Pages

Sunday, July 31, 2016

The best of 2016...Part 1.

I have read a lot of fantastic books this year and at this rate my end of year list will be REALLY big, so I am breaking it up. These are my favorite books I have read through the end of June. 



 







There are some debts you can’t repay.

Josh Walker is loyal, reckless, and every girl’s dream. But he only has eyes for December Howard, the girl he's craved since his high school hockey days. Together they have survived grief, the military, distance, and time as they’ve fought for stolen weekends between his post at Ft. Rucker and her college at Vanderbilt. Now that Josh is a medevac pilot and Ember is headed toward graduation, they’re moving on—and in—together.

Ember never wanted the Army life, but loving Josh means accepting whatever the army dictates—even when that means saying goodbye as Josh heads to Afghanistan, a country that nearly killed him once before and that took her father. But filling their last days together with love, passion, and plans for their future doesn’t temper Ember’s fear, and if there’s one thing she’s learned from her father’s death, it’s that there are some obstacles even love can’t conquer.

Flight school is over.

This is war.


Add to Goodreads

Read my review here.






Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.

At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going—across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.

Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.

Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret—and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.

Add to Goodreads


Read my review here




Maverick “the Avenger” Cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he's known on the fighting circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble. He's got a personal score to settle with the Underground's one and only Remington "Riptide" Tate.

As Mav trains, he meets a young girl—the only other new person in the town--and sparks fly. When things get heated between them, he finds out she's none other than Reese Dumas, the cousin of Remington Tate’s wife. A girl who's supposed to root against him and a girl he's supposed to stay away from.

But Maverick fights for the woman in his heart, and the monsters in his blood. The world’s eyes are on them and the victor will go down in history as the ultimate fighting champion; the ultimate LEGEND. 

LEGEND is the 6th and final installment of the REAL series, but it can also be read as standalone or after the three Remington and Brooke books (Real/Mine/Remy.)


Add to Goodreads


Read my review here



She’s fighting for control. . . . Paige Roberts learned to fend for herself growing up. Now she’s doing everything possible to give her daughter, Casey, the stability she never had. But when the vivacious five-year-old decides she’s done wearing her prosthesis, Paige faces her toughest challenge yet: trusting a handsome, brooding stranger who simply wants to help.

He’s struggling to connect. . . . JT McKinney lost more than his leg in a car accident that stole his dreams of pro football. Eight years later, he’s made a new life for himself far away from his old one. His business is developing cutting-edge prosthetics and he’s more than happy to turn his attention to machines instead of people. Still, he can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing.

Will they take a chance on love? . . . When JT gets the chance to help Paige’s daughter, he takes it. He never planned on the two of them tearing down his walls or teaching him to believe in himself again. Paige might not believe in happily ever afters, but JT wants more than anything to be her prince. They’ll both have to let go of the past if they want a future.


Read my review here. 



Holden Scott is the prince of professional football. At least he was before he lost it all . . . or more to the point, before he threw it all away. Now he's out of a job, out of the public's good graces, and perhaps just a little out of his mind. So when a friend offers up his remote lodge in the wilds of Colorado, giving Holden some time away to get his life back on track, he can hardly say no. The last thing he expects is to see a beautiful girl in the woods—one wearing a white, lace dress who appears in the moonlight, and leaves no footprints behind. Is she a dream? A ghost? A product of his muddled imagination? Or something entirely different?

Midnight Lily is the haunting love story of two lost souls reaching for each other in the dark. A tale of healing, acceptance, and the worlds we create to protect our own hearts. It is a story of being lost, of being found, and of being in the place between.

THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY VIRGO. Non-Paranormal, New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here



From the author of the Capital Confessions Novels comes the first in the steamy Wild Aces Romance series. 

U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Noah Miller—call sign Burn—loves nothing more than flying hard and fast. When he meets a gorgeous and sassy woman while partying in Las Vegas, he immediately locks on to her.

Jordan Callahan owns a thriving clothing boutique, but her love life is far less successful. Her luck changes when six feet, two inches of sexy swagger asks her to dance and turns her world upside down.

One scorching weekend becomes an undeniable chemistry that they can’t leave in Vegas. But the long distance relationship and their different lives threaten to ground their romance. And when the dangers of Noah’s job become all too real, Jordan learns being with a fighter pilot means risking it all for a shot at love…


Add to Goodreads


Read my review here.




I thought I knew what love was, but I didn’t have a f*%king clue. Now, I’m in the fight of my life to win over the woman who owns my soul. ~ Finn Black

The face of an angel…
The heart of a saint…

One look, one smile, and I didn’t stand a chance. The instant my eyes landed on Presley Chambers, I was a goner. She was a force of nature that turned my world upside down. Sweet, sassy, and sexy as hell, she brought me to my knees.

But she isn’t just any woman, she’s a gift, she’s a goddess, she’s my disease… and I’ll fight like hell to erase her fears.

Sometimes fate has other plans. Now our future is in her hands.

I can only hope she’ll give us the chance we both deserve.

The idea that someone could possess me was insane… until I met Finn Black.~ Presley Chambers

The face of Adonis…
The heart of a hero…

Finn Black infiltrated my safe world the minute he breathed my name. He broke down my barriers and convinced me to take a chance. For the first time ever, I was living my life with a man who promised me a future only dreams are made of.

Sometimes the line between love and longing are tested.

He’s asked me to trust him, to trust us, but the fear of losing him became too much.

Now I must decide if I’m willing to take a leap of faith, and hope he’ll be there to catch me.

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here.



Yoga instructor Genevieve Harper is a blond bombshell loaded down with responsibility and sacrifice. She makes the most out of raising her two siblings in the wake of their parents’ tragic accident. At twenty-four, she doesn’t have time to devote to a man…especially not the devastatingly handsome.

Trent Fox, who’s known for being a “player” on and off the baseball field. Trent has the best hitting average in the league. Recently, he suffered a torn hamstring that takes him to the Lotus House Yoga Center for recuperation. There he meets the curvy, petite blonde with soulful black eyes and candy-coated glossy lips he’d like to do more to than kiss. He secures the flexible hottie for daily private lessons that ultimately show him how sensual the art of yoga can be.

Can love grow between a woman who’s rooted in her life and a man who resists any notion of staying in one place?

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here




I’ve told a lot of lies in my life. Mostly lies of omission.

My best friends, Rebecca, Gemma, and Katya think I come from a rich family like they do.

I don’t.

We have a fancy lunch once a month at an expensive restaurant. I cut back on food the rest of the time to pay for it.

My car sits in the garage unless I’m spending time with my friends. It’s cheaper to catch the bus.

Now I have a new secret. The biggest of them all.

I’m in love with Rebecca’s father.

And I think he loves me back.

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here




Some universal truths refuse to be ignored. 

Peanut butter and jelly are a match made in heaven. Spaghetti and meatballs are best friends forever. And guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like Cam Emerson.

She knew from the second she met him that he didn’t belong on her bookshelf, the six-foot-six ex-tight end with a face so all-American, it could have sold apple pie. So she shelved him next to the supermodels and rock stars and took her place on her own shelf — the one with the flannel-clad, pasty-faced comic book nerds. Most of her boyfriends have existed between the pages of books, but rather than worrying over her own lacking love life, she puts all her energy into playing Cupid, using her job at the book bar, Wasted Words, as her stomping ground.

Tyler Knight always looks on the bright side. His career-ending injury turned into a job as a sports agent. A horrible breakup led him to Cam, his quirky, smart roommate who is far more beautiful than she realizes. She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested in him — not like that at least — but if she ever changes her mind, he won’t hesitate. Because he doesn’t see the lines she’s drawn between them, as much as she insists that they’re there. Deep down he knows that despite their differences, they’re a match well made.

*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma*

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here




What happens when you’re attracted to the wrong person?

AIDEEN
I didn't expect to feel so drawn to my best friend’s father when I first meet him. It’s unexplainable and most of all, it’s unexpected. He drinks too much, is rough around the edges, and is so obviously into casual sex and nothing more, but there’s just something about him that calls out to me. I’ve thought my heart was battered beyond repair, but maybe I have been wrong.

"There was something so sexual, so carnal, so intense in the way Jensen looked at me.’’

JENSEN
She is my son’s best friend and I know he wants more, but I can't help it. Whenever she is around or her name is mentioned I’m turned on. I’m not used to denying myself to feeling so strongly for a woman so young, but she gets me. I can’t do a damn thing to stop these feelings. No amount of alcohol helps. I didn’t think it could be possible to feel so drawn to a woman, but it looks like I have been dead wrong.

"I want her to want me just as madly as I do her.’’
They shouldn’t and yet… They can’t resist each other.

Add to Goodreads

Read my review here.




Juked: verb. 
/jook-t/

A slang soccer term meaning: fake out, deceive, confuse your opponent

See examples Daniel Zavaro and Quincy Watson:


As the rising star in Houston, Daniel has found fame as Captain of his Pro soccer team and the city’s most eligible bachelor. Daniel has everything – except someone special – and that suits him just fine. He doesn’t want, or need, complications.

Quincy has baggage, and lots of it. After a tragic accident spins her world on its axis, she finds herself as a single mother, raising a newborn nephew she never knew she had. Between parenthood, her full-time job, and dealing with the suffocating grief of losing her sister, every day is a struggle.

When they begin to cross paths unexpectedly and often, an unlikely friendship starts to evolve. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. What happens next surprises them both...

Before they know it-- they’ve been Juked.



Add to Goodreads


Read my review here.

Friday, July 29, 2016

REVIEW TOUR, 5 STAR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Stroked by Meghan Quinn


We're celebrating the release of STROKED by Meghan Quinn! 



STROKED by Meghan Quinn
Scheduled to release: July 20, 2016
NA Romantic Comedy


Reese King: Olympic medalist, underwear model, Greek god.

His body is chiseled from rock, sculpted by the weight room, and refined by water.

On a daily basis his skin is completely bare for everyone to see, tan and defined, only covered up by a minuscule piece of spandex. There is no denying his sex appeal.

I hate to admit it, but I’m head over heels infatuated with him.

There is one HUGE problem though. His achingly gorgeous abs, inked up arm, and cocky swagger belong to my boss, the high-profile, reality star bitch from hell and certified heinous human being, Bellini Chambers.

What I think is going to be an easy job assisting a glorified wench turns into a cluster f*ck of epic proportions.








My Review

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

Let's just say that when the Olympics rolls around next month I will be watching the swimmers/divers very closely. And casting this series. Haha.

Paisley needs a job, but thanks to a minor slip up that resulted in colorful language being broadcasted on live television, the only production job she can get is being an assistant to one of the absolute worst human beings on the planet, reality star Bellini Chambers. But she really needs the job, so she takes it. While the job is awful and it's the last place she wants to be, Paisley takes it like a champ and is quite good at it. The only problem is that Bellini's boyfriend is ridiculously hot and Paisley is extremely attracted to him. 

Reese King is a swimmer who has won pretty much everything EXCEPT a gold medal. When he first meets Paisley he is immediately drawn to her. She's not only gorgeous, but she knows how to handle the infantile Bellini. Since Paisley is technically his assistant and well, he starts to put Paisley in situations where the just two of them spend time together. Yes, he wants to get physical with her, but he also wants to get to know her as a person. She is unlike anyone he has met before and he is intrigued by her. As they get to know each other they form a  friendship that quickly borders on the inappropriate.

I absolutely loved them. Early in the book Reese invites Paisley to his house for lunch and as they are prepping the food they talk about the various tattoos she has.  
“These are all words that have touched your soul?” he asks, running his finger along the tattoo on my right forearm.
“Yes, in one way or another, these words have helped me through my life; they’ve inspired me to be a better person, to strive for more.”
He nods and steps back, giving me some space, space I don’t want. “I can relate. I have a saying I carry around with me everywhere I go and tape it to my locker before each swim meet.”
“Really?” I ask, curious to find out we are similar in a way. “What does it say?”
Without skipping a beat, he answers, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.”
“Rocky Balboa,” I say, holding up my right arm and pulling up the sleeve of my cover-up, so he can see the small saying etched on my inner bicep.
His hands automatically go to my arm, and he reads his saying that is scrawled across my skin, his fingers carefully caressing the ink. “No fucking way.” He laughs. “Damn, I think my heart just skipped a beat.”
His heart just skipped a beat? How about mine is about to pound right out of my chest from the light caress of his fingers along my arm.
There is a fire in his eyes, a passionate fire, full of heat, yearning . . . wanting. The feeling is mutual. An addictive pulsing runs through my body, settling in my core. Beat after beat, our silence surrounds us. His chest falls in rhythm with mine, our breathing syncing as one as his hazel eyes continue to bore down on mine, looking for answers as to what this burning sensation is flowing between us. 
I clear my throat and take the first look away. His gaze is too strong; I’m bound to do something stupid. “So, these peppers need to be chopped, huh?” 
Gah!  These two. The sexual tension is quite intense and when things do finally happen (don't worry...there's no cheating!) the payoff is totally worth it! Reese is the biggest sweetheart and basically the perfect book boyfriend. Paisley was an awesome, headstrong woman and was all in with Reese, but unfortunately her employment situation forces to make some choices that were out of her control and put their relationship in jeopardy. 

And Bellini. Holy crap she is just the absolute worst. I found myself rolling my eyes at the absurdity of it all, but that is what made it so fun (and frustrating). The first time one of her chapters popped up I did get a little worried that we were going to get too much of her, but I thought Meghan gave us just enough. Besides I think we are going to be seeing her throughout the whole series and there is a thing as too much Bellini. I just can't wait to see her get what is coming to her.

I cannot wait for the next book. Meghan has given us some great secondary characters...some who will be getting their own books! Yay! I mean I already have heart eyes for Bodi and Ruby so I am super excited about their book. And the 3rd book....well let's just that I am excited about that couple too!  








GIVEAWAY





Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Like me on Facebook
Find me on Goodreads
Visit my website

DOUBLE COVER REVEAL: Cement Heart & Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann


Cement Heart has a BRAND NEW COVER and it is GORGEOUS!!!



Lawrence Finkle, known simply to his die-hard Minnesota Wild fans as Viper, isn’t used to hearing the word no. He lives his whole life just a little on the reckless side. After all, life is just one big game, right?

Wrong.

When what was supposed to be an innocent bet goes horribly wrong, he’s left to deal with the aftermath—and the guilt. In an effort to make things right the best way he can, he ends up falling for the one person on the planet he never should have.

The old saying goes that two wrongs don’t make a right . . . or do they?



Add to your TBR on Goodreads


And check out the cover for the follow up Wild Heart!


Coming soon!

For Lawrence “Viper” Finkle, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. Since the first time he stepped onto the ice at just eight years old, he knew what he was meant to do, and he does it well.


When his career takes an unexpected hit, and his relationship is pushed to the breaking point, he’s left sidelined and wondering what his future holds.

Just when he’s sure things can’t get any worse…they do.

Can Viper pull himself together in time to save his career, his girl, and his sanity? Or will he be permanently benched?

Add to your TBR on Goodreads

COVER REVEAL: Hotshot by Ahren Sanders



Title: Hotshot
Author: Ahren Sanders
Release Date: August 29, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance


Synopsis:

I don’t remember a time I didn’t love Crenshaw Bennett.
I tried to deny it, but my feelings grew deeper.
I thought he could never love me the way I love him.

I was wrong—outrageously, deliriously, and beautifully wrong.

One innocent kiss changes my life forever.

Suddenly, Shaw is mine.
Loyal, devoted, and the most loving man on this Earth.
Together, we create an explosion of fiery passion, devotion, and chemistry I never knew was possible.

All of my dreams are within reach, but I should have known it was too good to be true.

The past always catches up to you, and I’m left staring at my worst nightmare.

Faced with the unthinkable, I am forced to choose between the man I love and a past I cannot change.

Shaw’s fighting like hell to prove we can have it all, but can I find the strength to be the woman he needs?






RELEASE DAY BLITZ: Kicked‏ by Celia Aaron

Kicked Release Day.jpg


AP new - buy the book.jpg


goodreads-badge.png



Kicked - ebook.jpg


AP new - synopsis.jpg


Trent Carrington.

Trent Mr. Perfect-Has-Everyone-Fooled Carrington.

He’s the star quarterback, university scholar, and happens to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He shines at any angle, and especially under the Saturday night stadium lights where I watch him from the sidelines. But I know the real him, the one who broke my heart and pretended I didn’t exist for the past two years.

I’m the third-string kicker, the only woman on the team and nothing better than a mascot. Until I’m not. Until I get my chance to earn a full scholarship and join the team as first-string. The only way I'll make the cut is to accept help from the one man I swore to never trust again. The problem is, with each stolen glance and lingering touch, I begin to realizing that trusting Trent isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t trust myself when I’m around him.

This is a full-length, standalone American football romance novel with hot guys in tight pants who really know how to handle their balls.


AP new - excerpt.jpg

A movie started playing on the back of each seat, but I focused on Cordy. Her polo was unbuttoned, and I could see the swell of her breast. My cock went from fight mode to fuck mode in the time it took me to shift more toward Cordy.

“Are we…” She nibbled her lip.

I grabbed her chin and turned her to face me. “What?”

“Are we like, together?” She stumbled over her next words, as if she couldn’t get them out fast enough. “I know it’s too early to DTR—”

“DTR?” I grinned.

“Define the relationship.” She furrowed her brow.

“Right. Well, I define it as you’re mine and I’m yours. How’s that?”

Her gaze brightened. My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it.

“Someone’s calling you.” She glanced to my pants.

“It’s my mother.”

“Oh.”

I’d told Cordy about the difficulties I had with my mom, but I didn’t go into the details of how much acrimony our relationship would stir up. Mom had no doubt seen the press conference. She would know. Mom always knew. She was waiting for me to pick up the phone so she could load me down with Carlotta’s tears, my family’s legacy, and the bright future she thought I was throwing away. I’d deal with it. Later.

I leaned close to Cordy’s ear. “Put your jacket on your lap.”

She turned to me, a wary look on her heart-shaped face. “Why?”

“It’s cold.”

“Not really.”

“You’re trembling.”

She arched a brow. “Not because I’m cold.”

“Then why?”

“Because you—” She seemed to rethink her answer and, instead of responding, pulled her jacket into her lap as I’d requested.

“Good. My hands are cold.” I slid my palm along her thigh beneath the jacket.

She jumped and looked at me with a scandalized expression. “Trent!” She hissed through clenched teeth.

“What?” I pressed my fingers higher until I reached the apex of her thighs, then I eased my hand between her legs.

“We can’t do this here.” She glanced around, but no one could see us in the dark, and if anyone was looking, all they’d see was us sitting together and Cordy’s jacket in her lap.

I rubbed my index finger along the seam of her jeans over her clit. “We can.”

She gripped my wrist, but I didn’t stop. Her breathing grew faster as I stroked her. My cock demanded reciprocity, but it would have to wait. I wanted to pleasure her more than anything. When her lips parted, I knew I had her.

I pressed my lips to her ear. “Unbutton your jeans, and unzip them.”

She tilted her hips forward and did as I’d said.

“You’ll have to be quiet.” I ran my fingers along her quivering stomach and she let out a small sound. 


Kicked Teaser 2.jpg


AP new -about the author.jpg

Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark. Thanks for reading.
Author Links




ArdentProse_LogoMain.jpg