Thursday, June 30, 2016

Blog Tour: WICKED RIDE by Sawyer Bennett



Wicked Ride 
by Sawyer Bennett 
Release Date: June 28, 2016 

ABOUT THE BOOK
I think this woman may be the death of me. A dire prediction, but probably true. Probably true because she’s not mine to have and I’ll probably take her, even at the risk to my own safety. So many men slobbering to get a taste of her and only one, sweet, virginal girl to go around. That’s right. She’s a virgin. Looking like a porcelain china doll that would break if not handled carefully. But I also know she’s stronger than she looks. She’s a contradiction. She’s most likely my downfall. Like I said, she’ll probably be the death of me, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

**Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just… a lot of sex. You’ve been warned. 




BUY THE BOOK: 
Amazon | B&N |iBooks | Google Play | Kobo 

REVIEW: 
Unfortunately, I struggle with Wicked Ride.  I have some personal reservations with both the storyline and the characters.  

See my full review at Scandalicious Book Review. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 


Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released more than 30 books and has been featured on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists on multiple occasions. A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone. Sawyer likes her Bloody Mary’s strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active toddler, as well as full-time servant to two adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or a combination of the two. 

Connect with Sawyer: Facebook |  Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads  
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Release Day: FOREVERMORE by Kristen Callihan

I'm a little conflicted about this release day.  I'm thrilled for the release of Forevermore, but also a little sad because it is the end of the Darkest London series.  It's been a thrilling ride!


Forevermore
by Kristen Callihan
Darkest London #7

ABOUT THE BOOK: 
Isolated and alone, Sin Evernight is one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in heaven and on earth. As an angel of vengeance, he hunts down the darkest evil, but when his long-lost friend, Layla Starling, needs him, he vows to become her protector. Even though she will be horrified by the man he has become. 

Now a famous singer and the toast of London, Layla believes that Sin is only here to guard her from rabid fans and ardent suitors. However, the truth is far more sinister. Desperate to avoid losing Layla a second time, Sin will face a test of all his powers to defeat an unstoppable foe - and win an eternity with the woman he loves.

Buy the Book: 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Google Play | iBooks | Indiebound | Kobo

REVIEW

"...Ms. Callihan does a wonderful job with the HEA, and I am thoroughly satisfied with how she ties up the series. "

See my complete review of this book at Scandalicious Book Reviews.

EXCERPT

One might think being an immortal was a blessing, never grow old, never grow sick, never die. At one time in St. John Evernight’s life, he considered it a blessing too. He would be around long after the simple humans who surrounded him were nothing but dust. They could stare all they liked at his “strange” hair and frosty green eyes. They could gossip and speculate about him until they lost their voices. It didn’t matter. He was untouchable, and they were but fragile sacks of blood and bone. 
How naive he’d been. Because living forever merely meant a lack of escape from the desolation of regret and loneliness. He knew now that he could walk down Jermyn Street endlessly, see the sands of time shift and rearrange before him, and never be a part of life. 
“Brooding, Mr. Evernight?” 
Sin almost jumped at the sudden sound of Augustus’s voice by his side. Damn, the blasted man loved to startle him. He gave Augustus a passing glance. Dressed in conservative brown tweed and a bowler hat, the angel appeared every inch the English gentlemen, save for his dark coloring that marked him to be from Southern climes. 
“It’s really quite the trick, popping up like a soap bubble whenever you choose, Augustus. You must teach me how one day.” 
The man’s mouth twitched. “With your luck, you’d pop up in the middle of a parliamentary session.” 
Yes, Sin had abominable luck. Or perhaps it was more a matter of making abominable choices.
“You’re brooding again,” Augustus remarked.
“I’m not brooding. This is simply my face.” 
Augustus snorted but remained silent as they walked along, past Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall.   
“Care to tell me why you called me here?” Sin asked, when they came upon the grounds of Westminster. For the past year, Sin had been in Rome, soaking in the warmer temperatures, drinking espresso in cafes along the Piazza della Rotunda, under the shade of the ancient Pantheon. He’d eaten simple but delicious food, and listened to the rapid fire of Italian, and felt…well, not peace, but a measure of contentment. 
Until Augustus had sent for him. Returning to England sat like a stone in his gut. But he would obey. Augustus was his mentor, and the man who’d given him salvation. The price was a lifetime of servitude. To be fair, his role was for justice, not evil, which was a nice change of pace. 
A massive dray rattled past, kicking up dust and sending a fug of stale manure into the air. They hurried past the cloud and headed for Westminster Abbey. Sin hadn’t planned on visiting today, but here they were all the same. He wondered if Augustus somehow had led him to their usual meeting place or if Sin had merely headed that way because of the man’s sudden arrival. 
He’d like to think the latter. It did not sit well with him having another control his actions. Not since a certain evil fae had kept Sin as a blood slave for years. Even now, the memory made his stomach turn. 
Not a soul acknowledged them as they walked through the abbey and into the cloisters. Here, a rare bit of sunlight peeked through the constant cloud cover and cast lacy shadows along the walkway. The sound of their boot heels clacked out a steady rhythm as they strolled along. 
 “Layla returns to London tonight.” 
At the mention of her name, Sin’s heart stilled within his breast. He’d tried his best to ward off all finer feelings, to remain numb, detached from life. And yet he could not, for the life of him, remain immune to Layla Starling. His childhood friend. The one woman who could take his breath, his reason, simply by laying eyes upon her. 
Stuffing his shaking hands into his trouser pockets, Sin forced himself to keep an even tone. “So then I am to begin watching over her?” 
God, but he did not want to. It would be agony, staying so close to her and never being allowed to show his true feelings. And yet a thrum of anticipation went through him at the mere prospect of seeing Layla once more. 
 “Are you ready?” Augustus asked, though his expression told Sin he fully expected an affirmative answer. 
So Sin told him the only truth left to him. “I will not fail her.” 


THE FULL DARKEST LONDON SERIES





Firelight, #1 | Moonglow, #2 | Winterblaze, #3 | Shadowdance, #4 | 
Evernight, #5 | Soulbound, #6 | Forevermore, #7

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA Today bestselling author Kristen Callihan is a writer because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewers' Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book, Firelight, received RT Book Reviews' Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.





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Release Blitz: DARK MAFIA PRINCE by Annika Martin

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Dark Mafia Prince by New York Times bestselling author, Annika Martin is LIVE!


I've been reading a lot of great buzz about this book.  Now it's here.  I think this one is going to be very, very good.  



DarkMafiaPrince-hires
Dark Mafia Prince
by Annika Martin

Blurb:
Aleksio: Don’t look at me like that. So trusting. Like you think I’m not a monster. Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will. Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother. I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died. And when you look at me like that, I die again.

Mira: I spent years making myself invisible. A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit. Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say. But I remember your smile and those sunny days. Before they lowered your small casket into the ground. Before they told us the prince was dead.

BUY AT: 

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About the Author:
Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who enjoys writing dirty stories about dangerous criminals! She loves helping animals and kicking snow clumps off the bottom of cars around the streets of Minneapolis, and in her spare time she writes as the RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Connect with Annika:

Monday, June 20, 2016

ARC Review: TO HAVE AND HOLD by Serena Bell

To Have and Hold
by Serena Bell

ABOUT THE BOOK
The reunion is supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. But when Trina Levine sees the soldier she promised to love forever, Hunter Cross looks at her like she’s a stranger. The connection is gone, lost in the blank stare of those soulful brown eyes. Hunter remembers his young daughter but not Trina, and he certainly can’t recall why Trina and her own child are living in his house. Although his lean, rugged frame bears the scars of battle, his mind took the worst hit.

But Hunter Cross hasn’t forgotten everything. His body remembers caressing Trina’s delicate curves, holding her close, never wanting to let go. Was it just a dream, or was it real life? Now, as he tries to put the pieces back together, Trina’s the one who comforts him when his night terrors strike. It’s Trina whose warm touch rekindles a connection no man could deny. Even with the odds stacked against them, Hunter wants to believe. Because passion has the power to awaken the past—and remake the future.

REVIEW:

Serena Bell writes a book about taking a risk to open yourself up, experience a crushing blow, and pulling yourself up again. This is a book about resiliency. One thing I appreciate about this author's work is that she is not afraid to take deep dives into emotional landscapes fraught with landminds.

Trina is expecting the same man who left for deployment to return to her and begin their new life together. Granted, this relationship moved to a new stage right before he left, but she didn't expect him to lose his short term memory when he returned. I am crushed right along with her. Does she stay in his life and start the relationship over or just gracefully bow out? It's hard to blame someone for not remembering after a trauma. That's what makes this story so impossible. There is no one to blame! With great care, Ms. Bell reconstructs the little things that make a relationship - the every day interactions that build trust and connection. It's both simple and complicated. Just a lovely read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.  

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Blog Tour: Guest Post - DAMIAN by D.B. Reynolds

DAMIAN 
by D.B. Reynolds
The Stone Warriors Book 1

ABOUT THE BOOK:
It was a time when gods walked the earth, when armies fought not for bits of land, but for the very existence of humanity. On such a battlefield, five formidable warriors stood against an evil greater than any the earth had ever seen. But evil is not an honorable foe. Betrayed by someone they trusted, the warriors were cursed, one by one, tossed into the maelstrom of time, imprisoned in stone, their freedom resting on nearly impossible conditions. Until . . . 

Damian Stephanos honed his skills in battles fought with magic as much as swords. Caught by a deadly spell that left him trapped for centuries in darkness and obscurity, he is finally freed, only to discover that his enemy still lives. Determined to find him—and to free his brothers in arms—he first must fulfill his blood debt to the woman who released him from his torment. Unfortunately, being so close to this enticing female is another type of torment altogether . . . 

Cassandra “Casey” Lewis is a hunter. Possessing the rare ability to sense magic, she spends most of her time shadowing arcane collectors, and more often than not, stealing the dangerous artifacts she pursues. Her job is risky, especially when she’s stealing from one of the most powerful sorcerers alive. But having a gorgeous warrior by her side is a definite bonus. He’s great in a fight . . . and in other places, too.

Following a trail of dead bodies, the two of them must join forces to track down the sorcerer who cursed Damian, and who now plans to turn an ordinary magical device into a deadly weapon. Risking everything, including their hearts, they’re about to discover that trusting each other might be the hardest thing of all.

D. B. Reynolds is the RT and EPIC Award-Winning author of the Vampires in America series of paranormal romance, and an Emmy-nominated television sound editor. She lives with her husband of many years in a flammable canyon near Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else’s. Visit her blog at dbreynolds.com for details on all of her books, free stories, and more. 

BUY LINKS:
Amazon | Google | Kobo | B&N | Apple

Exclusive 
Casey Lewis Journal Entry: 
by D.B. Reynolds

Tuesday, 8:00 am

Dear Diary,
I met a new guy last night, and he’s really different. Not like the other guys I’ve met at all. And by that, I mean he was trapped in stone for a few thousand years. But no one’s perfect, right? And at least he’s single. His name’s Damian, and he’s totally dreamy—handsome and strong, and he says he’s a god. I don’t know about the god thing, but, he’s awfully good in a fight, and he has a big sword, so, you know, maybe. We’re going on a date later tonight. Well, okay, so it’s not really a date, more like a hunt. But we’re saving the world so that counts for something, doesn’t it? Talk to you later.

xoxo Casey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
D. B. Reynolds is the RT Award-winning author of the Vampires in America series of paranormal romance, and an Emmy-nominated television sound editor. She lives with her husband of many years in a flammable canyon near Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else’s. Visit her blog at www.dbreynolds.com for details on all of her books, for free stories and more.  




Monday, June 13, 2016

Special Excerpt: DARK MAFIA PRINCE by Annika Martin

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DarkMafiaPrince-hiresWe are thrilled to share an excerpt of Dark Mafia Prince by New York Times bestselling author, Annika Martin! Releases on June 28th!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Aleksio Don’t look at me like that. So trusting. Like you think I’m not a monster. Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will. Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother. I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died. And when you look at me like that, I die again. Mira I spent years making myself invisible. A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit. Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say. But I remember your smile and those sunny days. Before they lowered your small casket into the ground. Before they told us the prince was dead.  

Exclusive iBooks Pre-Order Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or google play: 

Sign up for an alert when Dark Mafia Prince is available: http://eepurl.com/b45Hsn

Mafia-Prince-Promo


EXCERPT
I plead repeatedly for news of my father, if only to know he’s still alive. My captor just texts.

A crash from inside our mansion. They’re wrecking the place.

“This is pointless.” When he doesn’t acknowledge me, I grab his wrist. “What does this get you? Come

on!”

He looks at my hand and then looks up at me. For a moment I think he, too, senses the weird familiarity

between us. Like we know each other from another life. He drops his phone in his pocket and takes my

wrists. “You need to stop focusing on your beautiful life in there and start praying that Daddy decides to

come through.”

“Ow,” I breathe.

“Good. That’s you getting with the program. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get my brother back. Do I want

to hurt you? No. I don’t. Will I?”

My heart races.

“Will I?”

“I get it,” I whisper.

His grip is too tight, his gaze too intense, like he sees everything inside me. People rarely look too hard at

me. When they look at me at all, they accept the version of me I serve up to them. The shopaholic Mafia

princess. The dedicated lawyer in glasses.

“Dad’s innocent. He’d tell you if he knew anything else.”

“Wrong, Kitten. Dad’s playing the odds.”

A ping sounds. He lets me go and pulls his phone out of his pocket. A twenty-first century general waging

battle.

Whatever the person on the other ends has texted him, it troubles him.

That’s my chance—I take off running, tearing for the main road.

I get maybe ten feet when guys seem to materialize around me, taking me by the shoulders. I twist and

fight. They lift me right off the ground, practically carry me back.

The strangely familiar intruder is still on the phone, eyeing me with that intensity, watching me struggle. A

model between photo shoots if you didn’t know any better.

They put me back in front of him. He lowers the phone and addresses me quietly. “Do it. Go ahead, Mimi,

do it again. See what happens.”

Mimi.

He blinks, waiting. “Do it, go for it.”

Mimi. Only one person ever called me Mimi—Aleksio Dragusha. My childhood friend. But Aleksio and his

family were slaughtered by a rival clan back when we were kids. I was wild with grief. They had to sedate

me.

Five caskets lowered into the ground. Three small, two large.

I focus on the familiar freckle on his cheekbone. This man is so much bigger. So much harder and

meaner. But his freckle…his eyes... “Aleksio?” I say in a small voice.

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner.” He says it off-handedly, keeping his eyes fixed on the mansion with

its majestic stone wings. The house where he once lived. Prince of a mafia empire.

“Oh my God. Aleksio!”

Still he won’t look at me.

“We thought you were dead. We buried you.”

“You buried a few rocks. Maybe some boiled cabbages, who knows.”

I can’t believe he’s being so…flip. “Aleksio! We buried you.” I’m repeating myself. “I thought they killed

you…” If my life were postcards on a bulletin board, the image of Aleksio Dragusha’s casket being

covered up with dirt would be central, affecting everything around it. He was my best friend. I doubt I was

his. Aleksio had lots of friends. Everybody loved Aleksio.

He focuses on his phone, running his soldiers.

“We went to your funeral. It was so, so…” Sad isn’t the word. Sad barely touches it. We were adventurers

together, bonded together, carving out a sunny niche inside a world of darkness and secrets we sensed

but didn’t understand. I think that’s what made us friends—the feeling of being refugees at the edges of

something evil.

“Aleksio, you’re being crazy!”

He looks at me now like I’m a little bit crazy. “You need to stop thinking you know me. You knew me once,

but I promise, you don’t know me anymore. Got it?”

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About the Author:
Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who enjoys writing dirty stories about dangerous criminals! She loves helping animals and kicking snow clumps off the bottom of cars around the streets of Minneapolis, and in her spare time she writes as the RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.
Connect with Annika: