Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday - "Wicked Beat" By: Olivia Cunning


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme where we let everyone know what books we are eagerly anticipating the release of.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine

Wicked Beat (Sinners on Tour, #4)
Wicked Beat
By: Olivia Cunning
From the moment he lays eyes on Sinners’ new front of house soundboard operator, drummer Eric Sticks knows he has to make Rebekah his. Unfortunately, she’s too busy trying to seduce guitarist Trey Mills to pay him much attention. Rebekah never planned to fall for the tall, goofy drummer with the weird sense of humor and a heart the size of the galaxy. But Eric makes her laugh and his constant attention makes her feel sexy and irresistible–exactly what she needs after the things her last lover said to her. A woman who gives as much as she takes, Rebekah makes Eric feel like a total stud–exactly what he needs after surviving a decade of watching the incredibly talented members of Sinners from the wings.
Publication Date: August 2013

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

"Playing the Field" By: Jennifer Seasons Blog Tour

Playing the Field Blog Tour
By: Jennifer Seasons


Single mother Sonny Miller has spent years avoiding love.

A rotten childhood and an even rottener ex-boyfriend left her determined to protect her son—and herself—against the risks of romance. That is, until hotshot ballplayer JP Trudeau swaggers into her carefully constructed life, all sin-with-me eyes and irresistible grin. Sonny can't help but feel drawn to the sexy, confident man, even as every fiber of her being tells her to keep running the bases . . .

JP is known for being fast on his feet, not fast with his heart. But meeting Sonny and her boy sparks something in him—something he's never felt before, not from all the cleat-chasers in the major leagues. Sonny may be hell-bent on keeping him at arm's length no matter what, but this rookie has a plan. To get the girl, he must step up to the plate and convince her to take another chance on love . . . before this game gets rained out.


Where can I buy?

Amazon     Barnes & Noble      iTunes

About Jennifer
Jennifer Seasons is a Colorado transplant. She lives with her husband and four children along the Front Range, where she enjoys breathtaking views of the mighty Rocky Mountains every day. A dog and two cats keep them company. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors, exploring her beautiful adopted home state.

Author Links
Twitter       Goodreads




10 THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW 
ABOUT JENNIFER SEASONS
  1. I wrote PLAYING THE FIELD just a few short weeks after giving birth to my youngest and fourth child. I didn’t sleep at all the first three months after she was born.
  2. I love interior decorating.
  3. I believe that chocolate = love. Enough said.
  4. I studied anthropology at the University of Colorado at Boulder because people fascinate me.
  5. I may have a very small tattoo. Or three.
  6. I love painting the walls in my home. Every shade brings a different energy and feel. It’s the first thing I go to when I’m ready for a room makeover.
  7. The first romance I read was The Gift by Julie Garwood when I was thirteen. It was awesome. I fell in love with the genre and decided then and there that I would someday write romance too. Now here I am. Very cool.
  8. I prefer to be barefoot.
  9. When I sent off STEALING HOME to Avon Impulse I was absolutely sure it was going to get a big fat rejection.
  10. Every Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed my husband and I watch Love Actually while we wrap presents and eat sugar cookies. It’s our little tradition.
Loving the blog tour? 
Check out the other stops!
July 16th- Brunette Librarian 
July 18th- A Passion for Romance 
July 24th- Harlequin Junkie 
July 25th- Crystal Blogs Books 
July 31st- Romancing the Readers 
Aug 1st- Lily Pond Reads 
Aug 2nd- Book Freak



"Playing the Field" By: Jennifer Seasons Review

Playing the Field
By: Jennifer Seasons

Synopsis
Single mother Sonny Miller has spent years avoiding love. A rotten childhood and an even rottener ex-boyfriend left her determined to protect her son—and herself—against the risks of romance. That is, until hotshot ballplayer JP Trudeau swaggers into her carefully constructed life, all sin-with-me eyes and irresistible grin. Sonny can't help but feel drawn to the sexy, confident man, even as every fiber of her being tells her to keep running the bases . . .
JP is known for being fast on his feet, not fast with his heart. But meeting Sonny and her boy sparks something in him—something he's never felt before, not from all the cleat-chasers in the major leagues. Sonny may be hell-bent on keeping him at arm's length no matter what, but this rookie has a plan. To get the girl, he must step up to the plate and convince her to take another chance on love . . . before this game gets rained out.
My Thoughts
     I love a great sports romance. Susan Elizabeth Phillips hooked me on them, Jaci Burton has some great ones and now I’m going to add Jennifer Seasons to my favorites list. I enjoyed the contrast in the characters but loved the sizzling sexuality between single mother Sonny and super hot baseball star JP.
     A quick disclaimer before I start - I read this book which is second in the series without reading the first book, Stealing Home. It didn’t bother my enjoyment at all but there were tons of recurring characters. If that matters to you, start with the first and then come back. Now onward...!
      JP first sees Sonny during a baseball camp for children. Drawn to her, he later finds out she is the mother of one of the kids he’s been helping at the camp. Determined to get to know her better JP begins pursuing her. Initially Sonny is pretty resistant  to the fast talking younger man, but he slowly wears her down. I mean come on, he’s successful, confident and a hottie. What isn’t there to like?
    I enjoyed the pace of the story and it developed nicely. The sexual tension simmered and the dynamics between the characters was well thought out. I think Seasons did a good job of showing Sunny’s insecurities in dating and single parenthood. The character development of Sonny’s son and his distrust of a new man in his mom’s life was realistic, which I appreciated.
    Just a plain sweet story with some smokin’ hot scenes, I really enjoyed Playing the Field. I liked it so much, I immediately went out and bought Stealing Home. Great characters, a fun story, sweet romance that will leave you with a smile on your face and eagerly awaiting the next one.

Diamonds and Dugouts Series
1. Stealing Home (April 2013)
2. Playing the Field (July 2013)

Book Details
Publisher: Avon Impulse
# of Pages: 368
Date of Publicaton: August 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-0062271471
Source: Netgalley for Review

Monday, July 15, 2013

It's Monday! What are You Reading??


It's Monday! -
What Are You Reading?
is hosted weekly on Mondays
by Sheila from


Post the books you read last week, books currently reading, and books you plan on finishing this week!

 

What I've Read this week...
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain, #2)
Sweet Dreams
By: Kristen Ashley

Lauren Grahame has spent her whole life thinking something special was going to happen. She didn’t know what it was, she just knew it would one day be hers. But she learned the hard way that special wasn’t on offer.

So, after divorcing her cheating husband, Lauren searched for nothing special and she thought she found it when she landed a job as a waitress in a biker bar in Carnal. It was perfect: a nothing job in a nowhere bar in Nowheresville.

Then Tatum Jackson walked in. Part-owner of the bar, he took one look at high-class Lauren and wanted nothing to do with her. And he made this known, loudly.

Tate’s angry insults seared in her brain, Lauren decides the feeling is mutual and she doesn’t want anything to do with the gloriously handsome Tate Jackson. The clash of the bartender and barmaid begins but, even though Tate makes his change of mind clear (in biker-speak, a language Lauren is not fluent in), Lauren is intent on going her own way.

Until a serial killer hits Carnal and Lauren finds out Tate isn’t a bartender, he’s a bounty hunter. He stakes his claim for Lauren before he goes on the hunt for a killer but Laurie doesn’t speak biker nor does she understand bounty hunters and Tate comes back from the hunt to find his old lady has moved on.

Life throws curveball after curveball at Laurie and Tate. As secrets are revealed, women are brutally murdered, and Lauren tries to find her inner biker babe.

Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4)
Breathe
By: Kristen Ashley

In order to protect a father he does not respect, in Lady Luck, we learned that good cop Chace Keaton went bad, sacrificing his career and his future. But when the local police department's secrets are revealed and the wife he's forced to marry is murdered, Chace finds himself the town of Carnal's hero. Knowing how deep in the mud he was forced to sink, Chace feels he'll never get clean. The quiet, content future he envisioned of the love a good woman with whom he could build a family was now beyond his reach. The only thing he can do is find his wife's murderer.

But he isn't the only one looking.

While searching for new leads, he runs into Faye Goodknight, the town's quiet, shy, pretty librarian. Chace has long since had his eye on what could possibly be the town's last remaining virgin but he has also long since given up hope he could make her his. Faye is pure and clean and Chace refuses to dirty her with his sordid past.

Pure and clean Faye may be, but when the shy librarian is forced to go head to head with the man who she's had a crush on since he hit her hometown, Chace finds Faye is full of surprises. And he doesn't know what to do with her.

He Watches Me (Seen Trilogy, #1)
He Watches Me
By: Cynthia Sax

Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor's yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.

She discovers this isn't pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn't plan to stop. That's all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn't allow him and she certainly shouldn't want more, but she craves Blaine's attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.

Sooo, inquiring minds want to know. What Are You Reading???

Friday, July 12, 2013

"Making it Last" By: Ruthie Knox Review

Making It Last - A Novella (Camelot, #4)

Making It Last
By: Ruthie Knox
Synopsis
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone. 
Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.
My Thoughts
      Another hit from Knox!! Making it Last brings back Amber, sister to Caleb from Along Came Trouble and Katie from Flirting with Disaster, and Amber’s husband Tony Mazzara. Married for over 10 years and raising three boys, Amber and Tony struggle with their marriage and relationship in this latest Knox novel.
     The novella starts out immediately after the event from Flirting with Disaster. Amber and Tony are trying to wrangle three boys onto a plane after an exhausting trip to a tropical paradise. When Tony notices how stressed and unhappy Amber seems to be (and trust me, he is slow on the uptake) he offers for Amber to stay at the resort and in return, he’ll handle the kids. Amber and Tony spend the next few days reevaluating their lives, their relationship, and their life.
     I think what I liked most about this book was the honesty of the characters. Here we have two characters we have met before, living in the “happy ever after” part of their story, but it isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. These are two people with real problems, who genuinely care for one another, they are just lost. Working on their relationship, reconnecting with one another, and finding whats really imporatnt in life.
     Ruthie has an excellent way of writing real people. As I read, I couldn’t help but think about the realism as to which they attack their problems. Life is messy and Knox shows life at its messiest. Of course there is a happy ever after but it is a rocky ride.

Be sure to check out the other books in this series: Along Came Trouble, How to Misbehave and Flirting with Disaster.

Book Details
Publisher: Loveswept
Date of Publication: July 15, 2013
# of Pages: 136
ISBN: 9780345549297
Source: Netgalley for Review

The fabulous and utterly talented Ruthie Knox and I - May 2013

Monday, July 8, 2013

I'm an Addict baby!


So a few weeks ago I received an awesome
 e-mail from Avon.

I was chosen to become an Addict!

Already being a huge fan of Avon Romance, 
I was thrilled to say the least.

So for the next six months, I will talking a whole lotta Avon. So be prepared for awesomeness.

I've already read a ton of great romance. 
FYI Jennifer Seasons has an amazing new baseball series I'm going to be talking a lot about in a few weeks.

This past weekend, I also received my first Avon Addict package.
Was doing a happy dance - before the big reveal!
 I had heard from the Facebook group the boxes were coming, so I waited in anticipation. When I got home from work on Friday, this lovely lovely box was waiting for me. 
All the goodies!! 
 Seriously, couldn't believe all of the goodies that were inside. Love me some Candis Terry and I'm incredibly excited to have multiple copies to share. 

Stephanie Evanovich is a new author to me (woot woot) and I'm excited to try Lisa Marie Rice. Caroline Linden is always lovely and Lori Wilde? How much better could it be? 
Hello Hot Fireman :)
 I honestly don't think I need to say anything about this - but I'm definitely smilin'
Daisy Jane the weenie dog is pretty excited too!
I'm excited to invite you on my journey as an Addict. I've read some great books already and I'm currently reading Caroline Linden's Love and other Scandals from the box. 

Thank you to Avon for this awesome opportunity. Watch for fun reviews, stories, and maybe even a giveaway or two! 


Before you leave, be sure to check out this great video from the Romantic Times Convention this past May. I went to the Avon party but you won't see me in the background. It was so stinkin' fun to go and I was able to meet Lorraine Heath, Sarah MacLean, and so many other authors. It may have been the best part of the entire convention to be honest.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


It's Monday! -
What Are You Reading?
is hosted weekly on Mondays
by Sheila from


Post the books you read last week, books currently reading, and books you plan on finishing this week!


What I've Read this week...
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)
First Grave on the Right
By: Darynda Jones

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2)
Second Grave on the Left
By: Darynda Jones

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

MacRieve (Immortals After Dark, #13)
MacRieve
By: Kresley Cole

A Beast In Torment
Uilleam MacRieve believed he’d laid to rest the ghosts of his boyhood. But when a brutal torture revives those ancient agonies and destroys his Lykae instinct, the proud Scot craves the oblivion of death. Until he finds her—a young human so full of spirit and courage that she pulls him back from the brink.

A Beauty In Chains
Seized for the auction block, Chloe Todd is forced to enter a terrifying new world of monsters and lore as a bound slave. When offered up to creatures of the dark, she fears she won’t last the night. Until she’s claimed by him—a tormented immortal with heartbreaking eyes, whose touch sets her blood on fire.

A Full Moon On The Rise 
With enemies circling, MacRieve spirits Chloe away to the isolated Highland keep of his youth. But once he takes her to his bed, his sensual mate becomes something more than human, evoking his savage past and testing his sanity. On the cusp of the full moon, can he conquer his worst nightmare to save Chloe . . . from himself?

What I'm Currently Reading...
Love and Other Scandals
Love and Other Scandals
By: Caroline Linden

Joan Bennet is tired of being a wallflower. Thanks to some deliciously scandalous—and infamous—stories, she has a pretty good idea of what she's missing as a spinster. Is even a short flirtation too much to ask for?

Tristan, Lord Burke, recognizes Joan at once for what she is: trouble. Not only is she his best friend's sister, she always seems to catch him at a disadvantage. The only way he can win an argument is by kissing her senseless. He'd give anything to get her out of her unflattering gowns. But either one of those could cost him his bachelor status, which would be dreadful—wouldn't it?

What Are You Reading this Week?

Friday, July 5, 2013

"Flirting with Disaster" By: Ruthie Knox Review

Flirting with Disaster (Camelot, #3)
Flirting with Disaster
By: Ruthie Knox
Synopsis
Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company. Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.
My Thoughts
    So I have a bit of a disclaimer before I write this review. I love Ruthie Knox. I’ve loved everything she’s written and I totally got to meet her in May when I went to the RT Convention. She’s an utterly lovely person and I read her stuff as soon as I get it. That said, I totally think anyone who loves a great romance, a fun story about love lost and found, or just a fun little mystery with a bit of kissing included is going to love Flirting with Disaster.
    Katie Clark has just come back to her hometown after divorcing her High School sweetheart. Still licking her wounds of a love gone wrong, Katie finds a job with her brother as a secretary. Trying to prove herself as more than an assistant, Katie decides she is going to try her hand as a personal security guard.
     Sean Owens knew Katie when she was in school. He has been gone for years but when his Mother dies, he decides to return home and settle her affairs. While home, he hooks up with his old friend’s security company and the crush he had on Katie resurfaces almost instantaneously. He may be rich, successful, and handsome but Sean finds himself at a disadvantage - he has a serious speech impediment and stutters wildly when around the cute Katie. When they are assigned as personal security guards together for a famous rock star, both Sean and Katie suffer from misapprehensions about the other and have to find interesting ways to work together.
     This is the first book in my memory that I can remember having a stuttering hero, but I liked it. At the beginning it was a bit tiring because I just didn’t see where the situation was going, but as it continued throughout the story, I understood how it related to Sean’s character better. I also liked that it wasn’t just instantly cured because that isn’t how life is.
    Katie and Sean worked well together and I loved the secondary characters. They added just enough pizazz to help the story move along but didn’t take away from the two central characters. Funny, light hearted, and in the end incredibly sweet, I found the story a perfect part of the Ruthie Knox universe.


On a side note, Flirting with Disaster is part of the Camelot series that also features Along Came Trouble and How to Misbehave. Making It Last looks to be a new novella coming in July that is also part of the series.

Book Details
Publisher: Loveswept
Date of Publication: June 10, 2013
# of Pages: 448
ISBN: B00AP2VUHK
Source: Netgalley for Review

I'm not bragging or anything, but Ruthie and I are totally like best book friends! :)
May 2013

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

"The Officer and the Secret" By: Jeanette Murray Review

The Officer and the Secret
By: Jeanette Murray
Synopsis
After a rougher than expected deployment, Captain Dwayne Robertson craves the sense of normalcy that his friends can bring him. But when he returns home, there's an unexpected, but pleasant, twist in the mix—Veronica Gibson. As he struggles to adjust to daily life again, Dwayne craves Veronica and the peace she brings him. But Veronica isn't without faults. Dwayne hates lies, and Veronica's entire past is a well-guarded mystery. When the completely unexpected happens, they both realize it's time to lay their cards on the table and hope they're ready for love
My Thoughts
     I woke up early on the morning of my birthday and read Jeanette Murray’s latest offering. I was lucky enough to pick up this ARC at the RT conference in Kansas City in early May but had been saving it like a piece of cake. So taking a vacation day from work, I stayed in my pajamas and savored this engrossing story that culminates one of my favorite series being written now.
      The Officer and the Secret is the third book in the Semper Fi Series, following The Officer Says "I Do" and The Officer Breaks the Rules. Finally the story of Veronica and Dwight!! It seems like I’ve been waiting foreva, so I just had to savor this one like ice cream.
       Dwight has always been the largest and most resistant of the three marines from the story. The only soldier on military leave, much of the second book was spent as he was overseas in an active military location. He has met Veronica, the quiet cousin of Skye from the first book, through Skype.
       Low key and comfortable with one another, these two people who have had trouble in their past, find a somewhat peace with one another. I loved how their relationship grew almost as if a dance. Veronica, having lived as a missionary, had to learn how to fit in with society. Dwight, coming back from a war zone, had to confront his demons and Veronica is a perfect match. She’s neither pushy nor dumb and is the perfect mix for this hardened marine.
      A great story for a spring morning, I was happy with the story until the very end. I don’t know if I just wanted the story to continue or what, but the ending seemed rushed and the huge issues they were facing seemed to be wrapped up in just a few paragraphs. An overall sweet story that I truly enjoyed, I can’t wait to see what Ms. Murray has to bring next. Hopefully more marines!!


Book Details
Publisher: Sourcebook Casablanca
Date of Publication: July 2, 2013
# of Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781402265464
Source: Netgalley for Review