Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Whiskey and Serendipity (Hemlock Creek Volume 1) by Josie Kerr

Whiskey and Serendipity 

(Hemlock Creek Volume 1) 

by Josie Kerr

Goodreads

Amazon

Nothing is going right for Kate Fahey, a forty-two-year-old risk analyst, on her last-minute business trip to Ireland. From one screwup to another, the trip has the potential to be an unmitigated disaster. The handsome Southern gentleman she meets on the flight provides a welcome distraction from her very bad day, but in her rush to a get to a meeting, she leaves the plane before she can turn her flirtation into something more.

Forty-five, fresh from a divorce and recently unemployed, Cal Harper decides to go on what should have been a delayed honeymoon to Ireland alone. Cal only wants the comfort found at the bottom of a bottle. Even hungover after a trans-Atlantic flight, he knows it was a mistake not to make future plans with the beautiful woman who sat next to him the entire time.
When the luck of the Irish brings the two strangers back together, they throw caution to the wind and agree to a wild, holiday fling. Will their short time together be enough? Or will they be forced to go back to their separate lives when they return to the US?
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

His deep voice reminded her of a really good bourbon—a little raspy, but ultimately smooth and languid.

 

Oh, don’t call me Mr. Harper. That’s my ol’ man, and I haven’t pissed you off enough to warrant that sort of bone-deep ugliness.

 

Babe, if this is your version of fast, going slow just might kill me…

 

Yeah, you’re right—this is a lotta look. It’s like . . . a granny’s house, but only if that granny was obsessed with both Gunsmoke and Miami Vice.

 

You know, when I met Nolan, Bridget promised she’d never try to fix me up with either of his brothers because you both needed hand trucks to haul around your emotional baggage. But you know what? … I’ll take you, baggage and all.”

 

Hold on, darlin’. Give me a chance to get the blood directed to my brain again.

 

My Review:

 

They met on a long plane ride and enjoyed each other’s company as they crossed the Atlantic, but despite the immediate attraction, somehow they didn’t exchange information, but then they just so happened to meet up again while attending the same conference in the same Irish hotel. Fate – maybe, serendipity – obviously, outstanding Irish luck – most certainly!   I adored this book start to finish! Josie Kerr has a wily sense of humor and is a master storyteller as she quickly sucked me into a captivating Cal Harper/Kat Fahey vortex with her cleverly amusing writing style, alluring and quirky characters, and enticing and engaging storylines. Even the cranky characters were appealing and/or intriguing. And sizzle and snap – this couple threw sparks and scorched the ceiling as well as the sheets. This series has proven to be addictive as the other stories are already beckoning to me. I greedily want all Ms. Kerr’s lovely and witty words; I need to know all there is to know about each of them. Thankfully I already have the second book ready for perusal.

 

 

Whiskey and Serendipity can also be found as part of the Tempting Luck Anthology


In this 21 book boxed set, from New York Times, USA Today, and other bestselling authors, find out just how lucky you can be with just one click. You’ll be packing your bags and hoping Ireland will have just that sexy sort of magic you’ve been looking for.

Goodreads

Amazon

 


Josie Kerr   

Website

Twitter
authorjosiekerr

Goodreads

Amazon

Josie Kerr is a transplanted West Texan living on the edge of semi-profoundly rural Georgia, a.k.a. the southernmost edge of the northernmost county in Metro Atlanta.

She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Wild Hearts by Lindsay Detwiler

 



Title: Wild Hearts

Author: Lindsay Detwiler

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 10, 2018

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Cover Designer: Claire Smith

 

Add to TBR
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 On sale for half price! 

 

 

 

 
This sexy cowboy is out of his element. He doesn’t want commitment, but Jodie Ellison is a force of nature who can’t be ignored.
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Jodie Ellison loves wild parties, chaotic fun, and spontaneity in her hometown of Ocean City, Maryland. With her writing career and waitressing job not quite paying the bills, Jodie desperately needs a new roommate and finds herself in a nightmarish situation when her roomie turns out to be a disastrous choice.
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The wild and unruly Levi Creed is a little bit rebel and a whole lot of sexy. When he moves in next door to Jodie, things get a bit tumultuous thanks to a squawking parrot and a dangerous fire pit. It seems like Levi’s adorable Texan drawl and perfect body can’t possibly win over Jodie… or can they?
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An undeniable chemistry simmers between the unlikely pair. The beach babe and the sexy cowboy soon find themselves asking: Can they tame their wild hearts and commit to the blossoming romance between them?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

No, I don’t want to come into your honky-tonk bachelor pad and eat weird casseroles from the other neighbors who are apparently deaf because if I brought you a casserole right now, it’d probably be poisoned. Just saying.

 

She pinkie swore it was, so clearly that must mean it’s true. Oh, to be twenty-two again.

 

Oh my God, if he did that to you with a kiss, imagine what’s going to happen when you knock boots… What? I’ve always wanted to use that expression, and now it fits.

 

I don’t know if I’m in the writing mood. I think I’ve just seen too much twerking tonight to write effective horror.

 

Jodie doesn’t take handouts. Well, unless they’re in the form of free drinks. Then I lower my principles a notch. I’m not foolish, after all.

 

My Review:

Although a stand-alone story, Wild Hearts picked up where Inked Hearts left off, and was written from the first person POV of Jodie, a waitress and indie author wannabe of the horror genre. Her sexy new neighbor sported western attire, a limp, and a noisy parrot name Johnny Cash who enjoyed the loud country music of his namesake, at all hours of the day.   Jodie wasn’t a fan. I wasn’t an immediate fan of Jodie in this story as she was a rather abrupt and rude drama llama and mean girl to the tall glass of water named Levi. Oh, Levi, swoon – cue the fluttering hand-fan. But Levi’s obvious charms were too hard to resist and they soon decided on a “no-strings-attached” association of “just fun.” Of course, with a sweet and adorable couple with magnetic chemistry, it couldn’t stay at that level for long and I grew to appreciate Jodie almost as much as Levi had, although she continued to be prone to rash and dramatic overreactions. I enjoy this quirky, amusing, diverse cast of characters and look forward to more lively and entertaining stories from this clever wordsmith.

 On sale for half price! 

 

 
 
Lines in the Sand, Book 1
Inked Hearts
ONLY 99c
books2read.com/inkedhearts
 
Facebook I Twitter I Website
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A high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay’s the English teacher cliché; she loves cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.
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She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
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Lindsay’s goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she’s done her job.
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Lindsay’s hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
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Book Review: The Longest Silence by Debra Webb

The Longest Silence

by Debra Webb


Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: MIRA (March 6, 2018)

“The twists and turns in this dark, taut drama make it both creepy and compelling.” —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

A killer stole her voice. Now she’s ready to take it back. Don’t miss the chilling Shades of Death series from USA TODAY bestselling author Debra Webb.

Joanna Guthrie was free. She had been for eighteen years–or so she needed everyone to believe. What really happened during the longest fourteen days of her life, when she and two other women were held captive by the worst kind of serial killer, wasn’t something she could talk about. Not after what they had to do to survive.

But when more women go missing in an eerily similar manner, Jo knows her prolonged silence will only seal their fates. She’s finally ready to talk; she just needs someone to listen. FBI special agent Tony LeDoux can’t deny he finds Jo compelling–he’s just not sure he believes her story. But with the clock ticking, Jo will do anything to convince him, even if it means unearthing long-buried secrets that will land them squarely in the crosshairs of the killer…

“This psychological thriller is rife with tension that begins on page one and doesn’t let up. It’s a race against the clock that had me whispering to the pair of flawed, desperate protagonists, ‘Hurry, hurry.’ A gripping read.”  —New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sharing the news of his divorce with his sister had been relatively easy, the career crash and burn, however, was a whole different ball game. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes. She’d always looked at him as if he was a hero, starting the day he’d kicked nine-year-old Lacon Turner’s butt for putting gum in her hair.

 

Shoulder-length hair badly in need of a wash. A few curly hairs that looked more like they belonged somewhere in the vicinity of his balls sprouted from his chin. Tony felt reasonably confident the tight, ripped jeans were cutting off the blood supply to his upper body and, more important, his brain.

 

The world we were snatched from no longer exists. There is only this place, this moment and our fears.

 

The darkness they had shared was an unspoken knowing between them. It was a bond that could never be broken.

 

My Review:

 

This was a gripping and well-crafted read that was devastatingly real. This was my first time reading Ms. Webb’s works and I am an instant fan. This book was the fourth in a series but had strong legs to stand-alone and kick-butt while doing so. The main premise of the storyline was itchy creepy with the type of nightmarish situations that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, yet it wasn’t as gruesome or graphic as you would expect while still getting across the seriousness and ghastliness of their terrifying circumstances. Written from multiple POVs, the story threads were engrossingly intriguing and maintained a taut level of suspense while slowly relating the flinch-worthy and riveting details of the past and present crimes and the brutal and nefarious actions of those involved. I grew to admire and respect the deeply flawed and critically damaged characters and would be more than interested in delving into the rest of the series.

 

About Debra Webb

DEBRA WEBB is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 130 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama.

Connect with Debra

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Book Review: Marriage of Inconvenience by Penny Reid

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Marriage of Inconvenience, an all new romantic comedy standalone in the USA Today bestselling, Knitting in the City Series by Penny Reid, is LIVE!

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There are three things you need to know about Kat Tanner (aka Kathleen Tyson. . . and yes, she is *that* Kathleen Tyson): 1) She’s determined to make good decisions, 2) She must get married ASAP, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Being a billionaire heiress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks. Determined to live a quiet life, Kat Tanner changed her identity years ago and eschewed her family’s legacy. But now, Kat’s silver spoon past has finally caught up with her, and so have her youthful mistakes. To avoid imminent disaster, she must marry immediately; it is essential that the person she chooses have no romantic feelings for her whatsoever and be completely trustworthy.

Fortunately, she knows exactly who to ask. Dan O’Malley checks all the boxes: single, romantically indifferent to her, completely trustworthy. Sure, she might have a wee little crush on Dan the Security Man, but with clear rules, expectations, and a legally binding contract, Kat is certain she can make it through this debacle with her sanity—and heart—all in one piece.

Except, what happens when Dan O’Malley isn’t as indifferent—or as trustworthy—as she thought?

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Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2GjPbU1

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/MarriageofInconvenience

iBooks: https://apple.co/2FjtjGW

Nook: http://bit.ly/2yycreU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2zRl42J

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2neqv6k

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

They have this turkey sub with stuffing and cranberry sauce. It’s like Thanksgiving in a sandwich, but without the additional seasoning of my drunk uncle Zip’s politics, or my sister Cathy’s failed attempts at pumpkin pie. The woman never met a recipe she didn’t want to ruin by making it vegan. What the fuck is almond milk? They don’t call it ‘nut juice’ but that’s exactly what it is.

 

My stomach colluded with my heart to switch places because—if my brain could be trusted—it looked like he was giving me the sexy eyes.

 

He doesn’t scare me. He’s older than both of us, but he looks like the sort that still trips over his umbilical cord, you know? Needs everything spelled out with alphabet soup, doesn’t get the picture unless it’s finger-painted.

 

Her tone was so salty, it made me thirsty.

 

I stared at Dan, my lips parting in wonder. He’d just used some variation of the F-word as a noun, verb, adverb, and adjective all in one sentence. I didn’t know whether to be mortified or impressed.

 

I frowned, my mood shifting suddenly because, who would name their dog Bark Wahlberg? Only the funniest, cleverest, most amazing man in the world, that’s who.

 

He’ll be back. He’s like my mailman… He always comes back and brings bad news.

 

My Review:

 

I loved every word of this cleverly written and highly amusing book. Over five hundred pages of delightfully arranged words and I would covet five hundred more of the same. I adored this smart, quirky, and enticing group of characters and could never tire of reading of their antics, shenanigans, and perilous adventures.   The cheese-loving heiress Kat was advised to quickly find herself married to prevent her sinister and nefarious cousin (AKA Tiny Satan) from gaining control of her treasure chest of assets and family’s business empire by appointing himself as her guardian and having her committed. Enter Dan the sexy security man – foul-mouthed, expletive-spewing, creative cussing, bawdy talking Dan; who was excellence personified and my new BBF.   Written from my favorite dual POV, this book was complete perfection. Humor, a sweet romance, danger, an original and well-crafted plot, and top-notch writing – all in one place. There was nothing more I could have asked for. I treasure and idolize the Divine Penny Reid whose prose had me Googling the Five Knuckle Shuffle. I am always excited about learning new things 😉

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full-time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

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Connect with Penny:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Newsletter: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

 

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Book Review: Hot Mess by Emily Belden

Hot Mess

by Emily Belden

Amazon 

 Books-A-Million 

 Barnes & Noble

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Graydon House (March 20, 2018)

Sweetbitter meets The Devil Wears Prada in this riveting and provocative novel set in the trendy Chicago restaurant scene.

Twenty-something Allie Simon never imagined she’d fall for a recovering drug addict—but that was before she met Benji Zane, Chicago’s hottest up-and-coming chef, who’s known as much for his hard-partying ways as for his unparalleled culinary skills. Six months into their relationship, the food and chemistry are out of this world, but the reality of living with a cooking wunderkind hasn’t exactly been all hearts and flowers. Still, Allie’s convinced that her love is the key to fixing this talented man’s broken soul—so when Benji is offered his dream job as chef de cuisine for a new restaurant opening on Randolph Street, Chicago’s foodie hot spot, Allie agrees to invest her life savings in his future. But less than a month after she goes all in, Allie learns a heartbreaking lesson: addicts lie. Benji cracks under the pressure, relapses and disappears, bagging out not only on the restaurant, but on her, too. Left with nothing but a massive withdrawal slip and a restaurant that absolutely must open in a matter of weeks, Allie finds herself thrust into a world of luxury and greed, cutthroat business and sensory delight. Lost in the mess of it all, she can either crumble completely or fight like hell for the life she wants and the love she deserves.

With razor-sharp wit and searing insight, Emily Belden serves up a deliciously dishy look behind the kitchen doors of a hot foodie town.

“Belden has written a story that’s more complicated (and feminist) that I ever suspected. Without giving too much away, I will say that HOT MESS far exceeded my expectations.” -The Bookly Club

“Emily Belden serves the decadence and drama a la mode in Hot Mess. The full-bodied novel takes the resilient Allie Simon on a journey of sex, love, secrets, and the high-end culinary world. You’ll savor every word of this provocative story.” -Abby Stern, author of According to a Source

“[F]ull of fire and fury….Belden’s excellent tell-it-like-it-is read is perfect for foodies and entrepreneurs alike.” -Library Journal (starred review)

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

 Food may be the way to a man’s heart, but as my colleagues assemble around me, I’m convinced it’s the way to a woman’s ego. It’s like I’m dating da Vinci and I’ve just hung the Mona Lisa in my cubicle. Everyone is ooh-ing and ahh-ing, reminding me just what an awesome perk it is to be dating Benji Zane. I’m the cool kid at the lunch table… “You’re so lucky,” a girl from a different department gushes from the kitchen table. I don’t even know what her name is, but she begrudgingly stabs at her lackluster salad and shoots jealous death rays my way.

 As he pulled on the knot, his muscles surged a bit through his sleeves and the spell was cast. I looked over at my mother who was salivating. It had nothing to do with the chicken, mind you.

 She leaves me alone in the office and I just stare at the keys in the palm of my hand. It’s like somebody has asked me to hold their baby and then took off running. I’m overwhelmed to say the least, but I’m afraid of what Angela will do if she mistakes my fear and paralysis for slacking.

 I used to like proving to people, especially myself, that we belonged together. But then went from exhilarating to excruciating faster than an elaborate lower back tattoo.

My Review:

 

I am on the fence and can’t seem to put my finger on the sum totality of I how I feel about this book.  The Urban Dictionary defined the term hot mess as, “When one’s thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.”  This book and several of the characters featured were a Hot Mess, but the epicenter or source of the turmoil and havoc was generated from the selfish, seductive, and alluring character of Benji.  The story contained heartbreaking life lessons for those dealing with the fallout and seedier aspects of supposed loved ones with addiction, clever bites of humor, carnal and steamy sensual scenes, liberal use of expletives, a slick and manipulative drug addict, and a frustratingly indecisive and love-blinded woman enabler who I wanted to whack in the head with my Kindle for being a spineless wonder and world-class waffler.

The book was written from the first person POV of Allie, who thought she had found “the one” in a mercurial chef with a high media profile and sordid history of drug abuse.  Allie thought she was doing the right things but also consciously avoided looking too closely.  Despite knowing his history of failure, she was imprudently gullible and ignored her own instincts while she supported and maintained Benji while living in a state of incredulous denial despite the warnings of others.  After the blinders were off and being slapped in the face with evidence she had backed the wrong horse and foolishly investing all her savings into an extensive new restaurant scheme for her drug-addicted boyfriend, Allie was forced to give up her own career plans for a crash course in restaurant management, or lose her investment.  I ached for her during her devastating crash to reality.  Yet still, she waffled – say what?

The story progressed in at an arduously slow rate although upon reaching the conclusion I understood the pacing better, however, that doesn’t negate the fact that I was periodically stricken from impatience and exasperation as it was a bit too intricately detailed and heavy with the minutia of her endless tasks.  I enjoyed the odd assortment of characters, as each was compelling in their own way, while the tantalizing food descriptions kept my mouth greedy and wet and may have led to the increase of a pound or five from indulgent snacking.  I also learned more than I will ever need to know about the hospitality industry, serving food, and culinary terms like “amuse-bouche” which according to Wikipedia is French for mouth amuser.  Hmm, I do like the idea of my mouth being amused.


About Emily Belden   

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Emily Belden is an author for powerhouse publisher, Harlequin/HarperCollins. She is represented by famed literary agency, Browne & Miller, along with 44 Blue Productions in Burbank. The SoCal studio is adapting her memoir into a comedic series.

 

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Book Review: Love Broken by J.D. Hollyfield

Title: Love Broken
Author: J.D. Hollyfield
Genre: RomCom/Contemporary
Release Date: February 26, 2018

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My name is Katie Beller, but the world, as of late, knows me as Bailey Swan, the love guru behind my bestselling book.

Want the shortened version? Here it is: 

Love was stupid.

A fake. A farce

Love was broken. 

Women everywhere were eating up my advice and fighting back against fake love. My book started a relationship revolution. And I stood by my story. 

Until I met Charlie Bates.

When I throw all my own rules and advice out the window after a week-long rendezvous, I start to wonder just how real my words were. Maybe love might be just a little more complicated than I thought. 

Maybe I’m the one who’s love broken.
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I don’t have a great literary background story for you on how my book hit the big time, or any “awe” love story that pushed me to write it. To be honest, I’m a bartender at a local hole in the wall in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and I just get to hear and see a lot of shit.

 

What I didn’t expect was a cult-like following of women to read my book of words and start a hateration on dead-beat men.

 

I don’t dance. Mainly because I don’t know how to, so this game of who can make who jealous more, quickly starts blowing up in my face, since I look like I’m having a seizure over trying to get hot and heavy on the dance floor.

 

My love got so messy, it should have come with a cleaning kit. To say it was a bit turbulent at times was an understatement.

 

My Review:

 

No matter how carefully I shop, I often come home with a new carton of eggs only to later notice an obvious fissure in one of them.   Love Broken was my twelfth J.D. Hollyfield read, and my least favorite of the otherwise crack-free dozen.   I started off with a smirk and high expectations, anticipating writing up another 5-Star review for the crafty author I had previously experienced to be cleverly amusing, but my smile and projected rating started to slip, bounced a bit, then plummeted with a grimace for an uncomfortably long stretch while I actively sighed, before finally resuming to a habitable level again shortly before I ran out of pages and optimism.

My chief source of consternation was my lack of appreciation for the irritable main character of Katie, and all the brooding, conflict, and angst she mired herself with. I had adored previous readings of Ms. Hollyfield’s amusing work and had aspirations of liking this one as well, so I expended a considerable amount of energy while endeavoring to find some admirable traits in the cowardly Katie.   However, other than her witty snark and euphoric sexual chemistry with the cut, buff, and swoon-worthy character of Charlie/Chase, I found Katie rather tedious and exasperating; the annoyingly cranky and immature type of personality I actively avoid in real life.   Katie was bitterly insecure, bitingly bitchy, irresponsible, and tiresomely stubborn. I couldn’t fathom why the besotted Charlie/Chase would bother with her, other than the explosive sensual gymnastics they performed. Sizzle and snap! They scorched the sheets!

Don’t get me wrong. Love Broken was not a bad book, just not as balanced or engagingly entertaining as I have come to expect from the talented wordsmith. Despite the periodic sparkles of clever humor, I read with a darkening sense of personal disappointment that blossomed into dire discontent, which then morphed into disenchantment and near despair, but I ended on a higher note of relief with the desirable destination of a satisfying HEA conclusion. Could I have possibly added more d-words to that sentence?

 

Creative designer, mother, wife, writer, part-time superhero…

J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer by day and superhero by night. When she’s not trying to save the world one happy ending at a time, she enjoys the snuggles of her family and three doxies. With her love for romance, and head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own story to life.

J.D. Hollyfield lives in the Midwest, and is currently at work on blowing the minds of readers, with the additions of her new books and series, along with her charm, humor and HEA’s.
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Book Review, Giveaway : Misadventures of a College Girl by Lauren Rowe

Misadventures of a College Girl

 

by Lauren Rowe

 

Goodreads

 


#MisadventuresofaCollegeGirl
 

 


***MISADVENTURES ARE STANDALONE ROMANCES THAT CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER***

Synopsis
 

Straitlaced freshman Zooey Cartwright has arrived at UCLA determined to have a heck of a lot more fun in college than she did in high school. What’s the first item on Zooey’s agenda before classes start in two days? Losing her pesky V card. She’s definitely not looking for a boyfriend, so where can Zooey find the right guy to do the deed and move along without a backward glance? 

At a party thrown by a bunch of football players, of course. Enter Tyler Caldwell. A beast on the field and off, cocky as heck, and often wearing T-shirts with sayings like “God’s Gift to Womankind,” Tyler is most definitely not boyfriend material. After a make-out session with Tyler leaves Zooey entirely unsatisfied, she is determined never to see him again. But her schedule lands her in not one but two of his classes, and it doesn’t take long before Tyler and Zooey have reached an arrangement for Tyler to teach Zooey exactly what she wants to know―and a whole lot more she never bargained for. Can Zooey surrender her body to this bad boy without giving him her heart, too?


Buy the Book

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2slNcLu
BN.com: http://bit.ly/2gcAExG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2tuH2Jg
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2uoXYx2
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2turXam

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

If you really want to be traumatized, then consider this: Why the hell isn’t Pooh wearing pants? He’s a bear who lives in a house and sleeps in a bed. He drinks tea out of a cup. And yet he wears no pants with his polo shirt? I mean, is Pooh fully anthropomorphized or not? Because, if he is, then he’s a ‘public lewdness’ charge waiting to happen.

 

Gosh, when the universe works this hard to put two ridiculously good-looking people together, it’d be downright arrogant of them not to have sex, don’t you think?

 

I saw you two walking through South Campus the other day holding hands. You looked good together. Like Beauty and the… Beauty.

 

My Review:

 

Written from the first person POV of a virginal female college freshman, this delightfully entertaining book was a breezy, naughty, and fun read. This Misadventure was jam-packed with clever humor, salacious sizzle, enticing characters, and a sweet romance that wasn’t supposed to happen as it was not part of the project plan or on the syllabus.   I adored the characters and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Rowe’s witty, amusing, and engaging storylines. I fell hard and fast for this cute couple.

 


Meet the Author

Lauren Rowe is the pen name of the USA Today, Amazon #1, and international #1 best-selling author of The Club Series and more. She’s a performer, audiobook narrator, award-winning songwriter and media host/personality who decided to unleash her alter ego to write The Club Series to ensure she didn’t hold back or self-censor in writing the story. Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California where she lives with her family, sings with her band, hosts a show, and writes at all hours of the night. 

Find out more about The Club Series and Lauren Rowe’s other books at www.LaurenRoweBooks.com.   Facebook       Instagram

Find all books in the Misadventures Series here:

The Misadventures Series 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Book Review: Look for Her by Emily Winslow

Look for Her

by Emily Winslow

 

 HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

 Paperback: 304 pages
 Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 13, 2018)

Search the book’s hashtag: #lookforher

 

Everyone loves a beautiful missing girl…

“Look For Her ratchets up the tension while also offering moments of sheer grace.”-Riley Sager, bestselling author of Final Girls

“Beautifully written with an expertly twisty, surprising story, this is a must-read!”
— Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Never Let You Go

Lilling might seem like an idyllic English village, but it’s home to a dark history. In 1976, a teenage girl named Annalise Wood disappeared, and though her body was later discovered, the culprit was never found. Decades later, Annalise maintains a perverse kind of celebrity, and is still the focus of grief, speculation, and for one young woman, a disturbing, escalating jealousy.

When DNA linked to the Annalise murder unexpectedly surfaces, cold case detective Morris Keene and his former partner, Chloe Frohmann, hope to finally bring closure to this traumatized community. But the new evidence instead undoes the case’s only certainty: the buried body that had long ago been confidently identified as Annalise may be someone else entirely, and instead of answers, the investigators face only new puzzles.

Whose body was unearthed all those years ago, and what happened to the real Annalise? Is someone interfering with the investigation? And is there a link to a present-day drowning with eerie connections? With piercing insight and shocking twists, Emily Winslow explores the dark side of sensationalized crime in this haunting psychological thriller.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I divorced Charlie seventeen years ago. No, wait, eighteen years now. Eighteen years! Our divorce is now old enough to vote, or buy a drink at the pub.

 

How is it that some crimes capture so much public imagination that people – strangers, even – still grieve them decades later? It’s like historic ghost stories. Most deaths, even terrible ones, get let go of, but occasional ones, for being particularly surprising, ironic, iconic, or grisly, get remembered as spooky tales.  

 

My Review:

 

The book started with a decades-old cold case murder mystery, which was being pursued again. The case had gripped the area and nation for a brief time in the 70’s after the event and again sixteen years later when a badly decomposed body was found and assumed to be the same missing teenager, although efforts from both previous investigations had been fruitless. There were several overlapping threads in addition to the police case that added to the mystery with intrigue, dead ends, misdirection, secrets, lies; flawed, broken, and vile yet compelling characters; and the ongoing family dramas of the various households of the characters contacted and involved in the case.

This was a slowly developing story and I enjoyed Ms. Winslow’s unpredictable and densely packed storylines as much as I did the compellingly crafted and flawed characters.   The premise was clever, relevant, and believable while the storylines were complex and multi-leveled, yet well-paced, engaging, and unpredictable. I had devised and cast aside several theories as I read, all incorrect, every single one of them. The multifaceted tale was written from multiple POVs, yet I didn’t have a problem keeping track as each of the multitudes of characters were distinctly drawn and plucked at my curiosity with a desire to know more. I would enjoy going backward and reading the previous books in the series although that wasn’t necessary to follow this story.  I was provided with a review copy of this intriguing tale by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

 

About Emily Winslow

Emily Winslow is an American living in Cambridge, England. She is the author of the novels The Whole World, The Start Of Everything, and The Red House.

Find out more about Emily at her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Best Medicine by Charlotte Fallowfield

The Best Medicine 

(Dilbury Village #3)

by Charlotte Fallowfield 

Goodreads

Amazon

A laugh-out-loud novel from Charlotte Fallowfield, whose books have hit the Amazon #1 bestseller charts internationally for Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, and Humour.

Despite being a successful author of risqué romance novels, Charlie Faulkner had yet to star in her own love story. Drowning her sorrows in takeaway pizza, and at risk of getting wedged in her favorite writing chair, she despaired of ever finding the kind of all-consuming love that she wrote about in her books.When she did venture out of her writing cave, chaos and disaster followed, with many a trip to the emergency room of the local hospital. It was there she fell head over heels for the handsome doctor who often treated her, Guy Fitton. The trouble was that with her medical track record, she wasn’t sure if he’d see her as a sexy, desirable temptress or just a crazy, accident-prone woman, with a medical file so heavy it needed its own trolley.

Would Charlie get her “happy ever after” with Dr. Fitton or end up with the other significant male in her life, the pizza delivery guy?

While The Best Medicine is a standalone story, it’s the third in the Dilbury Village series of romantic comedy novels. All of them will be set in the quaint fictitious English hamlet in the Shropshire countryside, but feature a different village couples’ story.

Warning, if you are of a sensitive disposition when it comes to toilet humor, then the Dilbury Village series may not be for you! 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

So, how do you write such realistic and steamy sex scenes? I started one of your books as soon as I heard you’d moved in, and I have to say, that first steamy scene, with the dirty-mouthed Frenchman, nearly necessitated a trip to accident and emergency for the fitting of a pacemaker. I haven’t had such a vivid and exciting dream in a long time.

  

Don’t underestimate her… She looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but underneath that sweet granny exterior she likes to portray is a sex-crazed nympho with a mouth that would make a sailor blush.

 

I’ve never heard of anyone getting beaver rash from jeans… Maybe your knicker elastic cut you… Take a look… don’t ask me. Muff inspections aren’t in the “things girlfriends do for each other” handbook.

 

We’d had a few more entertaining girls’ nights out, which had led to Andy the taxi driver refusing to accept bookings from us for our return journey. Daphne had given us the feedback, from the Dilbury rumour mill, that we were too raucous and our drunken topics of conversation had interfered with his pacemaker. She’d decided if the conversation was that spicy, she wanted to come on the next night out.

 

‘You’re buttering me up like a hot potato, what’s going on? Are you after some action tonight? A bit of the horizontal mumbo jumbo, as Charlie says?’ ‘Horizontal mambo,’ I giggled. ‘Though if you’re saying jumbo, is that a Freudian slip?’

 

 My Review:

 

I am totally besotted with this cleverly amusing author, her irreverent humor had me barking with glee. Charlie was a smart cookie and a successful author of “salacious material,” although she had the worst of luck and was a hazard to her own health with frequent slips and uncanny injuries that required emergency trips to the hospital where she caught sight of whom she believed to be the most swoon-worthy of beautiful men, who also happened to be her trauma doctor. She was a smitten kitten, although oddly, none of her friends seemed to share her opinion and even warned her that he seemed sketchy.   The premise was entertaining, the characters were beloved and endearing, and the writing was witty and crisp. The hardest part of writing this review was narrowing down my favorite quotes, as I seemed to have acquired a ream of them. I am already looking forward to the next trip to this quaint and quirky little village.

Giveaway

 Click on the graphic to be taken to the Facebook page for entry:

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About the Author

 
Enough heat to make the pages sizzle, romance to make you swoon, strong characters with depth and emotions to 

pluck at your heartstrings, and humor to make you laugh out loud. Roll all of that into one novel, or in C.J.’s case a lot of novels, and you have the measure of her books. Unless of course, you count the odd twist she likes to throw in to keep readers on their toes. C.J. comes from the United Kingdom and is half-French. She lives in the wonderful countryside of Wales, surrounded by rolling hills, trees and fields full of sheep and cows. She is yet to find her Prince Charming, but lives with her extremely pampered fur baby, Pumpkin, kitten of mass destruction.

C.J Fallowfield. is an Amazon #1 UK and international bestselling author of contemporary humorous erotic romance novels. She released her debut novel in January 2014.

Her alter-ego, Charlotte Fallowfield is an Amazon UK and international bestselling author of sweet, and sex free, romantic comedy novels.

Sign up for her newsletters to be kept up to date on her frequent promotions and giveaways, as well as to get exclusive first looks at covers, teasers, excerpts and her latest releases:

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Book Review: Bare (The Vault Series Raw #2) by C.A. Harms

Bare Raw 2 eBook

BARE

The Vault Series – Raw #2

by CA Harms

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | AMAZON CA

BRYNN
He was my weakness.
The one desire I fought the hardest, but craved the most.
There was an unexplainable pull whenever I was near him.
I was addicted to him. I was crazed by his touch. I longed for his kiss.
Until he broke me…
He was cold and callus.
What we shared was nothing but meaningless acts.
A facade. I was a ploy in his game of control.
I had no choice but to move forward.
I had to forget the impact he had on me.
More importantly, I had to forget him.
Only that was easier said than done…
Each night when I closed my eyes,
I’d hear the kind words he’d whisper, I’d feel his gentle caress as he held me close.
But the dreams always ended the same.
I would see him walking away, without looking back.
ALEC
She tested my limits from the start. 
The more I fought the attraction, the more intense it became.
She defied every rule I set for myself and challenged my need for control.
She made me want the things I had denied myself for too long,
so I did the worst possible thing.
 
I broke her heart. 
What should have been my way out only left me feeling bare.
My desire to have her magnified.
It was time to pick up the shattered pieces of my life and face the harsh reality of my choices.
But my biggest fear of all was that with Brynn, it was now too late to go back…
 
ADD TO GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/2owsGTK

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’s a menace…. Just last weak he told Brianna that her hair looked like milk chocolate, and the Friday before that he told Draya that her eyes looked like emeralds and he wanted to get lost in their beauty… He’s an eleven-year-old boy that thinks he’s a man. All Casanova-like, spilling his cheesy lines to one girl after the next.

 

Yep, they also have the perfect heel, so the next time you see that creep you can stomp on his toes hard, and twist. Make him squeal like the dirty little pig he is.

 

I can’t get them out of my head… They’re always there in the front of my mind playing over and over… Like a repeating scene in a damn movie that you can’t pause and never ends.

 

Holy Christmas… Santa exploded with greatness in here.

  

My Review:

 

Although both installments featured active storylines and were super steamy and packed with angsty drama; with a longer and more romantic storyline spiked with cleverly amusing humor, more relaxed characters, and a sharp uptick of sweet and steamy wooing, I enjoyed Book #2 Bare considerably more than I had Book #1 Raw. I remain a bit conflicted with the main character of Alec, he was a total ass in the first book and although still an ass, he gradually improved throughout this book, until he really screwed the pooch, again… But I admired how he sincerely tried to win over the lovely Brynn by remembering things she liked (like kissing her forehead), and being so sweetly attentive and trying so hard to please her before he was apparently re-struck with the stupid stick.

Bare is the sequel to Raw! 
ADD TO GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/2Cm06NW
Bare Teaser 1

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EXCERPT

I redirect my gaze to my brother only this time I push back. “You wanna hit me, hit me.” I lean in closer to him, ensuring he reads the determination in my eyes. “If you want to yell and fucking scream then do it, but know one thing, you will be moving out of my way so that I can get to her. Because not you or anyone else for that matter is gonna to keep me from her.”

“Noone but Mandy that is,” he adds just before releasing his hold on me.

“I told you it wasn’t like that.”

“You were with her all day,” he adds. “Yet you never felt the need to tell anyone about the plans I’m sure you’ve had for days to meet her. If that’s not guilt for doing something you knew you shouldn’t then I don’t know what is.”

We stand there, head to head in the small space near the entry door to the room. Aric glaring at me as if at any moment he would attack, and at that point I wasn’t so sure I would stop him. I felt defeated because he was right, I fucked up.

“Alec,” the sound of Brynn’s voice causes both of us to move toward her, as I quickly survey the damage. No longer did her stomach show the evidence of our child and the reality of what had taken place while I was unreachable hit me.

Bare2
Bare3
Young couple having sex. Woman and man in bed.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
C.A. Harms is like any other addicted reader. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories. She hasn’t always been a lover of Romance and had once been addicted to a good Mystery. Just recently she has taken on a new liking and now is a full-blown Romance novel addict.
She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. You will always find her with her kindle or paperback in hand as it is her favorite pass time.
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