Sunday, 13 October 2013

Review ~ Untaming Lily Wilde (Wilde, #1) by Olivia Fox

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars

I totally loved this book, it was one of those reads that you couldn’t put down. I was laughing and crying in parts.

Lily Wilde has only ever had one boyfriend, they have been living together and have been partners for 8 years. New Years Eve, surprising him at the office she overhears him on the phone to his girlfriend, turns out he is about to dump her and has been cheating on her for ages. Confronting him, Lily tells him to pack his bags.

Lily decides that she is going to reinvent herself and in doing so comes face to face with Seb. Seb is rich, married, extremely HOT but also has deviances of his own and owns a sex club. Well when I say club he has kinky parties at his house…his house is a massive country estate and we are talking high end clients that pay a lot of money for a good time and anonymity.

Lily decides to keep a diary and gives herself a bucket list of sorts detailing things that she is going to do to give herself this magical makeover and one of those things is to broaden her sexual experiences.

Working at the setting up of one of Seb’s parties, Seb makes his interest known to Lily and soon she is sucked into his world and attends one of the parties as a guest. But is all as it seems with Seb?

I will say, although I loved Seb, I found him to be a bit of a pushover. I would have thought he would have had more backbone, but he was a bit wishy washy at times. I seriously wanted to batter him in places. You wanted to scream at the kindle during some of the scenes with his “wife”. He does eventually man up, but then he does something else that totally aggravates me. While I could sort of understand his reasoning, it didn’t help their relationship at all.

You do get engrossed in this story, so much so I hardly high lighted a thing, which is unheard of!!

This book does contain some very hot sex scenes, BDSM, threesomes, a bit of F/F, but it never comes across as gratuitous. Also, some of the side characters were a bit annoying at times, but we can’t love everybody!

I can’t wait to read the next in the series, I need to know what is in store for Seb and Lily.

Saturday, 12 October 2013

Blog Tour ~ Review & Giveaways ~ Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend 1) by Nicole Edwards



Book Description:

Cooper Krenshaw knows what it’s like to feel the bright lights upon him, the sound of the crowd roaring when he walks on stage; after all, he happens to be one of the biggest names in country music at the moment. And he has knowingly just dropped off the grid. The first decision he has made on his own in quite some time. Cooper only thought he was looking for a challenge when he walked off of that concert stage in Chicago. After finding himself in Devil’s Bend, Texas, he soon realizes that the dream he’s been chasing might not be the one he was after all along.

Now he’s found himself not only starting over in a new town, but he’s pretty sure he’s met the toughest challenge of his life... she just happens to be an angel in blue jeans.

Tessa Donovan hasn’t been the best of friends with Fate for quite some time now. Owning and operating The Rusty Nail, a small bar in her hometown of Devil’s Bend, has been enough to keep her going through the motions of her life. But it’s the only thing she’s got. After losing her husband fifteen short months after they were married, Tessa has spent the last four years chasing dreams in order to maintain her sanity. Only those dreams are soon ripped right out of her grasp by a sexy country music star who claims he descended on her small town by accident.

Coincidence? Or has Fate stepped in once again? Whatever the case, Tessa knows the handsome cowboy might get to overtake her dreams, but she’s bound and determined that he won’t take her heart.


Buy Links: 

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1ed4TvR
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1asEdV3

Our Review: 

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars

**ARC received for honest review**


“From the first time I saw her Her smile spoke to my soul My heart found a home Right there in the arms of my angel in blue jeans.”

We all know that I am a lover of anything Nicole Edwards and this book certainly doesn’t disappoint. I know that Nicole was a bit nervous with this one as she is well known for her super steamy, erotic romances and was going for something different this time. Why was she worried!!! She has delivered a brilliant steamy, contemporary romance!! For all us romantics at heart, this is a fab read that will have you swooning, you cannot help but fall in love with Cooper and Tessa and Nicole takes you on such an amazing journey with these two that you cannot help but will them on till the very end.

Tessa Donovan part owns the “Rusty Nail” bar in Devils Bend, this bar was her and her brother Adam’s inheritance from their absentee father. Tessa runs the bar and Adam manages the entertainment side, bringing in bands and singers to take to the stage.

Tessa is an extremely private and guarded person, she has had her fair share of heartache! Her husband died in the line of duty as he was a police officer and then when she finally managed to take the leap of faith into another relationship, it ended badly with the douchebag slandering her reputation all over town, so now she is reluctant to ever put herself in that position again. Keeping house with her two Siberian Huskies she is quite content living the life she does but she is lonely. She has her dreams and aspirations and is trying her hardest to achieve them. But will her life ever be the same when her brother brings one his university friends to play at The Rusty Nail.

“Tessa knew without a doubt, no matter how hard she fought and pleaded with her heart, Cooper was going to the next man to break her.”

Cooper Krenshaw is “hot stuff” in the country music world, he is at the top of his field, but he too has his own problems, feeling the pressure and burn out, he decides to take a break and just drives. He ends up getting in contact with Adam and Adam books him to play at the Rusty Nail.

Tessa and Cooper have an instant attraction to each other, however Tessa is worried, especially due to her past experiences and also the fact that Cooper is only in town to recharge. Will Tessa be the motive that Cooper needs to seek a permanent residence away from Nashville? Will Cooper’s manager and fans be happy with him leaving?

“I’m not interested in casual, Tessa. I haven’t been interested in casual for a long time. I’m old enough to know what I want, and playing games ain’t it.”

These two have a lot to overcome during this story, but it was told beautifully, you couldn’t help but be captivated by their story and I couldn’t put it down. Tessa is an amazing character, she had been badly burned in the past and her past was by no means happy but she still managed to be upbeat and tried to be happy. She put on a brave front to her family and friends but Nicole let us see the real Tessa during this story.

“Chasing dreams seemed to be the only thing he knew how to do.”

Cooper, what a guy!! He was your tall, ripped, handsome cowboy with a hot gravelly voice to boot. He was smooth, he could talk and sing your panties off in a flash. He had hoards of fans that whilst he appreciated them, they could also be a total pain. He loved having his quiet moments, he craved that peace, quiet and tranquillity.

I loved this story, I felt their love and passion, the smexy times were still steamy even without the added signature Nicole Edwards kink. As I was reading and going through their various ups and downs and typical new relationship problems and insecurities I was willing them together all the way. They truly deserved each other and were so alike. They were soul mates.

“Awww, shucks, cowboy,” Tessa said with a mischievous grin. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Once again Nicole, super read, I can’t wait to see where this series goes. Loved the fact that the Walker’s were Tessa’s cousins, so perhaps there will be some more crossovers coming up?? Would love to see a book about Dalton who we were introduced to in this book and also Jack, he deserves his HEA too.
 
About the Author: 

Nicole lives in Texas with her husband, Colt, three kids and four dogs. It's quite the household and most of the time you'll find her locked away in her office... writing. When she's not, you'll likely find her reading, swimming, or hanging out in the yard with the dogs, doing her best to keep them in line. (And no, it doesn't usually work)

Ever want to let that other part of you loose? The part that has secret desires and taboo fantasies? Well, that's what brought about Nicole Edwards. She's an alter ego. In truth, she's a full-fledged part of me. The secret part made up of sinfully hot desires and erotic thoughts. Get to know how Nicole's naughty mind works by checking out her books!

About me... hmmm...

Ok, I've been asked to provide a little bit of "real" information about myself. That's harder to do than you think it is, especially for someone who has difficulty talking about themselves. ;) But, here goes...

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a kid, I loved creative writing and as I got older, I got acquainted with those voices in my head and that led to putting my stories on paper. And now, here I am all these years later, spending my days doing what I love most. I decided to give myself over to writing full time in 2012 and I haven't looked back. I spent nearly 13 years in the corporate world and I have to say, this is a bit of a change (just a little) and I am loving every second of it.

I live in Texas with my husband and three amazing kids and our four beloved dogs. If I'm not writing, I'm usually reading. I devour everything I can get my hands on. I love romance of any type and being an Indie author myself, I'm always looking for new Indies to support. I haven't always been into reading, but about eleven years ago, I picked up a book - I'm pretty sure it was by Nora Roberts - and from there, I haven't stopped. Before I began writing full time, and my characters started taking up so much of my time, I was reading about 200 books a year. That has dwindled somewhat, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't read.

An interesting fact... I don't watch television - aside from the occasional news anyway. I will go see a movie or two rarely, but for the most part, I get all of my entertainment from a book. Some of my favorite authors include J.R. Ward, Suzanne Brockmann, Lora Leigh, Jane Rylon, Lori Foster, and Jaci Burton just to name a few.

Website: www.NicEdwardsAuthor.com
twitter username@NicoleEAuthor
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Author.Nicole.Edwards
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4318269.Nicole_Edwards

Giveaways! 

We have two giveaways courtesy of Nicole Edwards! Don't forget to enter them both! 

Win an ebook of Chasing Dreams! 

Ten Winners! Amazon Vouchers, Signed books & Swag! 

Friday, 11 October 2013

Blog Tour ~ Interview & Giveaway ~ More Than This by Jay McLean


Book Description:

*Mikayla*

In one night my fairytale ended. Or it may have begun. This is my story of friendship and love, heartbreak and desire, and the strength to show weakness.

*Jake*

One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak.

*This is our story of a maybe ever after.*

He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.
I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future.
I couldn’t even predict it.
It was one night.
One night when everything changed.
It was so much more than just the betrayal.
It was the Tragedy.
The Deaths.
The Murders.
But it was also that feeling.
The feeling of falling.

 
Buy Links:
 
Playlist:
 
 Jay has a spotify playlist and it can be found here:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1295682553/playlist/7ahhWng9lzSYsi2nlFjjYa
 
Interview with the Author:
 
Welcome to The Romance Cover Jay.

Before we start talking about your writing and your books, lets find out a bit more about you: 

When you are not writing or working what do you enjoy doing?
I love spending time with my little family. I have two boys, 3 and 1, and we're kind of a crazy, loud bunch. So we have good times.

What is your favourite Movie at the moment?
This is so embarrassing. I have been to the movies twice since my first son was born. I saw superman (yum) and planes with my son. I can't even tell you what's good. But I'll watch anything with Zac Efron. Even on mute. Even paused on his face.

What is your favourite song at the moment?
This is a toss up between Passenger - Let her go, and Plain White T's - Hey there Delilah.

Who is your favourite book boyfriend?
Josh Bennett from The Sea of Tranquility. Just saying his name makes me sigh.

Who is your favourite author and why?
I love Tijan and Colleen Hoover.
Tijan because she writes teen angst like nobody's business.
Hoover because, well, it's Colleen frickin Hoover. But, if you need a reason.. Will Cooper. Dean Holder. That is all.


If you could have only one book whilst stranded on a desert Island, what would it be?
On the Island - Tracy Garvis-Graves. Because it would give me inspiration to get off the damn island. And because of T.J.

Now lets talk about your writing:

Who or what is your inspiration when you write?
I don't know. I kind of write for myself. I write characters that I love and that I believe in. I write stories that I would want to read. And I try really hard to keep the writings as mine, and not be too influenced by what fans of the first book are expecting. I'm on my 9th re-write for More Than Her - and I think at the beginning, when I was getting crazy feedback from More Than This, I wanted to write a story that everyone wanted. And I lost track of my ideas, my stories, and my words.

We know that you when you wrote More Than This it was more for yourself and you never intended for it to be published. What or who gave you that final push to publish and are you glad that you did?
I actually had the book up on fiction press for a few months, and got a few good comments, but nothing major. I could see people were reading it, chapter for chapter, but not that many people commented. So I sent out a hundred arcs via goodreads, and the first 10-15 people that reviewed gave it 4 or 5 stars. One of the arc readers sent me and e-mail with feedback and gave me one of the best compliments I ever received. And after reading what she had to say, along with a few other people. I just hit publish. My partner didn't know that I had written the book until after I published it.

We loved More Than This, more than a lot, was any of the content in the book personal? You couldn't help but fall in love with these characters and some of their experiences came across as personal.
I'd say a lot of the emotion, and reactions, is personal. I didn't go through anywhere near what Mikayla went through, but in my late teens and early twenties I did experience some difficulties in life, and during that time, I found my Prince Charming. So, I guess the emotions that she experiences are mine. And that experience is the reason why I believe in insta-love. The way Kayla's parents met, is very similar to how my and my partner met 9 years ago. Instant. Intense. Easy. <3

Since publishing More Than This have you been surprised by the way the book has been received?
SO SO SO surprised. I can't even begin to explain it. I have no words for how it makes me feel. And the fact that other authors have reached out and told me how they feel about it...I feel like I need to punch myself in the face every day just to make sure I'm not dreaming.

What can you tell us about your next book More Than Her?
More Than Her is Logan's story. It's still romance, but it's very much Logan's Story. It's about him as a person and we really get to know him. I love writing Logan. He's such an amazing character, and I can't wait to share him with the rest of you guys. Hopefully November/December we'll see that happen.   
 
Thank you for joining us!  
 
About the Author

Author of Mature YA / New Adult contemporary novels, MORE THAN THIS and a soon to be released sequel, MORE THAN HER. I enjoy reading and writing books that make people laugh, cry andswoon for dreamy book boyfriends. When not doing either of those, I can be found looking after my two little boys, and trying to avoid house work at all costs.

 
Tour Giveaway! 
 


Friday Frights ~ Review ~ Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood 2) by JR Ward

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the brilliant erotic Brotherhood series. It is about the vampire warrior Rhage.

Now this is a man with exceptional looks to die for and a body you just want to get down and dirty with, my god he is a handsome brute and so that is why he has the nickname “Hollywood”, say no more. He is the Brotherhoods best fighter with a secret weapon inside of him. He has a voracious appetite for women and a very bad boy image and we all know how attracted we are to these gorgeous men. Then he meets Mary…

Mary works as a volunteer at a suicide centre taking calls of a night and from leaving her job she meets a young boy called John. With her friend Bella, they take him to the Brotherhood at Bella’s insistence, now the only thing wrong is that Mary is very ill, but she goes for the boy and this is where she meets Rhage for the first time. I must say, not a very good start by Rhage’s good looks did make an impression on Mary, she just couldn’t help it.

Against all opposition from his fellow warriors he got Bella to set up a date with Mary as he couldn’t get her voice out of his head. When Rhage walks into the restaurant Mary could not believe it was him that was her blind date, this movie star, beautiful man, monumental in black leather trench coat and so broad…

“Holy…WOW”

The dinner was not a great success, she just couldn’t believe he was for real, but it did get better after a, lets say, exciting walk together.

“I want to get you hot.” “Hot enough so you don’t feel anything but me.” “So you don’t think of anything but what I am doing to you.” “I want you liquid.”

Mary was lost.

During this story you will find a very up and down relationship, but when it’s up it’s right up in the stratosphere.

“It didn’t take long for her to explode with a shattering blast, the release swept through her, robbing her of sight and hearing, of breath and heartbeat until all she could do was collapse on him.”

This is a story with a twist. The sexual scenes are to die for, so erotic, oh please can I have some.

Ms Ward, you have done it again. I’m off to get book 3. I do so love these warriors, they are getting to be a drug to me and I am the junkie.