Release Week Blitz + Review: Too Beautiful to Break by Tessa Bailey

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK
Romancing The Clarksons, #4
Tessa Bailey
On Sale: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Forever

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done. From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family’s epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level. But there’s no way she can go there—not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option. Belmont’s heart is hers, has always been hers. He knows she’s hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him. Finding her is easy—saving her from her past could cost him everything.

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THE ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES
Series Page on Goodreads

TOO HOT TO HANDLE, #1
TOO WILD TO TAME, #2
TOO HARD TO FORGET, #3
TOO CLOSE TO CALL, #3.5
TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, #4

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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Strap yourself in because this book is one emotional rollercoaster. I am not exaggerating when I say that because I actually started this book a few weeks ago and had to put it down after reading just the first 10% of it because of how much emotion and heaviness was being foreshadowed. This is just a friendly warning that this book will make your heartache or even goes as far as ripping it straight out of your chest, so have tissues ready.

Belmont Clarkson is the oldest of the Clarkson siblings and after meeting him in Too Hard to Forget, I could just sense that this man has been through A LOT in his life. He is elusive yet has such a remarkable presence. At the same time though, I could feel the sadness and darkness surrounding him as he tries to maintain control of his life which has been a little difficult given the cross country road trip he has been on with his siblings. But, there has been one person who has brought some light and stability to this trip and that is Sage Alexander, Peggy’s best friend. Sage and Belmont have this connection that is so palpable, I sensed it even from their small moments together in the previous book. That palpability skyrocketed within the first three chapters of this book as Sage leaves Belmont, to make the journey to New York on his own, while she faces her past back home in Sibley, Louisiana.

“His heart had made the decision, mind and body had approved, and her happiness had become a necessity. There was nothing simple about what Sage made him feel. But the importance of her took no effect to describe. And it never wavered. She was the most important.”

That is what Belmont felt for Sage after they met for the first time. It is the perfect example for me to give in order to show that Belmont is nothing like any hero I have ever read before. The feelings and thoughts that this man has are enthralling and also completely unexpected. His mind, though weathered by what he has gone through in the past, still has the capacity to feel so profoundly especially after Sage came into his world. It is his connection and unquestionable love for Sage that drives him to follow her to Sibley and finish what began many moments ago.

I have purposely not talked about the plot that much because it is the emotions felt by Belmont and Sage, both individually and towards each other, that drive this book. This is not an easy read, I repeat, THIS IS NOT AN EASY READ. It is intense and heavy and may drain you emotionally until you are a crying mess curled up in your bed but it is also so very beautiful and well worth the pain it might put you through (Remember, I did warn you in the beginning). This is by far the most emotional book I have read in a while but I would like to thank Tessa Bailey for giving us Belmont and Sage’s story even if I am still recovering.

book blog · book review · books · reading · romance

Review: Rock Me by Carly Phillips

September 20, 2017September 29, 2017 rosiereads6131 Comment

Carly Phillips
Rock Me
Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1
Release Date Sept. 19, 2017

ROCK ME, an all-new sexy STANDALONE, is coming this fall from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Carly Phillips!

Bodyguard Bad Boys… Sexy, Hot, and oh so protective!

A pop star in danger.

Her reluctant bodyguard.

A past they can’t deny.

Summer Michelle is on the verge of ultimate fame.

Ben Hollander has sworn off mixing business with pleasure.

But keeping his hands off of the sexy songstress is easier said than done and once the threat is neutralized, will she choose fame over love?

She was a client.

Off-limits and out of his reach.

But some rules are meant to be broken…

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle | B&N Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

About the Author:

After a successful fifteen-year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.

I am a faithful reader of anything that Carly Phillips writes. I mean, not to get all sappy and nostalgic, but it was her book, Sealed With A Kiss, that sealed (yes, pun intended) my fate in loving romance novels for the rest of my life. Everything I have picked up of hers I have enjoyed greatly but sadly, the day has come where I did not like one of her books as much I thought I would.

In her newest series, Carly Phillips is introducing us to the Bodyguard Bad Boys, which sounds ridiculously hot as I assume it is intended to be. The first to make our acquaintance is Ben Hollander, who has such a sexy name I warmed up to him from the very beginning ;). Ben has been a bodyguard for quite some time and has always performed his job with the utmost professionalism, until he crossed paths with Summer Michelle. Unfortunately, their time together did not end on a good note but that’s ok because fate dealt them a second chance. That, and Summer, an upcoming popstar looking to make her big break, is being threatened. You can probably guess who is assigned to be her bodyguard

It was so great getting a look into the world of this series and also see what is to come, but I think the reason why I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would is because I just couldn’t connect to the main couple. Don’t get me wrong there was definite chemistry between the two despite their rather strained reunion. But, the further I got into the story, the more interested I was in the secondary characters than Summer and Ben. As crazy as this may sound and it does coming from me, the physical aspect of Summer and Ben’s reconnection became too much for me. And, I get that since this is their second chance there really isn’t much get to know each other moments but I liked the Summer and Ben’s moments together when they weren’t ripping each other’s clothes off. Add in the fact that the book was shorter than I was expecting and it seemed that a good amount of the book was about how Summer and Ben were “reconnecting” with one another. Overall, I would have liked the pace and storyline to be stretched out a little more because it all wrapped up way too quickly for me.

Despite my feelings towards Rock Me, it in no way dissuades me from continuing with this series because like I said before, this girl is a faithful reader to all things Carly Phillips. This book wasn’t my cup of tea but I still enjoyed it enough to be eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

Now, if you are in the mood for bodyguards and love yourself a second chance romance with a good helping of bedroom action, then I recommend you pick up Rock Me.

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

Blog Tour + Review: Betting the Bad Boy by Stefanie London

May 16, 2017May 16, 2017 rosiereads6131 Comment

Betting the Bad Boy
Behind the Bar #3
By: Stefanie London
Releasing May 8, 2017
Entangled Lovestruck

Self-confessed perfectionist Paige Thomas isn’t used to failing. But when a critical error in romantic judgment sends all her big city career dreams crashing down, she scrambles to find a job—any job—to make ends meet.

Noah Reid may as well have “trust issues” tattooed on his forehead. Being raised in the foster system didn’t give him a positive outlook on relationships, but now he’s looking after his best friend’s bar for one month, and he can’t do it alone.

Things get steamy when Noah hires Paige, but she’s determined not to repeat her mistakes and she bets Noah that she can keep her hands to herself while they’re working together. Too bad for her, Noah is an expert at breaking the rules…

Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/4/3/betting-bad-boy-stefanie-london

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34738007-betting-the-bad-boy

Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/160771-behind-the-bar

Buy Links:
AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO

Author Info

Stefanie London is the USA Today bestselling author of over ten contemporary romances with humour, heat and heart. Growing up, Stefanie came from a family of women who loved to read. Thus, it was no surprise Stefanie was the sort of student who would read her English books before the semester started. After sneaking several literature subjects into her ‘very practical’ Business degree, she got a job in Communications. When writing emails and newsletters didn’t fulfil her creative urges, she turned to fiction and was finally able to write the stories that kept her mind busy at night.

Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels and zombie movies.

Author Links:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Winners choice of a Stephanie London Backlist)
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She held the blindfold while trying to ignore the flutter of excitement in her stomach. Her fingers toyed with the elasticated band meant to hold the mask in place.

“Both partners are going to get a turn at being blindfolded,” Libby said from the front of the room. “Between yourselves, pick who’s going to go first.”

Noah looked down at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He ran a hand along his jaw, catching the reddish-gold bristles of his burgeoning beard. For a moment, Paige was totally captured with the idea of how the bristles might feel on her skin. Would they be smooth or rough? Would she shriek if he brushed them along her inner thigh?

“What do you say, new girl?” He cocked his head. “Would you rather do the blindfolding or be blindfolded?”

At that point she would have been happy to go all in— blindfolded, tied up, and held down.

Holy crap, would you listen to yourself? This is a work function, not a goddamn re-creation of Fifty Shades.

“Blindfolded,” she squeaked, thrusting the mask into his hands and spinning so quickly that she almost lost her footing.

“You know, I’ve never done this before.” His hand steadied her, the reassuring warmth of his touch seeping into her skin. Her bones felt like jelly.

“Blindfolded someone?” she asked, cringing at how shaky her voice sounded.

“Ah, no. I meant the taste test.” He chuckled as he slipped the mask over her eyes.

Heat rushed up to Paige’s cheeks. Of course he meant the taste test. What an idiot she was. Just because her brain was earning an R-rating tonight didn’t mean his was, too. She fought back a tremor as he brushed some loose hairs from her neck so he could adjust the strap on the mask.

Everything went dark, and Paige gripped the edge of the table for support.

Warm breath whispered over her ear, and she could tell he’d leaned in a little closer. The scent of coffee and faded cologne tempted her to turn her head toward the source.

“I’ve definitely blindfolded someone before, but it wasn’t for a taste test.”
Her breath hitched, and she was grateful that she’d had the presence of mind to hold on to something.

Self-professed perfectionist meets bad boy, who wouldn’t want to read that love story. When the bad boy is described as the fourth Hemsworth brother and the story takes place in Melbourne, Australia. Well then I was sold. This is the first romance that I have ever read that has taken place down under and it honestly made the story so much better.

Paige Thomas’s life is not going the way she planned. In her mind, she would have the perfect accounting job at this point in her life not unemployed and living off her best friend’s couch having daily matches with her cat Damon. And she did have this perfect accounting job until her decision to go on a date with a co-worker resulted in her termination. Now she had less than a month to find a job or it was back to her small country town, solidifying the fact that she, in her mind, had failed. Who knew that one visit to First, a bar-slash-restaurant for a simply cup of coffee to clear her head and get her refocused after another unsuccessful job interview would change her life forever.

Noah Reid was just trying to hire a new barista at First, which he was temporarily managing while his friend Des was away, but so far the applicants were less than stellar. That is until Paige breezes into First. Paige is more distracted by how freakin’ gorgeous Noah is that it takes her a minute to realize that Noah has mistaken her as his next applicant. What does Paige do? Well she hijacks someone else’s interview of course. The thing is, working in a place like First is not so far fetched seeing as Paige’s family owns a cafe back home which she worked in for many years. When Noah finds out that Paige is not who she say she is well things go a little south from there. Except Noah does not know Paige’s determination because she bets him that if she can make him the best coffee he has ever tasted then he has to hire her.

Paige and Noah’s first meeting was so fun much and absolutely hilarious. It was what drew me into the book in the first place. Their banter was so cute and natural during the interview but you could clearly tell that there was some underlying sexual tension happening. I think the best part was when Paige was trying to win the bet. You could clearly see the romantic comedy elements of the book coming out. Paige seemed so comfortable around Noah even though they had just met but she was still kind of shy and a little bit embarrassed especially after the incident that happened during her interview. Let’s just say Paige exposed a little bit more of her self than she wanted to Noah while dazzling him with her coffee making skills.

While I really enjoyed the beginning of Paige and Noah’s relationship and the bets they made to one another, I think my expectations in terms of where the story was going and the overall pacing did not match up with the story. I finished the book wanting more. More of Noah’s relationship with his family. More intimate moments between Paige and Noah. Just MORE. I will say though that the ending really tied things together for me even if the middle was in the end a bit underwhelming.

If you are looking for a cute romantic comedy that takes place down under, then definitely check out Betting the Bad Boy!

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

Blog Tour + Review: Good Lies by Charlotte West

May 16, 2017May 17, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

Good Lies
Charlotte West
A Wild Minds Novel
May 08, 2017

If Warren Price was gasoline, I’d be a lit match.

Addison Wanks, rock ’n’ roll’s favorite daughter, is good at keeping secrets.

Secret One

She’s responsible for the long-standing feud between her father’s band, Wanks and Janks, and younger band Wild Minds. She may or may not have let Wild Minds’ sexy bad-boy lead singer
Warren defile her backstage at a concert. Okay, she totally did.
Secret Two

She’s supposed to be attending college but instead skips town to follow Wild Minds on their European tour. Addy adores Warren Price.

Secret Three

Europe doesn’t go so well. Her sexy lead singer turned out to be king of a**holes. He’s arrogant, demanding and controlling. Addy loathes Warren Price. Oh, well.

Secret Four

Fast forward a few years and Addy is planning to attend her father’s farewell tour when she hears the news—Wild Minds is back in the good graces of Wanks and Janks. The two bands will be headlining together. This is going to make avoiding Warren difficult. Especially since it seems Warren doesn’t want to be ignored. He also doesn’t want a divorce. That’s right, Addy is married to the Wild Minds front man. Shh. Don’t tell.

What will happen when all Addy’s secrets are revealed?

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34527117-good-lies?from_search=true

About the Author:

Charlotte West writes romance about strong heroines and the sexy alpha males who love them. She lives in Washington state with her husband and very large dog (think miniature pony size). She spends way too much money on books, and way too much time reading. When she’s not reading, she’s feeding her reality television addiction, eating chocolate, or traveling. She’s been known to consume her weight in Girl Scout cookies.

She has a degree in Science and a Master’s in Education, neither of which she is currently using but is still paying for. Occasionally, she moonlights as a YA author.

Author Links:
Website: https://www.charlottewestbooks.com/
Newsletter: https://www.charlottewestbooks.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16551940.Charlotte_West
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Charlotte-West-1297992550266292/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWestBooks

The minute I read the blurb for this book I wanted to read it. I mean how can you not read through all of Addison’s secrets especially the last one and not want to starting reading Good Lies immediately. And the cover, which um hi is absolutely GORGEOUS, only made me want to get my hands on this book even more. I should also preface this review by saying this is the first rockstar romance that I have ever read but if there are others that are just as amazing as this one I’m pretty sure rockstar romances will become my new favorite kind of romance to read.

I loved how this book started because it was not how I was expecting it too. In the prologue, you are introduced to Addison when she is a child after she is found by the police because her mother, who left her alone for four days, unfortunately died of an overdose. Addison admits in the prologue that her father, at least she was told, is Billy Wanks, a world famous rockstar. While one of the officers is very skeptical, another officer, Officer Pete, who will become an important person in Addison’s life is more open to the possibility. Within the next few chapters, it is confirmed that Addison is Billy’s kid. Even though he has no idea how to raise a child at the age of 22, Billy takes Addison home and raises her in his rockstar lifestyle until she is about sixteen. That is when Addison first meets Warren Price, her future husband, and things get a little crazy from there.

Switching to present day we find Addison in college, trying to make it on her own in NYC without her father’s money and the attention that comes with it. Everything is going well until her father calls and asks if she could come on the last leg of his tour. Addison is very reluctant to go because her husband and his band are the opening act. Addison and Warren’s relationship is a bit strained, considering Addison left him in Europe with no explanation and then has sent divorce papers for him to sign over the last few years each time getting them back blank. But Addison’s love for her father wins out overall and she decides that this is the perfect way to get Warren to sign the divorce papers once and for all. As if it was going to be that easy lol.

This book was so much more than just a rockstar romance with its quintessential arrogant, I-think-I’m-a-rock-god rockstar. Don’t get me wrong Warren Price fits that bill perfectly, but there was also a lot of angst and emotion. Addison has not lived the most normal life with being abandoned and then swept up into this world of fame and traveling on the road with Billy. Add in Warren and their love story, with Billy disapproving of Warren from day one, and the huge secret of their marriage and you really feel for her throughout the book. Secrets and lies pile up and you know things are going to hit the fan at some point but you also hold out hope for Addison and Warren because through everything they still love each other.

There is a lot going on in this book and because I was hooked from the first page, I think I read this just a tad too fast because I don’t think I was able to connect with what was happening at some points in the book and that through off my paced feeling for the book towards the end. All I know is that I plan on reading this again very soon and that I CAN’T WAIT for Ash and Lily’s story (Warren’s brother and Addison’s best friend).

All I can say is that if you are a fan of rockstar romances, you have to pick this up soon. And if you aren’t that much of a fan, still pick it up because there is some much more to it that just the rockstar aspect.

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

Blog Tour + Review: Going in Deep by Carly Phillips

May 11, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

Carly Phillips
Going in Deep
Billionaire Bad Boys, Book 4
May 9, 2017

He isn’t Mr. Nice Guy…

Julian Dane thought he’d hit rock bottom — until he met a woman (isn’t that what they all say?). He used her and broke her heart. Now he wants to turn things around but the damage he dealt stands in his way.

Kendall Parker’s unique issues have made it hard to live a normal life. Very few people understand her and she trusts even less … but she believed in Julian once, and he only betrayed her.

Now Julian is back — a new man — and determined to win Kendall’s heart. But this reformed bad boy just might find that Going in Deep is harder than it looks.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and Sexy as hell.
All Billionaire Bad Boys Novels stand alone!

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34216074-going-in-deep

About the Author:

Author Links:
Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Newsletter: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10000.Carly_Phillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Phillips/e/B001I9W0MS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlyphillips

Previous books in the Billionaire Bad Boys Series

Going Down Easy
Billionaire Bad Boys
Book 1

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Billionaire Kaden Barnes has a reputation for being difficult and always getting his way.

Enigmatic and exacting, he’s unable to keep an assistant for long. Enter his newest hire, Lexie Parker. She’s no-nonsense, efficient and all business… She’s also hot as sin and soon starring in Kaden’s dirtiest fantasies.

As their passion for each other reaches a boiling point, neither can control the explosive outcome when they finally give in to their desires. He may think he’s calling the shots, but for this bad boy, going down easy has never felt so good.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30064124-going-down-easy

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/29CXgH0
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/29qYYaS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/29wlJL1
iBooks: http://apple.co/29lk0G4
Google Play: http://bit.ly/29qcKMj

Going Down Fast
Billionaire Bad Boys
Book 2

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Lucas Monroe dropped out of college only to become a multi-billionaire and tech world God. He can have any woman he desires in his bed, but the only woman he’s ever wanted is off limits and always has been. When Maxie Sullivan finds herself in dire straits, the only man she can turn to is the one she’s always secretly loved: her childhood best friend. Can they trust their hearts and make a future, or will their complicated pasts stand in the way?

This bad boy is going down fast …

And going down fast has never felt so right.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30297093-going-down-fast

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2acSVXh
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2acUdSf
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aiVlWT
iBooks: http://apple.co/2awzmvS
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2asyBmA

Going Down Hard
Billionaire Bad Boys
Book 3

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Derek West rose from poverty to take the tech world by storm. He’s sexy, confident and gets any woman he wants. And who he wants is Cassie Storm, the rich girl he’s never been good enough for.

She’s desperate to save her family company and there’s only one man who can help. But Derek isn’t interested in helping. He wants to possess both the company and the woman he’s never been able to forget.

His plan? To screw her out of his head. Except once he’s had a taste of Cassie, he doesn’t want to let her go. Her family remembers where he came from, and they won’t allow it. When the truth about their pasts comes to light, though, it may be Cassie who’s going down hard.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30289585-going-down-hard

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2eHavVe
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2e8Rq1T
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2f1RvU9
iBooks: http://apple.co/2elBggW
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2hgRZIE

After reading the other three books in this series and really getting invested in these characters and the world of the Billionaire Bad Boys, I will be honest I was a bit apprehensive to read this fourth and final book. My apprehensiveness swirled around the fact that this couple, Julian and Kendall, and the issues they each have and are working on overcoming were probably going to make this book an emotional rollercoaster. And I was not wrong, this book was an emotional rollercoaster.

Let me start out by saying that this book is by far my favorite in the series. I enjoyed the other three books quite a bit but Going in Deep was different from them. I think it was because, if you have read the other books in this series, you are introduced to Julian and Kendall in the first book. You see their beginning and then unfortunately you see the betrayal when Kendall finds out that Julian used her the entire time to get back at Kade since Kendall is the twin sister of Lexie who falls in love with Kade in Going Down Easy. What Julian didn’t know is that Kendall is bipolar and at the time was not entirely in control of her disorder. But, it is the realization that he hurt someone who was not mentally stable that caused Julian to re-examine his life and become a better man.

My opinion of Julian in the first book was less than stellar especially after my suspicions were confirmed that he was using Kendall to get what he wanted: to get back at Kade. But this book completely threw those opinions out the freakin’ window because not only do you see just how much Julian has done in his life to change and become a better person but you also learn about his background and why he turned to drugs. The character development of both Julian and Kendall are amazing but it was Julian’s actions and his want to make things work with Kendall a second time around that made me not only root for him but also fall in love with him a little bit.

I feel like I haven’t rooted for a couple to get together this much in a while. Both Julian and Kendall have had their issues to work on but it is those experiences of working on getting better that makes them perfect for one another. Even if they have obstacles such as the approval of Lexie and Kade. It frustrated me to no end that Lexie and Kade were so resistant even after Kendall explained that Julian had changed. I understand their hesitations but it got to the point where I wanted to shake them. It made me love Kendall even more when she finally stood up for her feelings towards Julian because it was about damn time.

I could honestly gush about this book for a few more paragraphs but this review is already long enough. If you like second chance romances that will pull at your heartstrings and have you furiously rooting for the couple, then PICK. UP. THIS. BOOK. You will not be disappointed. (While you don’t have to read the other books in the series, I do recommend it because you will get a better sense of this couple’s journey.)

VERDICT: Carly Phillips hits yet another romance out of the park.

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

Blog Tour + Review/Excerpt: Payback by Christina Phillips

May 8, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

Payback
Viking Bastards MC #2
By: Christina Phillips
Releasing May 1, 2017
Entangled Scorched

Gage…

I don’t fuck girls who work for me, but as soon as Amelia turns those big green eyes on me I know she’s trouble. I can’t keep my hands off her, and the almost-but-not-quite-sex we share in the kitchen is the hottest thing I’ve ever had. Except she calls it quits, before we’ve even started.

Instead of moving on, she’s all I can think about and that’s bad news. I’m breaking all my rules for her, and don’t even care.

Until I find out who she is and what she really wants. She’s after payback, but there’s no way she’s going to get it. No way in hell…

Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/3/29/payback-christina-phillips

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34741829-payback

Goodreads Series Link
https://www.goodreads.com/series/197376-viking-bastards-mc

Buy Links:
AMAZON | B&N | iTUNES | KOBO

Author Info

Christina Phillips is addicted to good coffee, expensive chocolate and bad boy heroes. She writes on the sizzling side of naughty, and loves bringing her tough biker heroes to their knees (her heroines enjoy this, too ☺)

She is also owned by three gorgeous cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong.

Author Links:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Rafflecopter Giveaway ($20.00 Amazon Gift Card)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I trace the outline of her ear and those three irresistible hoops. She gives a little shiver but still doesn’t grab hold of me. Guess it’s time to ease her mind on things.

I move in closer, and she steps back until she’s flat against the larder door.

“What happens between us tonight doesn’t affect your job. You understand?”

“You mean if I knee your nuts, you won’t fire me?”

Instinctively, I cradle my junk. “That wasn’t my first thought.”

Her smile damn near takes my breath away. “I bet it wasn’t. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Is that right?” I’m sure my package is safe so I twist a length of her hair around my finger. It’s as soft and silky as I imagined. “What’s that, then?”

“I think you’re trying to get inside my thong.”

The image of Amelia in nothing but a sexy thong fills my head. “You got a problem with that?”

“Yeah. It’s not happening.”

My gaze drops to her mouth. “Wanna bet?”

“I don’t need to bet. I’m telling you. All you get tonight is a kiss.”

Chicks don’t lay down the law to me. But then again, I’ve never been with a girl who confuses me as much as Amelia. If she wants to leave, she could easily walk away. I won’t stop her. But she stands there, like she’s daring me to take me up on her offer.

A kiss.

I give her a mocking smile. “You’ll want more than a kiss from me.”

She doesn’t answer right away, and I hide my smirk of victory as I lean in to claim her mouth. Her head tilts to the side, evading me, which is both frustrating and oddly fascinating.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. A kiss is my best offer. Take it or leave it.”

Despite the throb between my legs, I have the crazy urge to laugh. “That’s your best offer? You sure you don’t want me to go down on you?”

For a second I swear she’s about say yes, but then she hitches in a ragged breath. “Totally sure. Keep your head right where it is.”

No chick has ever refused that offer before, and the way she’s so desperately trying to hide how turned on she is makes me grin. “Okay. But I’ll only kiss you on one condition.”

“Huh?” She sounds drunk, and blinks at me like everything’s out of focus. “You have a condition?”

“It’s only fair.”

She stares at me as though I’ve lost my mind. I think I fucking have. Not that I care, since crazy as this all is, I’ve never had as much fun hooking up before.

Finally, she speaks. “What is it?”

“I can use my hands on you.” I wave my fingers in her face and she glances at them as though she has no idea what I’m talking about.

“Okay.” There’s a cautious note in her voice as though she thinks it’s some kind of trick. “But that’s all. Just your hands.”

That’s all I need.

Revenge is the name of the game in the second book of the Viking Bastards MC series but I’m pretty sure anyone could come to that conclusion based on the title lol. Much like the first book, it starts out at Odin’s, the bar frequented by the MC but this time the Viking Bastard that is getting the spotlight is its owner, Gage Reynolds. And who has their sights on Gage, in a I-want-to-make-you-pay kind of way, well that would be Amelia Crane, or for undercover purposes Amelia Davis, who has gotten a job at Odin’s as a bartender. Her plan was to get close to Gage so that she could get information on how to bring his MC down. The only problem with this plan… well it might have something to do with the fact that she thinks he is freakin’ hot and that her body seems to react whenever he is around her. Getting close to Gage won’t be hard, it is the whole trying not to put her hands on him or have his hands on her that might be a little more difficult. Of course, if Amelia just remembers that it was Gage’s father who killed her father, who was part of the Silver Wolves MC, then it might make the whole no touching thing a lot easier.

The chemistry between Gage and Amelia is what really drew me into this book. They both had their own reservations as to why it couldn’t happen but in the end that didn’t stop them whatsoever. Gage is very much an alpha who goes after what he wants and uses whatever means necessary to get it. You can clearly see that in the excerpt above where he manipulates the situation in his favor by agreeing to only kiss Amelia but he is allowed to use his hands as well. The result is pretty explosive especially since Amelia may have grown up in the MC lifestyle when she was younger but the guys she has date before are NOTHING like Gage. Gage opens up Amelia’s world as she gets a taste of someone who is a bit more dominant but that does not mean she fully allows it. Amelia is headstrong and has come here for a purpose, to exact revenge for her father’s death, and even though things start to shift as her feelings for Gage get stronger she still holds her own when with Gage. Amelia may be swayed by Gage in some instances but in others she stand by her beliefs and does not let Gage push them aside. It was those qualities that allowed me to love Amelia just as much as Gage.

While the beginning half of this book was hot and the sexual tension radiated off the pages between Gage and Amelia, the second half fell flat for me. Overall, I thought it moved way too fast. As a reader, I was so caught up in Gage and Amelia’s relationship, until the conflict that was building in the background just popped up and was dealt with way too quickly. I wish the second half was fleshed out a little bit more so it didn’t feel so rushed. Another thing that bothered me was how little what Amelia did as a career was talked about in the story. I understand that this is a MC romance so that is going to be the main thread running through the story but this happened in the first book as well where we get only a glimpse of what both the heroines do and nothing more. Both Amelia and Grace from the first book, Hooked, had such wonderful passions but they were only showcased for what felt like a moment. With the amount of angst that occurs in this book after secrets are revealed, if the second half was just fleshed out more I would have enjoyed this book a lot more as a whole.

Overall, though, this book did continue to fuel my love for MC romances. The sexual tension and sparks between Gage and Amelia were addicting. Gage is such a sexy delight, going after what he wanted and showing Amelia that she was just as affected as he was. The connection they had was hot as hell and so strong that you are left a little heartbroken when certain secrets are revealed and feelings get hurt. I can’t wait to continue on to the next book in this series! (Crossing my fingers that it is Kat’s story, Gage and Zach’s sister)

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Review: Truly, Madly, Whiskey by Melissa Foster

April 14, 2017April 14, 2017 rosiereads6131 Comment

Truly, Madly, Whiskey
By: Melissa Foster
Releasing April 10, 2017
World Literary Press

A new sexy standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.

Eight months is a long damn time to have the hots for a woman who keeps a guy at arm’s length. But Crystal Moon is no ordinary woman. She’s a sinfully sexy, sass-mouthed badass, and the subject of Bear Whiskey’s midnight fantasies. She’s also one of his closest friends.

Just when Crystal thinks she has her life under control, scorching-hot, possessive, aggressive, and fiercely loyal Bear pushes all her sexual buttons, relentless in his pursuit to make her his.

The more Bear pushes, the hotter their passion burns, unearthing memories for Crystal that are best kept buried. But there’s no stopping the collision of her past and present, catapulting the two lovers down an emotional and sexually charged road that has them questioning all they thought they knew about themselves.

Link to Follow Blast:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/1/20/bearing-her-secrets-by-melissa-foster-1

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075375-truly-madly-whiskey

Book Trailer:
Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/209272565
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/cwsBu1Mef9Y

Buy Links:
AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

Author Info

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Author Links:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Three (3) e-copies of TRU BLUE)
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After reading this book, I kind of beat myself up a bit for not reading the previous book because I missed some of the amazing moments between Bear and Crystal in the first eight months of their “relationship”. To read this book and see the immediate chemistry these two characters have and to have not read their previous encounters such as when they first met felt wrong. Regardless of these feelings, this was yet another AMAZING book by Melissa Foster, further cementing her into my auto-buy author category.

Crystal Moon has Bear Whiskey listed as “Him” in her cell phone because for the last eight months this motorcycle riding, arrogant yet gorgeous man has injected himself into her life to the point that she needs to put distance between her and him anyway she can. The only problem with this method of hers is that her attraction and feelings towards Bear are starting to make it extremely difficult to keep resisting his advances. And boy has Bear made advances. Relentless should be Bear’s middle name because he does not waste any opportunity to let Crystal know that he is interested.

But Crystal has some reasons to distance herself from Bear, especially from an intimacy standpoint, because she has gone through a lot in her past and is still working on overcoming what she has unfortunately experienced. Even though she may be physically trying to keep away from Bear does not mean she is completely silent to his attempts to go out with him. It is usually during these moments when Crystal’s snark comes out and hilarious and playful banter ensues between the two of them. I’m a sucker for banter between characters so I was hooked very early on. You could clearly see the chemistry between Crystal and Bear it was practically rising off the pages, or the screen in my case.

Though the banter was definitely entertaining, Bear stole the show for me. It has been a while since I have been smitten with a male lead but Bear Whiskey filled that void. I mean his name alone makes you curious as to who he is. The fact that Bear is part of a motorcycle club with his family and rides a motorcycle only made me fall for him harder. But while he may be one gorgeous, sexy, bad ass alpha male, it was his heart and his love for Crystal that really did me in. There is one moment involving flowers that literally took my breath away and made my heart ache because it was such an insanely beautiful moment and showed just how much Bear cared for Crystal. Bear may be relentless in his pursuit of Crystal but he also has a ton of patience and understanding. He is book boyfriend material for me that’s for sure.

If you are looking for a romance where the chemistry between the two characters is off the freaking charts but also has a lot of heart to it, then go read Truly, Madly, Whiskey. Bear Whiskey is waiting for you ;).

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Review: Faking It by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

April 14, 2017September 20, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

Faking It
Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde
April 11, 2017

Confirmed bachelor Max Sterling isn’t into rescuing damsels in distress, but when the very tempting Hailey Ellison needs his help, there’s only one thing for him to do. Step in and pose as her loving fiancé. Except there is nothing fake about his attraction to her, or how much he wants her beneath him in his bed, moaning his name. But what starts as a sexy, flirty, temporary engagement, quickly becomes something more serious that neither one ever anticipated.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33897795-faking-it

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2nATDDp
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2mW6F1g
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2nAXaSe
iBooks: http://apple.co/2lXgNrf
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2lXeHrk

About the Authors:

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.

Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10000.Carly_Phillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Phillips/e/B001I9W0MS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlyphillips

carly-and-erika

Erika Wilde is the author of the sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she’s not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit website at http://www.erikawilde.com.

Website: http://www.erikawilde.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5357264.Erika_Wilde
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Erika-Wilde/e/B00CVE4WSO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErikaWildeAuthorFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikawilde1

percy-klein
Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde just keep hitting them out of the park! Yet another book of theirs that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though I wasn’t exactly surprised since I seem to love every book that I have read so far.

Hailey Ellison has a few secrets. One: She is faking the fact that she is engaged. Two: She has the hots for her realtor, Max Sterling. Now Hailey’s reason for the fake fiancee situation is understandable. She has her own matchmaking business which is doing very well and for the founder to be single, well that does exactly bode well. Now the whole having the hots for her realtor thing, she thinks that is all one-sided. Hailey soon finds out is NOT the case at all.

Max Sterling knows that he should not be attracted to his client, who is very much engaged, but he can’t help it when it comes to Hailey Ellison. But after a run-in with one of Hailey’s clients, he soon learns that the man Hailey is engaged to is none other than him. Wait, what? After Hailey explains how things became so mixed-up and complicated, Max actually agrees to continue to pretend to be her fiancee. Why? Because that allows him to spend time with Hailey and show her just how right he is for her.

I love the way they did the fake fiancee storyline in this because it was sort of a twist for me. Normally with these kinds of storylines, one of the characters needs the engagement in order to get something they are after. This leads them to purpose this fake facade to the person who will play their fiancee. In Faking It, Hailey needs to give off the illusion that she has a fiancé, only it kind of backfires when the person she created as her fiancé is an actually person who then finds out from a third party that they are in fact “engaged”. Max’s willingness to play along even after all the deception and complicated mess that Hailey created was refreshing. He saw this as an opportunity to show Hailey that he was the guy for her after all which I loved about his character.

Another element I found refreshing was that Hailey was not the typical leading lady in romance who is very much in shape and has a gorgeous slim body. The fact that Hailey has a more average body type with wonderful curves just made this story so much more real in my mind. I connected so much with Hailey as she explained her insecurities about her body and her past dealing with guys who made fun of her size. She held herself back from ever getting close to guy so she wouldn’t get hurt but that all changed once she meets Max. Max has his alpha side to him but his patience, understanding, and protective nature towards Hailey is what made me love him as a character.

Though it was again a little too short for my liking, this story still had a lot to love about it. If you are looking for a sweet romance with characters who feel real and will make you swoon, then definitely check out Faking It!

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Blog Tour + Review: The Hot Zone Series by Carly Phillips

March 15, 2017March 15, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

I still cannot believe that I get to review one of my all-time favorite series that have been newly edited and got some gorgeous looking covers as well. This is the first romance series that I fell in love with and that cemented my love for Carly Phillips. I hope you enjoy this smoking hot sports romance series as much as I do!

Note: I will be giving brief reviews for each book since there are four in the series as to not make this post a million miles long lol. Keep in mind there will be some spoilers

Hot Zone
Books 1-4
Carly Phillips
March 7, 2017

Hot Stuff (Book 1)

He’s about to find out … She’s not just one of the guys.

Annabelle Jordan and her two sisters were orphans in frilly dresses when they went to live with their sports-lawyer uncle in his world of locker rooms, bookies and gambling. Now the girls are publicists in their uncle’s firm, The Hot Zone.

Despite her upbringing, Annabelle is all woman. She’s naturally drawn to real men—like her latest client, businessman and former football legend Brandon Vaughn.

The chemistry is potent, undeniable, irresistible. Annabelle soon realizes that Brandon is much more than just another jock. And that she’d better hold on tight if she doesn’t want to lose her heart.

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I hate to play favorites especially with a series that is near and dear to my heart BUT Hot Stuff is my favorite book in the Hot Zone series. This was either my fourth or fifth time reading it and it brought back all the feelings I had when I read it back when I was 16. Annabelle and Brandon are just adorable together but they also bring the heat as their resistance to working alongside one another, because of their obvious attraction, does not last long once they are alone up in Brandon’s hometown. And even before that happens we get great bickering back and forth moments where their butting heads with one another just causes the sexual tension to build and build and build.

Though the bickering and butting heads moments are thoroughly entertaining and definitely lead to some hot moments in the bedroom, one element of the story really pulled on the heartstrings for me and brought forth a topic not usually talked about in romance novels. Brandon has dealt with a learning disability all his life that made things difficult in high school leading him to focus on something he was good at which was football. He overcame his obstacles thanks to some help from his agent but it caused him to have a very strained relationship with his parents who did not view him as being good enough in their eyes. Brandon dealing with his parents throughout the story was hard to read because they still view him as the kid who didn’t do well enough in school and not as the uber successful football player that he has become. When Brandon admits what he views as his flaw to Annabelle, it was the most heartwarming moment of the book because it sets up the beginning of their relationship as one that is more than just having fun.

If you like characters that bicker and challenge one another causing heaps and heaps of sexual tension, a cast of entertaining and lovable side characters, and a bit of a mystery, then you will love Hot Stuff.

Hot Number
Book 2

Micki Jordan is a tomboy as much at home on the playing field as in a locker room full of naked guys.

But the star publicist is looking to prove she’s also an irresistible woman in order to get a second shot at professional baseball player and major league playboy, Damian Fuller.

Micki transforms herself into one hot number Damian can’t help but notice and together they burn up the sheets and find themselves falling hard. Until Damian’s past returns, threatening their future.

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Good Ole Micki, just one of the guys. That is how Micki Jordan has felt for most of her life. And for good reason considering she spent most of her childhood in a locker room following her Uncle Yank around. She never felt like she could relate to her sisters and be girlie. That was all fine and good until it began to get a bit old and that was before she kissed Damian Fuller at a New Year’s Eve party. Now this tomboy wants to be seen as more than just one of the guys especially to Damian. And boy does she get her wish when things get a little crazy on a trip to Florida acting as Damian’s publicist. Let’s just say it involves a mix up in the drink order, a strip club, and Micki showing Damian just how much she is not one of the guys. Intrigued? Well this little incident, which is extremely entertaining to read, leads to Micki and Damian escaping to his vacation home on an island off of the Florida Keys ALONE. I don’t think I need to explain what happened while they were there, only that it was hilarious to read Damian’s reactions when Micki decides this is the perfect opportunity to make her move.

Micki and Damian’s moments together on the island were adorable, steamy, and very real but when they come back from the island the storyline shifts more to the side characters and what is happening between them, mainly the debacle that is Uncle Yank and Lola’s relationship. While I enjoyed reading about these characters because you just can’t help but fall in love with them as you see their storylines progress from the first book, I did feel like the focus on Micki and Damian’s relationship was pushed aside a bit too much for my liking. I realized how much I enjoyed the beginning part of this book much more than I did the middle moving into the end. Overall though the ending was worth the wait, even if there were quite a few obstacles before we could get there, and I adored Micki and Damian’s story just as much as did the first time I read it.

Hot Item
Book 3

Cool, collected Sophie Jordan loves her daily routine running her family’s top sports management agency, as long as she gets to stay behind the scenes. But with big sister on maternity leave and little sis on her honeymoon, she’s forced to step up to the plate. And a recent media crisis surrounding the disappearance of super-agent Spenser Atkins is not going to make the job any easier.

Enter star quarterback and notorious bad boy Riley Nash who, for reasons of his own, needs to track down Atkins. Up until now, Sophie has kept a strict no-dating-clients policy, but each day with Riley makes her rule near impossible to follow. With her job and her heart on the line, Sophie will need to make the toughest choice of her life!

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Out of all the sisters, I knew I was going to relate to Sophie the most just because she is described as always having her nose in a book when she was younger. Now all grown up she is “the smart sister” who uses her need for knowledge as a way to control everything in her life. Everything in her life is planned out and that includes her relationships, which under no circumstances will ever be with a client as Sophie doesn’t do athletes. The only person who seems to be an exception to this rule is Riley Nash. He purposefully goes out of his way when he comes to the office to flirt with her, making it harder and harder for her to resist the building attraction she has for the man. Now that is all going to change when they are both after the same thing: finding Spencer Atkins. Sophie needs to find Spencer because of business reasons since the merger between his sports agency and Uncle Yank’s and Riley needs to find Spencer for a more personal reason. Their pursuit leads them to Florida to question his sisters if they know of his whereabouts.

Florida provides both Sophie and Riley with some answers but it also reveals one very important thing and that is their feelings for one another. But Riley has a lot going on in his personal life between his business with Spencer and dealing with his teenage daughter who knows daddy will give her whatever she wants if she asks. This novel like the previous one featuring Micki’s story also has a bunch of side characters and there are times when they take over the story leaving Sophie and Riley’s time together off to the side. While I absolutely loved Sophie and Riley especially Riley with his bad boy ways and Southern accent, it did seem like they weren’t getting enough of the spotlight in my opinion. But I guess that is what you have to realize as you continue on in this series because the storylines of the side characters continue to progress even if the love stories change with each book. While it did get annoying for me sometimes I love the side characters just as much so it wasn’t all bad in the end.

Hot Property
Book 4

Just one short season ago, major league center fielder John Roper had it all: the looks—and personal life—of a sports hero and the public’s adoration. But this hot property’s lucky streak has run out. After a World Series disaster, fans diss him, shock jocks mock him and his dysfunctional family hassles him for money he really can’t spare.

Now it’s up to him, and Hot Zone publicist Amy Stone, to get his life back on track.

Amy finds it’s easier said than done. What with the constant intrusions of his nutty family, a crazed fan playing stalker, and Roper’s refusal to put his own needs first, she’s starting to think that life in the fast lane isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when the two retreat to a secluded lodge, the sexy center fielder throws Amy a curveball—one she never saw coming…

Goodreads:
This new edition unavailable on Goodreads at this time

Buy links:
Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

The lovable John Roper finally gets his own story as well as his own HEA and I am so happy! John Roper is a client at Athletes Only and Hot Zone as well as Micki’s best friend. He is first introduced in Micki’s book, Hot Number, and then pops up in Hot Item as well but now it is his turn to find the love of his life. Only he doesn’t make a very good first impression when he comes onto Amy Stone at her cousin Riley’s wedding when he already brought another women as his date. Not a very good move John! It is not until a month later after Amy moves to New York for her new job as a publicist at Hot Zone that they meet again. Not only is the attraction still there but it is hotter than ever which makes things a little complicated when Roper is assigned as Amy’s first client.

Amy is so so sweet and new to the world of being a publicist to a professional athlete completely taken aback by the attention that they get especially Roper who has been under some heat for his poor performance last season. Not only is she juggling getting acclimated to this new life style, she is also trying to juggle her feelings for Roper while trying to be professional as his publicist. Add Roper’s demanding family constantly needing him to solve their problems and she has more than enough to deal with. With Roper’s family added into the mix, this book like the others in the series has a whole cast of side characters which definitely add to the drama. Especially the point of view that pops up of the person who is trying to ruin Roper’s career. While these side characters and storylines definitely take time away from the main couple, Amy and Roper, they add a lot to the story further expanding on the world that Carly Phillips has created over the course of these four books.

As a series overall…..

About the author:

Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Newsletter Signup: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10000.Carly_Phillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Phillips/e/B001I9W0MS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlyphillips

blog tour · book blog · book review · books · reading

Blog Tour + Review: Going Down Hard by Carly Phillips

February 27, 2017February 27, 2017 rosiereads613Leave a comment

Going Down Hard
Carly Phillips
Billionaire Bad Boys Book 3
February 21, 2017

A stand-alone Billionaire Bad Boys novel.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Derek West rose from poverty to take the tech world by storm. He’s sexy, confident and gets any woman he wants. And who he wants is Cassie Storm, the rich girl he’s never been good enough for.

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Previous/Other books in the Billionaire Bad Boys series

Going Down Easy
Billionaire Bad Boys #1

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Billionaire Kaden Barnes has a reputation for being difficult and always getting his way.

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Buy links:
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Going Down Fast
Billionaire Bad Boys #2

A stand-alone Billionaire Bad Boys novel.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

This bad boy is going down fast …

And going down fast has never felt so right.

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Buy links:
Amazon Kindle | B&N Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

About the Author:

Derek West and Cassie Storm have a past. Once upon a time she was the rich, popular girl and he was the gardener’s son whose parents worked for her and her family. Despite the differences between them, they shared a small, intimate moment the summer before they went off to college that spoke of promise. That is, until it all came crashing down the next day when Derek overheard Cassie and her friends admitting that he may be totally fuckable but he was not the boy you bring home to your parents. Assuming he had seen Cassie’s true colors as the quintessential rich girl and wanting nothing of it, Derek went off to college focusing on his passion for computers instead. Fast forward ten years and Derek West is one third of the billion dollar tech company that created the popular app, Blink. He may have been the gardener’s son in the past but now he is one of the most sought after person in the tech world. And one of those people hoping to get a moment of Derek’s time is none other than Cassie Storm. Oh how the tables have turned.

Cassie has been working her butt off at her family’s company determined to make her late grandfather proud by to become CEO of the company when her father decides to step down. Unfortunately that opportunity is ripped away from her when her father annouces that her brother, who has been jet setting around Europe for the past year and therefore has had no experience working for the family business, is given the presitigious title instead. Heartbroken by the decision, Cassie lets her disappointment and hurt fuel her determination to show her father that she is still worthy by landing THE interview that will make their company’s tech magazine one everyone will be talking about. That coveted interview Cassie desperately needs? You guessed it, Derek West.

Things get a little more difficult when Derek doesn’t initially agree to the interview as he has a firm policy not to let anybody know about his past and how he got to where he is today. Especially when the person asking reminds him vividly of how her family ruined his family’s life. Did I forget to mention that Cassie’s father accused Derek’s mother who was the Storm family’s maid at the time of stealing a diamond necklace and then had her arrested. This lead to the family being fired, thus losing their home and their health insurance, which made things especially hard when Derek’s father got cancer, leaving them unable to get him the care he needed in time resulting in his father’s death. At least that is how Derek has seen it for the past 10 years. But what Derek didn’t bet on is that A) his feelings for Cassie still existed and were still as strong as they were 10 years ago, and B) for him to be wrong about Cassie being the stuck-up rich girl he thought she was all those years ago.

The one thing I loved about this book was how Cassie did not take any of the crap Derek threw at her. Derek still has a lot of resentment and anger towards the Storm family after what happened and there are time when it affects his behavior when he is around Cassie as if he holds her responsible for what her father did. But Cassie doesn’t allow this behavior to stand and on more than one occasion calls Derek out on it and makes it perfectly clear she is not going to stand for it. I absolutely LOVED those moments because it shows you how strong she is as a women especially when she has been proving herself almost her entire life when it comes to her family and their company.

“I’m not giving up on the interview. But you should think about whether or not you want to see me outside of a working relationship. Because I don’t want to deal with the snide remarks and sudden change of temperature when something you don’t like comes up.”

Derek had a lot to work through over the course of this book as he tries to move past his feelings about the Storm family so that it does not interfere with his relationship with Cassie. Then when the truth of the incident that caused his family so much pain, at least in his eyes, comes to light Derek must learn to accept what has happened in the past in order for him to have a future with Cassie. I really enjoyed the journey Derek went on because he had so much loyalty to his family that it blinded him a bit because it allowed for his anger towards the Storm family to remain and grow as he got older. It was this second chance with Cassie that allowed him to not only find love but also learn to accept what has happened in the past and, in a way, forgive those involved.

While there is a lot of emotion in this book, there is also a lot of heat as well so if you are looking for a second chance romance that encompasses both, I definitely suggest you check out Going Down Hard and the other books in this series.

I trace the outline of her ear and those three irresistible hoops. She gives a little shiver but still doesn’t grab hold of me. Guess it’s time to ease her mind on things. I move in closer, and she steps back until she’s flat against the larder door.

“What happens between us tonight doesn’t affect your job. You understand?”

“You mean if I knee your nuts, you won’t fire me?”

Instinctively, I cradle my junk. “That wasn’t my first thought.”

Her smile damn near takes my breath away. “I bet it wasn’t. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Is that right?” I’m sure my package is safe so I twist a length of her hair around my finger. It’s as soft and silky as I imagined. “What’s that, then?”

“I think you’re trying to get inside my thong.”

The image of Amelia in nothing but a sexy thong fills my head. “You got a problem with that?”

“Yeah. It’s not happening.”

My gaze drops to her mouth. “Wanna bet?”

“I don’t need to bet. I’m telling you. All you get tonight is a kiss.”

Chicks don’t lay down the law to me. But then again, I’ve never been with a girl who confuses me as much as Amelia. If she wants to leave, she could easily walk away. I won’t stop her. But she stands there, like she’s daring me to take me up on her offer.

A kiss.

I give her a mocking smile. “You’ll want more than a kiss from me.”

She doesn’t answer right away, and I hide my smirk of victory as I lean in to claim her mouth. Her head tilts to the side, evading me, which is both frustrating and oddly fascinating.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. A kiss is my best offer. Take it or leave it.”

Despite the throb between my legs, I have the crazy urge to laugh. “That’s your best offer? You sure you don’t want me to go down on you?”

For a second I swear she’s about say yes, but then she hitches in a ragged breath. “Totally sure. Keep your head right where it is.”

No chick has ever refused that offer before, and the way she’s so desperately trying to hide how turned on she is makes me grin. “Okay. But I’ll only kiss you on one condition.”

“Huh?” She sounds drunk, and blinks at me like everything’s out of focus. “You have a condition?”

“It’s only fair.”

She stares at me as though I’ve lost my mind. I think I fucking have. Not that I care, since crazy as this all is, I’ve never had as much fun hooking up before.

Finally, she speaks. “What is it?”

“I can use my hands on you.” I wave my fingers in her face and she glances at them as though she has no idea what I’m talking about.

“Okay.” There’s a cautious note in her voice as though she thinks it’s some kind of trick. “But that’s all. Just your hands.”

That’s all I need.

As a series overall…..

I trace the outline of her ear and those three irresistible hoops. She gives a little shiver but still doesn’t grab hold of me. Guess it’s time to ease her mind on things.

I move in closer, and she steps back until she’s flat against the larder door.