SUNNY - BLOG TOUR, GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW: "Never Doubt Me" by S.R. Grey

Never Doubt Me 

(Judge Me Not #2) 

by S.R. Grey

 Release April 27, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

(recommended for readers 17+ due to mature content)

 BLURB: 

Can a tattooed, former bad boy leave his past behind? Can he find lasting happiness with the love of his life?

Gorgeous and sexy Chase Gartner hopes to do just that with Kay Stanton. But when Chase’s troubled teen brother, Will, stays on in Harmony Creek, Ohio—-after an unexpected arrival-—Chase and Kay’s bonds of love and commitment are soon tested.

Chase finds himself caught up in secrets—-and revisiting a past he thought he’d left behind—-when Will makes a number of irresponsible decisions. Despite Chase’s attempts to keep his brother out of trouble, Will’s reckless behavior continues, affecting not only Chase and Kay, but other residents in town...one disastrously so.

But it’s the final, potentially deadly decision Will makes when his girlfriend runs into trouble back in Las Vegas that leads Chase to make a fateful decision of his own. A choice that threatens his relationship with Kay.

Never Doubt Me is a touching, poignant story of love, redemption, and coming to grips with the fact that escaping the past is never easy.

New Adult/Contemporary Romance genres. 2nd novel in the Judge Me Not series.

***warning: contains explicit sexual situations, drug use, some violence, and profanity***

FIND THE BOOK: 

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads 

REVIEW:

Never Doubt Me is a continuation of the story between Chase and Kay.  S.R. Grey brings back the depth of emotion through the deeply embedded love, guilt, and need for redemption.  All the lovely elements of book one is present in this sequel.  If you are fan of the first book, you will enjoy the storyline that propels our protagonists into both familiar and new sets of challenges.  Written from the first person perspective, the reader gets to delve into the thought process of our characters.  This POV makes the elements of the story deeply personal.  It taps into the authenticity of the emotions.  

As we experienced at the end of the first book, I Stand Before You, Chase and Kay are perfect for each other and it is deeply satisfying to see them together trying to figure out their future.  As you might expect, life is not simple and the couple is challenged by the appearance of Chase's younger brother, Will.  Will is embroiled in a mess himself and it spills over into the Kay and Chase's lives. I feel dread for what comes next. 

This is a bridge story.  The narrative gets more complicated and there are no resolutions.  If there is one weakness to this book, it is that cannot stand alone. This book serves to heighten the drama, propel the narrative forward, and leave us wanting for more. I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers and I feel feel anxious about the possible dark direction of where the next book may take us. 

IN A NUTSHELL: 

If you are already a fan of the first book, you will appreciate this installment of the series.  There is definitely an assumption that you will have read the first book. If you're new, you are definitely going to want to start I Stand Before You because you're not going to want to miss out on how this all started. 

About the Author

S.R. Grey is an Amazon and Barnes & Noble Top 100 bestselling author. Harbour Falls, Willow Point, and Wickingham Way are novels in the completed Harbour Falls Mystery trilogy. She is also the author of New Adult novels I Stand Before You (Judge Me Not #1) and Never Doubt Me (Judge Me Not #2). Ms. Grey's novels have appeared on Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists in multiple categories.

New novels slated for publication in 2014 are Inevitable Detour, a New Adult novel with a Romantic Suspense edge, as well as Just Let Me Love You (Judge Me Not #3).

Ms. Grey resides in western Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, as well as an MBA. Her background may be in business, but her true passion lies in writing. When not writing, Ms. Grey can be found reading, traveling, running, or cheering for her hometown sports teams.

Author’s Social Media Links:

Facebook |Twitter| Goodreads|Website | Pinterest

Sign up HERE for the Author's Newsletter

GIVEAWAY

Enter for your chance to win: 

(3) eBook copies of NEVER DOUBT ME – Gifted  - International

(1) $50.00 Amazon Gift Card 

(international if they can accept a gift from the US Amazon site via email)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SUNNY - BLOG TOUR and REVIEW: "Devil's Game" by Joanna Wylde

We are so pleased to be a part of the blog tour for Joanna Wylde's book, Devil's Game.  Devil's Game is book three in the Reaper's MC series.  

BLURB:
Liam “Hunter” Blake hates the Reapers MC. Born and raised a Devil’s Jack, he knows his duty. He’ll defend his club from their oldest enemies—the Reapers—using whatever weapons he can find. But why use force when the Reapers’ president has a daughter who’s alone and vulnerable? Hunter has wanted her from the minute he saw her, and now he has an excuse to take her.

Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club’s president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger—a man who isn’t afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn’t afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he’s The One.

Or so she thinks.

REVIEW:

This book was an unexpected surprise for me.  Not because it was good, I expected that given my enjoyment of the first two in the series.  No, this one captured me because of its tone. I found this book to be...playful.  I expected it to be darker.  Afterall, this story revolves around the Reapers and their rival gang, the Devil's Jack.  I expected it to be violent and scary.  Instead, this book is more amusing and fun than its predecessors.  

The heart of the story is Em. Unlike Reaper's Property and Reaper's Legacy, the heroine here is from the culture.  Being the daughter of the MC President, she grew up in the clubhouse.  She is familiar with the life of risk and control.  She knows that the men tend to be controlling and protective at best and misogynist at worst. She does not panic when the bullets start flying and can give out snark with the best of them. Her assuredness makes the relationship with Hunter fun.  He respects her, trusts her, even more than the men of her own MC.  

The first part of the story is familiar.  It recaptures a major storyline from Reaper's Legacy from the POV of Hunter and Em.  Then it become an "us against the world", Romeo and Juliet-like story (there is a reference to the Shakespearean play).  It is timeless theme and played out fairly well.  I wonder, however, if the story could've been a little grittier with more conflict between Hunter and his MC. It seems a little too seamless.  The tension seem to resolve itself a little too easily - maybe that is born of my initial expectation that this would be a darker story. 

In a Nutshell:
Joanna Wylde writes another fantastic installment to the Reapers series.  This one stands out for its different, lighter tone.  I am waiting on pins and needles for the next installment, Reaper's Stand. 

SUNNY - RELEASE DAY BLITZ "Marked by the Vampire" by Cynthia Eden

Welcome to the Release Day Blitz for Cynthia Eden's Marked by the Vampire.  If you are a Cynthia Eden fan, you are sure to be excited for this book.  Check it out and enjoy!

Marked By The Vampire

(Purgatory Series, Bk #2)

By Cynthia Eden

Blurb: 

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden invites readers to a dark paranormal world... 

Vampires exist. So do werewolves. The creatures that you fear in the darkness? They’re all real. And the baddest of the paranormals…those who love to hurt humans…they’re sent to Purgatory, the only paranormal prison in the U.S.

His job is to stop the monsters.

Deadly forces are at work within Purgatory. The monsters are joining together—and their plans have to be stopped. FBI Agent Shane August, a very powerful vampire with a dark past, is sent into the prison on an undercover assignment. His job is to infiltrate the vampire clan, by any means necessary.

She wants to help the prisoners.

Dr. Olivia Maddox wants to find out just why certain paranormals go bad. What pushes some vampires over the edge? Why do some werewolves turn so savage? If she can understand the monsters, then Olivia thinks she can help them. When she gets permission to enter Purgatory, Olivia believes she is being given the research opportunity of a lifetime.

Olivia doesn't realize that she’s walking straight into hell.

To survive, they have to rely on each other.

When the prisoners break loose, there is only one person—one vampire—who can protect her, but as Olivia and Shane fight the enemies that surround them, a dark and dangerous passion stirs to life between the doctor and the vamp. Shane realizes that Olivia is a woman carrying secrets—powerful, sinful secrets. Secrets that a man would kill to possess.

And Olivia realizes that—sometimes—you can’t control the beast inside of you. No matter how hard you try. Some passions can push you to the very limits of your control…and the growing lust that she feels for her vampire…it’s sending her racing right into a deadly storm of desire.

Welcome to Purgatory…a place that’s a real hell on earth…

Available for purchase at

   

Excerpt

“I've got a plan, love. Trust me.” He advanced into the darkness.

            

             Her nails sank into his skin. “No. Look, dammit, I get that it’s too little, too late, but I wasn't exactly high on choices upstairs.” 

       
             He frowned down at her. She wasn’t looking at his face in that total darkness, but instead staring just over his shoulder.   

            “Give me something here—I mean, make me know that I’m with the good guy.”

            Oh, but he couldn't do that. He’d never been exactly good, not even when he’d been working with the FBI.  If she only knew the things he’d done, she might just run back up to the wolves. “I work with Pate.”

            “Give me more. Why are you at Purgatory? What’s going on?”

            He pulled her closer.  Wanted to take her mouth again but didn’t. Control. “We don’t have time for a fucking long discourse here, love. So here are the simple facts. I’m working undercover—a cover that I blew for you.  And right now, I’m the only thing standing between you and death, so if you want to die, then by all means…” He let her go. “Don’t trust me.”

            In the darkness, he saw her wrap her arms around her stomach. “You…you haven’t killed? Your file was all lies?”

            “I've killed plenty.” Brutal truth. “And that’s why I’m your best hope of survival.”

            She rocked back on her heels. “Have you killed innocents?”

            The woman was so naive. “There are no innocents in this world.”

            Her body trembled. He could see the small ripple that shook her.

            With his back teeth clenched, he demanded, “Now are you coming with me or do you want to try your luck with the wolves?”

            Her hand lifted, tried to find him in the dark. He stepped toward her so that she touched his chest.

About the Author

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA^® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

          

Presented By 

SUSAN - BOOK REVIEW: "Harder" by Robin York

SUMMARY:

Caroline still dreams about West. His warm skin, his taut muscles, his hand sliding down her stomach. Then she wakes up and she’s back to reality: West is gone. And before he left, he broke her heart. Then, out of the blue, West calls in crisis. A tragedy has hit his family—a family that’s already a fractured mess. Caroline knows what she has to do. Without discussion, without stopping to think, she’s on a plane, flying to his side to support him in any way he needs. They’re together again, but things are totally different. West looks edgy, angry at the world. Caroline doesn’t fit in. She should be back in Iowa, finalizing her civil suit against the ex-boyfriend who posted their explicit pictures on a revenge porn website. But here she is. Deeply into West, wrapped up in him, in love with him. Still.  They fought the odds once. Losing each other was hard. But finding their way back to each other couldn’t be harder.

REVIEW: 

Robin York (NA pen name for one of my favorite contemporary romance writers, Ruthie Knox) pretty much kicked my ass with her book “Deeper”. It was so highly emotional for me that not only did I cry, I sobbed…body-wracking, tense, heart-aching wails. And my face was puffy for days. Her characters Caroline and West (oh, my dear dear West) got to me so deeply and impacted me greatly. I almost LOST my shit at the ending until I found out there was a sequel. And I waited for the rest of their story. But, admittedly, I was afraid.

Thing is, though I love this author, these books are almost too…real…and in your face for me. Not the stories themselves…I can usually handle that. But the TRUTHS she tells in her words, the lessons the characters learn (hard, hard lessons), and I feel like I’ve gone through the ringer, or through 12 rounds with a therapist. I need these words. But they’re sometimes hard.

For the first 22% of Harder I did not stop crying even once. I cried so much that I had to stop reading because my head hurt and my eyes were almost swollen shut. I wasn’t sure if my heart could take it. Yes, I’m known to be a wimp. But there was something so…fragile and hopeless about how I was reading this book. So, I stopped, took a break, had something to eat, watched some tv. And then dove back in.

The remainder of the book was much less angsty in story, but so much more…much much more…in words that had their way with me.  You see, for all that Caroline and West had gone through, apart, together, apart, trying to find their way back together…Robin York was strengthening and shaping them and refining them and I felt it physically, emotionally, mentally.

Finding a way to go beyond surviving, but instead thriving…West’s lesson. My lesson.

Finding a way to be your own and true self, stronger, birthed by fired and trials, to make choices that feel right for you and not just what others expect…Caroline’s lesson. My lesson.

So yes, there’s a love story here. And you’ll root for Caroline and West all throughout. But you’ll root for Caroline.  And you’ll root for West. And then you’ll root for them together. And that’s what makes this book special.  There’s just so much to be gathered here.

The story itself, though powerful, kinda took a backseat for me to the message. And so I was less engaged with what was happening with Frankie or Krishna or Bridget or Caroline’s dad or anyone else. And I think that’s ok. 

IN A NUTSHELL: It’s a powerful book.  Both Deeper and Harder are must reads for NA fans.

SUNNY - RELEASE DAY BLAST: Devil's Game by Joanna Wylde

Devil's Game 

(Reaper's MC #3)

Author: Joanna Wylde

Release Date: June 3, 2014

Blurb:
Liam “Hunter” Blake hates the Reapers MC. Born and raised a Devil’s Jack, he knows his duty. He’ll defend his club from their oldest enemies—the Reapers—using whatever weapons he can find. But why use force when the Reapers’ president has a daughter who’s alone and vulnerable? Hunter has wanted her from the minute he saw her, and now he has an excuse to take her. Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club’s president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger—a man who isn't afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn't afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he’s The One. Or so she thinks.

Buy it at:   Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Download an excerpt of Devil's Game by clicking here.

(Note: Excerpt will open as a PDF.)

Reaper’s Property: Goodreads | Amazon  | B &N

Reaper’s Legacy: Goodreads | Amazon | B &N

Devil’s Game: Goodreads | Amazon | B & N

Reaper's Stand: Goodreads | Amazon | B & N

About the Author: 

Joanna is a freelance writer living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She started writing fiction in 2002, then took a long hiatus to explore other writing opportunities. She returned to fiction in January 2013 with ‘Reaper’s Property’, the first book in the Reapers Motorcycle Club series, and has recently released ‘Reapers Legacy’, the second of the series.

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