Monday 31 March 2014

Blog tour ~ Review, Teaser & Giveaway ~ Sweet Reflection (Truth 2) by Grace Henderson


Book: Sweet Reflection
Author: Grace Henderson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 
Book Description:
 
Laurel Matthews’ career rests on helping brides-to-be with their most important wedding purchase – their dress. She will go to any length to ensure her customers get their perfect happily ever after, but has accepted the fact she may not get hers. The only two men she ever loved, left her, and she vowed not to let the heartbreak happen a third time. She leaves guys before they leave her and usually she’s fine with that, until one night that she can’t remember, changes everything.

James Dawson, self-proclaimed ladies’ man and all round womaniser has the best one night stand he’s ever had and does he get the chance to repeat it? No, because she can’t even remember it! With his ego pushing him to remedy that immediately he sets about pursuing the woman who could easily be his downfall.

When someone from James’ past settles herself in town and threatens the reprise he was hoping for, will he be able to overcome the temptation and prove himself to be the man Laurel can’t live without? Or will they both let underlying fears, past mistakes and uncertain futures lead them down a different path?

Book Two in the Truth Series - can be read standalone.


Teaser:
 
 
Our Review:
 
**ARC Received for honest review**
 
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars

“Girls like her don’t come around very often, but when they do, you gotta be smart enough to grab hold of them and never let go.”

I have not read the first book in this series, but after reading this one I now want to. This could be read as a standalone but the characters from the first book are present in the second book so it would probably be best to read them in order.

Laurel owns a bridal boutique and spends all her time helping women choose the dress for the best day of their lives. She takes her job seriously and invests her time and emotions in giving the best service to make their dreams come true. Unlucky in love herself Laurel has gone off men, having had a failed relationship and being the wounded party, she just can’t put herself out there again, her heart couldn’t take it. However, she did have a one night stand once after a drinking binge…shame she couldn’t remember it.

“Well if you’re going to give a girl the best sex of her life, then I think you should make sure she is sober enough to remember it in the morning, don’t you?”

James, eternally the womaniser and the king of one night stands, never had sex with the same girl twice, never even wanted to, not until… He had the best sex of his life one night, random hook-up as usual, but this one was different, he wanted a repeat performance, he liked this girl, shame she didn’t hang around in the morning so they could swap details…no while he was asleep, she had upped and left. Having never been on the receiving end it hurt, especially as this one had affected him so badly, he wanted more and he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

As in all good romances their paths do cross again, their best friends are engaged, with the nuptials impending will the best man and the bridesmaid be able to look at each other again?

“And since then I have come to realise that once a man-whore, always a man-whore.”

I absolutely loved this story, the underlying sexual tension and chemistry was there in spades and came across within the story perfectly. Laurel knows all about James’s history and this is a bitter pill to swallow. They have that love/hate relationship, the bickering, the insults, the banter all with sexual undertones will have you laughing your head off, but the mutual attraction is obvious and to me it was a case of when and not if they would finally bite the bullet and take that chance on each other.

“Pick your battles wisely. If what she wants isn’t life or death; if it doesn’t affect your morals or values; if it will make her happy; if in five minutes, five days, five weeks you aren’t going to remember the argument, just give her what she wants. Chances are, you will both be happier for it!”

This book does have underlying plot lines that will make you squirm and get a bit angry; it is sad in places and hilarious in others, a great blend that balances out the love, hate, drama and angst. It isn’t all plain sailing but it makes for a great, fab, interesting and enjoyable read and as I said above I am now going to go back and read the first. Great job Grace Henderson!
 
About the Author:
 
When Grace isn't working her day job, she is huddled in the corner writing or reading romance novels. Having always loved both, it was only after changing jobs and having to put up with a long commute that they took over as an obsession. Now there isn't a day goes by that she lets her Ipad out of sight. She lives in the UK with her husband and two cats, and is a compulsive tea drinker.
Tour Giveaway:
 





Sunday 30 March 2014

Review ~ Carnage (Carnage 1) by Lesley Jones

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars

“You Gia are a flirt, but one day, one day it will be our turn. Our time.”

Wow, this is one of those books that when you get to the end you think “what the hell have I just read?” My curiosity had been piqued with this one as a few friends had said this is a must read. Well, while I did have a few issues that meant I couldn’t give it that extra star, this was a fab read that I thoroughly enjoyed and couldn’t put down, in fact it meant another sleepless night as I had to finish it in one go. It was a highly addictive read for me. I love young love and with this book you couldn’t get any younger, these two were destined for each other from a very young age. This book also spans decades so you really feel them evolving as a couple and go through all their trials and tribulations with them. Also, have I mentioned that Carnage is a band? Yes, Sean is a rock star too!

George/Georgia/Gia, she has quite a few names, she was hanging upside down with her friend on the monkey bars, flashing their knickers, and her brother brings home his best friend Sean…

“Georgia Rae Layton, I’ve loved you since the very first day I set eyes on you and your pink polka dot knickers.”

Gia was 11 and Sean was 13 and the rest is history…

It took them a while to get together, Georgia being 14 and Sean 16, he was worried her brothers and her father wouldn’t like their relationship, especially as he was like their adopted son. It was clear to all around them though that it would eventually happen and it took a nudge from the brothers for Sean to finally declare them “boyfriend and girlfriend.” Once the first step was taken there was no looking back for this couple. Gia was from a wealthy family, not entirely all legitimate businesses but as a family unit they were extremely tight. Georgia, being the only girl was extremely well loved and extremely well protected. The young boys had formed a band, Sean being the lead singer and they would spend hours upon hours practicing at Georgia’s family home. They did the pubs and clubs and were eventually noticed and signed. This is where their problems ultimately begin.

“…from the very first day I set eyes on you, I’ve known you were my one true love, you own my heart, my mind, my body and soul and I will love you till I die.”

With fame and fortune, comes groupies and hangers on and Sean does fall foul of all the tricks of the trade. They do have quite a lengthy separation which leaves them emotionally distraught, especially Georgia. She goes into a deep depression and it takes nearly 4 years before she finally puts herself out there again. It is during this time that we meet Cam. Cam was an entrepreneur; again not entirely all legitimate (what is it with these Essex boys?) He owned clubs etc. and it is here that he meets Georgia for the first time.

I must say, I totally and utterly adored Cam, I thought that they were perfect for each other, but with the love that Gia and Sean had you knew that if he ever came back on the scene that she would always choose Sean. I do believe that you can love two people at once, but Sean was her soul mate, after all they did have that extra bond that only really happens once in a life time. I was totally and utterly torn. Cam was knows as Mr TDH (tall, dark and handsome) and that he was, he also had his own issues, but he was a tad alpha, super sexy and totally and utterly adorable, even down to Georgia’s pet name of Kitten.

“Are you ready for this Kitten? Coz I’m about to spin your world off its axis.”

This is an emotional book, I did have tears, quite a few times in fact, but it is also an extremely beautiful tale of young love and second chance love. This book will have you reeling, you will experience a plethora of emotions ranging from happy, sad, full on heart break and extreme happiness, you will laugh and you will cry, but what an experience.

This was also a trip down memory lane for me; the book is set in Essex, in the UK and is also set in the 80’s when they were growing up. This was my generation. Gia’s sense of humour and sharp wit had me laughing and smiling and you couldn’t help but love her. I often felt myself reminiscing as I was reading about them when they were young. This book is also heavy on the slang so may be confusing for some in places but it is easy to understand.

This book is a bit slow in places, especially the beginning when the ground work and foundations are being laid, but please; give the book a chance as it is well worth it once it gets going. I did feel that there were a few errors littered throughout the book, whilst this is not a problem for me, it may be to others. There is a small element of cheating in this book, it is very small and the plot doesn’t centre around it, but I also know that is a no-no for some readers. If you can see past those though, I am sure that you will thoroughly enjoy this epic journey through life from these two young lovers.

The author also says that this is a stand-alone; however I do feel that this story is far from over and I too would be one of the people demanding a follow up. I believe the author has bowed to the pressure and is continuing with this story though, so I for one will be keeping my eyes peeled and downloading it as soon as it is released. 

Saturday 29 March 2014

Blog Tour ~ Review & Excerpt ~ Monster by Francette Phal



Book Description:


Accidental Gold digger.

Circumstance forced Eden Mercer to sell herself to Dominic Armstrong for half a million dollars and in return she is to play the dutiful wife in public and submit to him completely behind closed doors.

The Tyrant.

Dominic is Ruthless, manipulative and sadistic but Eden is determined not to break under his cruelty. But how does one persevere when in the clutches of a Monster?





Buy Links:
 
                           


Our Review:
 
**ARC Received for honest review **
 
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars

“I wasn’t your wife, Dominic, I was a well paid sex toy, and you were the sad and pathetic asshole who paid for it.”

Well, this book was certainly not what it seemed. After reading the blurb I was convinced that this was going to be some deeply dark and twisted read, but I was pleasantly surprised. It certainly does not go the way you would expect but you do get a lot more for your money. I loved the story, the characters could be annoying in parts but this did add to the pull of the book. My only real criticism of this book was that it does need an edit; normally I am one to gloss over the odd mistake as I know that it is an indie and the odd few are bound to go unnoticed, but this one has a lot, to the point where I really began to notice. But pushing that little criticism aside, let’s get to the nitty gritties!

Eden has not had the best life, to pave her way through college she worked as a stripper but still managed to accumulate a lot of debt. It is while stripping she meets Dominic’s brother and they become romantically involved. Dominic the over-bearing, egotistical and ruthless business man was not happy with this turn of events and decides to make Eden an offer she could not refuse, don’t marry my brother, I will pay off all your debts and you can come with me and be my public arm candy and personal whore at night. Apart from one condition Eden agreed, Eden wanted marriage as part of the deal and to her surprise Dominic agreed. It soon becomes apparent that this is a sham of a marriage in epic proportions and unfortunately for Eden she is stuck. Stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who degrades her and publicly humiliates her, yet she yearns for his touch, yearns for his body and yes the feeling is mutual.

There is no denying that these two have amazing chemistry, their respective bodies need each other and call out to each other like a siren, yet their brains are so far behind it is tragic. Deep down I felt that Eden in some warped way loved Dominic from the start, but his actions towards her soon erode any feelings that were once there, or maybe they have just been hidden and forgotten.

Dominic, my, my, my, what a complete arsehole, seriously, in the beginning I found it really hard to find any empathy for him at all. He was a ruthless, arrogant, selfish, overbearing, over-opinionated ass wipe and that is putting it mildly. Yet slowly but surely, little by little, we are treated to the reasons why and his back story and you couldn’t help but find that little flicker of sympathy.

Something happens that totally changes the dynamics for these two, Dominic needed a reason to change and this event may just be the spark this change needed to catch fire and run rampant. To see this metamorphosis proved that even the biggest arseholes can change for the better, they deserve their stab at happiness and warrant forgiveness. It just takes that little something to give them a reason to change, to want to be a better person and more importantly, believe in themselves enough to be that better person.

“I don’t know what love is, Eden, but if I did, I know it would not come close to how deeply I feel for you.”

This is another one of those books that emphasises how a child’s upbringing can severely determine their future and even their personality and traits and it does make you think about your own children. But this is also a book about forgiveness, self-discovery and second chance love, wrapped in a dark and warped wrapping paper, but once you start ripping and reading the nice sparkly present is inside waiting to make you smile.

“You’ve given my heart its rhythm and it beats only because of you. I come to you in fractured pieces with the hope that you will have the patience to help put me back together again.”

Really enjoyed this read, as much as I could have killed Dominic in the beginning, I loved him by the end and that is no mean feat! Well done Francette Phal!
 
 Excerpt:

****Warning the following excerpt is for 18+ only****

“Soon, sweetie, I promise,” he soothed. She moaned softly as he licked her ear, dropped soft warm kisses across her shoulder blades, he moved down her back, a wet tongue and hot mouth traced and kissed each vertebrae, making a slow and steady progress down her spine. It was a torturous progression that boiled the blood in Eden’s veins as she waited in bated anticipation. Breath stilled in her lungs, eyes widening when he drew apart her butt cheeks and ran his tongue down the wet crevice, from clit to the puckered rosebud of her hole and back again. It was undoubtedly one of the most erotic things he’d ever done to her body, and Eden didn’t know how to breathe properly. She gripped the sheets beneath her hands and bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

It was like a shot of adrenaline straight into her vein. It was blood vessels dilating, her heart galloping uncontrollably in her chest, it was gasping for breath when the air she drew in wasn’t enough. He owned her body, ate it like sun ripened peaches and drank the flowing juices of her weeping womanhood with his rapacious tongue. There were fingers there, slipping between the folds to dive deep into her blistering heat, while his thumb worked at her puckered hole, his wicked, wicked mouth showing Eden exactly how very little she knew her of own body. There was nothing but the explicitness of this act, the hyper awareness that made her feel like each inch of her body was struck by lightning, that killed her and gave her life all in one electrifying jolt. He was merciless and perfect, inviting her to shove her hips back and ride his face.

Death was imminent, sweet cataclysmic death seduced her into the gaping, welcoming arms of her orgasm. She plummeted, shattered into delicious little pieces on his tongue and fingers. Recuperating wasn’t in the stars for her as he gripped her hips and plunged into her depths in one long stroke. Pulling her arms and folding them at the small of her back, he held them there with one large hand as he sank in deeper, so deep that it hurt so good. Ass high in the air, face down in the sheets, Eden was at his complete mercy, filled to absolute capacity with his cock, and she whimpered, the vulnerability of her position giving her a sweet high.

“I’m going to beat this pussy, Eden, and you’re going to scream my name.”

And she did, a promise made completely true as he fucked her like a porn star. She screamed like the world was falling, his repeated strike against her G-spot making her see stars. It was too damn much, his jarring thrusts so deep that she could taste him, spurred her fall and she orgasmed on every inch of his cock.
 

 
About the Author:
 
Francette lives in Massachusetts with her amazingly supportive husband of ten years and her darling two year old son. Reading amazing books has led her to writing and she’s dabbled in fan-fiction before self-publishing her own works. She’s constantly thinking up new stories to write and does her best work when music is playing in the background. Romance is where she’s most comfortable but she hopes to one day venture in mystery novels. She has a weakness for coffee ice cream, tropical fruits and a good glass of wine.

Author Links:

            




Hosted by Heaven Sent Promotions
 
            

Friday 28 March 2014

Cover Reveal ~ The Face in the Mirror by Barbara S. Stewart



We love Barbara S Stewart's books here and we are really looking forward to her latest book, The Face in the Mirror, which is due for release on 16th April 2014. 

Today we get to be a part of the cover reveal. Check it out below. 
We love it. What do you think? 


Book Description:

Loss brings things home. You reflect on what you had, and what you’ve lost.
What if you met the love of your life... Again?
What if he never fell out of love with you?
And you realized that you were still in love with him.
Could you push the past aside…
And focus on the future?
Relive what was good…
And learn from the bad?
What if you found a secret…
That revealed that everything about your family was a lie…
Changed your thoughts on love and commitment…
And turned all that you believe in upside down...
What if a mirror reflected what you loved…
And what you lost?

 
 
Excerpt:


That night as I was getting ready for bed, the song played through in my head and I felt my own body swaying to the music. I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, and when I looked in the mirror, I saw Mitchell coming into the bathroom. I smiled and danced a little more.

“Puttin’ on a show for me?” he asked, placing his hands on my hips, lifting my hair, kissing my neck, and then my shoulder.

“Heard this song today that the girls were listening to and I can’t get it out of my head,” I replied, watching him in the mirror.

“What song has you moving like that, Renie? I need to hear it and see the rest of your moves,” he said, as he flashed a sexy smile in the mirror. I reached to grab my phone off the counter. As I turned, I leaned back, placing my bottom on the edge of the counter and started the song.

‘Cuz with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul

I can tell you there’s no place we couldn't go

Just put your hand on the glass

I'll be tryin’ to pull you through

You just gotta be strong…

Mitchell took my hands and pulled me to him and began to do some swayin’ of his own – and I liked it!

“Why haven’t we danced like this before, Renie?” he asked, nuzzling my neck, leaving hot breath behind as his hands softly caressed my back. “It’s a huge turn-on,” he whispered.

“Huge,” I repeated, barely able to breathe.

It’s like you’re my mirror

My mirror staring back at me…

“Thank you for being the other half of my reflection,” I whispered as he lifted me into his arms.

He carried me to the bed and started the song once more, kissing me, touching me in ways that had my body aching for more, and he gave me what I wanted.

Later, lying in Mitchell’s arms, he told me, “I saw her in the mirror… and I’m gonna pray that I see her again…”

Excited, I sat up. “You did? You saw my mom?”

“No. I saw the woman of my dreams, the woman I’ve loved since I was a young man. I saw you Renie.”

About the Author:

Barbara S Stewart (7/13/1959) - Is a yankee-billy. She was born in Havre de Grace, MD, but raised a BRATS (you’ll find it in the book!).

Residing in Middleburg, FL with her husband, Gene, they share their home with a fat cat named Kooky. She’s worked in the electronics industry, and most recently in healthcare. In 2009, she was awarded the American Cancer Society’s HOPE award for volunteerism.

She writes love stories, and the ideas usually evolve from music – a song she hears that ‘paints a picture.’ She refers to her writing as ‘the sound-track of her life.’ Sprinkled through her stories are humor and sadness based on experiences shared with family and friends. If you know her you may read something and think, ‘is that me?’ You never know… She loves books by Adriana Trigiani and Nora Roberts, and loves exploring new, self-published authors like her.

She loves to hear from readers, and you can find her at:



OTHER BOOKS FROM BARBARA


Rock and Roll Never Forgets (The Rock and Roll Trilogy)

See our review here: http://www.theromancecover.com/2013/08/review-giveaway-rock-roll-never-forgets.html

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1itG3ul

When I Look to the Sky (The Rock and Roll Trilogy)


Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3)

See our review here: http://www.theromancecover.com/2013/10/feel-like-makin-love-rock-roll-trilogy.html

Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/QmqwU8

Cover Share ~ Sharing You by Molly McAdams

Check out the Cover for Molly McAdams's new book, Sharing You, which is due for release 1st July 2014. 

 
Book Description: 

Twenty-three year old, Kamryn Cunningham has left all she’s ever known and moved to a small town where no one knows her name, who her parents are, or her social status in the horseracing world. Months after opening her own bakery and evading attempts of being set up by her new best friend, she meets Brody. But Kamryn fights the instant pull between them because there’s a detail she can’t dismiss. Brody’s married.

To say that twenty-six year old, Brody Saco has had a rough marriage would be an understatement. After marrying his pregnant girlfriend, he spends the next six years in a relationship filled with hatred, manipulation, and guilt involving a tragedy that happened five years earlier. When he keeps running into his sister-in-law’s best friend, Kamryn, he can’t ignore that she makes him feel more with just one look than his wife ever has; and soon he can’t continue fight his feelings for her.

When staying apart proves to be too difficult, Brody and Kamryn enter a relationship full of stolen moments and nights that end too soon while they wait for Brody to file for divorce. But the guilt that comes with their relationship may prove to be too much for Kamryn, and Brody might not be strong enough to face the tragedy from his past in order to leave his conniving wife.

Friday Frights ~ PNR Reviews ~ Guildhall Guardians (Thamesian 1) by Aidan Ladsow

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 4 Stars

This is a story about a 24 year old Italian art graduate who has left her home in Italy and has come to work in the UK. Whilst on her daily travels back and fro from work she stumbles across the Guildhall with its medieval houses, graveyard and picturesque local public house. Her name is Ms Gioia Di Terzi, a petite fair haired girl with a terrible curiosity which will lead her to a few adventures which this girl will thrive on.

One day while passing the Guildhall she noticed that it was opened to the public and she couldn't help herself but to pop in with her curiosity being piqued she started to explore and that's where she first came across the guardian of the Guildhall. She didn't actually come face to face with him until they met in the local pub and he introduced himself as Roydon Thamesian, a tall very good looking man and when talking to him all Gioia thought was Wow!!

Roydon himself, after meeting Gioia couldn't help being intrigued with the petite fair haired Italian girl and couldn't help but to invite her to a private viewing of the art that is held at the Guildhall and while they were going around the gallery the air between them sizzled. Roydon couldn't help being attracted to Gioia he thought her a beautiful temptation which after a unexpected journey they took together left Gioia wondering who and what Roydon was but it didn't deter her from enjoying a kiss they shared.

This kiss had me intoxicated by its softness.
"What was that?" I asked, completely entranced.
"Well Ms Di Terzi," he said, his fingers lost in my hair stroking my scalp so gently I felt tingles of arousal,
"I had to kiss your mouth shut."


And that's when he told her he had been the guardian of the Guildhall for seven centuries whoa!

This did not put Gioia off as the attraction they shared was growing stronger, and when they were at a nightclub they shared a very hot hot dance.
Roydons mouth scraped mine and the kiss exploded as he pressed on the nape of my neck and groaned into my mouth.

It was hot and dirty, my legs parted and acted on their own, wrapping around his strong thighs.


With everything going wrong for the Guildhall, Roydon and Gioia had to put things right, with so much at stake, and their attraction hopefully they will withstand everything they have to face.

Ms Ladsow I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I think Gioia is one very quirky girl who makes this story especially what goes through her head which makes you wonder what she will come out with next. I will look forward to reading more about Ms Di Terzi.

Thursday 27 March 2014

Release Blitz ~ Excerpt & Giveaway ~ LoveLines by S Walden


Title: LoveLines
Author: S. Walden
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 25, 2014
 

Book Description:  
 
 Arrive to work at 7:58 A.M. sharp. Check. Count forty-seven steps to cubicle. Check. Arrange pens in their red-blue-black-green-purple order of importance. Check. Apply hand sanitizer before opening email. Double check.

And that’s just the first few minutes of her work day.

Thirty-one-year-old proofreader Bailey Mitchell is a slave to her tics. She inherited Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder from her father, and it’s done nothing but inhibit her love life. She’s run the gamut of boyfriends—none of them willing or able to cope with her condition.

Enter 32-year-old Reece Powell, her new coworker at Beach Elite Marketing Firm. He’s more than willing to cope. He finds her habits cute and quirky . . . for now. Reece wins her over, and life coasts along for them until Bailey experiences a devastating blow. Tragedy exacerbates her OCD, and Reece realizes her tics aren’t so cute and quirky anymore. Just like all the others, he has the choice to leave.

But Reece isn't like all the others.

The Wilmington Saga

Follow the stories of Wilmington, NC residents as they fall in and out of love, mend and break hearts, grow, change, lose, win, and experience what it means to truly live in this small coastal community.



Buy Links:
 
 
Teaser:
 

Graphic credit: Michelle @ Give Me Books

Excerpt:

“Annie!” I squealed, running and scooping her up before she had the chance to escape. I rained kisses all over her face. She was clearly confused, but she seemed to like it. The evidence? She dropped her doll and squeezed my neck.
Erica stared at me through narrowed eyes. “No one, including me, likes my children that much. What is going on?”
Annie giggled on cue, like she understood her mother’s words. I laughed outright.
“Your momma’s silly, isn’t she? Isn’t she?” I asked, poking Annie’s sides.
“Oh my God, who are you?” Erica demanded. “Where’s my BFF who promised me she’d never have children so I could live vicariously through her? I swear to God if you’re pregnant…”
“Calm down,” I said over the top of Annie’s head. She twisted in my arms signaling she was over my show of affection. I placed her on the floor beside her discarded doll. “How would I even be pregnant?”
“Sex. It’s called sex,” Erica replied. She finished folding the last of Little Noah’s shirts, then tossed it in the laundry basket.
“Don’t say s-e-x in front of the baby!” I chided.
“B, she doesn’t know what sex is.”
“She’ll repeat it.”
“Who cares?”
“Oh, so you want to be the mother with the kid who knows the bad words?” I asked.
“Bad word?” Erica asked, laughing.
“You know what I mean,” I said. “You want to be the mother who all the other mothers gossip about? Like about how bad your parenting skills are?”
Erica placed her hand on her hip. “Yeah, I do. Fuck ‘em.
Fuck all those mothers. Fuck their playdates and mommy groups and fucking Melissa and Doug puzzles. Fuck their running strollers and baby couture and breastfeeding advice. Fuck their—”
“ERICA!”
“What?”
I looked down at the floor, but Annie was gone. She’d walked away somewhere, no doubt the kitchen since that seemed to be her favorite place to play.

About The Author:

S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband, who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.

Website: http://www.swaldenauthor.com
Blog: http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/swaldenauthor
Twitter: @swaldenauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/swaldenauthor

Facebook Event:
 
Join the release week Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/676997195679487/

Giveaway!

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Review ~ Lifers by Jane Harvey-Berrick

**ARC Received for honest review**

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 Stars

“You’ve turned…into a life sentence for all of you – for Paul, for Jordan. You turned them into lifers.”

This book was certainly an emotional rollercoaster and the writing was absolutely flawless! This is one of those books that makes you “feel” and as I have said in numerous reviews, that is a really special talent. Yes this story is sad in parts, it is emotional, it has you thinking and is extremely thought provoking, but the genius here is that Jane Harvey-Berrick has written her heroine (Torrey) with such an amazing sense of humour that even when I was crying, in the next heart beat I was laughing. This book is perfectly balanced, I totally and utterly loved it and I could not put it down.

Torrey was a girl that you couldn’t help but fall in love with; she has had more than her fair share of knock backs and this has left her very mis-trusting. After her latest failed relationship, she plays the field, desperate to never feel that sense of loss again. She literally puts up a wall on her emotions and her dalliances with the opposite sex are purely that, after all it is just sex, just a release. Having relocated back to her mum’s whom she hasn’t had a relationship with for over 10 years; she gets a mundane job in a café while taking a break from her career as a paralegal. One day in walks Jordan Kane, the world stops, he seems to be the local pariah but Torrey is fascinated and that is the day the world changed for them both.

Jordan Kane, I totally and utterly fell for this guy, hook, line and sinker. He had me the minute he walked into that café. You cannot help but be drawn into his story; he is out on parole, having had to move back to his parents as one of the conditions. This is a small town, everybody knows everybody and of course they all know yours and everyone else’s business. He is un-liked, unloved and unwanted by everyone, including his parents. He is desperate for some acceptance, some love, anything. He feels extremely guilty for what has happened and cannot live with it, he feels that he needs to be constantly punished so takes all these knock backs as his retribution; this is the life that he feels that he deserves. The trouble is, he doesn’t and until he can accept that, he will never be able to live or love, at the end of the day it was an accident and he needs to learn to forgive himself first and foremost.

“And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.””

Jordan’s story is heart breaking, intensified by the extremely emotive writing of Jane Harvey-Berrick. She certainly pulls you in, captivates you and doesn’t let you go till the very last page. I seriously cannot gush about this book enough. This is a love story and it is this slow but sure tale that has you totally and utterly entranced. You want them both to succeed, you want them both to love and most importantly you want them both to heal. They are truly perfect for each other. Torrey’s no-nonsense and shoot from the hip attitude are just what Jordan needs to keep him grounded, she reigns him in when he falters, she gives him solace when he needs it, but no matter what she is always there for him no matter how hard sometimes he tries to push her away. It is Jordan’s huge heart that will have you melting, with Torrey working her magic, slowly bringing the real “Jordan Kane” back to life, you start to see the real man emerge and once he does you just love him all the more. It is this huge heart, his passion, his loyalty and his sincerity that finally break down any remaining walls Torrey had erected.

“every time I think it couldn’t be better than the last time, but every time it is. Every time I think I’ve had the best there is, you teach my body something new. I can’t get enough of you, Jordan Kane.”

This is a must read, it is one of books that touches you, that will stay with you and one that I feel I will certainly be reading again. I totally and utterly loved it. Go forth and 1click, you won’t be disappointed!

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Release Day Blitz with Giveaway ~ Passion and Ponies (Chocoholics #2) by Tara Sivec


Passion and Ponies (Chocoholics #2)
by Tara Sivec
Release Day: March 25, 2014
 
 
Book Description:
 
Ava Gilmore has the perfect life. She’s surrounded by people who love her, she’s having sex on a regular basis and her Coach bag collection just grew by three. The problem? She’s expected to follow in her family’s footsteps at Seduction and Snacks, working with sex toys and baked goods.

Ava loves vibrators and cupcakes as much as the next person, she’d just rather play with them than sell them. With her shopping addiction reaching an all time high and her credit card bills piling up, Ava decides to put her obsession to good use and start a fashion blog. But she has one other problem - the guy she’s having sex with has a My Little Pony addiction.

While dealing with her family’s disappointment and confusion over her choices, she finds support in the unlikeliest of places – Tyler Branson. Tyler has slowly wormed his way into her bed, her a$ and her heart and he refuses to leave. Tyler has his own family problems to deal with and for the first time ever, Ava finds herself feeling bad for the annoying, immature guy and chanting “Friendship is magic!” during the sex she’d swore to stop having with him.

Ava needs to get her life in order once and for all before she finds herself doing something she never wanted to do – fall in love with a Brony.
 
 
 
Teaser Picture:
 
 
 Facebook Party!

 

Join in on the facebook party here: https://www.facebook.com/events/528591413920253/530801773699217/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

About the Author:

 Tara Sivec is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when they all three of them become adults and move out.

After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She is the author of the Playing with Fire series and the Chocolate Lovers series. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book.

In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she’ll do and naps she’ll take when she ever gets spare time.

Tara also writes under the pen name T.E. Sivec. Check out the page for T.E. Sivec for more information.
Tara Sivec Links
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

Giveaway!

  

Monday 24 March 2014

New Cover Reveal ~ Unteachable by Leah Raeder

Unteachable by Leah Raeder has a new cover!
 
Check it out here!

 
Book Description:
 
An edgy, sexy USA Today bestseller about falling for the one person you can’t have.

Maise O’Malley just turned eighteen, but she’s felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.

But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.

When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can’t get Evan out of her head. He’s taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.

That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.

Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they’re real and genuine; apart, they’re just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.

Smart, sexy, and provocative, Unteachable is about what happens when a love story goes off-script.
 
 
 
Buy Links:

EBOOK (on sale March 24, 2014)

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1iv2nUo
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1hUXSAy
ITUNES: http://bit.ly/Q8nxP5
BARNES & NOBLE: http://bit.ly/1m2Ih4Q

PAPERBACK (on sale November 11, 2014)

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1gjoGNi
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1gjp12x
BOOKS A MILLION: http://bit.ly/1gSwZLr
SIMON & SCHUSTER: http://bit.ly/1pt9Y6W
 
Author Links:

Blog Tour ~ Review, Giveaway & Sneak Peak link ~ Under the Orange Moon by Adrienne Frances

Adrienne Frances and Bandit Publishing are excited to share with you the RELEASE of “Under the Orange Moon” by Adrienne Frances.
 
Make sure to check out the preview on itunes, add to your Goodreads, pick up your copy and enter the AMAZING GIVEAWAY below for a KINDLE PAPERWHITE, SIGNED PAPERBACKS, Amazon & iTunes GIFT CARDS!  
 
Also, don’t forget to join us at the Release Day and Blog Tour Event starting on March 20th – join by clicking the below link. 



Genre: New Adult/Contemporary/Romance

Book Description:

Dylan Mathews grew up in a house that was always filled with good-looking guys. However, with four protective older brothers they never stood a chance.
 
Except for one.
 
Dylan knew she loved Ben McKenna from the first time she laid eyes on him. When he started sneaking in her room, she thought he felt the same way. But just as their passion ignited, he left for college and never came back. Until now.
 
Returning home after 5 years, Ben realizes Dylan has always been the one for him. Can he win back her heart and finally find love under the orange moon?
 
 
Our Review:
 
**ARC Received for Honest Review**
 
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars

"Boys are stupid," she recalled him saying. "They never know a good thing until they've run it over a few times."

Wow, where to start with this one?? This book, whilst being a beautiful love story also makes you think and I love books that make you think. The heroine, Dylan, has the perfect family; they are extremely loving, extremely protective of each other and are always there for each other. Ben on the other hand has had quite the opposite upbringing. His Dad, a highly successful lawyer, separated from his mum, leaving behind a deeply heartbroken woman, seeking solace in pills and alcohol she has never been able to live any kind of life since he left. This left Ben to pick up the pieces and basically bring himself up. His mother showing him little to no affection as Ben was most certainly his father’s son and unfortunately looked so much like him. Just looking at Ben made her think of the husband she lost and unfortunately destroyed any bond they once had. Luckily Ben was childhood friends with all the Matthews children though, he was like an adopted son and brother to them all and they always made him feel welcome and where he was lacking in love and guidance, the Matthews gave it to him in spades.

I must admit, I did find it hard to accept that a mother would do that to her one and only child, I appreciate it does happen, but it made it hard to read. My heart literally broke for Ben when you finally understood the family dynamic he had, especially with his mother. The total bitterness and resentment she had towards him was unfathomable and I truly felt for him and could understand why he had little to no patience for her.

Dylan on the other hand, was the silent, beautiful, extremely gifted artist. Being the only girl of the siblings and the youngest she had protection from all sides. She had always loved Ben and as it turned out Ben had always loved Dylan. At night, Ben would sneak into her room and they would talk and sleep, a boy of very few words, but it was in these one on one moments that you actually got to see the real Ben. The brothers saw the cocky, arrogant player, but Dylan always got to see his soft side. This did bring back memories of another book I have read but it was by no means the main plot line.

“I know you better than anyone, Dylan. I don’t have to live here to prove that.”

The lack of love between his parents and his less than ideal upbringing gave Ben an inferiority complex when it came to Dylan. Even though he loved her he felt that he did not deserve her and his internal ramblings also made my heart break. He tried to take the first step before going to uni to do his law degree but he held himself back in fear of recriminations from his second family, he didn’t want to run the risk of upsetting them, when in his mind, he didn’t deserve and he certainly wasn’t good enough for Dylan.

Eventually their paths cross again and we are left with the conundrum of are either of them going to be strong enough to fight the connection they have between them or will they finally give in and give their relationship a chance?

I loved this book, hard! It was beautifully written, deep, meaningful and extremely emotive. I connected and fell in love with these characters. I never had a fear that Ben wasn’t good enough, behind the façade you saw the true person he was underneath and his love for and his connection to Dylan never wavered and I was just rooting for him to get the nerve and finally believe in himself and take that chance. Yes there we times he was a complete jerk and I wanted to jump into the kindle and give him a slap, but you could always see the reasons why and it always came back to this stupid inferiority complex he had. I could have throttled his parents.

“Just know that you are worthy of what you want and what I someday hope that you are man enough to have.” – Carl Matthews (Dylan’s dad)

“Be the man that won’t let anyone else’s demons get in the way of what he wants and what he knows to be right.” – Carl Matthews


This book will have you running the gamut of emotions, but as I said it is a story that makes you think. Being a mother it makes you realise how your own family life sculptures that of your children, how what you do and what you say has an inherent effect on them and if not ideal how it can also determine their future. It is a story of love, resentment, forgiveness and learning to shape your own future and not to dwell on the past. It is a story of how a selfless woman manages to finally break through those walls and make a man believe in himself again, he is good enough, he is who she wants and all she has ever wanted. These two were truly soul mates and it is now up to them to shape their forever.

A fab read from another debut author, this one I will certainly be watching and waiting for that next release.
 
Buy Links:
 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/NpTEY7
 
You can read a sneak peek of the book at iBooks

 
About the Author:
 
Adrienne Frances spends her time as a writing consultant at a university near her home. In her spare time, she loves to be with her husband and two sons, who have made her exactly who she is today. Writing is a passion that she has appreciated for as long as she can remember. She believes that a wild imagination is a terrible thing to waste and should be captured and brought to life by all that are blessed to have one. This way of life is what led her to become a writer and later an author under Bandit Publishing. Her first celebrated novel, Under the Orange Moon, is set to release in March.
 
 
 
Tour Giveaway: