Wednesday 21 October 2015

Blog Tour, Release Day Blitz, Excerpt & Review ~ The Ground Rules Rewritten (The Ground Rules Trilogy #2) by Roya Carmen



Book Description:



Five simple rules. And it was very simple…until it wasn’t.

It could have been much worse. We weren’t thinking straight and had put everything on the line – risking our marriages. So when Weston ended the arrangement, it was for the best – for all of us. But I was still heartbroken. I thought I’d shatter into a million pieces. I didn’t, I survived. Not only did I survive, I came out stronger and ready to move on with my life.

But then…

Weston reaches out to me. With a few soft words, a gentle touch and a lingering gaze, he crumbles all my efforts.

Neither Gabe nor I want to start this again, and we are determined to fight the temptation. But Weston and Bridget are not taking no for an answer, and the pull between all of us is still so strong.

I tell myself I can handle it this time. This time, I am in the driver’s seat. This time, I am rewriting the ground rules.



Buy Links:


Book One ~ The Ground Rules


Trailer:




Excerpt:


Just Plain Dirty – Mirella and Gabe

He catches me staring and shoots me a playful smile. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. I walk over to the bedroom door and lock it – which is basically code for ‘let’s fuck…very quietly’.
He turns off the TV and slides to the edge of the bed, pulling me to him. “Tell me you didn’t fuck him.”
“I didn’t. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He slides a hand under my tweed skirt. “But you wanted to. You wanted him.”
I grab his face and stare into his beautiful eyes. Words escape me.
He toys with my panties and presses his fingers against the cotton. I close my eyes. I’m already so aroused, and he’s barely touched me.
He teases. His stare is intense as he studies me intently – as if he’s trying to break through, to read my thoughts. He pulls at my panties, not taking his gaze off my face. I anticipate his next move. I want him so badly.
“Take them off,” I practically beg.
His smile is playful when he obliges. He doesn’t take his eyes off mine as he slides the cotton briefs slowly down my legs and over my feet. He kisses my knee, a soft peck.
His warm hand travels up the inside of my thigh. My breath catches when he reaches my sweet spot. He glides his fingers against my sex and I whimper at the sensation. His touch is so amazing.
His eyes close. A whisper of a growl escapes his mouth. “You’re so fucking wet, you dirty girl.”

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“We didn’t learn from our mistakes. We just made them all over again.”


It took me a while to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard after reading this one, by the end I was emotionally spent and in floods of tears. All I can say is that I love Weston, yes he always seemed aloof and strange and let’s be honest, a little weird, but in this book we get to know the real Weston and I love everything I see. He is so misunderstood and in this instalment, Roya Carmen really lets us into the enigma that is Weston.

At the end of The Ground Rules the arrangement had been ended by Weston and Bridget, but that may have been a tad hasty and it is not long before Weston realises that he wants the arrangement put firmly back in place again. It seems our Weston is rather enamoured with Mirella and being without her is driving him insane. Mirella was devastated when Weston ended it, yes she had broken the rules, but the way she was dismissed hurt deep and it was something that I didn’t think she could come back from. However, we should not dismiss the persuasiveness of Weston.

So, the arrangement is back on and from here I really cannot say anything, because literally everything is a spoiler. As I said above, Roya Carmen really delivers with this book, for a man that I didn’t really connect with in book one, she certainly made up for it in this book. Finally, those layers of façade are eroded and we see the heart and soul of Weston and at times, it hurt, like really bad. I always knew that there had to be more to the man and I was right, something had to have made him the way he was and it seems our Mr Cool, Calm and Collected has a lot hidden underneath his designer suits.


“It’s a done deal, Mirella. I’m splattered on the pavement. I’m a mess.”


Weston’s fixation for Mirella however is reciprocated. As hard as Mirella has tried to move on even she cannot forget Weston, no matter how hard she has tried and it is not long before all those old feelings come flooding back and together… these two were dynamite. Mirella is adamant that she can keep this all about sex and be the one in control of her feelings but once those layers have been stripped back these two cannot help but break the rules and you just know deep down that nothing good can come of it.


“He’s under my skin now, like an intolerable virus I just can’t get rid of. How I wish I had a cure. But as is my understanding, there are no cures for viruses, they just need to run their course. I simply need to wait and be patient.”


While one of the plot twists I saw coming a mile off, the impact it made when it was delivered far from lost its punch. This is no filler book, it is obvious that Roya Carmen has meticulously planned this trilogy and this angsty ride is just a taste of what is to come.

We do get a lot more insight into Gabe as well; he is far from a bit player in this book. He is an alpha and is certain of his masculinity and the love he has for his wife; he stamps his mark on Mirella throughout this book in more ways than one. Their chemistry together is undeniable, however, I cannot help but feel that Mirella and Weston are more suited and I have to say, I never, ever thought that would happen.


“He pulls his lips from mine, and trails a finger along my cheek. “Your body might be marked as his…but you’ll always be mine.”


So here I am now, stuck between a rock and a hard place, Gabe on one hand and Weston on the other. The scales are tipping precariously, but in whose favour will they fall at the end? This is the second book I have read on the trot where there is not a front runner for me and this is most unusual. Usually, you have a clear cut line as to whose team you are on, but with this, I just don’t know. My heart aches for both of them, but knowing what I now know about Weston maybe his is just a wee bit more favourable.

Bridget doesn’t really feature much in this book but she is always there on the periphery. This book once again is Mirella’s point of view but I would love it if we could get a few chapters in other viewpoints. I would love to know what is actually going through Bridget’s head at times, she seems so cut off, but what does she really think? And Gabe…is he really okay with this all? He seems to have no problem in dismissing his feelings, apart from when it comes to Mirella and Weston, but what goes through his head when he is with Bridget?


“You’re not fading. I’m afraid you’ll never fade. You’re all I can think about. You’re still all I can see.”

Once again, kudos to Roya Carmen on delivering another fantastic read on a topic that doesn’t really get covered and that she has so vividly brought to life. With emotions running high and many tears I devoured this book and to say I am eagerly awaiting book 3 is an understatement. I need this book…pronto!!

About the Author:

Romance writer, mom, book junkie. I have been writing for over ten years, finding my passion for romance in 2008. When I'm not spending time with my family, I enjoy reading, painting, and writing - there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down at my laptop and making up my own stories - and if those stories should include beautiful men, a little romance, and a few steamy scenes, all the better!

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