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BLOG TOUR+ EXCERPT: WILD AND FREE (THE THREE SERIES #3) by KRISTEN ASHLEY

January 4, 2015

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Abel Jin and Delilah Johnson have lived their lives with a hole in their soul, yearning for something they don’t understand.

Until one night Delilah is in mortal danger and a man who’s otherworldly strong and supernaturally fast saves her. Delilah is then cast into a world where fiction comes to life in the form of Abel, her destined mate, a vampire/werewolf hybrid who claims her at first breath as his.

But Abel knows the danger isn’t done. He’s dreamed for centuries that his mate will perish and he will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

For Delilah, she’s not only coping with fantasy come to life, but a mingling of very different families. Not to mention, she has on her hands a man who doesn’t understand his true nature and has lived his long life thinking he’s a monster.

Abel and Delilah together fills the hole that has been clawing at them for decades. But finally finding each other, it also tips their destinies as the last of The Three. They must unite with the other destined lovers, who with Abel and Delilah, are fated to save the world.

Or die trying.

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My Review:

Kristen Ashley is my favorite author. Her books make my heart pound, get my pulse racing, make me cry, make me laugh and wrap me, always, in a cocoon of family, friendship and love. Could you ask anything more from a writer? And Wild And Free, the third installment in the Three Series, does all of that, and much, much more.

Wild and Free contains some of the rawest, animalistic, sensual and gorgeous love scenes I have ever read. Abel and Lilah, destined to be mates for life, need to be able to draw you in to their characters and their fated mating for this to be a believable story. And boy, do they ever! Just when I think Ms. Ashley could not possibly create a more Alpha male than she already has, she writes Abel, who is a hybrid and who mates like nobody’s business!!

This book contains everything you could possibly hope for in a paranormal romance. There is incredible, heart-stopping action, hot sex, other-wordly beings, super-hot sex, wolves, vampires and heart-pounding sex! I absolutely loved Abel and his story broke my heart. Lilah is a kick-ass heroine, brave, uninhibited, sexual. loyal and loving. These two together just might save the world.

I could not put this book down and was literally swooning at every page. Even if you are not a big fan of paranormal romance, and I do not read a lot of them, Wild And Free is a MUST-READ. This book is truly Kristen Ashley at her finest. She is not afraid to pull the punches and make sacrifices when they work for the story. And for that, I love her. Be prepared to be wowed. Wild And Free has loads of unexpected twists and turns and it is a vital addition to your KA library!!

(*ARC provided by the author, with thanks, for an honest review.)

Exclusive Blog Tour Excerpt:

“I’m a monster, Lilah.”
“What?” I whispered.
“I’m a werewolf vampire. I exist on human blood. I can tear a man’s head off and I have. I’m a monster.”
“You—”
“I am,” he stated flatly. “And the first chance I’ve had in all my years to understand why I am as I am is to go to that fuckin’ hotel.”
I stared at him, then straightened my body so I was fully facing him. This caused his jaw to get hard again, but I ignored that and stated, “Okay, let’s break this down.”
“Nothin’ to break down.”
“Humor me,” I snapped, his head jerked, and his lips curved up.
“Carry on,” he muttered.
“Thanks,” I bit out. “First, how many men’s heads have you torn off?”
“Four, and two wolves.”
“That’s it?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“These being the night we met,” I stated.
“Yeah,” he repeated.
“The night some of them were trying to kill me and the others were trying to kill you.”
To that he said nothing.
I kept going, “So you haven’t torn off unsuspecting citizens’ heads willy-nilly, for the fuck of it, or on a psychotic rampage?”
He pressed his lips together and I knew it was to hide his humor because his eyes lit with it before he unpressed them to say, “No.”
“Right,” I said sharply. “Have you ever had a psychotic rampage?”
He shook his head.
“So let’s get to the human blood part,” I suggested. “When you were,” I paused, “drawing from one of your ex-bitches, did you ever kill one of them?”
“Fuck no.”
“Take too much and make them sick?”
“No.”
“Do it against anyone’s will?”
His eyes went guarded, but he said, “No.”
I threw up a hand. “Okay, so what’s the problem?”
He blinked, straightening in his chair, but again said nothing.
“I mean, seriously,” I went on, “I’ve seen lots of vampire movies and TV shows and even the good vamps screw up and overindulge. Hell, Jessica killed three fairies in a ravenous attack. She might have had her issues as a young vampire, but by that time, she was full-on good.”
His brows shot together. “Fairies?”
“Fairies.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
I threw up both hands and cried in exasperation, “True Blood!”
“Jesus, Lilah,” he muttered.
“No, seriously, Jessica is very sweet.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he growled, sounding like he was losing patience, which I didn’t figure was a good thing.
“Okay, back on track,” I began. “Tell me. Tell me one instance in your life where you actually behaved like a monster.”
“I wanna fuck you,” he snarled.
I stared.
“Yeah,” he ground out. “I wanna fuck you, Delilah. Consumed with the need and I have no idea why, but I can guess, seein’ as it’s like you’re a bitch in heat, I’m a dog that catches the scent and his mind is wiped…wiped of anything…but the need to mount you and”—he leaned forward—“rut.”
“Holy fuck,” I breathed.
“Yeah,” he said again. “That make you feel safe?”
“Abel—”
“I can smell your fear.”
I swallowed.
“It turns me on,” he kept going. “Makes me wanna tear into your throat and fuck you and feed from you. Now, does that make you feel safe?”
“No,” I whispered, because it really fucking didn’t.
“Right. No,” he bit off. “So I’m not a monster?”

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Categories : 5 Stars, Alpha male, Blog Tour, Giveaway, Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Excerpt, Giveaway, Kristen Ashley, The Three Series, Wild and Free

Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1) by Leisa Rayven – ARC Review

December 23, 2014

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When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan’s romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they’re forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they’ll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks.
This story may have started out its life as fan fiction but do not let that turn you off – Bad Romeo is a captivating novel about first love, heartbreak and redemption. Told in a mixture of present day interludes and flash backs from the past, Bad Romeo manages to perfectly capture Cassie Taylor and Ethan Holt’s romantic history.

Cassie hasn’t spoken to Ethan in the three years since he broke her heart. But when they both get cast as the leads in a new Broadway play, Cassie has no choice but to be professional. Present day Cassie wants nothing to do with Ethan and if this play wasn’t her big Broadway break – she’d quit just to get away from him. But Ethan wants more than a working relationship with Cassie – he wants to fix what he broke. Mixed though their current predicament is the story of how they met. A college romance between the good girl and the bad boy who was as romantic and passionate as it was destructive. Much like Romeo and Juliet, the relationship between Cassie and Ethan seemed destined to be epic and to end in heartbreak. With all the damage done and trust betrayed will these two be able to overcome their history to make a future or will it be lights out for these broken-hearted lovers?

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My Review:

5 perfect stars!!!

Well. Where do I begin? Bad Romeo is one of my favorite books of the year. It is the perfect blend of coming-of-age, intense longing, heartache, friendship and first love. The story is told in a mix of present-day and flashbacks which can be confusing but work perfectly here. Ethan Holt is the classic bad-boy, who smashed Cassie Taylor’s heart when they were drama students. Flash-forward to present day, when they are both cast as the leads in a Broadway play. Told from Cassie’s point of view, the book follows their completely tortured, angst-filled relationship. But don’t be scared away: this book is raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny and will keep you turning the pages to see what will happen next.

Can Cassie work with Ethan again after what he did to her in the past? She can’t seem to stay away from him and Leisa Rayven gives a wonderful, slow-build story that kept me reading until the wee hours of the night. I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at the theatre world and the sometimes-painful description of the acting process. And even though this is a New Adult novel, it is incredibly sexy and steamy and filled with just the right blend of longing and sexual release. And Cassie, what a fantastic heroine! She’s smart, tough-on-the-outside but very vulnerable, and funny as hell. I fell in love with Ethan Holt and even though he was portrayed as a jerk, felt sympathetic towards him because of his tortured past. I can’t say enough about this book!!

After I finished this book, I was fascinated to read that it originally began as fan fiction. How did I not know this? I am now officially addicted to this series and this author. I highlighted practically the entire book. The ending was perfection and I am literally counting the days until the next book, Broken Juliet!!

(*ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.)

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Categories : 5 Stars, New Adult Contemporary Tagged : 5 stars, Bad Romeo, Leisa Rayven, Review

Blog Tour + Review: Ripped (Real #5) by Katy Evans

December 9, 2014

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The fifth story in the new adult series that began with the New York Times bestseller REAL.

New Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release: December 9, 2014

Every woman wants me–except the one I sing for.
Seattle shakes with anticipation: they call it the concert of the year. They say girls are getting pregnant just thinking about my band being in town.
But when you love a girl, you don’t leave her with nothing but a ring and a promise. Any man with half a brain should know.
So what did I expect my girl would do when she saw me again?
Well, for starters, she loathes our music. Particularly the song I wrote about her.
When I sing it, the stadium is in an uproar. Thousands of fans scream my name like I’m a god–but yeah, not her. Crystal clear: the girl’s not happy to see me.
Black hair, black boots, a bad attitude, that’s her — Pandora Stone is a freaking man-eater and she’s out for my blood.
That’s alright.
Let her come at me. Because I’m out for her heart and, this time, there’s no way she can stop me.

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MY REVIEW:

WOW!! What a ride!! Ripped was an unexpected gem from one of my favorite authors ever and I loved it from beginning to end! Pandora is a feisty, strong, take-no-prisoners heroine who cam charging out of the gate at a hundred miles an hour. From the opening scene of Ripped when she and her best friend are planning a pay-back to Mackenna, to the very end, Pandora grabbed my heart and didn’t let go.

Pandora has always felt crushed and alone after her first and only love broke her heart. And then went on to sing about it! Her life has become focused on getting revenge on the only man she has ever loved left her with not a look back. Mackenna was her true love, before he became a famous rock star, and to her horror, he wrote a hit song about her! She has spent years hating him.

When her prank goes wrong, to stay out of trouble, she must make a deal that involves her going on tour with the band. Will she be able to come to terms with what Mackenna did to her all those years ago? Will Mackenna be able to make her understand why he did what he did?

Ripped is classic Katy Evans, with a twist! The heroine is angry and heartbroken but tough as nails. The hero is sexy as hell, possessive and tenacious. I highlighted so much from this book that I’ll just share my favorite quotes here:

“Stupid girl attracted to bad boy, V card handed over, heart broken, end of story. I’m not even worried about him.”

“I’m familiar with Pandora and her mistake – letting all kinds of bad shit into the world when she opened the box. I’ve always been at war with my name. I’m angry at it because, right away, it makes me think I can never really be good. I’m a jinx.”

“God, I’m such a bluffer. Black clothes, black nails? I’m a pussy. An innocent little kitty pretending to be Catwoman. This man could kill me, over and over, until my nine lives are done.”

I absolutely adored Ripped and have now added Mackenna to my list of favorite book boyfriends!

(*ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review)

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About the Author

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Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…

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Categories : 5 Stars, Blog Tour, New Adult Contemporary, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Katy Evans, Review, Ripped

Review: Debt by Nina G. Jones, Blog Tour, Teasers + Giveaway

December 8, 2014

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Title: DEBT

Author: Nina G. Jones

Genre: Erotic Suspense

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Cover Model: BJ Gaddour

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Synopsis

I don’t know what I was thinking when I hired someone to attack me. Maybe I was bored, or lonely, or there was a void so deep inside of me that I needed something explosive to fill it.

It was supposed to be safe. A thrill. A way to break through the monotony of everyday life. It was an illusion of danger that I could walk away from as soon as it was over.

Except that it wasn’t. Because I had been in danger long before I ever invited it into my life.

———————

My mission is almost complete. The bubbling boil of vengeance that heats my blood might finally simmer.

She is the last piece of the puzzle. Once I destroy her, everyone who ever hurt me will have paid their debt.

It was supposed to be quick and easy, but as soon as I met her it got complicated.

Very complicated.

 

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REVIEW

Debt is one of the darkest, most erotic books I have ever read. This story is not for the faint of heart so heed the warnings, but if you are ready for a stunning, thrilling, twisted and emotional story, then Debt is for you.

A suspenseful and revenge-filled tale, Debt had me on the edge of my seat from the first page. I highlighted so much of this book that I could fill this review with amazing passages but read it for yourself and experience this fantastic and sexy story. I have never read a book by Nina Jones and she absolutely blew me away by this story.

“This man is my stalker, my terrorizer, my lover.”

Told in flashbacks and in alternating POV’s, Debt is a story about Tax Draconi, who has come to settle an old debt from Mia Tibbett. He at first appears to be filled with hate, revenge and basically, with pure evil. His actions throughout much of the book are absolutely unforgivable. But the author is an absolute genius at making me actually love Tax and empathize with him. The scenes with Mia are beyond explicit. Tax brings new meaning to the phrase “dirty talker”.

“It’s what I do when it comes to women. I can’t give them affection, or love, or intimacy. That all died in me long ago. So I give what I can: Relief. Pleasure. Abandon.”

The focus of his plan is Mia, who remains mostly clueless about why Tax hates her so much, but still finds herself powerless under his erotic spell. He owns her, body and soul. She realizes that he has ruined her for other men and despite his evil ways, she still feels compelled to try to break through his wicked exterior.

“Is it possible Tax could be everything I need in a man? He has the fire that burns me and awakens me. That was the thing I had been looking for, and it is so uniquely hard to find.”

The trauma that Tax and his twin sister Jude suffered at a young age is hinted at throughout the story and when finally revealed, sheds light on his behavior and Jude’s thirst for revenge against Mia as well. This book might shock you but the story flows and the characters are unforgettable. I found a few minor inconsistencies with the story which in no way took away from my enjoyment of this dark, sexy. erotic, dark and fantastic story. I was distraught that Debt ended and I am waiting not-so-patiently for more from Ms. Nina G. Jones!

(*ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)

Excerpt

I spin again to face him, and I hike my dress up just under my ass, while straddling one of his legs. His eyes are affixed on mine, like we are only two people in this crowded club. I ride his thigh, rubbing my bare pussy against him, as I lick my lips and run a hand through my hair. 

My chest presses against the firmness of his torso, my nipples stiffening from the contact.

“Please, dance with me,” I beg in a mewl.

His hand threads through my hair, the other grabs my ass and pulls me up and against his thigh, applying more pressure against him.

Brick by brick.

And we move in sync: slow, rhythmic grinding. Eye to eye. Lids barely parted. Sweat beading. Low moans vanish into the air. The deafening music drowns out any conflicted feelings that remain. He tugs my hair and extends my neck, grazing his teeth against my chin, the tip of his tongue awakening the sensitive nerve endings. His hand squeezes my half-exposed ass, and everything lights up. My nipples and clit, a partnership of arousal, tense in ecstasy as they stroke against the man who sets me on fire. He is also the only person who can put me out.

My moans grow louder, but they are drowned out in the safety of the music. And like the flashing lights in the club, I become ablaze with flickering energy, throwing my head back, arching my spine as he supports me, as he lets me use his body, his smell, his taste, his overpowering masculine energy to put out the blaze that he ignites inside of me.

I collapse onto him, grasping his shirt, taking in his smell, the warmth of his broad chest, completely lost in the sensory experience that is Tax. I smile as I burrow my face into his chest, drunk off the mixture of alcohol and lust.

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Author Bio

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Nina G. Jones is the author of the Strapped Series and Gorgeous Rotten Scoundrel.
Her next novel, DEBT, is slated to be released in December 2014.
Nina currently resides in Milwaukee, WI with her husband and two fur babies. She will work for chocolate cake.
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Categories : 5 Stars, Blog Tour, Dark and Twisty, Dark Erotic Romance, Erotic Suspense, Giveaway, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Debt, Excerpt, Giveaway, Nina G. Jones, Review

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: THE KING (THE ORIGINAL SINNERS #6) by TIFFANY REISZ

December 6, 2014

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Book Synopsis:

Cunning. Sex. Pure nerve. Only this potent threesome can raise him

to his rightful place as ruler of Manhattan’s kink kingdom.

Bouncing from bed to bed on the Upper East Side—handsomely paid in both bills and blackmail fodder—Kingsley Edge is brilliant, beautiful and utterly debauched. No carnal act or chemical compound can relieve his self-destructive apathy—only Søren, the one person he loves without limit or regret. A man he can never have, but in whose hands Kingsley is reborn to attain even greater heights of sin. He plans to open the ultimate BDSM club­: a dungeon playground for New York’s A-list that’ll change the scene forever.

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My Review:

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Tiffany Reisz’s writing is pure perfection. Her books are among my all-time favorites and The King was an absolute delight to read, from beginning to end. I have always loved Kingsley Edge so I couldn’t wait to read an entire book about him! And once again, the author completely captivated and enthralled me.

“He thought of nothing, remembered nothing, but felt everything.”

This book mainly tells the story of Kingsley’s relationship with Soren but there are plenty of other characters making an appearance in this book. Of course, I am addicted to Kingsley and Soren so their scenes together are completely mind-blowing and absolutely satisfying. This is a very adult and sophisticated book, the prose is gorgeous and the dialogue is pure genius.

Even though I though I know Kingsley’s story, the author provides plenty of delicious surprises along the way. I LOVED this book!!! It’s sexy, funny, incredibly dramatic and gut-wrenching and completely amazing. I did miss Nora, she is not really the focus of The King but she plays a pivotal role nonetheless. The focus here is on Kingsley and his story. I adored the author’s snappy banter, smart storyline and very topical themes.

“What’s your poison?” the bartender asked, and Kinglsey answered, “Blonds.”

The King is a must-read!! You will lose yourself in this book. I miss Kingsley already!

(*ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.)

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Author Bio & Contact Links:

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Tiffany Reisz lives with her fiancé (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice.
When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).
If she couldn’t write, she would die.

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Categories : 5 Stars, Adult, Blog Tour, Contemporary Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Giveaway, Review, The King, Tiffany Reisz

REVIEW: FIGHTING THE FALL (FIGHTING #4) by JB Salsbury

November 16, 2014


The toughest fighters aren’t created in the octagon but are born of necessity. When life delivers blow after punishing blow, you fight back or get destroyed.

Eve Dawson has had her fill of bad luck. A string of unhealthy relationships has left her angry, bitter, and frustrated. She’s given up on being happy and settles for content. Swearing off men, she repels advances and makes herself a challenge to even the most persistent suitors. After all, how much can the fragile human heart take? But life isn’t finished with her, and when things can’t possibly get worse . . . they do.

STAY ON YOUR FEET

It’s Cameron Kyle’s motto, but with his fighting career ripped from his grasp, a child he wasn’t strong enough to save, and a marriage that even the brawn of a heavyweight couldn’t hold together, it’s getting harder and harder to stay upright. He takes on the position of CEO of the UFL, intent on hiding his biggest weakness in order to forge a path that leads him back into the octagon.

When an old rival mysteriously gets wind of Cameron’s plan to fight again, he comes out of retirement to settle old debts, but secrets, lies, and betrayal threaten to deliver the death-blow. The distraction of a sass-mouthed girl seventeen years his junior is the last thing he needs until a tragic accident shatters the firm foundation of his resolve and he realizes just how far he’s fallen.

Will they risk it all and fight to be together?

OR DOES DEFEAT LIE WITHIN THE FALL?












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Cameron:

Meeting with the whiners. Check. Weigh-ins. Check. I’m flipping through the pages and checking off things I’ve completed when I feel her eyes on me.
I don’t look up from my lists, but hear her feet on the carpet and finally the sound of creaking wood as she takes a seat across from me. “You got something to say?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“As long as you make it fast.” Her silence brings my eyes to her contemplative expression.
“I noticed you’re not married.” She tilts her head to my left hand that is very much without a wedding ring.
Not anymore. “And?”
“Nothing really. Just surprised.”
I lean back in my chair as irritation pinches my brows. “Surprised.”
She shrugs. “Yeah, I mean you seem like a decent guy.”
I’m not. “You seem like a decent woman and you aren’t married.” I nod to her empty left ring finger.
She grins. “That’s because I just got divorced. Marriage jumping isn’t my thing.”
This feels like one of those you-share-I-share conversations that I do not participate in. I find if I can bite back my impulsive outbursts and stay zipped people eventually give up.
She twirls a strand of her long blond hair. “Ever been married?”
I lock my jaw and wait, but she doesn’t fucking budge and stares with expectant eyes. Something tells me we’ll be here all day if I don’t give her something. I’d lie, tell her I’ve never been married, but if I plan on digging in here for the long haul, I’m going to have to give her enough to keep her satisfied.
“Once.”
Her eyes light up as if she just realized we belong to the same super-secret club. “Really.”
What is it about sharing that creates this weird expectation from people? As if simply telling another person about your past allows them some special access into friendship. I don’t do friendship.
I flip through my notebook and hope like hell this conversation is headed toward The End.
“Any kids?”
My hand freezes mid page-turn, and a whisper of pain echoes through my gut that would usually be followed by a cringe, but not anymore. I clear my throat and refocus on my notebook. “I have a son.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” She’s silent for a few beats that are probably uncomfortable for her but don’t bother me at all. “I have a daughter.”
The rumble of an old hurt reverberates against my shield. Ten years ago those words would’ve bled me alive, but not anymore. “Mm.”
“How old—”
“Look, I really have a lot to do.” I’m still studying the pages of my notebook like a complete asshole, but honest to God it’s as if we’re about to bust out some knitting needles and tiny sandwiches.
“Sure thing.” She hops up and moves toward the door when she turns suddenly. “Oh, I forgot. We’re having a party after the fight tonight. The Blackout. You should come.”
“Thanks, but”—I flip a page and another—“I think I’ll go home after the fight. Long day.”
“Suit yourself. If you change your mind, we’ll be there.” She’s gone with the soft click of my office door.
After party. Haven’t been to one of those in a while, at least not many I remember. The little flashes I’ve managed to retain carry good feelings of camaraderie with the team. I groan and lean back in my desk chair. My goal is to get back into the octagon, but until then I need to run this organization and put it back on its feet. The fighters got screwed by Gibbs and are having trust issues. I get that. Maybe showing up at this party is a smart move after all. Just for one drink. Should be painless enough.

Eve:

With my head down, I make way to my car when I notice a familiar car parked next to mine. I look up and my steps freeze just feet away. Leaning against my car, arms crossed at his chest, long powerful legs crossed at his ankles, is Cameron.
My hand clutches my purse to my side. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I internally scold myself for sounding more defensive than happy to see him. He can’t possibly know what’s in my purse.
It’s been days since I’ve seen him, and our quick telephone conversations do little to slake my desire to see him in the flesh.
He shrugs. “Passing by, saw the place was closed for the night. Thought I’d hang out and see if I could speak to the manager.”
My stomach jumps and goes warm. He came all the way here just to see me?
“Did you have a bad experience? Like to make a formal complaint?”
He pushes off my car and takes two steps toward me. Close, but not close enough. His eyes set in their usual glare, he shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark washed jeans. “Mmm . . .” He rubs his fingers across his lower lip, as he did the night in front of Mason. His eyes burn through me. “I have no complaints about my . . . experience.”
His presence combined with his insinuation become too much and I drop my gaze. A tickle of caution pricks at my subconscious, reminding me that I’m not the kind of girl who shies away from flirtation. I’m not timid, demure, or easily swayed by just any man. But there are a few who have brought me to my emotional knees, and both of them I dislike. Immensely.
His feet move into my line of site, and I pull my gaze up to settle on his face. How is he even more beautiful than I remember with all that thick dark hair, his fierce jaw, and full lips that I know are as powerful as they are soft?
“What’re your plans tonight?” He reaches out and brushes my bangs off my forehead.
Such a tiny gesture, but the sweetness of it makes my eyes flutter. “I was going to grab a bite to eat.”
His eyebrows pinch together. “You hungry? I’ll take you to dinner.”
I look around at the empty parking lot then move my eyes back to his. “Now?”
“You hungry now?”
“Very.”
“Then yeah. Now.”
“But it’s the middle of the night.”
The corner of his mouth lifts so slightly it’s barely noticeable. “It’s Vegas, babe.”
“But I’m in the mood for a bacon cheeseburger.” I lick my lips. I can almost taste the greasy goodness. “With green chilis.” My stomach grumbles in agreement. “And onion rings. Not the battered ones, but those breadcrumb ones.” I hum low in my throat. “Oh, and a chocolate milkshake or an ice cold beer will also do.” I tap my lips, thinking. “Hm. Maybe both.”

So lost in my food-fantasy I don’t notice the way he’s staring at me until I focus on him. His glare isn’t as tight as it usually is, and his mouth isn’t the straight—but full and kissable—line it usually is. It’s as if someone pulled the starch from his expression, not completely relaxed, but tender.



5 amazing stars!!

JB Salsbury is my go-to author for hot, swoony but very loving and caring and all-around PEEFECT Alpha males. Each book in the Fighting series gets better and better and Cameron Kyle… well, Cameron Kyle broke my heart over and over again. Excerpt that he is the kind of character that expects no pity from anyone. The Prologue in this book is absolute perfection and I don’t think I ever have felt so much sympathy for a character in a long, long time.

Cameron is my favorite of all of the characters in the Fighting series. His struggles hit very close to home for me and the author totally nailed his constant battles with memory loss. But make no mistake – Cam is one HOT Alpha male, and never lets anyone forget that.

I absolutely fell in love with Eve. She has overcome a painful past and her self-esteem issues were truly heartbreaking. Cam and Eve make an unlikely couple, but their attraction led to an undeniable, unstoppable, powerful, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. This story is unputdownable (is that a word?) and is a must-read. You will have “tummy flips”, heartbreak, tears and swoony moments that don’t come along very often in NA, contemporary romance books. Bravo, JB Salsbury. Cameron stole my heart in this one.

(ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an honest review.)


Fighting for Flight:

Amazon US
http://goo.gl/GxvXEN

Amazon UK
http://goo.gl/scx1w5

Fighting to Forgive:

Amazon US
http://goo.gl/20NqjJ

Amazon UK
http://goo.gl/jSAMnW

Fighting to Forget:

Amazon US
http://goo.gl/C0bR6P

Amazon UK
 http://goo.gl/6HnjfH





JB Salsbury, New York Times Best Selling author of the Fighting series, lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day as a domestic engineer. But while she works through her daily chores, a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles claws away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.
Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance prompted her to sink her free time into novel writing.
Fighting for Flight, Fighting to Forgive, and Fighting to Forget are the first three novels in the MMA romance series. Fighting the Fall is due to be released in November 2014.
For more information on the series or just to say hello, visit JB on her website, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads page.





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Categories : 5 Stars, Alpha male, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Fighter, Giveaway, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Cameron, Eve, Excerpt, Fighting the Fall, Giveaway, JB Salsbury, Review

PRISONER by SKYE WARREN and ANNIKA MARTIN

November 12, 2014

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Title: Prisoner
Authors: Annika Martin, Skye Warren
Date of publication: October 23, 2014

 

About Prisoner:

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.

But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.

And you might crave him more than your next breath.

“Sexy, dark and thrilling. I loved every second of it!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Katie Reus

“Dark, sexy, and intense, Prisoner is an emotional ride that does not let go until the end. I loved it!” ~ USA Today bestselling author Kristen Callihan

 

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MY REVIEW:

Skye Warren is my go-to author for dark, sexy, richly-written erotica. Annika Warren is a new author to me and now I want to read all of her books, too! As with all of Skye’s books, the hero Grayson (yes, he is a hero to me) is darkly sexy, dangerous, forbidden and completely overpowering. He knows his power and attraction and he uses it against those weaker than him. Unfortunately it is a survival skill he learned at a very young age. Abigail meets him in prison when she is picked to teach a writing course to the inmates. But very quickly she realizes that Grayson is dangerously attractive, untrustworthy and dishonest. Or is he?

This book literally kept be turning the pages until the middle of the night. There is no right and wrong in this book, only two extremely damaged and vulnerable people who quickly become the target of a massive manhunt. Prisoner takes one thrilling turn after another, and Abigail, who fought Grayson with all her might, slowly realizes that all is not as it seems.

I loved Abigail’s bravery in the face of absolute and complete danger. At first it seems as though Grayson would just as soon kill her than f*** her. But as with all for Skye’s books (and I will assume Annika’s books as well), this intensely sexual man is struggling with his own inner demons. Grayson makes no apologies for his actions. But will he and Abby survive all of the forces intent on destroying them?

I couldn’t put this book down. The prose is perfect and the story thrilling, sexy and even tender and heartbreaking at times. It is told in alternating point-of-views which gives great insight into Grayson’s motivations. I was devastated to see this story end and I can only hope that the authors intend to write more stories including Grayson’s crew. I absolutely loved Prisoner. It is gritty, raw, sexy, very layered and nuanced. Highly recommended.

 

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Excerpt:

I’m coughing, wheezing. I had asthma as a kid, and that’s what it feels like now as the pepper spray stings me all the way down. “Get off!” I gasp. “You’re too heavy—I can’t—get air.”

“It’s the spray you hit me with,” he says. “Breathe normal.”

I gasp for air, panicking. “I can’t!” Is this how I die? Suffocation?

“Pretend,” he says, letting up his knee. He shifts so that he’s straddling my back. He grips my wrists now, pressing them above my head, and I feel his boots locked over my thighs. His weight is off my back. “It’s something every thug like me knows, how to not breathe in the fucking Mace.”

I choke and cough. I still can’t breathe. He’s going to let me die. He’s going to sit on me and watch me die.

“Relax,” he says softly. “You’re making it worse by panicking.”

Hoarsely, I try to get air. The sounds scare me. I really can’t breathe. I suck faster as the panic rises.

“Hey,” he whispers. “Shhh.” He brings his head near mine, breath tickling the back of my neck. “Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent, okay? It swells your throat and sinuses, but it doesn’t shut them.”

I gasp.

He continues to speak in his calm, strangely soothing voice. Why is he soothing me? I can feel him rattling against my defenses with every word. “You’re still getting air, okay? Focus on that, Ms. Winslow. That little passage of air you can still breathe through. Slow it down now, got it?”
I can’t slow it down. It’s like I don’t know how to breathe anymore, and I’m shaking.

And suddenly he’s stretching his big body over me, on top of me. His weight isn’t entirely on me, or else I’d be squished; it’s more of a dull weight, as though he’s holding himself against me, warming me, pressing me to the forest floor. Into my ear he whispers, “Breathe with me.”

I suck in a faint breath. “Get off me, you caveman!” Why is he even trying to help me?

“You’re okay, baby,” he says. “Match my breath.”

I feel his chest expand against my shoulder blades. He’s like a big, warm animal on me. I twist, but there’s no moving. He presses down harder, and something about his weight soothes me. I hate that he’s actually calming me, helping me. I don’t want him to make me feel good—he’s my enemy.

I wheeze lightly.

He breathes on, hot and slow against me. A bird calls in the distance. I can hear the hum of the highway, the drone of a helicopter. My eyes tear, and my limbs feel floppy and warm, and suddenly I’m doing it—I’m breathing. I take an almost regular breath.

“There you go,” he whispers.

“Fuck you. I don’t want your help.” I gasp in another breath.

His whisper caresses my cheek. “Nice and slow, Ms. Winslow.” There’s something sensual in the way he says it. “Nice and slow.”

He breathes again, as if to demonstrate. On the next breath I match him. Soon we’re breathing together. It’s strangely intimate, like we’re two wounded creatures under the forest canopy. It’s almost like dancing.

Almost like having sex.

I crane my head around just enough to see that he still has his eyes shut tight, dark eyelashes wet with tears from the irritation of the spray. Did I hurt him? Did I burn his eyes?

“Stop moving around,” he growls. “Lie still.”

Like I have any choice with him pinning me. My heart pounds under his weight.

Breathe in, breathe out.

It’s as if we’re in some kind of time-out, a no-man’s-land with the two of us fucked up and lying on the forest floor on a bed of pine needles that actually feels sort of soft and nice. The moments stretch on and on. I wonder how long it will take him to recover.

Maybe I really injured his eyes. Could I have hurt his eyes permanently?

He shifts, and I think maybe he’s getting up. But he doesn’t.

In a weird way I’m glad. If he got off me, that would end this strange, relaxing time out. It would bring back the harsh reality of who we are to each other.

For now, there’s nothing I can do with him lying on my back, and I let my limbs go soft, let my breathing calm, giving myself permission to relax. I feel like jelly suddenly, spread underneath him, spine flattened out. Us breathing together.

My eyes drift closed. The warm patch on my neck feels lit up every time he breathes out, and I imagine his lips hovering just over my skin.

I imagine him kissing me there, and a wave of forbidden feeling swells through my core.

My eyes fly open. There is no way I’m turned on.

Except I am.

My heart races. My breath gets fitful again.

“Hey,” he says. And then more softly. “You’re okay.”

I become aware of a hardness against my thigh. An erection. A melty sensation pulses through my pelvis. I’m trembling deep down, and it’s not just fear; it’s excitement.

Horrified, I try to shake him off, and he tightens his legs and arms around me. I feel his weight and warmth keenly now. “You don’t want to give me any more trouble, do you?”

“No,” I whisper huskily.

The energy of sex runs wild between us, and I don’t know how to stop it. Does he know? I flash back on him in the prison waiting room, the way he looked at me, and all that power and beauty barely contained in shackles. How stupid I was to think he was beautiful.

“No, you don’t want to give me trouble,” he affirms. “So we’re going to stay just like this until my eyes can recover.”

“So you can kill me?”

“If I was going to kill you,” he says, warm and tickly beneath my earlobe, “don’t you think you’d be dead?” There’s something about the way he says this that makes my belly quiver, and I can’t stop focusing on his erection. His big, strong heart beats against my back, beating my heart like we’re conjoined in some primitive way.

His breath feels soft on the side of my neck, and heaven help me, I want to feel more of him. I imagine his skin on my skin. Dimly I’m aware that my breath is changing, speeding, shallowing.

I stiffen as he presses his lips to the warm spot; it’s a kind of kiss. Or is it? And then he whispers, “Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Winslow.”

Oh God, he knows. This man who’s going to kill me, this man I’ve been breathing with, he knows.

 

About the Authors:

AnnikaAnnika Martin

I’m a pet wrangler, bookworm, mediocre tennis player and hairstyle failure. And yes, an author, but I promise not to spam you if you friend me!

I live just a stone’s throw from the Mississippi with my husband and two beloved cats in a home full of plants, sunshine, books and cookie crumbs. By day, I’m a freelancer in the business world. In addition to being smutty Annika, I write urban fantasy under the pen name Carolyn Crane.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

SkyeauthorpicSkye Warren

Skye Warren writes unapologetic erotica, including power play or erotic pain and sometimes dubious consent. There’s struggle in the sex. There’s pain in the relationships. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

 

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Categories : 5 Stars, Blog Tour, Dark Contemporary Romance, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Annika Martin, Excerpt, Prisoner, Review, Skye Warren

New Release and Review: Love, in Spanish by Karina Halle

November 11, 2014

 

 

 

“She sat beside me on the bus – and she changed my whole life.”
Successful, wealthy and absurdly handsome – Spanish ex-football player Mateo Casalles seemed like he had it all.
A high-society wife, an adorable little girl, and flashy apartments in Madrid
and Barcelona only sweetened the deal. But there was more to Mateo than met the
eye – a life of uncertainty and regret that colored his black and white world.
That was until Vera Miles came into his life like a shooting star. Tattooed, wild and young, Vera seemed like
Mateo’s polar opposite at first. But you can’t choose who you fall in love with
and the two lost souls did everything they could to be together, all while
suffering the grave consequences.
Now with Mateo divorced and living in Madrid with Vera, there is a whole new set of challenges and setbacks facing the couple and rocking the foundation of their star-crossed relationship.

Unfortunately for them, the brighter the star, the faster they burn.

 

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MY REVIEW:

5 stars!!

Beautiful and sexy and emotional!

“I follow every part of you, everywhere. You go before me, Vera, you always will.”

Karina Halle has written a passionate, dramatic and very sexy story about two people deeply in love. This book is most definitely NOT a retelling of Love, in English, although I always love an alternate POV. Mateo is very sexy, very sensual, a little bit insecure and very, very human in this gorgeously written story.

“She is mine, she is mine, I am hers.”

As much as Mateo and Vera are made for each other, nothing in life is perfect and love can be very messy and hurtful as much as it can be beautiful and life-affirming. And Mateo and Vera have some very complicated things to work through in this story. I loved reading about Mateo’s relationship with his daughter in this book. The writing flows effortlessly, the story is flawless and I fell in love with Mateo all over again. Love, in Spanish has a very different tone from the first book and it is absolutely captivating.

“I stared at myself in the mirror and didn’t see a confident man in a sharp suit. I saw a little boy whose heart lay in someone else’s hand.”

Love, in Spanish is another must-read book from one of my favorite authors. Don’t miss this one!!

*ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review*

 

 

 

 

 

 

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He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.
He speaks Spanish. I speak English.
He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.
He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.
He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.
I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.
Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.
***
To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.
Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.
Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.
Something that can never, ever be.
Or so she thinks

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Halle Headshot
With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

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Categories : 5 Stars, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Release Blitz, Reviews Tagged : 5 stars, Giveaway, Karina Halle, Love in Spanish, Review

REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: 53 LETTERS FOR MY LOVER by LEYLAH ATTAR

November 8, 2014

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53 Letters for my lover

Synopsis

This is not your typical love story. 
It’s not so black and white. Lines are crossed. 
Walls are smashed. Good becomes bad. 
Bad becomes very, very good.

Shayda Hijazi—the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect daughter. For thirty-three years, she has played by the rules, swallowing secrets, burying dreams and doing whatever it takes to anchor her family. Shayda Hijazi is about to come face to face with the one thing that can rip it all apart, the one thing her heart has always been denied: Love.

Troy Heathgate—untamed, exhilarating, dangerous—a man who does exactly as he pleases. Life bends to his will. Until he comes across the one thing he would give it all up for, but can never have.

Born on the same day in opposite corners of the world, their lives collide. And nothing is ever the same again. 

Spanning three decades, 53 Letters for My Lover is a fiercely sensual, emotional ride to the heart of an epic, forbidden love that defies it all—an intimate exploration of love, loyalty, passion, betrayal, and the human journey for hope, happiness and redemption.

”Sexy, intense fiction isn’t afraid to step out of the box.” 

Contemporary women’s fiction: Ages 18+

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My Review:

5 GLORIOUS STARS!!!

53 Letters for My Lover is one of those rare books that sweeps you off your feet, transports you to another world, and truly touches your soul. Leylah Attar absolutely blew me away with this wonderfully sexy, bittersweet tale of 2 people who seem to be destined to be together, yet spend years apart.

Shayda is an obedient wife and daughter, married to a damaged man to whom she is fiercely loyal. Their story is in itself raw and heartbreaking. She meets Troy, the sexy, brilliant man who she believes she can never truly have.

“Dusty sneakers, grey sweatpants…and then—the most startling pair of blue eyes. They reminded me of the cut outs I had saved in my wish book, of the places I wanted to visit. Blue like the water that surrounds the islands in the South Pacific. I felt like I had been picked off the pavement and plopped smack dab in the middle of it. I floated there for a while, suspended in its endless horizons as it held me for long, still seconds.”

Troy is mesmerized by her exotic beauty and captivated by her innocence and naiveté. These two begin a dance that spans decades and is gloriously and deliriously sexy and heartbreaking at the same time. I understood why Shayda could not let herself go and truly be happy but at the same time, I could not believe that these two could ever be apart from one another. Shayda is bound by her sense of honor and loyalty to her family, but is slowly suffocating under the weight of her obligations. Troy makes her truly feel alive for the first time in her life.

“You have to stop running from the things that scare you, Shayda.” He fixes those dreamy eyes on me, “The only way to feel truly alive is to start living fearlessly.”

I read this book in one sitting and was dying for more! Lucky for me, the author has written a companion novel from Troy’s POV!! Leylah Attar is a magnificent storyteller. My heart was pounding, I had tears in my eyes, I laughed and I could not stop reading. Don’t miss 53 Letters For My Lover. It is easily one of my favorite books this year.

“Your the one thing that centers my soul. I may circle the whole world, but you’ll always be home, Beetroot.”

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Excerpt

The doorbell rings. Repeatedly. Followed by loud thumping on the door.
“Coming, coming! Now what did you what forget?” I swing the door open.
My heart screeches to a slamming halt. “Troy.” I turn pale. “You…you shouldn’t be here.”
“No?” He storms past me into the house. “Where should I be, Shayda? Waiting by the phone? Staking out your office? Checking my email? Where the fuck, Shayda?” His fist slams into the console table, so ‘fuck’ is an obscure, jarring thud, like some censored song on the radio.
“I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind. Just like that?” He starts pacing the hallway. “And when were you were planning to tell me exactly? When, Shayda?”
“I made a mistake.” My voice quivers. “I got caught up in the moment. We were alone, we were away. It was…it was all an illusion.”
“An illusion?” He pulls me hard against him. Our bodies collide, knocking the breath out of me. “Is this an illusion?”
His lips assault mine.
“And this?” His hand slides under my dress, claiming my thigh.
“What about this, Shayda?” He pushes my panties aside and slides two fingers inside.
“Tell me, Shayda. Tell me this is all in my head.” He shoves me against the door and deepens his strokes. “Tell me this is nothing.” He rubs his fingers on my neck, leaving the unmistakable trail of my reaction.
“This is you, Shayda.” His finger slips inside my mouth. “Your taste, your smell, your skin, your touch.” He grabs me by the hair and pulls my head back. “Tell me you’re not real, Shayda. Tell me!”
I feel the gathump gathump of his heart. Our breath comes in short, shallow gasps. His eyes darken, black holes pushing sky blue irises to the edges of raw emotion. Hunger. Anger. Love. Pain.

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53 Letters for Your Lover has a companion novella in Troy’s POV titled From His Lips

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53 Letters for My Lover
From His Lips

Author Bio and Links

Leylah Attar writes stories about love – shaken, stirred and served with a twist. When she’s not writing, she can be found pursuing her other passions: photography, food, family and travel. Sometimes she disappears into the black hole of the internet, but can usually be enticed out with chocolate.
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Categories : 5 Stars, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway Tagged : 5 stars, 53 Letters for My Lover, Excerpt, Giveaway, Leylah Attar, Review

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: FEAR OF HEIGHTS (HEIGHTSBOUND SERIES #2) by MARA WHITE

November 1, 2014

Fear of Heights

0989670732_FearOfHeights_eBookTitle:  Fear of Heights (The Heightsbound Series #2)

Author:  Mara White

Series: The Heightsbound Series

Genre:  Erotic

Publication Date:  September, 12, 2014

Event Organized By:  Literati Author Services, Inc.

~ Synopsis ~

What are you willing to sacrifice for love? Your family? Your freedom? What about your life?

She’s a wealthy, forty-three-year-old Upper East Sider with a PhD – He’s a twenty-three-year-old Dominican drug dealer from Washington Heights.

Kate Champion always did exactly what was expected of her. She was the perfect wife, the perfect mother – until the day she met Jaylee Inoa.

Their journey travels a path riddled with danger, deceit, scandal and loss – where nothing is as it seems. Yet Kate and Jaylee’s passion for one another remains nearly unstoppable.

Will this daring pair of lovers from two different worlds triumph over circumstance? Can they deny the past in their quest to be together? Or is fear the ultimate navigator – a force more powerful than love?

 

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My Review:

 

5 Stars!!

One of the most savagely beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. Kate and Jaylee’s story is intensely raw and shocking and I couldn’t tear myself away!

Mara White is a thought-provoking, challenging and amazingly talented writer. She deserves wide acclaim for her gritty, uanpolagetic brand of fiction. FEAR OF HEIGHTS made me cry, cringe and yell at Kate’s roller-coaster ride of a life. This story must be read after Heights of Desire, which is one of my favorite books. Both will challenge you and make you re-think what you believe is right and what is wrong. Nothing is black and white in the Heightsbound series, that’s for sure.

If you are a fan of gritty, raw, adult erotica, this book is for you. Fear of Heights picks up after the rather surprising ending of Heights of Desire, and literally takes you on a breathtaking ride of twists and turns, love and hate, regret and happiness, and shame and pride. Is that enough emotion for you? The author has done a spectacular job of painting a picture of Kate, a woman who seems to make all the wrong choices, but who is compelled on her course of action, consequences be damned. This is not an easy read, but it is a very adult story, and some of you might hate Kate in the end. I did not.

There is a ton of raw sex in this book, but the dialogue and the action is so well-wrtiten, that the book is elevated above most books in this genre. We get to know Ideal in this book, who at first seems unredeemable, but who I grew to kind of like by the end. And Jaylee, who Kate is obsessed with in the first book, once again broke my heart, with his raw vulnerability and open sexuality.

Fear of Heights literally made me yell at my Kindle. Books don’t often provoke such a strong reaction in me, but Ms. White is such a talented writer that I can”t help myself!

This is not a typical romance, and deals with some very heavy themes. The plot is twisty and surprising and that is why this review is vague. This book is best experienced first-hand. If you are a fan of gritty, sexy, intensely emotional books, then Fear of Heights is a must-read. Bravo, Ms. White!

(*ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)

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Prologue

 

Jaylee

 

Rikers Island, East Elmhurst, New York

 

My stomach growls from the shit lunch of bologna and American cheese. I’ll die before I’m twenty-five in here from all the crap they been feeding me. I need more calories because of my workout routine, and the commissary just don’t cut it. Half the time I probably burning muscle, but what the fuck you gonna do about it? You can’t change this fucked-up machine. What I wouldn’t give for some Spanish food—just a goddamn plate of my grandma’s rice and beans.

I flip the pen around and around in my hand, trying to think of what to say. It brings me right back to being eight years old, the school-assigned social worker jabbing at me to “write him whatever you please!” I pick at a popped blister from going at the weights in the yard. Soon enough it’ll get hard and callous—just like everybody who been up in here too long.

“He’d love to hear anything about you. Why don’t you tell him about basket-ball?” As if it was easy, when you hadn’t talked to him in years. An’ my ma bent over the kitchen table with cried-on love letters to my dad, praying on lighted candles and over special oils to Dios Santísimo, that he don’t get sent to Sing Sing.

We couldn’t afford the trip up there, so we saw him less and less. The sound of his voice just became a memory to me, and when we did get up there, I pitied the man I saw. Couldn’t get past the fact that he fucked up. I felt like he let them put him away. I swore to myself if I ever got there, I’d be smarter than he was. That I’d get revenge before I’d let ‘em make me live my life behind bars. Now look at where I am.

At least I got a plan.

Love letters. Kate wrote me one once. There’s a trick to them, right? You gotta try to convince a woman that you’ll love her forever. It’s not just about the first time she reads it, she’s gotta see it every time she looks. Try doing it on jail-issued stationery. I had to earn the privilege to use a pen. How the fuck you tell someone they everything you got—when all you got is a page? How do I tell her how much I want her to have my kid? I love knowing that he’s inside her, that there’s part of me with her. Thing is, I can’t control the lies she’s being fed; she’ll choose the lawyer over me.

 

How do you say all that on paper when all you ever got through was public school?   She got everything she needs—or at least that’s how it’d seem to anybody looking in. But I know—I know—how much Kate needs me.

I crumple up the last sheet of the ones they gave me and toss it onto my bunk. I don’t know how to put my heart on paper. I can’t make her understand why I did what I done.

 

On Friday they call me out for a visit, though I’m not expecting nobody.  Mamá, Janinie, and everybody coming next week—or that’s what we said on the phone.  I’m never expecting Kate again.  I have no idea what she decided to do with the baby.  I don’t know if he still here with us or gone already.  The baby’s the only thing I ever cared about more than her, but I’m not gonna let myself hate her for it.  She shouldn’t a’ had to go through it by herself – either way. If I’d watched my back, I wouldn’t a’ ended up here.

I stick my hands out the drop door in the cell so they can cuff me.  The corrections officer calls me “Dorado,” ‘cause that’s what they called my pops when he was here.  I try not to get involved, but it ain’t easy when your ties run deep like mine do.  My old man spent a minute in Rikers; he up the river now in Sing Sing. He’s spending his days at the big house, but he got connections all through the whole system.  He got his reputation too, and I’m expected to keep it.

Probably an ex or somebody I was messing around with before Kate who come to see me.  Girls got something about visiting guys in jail.  They love the drama.  They love the attention they get from everybody else.  Girls that won’t even give you the time of day on the outside start writing you letters about how much they miss you when you in the box.  It’s bullshit.  But I admit—it do make the time go by faster.  And right now I got nothing but time.

I get stuck in the hall for the count—which means whoever waiting for me is stuck too.  The guard I’m with lets me do wall push-ups after he cuffs me to a door. I go at it, hard as fuck, until I’m dripping sweat and my muscles are burning.  Working out helps me not to think about her—or the baby.  The burn is good.  It shuts up the furia.  There ain’t shit I can do anyway, so why make myself crazy playing it all over again in my head?

The count takes forever and I’m betting whoever’s out there waiting is regretting this.  First and last visit.  Nobody want to see me that bad.

When we finally walk into the visiting room, my eyes catch her before anything else, even though the place is packed.  I’m a homing pigeon.  I can’t see nothing else.

She’s Kate, but she ain’t Kate.  Same black hair, same pale face.  Same scared blue eyes.  Her body is slamming too, less hip, more tit, and she a little taller.  Maybe it’s the heels.  She looks good. But I know who she is.

It’s the sister.  Arriving like the grim reaper.  She come repping for the other side.  I gotta smile that this mina got herself into Rikers.  I can tell she’s shitting herself, even worse than Kate.  She ain’t never been in no place like this before, that’s for sure. All dolled up to come see a criminal like me.

There’s some part of me that wants to run to her just ‘cause they family.  And then another part that wants to refuse the goddamned visit.  I know Kate feel like she ain’t good enough for her own family.  Makes me fucking hate ‘em. Kate is good—that’s her main problem. It’s something she won’t let herself see.

Now she’s starting to work her hands like she in full-blown panic mode.  I guess I take pity on her.  She looks too much like my girl.  Shit, it’s messing with my head—and my dick.

I pull out a chair and sit down, drilling my eyes into the back of her head.  She spinning around, looking across the whole room.  She don’t know who the fuck I am.  She turns and stares, her eyes taking everything in.  I can practically hear her heart pounding from over here.  She like a baby bird—ready to flip out and fly into the fucking window.  She looks at me and I gesture to the chair across the table.  Relief hits her whole face and her shoulders relax.  She smiles quick and then it disappears and she look scared again.  She marches over to the table and sits down fast.

“Jaylee?”

Why she gonna ask me after she already sit down?  I’m tempted to say no, but I just stare at her instead. I can see how much they look alike, but I can also see how they different.  She got doubt all over her face.  She wanna fly the fuck out of here.  That makes two of us.

“Emily,” I say not giving anything away.  I’m gonna make her work hard for it.

“Oh, Kate told you about me?”

“She didn’t tell me much.  ‘Nough to know you exist.  Otherwise I’d think I was seeing ghosts.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Pfft. Naw, not since she came in here to tell me she was pregnant.  Not that it’s your business.  They send you to come tell me she got rid of it?”

“I came on my own, Jaylee.”

She stops and looks down.

“Kate’s missing; I was hoping you could tell me where to find her.”

 

10 Random Facts About Mara White

1. My maternal great-grandmother was a Titanic survivor. So, if not for her valor on April 14, 1912, (and her ability to row) I wouldn’t be here.
2. I’m a lifelong vegetarian and lover and adorerer(er) of all things living!
3. I attended both a vocational, agricultural high school in extremely rural Mexico and an Ivy League university.
4. I’m a fan of highbrow and lowbrow culture, but find myself not so excited about the stuff in between.
5. I’m allergic to garlic- like all good vampires.
6. I married my high school sweetheart (we’re still married and he’s still a sweetheart).
7. No one can guess my ethnicity but everybody seems to love trying.
8. I like to nerd-out on Wikipedia both editing already existing articles and creating new ones.
9. I love science, but math makes me cry.
10. I can’t drive and I don’t have a license, but I’ll gladly hail you a cab.

 

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~ About the Author ~

I’m a reader, a writer, and a lover of all things romantic.  I’m also a coffee, hot sauce, ink, telenovela and Bikram Yoga enthusiast.  I live in New York City with my husband and two children, and I spend a lot of time on the playground.

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