One look into Everly Williams’s big brown eyes and I knew I’d do anything to protect her. And for eight years I did. She was my world. My best friend.
But afraid I’d lose her, I held on too tight. Became a dark cloud blocking her sun. So I did what I needed to, and walked away. I hurt us both.
Now I’m home, and need Everly back in my life. Only everything is different. We’re different. My body burns for her when she’s near. And after one explosive kiss, I know she feels it too. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust again.
Because I don’t want what we had before. I want it all…for a lifetime.
A best friend’s to lovers romance in the sexy new Rocktown Ink series.
MY REVIEW
**I WAS GIVEN AN ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW **
I am a sucker for friends who turn in to lovers because there is that established sense of love and devotion to one another. I like the spin on this one that there was not one that was pining the whole time for the other. There was a natural love that grew, there was conflict that made my heart break for Everly, she truly did feel abandoned by Dane, who was doing what he thought was best, because she was his best friend, his world. He lived to protect her and make sure she was ok at all times. Even if he over stepped the limits of what was really needed.
Dane is a sweet and broken man, who has watched over Everly for years, when an incident involving one of her less desirable dates at the time, caused Dane to make a call that broke him almost as much as it broke Eves. Who now felt abandoned by EVERYONE who ever loved her, she had to start over again and then after 18 months, Dane was back and wanted so very much to get his best friend back.
She agreed if he taught her how to date, and one kiss was all that it took for him to want more than just to be her friend, and was ready to work slow and hard to get her on his level.
Dane and Everly are not my favorite dream couple, I was sad to see it come to an end.
Cecelia
watched with amusement as his footsteps faltered and then stuttered to a stop.
The bewilderment on his face when he turned to her brought a giggle to the
fore.
“Seriously? You expect me to sleep in . . . on . . . that?” With
great reluctance, he turned back and gestured toward the offending item in
question.
She twirled past him and hooked an arm around one of the four
interwoven, antique iron posts shaped in the form of tree trunks supporting the
intricate metal canopy above. She flung her other arm open to indicate her
extremely feminine bedroom and whimsical bed, and breezed out, “Welcome to my
boudoir.”
She sat down on the white-on-white jacquard bedspread and patted
the space next to her. “Despite its fragile appearance, my bed is sturdy, very
comfortable, and extra-large, so never fear, you will fit.” She flung her torso
back onto the bed, arms stretched above her head, her eyes following the leafy
pattern above. “I found it in a darling
shop in the South of France five years ago and just had to have it.” Her laugh was light and tinkling, as whimsical as
her quirky antique bed.
Aidan’s large presence loomed over her. He supported his weight
on extended arms, dipping the mattress beneath her shoulders. Her legs,
dangling off the edge of the bed, were pinned between his, and his upper body
hovered over hers. Her eyes, sparkling with amusement, met his oh-so-serious
gaze.
“It better not find its way to Texas,” he drawled in warning.
Her grin widened. “And if it does? Whatcha gonna do, cowboy?”
“Tie you to those posts with one of the scarves you seem to favor
and have my wicked way with you.”
Cecelia’s belly fluttered at the promise of his words, and her
brows lifted in response. “In that case, it would behoove me to ensure it finds
its way to Texas,” she replied huskily.
Aidan’s
eyes widened as her meaning — and what he’d said — sank in. He’d spoken without
thought. He groaned as a dull flush crept up his face, and he made a move to
straighten. “You scramble my brains.”
Her arms found their way to his neck, stopping his retreat. “I
rather like your brains scrambled,” she murmured. Her exploring fingers spread
over the shorn hair at his nape, and she tugged him closer, her laughter fading
as desire replaced amusement.
“I have many scarves,” Cecelia whispered as his lips hovered over
hers, their breaths mingling.
His body lowered as his elbows bent in answer to her pull. He
tugged her lower lip between his teeth, eliciting a moan from her, scattering
her thoughts.
His teeth released their hold, lips moving
closer to her ear. “Does bein’ tied to your bed tickle your fancy, Lily?” he
whispered, his lips continuing to kiss a path across her hairline. She’d the
power to unleash a racy side in him he’d never known existed.
She moaned, angling her head just so to expose more of her neck.
Being a clever man, he followed her invitation, leaving her breathless in the
wake of his lips. “You have no idea . . . how tickled my . . . fancy is right
now, cowboy.”
He sank lower, eliminating the little space between them. He
asserted extra pressure — perfect pressure — aligning all the right body parts.
“I think I might’ve some idea, sweetheart,” he said hoarsely, “as I am in the
same predicament.”
They both moaned. He lifted his head and repositioned his lips on
hers. The tip of his tongue sought entry, and she gladly opened to him. An
intimate duel ensued, fueling the fire building between them.
“Oh, Lily, I love your bed! It’s sick!” The loud shriek was
vicious in its untimely interruption.
Aidan stilled. Groaning, he pushed himself upright, his movement
sluggish and reluctant. His gaze embraced the gorgeous woman, still spread out
on the bed, one arm flung above her head, her chest heaving in rapid movement.
She was breathless and undone. Because of him.
His plan had been to keep his physical distance from her for a
while. To get to know her a bit better — build a relationship — before becoming intimate. He raked his hand across his face. It was
going to be harder than he’d anticipated.
Tearing his eyes from the alluring image, he focused on his
daughter.
Author
Bio:
Nicole Ann Nielsen believes in romance, in
love, and everyone deserves a happy ever after.
And that is what she writes — Contemporary
Romance.
Working as a web developer and running her
own company, one morning, having had enough of code, she opened a word
document, and finally, finally, let the ideas bouncing around her head out.
In her own words: “The words flowed, the
characters talked, the scenes developed, and a story formed. It was magical.”
Nicole lives in scenic Cape Town, South
Africa, and shares her space with her husband, two dogs, and a lone cat, her
son and daughter having long flown the parental coop.
She is an avid reader, enjoys Pilates,
inhales coffee, and loves dreaming about her next novel.
A story that starts with “Once upon a time in Vegas…” isn’t supposed to end with “happily ever after.”
Sebastian
I know this better than anyone, and I can’t let history repeat itself. This is why I have rules, and at the top of that list is no fraternizing with audience members after shows. But my rules mean nothing after my instant connection with Kendall. Her southern accent suggests a certain charm, but her sharp tongue says otherwise. Which is why I can’t help myself—she’s a mystery I need to solve. The more I get to know her, the more I start to believe she could be the one.
Until my past comes barreling in and makes me wonder if my one night with Kendall was real or all a cruel game.
Kendall
Although I live in LA, my conventional family loves to remind me of my small-town upbringing. They’ve never approved of my life choices—dropping out of college, moving across the country, and dating around, to name a few. Getting involved with Sebastian will be yet another decision they disapprove of—how much more of their disappointment can I take?
After all, he’s a stripper for Vegas’s hottest male revue show. He can’t be my forever.
The odds are against us, but then again, anything can happen in a story that starts with “Once upon a time in Vegas…”
*Strip for Me is Book 1 in the Naked Heat series. Each book is a standalone contemporary romance.
MY REVIEW
** I WAS GIVEN AN ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW **
This book was sweet, Sassy and sexy.
I saw the synopsis and was on the fence about it, because I have my certain kind of books and authors I stick close to. Like Sports, mainly Hockey, Baseball and Football, then My MC books, and then the single parent books. This is was one that I stepped out of the norm for me and I was not disappointed in the least.
I love how strong Kendall is, but when things are provent that they are not as she sees them, she kind of falls apart in a way that I see as weak and childish. She has a lot of self confidence issues that play into that at the same time I believe and what she finds with Sebastien helps her open up in the way that she needs to.
Sebastien has a few self confidence issues as well although they are not as obvious as Kendalls and they are deeper down. I think that is why I loved this book a lot, it helps you see the beauty in everything including yourself.
I do recommend this book to anyone and every one struggling a bit, there are people who believe in you.
Let’s say you’re an
independent, self-sufficient woman who runs the family company and you find
yourself falling for your little brother’s best friend. Now, more than ever,
you need to count all the reasons why you need to abandon falling.
Abandon Falling #1 – He’s a womanizer. Hasn’t had a serious
relationship a day in his life and changes women more often than he changes his
sheets.
Abandon Falling #2 – He’s never serious. He cracks one-liners,
mostly at your expense.
Abandon Falling #3 – When things go wrong, he seems unfazed and
always remains in control. It’s so annoying.
Abandon Falling #4 – He has tattoos. Lots of them. Everywhere. Not
to mention, he owns a tattoo parlor. (Damn it! Why doesn’t that sound like a
bad thing anymore?)
Abandon Falling #5 – There’s a growing list of how different you
two are. You can’t get along for fifteen minutes—a lifetime together would land
one of you in prison.
Keep repeating those
reasons and drown yourself in work. Pretend you don’t notice his good qualities
or how enticing he looks without a shirt, and do not, I repeat, do not agree to
live with the man while your place is being repaired from flood damage.
Trust me, even the strongest of us can only forego temptation for so long.
MY REVIEW
** I WAS GIVEN AN ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW **
The long wait is over! After month of speculation and hopes of what will go down with Savannah and Liam I was not left disappointed!
Liam has this kind heart that really isn’t hidden under anything, he actually wears it out on his sleeve when it comes to Savannah, who saw him as her younger twin brothers partner in crime. But as they all grew up her attraction grew to him. But seeing herself as the matriarch of the Bailey children, the one who needed to be responsible and a positive, strong female role model for her younger sisters as well as the other young women of Lake Starlight, she forgot how to be anything but that. She forgot to take care of herself and let herself relax and have moments to remember who she was.
But Liam was watching this, and was not boustrious about this fact about her but he wasn’t exactly silent about it either. He was determined to prove that he was not the trouble making friend of Savannahs younger brothers, that he was a strong man, who was worth her time. While doing that he built up this air of self confidence that masked a softer side that worried about what others thought, about him, his art and his life’s choices.
With Savannah, he let those walls come down, but will she let hers come down as well?, Well you will have to read the book to find out!!!
This was a book worth the wait in so many ways! I highly recommend it! It is my first 5 STAR Review of October!!
Let’s say you’re an
independent, self-sufficient woman who runs the family company and you find
yourself falling for your little brother’s best friend. Now, more than ever,
you need to count all the reasons why you need to abandon falling.
Abandon Falling #1 – He’s a womanizer. Hasn’t had a serious
relationship a day in his life and changes women more often than he changes his
sheets.
Abandon Falling #2 – He’s never serious. He cracks one-liners,
mostly at your expense.
Abandon Falling #3 – When things go wrong, he seems unfazed and
always remains in control. It’s so annoying.
Abandon Falling #4 – He has tattoos. Lots of them. Everywhere. Not
to mention, he owns a tattoo parlor. (Damn it! Why doesn’t that sound like a
bad thing anymore?)
Abandon Falling #5 – There’s a growing list of how different you
two are. You can’t get along for fifteen minutes—a lifetime together would land
one of you in prison.
Keep repeating those
reasons and drown yourself in work. Pretend you don’t notice his good qualities
or how enticing he looks without a shirt, and do not, I repeat, do not agree to
live with the man while your place is being repaired from flood damage.
Trust me, even the
strongest of us can only forego temptation for so long.
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because
we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors
for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have
“Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle” (okay…you caught us,
that’s our tagline). A little about us… We both have kindle’s full of
one-clickable books. We’re both married to husbands who drive us to drink.
We’re both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky
heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
“An excellently written paranormal, engrossing and addicting.” #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken
War of Hearts, an all-new adult paranormal romance by New York Times bestselling author S. Young is LIVE!
Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.
The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.
Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.
Stepping back inside the motel room, Thea halted as Conall came out of the bathroom. His height caused a logistical problem for her next move.
Although his color hadn’t fully returned to normal, the wolf was looking much stronger. She didn’t know if she could take him in a fight when he was at full strength, which was more than a little concerning. As if he’d read her mind, he cut her an expressionless look. “You should have left me to die, lass.”
“Probably. I guess I’m just going to have to take the chance you were bluffing.”
He frowned and opened his mouth to question her, but Thea had already made her move.
Before he could comprehend it, she was on the bed behind him and reaching for his head before his weakened reflexes could catch up.
The crack of his neck echoed around the room, causing a sick lurch in Thea’s stomach.
For some reason, stupid tears stung her eyes as she watched his body hit the ground with an almighty thud. Why should she care? It wasn’t like he was dead. She’d knocked him out. For … however long he took to heal.
And he had stuck her with that goddamn injection.
Speaking of …
Thea jumped off the mattress, avoiding Conall’s body. Earlier when she’d been treating his wounds, she’d spied the syringes in the first aid kit. Grabbing them, Thea hurried out of the motel room and toward the fields beyond. Quickly she dug a hole with her bare hands and buried the syringes. Hurrying back, she avoided staring at Conall because he looked very much dead.
She grabbed his wallet and as she took his money, leaving him his credit cards, a folded-up photograph caught her attention. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled it out. Smoothing her fingers across the picture, she spotted who she thought was Conall only to realize it wasn’t. The man who looked like him was standing next to a much younger Conall, and Thea deduced it was his father. The younger Conall had his arm around the waist of a small, redheaded girl buried into his side. And beside the man she’d mistaken for Conall was a beautiful redheaded woman.
Was this Conall and his family?
They were standing on a rocky beach, a beautiful lake and mountains behind them.
Thea wondered which one of them was sick. Which of these people was he willing to sacrifice her for?
Memories of her own parents swelled in her throat, burning and screaming to get out. But Thea shoved them back down as she shoved the photograph into his wallet.
There were times she pulled those memories out and let herself swim in the pain because it was worth it to remember the happy moments.
But now was not the time.
With a ruthless supernatural sure to wake up from a broken neck wanting to kill her, and some unknown entity out there hunting her too, now was very much the time to go.
About S. Young:
Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Fight or Flight. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.
Vivian Carter has the perfect life. She’s a powerful CEO, has a great apartment in New York City, and never has a bad hair day. She’s a single woman in a big city living her dreams, but there is just one thing she wants that will make her life complete… A baby.
Jax Lemoine has been attracted to Vivian ever since he laid eyes on her in his apartment building.
He knows she’s attracted to him just as much, so when he gets the chance to make her his, he takes it, but there is a catch: He has to agree to make a baby with her.
All he has to do is knock Vivian up and she’ll never ask for anything again. No strings attached and no commitments.
Jax believes he can handle the agreement, until he realizes that what he feels for Vivian is much deeper than he ever expected.
Kylie King is a soccer mom by day, and a writer of ridiculously smutty romances by night. She loves reading, swimming, and mixed drinks that include lots of rum.
All of her books are quick and hot, with over-the-top fantasies that probably shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
“This is Penny Reid at her finest.” — L.B. Dunbar, author
Beard With Me, an epic and breathtaking story from New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!
No one is better at surviving than Scarlet St. Claire and making the best out of circumstances beyond her control is Scarlet’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, she’d be the last person on earth, hermitting like a pro, singing along to her CD Walkman, and dancing like no one is watching.
Scarlet is clever, Scarlet is careful, and Scarlet is smart . . . except when it comes to Billy Winston.
No one is better at fighting than Billy Winston and raging against his circumstances—because nothing is beyond his control—is Billy’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, he’d be the first person on earth to lead others to safety, overcome catastrophe, or die trying.
Billy is fearless, Billy is disciplined, and Billy is honorable . . . except when it comes to Scarlet St. Claire.
‘Beard With Me’ is the origin story of Billy Winston and Scarlet St. Claire (aka Claire McClure) and is just the beginning of their epic love story.
Enter the giveaway for a signed paperback set of The Winston Brothers Series! http://bit.ly/2mGr64Q
Excerpt
*Scarlet*
“Do you want me to leave?”
Yes. That would be best, a wise voice said between my ears.
So of course I inhaled deeply and said as calmly as I could manage, “I thought we were going to go get firewood.”
“Okay. Good.”
“But then,” I blurted, flustered and irritated with myself for not speaking wisdom, “You should go. You can’t tell me carting firewood back and forth between your house and here is how you want to spend the last of your Thanksgiving weekend.”
“I didn’t say it was.” He began making his way up the incline.
“But you just said—”
“How about we make a deal.” Billy dropped the kindling next to my little woodpile, dusting his hands off on his pants. “I’ll cart the firewood, and you sing.”
“You want me to serenade you while we carry firewood?”
He smiled, slow and easy as he walked to me and reached out his hand. On autopilot, I accepted it and allowed him to help me up.
As soon as I was standing, his gaze moved from my hairline down to my nose, lips, and then chin, saying quietly, “I’ll take a serenade from you anytime.”
Thunk ka-thunk. That was my heart. It had been doing the thunk ka-thunk quite a lot around him. I ignored it, because what else could I do?
“And you’re not carrying the wood.” He tugged on my hand, pulling me out of my daze and past my tent.
“I will too carry wood.” Struggling to find my bearings, I stumbled after him. “I can carry logs just fine.”
“You’ll carry a log.” Billy fit his fingers between mine, pressing our palms together and grinning at me like he was waiting for me to argue and he couldn’t wait.
Snapping my mouth shut, I glared at him.
“Nothing to say?”
Maintaining my glare, I walked next to him. I wasn’t being led anywhere I didn’t wish to go. Not anymore. He wasn’t talking me into anything else.
“That’s an awfully mean look, Scarlet.” His grin grew, his brutally attractive eyes glowing happily as he peered down at me.
“Well, you deserve it. Always trying to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’m not arguing with you about this. I’m carrying as much wood as I want and you can take your stupid, chauvinistic opinions and shove them up your pretty-boy ass.”
Goodness. Where had that come from?
Billy’s steps faltered and his mouth fell open, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead. He stared at me, looking shocked as hell. And then in the next moment, he threw his head back and laughed. But he did not let go of me, instead bringing my knuckles to his chest as his deep, rumbly laughter filled the empty spaces between the trees, surrounding us.
Crushing me.
Yes. I was well and truly crushed as I could only watch Billy Winston laugh, desperately basking in the image of him so delighted and relaxed. I had the odd sense that his laughter also filled the empty spaces inside of me, the neglected, vacant rooms, and even a few places that felt brand-new, like he’d created them.
All that noble honesty he carried around like a boulder abruptly lifted, revealing him. Just him. Carefree and young and happy. Someone he might’ve been if his burdens hadn’t been so heavy, his responsibilities so broad.
It lasted only a minute, maybe two, maybe less, but I had the sense of being caught afterward. Billy’s laughter had receded, but he’d spun a web while I’d been staring at him, holding his hand.
His grin became smaller and he bit his bottom lip, his gaze dropped to my mouth. “You think I’m pretty?”
“You know you’re pretty,” I said, bizarrely out of breath, rattled, needing to anchor my focus to a tree beyond him and waging war against the heat climbing up my neck to my cheeks. Oddly, my eyes stung. I blinked.
His attention was still on me. I felt it, but I didn’t dare look at him. I couldn’t handle one of Billy Winston’s intense stares right now. He’d probably use my scattered wits to his advantage, talk me into something I shouldn’t want to do, and then I’d be kicking myself later.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice deep with concern, all trace of his earlier humor gone.
I huffed, trying half-heartedly to steal my hand back from him. He didn’t let it go, instead taking my tugging as a signal to step closer, filling my vision.
“Scarlet—”
“Are you ever going to teach me how to play the guitar?” I closed my eyes.
He didn’t answer right away, and I felt him hesitate, his mind work before he muttered, “It’s only been a week.”
A quality to his voice made me think he wasn’t answering the question I’d asked, but rather he was reminding himself that it had only been a week since we’d struck the deal.
Was that only last week? Why does it feel like so much has changed?
Then he said, “Don’t be angry.”
“I’m not angry.” I was muddled, my head and heart hurt, I was incredibly confused, but I wasn’t angry.
The air shifted and I felt him move closer. A second later, the fingers of his free hand were at my ear, tucking my hair behind it, his fingertips lingering at my neck, sending wave after wave of goose bumps every which way. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t think. Every nerve in my body strained toward him and I didn’t understand it. What is happening?
“Have you ever been kissed, Scarlet?”
Meet Penny Reid:
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
