Blog Tour- Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

Their bond is too intense to ignore.

Heart Bones, the unforgettable contemporary romance that will pull on your heartstrings and show you the power of hope by #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover is available now! 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Verity and Regretting You.

Beyah comes from a life of poverty and neglect; Samson from a family of wealth.

When the two find themselves spending the summer as neighbors, they soon realize money is one of the few things they don’t have in common.

Their bond is too intense to ignore, but with only ten weeks separating them from the start of their new lives on opposite ends of the country, Beyah and Samson decide to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling.

What they don’t realize is that a rip current is coming and it’s about to drag both their hearts out to sea.

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a640sm
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/heartbonesch

 

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Excerpt

Samson’s knee brushes high up on my inner thigh and I’m glad he can’t see anything from my chin down, because my body is covered in chills right now. 

“I didn’t think there were many people in the world like me,” he says. 

“You think we’re alike?” I want to laugh at that comparison, but there’s not an ounce of humor in his expression.

“I believe we have a lot more in common than you think we do, Beyah.”

“You think you’re as alone in this world as I am?” 

He folds his lips together and nods his head, and it’s the most honest thing I’ve ever seen. I never would have thought someone so well off could have a life as shitty as mine, but I can see it in the way he’s looking at me. Everything about him suddenly seems familiar to me.

He’s right. We are alike, but only in the saddest ways.

My voice comes out in a whisper when I say, “When I first met you on that ferry, I could tell you were damaged.” 

There’s a flicker of something in his eyes as he tilts his head to the right. “You think I’m damaged?”

“Yes.”

He moves even closer in the water, but there wasn’t much space left between us to begin with. It’s deliberate, and so much of me is touching so much of him now. “You’re right,” he says quietly, slipping a hand around the back of my left knee. “There’s nothing left of me but a fucking pile of debris.” He pulls me to him, wrapping both my legs around him. That’s all he does, though. He doesn’t try to kiss me. He just connects us together as if that’s enough while our arms keep us both afloat.

I’m swiftly succumbing to him. I don’t know in what way. All of them, maybe. Because right now, I need him to do something else. Anything else. Taste me. Touch me. Drag me under.

We watch each other for a moment and it’s almost like looking into a broken mirror. He leans in slowly, but not toward my mouth. He presses his lips against my shoulder, so gentle it feels like a graze.

I close my eyes and inhale.

I’ve never felt anything so sensual. So perfect. 

About Colleen Hoover 

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of thirteen novels and multiple novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas. 

Connect with Colleen 

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2FZ7GAI
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L1LuoI
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-hoover
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https://www.colleenhoover.com

Wait for Me by Tia Louise ~ Sarah A’s Review

Dear Taron,
I should have told you this before…

Dear Taron,
Is there a time-limit on forgiveness?
If there is, I haven’t reached it… 

Dear Taron,
I still love you… 

Taron Rhodes was my brother’s best friend.

He was sexy as sin.
But he was more than that…
He was ponytail-pulling, ice down your shirt teasing, throw you in the lake screaming…
Strong, tanned arms and bright green eyes over a heart-stopping, naughty grin…
Did I mention his tight end? 

I gave him my first real kiss, my heart, my everything.
I said I’d wait for him…

I’m still waiting, because Taron Rhodes is still the man of my dreams,
And I have a secret that has his bright green eyes.

Noel LaGrange stole my heart when she was only eighteen—pushing me off a flatbed and calling me a city slicker.
Her brother Sawyer would kick my ass if he knew how many times we made out that summer, how close we got.

Everything changed when Sawyer and I joined the military.
We were honorably discharged, but I didn’t go to her.
Instead, I went back to the city… where no amount of money, no amount of pills can heal this wound.
Only her whiskey eyes and dark hair, her slim arms and her sweet scent, give me hope.
I broke her heart just as surely as I broke mine, but I’m going back to make it right.
If she’s still waiting…

(WAIT FOR ME is a STAND-ALONE small-town, second-chance romance with a guaranteed HEA. No cheating. No cliffhangers.)

***  AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED  ***
Amazon

As a whole, I liked Wait for Me well enough. What I take a look back at the pieces the book ebbed and flowed for me. There were parts I couldn’t read fast enough and others that I felt like I was trudging through. I’m can’t quite put my finger on exactly why the pacing was off for me, but it didn’t seem quite to have the magic I expect from Tia Louise’s writing. All in all, I did love this story; it just didn’t quite live up to the expectations I’d built up for it.

I freaking loved Taron from the first time I met him. He seemed to have just the perfect mix of vulnerability, humor, and chivalry to call to me. And though there were moments I found him exceedingly frustrating, he continued to cement a place for himself in my heart.

It took me longer to connect with Noel, and that may be part of the reason I felt I had a hard time staying in the story. She was a lovely person, but it seemed like she was unreachable in a lot of ways. Slowly, I started seeing more and more of what was behind her shiny exterior, and I began to love her more. I learned to love her more as time went on and was happy that she and Taron found each other.

My reticence about Wait for Me is definitely a me, not the book, thing. I was anticipating the book starting much differently than it did, and my preconceived notions hindered my ability to love the story for what it was. I know, had a started reading with a clearer mind, I would have absolutely loved it, and it saddens me that I won’t ever get to experience and appreciate the story like it should have been.

Tia Louise is the USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of When We Touch, the “Bright Lights,” “One to Hold,” and “Dirty Players” series, and co-author of the #4 Amazon bestseller The Last Guy.

After being a teacher, a book editor, a journalist, and finally a magazine editor, she started writing love stories and never stopped.

Louise lives in the Midwest with her trophy husband, two teenage geniuses, and one grumpy cat.

NEWSLETTER | Website | Bookbub | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Blog Tour and Review-Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us comes a poignant novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.

Regretting You, an all-new beautiful and touching novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, is available now!

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Excerpt

“What’s your favorite movie?”

“Of all time?” he asks.

“Pick one from the past ten years.”

“I can’t,” he says. “There are so many great ones, and I love them all for different reasons. I love the technical aspect of Birdman. I love the performances in Call Me by Your Name. Fantastic Mr. Fox is my favorite cartoon because Wes Anderson is a goddamn genius.” He glances at me. “What about you?”

“I don’t think Fantastic Mr. Fox counts. It seems older than ten years.” I lean my head back and stare up at the ceiling. It’s a tough question. “I’m like you. I don’t know that I have a favorite movie. I tend to judge more on the talent than the story line. I think Emma Stone is probably my favorite actress. And Adam Driver is the best actor of our time, but I don’t think he’s landed the role of his lifetime yet. He was great in BlacKkKlansman, but I’m not crazy about some of the other movies he’s been in.”

“But did you see the Kylo Ren skit?”

“Yes!” I say, sitting up. “On SNL? Oh my God, it was so funny.” I’m smiling, but I hate that I’m smiling. It feels weird to smile when I’m so full of sadness, but this is how Miller makes me feel every time I’m around him. He’s the only thing that seems to be able to take my mind off everything, yet he’s the one person I can’t really hang out with.

Thanks for that, Shelby.

It sucks. I don’t like thinking about it, even though we’re together right now. But tomorrow at school, things will go back to how they always are. Miller will keep his distance. He’ll respect his relationship with Shelby, which will only serve to make me respect him even more.

And I’ll just continue to be in a depressing funk.

“I should go,” I say.

Miller hesitates before moving. “Yeah, I think my break was over ten minutes ago.” We both stand up, but I can’t get out of the aisle because he’s blocking my way, facing me, not making an effort to walk away. He’s just staring down at me as if he wants to say something else. Or do something else.

“I’m really sorry about what happened,” he says. At first, I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but then it hits me. I press my lips together and nod, but I don’t say anything because it’s the last thing I want to talk or think about.

“I should have said that the other day. At the funeral.”

“It’s fine,” I say. “I’m fine. Or at least I’ll be fine. Eventually.” I sigh. “Hopefully.”

He’s staring at me like he wants to pull me in for a hug, and I really wish he would. But instead, he turns and walks out of the aisle, toward the exit. I stop at the restroom on our way out. He grabs a trash can and starts to pull it toward the theater we just came out of.

“See you tomorrow, Clara.”

I don’t tell him goodbye. I walk into the restroom and don’t even bother pretending things will be the same at school tomorrow as they were tonight. He’ll avoid me while being all faithful and shit, and whatever. That’s okay. I need to stop interacting with him anyway, because as good as it feels when I’m around him, it’s starting to hurt when I’m not. And I don’t need another painful thing added to my already existing pile of excruciating feelings.

 

I absolutely love everything that Colleen Hoover writes. Regretting You is story about a mother and daughter who go through some rough times but they learn to navigate through them together. This book is told in alternating POVs from a mother and her 17 year old daughter.

Morgan had her daughter at a very young age and she is determined to make sure Clara doesn’t make the same mistakes she did. Her overbearing ways make Clara rebel towards her and causes Clara to have a closer relationship with her dad and aunt Jenny. When tragedy strikes the family Clara doesn’t know how to deal with things and becomes even more distant from her mother. Morgan doesn’t handle it well and is struggling to find a new normal but knows she needs to pull it together for Clara. Will these two be able to rebuild their relationship and learn to lean on each other or will their life tragedy continue to push them apart?

I was so intrigued with the secondary stories that took place in the book and loved the outcome. The secondary characters added lots of depth to the storyline. I loved the twisty, turny emotional rollercoaster this book took me on. I was also a young mother so I understood Morgan’s feelings and actions in some of the situations in the book. Colleen’s books are all so amazing and I can’t wait to see what she is working on next!!

**5 Stars**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of thirteen novels and multiple novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Connect with Colleen

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2FZ7GAI

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L1LuoI

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Instagram: http://bit.ly/2PlDTE4

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Join her reader group: http://bit.ly/2OZM7mo

https://www.colleenhoover.com

Miles Ahead by Willow Aster ~ Sarah A’s Review

Nice guys finish last.

At least that’s how I feel when I watch my ex-girlfriend marry someone else. 

But when I’m showing a prime piece of real estate and in walks the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, I don’t really think about nice or my ex or anything but how to get to know her better.

Cort Sellers has baggage of her own—secrets she’s not ready to reveal, and a career that puts her whole life on display—but the more I get to know her, the more I’m willing to do anything it takes to win her heart.

***  AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED  ***
Amazon

I’m going to be straight up with you. I read 5,331 Miles when it first came out and loved it, but I’ve read SO many books between that one and this, I didn’t remember Miles at all. Thankfully Miles Ahead is written in such a way that I didn’t feel like I was missing anything but not rereading 5,331 Miles first. It may be a spinoff novella, but it is easily read as a standalone.

As someone who has experienced the ‘when you know, you know’ phenomenon, I loved Miles and Cort’s love story. They had an immediate connection and despite both of their best efforts to ignore it, protect themselves from heartache, and wait for better timing; each of them couldn’t resist the pull of the other. That kind of connection always feels special to me, and it was no different in Miles Ahead. I also deeply appreciate the social relevance it held. Miles Ahead touched on an issue that is forefront in today’s society and incredibly important to talk about.

I am disappointed that Miles Ahead is only a novella. I feel like there was so much more story to tell, and I was left wanting, not in a good way, for more Miles and Cort. The entire timeline was highly accelerated, and it seemed like there were some parts of the book weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been. There were also a few minor continuity and editing errors that, while they didn’t detract from the story, just bugged me.

We spent a lifetime chasing firefly dreams

Jaxson and I devised a life list when we were kids in Holmes Chapel. Just a few things on that list:

*Climb the Eiffel Tower.
*Visit every zoo in the world.
*Eat peanut butter every day.

But all the promises he made dissolved into dust, so when he comes around years later wanting to go live out our list, I want no part of it…or him. The universe seems to agree with me because everything we try is a disaster.

The heart though—it’s a tricky beast; I’m just not sure mine is strong enough to survive Jaxson one more time.

***  AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED  ***
Amazon

Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, and the upcoming release, Whore. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming and make fun of her for reading while cooking.

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Willow is giving away 3 signed paperbacks and a $100 Amazon GC.
All open international.

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BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW – Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen

“Friends to lovers at its best– a sweet indulgence I couldn’t put down!” – R.S. Grey, USA Today Bestselling Author

Baking Me Crazy, the first in the romantic comedy Donner Bakery Series of standalones, from Karla Sorensen is available now!

I’m Levi Buchanan, and until five years ago, I thought the legend of my family’s curse was a load of crazy, Southern nonsense.

No curse can make you fall in love at first sight. No curse can force a true, deep, passionate, all-consuming love that will haunt you all the days of your life.

Then I met Jocelyn Abernathy and I realized how completely wrong I was.

The problem is, Jocelyn guards her feelings like well-armed soldier. She’s the most beautiful, stubborn, infuriating woman I’ve ever met. Every time she talks, I want to kiss the living daylights out of her. But I can’t.

Because when we met, she didn’t need true love. She needed a best friend. And that’s what I’ve been to her… for five years.

But when Jocelyn meets a handsome stranger her first day working at Donner Bakery and she lets him buy her a dill pickle cupcake, I realize with ominous regret that I may have missed my window with my best friend.

If I can’t get her to see past our friendship, my new curse may be to watch the love of my life move on with someone else.

‘Baking Me Crazy’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2kwvT7z

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2ku8Pq7

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/BakingMeCrazy

Nook: http://bit.ly/2lEMEh0

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2lU7066

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2klKiUj

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2k0ZaqL

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2ku91Wg

Excerpt:

“Besides, this is my best friend perk. Shouldn’t I get perks in baked goods?”

She cut me a look. “You’ve been getting those perks for two years, Buchanan. Don’t even pretend you didn’t put on a solid ten pounds that first year I started baking.” Quite pointedly, she looked at my stomach, which we both knew was covered in muscle.

“That’s rude,” I mumbled under my breath. I flexed my bicep. Nero licked my elbow since it was right in front of him. “Yeah, ten pounds in my left arm maybe.”

The noise she made roughly translated to you are ridiculous. She made that sound at me a lot. Of course, the sad truth of the matter was that I was ridiculous.

Not once in the past five years had my feelings lessened for her. I had just learned to live with them. In my junior year of undergrad, I was taking a class on brain pathology in injuries, and a man came to talk to us about how he learned to live without his right arm after it was amputated.

He told us about how, even years after he lost his arm, his brain still triggered sensations to the limb that was no longer there. The adult brain, in particular, struggled to reorganize after the loss of a limb, and given that four out of five amputees suffer from phantom pain symptoms, some of which were incredibly debilitating, it was a lesson that stuck with me.

I wasn’t fool enough to think that me loving Jocelyn was on par with a man who’d lost his arm, but something about the way he talked plucked at a chord inside me. Sometimes my brain struggled to remember that we were just friends.

She’d never dated, never even hinted that she wanted to. She’d never given me a longing glance. Never stared at my mouth like she wondered what it tasted like.

But my hands never, not once, stopped wanting to reach for hers. My fingers always, always itched to dig into her crazy hair and see what the curve of her scalp felt like.

My brain knew what this relationship was, but sometimes, the signals it sent to the rest of my body didn’t always match up with the truth of our situation. We worked out together a lot, Joss and I, and when she got frustrated with the limitations of her body, I always wanted to wrap my arms around her.

I wanted to pull her into the curve of my body, absorb her dissatisfaction into my skin, and carry it for her. That was the irony when she made noises like that.

She had absolutely no clue how ridiculous I really was.

Whitney’s 3 Star Review:

I went into Baking Me Crazy knowing two things:  1. The Smartypants books were going to have their own voice and not try and mimic Penny Reid’s writing style.  2. I had zero expectations since I haven’t read Karla before.

Confused as to why I mention Penny Reid?  If you’re unsure about the premise of this book, it’s part of the Smartypants World which means it is set within the fictional worlds created by author Penny Reid.  In the case of Baking Me Crazy, we are in Green Valley, TN (aka Winston Brothers series world).  Karla’s books feature characters never seen in Penny’s books with a few cameos from the Winston clan.

The book started off promising as I immediately liked Levi and Joss. Levi is your typical dreamboat hero but he’s also super sweet and has a sensitive side.  Joss, his BFF, has a lot of spunk and her physical disability (she is wheelchair bound but can walk at times) brings an eye opening view into what it’s like to be ‘different’.  This is a pretty typical friends to lovers romance. No surprises and nothing particularly outstanding about it.  And that why I only gave this 3 stars. It’s fine but it’s not great, just ok.  Part of the book felt boring and while I didn’t skim through anything, I was tempted.

Baking Me Crazy seems to be getting a lot of positive feedback so maybe I’m in the minority by not loving it??  I will say that Levi has an older brother who interests me and I’d be happy to read his story should Karla write it.  Overall, if you’re a die hard Penny fan, this will likely interest you.  Since I haven’t read Karla before, I can’t speak to how it compares with her norm.

About Karla Sorensen:

Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.

Connect with Karla

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2lU6xAS

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2khRSPL

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2k0Yp0T

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2lBNuez

Website: http://www.karlasorensen.com/

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Website: https://smartypantsromance.com/

BLOG TOUR, GIVEAWAY, AND REVIEW – Beard With Me by Penny Reid

“This is Penny Reid at her finest.” — L.B. Dunbar, author

Beard With Me, an epic and breathtaking story from New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!

No one is better at surviving than Scarlet St. Claire and making the best out of circumstances beyond her control is Scarlet’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, she’d be the last person on earth, hermitting like a pro, singing along to her CD Walkman, and dancing like no one is watching.

Scarlet is clever, Scarlet is careful, and Scarlet is smart . . . except when it comes to Billy Winston.

No one is better at fighting than Billy Winston and raging against his circumstances—because nothing is beyond his control—is Billy’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, he’d be the first person on earth to lead others to safety, overcome catastrophe, or die trying.

Billy is fearless, Billy is disciplined, and Billy is honorable . . . except when it comes to Scarlet St. Claire.

‘Beard With Me’ is the origin story of Billy Winston and Scarlet St. Claire (aka Claire McClure) and is just the beginning of their epic love story.

.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2lAQAj8

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2kwugqz

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/BeardWithMe

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kz1KV8

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2k8J1zM

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2kwnscx

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2koehLl

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2lzgOCt

Enter the giveaway for a signed paperback set of The Winston Brothers Series!

http://bit.ly/2mGr64Q

Excerpt:

*Scarlet*

“Do you want me to leave?”

Yes. That would be best, a wise voice said between my ears.

So of course I inhaled deeply and said as calmly as I could manage, “I thought we were going to go get firewood.”

“Okay. Good.”

“But then,” I blurted, flustered and irritated with myself for not speaking wisdom, “You should go. You can’t tell me carting firewood back and forth between your house and here is how you want to spend the last of your Thanksgiving weekend.”

“I didn’t say it was.” He began making his way up the incline.

“But you just said—”

“How about we make a deal.” Billy dropped the kindling next to my little woodpile, dusting his hands off on his pants. “I’ll cart the firewood, and you sing.”

“You want me to serenade you while we carry firewood?”

He smiled, slow and easy as he walked to me and reached out his hand. On autopilot, I accepted it and allowed him to help me up.

As soon as I was standing, his gaze moved from my hairline down to my nose, lips, and then chin, saying quietly, “I’ll take a serenade from you anytime.”

Thunk ka-thunk. That was my heart. It had been doing the thunk ka-thunk quite a lot around him. I ignored it, because what else could I do?

“And you’re not carrying the wood.” He tugged on my hand, pulling me out of my daze and past my tent.

“I will too carry wood.” Struggling to find my bearings, I stumbled after him. “I can carry logs just fine.”

“You’ll carry a log.” Billy fit his fingers between mine, pressing our palms together and grinning at me like he was waiting for me to argue and he couldn’t wait.

Snapping my mouth shut, I glared at him.

“Nothing to say?”

Maintaining my glare, I walked next to him. I wasn’t being led anywhere I didn’t wish to go. Not anymore. He wasn’t talking me into anything else.

“That’s an awfully mean look, Scarlet.” His grin grew, his brutally attractive eyes glowing happily as he peered down at me.

“Well, you deserve it. Always trying to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’m not arguing with you about this. I’m carrying as much wood as I want and you can take your stupid, chauvinistic opinions and shove them up your pretty-boy ass.”

Goodness. Where had that come from?

Billy’s steps faltered and his mouth fell open, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead. He stared at me, looking shocked as hell. And then in the next moment, he threw his head back and laughed. But he did not let go of me, instead bringing my knuckles to his chest as his deep, rumbly laughter filled the empty spaces between the trees, surrounding us.

Crushing me.

Yes. I was well and truly crushed as I could only watch Billy Winston laugh, desperately basking in the image of him so delighted and relaxed. I had the odd sense that his laughter also filled the empty spaces inside of me, the neglected, vacant rooms, and even a few places that felt brand-new, like he’d created them.

All that noble honesty he carried around like a boulder abruptly lifted, revealing him. Just him. Carefree and young and happy. Someone he might’ve been if his burdens hadn’t been so heavy, his responsibilities so broad.

It lasted only a minute, maybe two, maybe less, but I had the sense of being caught afterward. Billy’s laughter had receded, but he’d spun a web while I’d been staring at him, holding his hand.

His grin became smaller and he bit his bottom lip, his gaze dropped to my mouth. “You think I’m pretty?”

“You know you’re pretty,” I said, bizarrely out of breath, rattled, needing to anchor my focus to a tree beyond him and waging war against the heat climbing up my neck to my cheeks. Oddly, my eyes stung. I blinked.

His attention was still on me. I felt it, but I didn’t dare look at him. I couldn’t handle one of Billy Winston’s intense stares right now. He’d probably use my scattered wits to his advantage, talk me into something I shouldn’t want to do, and then I’d be kicking myself later.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice deep with concern, all trace of his earlier humor gone.

I huffed, trying half-heartedly to steal my hand back from him. He didn’t let it go, instead taking my tugging as a signal to step closer, filling my vision.

“Scarlet—”

“Are you ever going to teach me how to play the guitar?” I closed my eyes.

He didn’t answer right away, and I felt him hesitate, his mind work before he muttered, “It’s only been a week.”

A quality to his voice made me think he wasn’t answering the question I’d asked, but rather he was reminding himself that it had only been a week since we’d struck the deal.

Was that only last week? Why does it feel like so much has changed?

Then he said, “Don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry.” I was muddled, my head and heart hurt, I was incredibly confused, but I wasn’t angry.

The air shifted and I felt him move closer. A second later, the fingers of his free hand were at my ear, tucking my hair behind it, his fingertips lingering at my neck, sending wave after wave of goose bumps every which way. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t think. Every nerve in my body strained toward him and I didn’t understand it. What is happening?

“Have you ever been kissed, Scarlet?”

 

Whitney’s Five Star Review:

Beard with Me has been a controversial topic amongst Penny Reid fans for a while now. As the backstory for Billy and Claire/Scarlett’s romance, we KNOW things are gonna get ugly. This is NOT a romance novel. Sure, it has the wit and charm we associate with Penny but this book is not her typical romcom fare.

Personally, I don’t think this is a book to read unless you’ve been involved with the Winston series and are invested in the characters. Previous stories have hinted or downright told us some of the terrible things both Billy and Claire went through growing up. Beard with Me gives us all the details. Honestly, it’s really not surprising and some of the sadder things that happen (mostly violence of some kind) are not detailed. Yes, there are triggers but nothing that IMO is going turn a true fan away.

What I will recommend is this: 1. Read this book right before Bread Necessities so you can go straight into your HEA 2. Read this book and then do a Winston re-read so you remember that all the siblings turned out just fine and all they overcame

I adored the book. The glimpses of Cletus, the twins, Ashley and Roscoe were so dang cute. This wasn’t a good time for Jethro but we do get a little insight into what was going through his head while he was a Wraith prospect. We also get to know Ben. Ah, Ben. Another controversy amongst my book friends. I like Ben although many people don’t. He’s just a lot different from the Winstons and a bit selfish. Basically, he’s the total opposite of Billy in many ways. Not a bad thing, just different.

Just a reminder… this is not a love story. Billy and Scarlett are barely friends for part of the book and quickly grow to care for each other. The timespan for this book is really only a few weeks. And yes, the end is heartbreaking but there are so many beautiful moments that it’s totally work the book hangover. Billy is the most honorable, least selfish person and Scarlett has a truly amazing and positive outlook despite her awful childhood.

Whether you read this now or after Beard Necessities, please read it!

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Mailing List: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

Hollywood Prince by Natasha Madison ~ Sarah A’s Review

Behind the “lights, camera, action” of Hollywood lies a world of deception, love, and seduction. 

Are you ready for Hollywood Royalty?

Carter
A blonde, a brunette, a redhead…he can have his pick of them all on any given night and he knows it. They wait, hoping he looks up and gives them his signature smirk, choosing them over the others because that’s his game.

Except now he’s signed the contract of a lifetime, one with a pesky little clause that says his zipper must stay up and his playboy image has got to tamp down. It’ll be fine—a piece of cake, even—he can do this and he’s almost convinced himself of that … and then she walks in the room.

The new PR girl whom they’ve hired to change his image, she’s the star of all his dreams, but there’s one tiny little problem … she can’t stand him and all of his player ways.

He knows he only has thirty days to show her why they call him Hollywood’s Prince. He’s up for the challenge, so game on.

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This is a hard review for me to write, not because I didn’t like the story, quite the opposite. I loved Erin and Carter’s journey.  It’s the writing I have an issue with.  It’s taken me several books to come to the conclusion that Natasha Madison’s writing style doesn’t work for me; which is highly unfortunate because I love the stories once I wade through the extraneous stuff.

Erin and Carter’s relationship was adorable.  I really loved their meet-cute and all the incorrect assumptions they made about one another.  I also was obsessed with how easily they fell into a place of familiarity and comfort with each other.  There is something to be said for your soul recognizing its home and permitting you to open up all the most vulnerable places of you to that person.  That’s exactly what felt like was happening with Erin and Carter.  Their hearts recognized each other and after that, everything was out of their hands.

The connection between Erin and Carter seemed to develop very naturally.  They went from a tense professional relationship to a deep and steadfast friendship, that grew into a very intense and meaningful committed relationship.  The trust and camaraderie they’d established in the early days of their relationship gave them an incredibly solid foundation to build, and rebuild, their relationship on.  And, when they put that trust and respect through the wringer, it was that foundation that gave them a place to regroup and rise from the ashes.

My only wish for this book is in the writing, and I know it’s a me thing.  I found the descriptions tedious and overwrought.  There are several passages – mostly toward the beginning of the book – that feel clunky and in need of polishing.  Finally, I think there is too much emphasis on name branding throughout this entire series, and I found it distasteful.

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four-inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

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Order by Kindle Alexander ~ Sarah A’s Review

Assistant District Attorney Alec Pierce wants a future with the sexy, tough-talking biker who came to his rescue six months ago. But when evidence capable of destroying his future comes to light, Alec sets a plan in motion to keep the man he loves from a district attorney bent on vengeance.

Will Alec’s efforts pay off or will he destroy them both in the process?

As a Disciples of Havoc member, Keyes Dixon rides the line between society’s moral code and that of his brothers. He straddles two worlds… One owns him and the other seduces him with the promise of a future. But when a rush to judgment has him swerving to miss the roadblocks suddenly in his lane, he’ll have to choose between the club that demands his loyalty and the gorgeous assistant district attorney who deserves his commitment.

Can Keyes escape his circumstances to take a chance on a future he wants?

Six months into what started as a one-night stand, both men must navigate their developing feelings as they remain bound by differing oaths that threaten to drive them apart. Not only does their future hang in the balance of opposing forces, but an unexpected strike of the gavel could send them on a collision course neither is prepared for.

Will havoc continue to determine their lives or is their love strong enough to bring order?

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I rode the struggle bus HARD with this book.  I loved the first book in the series, Havoc, but had an exceedingly difficult time connecting with this one.  Admittedly, I’m not in the best headspace, but that hasn’t detracted from other books I’ve read recently, so it’s not just that.

I felt like the beginning dragged, badly, and was repetitive. I could only handle Key struggling with his relationship so many times before I was ready to throw in the towel.  And Alec, for as understanding as he was, and as much as he had gleaned about Keyes’ childhood from police reports, seemed to be too pushy for the delicate nature of Keyes’ situation.  When they were together, and neither of them was overthinking things, I thought their relationship was beautiful, there just seemed to be a lot of unnecessary and tedious strife.

Kindle Alexander’s books usually keep me captivated from moment one, and I can’t put them down, devouring every word like they’re oxygen.  However, I found myself skimming scenes and skipping ahead to get to the meat of the story with Order.  When the story was moving forward it was excellent; it felt like there was a lot of filler in this book, for me, though.  I wish some of the fat had been trimmed in favor of keeping the story engaging and forward moving.  When books start getting stagnant, I check out, and unfortunately, that is what happened with this book.

Order could have been quite an excellent story, but as published, it just felt overstuffed with extraneous material, which diluted the primary storyline and spoiled the reading experience for me.

**2 STARS

Keyes Dixon’s life is challenging enough as a full patch member of the Disciples of Havoc Motorcycle Club but being a gay biker leaves him traveling down one tough road. With an abusive past and his vow to the club cementing his future, he doesn’t believe in love and steers clear of commitment. But a midnight ride leads to a chance meeting with a sexy pretty-boy in a wicked hot sports car that has him going down quicker than a Harley on ice.

Cocky Assistant District Attorney Alec Pierce lives in the shadow of his politically connected family. A life of privilege doesn’t equal a life of love, a fact made obvious at every family gathering. Driven yet lonely, Alec yields to his family’s demands for his career path, hoping for the acceptance he craves. Until he meets a gorgeous biker who tips the scales in the favor of truth…and he can no longer live a lie.

Can two men from completely different worlds…and sides of the law…find common ground, or will all their desires only wreak Havoc?

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Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an overactive imagination, maybe women’s hair!

Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.

I tragically lost my sixteen-year-old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle e-reader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event, I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fanfiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love, and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting http://www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

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NEW RELEASE!! Heart of the Devil by Meghan March ~ Sarah A’s Review

From New York Times bestselling author Meghan March comes the stunning conclusion to the Forge Trilogy. In this final volume, ruthless billionaire Jericho Forge faces his toughest challenge. To emerge victorious, he’ll have to give up the one thing he’s never offered a woman—his heart.

It started as a game. She was nothing but my pawn.

But I was quick to see the error in my ways, and now she is everything I never knew I needed.

The value of a woman like India Baptiste is beyond measure.

But the problem with being a man like me? I’ve already screwed this up, and there’s no guarantee India will take me on for one last bet.

I’ll do whatever I have to do. Drop to my knees and offer her the only thing I have left. The one thing that’s only ever been hers—the heart of the devil.

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I’ve been so invested in the Forge trilogy when this book hit my Kindle on release day; I devoured the entire thing before lunch.  It was a high-octane finish to an intense and tangled series.  Jericho and India both suffered greatly in this book and had myriad revelations to reconcile before they were able to find solid ground on which to rebuild their lives.

Heart of the Devil jumps right in where Luck of the Devil left off, while I’d remembered what had happened, I forgot the urgency of the situation and my heart was pounding by the end of the second page.  I could feel Indy’s panic as surely as it was my own.  Even while I was reading both perspectives and knew exactly what was going on, the starkness of her emotions overrode any security I had about Jericho throughout the entirety of the book

India and Jericho’s relationship was put to the test in Heart of the Devil, and it served to make both characters face the depths of their feelings.  I loved the vulnerability they finally showed one another, since they’d both shown themselves to be impenetrable to even those closest to them.  Each needed the strength of the other to finally release everything they’d pent up through their lives.  It was quite interesting to realize how shockingly similar, yet strikingly different their pasts were, it was quite the juxtaposition, and I loved every part of discovering what made Jericho and Indy who they were.

The action of Heart of the Devil was insane.  I was sure of the direction the book was headed and BAM! shocking reveal, time and again I was utterly taken aback by what seemed to be happening and what was actually happening.  The entire Forge trilogy was rife with red herrings, I finally quit speculating as to what was going to happen and just buckled myself in for the wild ride Ms. March took us on.

Heart of the Devil is the third and final book in Meghan March’s Forge trilogy.  This series is one story told in three volumes and must be read in its entirety.  Heart of the Devil is written in dual first-person perspective, narrated by India and Jericho.

“You can put that man in a suit, but he’ll never be tame.”

One look at Jericho Forge and I knew the rumors were true. He was a predator, and he had set his sights on me.

I knew better than to bet more than I could afford to lose that night. I knew better than to bet myself. But desperation leads to bad decisions, and I thought there was no way I could lose.

I was wrong. 

Now I have no choice but to make a deal with the devil.

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New York Times bestselling author Meghan March continues the story of ruthless, calculating billionaire Jericho Forge in Luck of the Devil. 

My poker face has always been one of my greatest assets, along with my grit and determination. I was beholden to no one. Asked permission for nothing.

Then Jericho Forge took my life by storm.

I traded my freedom for something infinitely more precious, but I didn’t realize he was holding an unbeatable hand.

Now, all I have to do is survive the high-stakes game that is my life—with my heart intact.

But not falling in love with Forge? That will take the luck of the devil. 

Luck of the Devil is the second book of the Forge Trilogy, and should be read following Deal with the Devil. The Forge Trilogy concludes in Heart of the Devil.

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Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

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Meghan March is giving away a set of signed paperbacks for the complete Forge Trilogy.
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5,331 Miles by Willow Aster ~ Sarah A’s Review

We spent a lifetime chasing firefly dreams

Jaxson and I devised a life list when we were kids in Holmes Chapel. Just a few things on that list:

*Climb the Eiffel Tower.
*Visit every zoo in the world.
*Eat peanut butter every day.

But all the promises he made dissolved into dust, so when he comes around years later wanting to go live out our list, I want no part of it…or him. The universe seems to agree with me because everything we try is a disaster.

The heart though—it’s a tricky beast; I’m just not sure mine is strong enough to survive Jaxson one more time.

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5,331 Miles didn’t come together until the last minute, and because of that format, it was hard to know if I liked the characters – or could forgive them – until the book was almost complete.  The way Willow Aster contrasted her timelines and made the past and present weave together was interesting, often frustrating, but the only way to tell this story and make me still love both Mirabelle and Jaxson.

For a good portion of 5,331 Miles, I found Mirabelle (Mira, Bells) frustrating as all get out.  I didn’t understand why she was so angry with Jaxson or why, when he was doing everything he could to prove his love and devotion to her, she refused to forgive him.  When I finally knew all of the things he’d done to her, all the things she’d been through, it was hard to see how she could put it all in the past.  I was exceedingly happy she took the time she needed to heal and find herself before she made any rash decisions about her future.  I don’t think she – or the readers – had any idea how much pain she’d been carrying around until she had space and safety to sift through all that emotional baggage.

I loved Jaxson from the off, then, little by little, he got more and more infuriating to me.  He’d been an awful friend for a long time while Bells desperately needed unconditional love and support, and it was hard to reconcile that self-absorbed teenager with the kind and loving man we knew him to be in the present.  As much as I appreciated how hard he tried to prove he’d changed from that awful boy, I felt like Jaxson was attempting to erase the past rather than make amends for it and it was a little frustrating.  I wish he would have done more to show her he knew how wrong he was in those actions from their past.

5,331 Miles was a much deeper story than I had anticipated.  Even into the final chapters of the book, it didn’t occur to me all of the trauma Mirabelle had encountered in her short life.  When it was all laid out, my heart broke for her.  Jaxson had done wonders to prove his love to her, but she had to work on herself before she could even think about loving another person.  Though 5,331 Miles was chock-full of romantic gestures, the most beautiful part of the story was when Mira took the time to let herself heal.  This was a beautiful book, and I am quite happy to have read and experienced Mirabelle and Jaxson’s tumultuous love story.

It was there all the time,
A love so pure, and so alive,
Went to hell and still survived
5,331 Miles

I grab a sweater before the song has finished playing and rush out of my flat, Winston’s ears flapping as he runs next to me. I open the door to my building and Jaxson is there in the parking lot, leaning against a car.

He doesn’t smile when he sees me. He looks like a tragic figure, devastatingly handsome and stoic; he puts his hands in his pockets and watches me get closer and closer.

When I’ve almost reached him, the car next to him starts and I gasp. It’s my dad. He smirks and gives me a brisk wave before backing up, not waiting around to see what happens.

I stop when my feet bump into Jaxson’s. He reaches out and wipes a tear from my cheek.

“Jaxson.” It comes out as a sob, and I lean my head onto his chest.

His arms circle around me, making me instantly feel better. Home. One of his hands moves to my hair and he gives it a soft tug, forcing me to look up at him.

“I don’t care where we are. I just want to be where you are,” he says. “Do you believe me yet? And does it matter?”

Tears fall down both of my cheeks and his thumbs catch them. “It matters,” I tell him. “It means everything.”

“You say the word and I will move heaven and earth to be with you. Nothing will come between us.”

And this time, for maybe the first time since my tenth birthday, I believe him.

“I’m done running,” I say.

His mouth crashes into mine, claiming what I’ve held back from him for so long.  

“Come inside,” I whisper against his lips.

Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, and the upcoming release, Whore. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming and make fun of her for reading while cooking.

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Willow is giving away 3 signed paperbacks and a $100 Amazon GC.
All open international.

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