What To Read This Weekend…ZOEY AND THE NICE GUY by Carter Ashby

I started a new series this week and just finished the first one! It is a trilogy that deals with three lifelong friends and how they find their guys! The series is called BIG GIRL PANTIES. All three books are available now. The feel I got from just reading the first one is that each girl, who are in their early 20’s, has behavior/habits leftover from growing up that they need to recognize and deal with. Shall we say,put on their ‘big girl panties’ and grow up. I really enjoyed the first one and look forward to reading the sequels!

Series Order:

Zoey and the Nice Guy (Book 1)

May and the Tough Guy (Book 2)

Addy and the Smart Guy (Book 3)

For Zoey Odell, the definition of family is her two best friends, Maya and Addy. So when Maya makes the decision to leave her abusive husband, Zoey is only too happy to lavish her with support and a temporary home. Unfortunately, taking in her best friend also means seeing more of that no good do-gooder, Kellen Bradley.

For Kellen, the definition of family has just been shattered. After finding out that his brother is an abusive monster, he can’t help but question himself and his parents. The one thing he knows for certain is that he’ll do anything to take care of his sister-in-law and her children. For them, he would walk into gunfire, pass through the flames of hell…even go head-to-head with Zoey Odell.

Zoey has no intention of letting him in, but Kellen is done taking her crap. Life has just gotten real and he’s more than ready to shed his nice-guy image. When he finally stands up to her, Zoey starts seeing him in a new light. As the attraction turns mutual, she finds it more and more difficult to hide behind her carefully formed walls. And Kellen is finding himself more and more driven to tear those walls down.

 

Review:

First off, the cover is so cute and after you read the story is absolutely perfect. I appreciated that Kellan was a nice guy. I, like most females, love the brooding/tough guy, but it was nice that an author was actually writing a book about a genuinely nice guy. And Kellan was sweet. Zoey was a really interesting character. She is in her early 20’s, pretty responsible, but clearly dealing with abandonment issues from her childhood. The great thing about this book was that you see her grow through her relationship with Kellan to realize some of these problems and that she needs to deal with them. Kellan puts up with A LOT from her. There are time I wanted to smack her because she was being so rude to her friends and Kellan, mainly when her mother visits. She doesn’t recognize how irrational she acts when her mother is in the picture and it was a little painful to read. 

The chemistry between the characters was good and well written. There probably could have been only one of a certain type of scenes. The rest seemed unnecessary for this particular story. The story seemed more about Zoey’s personal growth while falling in love. 

This author integrated the other characters very well. I feel every character introduced was used well and fully. It’s clear who the other books will deal with, but I loved that. It just makes me want to read the rest of the series all the more. 

Overall, 3.5/5 stars. 

**I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review**

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About the Author:

Carter Ashby is a hardworking housewife and homeschool mother by day, and a romance reader and writer by night. She lives in rural Missouri with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Carter Ashby Website

Other Books in the BIG GIRL PANTIES series:

THE LIES THAT DEFINE US by Micalea Smeltzer Release Day Blitz + Review + Giveaway

 

 

Title: The Lies That Define Us

Series: Us Series #2 (standalone)

Author: Micalea Smeltzer

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 Release Date: February 9, 2016

Blurb

Ariella Geller is on the run from some very bad people and Liam Wade doesn’t know what he’s running from.Freedom has been an elusive dream for Ari, but when her chance for escape comes, she takes it. She finds herself in California and forced to accept help from strangers in order to stay off the streets and avoid being found by those she ran from.

Liam Wade is sick of living in the shadow of his famous father. All he wants is to make a name for himself as a professional surfer, but it’s impossible when the media focuses on every other aspect of his life. All he wants is respect, a chance to prove himself, but when it never comes he finds himself running and hiding from the ones who love him the most.

When their paths collide Ari and Liam are forced to confront their demons, and in the process they just might find a reason to stop running.

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Excerpt

I laid my head against the cool glass of the bus window and watched the rain slick against it. The water beaded against the glass and then slid down in little rivulets that I traced with my finger.

I wouldn’t miss the rain.I wouldn’t miss anything about Oregon.

That place wasn’t my home. Never had been, and never would be.

With a jolt, the bus roared to life, startling me, but I relaxed a moment later when we pulled out of the station.

Freedom was so close to being mine.

I watched the people on the street as the bus pulled away. I was searching for buzzed brown hair and eerie black eyes, but he wasn’t amongst them.

He didn’t know I’d left yet.

And hopefully, by the time he did, I’d be long gone.

I adjusted my hoodie so my face was hidden from the other people on the bus and wiggled around, settling myself in for the long ride to California.

Unlike the other people on the bus, I didn’t have a cellphone to keep me company. Cellphones were traceable so I’d ditched mine. I couldn’t risk him finding me, because if he had I was certain he’d kill me. He would’ve eventually killed me if I stayed, too. My only option had been to take the risk of running away. I would have rather died on my terms than his, but if everything went according to plan, I’d be free and he’d never find me.

He called me Scarlett, but Scarlett didn’t exist.

Scarlett was a lie.

My name was Ariella, and I was reclaiming my stolen life.

Review

I was really excited about this book. Liam was very mean yet mysterious in the previous book so I was curious what his story would be. This is a much darker book than this authors normal book. Way darker. I really liked that aspect of it. The first one was so light and carefree, the fact that this one was darker was a nice change. I loved this book up until I got 90% in. Then it went downhill and got way darker. There were some dark aspects to this which I really liked because it was different from normal for this author. However the end got much darker than the book had been.

The romance was very cute as per usual for this author. I loved Liam and Ariella. Ariella is one of my favorite female characters from this author. It seemed to take a very very long time to get any details or information out of her though which at a certain point got annoying. Liam was a good guy. Not one of my favorites from this author, but I liked him. The chip on his shoulder was annoying. I didn’t really buy the excuse he uses for why he avoids his family for two years. He has such a great supportive family and I didn’t think that it was believable that he would avoid them for such a long time. Or that they would let him. I also wished there was more interactions with his family. We have fallen in love with the enter band of Willow Creek and want to know about their lives and families!

I did love Liam’s friends! They were a great aspect of the story and I think added a lot of value to the narrative.

Overall I did enjoy the book. It was mainly the end. It got so dark so quick and I didn’t think the rest of the book was leading up to something that dark.

3.5/5 stars

**I received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review**

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Author Bio

Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling Young and New Adult author from Winchester, Virginia.
She’s always working on her next book, and when she has spare time she loves to
read and spend time with her family.

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Blog Tour for MONTANA WILD by Roni Hall!

Out Now is MONTANA WILD by Roni Hall…Born and Bred in NYC, Fate Leads Jamie to the Wilds of Montana Where the Reluctant City Girl Comes Alive. Empowered, She Risks It All To Save A Life, Befriend A Wild Stallion and Fall In Love…Only To Have It All Taken Away By Past Demons…Check Out MONTANA WILD by Roni Hall!

About MONTANA WILD

Spiraling downward after losing two loved ones within one week, Jamie’s world was closing in…until she grabs an unexpected lifeline and escapes. Knowing only New York City, Montana is another world and she is unprepared by how the land, the people and even the animals touch her.

After risking her life to save a child, Jamie shares an undeniable bond and the beginning ripples of deep emotions with her co-rescuer, Kevin. However, her past follows her to Montana and threatens all that she loves there.

Jamie has no choice but to hurt Kevin in order to save his life and returns to New York with her ex, Derrick. Broken, Kevin refuses to believe she doesn’t love him and searches for Jamie, only to find her in Derrick’s lair. Once again Jamie tries to protect Kevin but this time gets caught in the cross fire…

On Sale in Digital: January 20, 2016

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Excerpt

Jamie had amazed herself at her reaction when she saw Kevin. It was like she was watching herself on a TV screen with no controls. I must be drunk on this fresh air. Pleasantly surprised at Kevin’s rugged good looks, she tried to deny the raw sensual tremors he set off and helped him unpack the truck. He was tall and muscular with sand-colored hair, deep blue, kind eyes, and a small cleft in his chin. Don’t even think about it. The last thing I need is to get involved again.

“We need to pick a spot and set up our tents,” he informed her as they trekked toward camp. Many of the choice areas were already taken so Kevin continued to search for patches of level ground for the tents. Common areas with picnic tables, fire pits, and tents were scattered everywhere. They hiked a little farther, toward the outskirts of the tent city.

He put the gear down and explained how he needed to closely scrutinize the ground for rocks, large sticks, and other natural decorations that could cause the body sore spots by morning.

“The tents aren’t big so they don’t need much ground area. This looks good.”

As he pulled one tent out of its pack sack, Jamie instinctively began to help, but her inexperience was obvious.

“I don’t know what to do, but I’m teachable.”

Kevin laughed. “Here, let me show you. It’s pretty simple. Even a city girl can do it.”

“Who? Me? What makes you think I’m a city girl?” Wide-eyed, she pointed to herself.

“Maybe the fact that you’ve lived in New York City all your life?”

“You’ve got a point there. But like I said, I’m teachable.” They bantered back and forth as they erected the first tent. “Okay.” Kevin stood back and admired their success.

“One down. This’ll be yours. Now I’ve got to find a spot for mine.” Eyes focused, surveying the ground, he walked away from her tent.

“Where are you going? Where’s your tent going to be?” The concern was obvious in her voice and he turned to look at her.

“I don’t know. What’s wrong?” His eyes searched hers.

“Like you said, I’m a city girl and I’m not used to sleeping out in the woods. How far away are you going to be?”

He laughed. “With all these tents, you don’t have to worry about animals if that’s your concern.” His face softened as he asked, “Would it make you feel better if I stayed close by?”

Relief flooded through her. “Yes.”

And with that, Kevin chuckled and pitched his tent nearby. They made a return trip to the truck for the remainder of the gear. As they unloaded their bags at the tents, Ben and Tommy came walking up.

“Hey, dinner’s ready. You guys going to eat?” Ben asked.

 

Author Bio:

The summer after high school graduation, Roni worked two jobs to pay for nursing school. During the midnight shift as a waitress, a charismatic young man at the counter flirted with her for hours as he consumed seven cups of coffee.  Their first date was eventful enough to be a book itself! Thirty-seven years and two kids later, the love story continues. Just like her novels, life can’t be too simple and you must make it an adventurous ride!

 

Her favorite place to write is in her hammock at their small Michigan cottage where she literally dodges the feeding hummingbirds while being serenaded by the lake’s loons.  Besides writing, she loves Slow Rollin’ in Detroit and the combination of good food, better wine, and dear friends.

 

You can also visit her online at the following places:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon 

What I Read This Weekend…Rogue by Karen Lynch (PLUS ITS RELEASE DAY)

DESRCIPTION:

Sara Grey is done hiding and done being afraid. The Master thinks he has her running scared, but she’s taking matters into her own hands and taking her life back. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find the one person who can answer her questions about her past, and who may be able to lead them to the Master.

On her journey, Sara faces new challenges and dangers, and learns that the world of good and evil is not as clear cut as she had believed. She makes new friends, unexpected allies, and reconnects with people from her past. As her powers continue to change and grow, she transforms from a struggling girl into a strong young warrior.

But at what cost? How much is Sara willing to sacrifice in her need for independence and her quest for the truth? And will her newfound strength be enough to save her and the people she loves when she finally comes face-to-face with her powerful nemesis? Nothing could have prepared her for what is to come, and it will take everything in her to survive the final test of courage and love.

REVIEW:

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I LOVED the first two book in this series. It is a trilogy so this was the last one. This one was a bit of a disappointment. The ending and climax I was happy with, the beginning was done well, the middle not so much.

There just wasn’t much that happened in the middle. It seemed like 70% of the book was her training. There was so much focus on her learning and training. It would have been great if there was going to be more books. There is not. There may be a spinoff, but that’s it. I was happy it was going to be a trilogy till I actually read the book. This is the end.

Since it is the last one I think her training should have have taken up so much time. It really just felt like a majority of the book.

I was also looking forward to Sara and Nikolas doing something normal with the meet the parents thing. Didn’t happen.

The ending also came up very quickly. I was reading and realizing it was almost at the end and we still hadn’t gotten far then BOOM here is an ending! There wasn’t buildup to the finale unlike the last two books. I loved the beginning of this book and the end, but not the middle. It seemed like a huge break was taken in the middle and then as an afterthought, here is the ending you have been waiting for.

The ending was great. I liked what Karen Lynch did with the master. I am dying to read Nikolas POV for that final scene though because you aren’t clear what happens there.

Overall I do love this series, this is just my least favorite book. The pace of the first two books and the beginning of this one all matched. Then the middle of this book happened and we slowed way down on pacing and as a reader I felt that interruption. That interruption was picked up again in the very end, but it does happen.

 

Overall 3.5 stars. Still one of my favorite series, but this did kill my excitement a bit.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Lynch grew up in Newfoundland, Canada – a place rich in colorful people and folklore to which she attributes her love of the supernatural and her vivid imagination. She moved to Charlotte, North Carolina years ago and was immediately charmed by the southern people but she says she will always be a newfie.

Though she loves supernatural fiction, she has a soft spot for Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austin. She is a fan of classic rock, country and classical music but her favorite music is the sound of a good thunderstorm or a howling blizzard. Two of her favorite past times are baking artisan breads for her friends and spending quality time with her two German Shepherds.

A voracious reader, she fell in love with books and writing at an early age and it grew into a lifelong passion. Relentless is her first published work and she hopes it is the first of many.

Check out her website here!

BEFORE THE STORM by Leslie Tentler Release Day Blast

No Matter How Far You Run, The Past Will Find You

Leslie Tentler is back with another story of romance and suspense…this time in a small Southern beach town called Rarity Cove. What happens when a woman on the run has her dangerous secrets finally catch up with her? Find out in Before the Storm by Leslie Tentler…

About BEFORE THE STORM

Six years earlier, Trina Grissom disappeared, on the run for her life. Now living under an assumed identity—as Samantha Marsh—she still struggles with the dark secret she harbors and the fear she might one day be found. When she moves to the coastal town of Rarity Cove, South Carolina, to open a café, a handsome widower begins to chip away at the walls she’s built to protect herself.

Mark St. Clair lost his wife two years ago in a tragic accident. Head of the grand St. Clair resort, he distracts himself from his lingering grief by running the family business and caring for his troubled young daughter…until a beautiful restaurateur sets up shop in town. Before meeting Samantha, Mark was convinced he could never be drawn to another woman. But as his attraction to Samantha grows, the mystery surrounding her deepens.

As the two begin a hesitant courtship, double perils emerge. Someone from Samantha’s lurid past comes calling, threatening to expose her. And a powerful hurricane is forming in the Atlantic with the small beach town in its path. Trapped in the storm by the brutal man who wants vengeance on Samantha, she and Mark must fight for their lives.

On Sale in Digital and Print: October 20, 2015

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BEFORE THE STORM — EXCERPT FOUR

The brooding challenge in his voice—the bare hint of harshness—was disconcerting, something Samantha hadn’t expected, despite her recent behavior. Her initial instinct had been right; she shouldn’t have come here.

“I should go,” she said. Despite her scrambled nerves, she forced lightness into her voice. “I just came by to return the money and thank you again. The gift baskets for the shop will be delivered next week—”

“Why not just mail me the check or give it to Mercer?” Mark asked. “You could’ve saved yourself the trip and avoided me altogether.”

Samantha felt a pang. “I-I don’t want to avoid you, Mark.”

He moved closer, his features strained. “Who were you meeting at the Sea King last week?”

A coldness fell over her skin. “You followed me?”

“What did you expect? You came into my office looking like you were about to shatter into a million pieces. Then you give me some lame excuse for needing eight thousand dollars, right away, and you walk back out. I was worried.”

She closed her eyes, embarrassed he’d followed her there. “You had no right.”

“Who were you going there to see?” he pressed. “Did it have to do with why you really needed the money?”

She bowed her head.

“You’re angry with me. I understand, and I don’t blame you.” Holding her purse against her chest, throat tight, she turned for the door. She could only imagine what ideas were running through his head about her. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Mark. Good night.”

“Sam,” he whispered into the air, still sounding irritated. He spoke louder as she walked out. “Samantha.”

She had nearly reached the Camry when Mark caught up to her. He took hold of her arm and whirled her around to face him, causing her to gasp.

“I’m not letting you walk out on me again without giving me answers.”

“Please. Just let me go. It doesn’t concern you—”

“Like hell it doesn’t,” he ground out, his jaw hard. His hoarse words washed over her. “I care about you, Samantha. I might even be falling in love with you, if you’d give me half a chance.”

Her heart squeezed at his admission. Staring at him in the graying twilight, the roar of the ocean behind them, Samantha saw sincerity, as well as the pain she’d inflicted, in his eyes. She felt something break loose inside her. She was so tired of running. Of keeping herself closed off from everyone.

“I went to see someone I used to know,” she confessed in a frayed voice. “But he’s gone now. It’s over. He won’t be back.”

“That’s the truth?”

“Yes. Please…don’t ask me anything else.”

Add BEFORE THE STORM to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Check out other books from Leslie Tentler!

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: $25 Amazon or B&N gift card

 Two runners-up will receive their choice of an ebook from Leslie’s backlist 

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Author Bio:

Leslie Tentler is also the author of FALLEN as well as the Chasing Evil Trilogy (MIDNIGHT CALLER, MIDNIGHT FEAR and EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). She was a finalist for Best First Novel at ThrillerFest 2012, and is a two-time finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence.

Leslie is a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Novelists, Inc. A native of East Tennessee, she currently resides in Atlanta.

Connect with Leslie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO US by Micalea Smeltzer – Release Day Blitz

 

 

Title: The Road That Leads To Us

Series: Us Series (standalone)

Author: Micalea Smeltzer

 Release Date: October 27, 2015

Blurb

Things are about to get rocky for Dean Wentworth and Willow Wade.Willow Wade is used to living in the spotlight, with her father a famous drummer in the band Willow Creek—her namesake—it’s been a lot to live up to and oftentimes she doesn’t feel she’s enough. But there has always been one person she could turn to.

Dean Wentworth knows a thing or two about how crippling a name can be. His family is worth billions after all. But Dean’s always been content to do his own thing. Play his guitar. Work on cars. And geek out to his various “nerdoms”.

But when Willow turns up unexpectedly, he realizes maybe there is more in life he wants.

Her.

One trip will change their lives forever.

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Trailer

Excerpt

Those bitches were gonna die.

That was a horrible thing to say about my so-called ‘friends’—and I used the word friends loosely, because true friends wouldn’t ditch you the day of your scheduled road trip because they’d rather be sunbathing in the Hamptons.

The fucking Hamptons.

Ew.

I mean, how clichéd could you get.

This was why I hated rich people.

It also sucked that I was one of those rich people.

Well, I wasn’t, but my dad was.

So by extension so was I.

When you grew up with a rock star for a dad, cameras and eyes followed you everywhere. It was exhausting.

I couldn’t just be Willow.

I was Willow Wade.

The daughter of the famous drummer Maddox Wade.

People expected greatness from me.I just wanted to graduate college without slitting my wrists.

 

Author Bio

Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling Young and New Adult author from Winchester, Virginia.
She’s always working on her next book, and when she has spare time she loves to read and spend time with her family.

Author Links

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FACEBOOK

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GUTTER PRINCESS by Kimmie Easley – Release Day Blitz

 

Title: Gutter Princess

Series: Jaded #1

Author: Kimmie Easley

Publisher: Swoon Romance

 Release Date: October 19, 2015

 

Blurb

Life in the gutter of New Orleans isn’t pretty.Baby Jade makes ends meet as a stripper in a seedy club, working for less than she deserves for an unscrupulous slime ball. No father. No mother. No other option but to take care of herself the only way she knows how.

Lucky is a drifting hard-ass with a backstory no one has been able to crack. Turning his back on the wealth and class of his upbringing, he has spent years on the road in an effort to find himself.

He doesn’t deserve her.

She doesn’t trust him.

When they get together, nothing can put out the fire between them.

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK

REVIEW:

I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I think that the concept is really interesting, but the story just fell flat for me. This book is not very long and the ending just stops the book in its tracks. You know there will be more to come. It just wasn’t as clean of an ending even when you know there will be a sequel as I like. The club owner really bothered me. He would be a complete jerk and then really nice. Then a complete jerk again, then really nice again. It would go back and forth. He should have either been given one nice moment, been an jerk the entire time or be nice the whole time. It was giving me whiplash. The attraction between the two didn’t make a lot of sense. There didn’t seem to be a climax.

I didn’t get the relationship between the main character and her mom at all. It was the more annoying parts of the book. I am assuming that it is going somewhere, but as of now I don’t know where and didn’t like it.

There were some things I did like. I liked that the lifestyle of the main character seemed realistic. There was a lot of discussion about drugs which I admired the writer for putting so much of that conversation into her book. Addiction is a serious issue and there was a understanding of it in this book.

Author Bio

Kimmie is a Swoon Romance author who grew up traveling the country, rarely settling in one place for much longer than a minute. Being no stranger to heartache, she allows her unconventional childhood to fuel her writing. Kimmie is addicted to all things books, wine, cupcakes, and flip flops. She is a homeschool momma, southern wife, and pug wrangler. Kimmie can be found somewhere in the south writing wine worthy stories.

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SCALES by Dale Mayer…Release Day Blast!

Happy Release Day for Scales by Dale Mayer!

Check Out the Next Novel in the Broken, but Mending Series from Best-Selling Author Dale Mayer.

 

Healing comes in different ways at different times for different people. 

The Broken but… Mending series is all about capturing the moment when breakthroughs occur. When love, the greatest healer, steps up and makes it happen.

Don’t forget to enter to win a $25 gift card from Amazon!

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About Scales (Broken, but…Mending, Book 3)

She thinks she escaped Justice.

He is still waiting for Justice to happen.

She’s afraid her day of reckoning is near.

He’s afraid his day of reckoning will never arrive.

Will love balance the scales of Justice?

Paris and Weaver’s story will out soon in this third installment of the Broken but…Mending series.

Can be read as a standalone.

Here is an exclusive excerpt from Scales:

He tried to understand the questions in front of him, but he had to ponder the concept. He wasn’t about dreams. He was all about goals. Dreams were nebulous. Airy and light. Weightless. Euphemism for useless. He was a planner. A-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-and-walk toward a specific end point kind of person. Not for the joy of the walk but because he was going to get somewhere specific. He was all about specifics. That he was here in this damn class said he was doing one of the steps that he needed to do to get on with his life.

Another check box was being marked off. Good. He wasn’t into therapy, not his own at any rate. At least not now. No, he couldn’t really say for sure why he was here except because of Jenna herself. He’d heard about Jenna’s classes and had even attended several of her evening lectures. But he didn’t need her class. He’d said as much to her. That’s when she’d smiled that really witchy smile, her eyes glowing with laugher, and she’d challenged him to attend. To show that he’d taken care of his stuff. That there wasn’t anything else she could show him.

He’d snickered. “Hell,” he’d said, “of course I could do it, but I don’t need to. I wouldn’t pay good money for something like this.”

She’d laughed and said, “If you think you’re immune, then write up a paper on it. If it’s any good, I’ll help you get it published. If you find out you’re not immune, we’ll revisit the subject of the report at the end.”

Now that appealed. His portfolio was missing published articles – particularly in peer reviewed journals. He didn’t know if having a shrink’s name on his paper or her help in getting a paper published would count for much, but it was on his bucket list. And damn it, that bucket list was important.

So he’d accepted the challenge. He was here.

So no, he hadn’t been tricked into attending, but… it almost felt like it. Or maybe it was that he felt played… and had taken the bait. He was where she wanted him to be.

But why?

To observe? To write his insights? There was lots of fodder here. Some of these people needed serious help.

He shook his head and scratched the word dreams out and replaced it with the word goals. When he was done, he realized the odd sound in the background was the sound of paper ripping. He snuck a glance over at Paris to see her trying to rip out the answer she’d tried to rub out first. She was seriously determined to not let anyone see that answer. As he studied her, he realized that she’d actually ripped off the strip of paper and had rolled it up into a tiny ball.

Fascinated, he watched her struggle to find a place to hide the tiny item. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. What the hell had she written that she wanted erased so badly?

His gaze swung back to the paper and realized she’d left the other part of the paper attached. Just a long strip missing out of the bottom half. She lifted her gaze to his face. Her cheeks flared with bright color and she slammed her hand over the same hand that held the tiny ball of paper. The ball flew from her fingers, bounced on the table, and rolled toward him.

He couldn’t help it. He wanted to know what it said. Just as he reached for the paper, she snatched it up and he followed the trail of the fingers to her mouth. She popped the tiny thing into her mouth… and damn if she didn’t swallow it.

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Check out the first two books in the series!                

          

Author Bio:

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy, break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

Connect with Dale: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

What To Pre-Order This Week….Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley

So I have been devouring anything by Kristen Ashley and she has a new release in her CHAOS MC series on Oct. 27! Check it out below and if you need a new author to read check out any of her books!

Description

The flame never dies . . . 

Millie Cross knows what it’s like to burn for someone. She was young and wild and he was fierce and even wilder-a Chaos biker who made her heart pound. They fell in love at first sight and life was good, until she learned she couldn’t be the woman he needed and made it so he had no choice but to walk away. Twenty years later, Millie’s chance run-in with her old flame sparks a desire she just can’t ignore. And this time, she won’t let him ride off . . .

Bad boy Logan “High” Judd has seen his share of troubles with the law. Yet it was a beautiful woman who broke him. After ending a loveless marriage, High is shocked when his true love walks back into his life. Millie is still gorgeous, but she’s just a ghost of her former self. High’s intrigued at the change, but her betrayal cut him deep-and he doesn’t want to get burned again. As High sinks into meting out vengeance for Millie’s betrayal, he’ll break all over again when he realizes just how Millie walked through fire for her man . . .

About this Author

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Highway Song by Jessa Jacobs – Release Boost!

 

Title: Highway Song

Series: A Smokey’s Roadhouse Novel #1

Author: Jessa Jacobs

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 Release Date: September 30, 2015

Blurb

How did that famous quote from that old movie go? Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world… Well, this was a biker bar, not a gin joint, and there wasn’t really a town nearby. But to have my long-lost stepbrother show up in the very place I’d washed up a month earlier like flotsam from a shipwreck – that was the same kind of irony.

Thank God he wouldn’t recognize me. I’d been ten years old when he last saw me seventeen years ago. Too bad for my battered heart that I now recognized what I’d only sensed as a child. My stepbrother the rock star was hot.

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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Excerpt

Rex

“Holy fuck!”

I was lifting a mug of ice-cold draft beer for my first swig when the exclamation from our manager, Mark Brent, caused me to miss and splash half of it over my hands as I flinched. The sound of Mark’s chair hitting the floor as he jumped to his feet accompanied his exclamation. I jerked my head up, getting ready to rip him a new one, only to see him running out the front door of the bar. I set my remaining beer down quickly and then followed Mark at a brisk pace, along with the others.

As soon as I was out the front door, the rest of the band members clustering around me, I saw the reason for Mark’s alarm. The bus was on fire.

Joe, the driver had an inadequate-looking fire extinguisher aimed underneath the vehicle, where black smoke roiled out unchecked by the foam. As soon as the guys saw what was going on, pandemonium broke loose. Unlike bigger bands, ours traveled with no crew. Our instruments and accessories, all but a drum kit, were in the luggage hold, perilously near the fire. Ike, the drummer, was the only one who didn’t run to the bus to rescue equipment, besides me.

I froze for half a second, and then used lungs more used to belting out rock music to yell. “Guys! Get away from there! It could go up. Holy shit, it’s just things.” Axel, Kirk and Cole ignored me, while Mark took off after them. I turned to Ike. “Call 911!”

“Rex, take a look around. There’s no town. This is just a shitty little biker bar in the middle of BFE-nowhere Wyoming. Where do you think a fire crew is going to come from?”

I lifted my gaze and stared out at the highway stretching from the east horizon to the west. Ike was right. Not a building in sight, other than Smokey’s Roadhouse, the bar where we’d stopped for lunch. The smoke from under the bus was dissipating though. Maybe the fire extinguisher had been enough after all.

Mark had managed to pull Cole, the bass player, away from the bus, but the two guitarists were still banging on the luggage hold, as if that would make it magically open. I couldn’t blame them. Between them, they probably had thousands of dollars’ worth of back line in that hold.

By rights it should have been in a crew bus. Even as I watched the bus destroy what might be our last chance to make it before some of the guys bailed on me, I knew it was my fault. Extinction wasn’t just our band name. It was a real possibility for our careers if this damn fire meant the bus wasn’t road-worthy.

Amy

He didn’t recognize me, thank God. I couldn’t afford for anyone to know who or where I was. After I calmed down, I reasoned it out. It had been seventeen years since he’d last seen me, and I was only ten at the time. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell he’d know me now. Not only had I grown up, I’d grown up hard.

On the other hand, I knew what that cool once-over meant. His eyes lingered on my cleavage a second too long. If I knew men, and I had good reason to, he’d make a play for me sometime tonight. I couldn’t let that happen under any circumstances. It would just be too weird, even though our relationship was less than nothing.

His mother had married my father nineteen years ago. Like most of the women Dad attracted, she took off soon, though she did manage to last two years. She took her seventeen-year-old son with her. She hugged me before she left, and whispered, “I wish I could take you with me, honey, but he’d come after us. I’ll report him to the authorities.”

I had no idea what that meant, then. And if she did, it went nowhere. My dad needed a substitute punching bag, and I got nominated by default. Whenever I hid from him, I pretended my big stepbrother, Rick, would find me and take me with him this time. But his last words to me, “See you kid,” never came true. I hadn’t seen him again, until now.

The men at the table with Rick called him Rex. I’d changed my name too. During the course of an otherwise slow afternoon, I gathered a few bits of information as I served them. They were a band—a rock band I assumed—and their bus had caught fire in our parking lot. It looked like it wasn’t going anywhere soon. My boss, Smokey, said it would probably take the rest of the day for a mechanic to get here to assess the damage. Highway 80 had plenty of traffic, but it was a long stretch of just about nothing from Rawlins to Rock Springs.

 

 

 

Author Bio

Like you, I’m a reader. When I read a good story with characters I can connect with, my everyday existence fades into the background as I enter a world that may contain exotic locations, adventure and excitement. And, if I can be totally honest with you, in my favorite stories I can fall in love for a while with an impossibly gorgeous guy who is the best lover imaginable.

So, maybe it won’t come as a surprise that in my books you’ll find hot alpha male book-boyfriends, sassy heroines who are much more clever and beautiful than I am, and stories I hope will make you laugh and cry while reading them, as I did while writing them. Oh, and some scenes you may want to role-play with your lover.

If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or special offers for free reading, please check my website at http://www.jessajacobs.com.

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