FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis was another great book by this author. I have read all the books in this series and I believe that I liked them all. You don’t have to read all the books if you aren’t interested in them because they all can be read as stand-alone books. I have to say that I enjoyed Molly throughout this entire book because I could see a lot of myself in her. I also loved that she kept Lucas thinking that the had slept together even though they didn’t. I spent a good part of this book just smiling because of Molly and Lucas and the things that happened to both. If you are looking for a sweet story to read this fall than I know you will enjoy this book.
About The Book
Who needs mistletoe?
Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .
Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.
About The Author
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, http://www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy with Romantic Elements
Release Date: Sept 24, 2018
Length: 120,000 words
What’s a superheroine to do when her super soldier ex turns up alive after more than fifteen years?
Lyndsey doesn’t have much time to walk down memory lane before she and Ian find themselves thrown together to investigate the mysterious deaths of ten young men in the Canadian wilderness. How do such seemingly normal, healthy men’s hearts just…stop?
With the hint of an evil spirit in the wind–and a whole lot of butterflies–there’s no telling what Lyndsey and Ian are dealing with, including their own extensive baggage. Though seventeen years is a lot of life to live, there’s one thing they can’t deny: their attraction is as intense as ever. But is it just a spark that will burn itself out, or is it true love bringing them back together? When the force they’re hunting turns its sights on them, the leap of faith required far exceeds either of their powers. But worrying about their future might be premature because one wrong move and they might not make it out alive.
In Book One of the Butterfly Ops trilogy, Lyndsey and Ian reconnect fifteen years after seeing each other for what each thought was the last time. That the spark is still there is undeniable—but is it enough to get past the secrets and lies that tore them apart the first time around? With old tensions rearing their heads as new challenges arise, what at first seems to be a sure path back to trust and happiness is rockier than it seems.
Note: this is Book One in a serial trilogy. Book Two will be released in Spring 2019; Book Three will be released in early Summer 2019. Books should be read in order.
Excerpt 2:
Of course, in all the years since the night they’d broken up, Lyndsey had realized it went a lot further than him just trying to get her to leave; he’d probably had a much better sense of what was to come after he did. Asking Lyndsey to come with him had been Ian’s last resort, what he’d fallen back on when she’d refused to back down. But remembering that about him—understanding how deeply he’d wanted to protect Lyndsey that night, it wasn’t too hard to guess what the last fight with his wife was about. “You wanted her to stay home. You didn’t want her on that flight.”
“I wanted her to be the one who didn’t die,” he snapped. Then, clearly aware of how defensive he sounded, his voice grew quiet. “It was one of those things you say in the heat of it all, just to make someone mad.” He paused before adding, “But I was too damn proud to give in. Biggest mistake I ever made in my life. Thought I couldn’t top the one I made with you. It turns out I was wrong.”
When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. His hand was right there, resting next to hers. How could she not reach out to him? She couldn’t help it any longer. “Ian…”
She supposed it wasn’t a shock that he pulled his hand back. The only real surprise was that he didn’t walk away— and that he actually kept talking.
“It took a few months for it to fully hit. I totally lost it at Jack’s first birthday party. It was the first time they let Matt leave the hospital. Saw him in that wheelchair and whammo.” The detachment was back; there was even a touch of the self-deprecating thing Ian was so good at. “Handed Jack over to my mom and barely made it upstairs. It wasn’t pretty. Mom’s been here ever since. My dad retired two years later and came east. There you have it.” He spread his hands open wide. “No more secrets.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Lyndsey said quietly. “I’m so sorry.”
He picked up his beer bottle and tossed it across the deck, sinking it perfectly into the trashcan. There was the sound of the glass shattering. “Yeah. So… Eight and a half years. The first few were hell. It’s gotten better.”
“Thus all the women in your life,” Lyndsey said, surprising herself with the words she’d just spoken out loud.
Now why would she go and say that? There was nothing but bad there.
He raised his eyebrows in a ‘Really?’ kind of way. Part amused, part irritated, Ian answered, “I’ve got plenty of women in my life.”
“Your kids, your mom, Matt’s wife. Seems you’re missing a biggie.”
And, no, she had absolutely nothing invested in the response to that.
“You, too?” He seemed to be looking around for something else to throw. “I don’t need anyone else trying to fix me up. I’m perfectly—”
“Happy,” she finished for him. “Yeah. That’s what I tell them, too. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.” If she had to be perfectly honest.
There was a pause before he said, “So why aren’t you?” He folded his arms in front of his chest, the smile on his face saying, Dare ‘ya. “Happy, I mean.”
She hesitated. Hadn’t quite expected him to throw it right back at her. He’d never been one for asking questions; everyone who knew him knew that.
“Thinking about changing the subject?” he said, his smile broadening. “Unh-uh. Your turn.”
Talk about busted. Darn it. She shrugged. “I’ve been in love three times. I know what it feels like. I don’t want to settle.”
“Three times, huh?” Though his arms stayed folded, he turned so he was leaning sideways against the wall, facing her. “You’ve got me beat by one.”
She got caught up for a minute, lost in his eyes, thinking about how much she wanted to kiss him.
Stop thinking about kissing him.
It wasn’t her usual practice to jump on someone the moment he entered her vicinity, even if he happened to be in the small club of men she’d had an actual relationship with—a real, honest-to-goodness relationship. Not the marking time one like she’d been in with Steve for the past several months.
But her body was busy making the point that it never had the chance to properly say good-bye. Never had that one last tender kiss, one last caress. Not even a run-of-the-mill hug.
The nearness of him now did nothing to ease the ache. Really—all she wanted was good-bye. The fact that she was at a point in her life where the whole second chance thing had better odds? She wasn’t going to entertain the thought. Couldn’t. No siree.
She made herself blink and look away. “I should probably tell you I’m sorry for asking, but…” Well… “I’m not.”
He grinned. “You know? It actually feels good to talk about her. I don’t much, not to an adult at least.”
Lyndsey realized she was fidgeting—running her hands down her thighs towards her knees, letting her feet kick against the wall. Very deliberately, she rested her hands alongside of her, flat on the ledge. “You talk to your kids about her? You don’t avoid answering their questions?”
He shook his head. “I swore to myself the night Abby died that I’d never hold anything back from my kids. And these days I pretty much say what’s on my mind no matter how dumb it sounds. Learned that lesson the hard way.”
Good policy, she thought, especially because it opened him up to the question: “So what’s on your mind right now?” she asked quietly. Breathlessly.
He looked at her and then, cheeks reddening, quickly turned away.
“Set myself up for that one, didn’t I?” Ian said it almost under his breath, as though he were laughing at himself. Placing his hands on the ledge, he looked past the buildings to the river. “I’m thinking it was really nice to talk to you about Abby. That it’s been too long since I’ve done that.” He hesitated and then bowed his head, adding softly, “And that it seems like a total betrayal of her memory, but all I want to do right now is kiss you.” He turned back to her. “It’s all I’ve wanted to do since the moment I saw you.”
Not wanting to wait another second, Lyndsey put her hands on his face and drew him to her. After a moment’s hesitation, his hands were on her waist, on her hips, and his mouth opened. It didn’t take long for his tongue to find all the old, familiar places.
Who was she kidding? Forget good-bye. Hello. Good. Freaking. Lord.
Author Bio:
A big believer in happily ever afters, Jen Doyle decided it was high time she started creating some. CALLING IT, her four-book baseball/contemporary romance/romantic comedy series, has been winning awards since its inception, the most recent being the 2017 Best Banter Contest for Calling It and a nomination for the 2017 Harlequin Hero of the Year for Called Out. She also wrote the acclaimed HANSONS OF ST. HELENA series of novellas in the St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World. Butterfly Ops: Book One is the first installment of the BUTTERFLY OPS trilogy, an epic love story and her first in the paranormal realm.
Jen has an M.S. in Library and Information Science and, in addition to her work as a librarian, has worked as a conference and events planner as well as an administrator in both preschool and higher education environments (although some might say that there is very little difference between the two; Jen has no comment regarding whether she is one of the “some”). She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and is represented by Sarah E. Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Barclay Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
It Began with A Lie by Michele Pariza Wacek was one of those books that once I started reading the book I didn’t want to put it down until I was finished with it. I think this is the first book I have read by this author and I am going to read more books by her in the future because I really loved this book. I spent the entire booking waiting to find out what happened to Becca before this book started. I felt bad for Becca because of how her stepdaughter and husband treated her. I did wish that she would have kicked them both to the curb. I was so interested in this book that I was able to read it a couple of days which hasn’t been the case for me lately because I have been getting bored super easy with most books. I think that most people would enjoy this book and it is an easy book to read. Have you read this book and if so did you like it?
A fresh start. That was what Becca hoped the move from New York to Redemption, Wisconsin, would be for her troubled family—a way to get her crumbling marriage back on track, and to bond with her difficult 16-year-old stepdaughter.
But instead of a new beginning, Becca is thrust into a mysterious past she barely remembers … a past that includes complications from interacting with her teenage crush, Daniel, as well as living in her aunt’s old house (aka “The Witch House,” according to locals).
But is the house really haunted? Or is there something far more sinister out to destroy them?
About The Author
Michele Pariza Wacek (also known as Michele PW) taught herself to read at three years old because she so badly wanted to write fiction. As an adult, she became a professional copywriter (copywriters write promotional materials for businesses, nothing to do with protecting intellectual property or putting a copyright on something) and eventually founded a copywriting and marketing company. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and currently lives with her husband and dogs in the mountains of Arizona. You can reach her at MicheleParizaWacek.com. She’s published two novels, “The Stolen Twin” and “Mirror Image,” both psychological thrillers/mystery/suspense books.
Ever since magic caused his mother’s death, Ha-Neul, crown prince of Balhae, hates witches and the magic they wield. He has instituted harsh laws against all magic users.
Lisa is a young witch working undercover as a servant in his palace, hoping to gain freedom for her people. The last thing the two expect is to fall in love. But when Ha-Neul learns that Lisa is not only a witch, but the daughter of the Prince of Vires, land of witches, he banishes her. Distracted by heartbreak, he is caught off-guard by a military coup.
In hiding and on the run, Ha-Neul swallows his pride and travels with his siblings to Vires, planning to beg Lisa’s aid, only to learn that she has mysteriously vanished.
Now his only hope in reclaiming his kingdom and reuniting with Lisa lies in the remote Northern Mountains, a country no one has ever penetrated and rumored home of a powerful magic source. There, Ha-Neul learns that a being powerful beyond comprehension has been carefully guiding his destiny. But if Ha-Neul can’t let go of his hatred of all things magic, and accept the new path offered to him, it will mean the destruction of his entire world.
Adam Gowans is the youngest of five Air Force brats, out of which his siblings have voted him the weirdest. He loves anything that deals with stories, including movies, novels, television dramas, music, video games, manga/manhwa, and webtoons.
In his mid-twenties, he lived and taught English in South Korea for four years before returning to the States to live, like many LDS authors, in Utah.
His first novel is On Angelic Wings, which has a planned sequel, but the sequel will be released after two other novels that are calling for his attention.
We had a party with Author Adam Gowens and many people asked his some questions. We thought you would enjoy seeing this Q&A and learning a bit more about Adam.
1.When did you first begin writing? What made you decide to become an author?
a.I was in middle school, and one of our English assignments was to create our own descriptions of dragons (we were reading an Anne McCaffrey short story). When we read them in class, someone made the comment that it sounded like it could be a book, and the idea to try to write stuck.
2.What is your favorite live-action TV show and why?
a.I love the Korean dramas Coffee Prince, Secret Garden, and Faith (Great Doctor). My favorite American drama is Big Bang Theory.
3.what is your favorite movie?
a.Does the 5-hour Pride and Prejudice count? No? August Rush and Penelope.
4.what’s so weird about you?
a.Lots of things are weird about me, including my family, and I tend to be the odd one out of them most of the time. I’m not exactly sure how to describe how I am weird, but I know that I am and I embrace it.
5.What advice would you give to someone trying to get published?
a.Don’t give up, and don’t count out self-publishing. Keep writing, and one day, you will write something that you desperately want to share with the world. That’s why I went with self-publishing.
6.Do you listen to music when you write?
a.Sometimes. It used to be all the time, but sometimes the quiet helps me think.
7.What type of music?
a.I have a pretty eclectic taste in music. I listen to groups like Breaking Benjamin to K-pop and Mando-pop.
8.What inspires you to write fantasy?
a.Anything and everything. People I see or dreams. Sometimes it’s just random ideas that pop into my head.
9.What types of movies do you enjoy?
a.I like all genres. They all have something to offer. The only things I don’t like in movies is too much crudeness (for my tastes) and tons of gore (never watched Saw and don’t plan to, I prefer the suspense of scary movies, like in Wait Until Dark).
10.What inspires you to write fantasy?
a.I’ve loved fantasy for as long as I can remember. Dreaming up the unknown and making it “real” is as rewarding as it is difficult.
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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
No End Of Bad by Ginny Fite was a book that I wasn’t the biggest fan of but I also didn’t want to stop reading it. I just kept reading this book and I can’t say why for sure. I wanted to know how it was all going to end but I didn’t really like the characters in this book. Well I didn’t like most of the characters in this book, but Lenore did grow on me because I have a think for strong female characters and I loved that most of the men in this book didn’t like her. I know part of the reason I didn’t like this book is because I am so over politics and even though this book doesn’t have ton of them it still has some and it made it hard for me to want to read it. I was able to read this book in a few days and it was quick read and did keep reading it even though I wasn’t one hundred percent interested in the book. I didn’t figure out what was going to happen in this book, so I did enjoy it at the end. If books that have some politics in it don’t bother you than I would check this one out.
About The Book
Book Title: No End of Bad by Ginny Fite
Category: Adult Fiction; 280 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Release date: June 2018
Tour dates: Sept 3 to 21, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (Contains cursing, violence, non-explicit sex but NO adultery, abortion, etc.)
A DC conspiracy novel of grand proportions…
Washington, DC, housewife Margaret Turnbull’s world literally blows up after her husband, FBI agent Clay Turnbull, is falsely arrested and killed by agents working for an international drug cartel.
Unbeknownst to Margaret, her enemy’s tentacles reach all the way to the White House and control senior personnel. Their powerful enterprise in jeopardy, the assassins will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. With cutting-edge surveillance–CIA, FBI, and NSA technology–there is nowhere to hide, no one to trust. No one is safe–anywhere.
About The Author
Ginny Fite is the author of the dark mystery/thrillers Cromwell’s Folly, No Good Deed Left Undone, and Lying, Cheating, and Occasionally Murder, as well as a funny self-help book on aging, I Should Be Dead by Now, a collection of short stories, What Goes Around, and three books of poetry. She resides in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Title: Connected by a Kiss: Regency Holiday Collection Author: Christina McKnight, Amanda Mariel, Dawn Brower Genre: Regency Romance, Holiday Romance Release Date: September 18th, 2018
A Kiss At Christmastide by Christina McKnight
After a ruinous London season, Lady Pippa Godfrey has given up on the idea of true love–until a devilishly handsome stranger arrives at her Somerset estate, seeking shelter from a winter storm. Soon, she’s daring to claim a Christmas kiss with Lucas Hatfield, the Earl of Maddox, but when the storm abates, will he break her heart like all the rest?
How To Kiss A Rogue by Amanda Mariel
Lady Natalie’s betrothal is ended and frees her to pursue the man of her dreams. During a holiday party she discovers the lord she desires in attendance. So hatches a plan to snare him.
A Wallflower’s Christmas Kiss by Dawn Brower
An arranged betrothal has Lady Juliette Brooks seeking out her former childhood friend, the Duke of Kissinger to beg him to honor his long ago promise. Grayson Abbot has no desire to marry, but he always keeps his word. As they race to Scotland they rediscover the joy of friendship and a passion neither planned on.
Excerpt from A Kiss At Christmastide:
A moment of confusion clouded her mind as the laughter dimmed and a light breeze assaulted her face—as if someone had opened a window to a gusty wind.
At her side, Pippa’s mother fanned her face. Her wrist whipped to and fro, increasing as the room went silent.
Everything froze around her but her mother’s thrashing fan.
The Duchess of Midcrest, her dear mother, who’d labored for over twenty years to rise above her merchant class upbringing, would once again be embroiled in a scandal—all because of Pippa.
“Do you wish to depart?” her mother whispered.
“I did not…” Pippa stammered. “I would never…”
“I did not believe you had, my child.” Her mother sought to soften the blow—something that society had done to the current Duchess of Midcrest a hundred times over. “However, that does not change the appearance of things, no matter what we say or do in this moment.”
Pippa lifted her chin to keep her tears from streaming down her face.
“I do not understand why,” Pippa said as she leaned in close to her mother to whisper. “Lady Natalie and I are such friends.”
“Friendship and jealously often hold hands so tightly that one cannot distinguish between the pair.”
Excerpt from How To Kiss a Rogue:
Glancing from behind the fern, her stomach dropped. “Bradford,”—She came out into the open—“What are you doing here?”
“Knightly asked me to come in first.”
She released a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding. Christian was here. “You cannot stay.”
“I must. It would be highly improper to leave you unchaperoned with a man we are not related to.” Bradford smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Natalie stepped up to him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and began pushing him toward the door. “Nothing untoward will happen as long as you leave now.”
Oh, why had she failed to think of a chaperone? Now Bradford had his nose squarely in the center of her scheme and he’d surely ruin everything.
A mischievous twinkle lit his eyes and he chuckled. “Nothing untoward will occur at any rate. Knightly has no wish to ruin you.”
Natalie’s face warmed and she gave another shove. “Mind your own affairs.”
“Perhaps I should tell Mother what you are about.”
“You would not dare! You cannot. Imagine what she would do, Bradford.” Natalie dropped her hands from his shoulders and gave him her best pouty look. “What do you think I am about? You act as though I am some sully maid,” She peered at him, her blood heated with angry indignation. How dare he think she was going about, carrying on trysting with men? No matter it was exactly her intended purpose…he should not assume such from her.
“Do calm yourself. Getting your skirts in a knot will change nothing.” Bradford shook his head. “We both know what you are doing here.”
She closed her eyes for a heartbeat. He was correct, she could no more lie to him than she could herself. “I beg of you, do not say a word to anyone.”
“You are quite entertaining.” He chuckled while he walked toward the door. “I will be directly outside should Knightly require my assistance.”
“You may well be the one in need.” Natalie reached for a nearby pot and flung it toward him. The projectile missed him, crashing into the floor. “You are not entertaining in the least.”
“You had better clean that mess up or Mother is certain to discover what you’ve been getting up to without my having to tell her.” His deep chuckle only increased in volume as he disappeared from the greenhouse.
She ought to have known he was teasing her. He no more wished for their parents to know his friend was secretly meeting her than she did. In retrospect, bringing Bradford along was a good plan on Christian’s part. As much as it pained her to admit it, he would ensure no one caught them alone together. Natalie released a sigh, then smoothed her skirts before Christian entered. Her heart pounded—this was her chance.
She stood still with one hip cocked to the left as he stepped into the greenhouse and approached her. “Lord Knightly, I am pleased you came.”
“You should be equally pleased that your brother was the only one to notice your note. Are you trying to get ruined?”
She swallowed at the harshness of his tone. “On the contrary, that is why I told you not to show it to anyone. Though I must confess, I am pleased Bradford came along. He will make an excellent look out.” She did her best to offer a charming smile despite her sudden nerves.
“And why would we need someone to watch out for us?” Christian leveled his penetrating stare on her.
She reached out a trembling hand and trailed the tips of her fingers across his strong jaw. Even through her gloves she felt his warmth seeping into her—imprinting on her soul. “I want a kiss. One more passionate than the one you bestowed on Lady Pippa.”
Excerpt from A Wallflower’s Christmas Kiss
Grayson sighed. She wasn’t going to be denied anything apparently. It was too late to save her from herself. Very well, he’d deal with her and then send her on her way. He turned and sucked in a breath momentarily stunned. A silhouette of pure beauty greeted him. Her midnight tresses were wound up and bound neatly into an elegant chignon. His fingers itched to unwind it and see it flow over her luscious curves. All of this and he’d still not seen her face. When she finally turned to meet his gaze he lost all ability to breathe. Those sea-green eyes kept him riveted in place. He should stand and greet her but his body refused to function. She was the last person he expected or wanted to enter his home.
“What no words?” She raised an eyebrow. “And I thought you were noted as the witty duke amongst the ton. I must say I’m rather disappointed.”
Grayson drank in the sight of her. He wanted to remember her as she stood before him for the rest of his days. She was glorious, proud, and fearless. “Didn’t your father teach you better than to enter the lion’s den?” He lifted a brow mockingly. “You could very well get eaten alive.”
Her lips tilted at the corner. “I rather like my chances.” She moved further into the room. “After all I tamed a lion before.”
“There’s a difference between a young cub, and a full grown male, Jules,” he explained. “One is more docile and willing to cuddle. The adult wants to be petted—in other ways.” He stood up and gazed directly into her eyes. “A bite can be pleasurable or….” Grayson crossed over to her side and leaned down, whispering in her ear, “painful depending on your preference.”
Juliette took a deep breath but remained where she stood. He’d give her that much. She’d always been a stubborn girl, and apparently she’d not grown out of that trait. If she didn’t take a step back soon he’d be forced to make a choice. Either he pulled her into his arms and kissed her the way he craved or he put distance between them respecting her innocence. It was a hard decision and warred deep inside him, but he did what was best for her. Turned out that some things were ingrained. Protecting her had always been his first instinct.
“If you’re done trying to intimidate me I have something I wish to discuss with you.”
Author Bio: USA TODAY Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with rebellious women and maverick heroes.
Her books combine romance and mystery, exploring themes of redemption and forgiveness. When not writing she enjoys coffee, wine, traveling the world, and watching television.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret
