Cover Reveal: Where There's Smoke by Elizabeth Lee

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for Elizabeth Lee's WHERE THERE'S SMOKE!! WHERE THERE’S SMOKE is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel being released on May 20^th\

This cover was designed by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs.

There is something to be said for letting go. Ryland Roberts knows that better than anyone. He'd let go of his ambitions, of his family and—most of all—of her. He'd perfected the art of putting his past behind him and accepted the fact that the town he wanted to leave in his rearview was the place where he was going to live out his days. But sometimes the past doesn't just go away. Sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Piper Jameson convinced herself that she left for all the right reasons. She'd saved people by leaving—made sure that they weren't tainted by her rebellious ways. When her little sister asks her to come home and say goodbye to their ailing mother, she's forced to see that things aren't always as they seem. The people who she'd left behind might not have been saved at all. In the amount of time it takes a bullet to travel from point A to point B, Piper and Ryland will have to put their feelings for each other aside and make a choice. Forced on the run with Piper's sister, they begin to understand that the future they thought was gone was never really lost.

About Elizabeth Lee: When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!    
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Excerpt: Tease by Sophie Jordan

Tease by Sophie Jordan is being released on May 27th and I am so excited for this one. I LOVED Foreplay and can't wait for the next book in the Ivy Chronicles. To wet your appetite, check out the excerpt by clicking on the link below.

What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:

Never let them see the real you.Never fall in love.Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed--he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control--a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . 

Click on the link below to read an excerpt.

http://a.pgtb.me/FbKWbg

Back to the Favorites: Re-Read-a-Thon ~ Why Re-Read?

This weekend is the re-read a-thon hosted by myself and Trish at Between the Lines. Today, we're asking the big question: Why re-read?

I don't know about y'all, but I absolutely love re-reading, especially a book that really stuck with me. There are are few I have that I can just read over and over and never get tired. For me, it's a true testament to a book if I want to re-read it because, honestly, I get bored easy. 

What I love about re-reading a book is seeing or observing new things that I didn't notice the first time around or re-reading a good part and being like "Oh yeah! I forgot that happened!" There are also some characters that I just fall in love with and can't get enough of their story. 

Here are a few of my favorites that I plan to re-read this weekend.

I love the Marked Men series and Rule is my favorite. This is the first book in the series and I love Rule and Shaw together. They have amazing chemistry and I can't get enough of it.

I really like The Crystor Series and the third book, Beloved, is being released really soon so I'm excited to re-read Bound and Broken to prepare for the final book.

ARC Review: Lost in Me by Lexi Ryan

Get ready for NYT Bestselling Author Lexi Ryan’s new series Here and Now! The first novel in the series, LOST IN ME, is a sexy New Adult contemporary romance released April 7^th!

Lost In Me

(Here & Now #1)

Author: Lexi Ryan

Publication Date: April 5, 2014

Genre: Contemporary

Source: eARC via ATOMR Tours

~Synopsis~

Lost in Me is the first book in the Here and Now series, a spin-off of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Hope series. This sexy amnesia love triangle is intended for mature readers.

The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost...perfect. 

But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don't remember dating, attempting to run a business I don't remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a facade propped up by secrets I don't even know I have?

I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself.

Lost in Me is not a standalone novel, as the story continues in Here and Now book two, Fall to You, releasing in June.

~Review~

I am a huge fan of Lexi Ryan’s New Hope series and when I saw that Lost in Me was a spinoff with Hanna’s story I was super excited to read it. I was enraptured in this book every step of the way and when it ended, and on a bit of a cliffhanger too, I was definitely left wanting and needing more.

Hanna wakes up in the hospital after having a terrible accident and she doesn’t remember anything that has happened in the past 11 months. Her life is completely different and she has no memories of how it got there. She is engaged to the man of her dreams but it appears he wasn’t the only man in her life. As Hanna tries to figure out this new life, her memories come back in bits and pieces and nothing is what it seems.

This book was super exciting and I was chomping at the bit with each new memory Hanna would uncover. I love the mystery behind her amnesia and the suspense it added to the romantic plot. She wakes up to a completely different life and body that she has no memory of. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up to a completely different life. Hanna feels like the luckiest woman, having everything she ever wanted, but it is clear that isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Hanna has always struggled with her weight and the insecurities that it brought from being a little heavier than all the other girls. Waking up 50 pounds lighter was definitely a shocker for her. It made me sad how much she struggled with her self image because she is clearly a beautiful and amazing woman, no matter what her size. I really loved that Nate fell for her exactly as she was. Max was much more suspicious and I definitely knew there was more to their relationship than he was letting on.

I loved the support Hanna has from her sisters and Cally. Her mom is not the nicest person and I hated how hard she was on Hanna. She really made her feel inadequate and she put a lot of pressure on Hanna. The revelations in Hanna's memories were really exciting and they shed so much light on what she had been through over the last 11 months. She definitely had more questions than answers and the major revelation at the end was shocking. I was left reeling and super excited for the next book. June?! Really? I have to wait that long. I need to know what happens now!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

LOST IN ME is on SALE for just .99 cents the first week of release as a fan appreciation from the author!

About the Author

Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

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Release Day Launch & Giveaway: First Night by Lauren Blakely

Today is the release day for Lauren Blakely's FIRST NIGHT, the prequel novella in her first Erotic Romance series, The Seductive Nights Series! And...it's FREE!!!

FIRST NIGHT is the prequel novella in the Seductive Nights series. It's available for free across retailers to give readers a taste of the night Julia and Clay meet and their sexy, sensual chemistry. Their story continues in the full-length novel NIGHT AFTER NIGHT releasing April 18th. FIRST NIGHT will also be included in the ebook of NIGHT AFTER NIGHT for readers who want to get the full storyline, from first meeting on through the novel, in one spot. See below for a note from Lauren Blakely about the series!

AMAZON * BARNES AND NOBLE * iTUNES

An erotic novella from the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Blakely... It was only supposed to be one night… When the sinfully handsome man walks into her bar in San Francisco, Julia Bell simply wants a break from the troubles that keep chasing her. That escape comes in the form of sexy, confident and commanding Clay Nichols, who captivates her mind AND turns her inside out with pleasure. The attraction is electric and they share one scorchingly hot night together, but they also discover there is more than just off-the-charts chemistry; the connection between them runs deep. Clay never thought he’d return to New York with this woman still on his mind. But he can’t get her out of his system, and he needs more of her…He wants more than just the first night…

*This is a prequel novella to the erotic romance NIGHT AFTER NIGHT releasing April 18th.*

 A Note from Lauren: "I am so excited to share my first erotic romance series with readers, and I want as many readers as possible to be introduced to the hotness of Clay Nichols!! You will need a spare set of panties, or two or three, if you read this book! That's why I am offering the full-length novel, NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, for pre-order at the special price of 99 cents. That's right! You don't have to wait for a sale. It is for the very short pre-order period only on Amazon and iBooks and for the first day of release on B&N on April 18th. I want to reward loyal readers with the lowest possible price and to give as many people as possible the chance to read. If you have already pre-ordered on Apple iBooks, you will automatically receive it for 99 cents! I will share the links as soon as the pre-order on Amazon goes live. The price will go to 2.99 on release day. NIGHT AFTER NIGHT will be followed by the second full-length novel, AFTER THIS NIGHT, on May 12th. That book is available for pre-order on iBooks for $2.99 and will go to $3.99 on release day. It will also be available for Amazon pre-order in mid-April for the same price."

About Lauren Blakely: Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

FIRST NIGHT Goodreads * NIGHT AFTER NIGHT Goodreads

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Chelsea & Jessica Get Brazen! His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey

Hey guys! So happy it's time to get Brazen again! This week we read His Risk To Take by Tessa Bailey! Hello steamy goodness!

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward…

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control—until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into O’Hanlon’s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her—risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

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Hot damn! Tessa Bailey knows how to write one dirty-talking alpha! What did you think of Troy?

Jessica: She sure does! There were some parts my mouth was literally hanging out in shock because of the things that came out of Troy Bennett's sexy mouth!

Chelsea: Umm... Holy hotness! Troy was probably one of the more dirty mouth men I've met in these Brazens and I loved it!

How would you describe Ruby in 5 words or less?

Chelsea: Stubborn. Brave. Cautious. Smart.

Jessica: Feisty. Fierce. Determined. Sweet.


We met Derek in the previous Line of Duty book and now Troy in this one. Which do you prefer?

Jessica: As much as I liked Troy, I think my heart belongs to Derek. 

Chelsea: I am going to have to agree with Jess. While I certainly liked Troy, Derek is a little more my speed.

Ruby specialized at hustling in pool. What would you specialize in to earn some fast cash?

Chelsea: Haha! Well I don't have many "hustling" talents but I think I could make some fast cash at Trivia. I have an excellent memory and I always blow people out of water with the insane things I remember.

Jessica: Hmm. If this were 10 years ago, I'd say basketball. No one ever expected me to be as good as I was because I was so short. Since it was harder for me to get inside, I used to shoot three pointers and everyone would be like WTF?! LOL.

Who do you see as Troy Bennett?

Jessica: Sandra from Goodreads posted a picture of this guy and I definitely agree.

Chelsea: I definitely picture Tyler Hoechlin as Troy. He has this sexy broodiness that I imagine Troy would have.

Here are two things I know about Tessa Baily. She loves dominant men and she has one dirty mind. And I think it’s awesome! She definitely brings the steam in His Risk to Take and even I blushed a few times more than usual.

Troy Bennett is a New York detective who just transferred from Chicago after losing his partner in a raid. He meets Ruby in a bar one night, where she’s there hustling at pool. He is instantly attracted to her and he isn’t shy about letting her know what he wants to do to her. She’s got a bit of a past and doesn’t normally trust cops but there’s something about Troy that draws her in. She is inadvertently put in danger when a case that Troy is working on overlaps with her past. Troy doesn’t want to lose another person he cares about and tries to protect Ruby. However, she has been protecting herself for a long time and she won’t sit back quietly while Troy is in danger.

God damn Troy is hot and while I don’t like to be told what to do, I may just let him boss me around. When he sets him mind to something or someone, he goes after it and doesn’t back down. He is loyal, fierce and determined and I liked how instantly protective he was of Ruby. She has trust issues and he was able to break down those walls and open her up. I liked how headstrong Ruby was. She didn’t want to sit back and be protected. She wanted to take control of the situation and do her part to help. However, she was a bit reckless and she could have gotten herself killed. She and Troy are so perfect for one another because he is very dominant and Ruby pushes back. This makes for some very hot and steamy sex.

I enjoyed His Risk to Take and found it to be a quick and fun read. It doesn’t have a lot of plot depth but I really liked the characters and I am a fan of Tessa Bailey’s writing. If a Brazen makes me blush, that means it’s doing its job.

His Risk to Take was another steamy addition to Tessa's Line of Duty series. While it felt shorter than the first, I still enjoyed it. I did feel this one wasn't as in depth plot wise, but no worries- the steam factor more than made up for it! Mmm! This is one of those reads you pick up when you just need a sexy escape from the real world. 

Ruby is a really fun female lead. She has confidence and I love how take charge she is. She has had to grow up fast and her no-nonsense attitude shows immediately. When Ruby enters the bar Troy is drinking at, all bets are off. Ruby may come across as demure and innocent, but the girl knows how to play the game! Having concealed her pool cue in a yoga mat, Ruby comes across as knowing less than she does. Girl is a straight up hustler! She knows what she's doing and that is one of the things that attracts Troy from the get-go.

Tessa has created another dirty-talking alpha male in Troy Bennett and the things he says to Ruby is enough to make any girl blush! The two of them are incredibly stubborn and butt heads quite often, but that is one of the things that makes their relationship so hot! Ruby isn't a submissive who is just going to do what Troy says. Troy is new to New York, having escaped some demons that haunt him from his past, and he is turn very protective of Ruby. I felt bad for Troy, because while he feels like what happened in Chicago is his fault, when it really wasn't. He carries that guilt with him to New York and has to make amends with the past before he can move forward with his life.

While Derek still holds my heart, I really did enjoy meeting Troy and I loved seeing him and Ruby together!

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Join us next week when we discuss Private Practice by Samanthe Beck

Blog Tour Review + Top Ten + Giveaway: Waiting for Prince Harry by Aven Ellis

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Waiting for Prince Harry by Aven Ellis and I am excited to share a review plus Aven's top ten outfits and a giveaway. Check it out!

Waiting for Prince Harry

Author: Aven Ellis

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via author

~Synopsis~

Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer...Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer. 

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry—Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course. And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present? And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it...

~Review~

I absolutely adore Aven. Not only is a she a great writer but she is also a fantastic person too. One of the things I love about her books and her writing is that her personality totally shines through her characters. When I’m reading her books, I see every little piece of Aven in there. Waiting for Prince Harry was such a cute contemporary romance and I really enjoyed getting to know Kylie and Harrison.

Kylie is awesome! I definitely see a lot of myself in Kylie and I loved how much I connected with her. She is a bit shy and more of an introvert. She wants to meet that one man that will see her and love her for who she really is. She definitely sees something special in Harrison from the beginning and I loved that they made such a strong connection. She has no idea who he is so she really gets to see the “real” Harrison and he recognizes that too. He is a sexy “Hockey God” but Kylie sees way beyond that. He is intelligent, funny, kind and an all-around good guy.

I think Kylie and Harrison both have insecurities and they definitely get in the way a little bit here and there. Kylie sees herself as average and ordinary and worries that Harrison will want a woman more like a model. This definitely gets in her head a bit. Harrison is all about hockey and his parents are not supportive. He lets this get in his head and he worries that Kylie will just see him as a dumb jock. On top of the insecurities, they also have to overcome Harrison’s celebrity and being in the spotlight. That is something Kylie isn’t used to and it can definitely be a stressor in someone’s life and a relationship. I liked the way that Kylie and Harrison worked through the issues together. He can be a little hot headed but I loved that he recognized when he over-reacted and he always made up for it.

Kylie and Harrison definitely fell hard and fast for each other. Sometimes this can definitely cause some strife because these feelings are so fresh and new and very strong. I liked the way Kylie and Harrison navigated the waters together. They really spent time getting to know each other and helping one another grow. Kylie’s growth was definitely noticeable. I liked the way Harrison encouraged her to stand up for herself at work and he supported and encouraged her design dreams. He saw her potential and he help her find her confidence and believe that she could make all her dreams come true now and not someday in the future. I also liked the way Kylie encouraged Harrison to see himself as more than just a hockey player and she helped build his self-confidence too.

Overall, I adored this book and the plot was really fun. I loved the way Aven added “pop quizzes” in the beginning of each chapter. It was really fun and different. I also really loved that this book shows every girl can find her own prince and someday we all will. 

PURCHASE LINKS:

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~Top Ten Outfits--Waiting For Prince Harry~

Fashion played a big part in this book-from Kylie being an aspiring designer, to Harrison being a stylish professional athlete-fashion was a supporting character in the story. So I thought it might be fun to see what I envisioned when creating the outfits to help not only tell the story, but to give you a good feel for personality that is reflected in clothing choices. And I love fashion so maybe that is kind of sorta the other part, ha ha.

   1. Kylie’s Bridesmaid Dress. This is exactly how I wanted the dress to be--tight in the hips and a train...A train that would end up leading her to her Prince Harry in Chapter One.

2.  Harrison lives for his bridge T-shirt...

 

3. Kylie loves her yoga clothes after work...and being comfortable in her home.

4.      Harrison looked rather hot in his crisp white dress shirts...

  

 5. Kylie wore this for a work event. While women around her were in gowns, Harrison only had eyes for Kylie in her tank top...

 

6.      Harrison loves his D&G suits and wears them for fashion shoots and when traveling.

  

  

7.      Kylie’s clothes were very feminine and soft and often had a retro vibe, like this dress.

 8.  Green is a color that Harrison wears brilliantly with his ginger hair and green eyes and he goes to it quite frequently in his closet.

9. And because Texas is so hot in the summer, Kylie is a big fan of sundresses. Again, soft and feminine.

10.   And when Harrison is going casual he loves designer jeans. Fits his rugged side well.

So there you have it, some outfits straight from Kylie and Harrison’s closets.  I actually do all my characters closets on Pinterest--and you can get a sneak peek into future books and characters by looking in those boards, too. So follow me http://www.pinterest.com/avenellis/ if you want to see some more!

About Aven Ellis:

Aven Ellis has been writing fiction since she was sixteen. She studied communications at a large Midwestern university, and after graduation, Aven worked as a reporter for a community newspaper, followed by a stint at a public relations agency. But writing about city council meetings and restaurant franchises was not as much fun as writing for young women trying to figure out their careers and potential boyfriends. So Aven got herself a job in television that allowed her to write at night. Connectivity is Aven’s debut novel; Waiting For Prince Harry and Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista (New Adult romantic comedy) will be published next year. Aven lives in Dallas with her family. When she is not writing, Aven enjoys shopping, cooking, connecting with friends on social media, and watching any show that features Gordon Ramsay.

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