It’s time for this week’s blog tour!

This blog tour is being hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and as always I would just like to say how thankful I am to have this opportunity to be host. Follow the rest of the tour here.

If you like young adult fantasy books with sassy female protagonists, murder, magic, and so much more then I definitely suggest you check out The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio!

 The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio
(Smoke and Mirrors, #1)
Publication date: July 19th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir?

What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25954617-the-fading-dusk

Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0125KV45W/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fading-dusk-melissa-giorgio/1122399040?ean=9781515150589

Author Spotlight

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She’s always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan. She is also the author of the Silver Moon Saga.

Author links:

Home

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7133276.Melissa_Giorgio
https://www.facebook.com/melissagiorgiofan
https://twitter.com/melissa_giorgio

Giveaway

Tour Wide Giveaway:

One signed paperback of THE FADING DUSK and one signed paperback of THE SIGHT SEER

Enter into the giveaway by clicking below:
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 Review

What if you were told that the person you trust the most, the person who raised you after your mother died, is a cold blooded killer? Would you believe the person who told this horrible thing or would you deny it profusely vowing to prove their innocence to the authorities who believe they are guilty and will strike again?  This is the predicament that Irina finds herself in when she is detained and then imprisonedby the authorities who believe that her master, Bantheir, the street magician is murdering people. Things don’t look very good for her especially when a surly and very serious captain Leonid believes she may have some part in the murders leading them to butt heads with one another. It can be very hard to turn your back on the person you trust the most but Irina soon learns that her allies become the very people that imprisoned as the truth is revealed even though she does not like what she learns.

The characters are definitely an aspect of this novel that I liked because they each had their own personas that were not entirely set in stone and what I mean by that is you believed a character to be one thing and then later on you learn that they are something entirely different. This was refreshing because it added an element of surprise while I was reading and definitely kept me on my toes a little bit. Irina is a spitfire, which is fitting because of her fiery red hair, but from the moment she is captured, detained, and then later imprisoned she holds her ground and her convictions that they have the wrong man that their is no way Bantheir could have killed all those people. Despite being absolutely terrified of the captain and their methods of trying to get her to talk in the beginning, she still goes head to head with Captain Leonid which was very entertaining as it allowed for their relationship with one another develop. I think the only aspect of Irina that annoyed me a little bit was her insecurity towards her appearance and how she compared herself to other girls like Elyse and Coreen commenting on how her curly red hair and pale skin made her look awful in comparison to them. My only wish is that she was confident enough about those things that she didn’t need to be told she was remarkably beautiful by someone like Leonid later on in the story.

Irina and Leonid’s relationship was another aspect of the novel that I very much enjoyed because of how it progressed. There is just something so amusing and intriguing when a relationship between two people starts at a place where both individuals feel absolute animosity for one another and therefore bicker and butt heads any chance they get. When Irina and the reader first meet Leonid you think he is this stingy, by the book captain who doesn’t care how Irina is feeling when she is first brought in because he only wants to find out where Bantheir is so he can stop the killings. But as the story progresses you find out his true motives for wanting to find the killer and see him slowly start to care for Irina as the investigation reaches its climax. My assumptions for who Leonid was as a person changed and I couldn’t help but root for them throughout the rest of the story even if they did continue to get on each other’s nerves sometimes.

In addition to Irina and Leonid, I also loved Vernen, Leonid’s best friend, because he was just so lovable and caring towards Irina even during times of peril when she was frightened she would be imprisoned for the rest of her life per the councilor’s orders (Leonid’s superior). But, the one thing that I really enjoyed and appreciated is when it is revealed that Vernen is gay (spoilers, sorry!) because like I said earlier it was an aspect of his character I did not see coming and therefore I was very surprised. I had him pinned as the funny best friend to Leonid who provides some comic relief and becomes good friends with Irina but revealing that he is gay was just a wonderful addition to his character that made him even more lovable.

Overall, I liked this book. The characters were definitely the driving force for me because, how the story developed in regards to the murders and the magical element that was involved was a little slow for me. You get bits and pieces of it but they are still shrouded in an air of mystery which is good because it keeps you guessing but after a while I just wanted something to happened or be revealed so that that part of the story would move forward a little bit more especially since it is a fantasy novel. Despite that, I think that this novel is engaging, action packed, suspenseful, and very entertaining thanks to Irina and Leonid’s bickering. I am very much interested to see what will happen in the second book of this series.

Intrigued by what you have read above? Want to experience the bickerings of Irina and Leonid for yourself? Wondering if they will stop the killer in time?

Then why not pick up The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio? You know you want to lol.

And we are back with this week’s blog tour post!

I am so excited to be a part of Seized by Love‘s blog tour because it was so heartwarmingly cute that I could not stop smiling the entire time I was reading it. And… today is the release date for Seized by Love so we can also celebrate the book birthday for this amazing book!

The blog tour for Seized by Love by Melissa Foster is being hosted by Tasty Book Tours and as always I just wanted to say that I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to be a host.

If you want to feel the warm fuzzies and get caught up in a romance that is both so adorable and so genuine, then continue reading below (you won’t regret it!)

Seized By Love
Love In Bloom #29: The Ryders #1

By: Melissa Foster

Releasing October 28, 2015

World Literary Press

You fell in love with Blue Ryder and Lizzie Barber in Seaside Summers, now follow their journey to find true love in SEIZED BY LOVE, the first book in the Ryder series.

Lizzie Barber runs a successful flower shop by day and secretly hosts the Naked Baker webcast at night to help pay for her younger sister’s education. To keep friends and family from finding out about her sexy secret, she’s put her social life on hold until her sister’s education is paid off and she can stop filming the webcast.

Blue Ryder fell hard for Lizzie Barber when he met her a year ago, and he hasn’t been able to get her off his mind since. Everything about the feisty little brunette, from her tight bod to her seductive smile, cuts straight to his heart. Though Lizzie has turned down every invitation he’s extended—Blue is not about to give up trying.

Renovating Lizzie’s kitchen brings Blue further into Lizzie’s life, and the oven is not the only thing heating up. One night and one powerful kiss changes everything. But when Lizzie’s secret is revealed and the safe bubble she’s hidden in shatters, true love may not be enough to put the pieces back together.

THE RYDERS are the newest addition to the LOVE IN BLOOM series by New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. This 5-book hot contemporary romance series features alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy new adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/09/seized-by-love-love-in-bloom-ryders-1.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23123675-seized-by-love
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/111661-love-in-bloom

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Spotlight

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway
Melissa will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for two winners to receive an ebook backlist romance (Winner’s Choice)

Click below to enter into the giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is the first book by Melissa Foster that I have ever read, which influenced my feelings a little when I was reading Seized by Love because it is part of this expansive series of hers, Love in Bloom, which has these mini-series within in it and that was a little daunting at first. But, all I can say is that I have the first book in this series, Sisters in Love, and I will definitely be reading that ASAP because I could not get enough of the world that was depicted in Seized by Love and if the characters in the other books in this series are just as amazing as the characters in this book then I can’t wait for more emotionally charged and overall epic romances.

While Lizzie and Blue’s romance was so engrossing and adorable and basically everything I would want when I find the person who I am meant to spend the rest of my life with, the setting of the book and how it took place on Cape Cod really hit home for me and heightened all my feelings and emotions up a notch. Cape Cod holds a special place in Lizzie’s heart because she grew up there and always wanted to open up her flower shop in Provincetown, or P-Town, and it also holds a special place in my heart because coincidentally my family is from Brewster and I have been spending my summers there since I was a baby. This connection just made my experience of reading this book so much more because I could completely picture what was going on and therefore invested so much into Lizzie and Blue relationship as they finally realize their feelings for each other after a year of knowing each other and decide to go for it.

Lizzie Barber could easily be compared to Wonder Woman because she does so much with her business at her flower shop and then with her second business, the webcast The Naked Baker, and then in between she has time to bring the left over flowers from her shop to unattended graves at the cemetery as well as drops off the treats she makes to the local homeless shelter. She is selfless, kind, unbelievably determined, and fiercely loyal to her family especially her sister Maddy whom she is supporting financially as she attends college. I was in awe of how much strength and generosity Lizzie had because it made her so personable and I admired her so much for what she was doing especially with her webcast since it was not something she wanted to continue doing but she did it anyway because of her sister. She very much inspires you through the work she does because regardless of how she feels about continuing to film her webcast she approaches it from a business standpoint and uses her knowledge to turn it into a profit that will help her sister. Intelligence, generosity, loyalty, and determination are all qualities that Lizzie embodies and it was such a joy to see them come to life throughout the book.

I can pretty much sum up Blue Ryder with one word: perfection. Now it may be bold to use that word but honestly he is perfection. The more I read, the more I thought “Could he get anymore perfect?” and the answer time after time was yes. While I am not completely sold on his name, Blue as a person, more specifically as a man, could put a lot of the male population to shame. His honesty and the affection he showed toward Lizzie made my heart flutter so many times I lost track. Some of his confessionals to Lizzie were just so sincere and genuine that I almost didn’t really believe him because I didn’t have the previous context that they had known each other already for a year. Once I was able to take that into consideration, the degree of separation I felt from not having read those previous memories between them quickly faded and I fell for Blue as hard as Lizzie did in the book. I dare someone to read this book and try not to fall in love with Blue because it is not possible. Men should take notes because Blue can absolutely show them how it is done.

Obviously not reading any of the previous books in the Love in Bloom series impacted my reading of Seized by Love a little but I honestly think that you are still able to gain enough context that by the middle of the book that does not even matter. The setting, the characters, and the romance which was both adorably heartwarming and wonderfully genuine will pull you in from the very beginning leaving you engrossed in Lizzie and Blue’s relationship as they tackle obstacles that arise overcoming them and discovering how powerful it is when you find the one you are meant to be with. They are seized by their love for one another and I guarantee you will be too as you witness how knowing each other for a year set them up for a love that will last them the rest of their lives.

                                                                                                                                      4/5 stars

Hope everyone has enjoyed “Blog Tour Central Week” (totally made this up but hey, why not) as much as I have. Today’s blog tour post is the last one for the week but don’t worry there will be more.

Here’s another sports romance only this time it is hockey that takes the center ice. Given my background with hockey because of my brother, I really enjoyed reading Major Misconduct by Kelly Jamieson. And as always, I want to thank Tasty Book Tours for allowing me to be a spot on this blog tour.

If you are a sucker for a sports romance that is cute, funny, and definitely brings the heat (if you catch my drift lol) then stay tuned!!

Major Misconduct
Aces Hockey #1

By: Kelly Jamieson

Releasing October 13, 2015

Loveswept

In Kelly Jamieson’s seductive new Chicago Aces romance—perfect for readers of Sawyer Bennett and Toni Aleo—a fun-loving free spirit tempts an uptight hockey star into opening himself up to love.

As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/08/major-misconduct-aces-hockey-1-by-kelly.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014305-major-misconduct?ac=1
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/148210-aces-hockey

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Spotlight

Kelly Jamieson is the author of more than thirty contemporary romance novels. She’s a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway
Publisher will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

Click the link down below to enter into the giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ever want to know what it would be like to live with a sexy, French hockey player? Well, if you pick up Major Misconduct you can live vicariously through Lovey, who comes face-to-face with one wearing nothing but a pair of boxers when they first meet (see excerpt). I know it is not the real thing, but I promise you will be very much entertained in this light-hearted, yet definitely still steamy sports romance.

Lovey Armstrong is a ray of sunshine and oozes effervescence throughout the entire book. She is known to have a killer smile and brightness to her, wanting to live life to the fullest and love every second of it. Because of that, you can’t help but smile yourself. Whether she is taking charge of her life by signing up for yoga class or cooking class to meet new people in Chicago or showing off her ambitious side of getting her new business and blog to take off so that her brother will believe she is making something of herself, Lovey is just simply lovable. By the end of the book, I guarantee you will have this new found energy to want to do more in you life based purely off of what Lovey does in order to make a new life for herself in Chicago.

Then, you have Marc Dupuis, the team captain of the Aces hockey team aka one very good looking, French hockey player. While Lovey captured my attention a little bit more, Marc still had his moments especially when you saw how dedicated and driven he was in regards to his career. Nicknamed “Captain Codger” by his teammates for not always partaking in all the fun that comes with the perks of being professional hockey players, Marc takes his role as team captain very seriously which I found to be so admirable and extremely sexy. Oh, and lets not forget the fact that he also runs a program that allows children who are sick to come to an Aces game and have a private meet and greet with him afterwards. Are you swooning yet? Because that definitely made my heart flutter a little bit. And of course, to top it all off he speaks French which just seals the deal in my opinion.

While the characters stole the show for me, especially Lovey and Marc’s romance, I will say that the only issue I had was the writing style. At times it flowed nicely and you were able to get caught up in the story, but at other times it felt very choppy to me which made it difficult to read. Luckily, the characters felt very animated to me so I was able to look past it most of the time but it was definitely an aspect that hindered my reading of the story.

All in all, Major Misconduct is a delightfully cute read that, at times, will leave you inspired to go out and live your life to the fullest as well as wish that you lived with a sexy and determined French hockey player like Marc.

She’d never begrudged Duncan his success. She was proud of her brother. He’d worked hard his whole life to achieve what he had and he totally deserved it. But there had been times she’d wished she had some kind of super talent that would make everyone proud of her.

“You’re giving me the gears before I’m barely in the door. Not cool, Dunc.”

His lips quirked as if he was repressing another smile. He gestured to one of the brown leather couches. “Sit down.”

She sank into the couch and crossed her legs.

Duncan sat across from her. “You don’t quit a perfectly good job just because it’s not your dream job, Lovey. If you don’t like it, you look around for something else and then you quit.”

“Not if you’re moving to Chicago. I had to quit so I could move here. I’ll find something here, I’m sure.”

Duncan thought she was a flighty, impetuous screwup who’d quit a good job and moved to another state on a whim. And she wasn’t about to set him straight on that, because . . . it was true.

Well, to a certain extent it was true. But she didn’t want to tell him about her goals and dreams because . . . because she wasn’t entirely sure she could do this . . . and she didn’t want him saying “I told you so” if she failed.

She pushed down her misgivings and smiled at him. “I just need a place to stay for a while.”

“You can’t stay here.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What? Why not? You’ve got tons of room! Look at this place.” She sat up straight and swept an arm out. “Fifty billion square feet, probably ten bathrooms . . .”

“Two and a half,” he corrected. “And three bedrooms. And it’s only two thousand square feet. Not fifty billion,” he added in a muttered tone.

“Only two thousand. As if one guy needs that much space.”

“I have a roommate,” he reminded her. “Two of the three bedrooms are occupied and the third has no furniture.”

She frowned and sank back into the couch. “Oh. Well. That doesn’t matter. I’ll just sleep on the floor until we can get me a bed.”

“We’re not getting you a bed.”

“Hey, Army, what time are we heading out?” a deep male voice interrupted them. “Oh. Hey.”

Lovey’s head snapped around at the unfamiliar voice and then her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

The guy standing across the room wore a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. Sweet cheese-its, he was hot. Even more muscular than Duncan, he was about the same height. Short brown hair stood in messy spikes on top, and the same golden-brown stubble lay over his chiseled jaw and upper lip. His lips were thinnish but nicely shaped, his eyes a beautiful sky blue color she could see from here, framed with thick eyelashes.

Her gaze tracked over bulky shoulders and arms, a chest that was slabs of muscle and smooth golden skin, a freakin’ eight-pack of abs that literally made her want to drool, then down over the blue boxer shorts sitting low on lean hips, to his bare legs. She blinked at the size of his thighs and the delineation of the massive muscles bulging above his knees. His calves were also strong, covered with more dark gold hair. His long, sinewy bare feet stood on the bare wood floor.

She lifted her gaze back up to his face and smiled. “Hi.”

He blinked, his expression not changing. “Uh. Hi.” He glanced at Duncan. “Sorry, man, didn’t know you had someone here.” He took a step back.

“Dude, go put some clothes on. This is my little sister.”

The guy’s eyes flickered. “Oh. Shit. Be right back.”

“Wait!” Lovey rose and legged it across the carpet in her heels, hand outstretched. “I’m Lovey. It’s nice to meet you; you must be Duncan’s roommate. Marc, right?”

He took another step back but she kept going. He shoved a hand out, maybe to stop her. She grabbed it to shake it.

“Yeah. Marc.”

The faint inflection in the way he said it was . . . sexy. “You’re French.” Her smile broadened.

“Yeah.” He gave her a quick handshake, then released her hand and took two more steps away. “Marc Dupuis. I’ll, uh, be back.”

He disappeared down the hall and she admired the back view. Whoa. Wide at the shoulders, muscled back, deep grooves down the middle that disappeared into the low waistband of the boxers, which did not hide a very firm ass. She gave a sigh of pleasure.

“Lovey.”

She blinked and turned to look at her brother.

“That’s why you can’t stay here. This is a bachelor home. You can’t live here with two guys.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

His eyebrows flew up. “We walk around half-dressed sometimes. We don’t want to have to be worried about covering up.”

She grinned. “Don’t worry on my account. You . . . phht.” She waved a hand and rolled her eyes. “He can walk around naked anytime he wants.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.” Duncan rubbed his face. “We drink beer. We make a mess. Well, I do,” he amended. “We party. Lotta the other guys hang out here too.”

She shrugged. “It’s not as if I’m not used to your friends hanging out.” He’d played hockey all through high school—well, all his life, basically—and there’d always been a bunch of guys crowding up their Columbia County dairy farmhouse.

“We have girls over.” He gave her a meaningful look.

She laughed, flopping down on the couch again. “I should hope so.”

“You’re not going to be comfortable here.”

She looked around. “I think I could be very comfortable here.” She gave a nod. “This is a gorgeous place to live. Nice view too.” In the distance Lake Michigan was a haze of blue.

“Fuck,” Duncan muttered.

Marc reappeared, now fully dressed, sadly. Although with clothes on he still looked amazeballs hot. “Sorry about that. Didn’t know you were here, uh, Lovey.”

She beamed at him. “No problem. Duncan was more freaked-out than I was.”

Duncan rolled his eyes.

Lovey studied Marc in his clothes—low-rise faded jeans that had to be specially made to fit loosely over those massive thighs, and a long-sleeve black T-shirt. She let out another brief sigh.

He moved to perch on one of the stools at the big island, then stopped as he took in the mess in the kitchen. With a head shake, he began to clean up, tossing cold pizza into the trash, loading empty beer bottles into cartons. “This place is gross.”

Duncan shrugged and leaned back. “You knew that when you moved in. Don’t get all pissy. You don’t have to clean up.”

“I know, I know.” Marc stacked empty pizza boxes into a blue recycling box. “Just can’t stand the fucking mess.”

Duncan grinned. “That’s your problem.”

Lovey looked back and forth between them. Duncan was a slob, no doubt about it. Mom had pulled her hair out trying to teach him to clean up after himself. Apparently none of it had sunk in. Marc, on the other hand . . . seemed to have learned well. Or maybe he was a neat freak.

Nothing wrong with that. Not at all.

Especially when he looked that good while cleaning up.

Interested in hockey just a little bit more after reading this?

Well… why not fix that by picking up Major Misconduct?