Wednesday, August 28, 2013

"Things Good Girls Don't Do" By: Codi Gary Review

17660414
Things Good Girls Don’t Do
By: Codi Gary

Synopsis
Good girls don't steal. Good girls don't visit sex shops. Good girls don't have one-night stands.
For Katie Conners, being a good girl just isn't worth it anymore. It used to mean getting the life she always wanted. But that was before she got dumped and her ex got engaged to his rebound. So, after a bad day and one too many mojitos, Katie starts making a list of things a girl like her would never do, not in a million years . . .
As a tattoo artist with a monster motorcycle, Chase Trepasso isn't the kind of guy you bring home to mom and dad.
And when he finds Katie's list in a bar, he's more than happy to help her check off a few items. Especially the ones on the naughtier side . . .
Katie's more than tempted by Chase's offer, as long as they keep things uncomplicated. But as they spend more time together, she may just wind up breaking the most important rule of all: Good girls don't fall in love with bad boys.
My Thoughts
    I absolutely positively loved this book. Reminding me of an early Rachel Gibson, Codi Gary has created a lovely town filled with quirky characters, a great romance, hot sex and pure funny. The second in the series, Things Good Girls Don’t Do will make you smile, laugh out loud, and cheer on that bad boy fighting for the so-called good girl.
     Katie Conners is wanting to break out of her shell. Her mother has passed away, her boyfriend of seven years has left her, and she doesn’t see change on the horizon. So she decides to write a list about how to be a bad girl. She is surprised and somewhat delighted may I add when Chase Trepasso, local tattoo artist and new guy in town, sees the list and decides to help her out a bit with her naughty list.
     Chase isn’t just the resident bad ass - he is a Berkeley graduate, author, artist, and responsible adult. Yet the residents in town just want to see him as a rebel and he is more than willing to live up to their expectations. Until Katie, who isn’t that wild rebel, he finds he wants to make himself more respectable in the eyes of the town and good enough for the shy hairdresser he is slowly falling in love with.
17660414     Chase and Katie find themselves thrown together in this totally unexpected romance. Almost complete opposites, they immediately click which both find alarming. Neither expected to fall for the other, so needless to say there is quite a bit of adjustment on both their parts. I think I loved both of these characters so much because in the beginning, I actually didn’t like either one of them. Katie seemed like a goody two shoes and Chase was the stereotypical didn’t have a care in the world guy. Yet as the novel continued, you found their influences and meanings and came to love them at their cores.
     Things Good Girls Don’t Do is a fantastic read that I absolutely adored. Filled with wonderful characters, a great town atmosphere, adorably quirky neighbors and hot, hot sex scenes. The book is incredibly funny, sweet and endearing. I found myself smiling as I was reading it just because it was so dang cute. There is a scene with a sex aid that will make you snort with laughter. Can’t wait for the next one, its on the MUST read list for sure!


Book Details
Publisher: Avon Impulse
# of Pages: 352
ISBN: 978-0062292919
Date of Publication: August 27, 2013
Source: Edelweiss - for Review

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

"Running from Romeo" By: Diane Mannino Blog Tour

Running From Romeo
By: Diane Mannino
Release date: June 1st, 2013

Synopsis

Emilia King is entering her senior year at Santa Barbara University. For the past three years, she lived in the library – doing what she knows best – focusing on her studies and forgetting her past…a past that has forever changed her life. But this year marks a new beginning…

Logan Prescott is not only the hottest guy on campus, he’s heir to a billionaire hotel fortune. Emilia knows he’s trouble and should stay clear of him. But his notorious good looks and piercing blue eyes make him simply irresistible – especially when he’s quoting her favorite literary works.

Intrigued by Emilia’s innocence and resistance to his charm, Logan discovers she’s a challenge he simply can’t resist. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but running from him may be impossible. 


Goodreads

About the Author
DIANE MANNINO graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in English Literature. She is a former writer for Museum and Arts Washington and Star Magazine as well as several television shows, including, Inside Edition, American Journal, and E! News Daily. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Running from Romeo is her first novel and she is currently working on the sequel.


My Thoughts
     Diane Mannino is a voice to watched as she delves into (I say New Adult, others say Young Adult...tomato - tomahto...) territory uncharted. On the surface it looks like another rich boy meets girl but its so much more than that. Logan and Emilia's romance grows and is just so dang sweet. At times I even forgot Logan had money but I never forgot he was a fantastic hero. Incredibly cute at times, fun, and heartfelt, I can't wait to see what Diane Mannino has coming up next. A sweet story perfect for a summer's day, be sure to check out Running From Romeo.

Tour Giveaway
Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card
Tour Schedule
Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour at the Running from Romeo Blog Tour

Sunday, August 25, 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...
Blue By You
By: Rachel Gibson

They say you never forget your first time, but there's nothing Blue Butler and Kasper Pennington would rather forget than their brief but fiery teenage love affair. Yeah, it was hot while it lasted, but then he went off to join the Marines, leaving Blue in New Orleans. She's tried to block him from her mind for good, but nothing can really erase the feeling she had when she was with him.

And now he's got the nerve to return—leaner, meaner, and strong enough to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Blue's a successful businesswoman now, with no time to figure out what went wrong all those years ago. But Kasper knows she's the one woman for him … and now he's got to prove it to her all over again.

18212796
Smart, Sexy, and Secretive
By: Tammy Falkner

Emily

I'm back in New York, ready to start my brand new life with Logan. Things are still up in the air between us, and it has been three months since I've even talked to him. But there's one thing I'm certain of -- I can't live without him.

Logan

I need her like I need air. But now she's back, and her dad and her ex-boyfriend are conspiring to keep us apart. We can do this, though. Can't we? We can make this work? We have to, because I can't imagine my life without her.

Sooo, inquiring minds wanna know, what are you reading????

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday - "No Good Duke Goes Unpunished" By: Sarah MacLean


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

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

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (The Rules of Scoundrels, #3)
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished
By: Sarah MacLean

In NO GOOD DUKE GOES UNPUNISHED, the mysterious Temple is at best an inveterate womanizer who ruined his father’s future duchess, and at worst, a cold-blooded killer who murdered his future stepmother. 

No one has seen Mara Lowe since she disappeared from her bedchamber on the morning of her wedding twelve years ago—leaving behind a drunken Temple. Despite vehement claims of innocence, Temple was exiled from society, stripped of his funds and left to survive on his own. 

He is the brawn behind the Fallen Angel club, and has given up on ever returning to society, until the missing Mara shows up and begs for his help

Publication date: August 27, 2013

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

"Taking the Stage" By: Heather Long Blog Tour

Taking the Stage
By: Heather Long

Synopsis
Roseatre takes one look at the white tigers that the stage manager has brought in to shake things up at the Midnight Mystery Lounge, and nearly has a heart attack. It doesn t matter that the beautiful creatures handler raises her pulse and makes her want to purr. The tigers are sure to recognize her and arouse her need for the hunt.
Pride outcast Anthony diNapoli wasn’t expecting to encounter an Amazon princess when he brought his white tigers to the lounge. The lucrative show will go a long way toward securing his future, but not if he gives in to the urge to make her submit to his dominance, and claim her as his mate.
No matter how desperately her body aches for the sun-kissed stranger and his completely lickable abs, Roseâtre is no man’s prize. Yet she finds herself hungering for Anthony to defeat her and take her for his own.
It’s show time in the Arcana Royale’s Midnight Mystery Lounge and all bets are off.
Warning:  Contains sword fights, shackles, sexy showgirls, and a game of dominance between a determined weretiger and an Amazon who refuses to submit. Blades, bliss and battles, oh my!
Taking the Stage
Soulgirls #2
Release Date: Aug 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61921-580-1
Samhain Publishing

About the Author:
A national best selling author, Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. In addition to military romance, Heather writes a wide variety of romance from paranormal historical western romance to contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She loves characters and the stories they have to tell. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.
My Thoughts
      As soon as I saw Heather Long was a fan of both Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts, I knew we would be friends. Her newest release, Taking the Stage, is book two in her Soulgirls series and follows the romance of slave Roseatre and wild cat trainer, Anthony. 
    I don't want to give too much away as far as plot, but I will say I had a bit of trouble reading it since I hadn't read the first in the series. Characters and the plot line was a little murky so I found myself reading the first one and then moving on to Taking the Stage. This might be my own little quibble though, because plenty of other reviewers had no problem.
      Taking the Stage has excellent character building - I loved how hard they fought with one another. They were funny and the interactions heated. The sex...yum! I think Long has done a good deal of world building here and I'm looking forward to what she has next.

 Interested in trying Heather's newest tale of forbidden love? 
Check out the links and the excerpt! 

Contact Details:
Website: http://www.heatherlong.netEmail: heather@heatherlong.netFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthorTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Enjoy the following excerpt for Taking the Stage:

“Not the toes.” Roseâtre refused to squeal. As lead dancer for the Arcana Royale’s Midnight Mystery Lounge, she would never squeal or scream, but her voice pitched high enough that the syllable at the end of toes cracked.

The great white tiger snuffling her feet through the five-inch strappy black-and-sapphire Louboutins rolled his head away. Instead of obeying, he stroked a whiskered cheek down her bare leg.

“Cut!” Voice booming, the show’s stage manager hustled out from the wings. Heidi was a brisk woman with a quick temper and a stout body, dedicated to creating the best shows. After Pandora’s escape from her contract, she relied on all of her girls to have the same dedication to the performance, Roseâtre more than most.

Pandora. She’d always made the lead look easy. She’d walked out on the stage and owned the audience. Roseâtre believed Pandora could have shared the stage with twelve chimpanzees and it wouldn’t have mattered. Gazes would have been riveted to the tawny nymph.

The white tiger stretched out his neck and yawned, showing off a mouthful of glistening teeth. He flexed his paws, claws scoring the stage. She wasn’t fooled by the sleepy-eyed expression or house-cat similarities. Big cats weren’t pets.

The rest of the dancers relaxed from their poses, some even dropping down to coo and stroke the cats whose arrival had elicited a long round of awws and aren’t they sweets. Roseâtre, however, shifted away from the cat with his tickling whiskers and raspy tongue.

“Rose?” Heidi beckoned, a pen behind one ear and a notebook tucked under her arm. She pursed her lips in a you’re-not-in-trouble-yet moue, but the wrinkles knitting her brow told an entirely different story.

“Yes, ma’am?” Roseâtre didn’t drag her feet. One certainly never dragged Louboutins, but she couldn’t quite resist displaying her mutiny with an uplifted chin and wrinkled nose.
Cats.

Her nose twitched. Her sinuses burned. Her eyes threatened tears. But she maintained her composure.

Damn cats.

“Look, I know you’re not thrilled with this idea.” The opening gambit was classic Heidi, softening her up for the too-damn-bad often attached to those statements.

Closeted together at the far end of the stage, Roseâtre was glad to be out of earshot of her shield-sister Cerveau, the other dancers and thankfully, the damn tigers.

The Midnight Mystery Lounge was closed for an entire week so the dancers could learn this new act. She’d woken to the bad news that the diNapoli Tigers—tigers—were joining the show for a three-month trial to drum up business in the magical casino and resort.

“But you’re just going to have to get over it. The apothecary will provide you with a tea for your allergies. We need this show and you’re the headliner. That means you and the tiger will be all over each other on that stage and you’re going to love it.”

And there it was, the verbal slap demanding submission. The command chafed. But a promise was a promise and she was as bound by her oath as her shield-sister Cerveau was by her curse.

“Is there any way we can do this without cats?”

“Not really, no.” The sympathy was real, but from Heidi’s compressed expression, the stage manager was plainly not on Roseâtre’s side. “I’m sorry, Rose. But the diNapoli Tigers were an enormous success in Monaco and Paris. We need them for resurgence of interest or the Overseers may very well break up the show.”

“Really?” Panic drifted under the surface of her skin, sending her heart puttering. The Overseers controlled the Arcana Royale, the sprawling complex where meta-humans of all types were welcome and could be themselves. They controlled the shows, the people and in the case of the dancers, their souls. Breaking up the show meant the dancers with varying leases on their souls could be placed elsewhere at the Overseers’ discretion.

Worse, Roseâtre and Cerveau could be separated. Roseâtre couldn’t allow that to happen. She’d sworn an oath. Pride could be sacrificed. Honor could not.

A shield-borne oath was an oath.

“I’ll try. It’s not just the allergy, though.”

“What is it?”

No simple answer existed. Roseâtre glanced over her shoulder to where the great cats lounged. Some groomed themselves while yet another rolled over on its back, presenting its belly to Peppermint for attention. Of all the dancers, Peppermint was the most gracious, the most loving and the most likely to enjoy gamboling with the tigers on the stage.

“I assure you, nothing is wrong with my cats.” The dark, deep masculine tones teased up her spine. She jerked her attention back to discover a bare-chested, bare-footed blond god had joined them.

Oh my. Who did he kill to get those abs?

She snapped her jaw shut with a flicker of irritation, and forced her gaze up from the hard six-pack of clear-cut muscle to roam over the ripped planes of his chest and shoulders.

Dear gods, does it end?

The cool dislike in his blue eyes slapped her back to the present. Everything about the man seemed larger than life, from his thick thighs, easily three times the size of hers, to his wide hands and square, chiseled jaw.

“Roseâtre, Anthony diNapoli.” Heidi’s snapped introduction rebuked her. “Anthony, this is our headliner, Roseâtre.”

Be professional. She extended her hand and kept her gaze focused above his chin. Despite the five additional inches her designer shoes added to her considerable height, topping at around six foot, the man towered over her.

And he inspected her with an air of detached amusement, his gaze clearly dipping below her chin to where her breasts strained against the confinement of the black leotard.

“Your pleasure, I’m sure.” The bastard smiled and ignored her hand.

“Anthony’s cats are in high demand, and he’s graciously consented to this trial contract so we’re going to do the best we can to make the most of this situation.” Heidi turned to Anthony as though unaware of the icy drop in Roseâtre’s regard. “We’ll add extra rehearsal time so Roseâtre and her cat can get used to each other.”

We will? Incredulous, Roseâtre could barely pull her eyes away from Anthony to look at the stage manager. “More rehearsals?” Tired of holding her hand out to the air, she let it drop.

“Absolutely.” Heidi nodded briskly, clapping her hands and striding away to gather the dancers, completely ignoring the cats with the poise of one who was likely more dangerous than the wild animals. “Ladies!”

Cerveau stood next to Kiki, Peppermint and Amber, the question in her expression obvious, but Roseâtre shook her head, waving her off with one short hand gesture. She didn’t need backup.

“So what’s your problem with cats, princess?” The words shivered up her spine. Anthony’s voice prowled behind her, his body heat brushing against her in challenge and invitation.

“Does it matter?”

She didn’t have to play nice. The bastard couldn’t be bothered to shake her hand.

“It might. You’re going to be riding my tiger every night for the next three months.” The words dripped with mockery and some other indefinable emotion.

Roseâtre shifted away, sparing him a dismissive look. She’d practiced the art of cool disdain for years under her mother’s tutelage. He might call her princess in his low, rolling sexy voice as a jest, but it didn’t make it any less true.

“What’s the problem now, princess?”

“You’re getting sarcasm on my shoes.” She lifted one, taking great care to inspect it.

Anthony threw his head back and laughed, a deep belly-trembling shout of amusement.

The noise drew the dancers’ attention like children to free chocolate. Cerveau’s face twisted comically, a mixture of censure and curiosity reddening her cheeks. She wouldn’t approve the tone, but she would appreciate the cause.

“You still haven’t told me why you don’t like my cats.”

“They’re cats.”

Head canted to the right, he studied her. The deep blue of his eyes was enhanced by a circle of darker blue along the iris. His pupils seemed to blink on their own, but that wasn’t possible. Roseâtre forced her gaze back to his dimples, just barely disguised by the thick rush of blond beard coating his cheeks.

“Cats are magnificent, bold and affectionate creatures. They are slow to trust, but have unshakable loyalty.”

“Until you’re dead and then they just eat your corpse.” She shuddered.

He laughed again. “You don’t need your body when you’re dead.”

She was missing everything Heidi was saying to the other dancers. Clearly, the stage manager didn’t care because she wasn’t even looking in Roseâtre’s direction, much less shooting her with her optic laser beams of impatience.

“I’d rather my body was undisturbed, thank you very much. The idea of anything feasting after I’m dead is unappealing.” Not to mention sacrilegious. A warrior’s death should be honored with blades and flame, never teeth.

Or, the gods forbid, a hairball. Roseâtre grimaced.

“Would you prefer they do it while you’re alive?” The silken whisper brushed against her ear. Tingles raced over her skin from the sweep of his beard on her cheek.

Heart leaping, Roseâtre barely managed to suppress her startled scream and settled for smacking his chest. The hard muscles didn’t even budge as her hand made contact, leaving a vivid, white mark against the golden tan.

“You really need to stop doing that.” Enough is enough. The man might be here at Heidi’s request or the Overseers’, but his job was to deal with the damn cats.

“Stop what?” The mock innocence coating his teasing grin reminded her more of the tiger yawning than it did a conciliatory gesture.

“Invading my bubble.” She rolled her hand in the air between them. “You haven’t been invited into my bubble.”

The coolness in his gaze warmed considerably, his grin widened. He was obviously enjoying the hell out of her irritation.

“How does one get invited into your bubble?” He batted the air in front of her, a downright playful gesture that sank its claws into her belly.


Nope. Not going to be turned on.