Review and Giveaway – Heights of Desire (Heightsound Series #1) by Mara White

January 23, 2014

Title: Heights of Desire (Heightsound Series #1)

Author: Mara White

Genre: Erotic 18+

Publication Date: December 22, 2013

Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Synopsis

A woman who has everything meets a man who can offer her nothing but trouble. They bring each other to a height of desire neither thought possible, but is it enough to overcome the differences that tear them apart?
Kate Champion, a forty-two-year-old, married mother of two, leads an enviable upper class life of luxury. Her comfortable path takes an unexpected detour after a chance encounter at a neighborhood playground.

Jaylee Inoa is a twenty-two-year-old, second generation New York Dominican with close ties to the Heights and the gangs that run them.

Her life of privilege is no match for the code of the streets he navigates with ease. When a crime of the heart leads to a crime in the flesh, how far will she go to redeem him? Can she risk all in her life that is golden for the love of her golden-eyed man?

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Review:

5+++ stars!! I read a lot of books and Heights of Desire stands out as one of the best books I read in 2013. Mara White grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go until the last page. Some readers might be turned off by Kate’s actions but I could not look away, it was almost like watching a train wreck unfolding before my eyes; I knew it was wrong, but I was fascinated by the terrifying events! The book begins by introducing us to Kate, who has a seemingly perfect life, she is well-educated, married to a successful lawyer, has two kids and a great home.

But when Jaylee crashes into her life, all bets are off. Kate can’t stay away from the gorgeous, YOUNG Latino from the streets. He is everything that she she shouldn’t want but their attraction is undeniable and their chemistry is amazing. She becomes obsessed with Jaylee and drawn into his dangerous world. She makes some questionable choices including inviting him into her home with her young children, but Mara White is such a skilled writer that she still makes Kate a sympathetic character despite her actions.

This is also a thrilling erotic novel, the sex scenes between Jaylee and Kate are absolutely sizzling. But there is more to this story than just the sex scenes, Jaylee is a beautiful person inside and out which is why Kate is so drawn to him. And not all is at is seems with Kate’s husband, there is a series of shocking twists in this book that threw me completely off guard.

Heights of Desire is a must-read. Mara White is an incredibly talented writer who has written a stunning debut and her characters stayed with me long after I finished. This book is the first in a series and I can’t wait to continue Jaylee and Kate’s story!

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

Purchase Links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo | Google Play | Smashwords

Heights of Desire is on sale for $.99 during the blog tour!!!

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.

Connect with the Author: Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram | Goodreads

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Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway ~ Saving Alexander by Susan Mac Nicol

November 24, 2013

Blog Tour
Saving Alexander

Susan Mac Nicol

Synopsis

Punishing
himself for a horrific past that is not his fault, bestselling author Alexander
Montgomery seeks redemption and love—and perhaps he will find it.

Famous author
though he may be, Alexander Montgomery is not someone you take home to meet
Mother. Seriously flawed, damaged by a horrific past, he’s trying hard to claw
his way back to normality. But how can anyone respect what he truly is? His
therapy involves regular sessions at Study in Scarlet, an exclusive S&M
club.

Then comes Sage.
Tall, with black hair and blue eyes, an up-and-coming actor with impossible
charm and boy-next-door good looks, he’s the perfect choice to play the leading
man in a TV adaptation of Alex’s last best-seller. Even more, he is a man you introduce
to your family. Which Alex would do—if he weren’t taken by another man who
offers the punishments Alex prays will wipe away the past and make him the
person he wants to be. Yet, perhaps there is another path to redemption. If
only the solution would reach out and touch him.

Ellen’s Review:

Saving Alexander is a very sexy, very raw, and very emotional m/m love story with a thriller thrown in for good measure. As a fan of the m/m genre, I found the story to be very gripping and very satisfying in terms of the heat factor. I read a fair amount of m/m books and I generally find female authors to be a bit less gritty, but I will say the sex scenes in Saving Alexander did not disappoint! The heartbreaking description of Alex’s background, from which he tries to find some sort of healing through BDSM sessions, is balanced out nicely by the loving relationship he finds with Sage. There is a suspenseful storyline here along with the very erotic romance between Sage and Alex. The only minor drawback for me was that these two talked A LOT about their relationship and their feelings. But overall I really liked this book and found it to be incredibly well written and enjoyable! Definitely a must-read for any fan of m/m books.

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

Tour Giveaway

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Buy Links
Amazon

About Susan Mac Nicol

Susan Mac Nicol
was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She
returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut
novel Cassandra by Starlight, the
first in a trilogy, was published earlier this year by Boroughs Publishing
Group in the US. Sue’s latest story, Saving
Alexander is her second m/m romance.

Sue has written
since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself being a
Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But
the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends
continuing the trend.

Sue is a member
of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association here
in the UK.

To learn more,
visit Susan on her website
and blog
on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest.

Susan Mac Nicol
is also author of The
Magick of Christmas, Confounding
Cupid,
Cassandra by Starlight
, Together in Starlight and
the best-selling Stripped
Bare.

The Thrill of It (No Regrets #1) by Lauren Blakely: Excerpt and Giveaway

November 14, 2013

The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely
(No Regrets #1)
Publication date: November 21st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power…
Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it’s the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love…Love isn’t patient, love isn’t kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that’s how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I’ve never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I’m being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don’t regret.

Trey…

With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She’s the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she’s back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don’t know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she’s the closest I’ve ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.

How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

THE THRILL OF IT is available for pre-order on Amazon and the Apple iBookstore at the special promotional price of $2.99. After release, the price will be $3.99. Snag a copy at $2.99 before Nov. 21!

Apple iBookstore

AUTHOR BIO:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in her upcoming novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. On October 21 she’ll release the sexy rock star romance Far Too Tempting, and on November 21 she’ll release her edgy new adult novel THE THRILL OF IT. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.

Author Links:
Twitter
Blog
Goodreads

Excerpt:

A few minutes later a cab pulls up, and she pays the driver, then escapes. I squeeze my eyes shut when I see what she’s wearing. Then I open them.
“Hi.” She offers a meek little wave as she sinks down next to me. I close the sketchbook.
The cab races off, kicking up exhaust into the night breeze, mingling with all the other scents nearby. This is New York for you – I can smell Harley’s wild cherry lotion and I can smell garbage that needs to be picked up tomorrow, the fume from cabs, and the trailing scent of cigarettes. The ugly with the beautiful.
“You look guilty,” I say. “But you don’t have to look guilty on my behalf.”
“I feel guilty.”
“Why? Are you going back to him?” I ask in a strangled voice. The thought makes me sick.
She shrugs. “He made me an offer.”
I recoil, then stand up quickly as if I can’t even be near her when she’s like this. When she’s in this zone. “Are you going to take it?” I ask with a sneer. I don’t mask my disgust. I can’t mask my disgust.
“I don’t know,” she says, and her voice breaks, and I fucking hate that she can be like this.
Tempted.
I push both hands through my hair, grabbing hard. “You’re not a fucking whore, Harley.”
“It’s not like that,” she spits back.
“Fuck that,” I shout through clenched teeth. I pace down the block, walking away from her, far away. To the end of the block, where I stop and slam a hand against the street sign. I take a sharp, deep breath, then turn around. She’s still on the stoop, and she’s fiddling with her shirt, shakily fastening the top two buttons.
When I reach her I bend down and grip her knees. I stare hard at her, her brown eyes like pools. One lone tear streaks down her face. “You are better than that,” I tell her, never breaking her gaze. “You are so much better than that.”
“But what if I’m not?” She chokes out in the tiniest voice.
I wipe the pad of my thumb across her cheek. I want to kiss her tears away, but I can’t go there right now. For a million reasons.
“You are,” I say firmly. I want to shake her. I want to smack some sense into her. “How can you even say you’re not?”
She drops her head so I can’t look at her. “Because I’m not. Because I went to see him. Because you’d never do this. You’re stronger than me. You’re never even tempted.”
“You think this is easy for me?” I crouch on the sidewalk, my hands still gripping her knees. I glance down at her socks, then shake my head. “I hate these socks,” I mumble, as I peel the right one down her leg. She lets me, lifting her calf for me. My fingertips brush her skin, but I manage to resist running my hands up and down those calves. The mission to get her out of this awful costume is stronger than my desire to touch her. I unbuckle one shoe and take off her sock. I do the same to the other leg, rolling down the white knee-high, undoing the shoes, and tugging the sock off her foot, ignoring how smooth her perfectly shaven legs are. I hand her the offending items, and she stuffs the white socks into her purse. Out of sight. Somewhat out of mind. “I can’t stand seeing you dressed like this. I wish you were wearing a t-shirt and jeans right now.”
I earn a small laugh for that, and she lifts her head, flashing a quick lopsided smile. The Harley smirk that makes me want to wipe it away with my mouth. Kiss that sexy smirk right off of her. Hear the sweet sighs she makes when I kiss her.

GIVEAWAYS:

Grand prize giveaway
Prizes (open internationally):
–A signed set of Lauren’s existing paperbacks – Trophy Husband, Caught Up In Us and Playing With Her Heart

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Giveaway hosted on Lauren’s website:

–Lauren is also hosting a giveaway on her site for 3 signed copies of The Thrill of It here

BLOG TOUR, REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: UNTANGLE ME by CHELLE BLISS

October 26, 2013

Welcome to our stop on the Untangle Me by Chelle Bliss Blog Tour! Please be sure to enter the ebook giveaway! Open internationally!

Title: Untangle Me
Author: Chelle Bliss
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 26, 2013
Book Trailer

BOOK BLURB:

Kayden is a bad boy that never played by the rules. Sophia has always been the quintessential good girl, living a life filled with disappointment. Everything changes when their lives become intertwined through a chance encounter online.

Hundreds of miles separate them, but the connection that draws them together is too much to be denied. As the layers of their lives peel back, Kayden keeps the dangerous parts of his past hidden to protect the woman who is becoming more important to him than he should allow. What starts as a pursuit of carnal pleasure turns into a complicated love story. His past is a tangled web filled with addiction, an obsessed ex-girlfriend, and problems with the law.

One mistake he thought he had left behind may end up ruining it all.

MY REVIEW:

I will admit I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover and what was inside did not disappoint! I loved this book. It is a story about real, working-class people with real problems and real passions. And the sex is OFF THE CHARTS! Kayden has a great job and a seemingly stable life, but has had anger issues and a psycho ex-girlfriend who made his life hell. He and Sophia connect through Facebook one day, and they begin to communicate and can’t resist wanting to get to know each other better. He was a friend of her older brother and is very sexy and has an allure that Sophia can’t resist. She leads a quiet life, and is looking for a little excitement and yes, even love.

Sophia is willing to take a risk on the handsome Kayden, and falls quickly for him. He really is a decent guy, but his internal demons threaten their relationship. I loved seeing these characters really develop and grow throughout this book, and the story kept me turning the pages until the end. I really was invested in these characters’ stories and felt a connection with them from the very beginning.

Untangle Me is a great debut from this author. The characters have ordinary lives (no billionaires here!) but the sex scenes are scorching and their problems are real. The ending got a little dramatic but overall this was a very enjoyable read for me, and I recommend it for anyone who wants a hot, well-written and gripping story.

I also loved the New Orleans and Florida settings! The author really got it right on both accounts. I’m looking to more books from this author in the future.

*** ARC provided by the author for an honest review.***

Buy Links:

Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

I have been a teacher for over ten years, and needed a creative outlet for all my naughty thoughts. I received a bachelors degree in History and a Masters in Education, which led me to becoming a high school history teacher.

I love to read, I can devour a book a day, when given the chance or having the time. I can’t pick one favorite book, there are just too many that come to mind. I do have favorite authors though. My top five authors are: Colleen Hoover, S.C. Stephens, Tarryn Fisher, CJ Roberts, and Kele Moon. I agonized over the top five. There are so many fantastic Indie authors that help feed my quest for the next best story.

Writing has been a journey unlike; filled with anguish, love, fear, and creativity. I’m excited for the next step and to share Kayden and Sophia.

Contact the Author:
Goodreads

Facebook
Twitter: @chellebliss1

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