranda in the first story. Then she pumps it up with sexual tension dipped in dabbles of chocolate, blueberry juice, and all kinds of sweet treats. The heat in Natalie’s kitchen rises major degrees when Archer treats her to some kitchen magic against a particular pantry door. Natalie and Archer are a delight and it’s a good thing he learns how talented she is in the kitchen – oh, and she can bake yummy goodies too. The wedding festivities continue…

THE DAY IT RAINED BOOKS by Katharine Ashe

Swept away by a mysterious benefactor to the wedding of the year, librarian Cali Blake is living a fairytale. The only thing missing is Prince Charming. Instead, the guests include the last man she wants to see—her archenemy, millionaire playboy Piers Prescott. Piers is determined to conquer Cali’s resistance to him, and he’ll stop at nothing to have her. As long as she can remember it’s just for one week, could he be the perfect wedding fling?
*               *               *                *                *

Cali Blake has a crush, and she doesn’t even know him. She’s never even seen his face, but it’s a crush all the same. He’s hat man, and he’s there in the park every Friday when she brings her bookmobile to that corner of the park. She provides him books, and he leaves her notes. One day, she receives an envelope with a ticket to England, and enough money to buy a dress, pay for a nurse for her sister, and anything else she needs so she may attend the wedding of the year. She thought she had to pass on being a bridesmaid in her friend Jane’s wedding until a mysterious benefactor provides her the means to go. Was it her friends? Or does she actually have a fairy godmother somewhere? Thrilled she’s attending the fairytale wedding in the English countryside, the last thing she expects is to meet up with the man whose foundation turned down her proposal for the bookmobile in the first place. However, he is very sexy and he seems to follow her wherever she goes, and would a wedding fling with Philadelphia’s own bad boy millionaire be such a terrible thing?

THE DAY IT RAINED BOOKS by Katharine Ashe might be my favorite in this anthology but since I enjoyed them all so much, it’s truly hard to say for sure. There is such a modern day twist on the Cinderella story in this one that I can’t help but enjoy it all the more. The story is steeped in secrets and as each one is revealed to Cali, the budding romance between her and Piers becomes more, and more complicated. Piers wants only to win her trust, her love, and her heart but with each passing day, Cali becomes more distrustful of Piers’ true intentions. Is it just a fling or can a wedding romance become more with the man she wishes was her real Prince Charming? If books can lead her to the man she loves then perhaps, books can help her believe him as well. Back to the wedding of the year...

THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE by Maya Rodale

Sassy reporter Roxanna Lane might be falling for her date, sexy media mogul Damien Knightly, who just happens to be her boss. But he ruins everything by asking her to report on her best friend’s wedding. Damien Knightly is definitely falling for Roxanna but thanks to an impulsive wager, he must choose between losing the crown jewel of his media empire...or the woman he loves.
*               *               *                *                *

Roxanna Lane is thrilled to be part of her best friend’s wedding, and to be spending the week with her boss, Damien Knightly. But, instead of relaxing and enjoying time together in the English countryside, he’s asked her to do the one thing which will either destroy her friendship or any chance of a relationship developing between her and the man who makes her knees weak. He wants her to betray Jane and Duke by getting first pictures for him to post online. This goes against everything Jane wants for her wedding and the deal Duke made with People magazine to have exclusive rights to the pictures. Once she discovers Damien’s real reason for wanting the pictures, she teams up with Jane to resolve both problems, but will it work or will it end in disaster? Her feelings for Damien become deeper and she suspects his are too, but will things be over even before they can get started? Why do weddings have to be so troublesome?

In THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE, Maya Rodale brings us to the moment when Jane and Duke get their happily ever after and Roxanna and Damien learn what being in love really means. Roxanna started her friend’s romantic fairy tale love affair with her online antics, but now she’s worried she could bring her own to an end even as she begins to believe in the magic of love. Roxanna and Damien are wonderful together. They think alike, they strategize alike, and they deny their feelings for each other with the same level of stubbornness, only to succumb to what they both intend to fight – their love for each other. They are passionate together whether in bed, or putting their heads together to solve their problem. Damien proves himself a true hero even as he tries to win a wager which may ruin Jane and Duke’s plans to keep the wedding private. When he springs the ultimate romantic surprise on Roxanna, you can almost imagine him rising from the pond soaking wet like that Austen character about whom we all love to fantasize. 

I highly recommend the anthology AT THE BILLIONAIRE’S WEDDING, to everyone who loves weddings, steamy sweet romance, and laughable antics from creating the perfect wedding to drunken fun at hen and stag parties, to swoon-worthy moments in Regency-style fancy salons, to falling down libraries, delicious smelling kitchens, and surprise destinations. If you’ve read Maya Rodale’s Bad Boy Billionaire novellas, you will thrill for sure but truthfully, even if you haven’t you’ll still enjoy the most incredible wedding you’ll ever attend.

Be sure to read the thank you notes at the end. Sweet secrets are revealed. Although I'm still trying to figure out which couple was having sex on a lawn chair and in the woods. J

Happy Reading Everyone!

AT THE BILLIONAIRE’S WEDDING, an anthology featuring stories by Miranda Neville, Caroline Linden, Katharine Ashe, and Maya Rodale, The Lady Authors, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble (Nook), Barnes & Noble (print), and Kobobooks.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Stop on the STRIPPING HER DEFENSES by Jessie Lane Blog Tour + #Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the STRIPPING HER DEFENSES by Jessie Lane Blog Tour. I was so lucky to be included in this tour and allowed to read book two in the Ex Ops series even as it was being released. This series rocks!

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for STRIPPING HER DEFENSES:

He can’t change the scars on her body…
but fate will give him a second chance to mend the scars he put on her heart.

Riley Sullivan and the Ex Ops Team are headed to Miami undercover… as bikers. Following up a lead, the men will perform their investigation acting as members of the Regulators Motorcycle Club with the club’s permission. Surrounded by hardcore bikers and investigating missing strippers, Riley finds the last person he ever expected to see again—his ex-wife.

Kara Sullivan left the man she loved after a tragic accident cost them their unborn son. After years of therapy, she’s come to grips with the loss and has re-emerged from the pain a brand new person. That doesn’t mean she’s ready to face the man who inadvertently broke her heart, and who she’s hurt in return.

Riley has never stopped loving her and he never will. He’s ready to fix their marriage and move on with their lives, however Kara’s reluctance to renew their relationship isn’t their only problem. Danger lurks just around the corner… and there’s a chance she could disappear permanently.

*               *                *                *                 * 

Kara Sullivan loves her husband, but can’t help but wonder if he loves her as much as his job or even perhaps, their unborn child. When tragedy strikes and their child is lost along with any hope of future children, Kara leaves. She leaves. She leaves everything behind, her life, her past, her future, her husband, and seeks out the Kara she needs to be.

Riley Sullivan is a man of loyalty, respect, and honor. As a Navy S.E.A.L., he allowed his obligation to his team and his job get in the way of his marriage to the only woman he’s ever loved, and it cost him everything. Eight long years of loss, of not knowing where she is, of not being able to tell her how much he loves and misses her, has driven him to go through life on the edge of giving everything over to the darkness. Until one night, when he walks into a strip club on an Ex Ops mission and looks into the eyes of the main attraction, who happens to be his wife – well, ex-wife.

Riley and his team have their hands full with a mission to find the man behind missing women being sold into slavery, the same man responsible for the death of a woman and the severe beating of an FBI agent. (If you read SECRET MANEUVERS, book one in the Ex Ops series then you know the story, if you haven’t – DO!) Finding out his wife is the main attraction on the stage of a strip club run by a biker gang is not what he expected at all, and now he’s trying to keep his mind on the job while trying to figure out how to win his wife back.

Jessie Lane created a wonderful cast of characters and introduced them to us in SECRET MANEUVERS, the first book in the Ex Ops series. STRIPPING HER DEFENSES continues the mission started in the first book as well as gives us a happily ever after second chance romance for Riley and Kara. Giving us the story directly from the main characters' point of views and in first person, we climb into the skins of Riley and Kara experiencing their wishes, their regrets, their angst, and their joy. Meanwhile, we get to know the other members of the Ex Ops team even better with more focus centering on Declan, Riley’s brother and Lucas Young through his connections to the MC, the Regulators. Lucas is carrying a torch for a long lost love too.

With plenty of action, angst, pasts filled with sorrow, and depression playing a secondary role in Riley and Kara’s story, I didn't find STRIPPING HER DEFENSES by Jessie Lane quite as romantically powerful, or action-filled exciting as SECRET MANEUVERS was. I would like to have had more emotional interaction between Riley and Kara. I also felt her studio being trashed was a bit of a misdirection that didn't work. Still, I enjoyed it very much as it kept me turning the pages, expecting all hell to break loose at any moment between Riley and Ice, but in the end proving to be an exceptional read. I highly recommend STRIPPING HER DEFENSES, book two in the Ex Ops series by Jessie Lane to anyone who enjoys a second chance love story with some sexy ex-military men saving the day, and enduring the costs. It works great as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading SECRET MANEUVERS first.

Happy Reading Everyone!

About the Author:

Jessie Lane is the bestselling author of The Star Series, Big Bad Bite Series, and the Ex Ops Series. She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in the making and her over protective alpha husband. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them.
Jessie writes Adult Paranormal and Contemporary Romance & Upper YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.

If you’d like to learn more about Jessie and her books, please visit her website, and feel free to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY


STRIPPING HER DEFENSES, an Ex Ops novel by Jessie Lane, Whiskey Girl Publishing, available in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords. Print available on 11/6.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Cover Reveal for HERO BY NIGHT, book 3 in the Independence Falls series by Sara Jane Stone

HERO BY NIGHT
Book 3 in the Independence Falls series
by Sara Jane Stone

Expected release on January 20, 2015 from Avon Impulse

He was nobody’s hero, until he landed in the wrong bed . . .

Armed with a golden retriever and a concealed weapons permit, Lena Clark is fighting for normal. She served her country, but the experience left her emotionally numb, afraid to be touched, and estranged from her career-military family. Staying in Independence Falls, and finding a job, seems like the first step to reclaiming her life and preparing for the upcoming medal ceremony, until the town playboy stumbles into her bed . . .

Chad Summers is living his dream-helicopter logging by day and slipping between the sheets with Mrs. Right Now by night. Until his wild nights threaten his day job, leaving Chad with a choice: prove he can settle down or kiss his dream job goodbye. But after a party, Chad ends up in bed with the one woman in Independence Falls he can’t touch. Too late he realizes the passionate sleeping beauty is the shy, struggling soldier his little sister befriended.

The playboy’s touch ignited something in her. And Lena is determined to find out if it is the man, and his wicked demands in the bedroom, or if she’s finally starting to heal. Chad is ready and willing to give into the primal desire to make Lena his at night-on one condition. By day, they pretend their relationship is real so he can show Independence Falls-and his boss-that he has shed his wild image. But their connection extends beyond the bedroom, threatening to turn their sham into reality-if Chad can prove he’s the hero Lena needs night and day . . . forever.

*                 *                  *                  *                  * 

About the Author:

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream – writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat.


To learn more about Sara Jane Stone and her books, please visit her website and feel free to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Unwrapping an Interview with Susan Fisher-Davis, author of GABE, book 2 in the Men of Clifton Montana series

I’m so very excited this day because not only do I have one of my favorite editorial clients and recent debut author with her first book, JAKE, visiting with me today, but Susan Fisher-Davis’s second book in her Men of Clifton Montana series, GABE, is now available for your most enjoyable reading too. Before Susan joins us, please check out GABE. He and Emma are perfect for each other, whether they like it or not. J

Blurb for GABE:

Gabe Stone can’t get Emma Conner out of his mind, even though he knows she’s not the kind of woman to settle for a fling. Having known Emma all her life, he never noticed how grown up she’d become - until now.

Emma has been in love with Gabe forever. When he finally shows her the attention she’s always hoped for, she falls even deeper in love with him, and soon discovers she’s pregnant. Gabe does right by her. He marries her, and eagerly awaits their baby, but Emma can’t help but wonder if he will ever love her or only the baby?

When danger revisits Clifton, Montana, Gabe discovers the heart can hold a lot of love. But he wonders if he can convince Emma his love is real. And if he succeeds, will she love him in return?

*            *            *             *            * 

Now please join me in welcoming Susan Fisher-Davis, author of the newly released, GABE, book 2 in the Men of Clifton Montana series, to Unwrapping Romance … 

Amy:  Welcome Susan, and may I say, Happy Release Day! It's an absolute delight to have you with us today, and thank you for taking time out of your busy and most exciting day to join us.  

Perhaps you'd like to tell us a little bit about yourself for those who don't know you yet. 

Susan:  Thank you for having me, Amy. I'm married with two children and originally from Cumberland, Maryland - a small town in the western part of MD, up in the mountains. We moved to Nashville, TN in 1996 with our children. I love to go fishing, hunting, taking drives down old country back roads, and I'm a huge NHL fan. I love the Nashville Predators.

Amy:  Outdoor activities can inspire all kinds of interesting ideas. Susan, JAKE, book 1 in the Men of Clifton Montana series was your debut novel and having read it, I can say it was a fabulous way to debut your writing talent. So what inspired your creation of Clifton, Montana and the characters we meet there? 

Susan:  I've always loved sexy cowboys. I'm really not sure why, other than they definitely can fill out a pair of jeans. Have you ever watched a rodeo? JAKE just popped in my head one day and I put him to paper. The rest soon followed. Small towns are the best. No hustle bustle going on, just a slow, laid back feeling.

Amy: Well, I can certainly agree with you about the sex appeal of cowboys. Yours are definitely sexy, so if you had to choose one for yourself, which would it be, Jake or Gabe?

Susan:  Very tough question to answer. I fall in love with all my characters, one at a time. Jake has a little bit of an advantage since he was my first hero. But Gabe has this great sense of humor and he's such a flirt. I don't think I could ever really choose between them if I had to. I imagine it will just get worse the more men I write about.

Amy:  I suppose it’s like they say, “you never forget your first.” The Men of Clifton Montana are sexy, strong, and ready to take on the amazing women who fall in love with them. How far do you see this series going, and do you have anything else in the works?

Susan:  The Men of Clifton Montana is a series of eight men and women. I do have another series starting in January 2015 entitled The Bad Boys of Dry River. It's a series of six men and women.

Amy:  How exciting? Bad Boys are always welcomed well by romance readers. Speaking of which, I know you're a prolific reader as well as writer.  Who are your favorite authors and have any of them influenced your writing?

Susan:  I love anything Linda Lael Miller and Joan Johnston write. I believe it's where my love of cowboys started. Both women influenced me to at least give it a try.

Amy:  I do agree my own fascination with cowboys began with Linda Lael Miller as well as some of Johanna Lindsey’s early romances. My last question for you and my personal favorite:  If you could be ANY character in ANY book (not necessarily your own), who would it be and why? 

Susan:  I'd be Olivia Roberts in my Men of Clifton Montana series. She's headstrong, says what she thinks, and doesn't back down. I see myself in her as I'm the same way. But she's also vulnerable. She can get her feelings hurt the same as any of us can. She's been through a lot but gets back up any time she's knocked down. I admire her for her strength.

Amy:  We meet Olivia in JAKE, and then she is an even more prevalent secondary character in GABE, will she be getting her HEA, I hope?

Susan: Oh, yes. Olivia will get her cowboy but it’s not going to be easy. She’s had her eye on him from the start and never being one to be afraid of expressing her feelings, she lets him know how she feels but he’s hard to get and he’s not playing.

Amy:  It might not be anytime soon, but Olivia will get her man, or rather her cowboy! Susan, thank you so very much for joining us today, it’s been a lot of fun. Thank you for sharing JAKE and GABE with us. Congratulations on the release of GABE, and your new series. I’m sure my readers are as excited as I am to read more. 

Susan:  Thank you so much for this, Amy. I certainly appreciate it and you.

Amy: You’re very welcome, Susan, and always welcome back here at Unwrapping Romance.

If you’d like to learn more about Susan and her amazing series and what’s coming along next, feel free to visit her website, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at Goodreads. Thank you, my darling readers for making her welcome and I hope you read her wonderful Men of Clifton Montana series from Secret Cravings Publishing.

About the Author: From Susan Fisher-Davis –
I've been writing for years but I never thought my stories were good enough to get published. I had actually given up writing for a year when I decided to give it another try. Through Facebook, I met Amy Valentini, an editor. We became friends and once I completed my book, I sent it to her for editing. I believe that without her, I wouldn't have gotten a contract. I submitted my manuscript to five publishing houses and three wanted it. After a few days, I decided to go with Secret Cravings Publishing. This company is amazing. The owner, Sandy Lea Sullivan has the patience of a Saint. I ask her so many questions, I'm surprised she hasn't blocked my email. I always get the same answer from her when I apologize for bothering her, "It's what I'm here for." Amazing! I have a three-year contract with them and if at all possible, I will stay with them after that.

I have two series coming out. The Men of Clifton, Montana and The Bad Boys of Dry River. Cowboys and bad boys...what more could a woman want? I hope you enjoy my books. The Bad Boys of Dry River will begin in January 2015.

Happy Reading Everyone!

GABE, a Men of Clifton Montana novel by Susan Fisher-Davis, Secret Cravings Publishing, available now in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, and Smashwords.
***click on the links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.