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Saturday, October 31, 2015

5 Star Review: Fusion (Explosive #5) by Tessa Teevan

Where do babies come from?

The question every parent dreads hearing has finally fallen from the lips of six year old Ava Banks, the curious, precocious little girl that you fell in love with in Ignite.

Jeremy and Sierra, normally blunt as can be, struggle to find the right words to answer her. So instead, they rewind sixteen years to that one fateful day where a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven inevitably led to life-long romance filled with laughter, love, and many, many mishaps along the way.

Falling in love with your best friend? It's the most incredible thing in the world. But when a love comes so easily, will it truly be able to last? When the world comes crashing down around you, can even the strongest relationship withstand great tragedy?


Stay tuned for lots of laughs, teenage awkwardness, a few tears, and most of all, mullets. Because what good love story doesn't do business in the front, and party in the back?

**While Fusion is a standalone romance, it’s best read after Ignite.**


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My Review

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Screw Disney. Tessa just gave me the fairytale I wish I had growing up. I loved this book so much. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end. It's just the ultimate love story.

Jeremy and Sierra meet when they are 8 years old. She moves in next door and they meet on the beach. From that moment on, the two of them are inseparable. They're bestest of best friends. Over the years that friendship turns into something more, but they are both afraid to do anything about it. They mean to much to each other and are worried that turning their platonic relationship into a romantic one, will cause problems. (I gotta tell ya...that KILLED me. I was just like "OMG!! KISS ALREADY!!!") When they finally take the plunge, them becoming a couple is the most natural thing in the world and watching their love grow and flourish over the years was so wonderful to watch. 

There were so many amazing moments in this book. Jeremy and Sierra grow up in the 90s, so there are A LOT of awesome 90s references (Joey & Pacey 4-Evah!!!) that made me so happy. I can't mention all the great moments because this review would be the longest thing ever and I would basically just be copying the book, but I will say this: I am a fan of "firsts." The first time the H/h see each other. The first time they say "I love you." And of course, the first kiss: 
“I’ve never actually kissed a boy before,” I admitted as my heart hammered in my chest. 
His breath tickled my lips as he exhaled a curse. Clearly, he was surprised at my admission. “Neither have I,” he responded, leaning in and closing the distance between us.
I’d like to say our mouths met with a fiery passion that had sparks flying all around us. That the air was electrified and swirling, locking us in a tornadic fury of lust and love.
But the truth is, when his lips met mine, I was laughing at his words, which caused our foreheads to bump together. Instead of slow, sweet, and achingly perfect, his lips kind of mashed against mine, drowning out my laughter. My body went rigid at the contact, and we just stood there, stock-still. The force of his kiss pressed my lips into my teeth, but I couldn’t move. Our eyes were locked in place, and while his kiss might not have been magical, the affectionate look in his eyes certainly was.
My palms turned sweaty. Those butterflies once again took flight. My knees went weaker than ever.
It might not have been Hollywood perfect, but Jeremy’s lips were fused to mine, and at that moment, I knew that nothing would ever come between us again.
So, Hollywood perfect? No.
But who needs Hollywood? It was Sierra Sullivan perfect, and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
Then, slowly, he gently pulled back until his lips were only a whisper on mine. A sudden surge of confidence burst within me, and as my eyes fluttered closed, I ran my hands up his chest and fisted his shirt. Then I leaned forward and kissed him back.
His arms wrapped around my waist as he drew me in close. I felt so small in his embrace, melting into his warmth and never wanting to leave it. He didn’t deepen the kiss. In fact, he gave me the reins. So I did exactly what I’d always wanted. I tasted him.
His lips were soft and sweet, with remnants of vanilla from the Pepsi he’d been drinking. A soft moan bubbled up from within me, causing my cheeks to heat with embarrassment. No. That wasn’t embarrassment. That was arousal.
“Jeremy,” left my lips in a whisper as I pulled back from him.
My eyes fluttered open to find him gazing down at me. His eyes were dancing with delight, which caused my heart to smile.
“Sierra,” he replied.
We both released simultaneous sighs and beamed at each other.
I’d thought our relationship had shifted earlier. But that moment in the living room had nothing on this one.
Who would’ve thought that kissing my best friend would have felt so right?
And who would’ve thought that I couldn’t wait to do it again?
**Sigh** So cute.  

The thing I liked most about this book is that fairytale romance was not perfect. Jeremy and Sierra go through some tough stuff, but through it all they have each other. All the stumbling blocks they faced only made them a stronger couple. Tessa made this book feel very real and I believed everything that happened. I read a lot of books and as much as I love a book, sometimes I feel that the storyline is a bit unbelievable. But not this book. 

Ava. That kid is hilarious. I love when authors write adorable children and Ava may be one of the funniest (child) characters I have ever read. You know the saying "Kids say the darndest things"? Ava is basically the definition of that. I laughed out loud multiple time while reading this book and I actually found myself anticipating the next time she would appear. I especially loved the relationship between Ava and Jeremy. Those two are just two adorable peas in a pod.

This book is a must read, especially if you are a fan of this series. You will laugh. You will cry. And you will want to go back and reread the previous books. In this book you get a different look at Alexa and Jace's story and now will want to go back and reread Ignite. I know I did.  

BLOG PROMO: Slow Play (The Rules #3) by Monica Murphy





Thank you for helping us celebrate the release of Slow Play by Monica Murphy! 




Title: Slow Play
Series Name: The Rules Series #3
Author Name: Monica Murphy
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations


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He’s the player of all players…

Newly broke girl Alexandria Asher just wants to live a normal life. After her parents are sent to prison on embezzlement charges, she enrolls in college under her mother’s maiden name and tries her best to pretend she’s someone else.

Tristan Prescott is everything Alex is trying to avoid. A seemingly egotistical, lazy, rich jerk, she dumps her beer on his head when he comes on to her one night at a party. This only spurs Tristan into action. He loves nothing more than a challenge. And the beautiful Alex is exactly the type of challenge that intrigues him.

Despite her reluctance, Alex finds herself quickly involved with Tristan. Underneath that playboy exterior is a good guy, a sweet and sexy guy who she is undoubtedly falling for. What they both don’t realize is the actions of Alex’s parents are the reason for so much tragedy in Tristan’s family. And when Tristan discovers who Alex and her family really is, can he forgive and forget?



MEET THE CREW!

FAIR GAME (The Rules Series, Book 1) 


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IN THE DARK (The Rules Series, Book 2) 


Purchase In the Dark




New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She's a workaholic who loves her job. When she's not busy writing, she also loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.



RELEASE DAY BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: October by Audrey Carlan




Title: October
Series: Calendar Girl #10
Author: Audrey Carlan
Publisher: Waterhouse Press
 Release Date: October 31, 2015



Blurb

Silicone, surgery, and Hollywood starlets.

The land of the stars was beckoning and I answered its call. Now that I was free, well, as free as anyone could be, I decided to pursue something for me. To grab life by the horns and ride that sucker until I found my place within it. That decision brought me back home to Malibu, California, where I awaited the beginning of this next phase in my journey.

The job? Create a segment surrounding Living Beautiful for celebrity doctor and daytime television guru, Dr. Hoffman. The man was known for his cunning wit, good looks, and no nonsense lifestyle.

In a city that was filled with plastic Barbie dolls, and nothing you touched was real, I set out to find beauty. And in doing so, I found a lot more that, for me, for the man I loved, and for the rest of the nation.

***

In the tenth book of the Calendar Girl serial, Mia is settled in her new home in Malibu, California. Now that her debt has been paid, and the threat from her ex is gone, she no longer has to live life as an escort. Only life has thrown her some new challenges to round out her year.

Each installment in the Calendar Girl Serial will release every month throughout 2015.

Warning: This book is designed for audiences 18+ due to language and graphic sexual content.







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Author Bio


Audrey Carlan is an Amazon Best Selling Author who writes erotic contemporary romances, such as the wildly popular "Falling Series." She lives in the sunny California Valley two hours away from the city, the beach, the mountains and the precious…the vineyards. She has been married to the love of her life for over 10 years and has two young children that live up to their title of “Monster Madness” on daily basis. When she’s not writing, sipping wine with her “soul sisters”, or doing yoga, she can be found with her nose stuck in book or her Kindle. A hot, smutty, romantic book to be exact!



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Friday, October 30, 2015

RELEASE BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Fusion (Explosive #5) by Tessa Teevan

FUSION - release - BANNER

Fusion (Explosive #5) by Tessa Teevan
Release Day: October 30, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Models: Don Allen and Faith Danielle
Photographer: Kelsey Keeton at K. Keeton Designs
Cover Designer: Robin Harper at Wicked By Design




Where do babies come from?

The question every parent dreads hearing has finally fallen from the lips of six year old Ava Banks, the curious, precocious little girl that you fell in love with in Ignite.

Jeremy and Sierra, normally blunt as can be, struggle to find the right words to answer her. So instead, they rewind sixteen years to that one fateful day where a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven inevitably led to life-long romance filled with laughter, love, and many, many mishaps along the way.

Falling in love with your best friend? It's the most incredible thing in the world. But when a love comes so easily, will it truly be able to last? When the world comes crashing down around you, can even the strongest relationship withstand great tragedy?

Stay tuned for lots of laughs, teenage awkwardness, a few tears, and most of all, mullets. Because what good love story doesn't do business in the front, and party in the back?

**While Fusion is a standalone romance, it’s best read after Ignite.**




Ignite (Explosive #1)




EXCERPT

“It’s fine, Jeremy. I promise. I have no problem being the Tod to your Copper. Or the Joey to your Dawson. That’s who I am.” She hesitated for a brief moment. “That’s who I’ll always be. You’re my best friend, Jeremy. It’s okay that you don’t see my boobs. Hell, it’s probably better that way.”

My stomach plummeted and if I was man enough to admit it, my eyes burned with an unexpected rush of tears. I stepped back, out of the streetlight so she couldn’t see me. It was a move she misinterpreted, but before I could find a single ounce of courage, she was waving goodbye and running into her house, leaving me there to watch her go.


Something I never wanted to do again.

It wasn’t until after Sierra left for Ohio and I had a chance to reflect on her words that I realized what she’d said. Dawson and Joey, as of right then, weren’t even speaking. Copper and Tod went their separate ways, and even though their friendship remained, they were still apart for the rest of their lives.

I didn’t want to be Copper anymore. I sure as hell didn’t want to be Dawson.

But it was too late. I’d lost my chance. I’d missed my window. Sierra was gone and there was nothing I could do about it.

Jenna was right.

I was an idiot.


Playlist

 

About the Author

I'm a twenty something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.

If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, country music, and all things Grace Potter.

Connect with the Tessa
 

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BOOK TOUR & GIVEAWAY: The Fall Up by Aly Martinez

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Maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall
in love at rock bottom—up.


NOW AVAILABLE!


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I wanted to jump.
He made me fall.

As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight.

Until he found me.

Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.

But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.

Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?

Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.




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EXCERPT
“Thank fuck!” Sam said, swinging the door open before Devon even had the car in park.

“Oh, this isn’t my place. We’re just dropping Devon off. I’m about twenty minutes across town?” I tossed him a sugary smile then boldly shifted my hand into his lap, purposely brushing the bulge under his denim.

Grabbing my wrist, he narrowed his eyes and called out, “Devon, I’m gonna need to borrow a bedroom.”

I burst out laughing as Devon cursed loudly.

“Fine. This is my place. No smoking inside though,” I snipped as I climbed from the SUV.

“You better have some seriously exciting extracurricular activities to keep me distracted, then.”

“I have Ping-Pong!”

“Not exactly what I was thinking.” He mischievously cocked his head. “But I guess paddles and balls are as good a start as any.” Dipping down, he hoisted me over his shoulder. “Point me to the Ping-Pong table, my lady.”

I didn’t. I laughed hysterically as he carried me inside. Then I directed him to my bedroom instead.

I heard Devon locking up the house as Sam deposited me on the bed.

“Jesus. This view.” He pushed the curtains back. “Why the hell would you ever go up to the bridge when you have this here?”

“I don’t know,” I answered, pulling my earrings off and placing them on my nightstand.

Oh, but I knew. It might not have been what had originally sent me up that bridge, but it was why my feet carried me back every night. And that very reason was currently standing in front of me with entirely too much clothing on.

“You want a beer?” I asked, sliding my shoes off.

“Nah, I’m good.” He faced me, and I could tell something was off with his demeanor. He didn’t inch any closer. Instead, his lips were tight and his eyes uncomfortably flashed around the room.

It suddenly didn’t feel like Sam standing in front of me at all.

He felt like a stranger who had just come face-to-face with Levee Williams.

Damn it.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you about to freak out?” I whispered, nervously moistening my lips.

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m not really sure yet. But I’m gonna need you to stop licking your lips long enough for me to figure it out.” His mouth cracked into a wide grin, and my shoulders relaxed.

Now that was a flash of my Sam.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s just… I think this is the first time I’ve realized that you’re some big-time celebrity. I might be in over my head here, Designer Shoes.”

“I just make music, Sam.” I returned his smile and very slowly prowled in his direction. “Imagine how I feel though. You’re Samuel Nathan Rivers. A tough, tattooed furniture designer who makes six figures a year but is too afraid to tell his mommy he votes democratic.” I giggled as he frowned humorously. Stopping in front of him, I dragged a fingernail down his chest then teased the waistband of his jeans. “Have you considered that maybe I’m the one who’s in over her head here?” I leaned forward to nip at his lips, but he spun us around.

“Excellent point. I’m going to need you to try really hard to keep it together, Levee. You haven’t even seen my six-pack and huge cock, yet.” He smirked and attempted to return my nip, but I stepped out of his reach.

“You brought beer and chicken?” I feigned excitement.

That one corny joke was all it took to bring my Sam back completely.

With a sexy smile and a coy shrug, he seductively backed me toward the bed. “What can I say? I like to be prepared.”

“Clearly,” I breathed.

He moved in close so his lips were only a centimeter away, but for as much as I wanted him, it was agonizing. “Clearly,” he repeated, his smoky yet sweet breath breezing across my mouth.

His strong arm looped around my waist, tugging me against his chest, while I stared into his hooded eyes, eagerly waiting for him to make a move.

Any move.

Every move.


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Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.




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Thursday, October 29, 2015

RELEASE WEEK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker




We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for K.A. Tucker's SURVIVING ICE! SURVIVING ICE is a standalone romantic suspense novel and is the fourth book in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water Series, published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Grab your copy today!





The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense. 

Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again. 

When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for. 

Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control. 

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing. 


EXCERPT

A soft meow catches my ear. The resident tabby cat—a whore who hops from one villa to the next, sharing her affections without discrimination—struts across the thick balcony wall to me, her tail curling in the air as she approaches. I stroke the soft patch of fur beneath her chin and listen to her purr while I begin to mentally prepare myself for my return to California.

It’s been almost five years since I last stepped foot on American soil. Soil that once brought me purpose, love, and determination. Then pain, weakness.

Disgrace.

What will it bring me now?

My hand drops from the cat’s chin, deciding I’ve given her more than enough. She leans forward, head-butts my arm— allowing me a chance to reconsider, to show her the kind of love that I am no longer capable of—before giving up and scuttling away.

With a sigh and one last glance over the peaceful blue waters, I flick the cigarette butt that sits mashed up on the railing and venture back inside to where an olive-skinned Grecian beauty is sprawled across my bed. She’s the smoker, and an unexpected outcome of last night, while I enjoyed a quiet solo meal by the water. A curvy, sensual woman, much like the tabby cat, stalking in to impose herself on my life. Except her affections weren’t as easily dismissed, wearing away at my defenses over the hours with throaty laughs and wandering fingertips.

Manipulating my loneliness.

I rarely succumb to it, but last night, I did.

I also must have had too many glasses of that pricey limnio, because I don’t usually end up in my own bed with a prostitute.

I slide a hand back and forth over the smooth skin of her hip until she stirs with a small groan. Eyes as blue as the Aegean Sea below us flutter open to meet mine. Her plump natural lips—that were wrapped around my cock with such expertise last night—curl into a smile. “Good morning, American,” she purrs in her thick accent, reaching for me. “You want more, don’t you?”

Had I not just received that call from Bentley, I probably would have taken her again. But minutes within getting news of my next assignment, my mind is already shifting focus, shutting down my weak human urges, preparing the rest of me for what is to come.

I quash her efforts for a repeat by filling her groping fingers with her crimson dress. “You can let yourself out.”

“But . . . last night was . . .” She stumbles over her own surprise. “Will I see you again?”

There’s no use pretending that either of us is something we’re not, that we will be more to each other than we were for a few paid hours last night. So I don’t bother answering, leaving her on my bed to head to the bathroom, feeling her anger blazing into my back.


And don’t miss the previous titles in the Burying Water Series!


BURYING WATER



BECOMING RAIN



CHASING RIVER


 




About K.A. Tucker: Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.