Tuesday 30 October 2018

Teaser Tuesday ~ Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M Orgeron and Kate Stewart

We are so excited to share this amazing teaser for HEARTBREAK WARFARE by Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart! Don't forget to add it to your TBR today!



Contemporary Romance
Stand Alone
Designed by: Letitia Hasser RBA designs
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2OI2h4u

Book Description:

Briggs,

Remember when we parted ways in Germany? It was the day I broke your heart. What you didn't know was that I was breaking mine too.

I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . .

Before the war.
Before the ambush.
Before you.

But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours.

The truth is I’m lost without you.

I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home.

I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . .

All my love,

Scottie



About the Author:


Heather M. Orgeron is a Cajun girl with a big heart and a passion for romance. She married her high school sweetheart two months after graduation and her life has been a fairytale ever since. She’s the queen of her castle, reigning over five sons and one bossy little princess who has made it her mission in life to steal her Momma’s throne. When she’s not writing, you will find her hidden beneath mounds of laundry and piles of dirty dishes or locked in her tower (aka the bathroom) soaking in the tub with a good book. She’s always been an avid reader and has recently discovered a love for cultivating romantic stories of her own.



A Texas native, Kate Stewart lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader. Kate is a lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.

Contact Kate- Email-authorkatestewart@gmail.com

Wednesday 24 October 2018

Cover Reveal ~ Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M Orgeron and Kate Stewart


Title: Heartbreak Warfare
Authors: Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Cover Design: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs
Photo: David Wagner
Model: David John Craig

Release Date: November 8, 2018


Book Description:

Briggs,

Remember when I said we couldn’t speak after parting ways in Germany? It was the day I broke your heart. What you didn't know was that I was breaking mine too. 

I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . . 

Before the war.
Before the ambush.
Before you. 

But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours. 

The truth is I’m lost without you. 

I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home.
I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . . 

All my love,
Scottie 






TEXT ALERT FOR RELEASE 

TEXT HMO TO 797979 (US ONLY)



Excerpt:

“I need you to break my heart,” she declares, wringing her hands nervously. “Give me a reason to hate you, because wanting you this way is…it’s ruining me. It’s ruining my life.”

She is dead serious.

Lifting her chin, as if ready to take a blow, her turbulent eyes implore mine. “Tell me about them. Tell me about all of the women you’ve been with since Germany.”

“No.” I shake my head. “Hell no.”

“Oh, please, Briggs. How long did you wait? A few days?” She laughs sarcastically. “I bet you didn’t even make it a day.”

She’s coming out guns blazing, and I can see it’s physically killing her to do it.

“Are we playing the guessing game? Do I get to ask how many times you’ve fucked your husband?”

“Sure,” she says with a shrug. “We’ll trade. You go first.”

She’s bluffing, and I’m calling her on it.

“Don’t do this, Scottie. You don’t really want to hear about that.”

“Humor me, Briggs.” Her eyes plead with mine. “I need to hear this.”

“Fine. You want the truth?”

She nods.

“Complete honesty?”

Again, she bobs her head.

She stands stock-still as I pace the small room, feeling the blood begin to boil beneath my overheated skin.

Fuck it.

I stalk back toward her, stopping inches away. “You really want to know that there have been so many that I’ve lost count? How they’re all blondes with blue eyes? But the blue, it’s never right, and their smiles—all wrong.” 

She swats at the fresh tears that trail down her cheeks as her lips begin to tremble. Reaching out, she places a hand on my chest, and I know that she must feel the way my heart is pounding against my rib cage, reaching for her. Always reaching for her.

I jerk myself away and brand that touch to memory.

In about forty-five seconds, my heart is going to implode. I start ticking them down.

“You want me to tell you all about how I have to drink myself stupid, till their faces blur enough that I can pretend…” I pause running a hand down my face. “So that I can pretend they’re you? You want to know how fucking miserable I am? How when I slide between their legs, I close my eyes, and it’s your face I see? How I’m always careful not to kiss them because their lips are all wrong. How every time I finish I want to fucking kill myself, because I can’t stand the pain of wanting the one woman I can never have.”

Thirty seconds.

“Is that enough?” Her eyes snap to mine. “Hate me yet?”

Face crumbling, she gasps out a sob, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

“Come on, Scottie. Let’s not kid ourselves. I’m still the same prick you hated when we met. Nothing’s changed. I think we’ve romanticized this situation long enough, don’t you?”

Taking another step away from her, I tilt my head. “You’re a housewife,” I say snidely. “Someone else’s wife and I’m a career soldier. This isn’t exactly ideal.”

She flinches visibly, and my heart bottoms out.

Fifteen.

I cut my hand through the air. “At the end of the day, this was nothing but a big mistake. And we never would have happened if—”

“Stop,” she cries out painfully, “stop, I’m good,” she whispers before rocketing toward the door just as I reach for her, my fingers curling in the space she just left. Handle in hand, she looks back at me with the sweep of her eyes until they meet mine. That’s how we started, and it’s only fitting it’s how we should end. For the moment, we’re right back there in the place we created, where we are perfect. Where our souls line up without any visible smudge on the seams. In a place where there is still so much love, so much that I can’t stop the tear that slides out before batting it away with the back of my hand.

An identical tear runs down her cheek. “Thank you.” 

Three. Two. One.



Heather M. Orgeron

Heather M. Orgeron is a Cajun girl with a big heart and a passion for romance. She married her high school sweetheart two months after graduation and her life has been a fairytale ever since. She’s the queen of her castle, reigning over five sons and one bossy little princess who has made it her mission in life to steal her Momma’s throne. When she’s not writing, you will find her hidden beneath mounds of laundry and piles of dirty dishes or locked in her tower(aka the bathroom) soaking in the tub with a good book. She’s always been an avid reader and has recently discovered a love for cultivating romantic stories of her own.


Kate Stewart

A Texas native, Kate Stewart lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance, as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader.

Kate is a lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.


Friday 19 October 2018

Review ~ The Beautiful Hearts Duet by Emma Scott


Book Description:

I fell for Connor Drake. I didn’t want to; I fought against it, but I fell in love with him anyway. With his words. With his poetry. With him. The gentleness and beauty of his soul that speaks directly to mine. He writes as if he can feel my heart, hear its cadence and compose the exact right lyrics to accompany every beat and flow. 

I’m in love with Connor…so why do I feel an inexplicable pull to his best friend, Weston? Grouchy, sullen, brooding Weston Turner, who could cut you down with a look. Fiercely intelligent with a razor sharp wit and acid tongue, he’s the exact opposite of Connor in every way, and yet there’s electricity in the air between us. The thorny barbs Weston wraps around himself can’t keep me away. 

But the more time I spend with these men, the more tangled and confused my emotions become. When they both sign up for the Army Reserves during a time of increasing strife in the Middle East, I fear I’ll never unravel my own heart that sometimes feels as if it will tear straight down the middle…for both of them. 

**********
Bring Down the Stars is an emotional, angst-filled novel of unrequited love by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) It is Book I in the Beautiful Hearts Duet, coming this summer. Book II, Long Live the Beautiful Hearts, to be released a few weeks later. THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage

Buy Links:




Book Description:

Never again would I allow my heart to become the plaything of someone else. 
Never again would I let a man (or men) come between me and my goals. 
Never again would I love without feeling the fullness of that love in return. 
Not until I knew it was real. And if that took me a lifetime to find, so be it. 

Those were my vows, and after all that had happened with Connor and Weston, I was determined to keep them. To protect my heart. 
And then he came home, and my vows became his promises.

He held my heart in his hands with reverence and care. 
He helped me find my soul’s greatest purpose in life. 
He loved me with a love so pure and vibrant, I knew I’d never feel anything like it in a hundred lifetimes. 
It was real.

Until it wasn’t. 
Until it all came crashing down when I discovered the deep love I thought I’d found was nestled in a web of lies—so soft and silken I hadn’t noticed it was there.
Until it was too late. 

**********
Long Live the Beautiful Hearts is the emotional, heart-wrenching conclusion to the Beautiful Hearts Duet by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage 
THIS BOOK IS NOT A STANDALONE. It should not be read without first reading Bring Down the Stars

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
Review for complete duet


“Parfois, le cœur se cache derrière l’esprit. Sometimes the heart hides itself behind the mind.”


Emma Scott once again brings her lyrical prose to the hearts of the readers as you cannot help but be swept away in this stunningly beautiful duet. This author never fails to tug at every heartstring and evoke every single possible emotion as her poetic voice brings to life the story of Weston, Connor and Autumn. Three beautiful souls whose lives were intertwined and whose friendships would stand the test of time. Loyalty, friendship and love is the crux of this story, all tested, and all explored as Emma Scott regales the reader from college to the fields of war and the aftermath, tissues will be required.


“Unrequited love. The most painful kind.”


Weston was a character that called to me from the get-go. Quiet in his demeanour, a little nerdish with a penchant for poetry. Weston’s life was dictated by a traumatic event as a child and had used this event as his mantra going forward, even though it was incredibly unhealthy and made him the butt of jokes. Loyal to a fault, self-sacrificing and with a heart of gold, Weston put everyone's happiness before his own, even if that was the last thing he really wanted to do.  However, there was one person that always stood by his side, and that was his best friend, Connor. These two were chalk and cheese, poor and rich, introvert and out-going and yet, these two were inseparable, and their opposites are what levelled the other.


“I worried I would grow up to be trash too, and would hurt any woman I might someday love, so I vowed not to love anyone.”


Connor was a character that all other men wanted to be and looked up to. Connor was drop-dead gorgeous, confident, rich and his personality just shone from the pages. It was that personality though that was his mask for a deeply unhappy man that really felt the pressures of parents expectations and their lack of belief in his abilities. Connor was a hard character to really understand, to really get under his skin and I would have loved that greater depth knowledge to really understand the man. However, I adored his friendship with Weston. These two were more like brothers than best friends, Connor always had Weston’s back, was his biggest supporter in the stands and was more often than not, Weston’s voice when he was unable to speak. Even though the tables turned eventually.


“…pretty words weren’t enough without something real behind them,”


Autumn was a beautiful soul, a heroine hard not to love. A woman with a huge heart, full of compassion, loyalty and love. Autumn came across Weston and Connor and was immediately caught in the middle, love and friendships, blurry lines and the one stuck between a rock and a hard place. Autumn was the one left to pick up the pieces of her own heart and those of the men that she loved. This is not a cheating book though.


“The fight you have to fight is for you so that the love you feel for her has a chance.”


Emma Scott really brings together war and its aftermath, both physical and psychological and she approaches these subjects with empathy and precision. I could see the amount of research undertaken and felt that the author left no stone unturned and dealt with the situations these characters found themselves in with compassion, heart and a whole lot of emotion.


“Feelings,” I said, “are like tonsils. Mostly useless, and occasionally a source of pain and discomfort.”


This would have been a five star read for me and was so up until the last part of book two. I did find the ending predictable and found one element a little hard to swallow, but none the less, I adored these characters, they have buried themselves deep into my heart and soul, and their story will stay with me for a very long time. Once again, Emma Scott brought her ‘A’ game and didn’t disappoint. I love this author’s writing voice and cannot recommend her highly enough.


“For you, I would bring down the stars, wreath their fire around your neck like diamonds, and watch them pulse to the beat of your heart.”

Thursday 18 October 2018

Review ~ Defiance of the Heart (Sins of the Heart #2) by Monica James


Book Description:

For never was there a story of more woe than that of Holland Brooks and her Romeo...

For as long as I can remember, London Sinclair was the boy who was forbidden. It didn’t matter that he made my heart skip a beat. Our surnames fated us to be sworn enemies. But when the truth was finally revealed, my life changed forever. 

Lies have shaped our past, leaving London and me to pick up the pieces. But through the chaos, one thing is certain—I love London, and he loves me, and we won’t allow anyone to tear us apart again. 

However, life has a funny way of proving us wrong. 

As we attempt to make amends for the past ten years, we soon discover that the ghosts of our past will do anything to drive us apart. We are once again surrounded by deceit and betrayal, testing us in ways we never imagined. 

When I’m faced with a proposition to end this heartache once and for all, I blindly agree. That decision changes everything, and I soon learn that those who act in haste create their own destruction.

Does love really triumph all? Or will London and I succumb to what was always written in the stars?

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars


“‘Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished. For never was a story more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.’”


Damn Monica James to hell. This book has been on my eagerly anticipating list for five months, five long, torturous months where every update, every teaser I have had to ignore because I didn’t want to know a thing. Absinthe of the Heart, the first book in this duet was one of my favourite reads of the year, and I wanted to go into this one blind, I wanted to get wrapped up in London and Holland’s story yet again, and Monica James didn’t disappoint.


“Why did it have to be this way for us? Why were we born to be each other’s enemy?”


A modern day Romeo and Juliet, London and Holland had the world and their families against them, but you don’t choose love, love chooses you, and these two chose each other when they were five years old. Hate and love are two very close emotions, and London always hid his true emotions when it came to Holland. London always put Holland first, even if it didn’t seem like it at the time and now that the stars have aligned for these two to finally be together it seems the world has other ideas. Will there ever be a right time?


“I’m sorry I’m not who you would choose for her, but when it comes to love, there isn’t a choice to make—it chooses you.”


These two characters have embedded themselves into my heart and soul, and if ever two characters deserved each other then London and Holland were it. With an ex that seriously needed to die and London’s mother who I desperately wished the same fate upon, Monica James tore me apart before she expertly pieced me back together. Damn, this book could have been such a tragedy, but this was where Monica James excelled and went against the grain. These characters TALKED!! Yes, that funny thing that partners do, they COMMUNICATED, and that is what made this book so much better, more believable. Monica James could have taken the cliché way out, but she didn’t, and that made this book much more interesting, even more, angsty and so much more emotional.


“We can’t change the past, but we can make our own future. Don’t let the sins of the past win.”


Both these characters wore their hearts on their sleeve, especially London. London loved Holland with every fibre of his being, and you only had to look at his eyes to see. His actions spoke louder than words, and this man would have walked into the depths of hell for Holland, and he very nearly did. This book was fast paced, action packed and unputdownable. My plan of action for the day totally thrown out of the window because I couldn’t leave these characters alone. My heart was in my mouth too many times to count and a PM the portal to my frustrations and emotions as I gave the person a blow by blow account.


“When you left me, you didn’t just tear out my heart. You took me with you. I am nothing, nothing without you.”


This duet has been an epic journey, one fraught with obstacles, and yet at the end of the day true love shone through and brightened every page. The connection that these two had was enviable, as individuals, both characters were formidable, but together they were impenetrable. A love like that comes once a lifetime, and these two grasped that with both hands.


“Staying away from him is like defying nature, akin to defying my heart.”


This duet is Monica James’s best work yet. Spanning decades, she brings her A-Game, and I envy the people that can read these two books back to back. Love, hate, secrets, lies, deception, betrayals, revelations but most important, connection, chemistry and a relationship that is destined to stand the test of the time. Definitely one of my favourite duets to date. This has been quite the ride, Monica James.


“I only care about you because it was always…it was always you. I love you without apology, and that’ll never change.”


Book One: Absinthe of the Heart



Buy Links:

Wednesday 17 October 2018

Review ~ Beautiful Chaos by Riley Hart and Devon McCormack


Book Description:

SILAS

My home is my sanctuary. Or is it my prison? Some days it's hard to tell.

I've confined myself behind these walls for protection. I have my reasons, but that doesn't change the profound loneliness I've discovered in the process.

Then one day I find myself drifting toward the window to see him. Corey Marshall, my new neighbor. Quiet, reserved, and cute as can be. He infects my thoughts, becomes the image I fantasize about.

I want to taste his lips, smell his scent...feel what it's like to be inside him.

And soon, watching becomes exchanging gifts and messages, which becomes so much more.

It's wrong to want this as badly as I do, but I can't help myself. I crave him so desperately. It's hard to tell if what we're doing is going to make me lose my mind or change my entire world, but it's too late to turn back now...

COREY

I've never been quite right. Too high or too low. Pain is my constant companion...at the hands of my abusive ex, and often from myself. The sweet relief is only temporary, but in those moments, it's like I can finally breathe.

Then I meet him. Silas Rizner calms the chaotic storms inside me. He makes me feel loved, treasured, even when I don't deserve it. I cherish the moments we share--cooking, cuddling, and when Silas reads to me until I fall asleep. When he's inside me, it's the only time in my life I've ever felt complete.

Silas becomes the glue that holds me together, that bandages my scars. Inside the walls of his home, we're almost safe, but our demons are always there, waiting to break free.

We're a mess. We're broken, chaotic, beautiful; we're in love.

But not even love can slay our monsters. No, only we can do that.

Unless our monsters destroy us first.

TRIGGERS: Self-harm, depression, anxiety, mentions of past domestic violence. 

*While the sexual situations depicted in Beautiful Chaos are imperative to the characters' development throughout the course of the novel, readers are advised to peruse the "Dear Reader" letter at the beginning of the book to help them make an informed decision about whether this particular story will be to their tastes. This letter can be viewed in the downloadable sample or by using the "Look Inside" feature found on the title's product page.

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars


“I’m me.”


I was in need of a different read, my book funk was real, and a contemporary romance just wasn’t hitting the spot, and so I decided to read an M/M. Scouting Amazon for a read I came across this one and the blurb just called to me, and I’m so glad that I took that jump. This book was stunningly, heart-breakingly beautiful. These characters…I adored them, every beautiful, broken piece of them. These two will stay with me for a very long time.


“We’ve both survived. Now it’s time to live.”


Silas is an agoraphobic, his home his prison and the comings and goings of his neighbours a way of passing way too much time on his hands. Blighted by insomnia, Silas spent way too many hours being a voyeur, but more for the feeling of safety than being nosey and bored. Silas wasn’t always this way, after a traumatic event, the mental scars were everlasting even though the physical scars had healed.


“We weren’t people or animals, but two souls colliding among the stars, the eruption shooting all our pain and hurt outside our reach.”


Corey has just moved into the neighbourhood, a new start, because like Silas, he had been through the mill too. Corey has his own issues, ones that he is making strides in overcoming. But again, like Silas, the physical scars may remain, but it is the mental scars that leave their lasting mark that dictate the future he feels he deserves.

On paper, these two should never have worked, their issues too great, too deep-rooted, too all-consuming and yet something draws these beautiful souls together, and it all starts in the most adorable meet-cutes.


“The whole world was walking on shards, traipsing across the broken fragments of my life scattered all around me.”


I was championing these two along from the beginning, I wanted them to overcome their issues even though I knew deep down it was a tall order. This book covers some extremely sensitive subjects, and the authors dealt with them with sensitivity and care and so much emotion. My heart was decimated for the situation that these two found themselves in and yet the authors expertly give the reader that constant glimmer of hope that these two broken men could and would be each other's balm.


“You’re my home…the only one I’ve had in a long time.”


This was a stunning slow burn, one that forged that character connection deep into your heart and soul as the authors slowly leak out their pasts and their own tragedies. Neither man looking for love, but more acceptance and finding it with the one person that could understand them the most. Neither man wanting to ask for help and yet finding it with notes, video chats, kisses and more. I loved everything about this book. My heart full by the end and my tear ducts alleviated of a little saline. I will definitely be reading more by these two authors.

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Release Day Review ~ The Dauntless (Spy Girl #5) by Jillian Dodd


Book Description:

From USA Today bestselling author Jillian Dodd comes the fifth book in a sizzling series filled with action and adventure. Fans of The Selection and The Hunger Games will discover a heart-pounding thrill ride of espionage and suspense set in glittering high society.

Huntley Von Allister’s cover is firmly in place. 
She’s brilliantly completed her first four missions. 
But she is done.
Done working for Black X.
Done trying to untangle the mystery of what got her mother killed. 
And very, very done with love. 

She’s given herself a simple mission—to recover the precious memories of her final days with her mother by visiting the places in the photos left behind. 
Well, that, and to discover who owns the emerald rings, like the one she found on Dupree. 
And completely destroy their secret society.

Buy Links:


Our Review:

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


“In most seafaring cultures, they say the captain should go down with his ship. I love my country, but I fear it’s sinking, and it will take me under.”


This series is so addictive, every time a new instalment comes out I am on it and read through at a rate of knots. As with all previous instalments, this book is action-packed, fast-paced, addictive and all-consuming and the attention to detail was phenomenal. The amount of research and effort is astonishing, and the reward is definitely for the reader to reap. Our amazing heroine goes rogue in this instalment as Huntley Von Allister gets closer and closer to getting the answers she desperately craves, but are the answers ones she wants to hear?

This series is now five books in, yet it doesn’t feel that way. This is a series that is worthy of a TV serial, and I would love to see it on screen. The possibilities are endless with a heroine such as Huntley. Huntley is a trained killing machine, but one thing she has been starved of is love and affection since the death of her parents. Huntley finds it hard to trust, rightly so, but the friendships that she makes throughout this series are ones to be cherished. Yet, it has got to that point where Huntley has to go back and assess everybody. Who can she really trust, who has their own agenda, who is really on her side?

The Dauntless picks up where The Valiant left off, and the cliffhanger is answered quickly, thank god. Huntley resumes the trail of breadcrumbs that she has been left, still finding trouble wherever she goes that is answered as only Huntley knows how. Like I said above, the attention to detail and research is second to none and this all adds up to deliver one incredibly addictive story that I just couldn’t let go. Reading as fast I could while still digesting every word my heart was running a mile a minute as Huntley navigates her way around something is more than just a game.


“I have been so honest with you, Huntley; I’m practically transparent.”


Huntley’s relationship with Lorenzo is still up in the air, and I continue to champion these two along despite the hurdles they have still yet to jump. With the action ramping up to another epic cliff-hanger, that I never saw coming, Jillian Dodd certainly knows how to keep the reader's attention rapt and hanging off every single word.


“Lorenzo is more. He brings more joy and beauty to my life. More love. More happiness. But with that, sadly, seems to come more rouble, more danger, more pain, and more heartbreak.”


I cannot wait for The Phoenix to be released and it literally cannot come quick enough. Jillian Dodd is the queen of cliffhangers in this series and while this one was relatively tame compared to the others, what was revealed, was definitely not. Jaw meet floor. Absolutely adored it, bring on the next one.

Thursday 11 October 2018

Review ~ Love, Sincerely, Yours by Sara Ney and Meghan Quinn


Book Description:

Dear Mister.. . . no, too formal.
Hey there sweet cheeks. . . no, too forward.
*Clears throat*
To whom it may concern,

Full disclosure; before we move forward with this email, I would like it to be known that I have consumed an adequate amount of alcoholic beverages to intoxicate myself tonight. Three margaritas, two shots, and one beer—because it was free.

I think it’s important to be open and honest with your co-workers, don’t you?

So here I am, being open and honest. Drunk but honest. Or just drunk with lust? You decide.

I have a hopeless, foolish, schoolgirl crush on you when you are the last person on earth I should be falling for. Did you know people around the office call you a sadist? An egomaniac. An insensitive, arrogant prick. But what they don't know is your bark is worse than your bite. And that bite doesn't scare me. The fact is, I’d love that bite of yours to nip at my bare skin while we’re both wearing nothing but sheets.

For once I want you to look at me as more than one of your employees. 

And as long as we're being honest, that navy blue suit you wear? With the crisp white shirt? It really makes me want to loosen your tie and show you exactly who's boss. 

Love,
Sincerely,
Yours

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna
***ARC received for an honest review***


“I can’t live another day without your hugs and ‘quiches.’”


Both these authors in their own right are hilarious, their senses of humour are always reflected in their own books, and now the reader is treated to both of them in one. I could just imagine the shenanigans involved in bringing this book to publication and can imagine the downright hilarious conversations as certain scenes were written. There are many, many laughs in this book, a heroine you cannot help but adore and friends that egg her on to do something that she would have never, ever done of her own volition.

Peyton has had a crush on her devilishly handsome boss for years. A boss who is a total asshole to all, who walks around the office with a stick up his ass, who is as arrogant as they come and who everyone is afraid of. When Peyton’s crush is revealed in a moment of drunkenness, her friends are stunned and hatch a plan for Peyton to release her frustrations and hopefully have a little fun with said arrogant prick. And so Peyton sends an anonymous email…ending with ‘I want to bang you.’

Rome, ever the rule player, is aghast when he receives said anonymous email. Not sure if this is someone pulling his chain, or actually true, Rome is concentrated on his quest to find the originator so that he can fire them. But, there is something about the email that colours Rome intrigued, and against his better judgement, he replies.


“Rome Blackburn is woods and rivers and adventure. He is excitement. He is an asshole. Rome Blackburn is a freaking prick.”


The emails between these two are hilarious and honest, the banter between them when Rome is still in the dark is an amalgamation of intrigue and restraint. However, when Rome does let his guard down, his true personality shines through, and you definitely get to see the real person underneath the usual frosty façade. The back and forth, the hate/love, the wit, sarcasm and innuendos all bring many a tear of laughter to your eyes and have you championing this unexpected pairing to a happy ever after.


“Pull your pants down, Rome. I’m about to rock your fucking world.”


This was definitely a feel-good read, and I cannot wait to see if these two pair up again because I will certainly be reading.

Wednesday 10 October 2018

Release Day Review ~ Beast by Lisa Edward


Book Description:

Life had always been good to me, and I made sure to keep it that way. My mom had given me the only tool I’d need to succeed—manipulation. Add to that the fact I was beautiful, confident, and rich, and I was on my way to having it all.

My name is Annabelle, and I was the stereotypical head cheerleader, dating the star quarterback. The school was mine, and I couldn’t wait to be crowned prom queen.

One night, my world changed forever. All I believed my future would hold was ripped from my grasp in a ball of flames. I lost my identity, my boyfriend, and my friends. Suddenly, I was the monster nobody wanted around.

A scarf hid my true identity, and I was left staring at the beast in the mirror. My appearance now matched the ugliness I once had inside, but I’d do everything I could to prove I still had some beauty buried deep within.

Sometimes, you have to lose who you are to become who you were meant to be.

**Beast is the first in a series of fairytale retelling novels.

Buy Links:


Our Review:

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


“Those who matter don’t mind, and those that mind don’t matter.”


Lisa Edward puts her own spin on the age-old fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast and in turn, turns it on its head. I loved that this book contained a message, an outstanding message, one where lessons are taught and learned and most importantly learned from. How a person can grow from tragedy and rather than let it define them but morph them into a better person.


“I’m too different and people don’t accept different.”


This is the story of Annabelle and Tyler, where beauty is in the eye of the beholder, beauty is only skin deep, and you should never judge a book by its cover, albeit the dust jacket may have been a fair representation of the past.

Annabelle was a hard character to love in the first instance, superficial, bitchy, pretentious and was the ‘it girl’ and she knew it. Every girl wanted to be her friend or be her, she had a charmed life, was spoilt rotten and was one of the girls that came across as totally irredeemable. I had to question where the author was going with this story because, quite frankly, I didn’t want to read about her. I knew that something was going to happen and Lisa Edward did the impossible, she redeemed the irredeemable. By the end, I loved Bella, her metamorphosis was complete.


“Maybe being beautiful on the inside will have to be enough.”
“Oh babe. You were never beautiful on the inside.”


Tyler was one of those guys you couldn’t help but love. Selfless, with a huge heart and it took someone like him to see past Annabelle’s personality flaws. Tyler saw the woman underneath, he saw past the façade and encouraged Bella’s change for the better.

For a short story, this book certainly packed an emotional punch, and at times I did have tears in my eyes. People are so fickle in this day and age, appearances are the be all and end all, and little regard is given for the person underneath. I do feel that Bella was a product of her mother's beliefs and the upbringing that she was given and it took losing something that she took for granted for her to find her inner diamond, after all, even diamonds have flaws.

Absolutely loved this short and its message.