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Blog Tour + Review: Midnight Blue by LJ Shen
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Blog Tour + Review: Midnight Blue by LJ Shen

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Midnight Blue, an all-new sexy standalone from LJ Shen is available NOW!

LJSMidnightBlueBookCover6x9_BW_324

Midnight Blue
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: January 18th

It should have been easy.

I needed the money. He needed a babysitter to keep him from snorting himself to death.

I was cherry-picked especially for him. Responsible. Optimistic. Warm. Innocent.

The worst part is that I should have known better.

Alex Winslow. British rock star. Serial heartbreaker. Casanova with whiskey eyes.

“Don’t get near the devil in a leather jacket. He’ll chew you up and spit you out.”

Sounds familiar? That’s because it was a headline in a tabloid the second time he got arrested.

Guess what? I didn’t listen.

I signed the contract.

World tour. Three months. Four Continents. One hundred shows.

My name is Indigo Bellamy, and I sold my soul to a tattooed god.

Problem was, my soul wasn’t enough for Alex Winslow. He ended up taking my body, too.

Then he took my heart.

Then he took my all.

Excerpt:

Nat’s words came back and haunted me like a bad haircut from the eighties. An irrational need to check the goods took over me. It wasn’t like he minded. According to the rumors, his dick had seen more cameras than Kendall Jenner. Slowly—so painfully slowly—my eyes drifted down his sinewy body. I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Whatever I had in mind, though, didn’t come close to the real thing. Thick, long but not atrocious. With thin veins running through its length.

“Nice view?” he groaned, tucking his junk back into his briefs. His profile was glorious. Strong jaw, pouty lips, eyes like sex…

My eyes snapped up when I realized he was talking to me. “I wasn’t…”

“Looking? Yes, you were. Next time take a picture. It lasts longer.” He rolled his zipper upward and flushed the toilet with the toe of his boot. He turned around and squirted soap into his palm, washing his hands almost violently—rubbing between each finger and scratching his knuckles like he wanted to shed his own skin. When he was done, he looked around for a towel.

I cleared my throat, scrambling to regain my wits. “Longer than the glimpse or longer than your performance?”

Casually—so unbearably casually—he wiped his wet hands over my purple dress. I gasped, moving sideways. It looked like he was about to open the door and get out, but before I had the chance to yell at him for using me as a human towel, he slammed me against the wall, bracing both his arms above my head and pinning me to my spot. I let out a shriek of surprise at the sudden proximity.

Alex Winslow is touching me. Willingly, my surprisingly pitiful brain squealed.

Heat rolled off his body, making my back arch and my breath catch in my throat.

“Let’s make one thing clear—I could fuck you to a point of numbness without even breaking a sweat if I wanted to. Now, careful, New Girl. If you don’t keep your distance from me, I think I just might.”

MidnightBlue-AN

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2FNBCMg

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/MidnightBlue

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2lIShL2

About LJ Shen:

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

LJShen

Connect with LJ Shen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorljshen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorljshen/

Stay up to date with LJ Shen by signing up for her mailing list:
http://bit.ly/2umcYPg
http://www.authorljshen.com/

percy-klein
So, this is the first book I have ever read by LJ Shen, but I can firmly say that it will definitely not be my last. Book Twins Reviews, after finding out I was an LJ Shen virgin lol, told me that if I liked my romance books with a little edge to them that I was going to love LJ Shen and they were absolutely right!

Indigo Bellamy, whose name I am SO in love with it is not even funny, has no idea what she is in for when she is offered what she believes to be a job as a personal assistant. Instead, she is offered the job of being the sober companion to Alex Winslow, the sexy and unpredictable British rockstar that every girl in the world wants to get her hands on, who is a recovering drug addict. Though it seems like an impossible task given what is being said about the rock god, but Indie signs on anyway as the money will solve all of the issues she and her family are dealing with. All she has to do now is survive Alex Winslow and whatever he throws at her.

Boy, did this book have some edge to it. The sexual tension and angst between Alex and Indie is so palpable that it radiates off the page, or screen in my case, and it seems to only get stronger as the story went on. Alex Winslow is a piece of work, plain and simple. He is infuriating, rude, and crass but Indie deals with him SO well. She doesn’t take any of his crap, standing up to him from the moment they meet and always ready with a response to throw back in his smug yet gorgeous face. Their relationship starts out as one full of fire but soon, as Indie spends more time with Alex, she is able to see there is  much more to him than being a broken, angry rockstar.

Not only did the immense amount of sexual tension and angst blow me away and rile me up all at the same time, but the fact that LJ Shen was able to write those moments and emit those feelings is incredible. Her writing got to me; it was amazing and beautiful and raw and emotional. There were times where I had to step back and just re-read a passage over and over because it hit me right in the gut. Indie and Alex’s relationship is SO much to handle sometimes because there are just so many emotions surging between the two of them when they are together but I loved every minute of it.

I have only read a few rockstar romances but Midnight Blue is definitely getting added to my favorites. all I can say is that if you like rockstar romances, read this book.

4.5 stars

 

 

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Spotlight Tour: The One Who Got Away by Roni Loren
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Spotlight Tour: The One Who Got Away by Roni Loren

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“Phenomenal. Gets my highest recommendation!”
—LORELEI JAMES, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

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Liv’s words cut off as Finn got closer. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she’d known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.

It’s been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.

Liv Arias thought she’d never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs…

Buy Link: https://books.sourcebooks.com/the-ones-who-got-away/

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Excerpt

Setup: This scene takes place during an interview for the documentary the survivors are participating in.

“He cursed at me, told me to stay put, and wedged a chair against the outside of the door.” Liv rubbed her lips together. “After that, I heard more shots.”

“Presumably when he and Trevor shot at”—Daniel checked his notes—“Finn Dorsey and Rebecca Lindt.”

Liv reached for her water and took a slow sip, trying not to hear the sounds of that night in her head. The gun going off in that steady, unrelenting way. The cries for help. A Mariah Carey song still playing in the gym. Her own rapid breath as she huddled in that closet and did—nothing. Frozen. For five hours. Only the chair against the door had alerted the SWAT team someone was in there after everything was over. “Yes. I didn’t see any of it, but I know Finn was shot protecting Rebecca. You’d have to ask Rebecca about that part.”

“I did ask her. I plan to ask Finn, too.”

Liv’s head snapped upward at that, the words yanking her out of the memories like a stage hook. “What?”

“Mr. Dorsey is my next interview.”

She stared at Daniel, not sure if she’d heard the words right. “Finn’s here?”

She barely resisted saying, He exists? The guy had become a ghost after the awful months following the shooting. He’d gotten a ton of press for being a hero, and the media had played up the story to the nth degree. The star athlete and son of a local business owner taking a bullet for his date. But within a year, his family had rented out their house and moved out of town, running from the spotlight like everyone else. No one wanted to be that brand of famous.

Liv hadn’t heard anything about him since, and he never gave interviews. She’d decided that he had probably moved to some remote tropical island and changed his name. She would’ve skipped town back then, too—if she’d had the funds to do it.

“Yes,” Daniel said, tipping his head toward the spot over her left shoulder. “He got here a few minutes ago. He’s declined to be on camera, but he’s agreed to an interview.”

With that, she couldn’t help but turn and follow the interviewer’s gaze. Leaning against the wall in the shadows of the darkened gym was a man with dark hair, black T-shirt, and jeans. He looked up from the phone in his hand, as if hearing his name, and peered in their direction. He was too far away for her to read his expression or see the details of his face, but a jolt of bone-deep recognition went through her. “Oh.”

“Hey, we should invite him to join you for this part since you were both close to the same place at the same time. We’ll get a more accurate timeline that way.”

“What? I mean, no, that’s not—”

“Jim, can you turn off the camera? I think this will be important. Mr. Dorsey,” Daniel called out, “would you mind if I asked you a few questions now? The camera’s off.”

The cameraman went about shutting things down, and Finn pushed away from the wall.

Liv’s heart leapt into her throat and tried to escape. She’d avoided Finn after everything had happened, not just from hurt, but because seeing his face, even on television, would trigger the flashbacks. But she wasn’t that girl anymore. Seeing Finn after all these years shouldn’t concern her. Still, she had the distinct urge to make tracks to the back door. She slid out of the director’s chair she’d been sitting in. “I think I’ve probably given you everything I have to add. I wasn’t in the gym, and my story is really just me cowering in the closet. Not that interesting—”

Her words cut off, her voice dying a quick death, as Finn got closer and some of the studio lights caught him in their glare. The man approaching was nothing like the boy she’d known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package. The smooth face was now dusted with scruff, and the look in his deep-green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence. A thousand things were in those eyes. A thousand things welled up in Liv.

Finn Dorsey had become a man. And a stranger. The only familiar thing was the sharp, undeniable kick of awareness she’d always had anytime the guy was around. Time had only made the effect more potent. Without thinking, her gaze drifted to his hands. Big, capable hands that had once held her. When she’d known him, he’d always worn his football championship ring from junior year. The cool metal used to press against the back of her neck when he kissed her. Now he wore no rings at all. She took a breath, trying to reel in that old, automatic response to him, and smoothed her hands down the sides of her now-wrinkled pencil skirt.

Daniel held out his hand. “Mr. Dorsey, so glad you could make it.”

Finn returned the offered handshake and gave a brief nod. “Not a problem.”

Then, his gaze slid to Liv. His brow wrinkled for a second, but she could tell the moment he realized who she was. Something flickered over his face. A very distinct look. Like she caused him pain. Like she was a bad memory.

Because she was. That was all they were to each other at this point.

“Liv.”

She pushed words past her constricted throat. “Hi, Finn.”

blog tour · book blog · book review · books · excerpt · reading · romance

Blog Tour + Review: That Girl by Kate Kerrigan

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THAT GIRL
by Kate Kerrigan
Publication Date: January 1, 2018

Unknown-3You can escape a place. But you can’t escape yourself.

Hanna flees the scene of a terrible crime in her native Sligo. If she can just vanish, re-invent herself under a new name, perhaps the police won’t catch up with her. London seems the perfect place to disappear.

Lara has always loved Matthew and imagined a happy married life in Dublin. Then comes the bombshell – Matthew says he wants to join the priesthood. Humiliated and broken-hearted, Lara heads to the most godless place she can find, King’s Road, Chelsea.

Matthew’s twin sister, Noreen, could not be more different from her brother. She does love fiance John, but she also craves sex, parties and fun. Swinging London has it all, but without John, Noreen is about to get way out of her depth.

All three girls find themselves working for Bobby Chevron – one of London’s most feared gangland bosses – and it’s not long before their new lives start to unravel.

Links to Buy:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kJHqN3
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kg4gwo
iBooks: http://apple.co/2Bvc9FJ

Add to Goodreads 
About Kate Kerrigan

Kerrigan_Kate

Kate Kerrigan lives in County Mayo, Eire, with her husband and children. Her novels include Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, shortlisted for the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year Award and Ellis Island, which was a TV Book Club Summer Read.

Contact Info:
Twitter: @katekerrigan
Facebook: @KateKerriganAuthor
Website: www.katekerrigan.org

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Excerpt

A year passed and Hanna turned from thirteen to fourteen. She became more independent and began to speak her own mind. She was glad that her mother had Dorian to focus on, instead of just her, and she came to trust him. While she knew her stepfather would never be a replacement for the father she so deeply loved, Hanna grew fond of him as time went by. Dorian Black loved her mother, there was no doubt about that, and he made her happy. Hanna also understood that he had been kind and generous regarding her as well. As the nuns pointed out to her in school, ‘It’s not every man would take on another man’s child.’

Dorian never patronised her, or talked to her like she was a poor child, as so many people did since her father died. He treated her as an equal, and she liked that. Dorian allowed her to call him by his first name. When she first did it, her mother tutted, insisting she call him father to show him proper respect. But Dorian had been on Hanna’s side. ‘Don’t push the child, Margaret,’ he said. ‘I am not her natural father. There is no reason she should look on me as such. Hanna is old enough to make up her own mind about the role I play in her life.’

Margaret became worried that Hanna was moving away from her, that she was losing her. Dorian was as wise and reassuring as ever. ‘Hanna is becoming a fine young woman,’ he told her. ‘She is not your little girl any more, Margaret. Sooner or later you’ll have to accept that she’s an adult.’

Margaret pursed her lips and remained silent on the subject. Hanna could tell she didn’t like it but it was important that her mother understood she wasn’t a child any more. Dorian was right, she was becoming a ‘young woman’ and her mother just had to get used to it. United in that understanding, a bond grew between stepfather and stepdaughter that felt to Hanna like friendship, or maybe even love.

Then, as Dorian and Margaret Black were coming up to their second wedding anniversary, Margaret came down with a nasty bout of flu. At first it seemed not to be serious but then her symptoms worsened with lethargy and headaches. Weeks passed and Margaret remained bedridden. With little appetite and no energy to lift herself from the bed, it appeared that there was something more serious underlying the illness. Hanna was worried and asked Dorian if there was anything more they could do. He reassured her that her mother’s recovery was just around the corner.

‘It’s only a virus,’ he promised.

But Hanna could see that despite all the tinctures and medicine Dorian was administering, Margaret seemed to get worse. One afternoon, when her mother was barely able to open her eyes and smile at her when she came in from school, Hanna asked Dorian if it would be better to move her mother to a hospital. Dorian looked at her, stricken, but also a little annoyed.

‘I know you are worried, and so am I. But she is my wife, Hanna. Nobody can look after her as well as I can. Please,’ he said, his eyes were wide and pleading, ‘trust me. Let me do this. For you. For both of us.’

Hanna could see that this was hard for Dorian. He loved her mother too. Dorian wanted her mother back as much as she did.

So she sat at Margaret’s bedside each evening and prayed for her to wake up. Dorian kept reassuring her that her mother would get better soon. But she was constantly asleep, and seemed to be fading away before Hanna’s eyes.

Every few days she asked, ‘Is there anything I can do?’

‘Just be a good girl,’ Dorian said, ‘and leave your mother to the experts.’ He kissed her forehead, sent her to school each day and told her that everything was going to be all right. Soon her mother would be better and they would be a happy family again.

percy-klein

Other than the gorgeous cover that drew me in from the moment I saw it, I did not know what to expect from That Girl. Then, I read the first three chapters and had to take a small break because all mind kept saying over and over again was “What did I just read?” and “Wow, did that really just happen?”. From there, I was hooked and could not wait to see what else lay ahead.

That Girl centers around three women from Ireland who, each for different reasons, travel to London during the 1960s for a fresh start. Hanna, who becomes Annie Austen, has fled after a terrible crime has been committed, holding tight to her new identity in order to forget her past. Lara comes to London to also escape and start over after her boyfriend, Matthew declares he wants to become a priest stating that even though he loves her, he loves God more. Noreen, Matthew’s twin sister and Lara’s best friend, gets tired of her boring predictable life. Her future is set for her to marry her fiance John and then take over her family’s pub but Noreen wants more she follows Lara to see what Swinging London has to offer.

I honestly don’t know where to start. This book has a little bit of everything to it. It has romance, amazing female friendship, self-discovery, suspense, and much more. While you have the three main characters who all come to live together in London, each of their individual storylines introduces you to a large cast of side characters as well. As the story unfolds you get engrossed into this world, following each of the girl’s on their journeys as Hanna/Annie makes herself a new life, Lara follows her passion in fashion, and Noreen sets out to find the exciting life and independence she didn’t have back in Ireland. And with the backdrop being London in the 1960s, it was just so much fun to just immerse myself and travel back in time. I became just as intrigued about the time period as I did with the story.

The only issue I had while reading this book was the switching of perspectives that happened within the story, sometimes without any indication of who it switched to. In the beginning, you knew who’s perspective you were reading from but as the story goes on and more characters are introduced and the plot becomes much more intricate, it became rather difficult to determine who was speaking from time to time.

Overall, this was such a surprising read and I am so happy I got to read it. Kate Kerrigan did such an amazing job pulling me in from the very beginning and transporting me back to Swinging London. I fell in love with each of the characters until at one point I thought they were real people. If you are looking for a character-driven book with a little bit of everything, then check this book out.

4 stars

blog tour · book blog · book review · books · excerpt · reading · romance · sports romance

Blog Tour + Review: So Over You by Kate Meader

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Cover.Final
SO OVER YOU
Chicago Rebels series, Book 2
Kate Meader
Pocket Star EBooks
December 4, 2017
$5.99
ISBN: 978150116856

Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s SO OVER YOU, Book 2 in the new sizzling Chicago Rebels series. Middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels…

Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won silver at the Games, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then…let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.

Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently, the feeling was not entirely mutual.


About the author:

Kate Meader was raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly Cooper novels and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.

Giveaway:
Kate Meader will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card during release week.
To enter, please go here!

Excerpt

 

He leaned in again, smelling of fame, privilege, and raw sex appeal. Discomfort at his proximity edged out the hormonal sparks dancing through her body.

“Does Moretti know that we have history? That you are the last person I wish to work with?”

Before she could respond, someone squealed, “Vadim!” A blond, skinny, buxom someone, who now wrapped herself around Vadim in a very possessive manner. “You said you’d be back with a dwinkie!”

A dwinkie?

Drawing back, Vadim circled the squealer’s waist and pulled her into his hard body. “Kotyonok, I did not mean to be so long.” He dropped a kiss on her lips, needing to bend considerably because she was just so darn petite! Not like big-boned Isobel, who could have eaten this chick and her five supermodel Playmates for a midmorning snack. A group of them stood off to the side, clearly waiting for the signal to start the orgy. And Vadim clearly wanted to give it, except he had to deal with the annoying six-foot fly in the sex ointment.

Why did the lumberjack hotties always go for twigs instead of branches? Did it make them feel more virile to screw a pocket-sized Barbie?

Yep, feeling like a schlub. 

But he didn’t need to know that. All he needed to know was that she had the power to return him to competitive ice. This was her best shot at making a difference and getting the Rebels to a coveted play-off spot. Vadim Petrov and his butt-hurt feelings would not stand in her way.

“Do you need to talk about it, Russian?”

She infused as much derision into the question as possible, so that the idea of “talking about it” made him sound a touch less than manly. Big, bad, brick-house Russians didn’t need to talk about the women who done them wrong.

“There is nothing to talk about,” he uttered in that voice that used to send Siberian shivers down her back. Now? Nothing more than a Muscovian flurry.

“Excellent!” Superscary cheerful face. “Regular practice is tomorrow at ten, so I’ll see you on the ice at 9 a.m. Don’t be late.”

Pretty happy with her exit line, she walked away.

Far too easy.

A brute hand curled around hers and pulled her to the other side of the bar, out of the sight line of most of the VIP room. She found her back against a wall—literally and figuratively—as 230 pounds of Slavic muscle loomed over her.

He still held her hand.

If she weren’t so annoyed, she’d think it was kind of nice.

She yanked it away. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Who am I?” he boomed, and she prayed it was rhetorical. Unfortunately, no. “I am Vadim Petrov. Leading goal scorer for my first two years in the NHL. Winner of both the Kontinental and the Gagarin Cups. A man not to be trifled with. And you are, who, exactly? The daughter of a hockey great who was not so great when it came to running a team. The woman who can no longer play yet thinks she can offer ‘tips’ to me. To me! You may have pedigree, Isobel, but there is nothing I can learn from you.”

This arrogant, douchewaffle piece of shit!

percy-klein

Kate Meader is an author that has been on my radar for quite a while. I actually own the second book in her firefighter romance series, Playing With Fire (which I will definitely be reading in the future). So when I had the opportunity to review the second book in her Chicago Rebels series, So Over You, which is a hockey romance series, I didn’t hesitate.

Something you should know about me is that hockey romances are probably one of my favorite romance sub-genres EVER and this mainly has to do with the fact that my brother played for his entire childhood into college so I grew up in ice rinks. Then, when I found out the romance involved a brooding Russian hockey player, a heroine who used to be professional hockey player herself, and that it was a second chance romance, I was hooked before I even began reading.

Hockey runs through Isobel Chase’s veins and why wouldn’t it when your father was a famous hockey player, the owner of a hockey team, and spent your entire childhood training you to become the next best thing in the hockey world. Her dreams of being a professional female hockey player had come true until it all came crashing down. Now, years later, Isobel has turned to coaching and ever since she and her sisters inherited their father’s hockey team, the Chicago Rebels, she has set her sights on becoming a coach for that very team. The only things standing in her way is the fact that she is a woman in a male-dominated sport and she co-owns the team which would look bad if she just made herself coach given the scrutiny she and her sisters have already gotten. Oh, and the man she gave her virginity to years ago, Vadim Petrov, who just so happens to be her first client and who also wants nothing to do with her.

Vadim Petrov has just been traded to the Chicago Rebels, a team that has consistently struggled over the years. On top of now playing for this less than ideal team, Vadim must also be personally coached by the woman he wants nothing to do with given how their relationship ended years ago (badly as you can imagine). But Vadim doesn’t have a choice because Isobel is determined to make this personal coaching assignment beneficial for both of them, so that he can recover from his injury and she has the chance to become a full-time coach for the Rebels based purely on her work ethic and not because she is a co-owner of the team. This professional relationship not only starts off with them butting heads but when their feelings for one another come to the surface again, things begin to heat up on and off the ice.

I said I was hooked before I even began reading this book but those feelings never strayed because I absolutely LOVED this book. It combined so many things that I love. The two main ones are hockey and the fact that Vadim and Isobel hated each other int he beginning and butted heads with one another which lead to some wonderful, sexual tension-filled loves scenes. They challenged each other at almost every turn and that passion for the game also translated towards how they felt towards each other.  I also cannot express enough how much I LOVED that Isobel was a professional hockey player because um, you never see that in a sports romance especially focused on hockey. Oh, and as someone who is tall, I really appreciated that Isobel was six feet tall because it is another element you don’t usually see in romance, at least that is what I have found.

While Isobel and Vadim’s relationship was the focal point in this novel, Kate Meader did an amazing job allowing the reader to also fall in love with the cast of secondary characters. Isobel’s sisters and their relationship together was great to see as they continue to learn how to get along since, Violet, the youngest Chase sister, only came into their lives a few months ago. I personally enjoyed the foreshadowing of the relationships to come like Violet and her relationship with a certain Scottish hockey player. The secondary characters and the interactions we got to see really helped you delve deeper into this fabulous world of hockey.

All I have to say is that if you are a fan of hockey romances, you NEED to not only pick up this book but also this entire series.

5 stars

Blog Tour + Review: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis
blog tour · book blog · book review · books · excerpt · promo · reading · romance

Blog Tour + Review: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

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Holiday Wishes (a Heartbreaker Bay novella)
by Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: November 7, 2017

30988059It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

BUY LINKS for HOLIDAY WISHES
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2yorIgs
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2f8P15h
iBooks: http://apple.co/2f8MeJo
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2xuInAO
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2wwcV64


ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

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New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill
Website: http://jillshalvis.com/
Facebook: @JillShalvis
Twitter: @JillShalvis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/
Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

Excerpt

At the empathetic tone in Sean’s voice, Lotti’s heart and stomach and head all clenched in unison. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I want?” she asked. “All you have to do is walk away.”

“Tried that already,” he said. “And it was the biggest mistake of my life.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and met her gaze over their entwined hands.

He was looking at her like . . . well, she wasn’t sure what was going on in his head, but her thoughts were racing along with her pulse.

“You’re incredible, Lotti. I hope you know that.” Very slowly, clearly giving her time to object, he pulled her into him.

Her breath caught at the connection and his eyes heated in response as he slid a hand up her spine and then back down again, pressing her in tight to him from chest to thighs and everywhere in between. His nose was cold at the crook of her neck, but his breath was warm against her skin. She felt his lips press against the sensitive spot just behind her ear and she shivered. “You’re trembling,” he said, his voice low. “Are you cold?”

“No,” she whispered. Try the opposite of cold . . .

“Nervous?”

“No.” Not even close. The way his mouth moved across her skin was making her warm all over. Not that she could articulate that with his body pressed to hers and his fingers dancing over her skin. She was literally quivering as the memories of what it felt like to be touched by him washed over her, as if no time at all had gone by.

Yes, she’d let him think that their time together had sucked for her. But it hadn’t. Not even close. That long-ago night he’d evoked feelings and a hunger in her that she’d never forgotten. “I’ve just had a long day,” she said.

“I know. I’m going to make it better.” He pressed a kiss at the juncture of her jaw and ear before he made his way to her lips for a slow, hot kiss, his mouth both familiar and yet somehow brand-new. She was so far gone that when he pulled back she protested with a moan, but he held her tight, staring down at her with heated eyes. “Just checking,” he murmured.

“Checking what?”

“That you want this as badly as I do.”

percy-klein

Ah, Heartbreaker Bay how I have missed you. Even though it’s only been about a month since my last read in this series, I was so excited to get back into this world. And it is Christmastime at the Bay, which makes it that much better since Christmas is my FAVORITE time of the year. Who wouldn’t want to fall in love during Christmastime? Or, fall in love again, perhaps.

Sean O’Riley and the gang have traveled to Napa Valley for Pru and Finn’s (Sean’s older brother) bachelor/bachelorette celebration at a bed and breakfast. Wine tours, spa treatments, and so much more are in store for them and Sean is in charge of making sure it all goes smoothly as part of his best man responsibilities. The only thing he didn’t anticipate is to run into Lotti Hartford who just so happens to run the bed and breakfast they are staying at. Nothing like seeing the girl who gave her virginity to you in high school after ten years of silence to get the festivities started, right?

This was such a cute novella and a great addition to the series but it wasn’t my absolute favorite of the bunch. It took me over halfway through the book to really get into Sean and Lotti as a couple. When they meet for the first time again, I didn’t really feel the connection. I think this might have to do with the fact that Sean never stood out to me in the other books, not in the same way that Rory and Max did who was the couple in the other novella in the series, One Snowy Night. Sean and Lotti were definitely cute together in the beginning, but it wasn’t until a certain moment happens that my heart kind of caught up and really became invested.

Overall, I enjoyed Holiday Wishes despite the hesitations I had in the beginning. It was a sweet, with a touch of sexy mixed in, holiday romance that I would recommend if you are looking for a quick read this upcoming holiday season.

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Book Blitz: Lovers Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie
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Book Blitz: Lovers Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie

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Lovers Like Us

by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Like Us Series #2
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | iBooks

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene lives by his actions, and his actions say he’s the best at whatever he does. As a 24/7 bodyguard and the new boyfriend to Maximoff Hale, protecting the headstrong, alpha billionaire has never been more complicated. And one rule can’t be bent:

Keep your relationship secret from the public.

Farrow is confident he’s the best man for the job. But a twist in Maximoff’s fast-paced life sticks them with the rest of Security Force Omega and their clients.

On the road.
In a sleeper tour bus.
For four rocky months.

Sexual frustrations, check. Road trip drama, check. Awkward bonding, check.

But Farrow couldn’t have accounted for a high-risk threat (identity: unknown) that targets Maximoff before the ignition even turns. And it hits Farrow — someone has it out for the guy he loves.

Every day, Maximoff & Farrow’s feelings grow stronger, and together, they’ll either sink or swim.

Excerpt

Proactively waiting isn’t my thing. I can admit that. So when Farrow unwraps a piece of gum and tugs open the fridge, I ask him, “Need help?”

He chews his gum slowly and glances at me in a way that reminds me he’s twenty-seven. I’m twenty-two, and he’s more than capable to do shit himself.

Farrow starts to smile. “It’s cute that you think I need help getting eggs.” He grabs a carton and kicks the fridge closed.

“You could’ve dropped the fucking eggs.” I’m fighting a stupid battle. And I grimace-smile which makes me want to poke my own eyes out.

Farrow pops his gum. “You mean you would’ve dropped the eggs.”

“Did I? Pretty sure I meant you could’ve.”

Farrow sets the carton by the sink. “I have steadier hands than you.” He leans close and whispers huskily, “You’re not beating me at this.”

I shake my head on instinct. When it comes to Farrow, boyfriend or not, I don’t want to concede that fast. “It’s not proven yet.”

He rolls his eyes into a smile. “Hold out your hand.”

I extend my hand, palm-down. Wondering how he can discern any shake just by sight.

Farrow rotates my wrist. “Like this.” And then he smashes an egg right in my palm.

Don’t smile at him. Don’t smile at him. “Thanks for that,” I say sarcastically, hand dripping in broken eggshell and yolk.

“Anytime.” He laughs, and I act quickly and wipe the runny egg onto his black V-neck, feeling the ridges of his six-pack beneath.

Farrow props his elbows on the sink and actually lets me use his shirt as a towel, even while he’s wearing the thing. Christ. 

He’s a Grade A sexy asshole.

Damaged Like Us

by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Like Us #1
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | iBooks

Don’t date your bodyguard.
It was the one rule he had to break.

Maximoff Hale is a force of nature. A ship unwilling to be steered. Headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible — the twenty-two-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life. By noon, lunch can turn into a mob of screaming fans. By two, his face is all over the internet.
Born into one of the most famous families in the country, his celebrity status began at birth.

He is certified American royalty.

When he’s assigned a new 24/7 bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who’s known for “going rogue” in the security team — and who fills 1/3 of Maximoff’s sexual fantasies.

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene has one job: protect Maximoff Hale. Flirting, dating, and hot sex falls far, far out of the boundary of his bodyguard duties and into “termination” territory. But when feelings surface, protecting the sexy-as-sin, stubborn celebrity becomes increasingly complicated.

Together, boundaries blur, and being exposed could mean catastrophic consequences for both.

About Krista & Becca Ritchie

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Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. Now in their early twenties, they write about other twenty-somethings navigating through life, college, and romance. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.

They are the New Adult authors of the Addicted series and Calloway Sisters spin-off series, and you can find them on almost every social media, frolicking around like wannabe unicorns.

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