Category: After Hours

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Book Review: Stay For Me (The Arrowood Brothers #4) by Corinne Michaels

She’s the girl who might be worth staying for. Stay For Me by Corinne Michaels is now live!

From New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes the final poignant love story in the Arrowood Brothers Series.

Hollywood taught me everything I know about relationships–except how to be in one. As an actor, I became an expert at faking it. Faking that I wasn’t affected by my childhood. Faking that I was okay. Faking that I knew how to save the day, the girl, the whole damn world. But I’ve always known the truth–I’m no one’s hero. Until I’m forced to move back to Sugarloaf for six months, and Brenna Allen offers me a chance to prove otherwise. She’s everything I never knew I wanted, but can’t have. Her broken heart, perfect face, and adorable children turn my world upside down. Instead of preparing for my next leading role, I’m directing a middle school play. All to make her smile. The more time I spend here, the more I want to stay. Build a life in this town that I swore I’d leave–for her. But when the world comes crashing down around us, I’m forced to decide if staying for her is the right choice or if leaving is better for the woman I love.

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!

Amazon: https://geni.us/SFMAmazon

Apple Books: https://geni.us/SFMApple

Nook: https://geni.us/SFMNook

Kobo: https://geni.us/SFMKobo

Google Play: https://geni.us/SFMGP

Audible US: https://geni.us/SFM_Aud

Audible UK: https://geni.us/SFM_AUDUK

Goodreads: https://geni.us/SFM_GR

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I would bet all my dollars.

 

“Are you crying?” “No, my eyes are leaking.”

 

Teenagers are nature’s way of preparing adults for what hell looks like.

 

If one were to meet Catherine, they’d think she was a sweet, kind woman with dark brown eyes that seem almost like melted chocolate. What most never realize is that she has fangs, and she bites.

 

We’re all flawed, Jacob. It’s finding someone who sees the beauty in the cracks that makes them perfect for you.

 

My Review:

 

The final swoony Arrowood brother has found his soul mate and did so quickly but the process still required some serious wooing and to and froing, and a bit of peril and lots of steamy treats and sassy humor. Written in my favorite dual POV, the couple featured was endearing and admirable, yet challenging and somewhat ragged around the edges from past traumas and spiky current events. I have enjoyed this series, which has been my introduction to Corinne Michaels’s irreverently humorous, engaging, and sexy small-town storytelling. Her characters have been well-textured, complex, and somewhat batter and jaded by misfortune yet deserving of a better life ahead. I fell for each in turn and am curious to see what and whom she conjures next.

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Meet Corinne

Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.

Connect with Corinne

Website: http://corinnemichaels.com

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2N1H2Gb

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NVZmhv

Facebook: https://bit.ly/1iwLh6y

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/corinnemichaelsbooks/

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2L1Vzo6

Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jcp29z

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2yc6rss

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CMBOOKS TO 77948

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Book Review: Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann @JewelE_Ann

Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann is now live!

Are humans meant to mate for life?

After four kids and an unfortunate but fateful end to her twenty-two-year marriage, Elsie Smith meets the new guy in town. Kael Hendricks is … a little younger, a lot sexy, and too confident for his own good. He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it. And … He’s just opened a new business that threatens the livelihood of Elsie’s family’s store–just in time for the holidays. The problem? There’s an undeniable attraction that leads to out of control situations, a loss of inhibitions, and a lot of small-town gossip. As Elsie tries to redefine herself and convince her family she isn’t having a midlife crisis, she’s forced to answer the biggest question of all … Can she love an enemy who will never surrender?

 

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/31LzOA7

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/NWIE

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Izf9IG

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Of course, we miss our beloved husbands, but if we were to be honest like you, not every day was a walk in the park.” She looked right then left and lowered her voice. “Not every night ended in an orgasm. And no matter what anyone says … size matters.” Bethanne nodded.

 

I’m expanding my acceptable age range. Since I’m forty-two, I think I can go fifteen years in either direction… As a matter of fact, I would absolutely prefer a guy in his twenties to a guy in his late fifties. Why go gray-balling before you absolutely have to?

 

Such a small town. Zero room for secrets. Gossip was the only form of entertainment that didn’t involve a screen and a Hulu subscription in Epperly.

 

Kael left a trail of scorched panties in his wake just from his smile.

 

My Review:

 

This delightfully amusing tale kept me giggle-snorting with glee between squeezing my heart. The flawlessly engaging Jewel E. Ann hit all the feels and more than once. She mercilessly bruised my poor coronary muscle on one page and had me smirking and spewing my Diet Dew on the next. Every book of hers that I have ever read has produced the same phenomenon. Her deft skills are simply stellar. I adored these endearing and relatable characters and would love to know them in real life, although after falling completely into this cleverly crafted and thoughtfully written missive, I already feel like I do.

Meet Jewel E. Ann

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best-selling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Connect with Jewel

Website: https://www.jeweleann.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7505427.Jewel_E_Ann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jewel-E-Ann/e/B00IJYHDIG/

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485996228236493

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jewel-e-ann

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeweleannauthor/

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Book Review: Savage Row by Britney King  @britneyking

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Title: Savage Row
Author: Britney King
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: November 19, 2020

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The international bestselling author of Her and The Social Affair returns with another suspenseful thriller that very well could be set in the house next door.
Jack Mooney, a career criminal, has been in prison for nearly a decade, quietly nursing his hatred for the jurors who put him there. One in particular gets him through the endless days—the alluring Amy Stone.
When Mooney is granted early release, he makes Amy his first priority. To his delight, she’s even more enticing than before, and better still, she has a lot more to lose than he’d imagined.
As Mooney’s campaign of terror mounts, the police seem powerless to protect the Stone family, who must rely on their wits to survive a psychopath hell-bent on revenge.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’d tried to do the right thing. Some lessons come wrapped in sandpaper, his mother likes to say.

 

His needs have developed over time until the activity became sacred, something that he cannot imagine himself ever giving up. To him, observation is an art form. Loads of people bird watch every year, and while most people would say what he does is immoral, he doesn’t see how this is any different. He considers himself an anthropologist of sorts.

 

He spotted them immediately, the youngest girl’s red hair flying in the wind. He could spot her from miles away. Same as her mother, he is certain. Hair that color could be seen from outer space.

 

His expression makes me feel like I’m about to officially become a member of a club I really don’t want to belong to.

 

It’s smart not to invite broken things into your life. It’s not your job to fix them. No matter how shiny the project looks, you’ll bite off more than you can chew every time.

My Review:

 

 

Britney King is one twisted sister yet I admire and covet her agile and fluid storytelling skills and deft pen.   She easily lures me into a vexing and ominous vortex and I relish and revel in her uniquely insightful yet disturbingly torqued and alarmingly compelling brand of psychopaths. Her provocative characters entice and intrigue me while their stories hold me rapt and taut with tension. I am perplexed while deeply enamored with her dark word voodoo. She has mad skills and a fan for life.

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CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS
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Hello. I’m Britney.

I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, children, a dog named Gatsby, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

When I’m not wrangling the things mentioned above, I write psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.


Currently, I’m writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Series follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

Around The Bend is a heart-pounding standalone, which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience.

It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me. Classics. Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. If you’d like to connect, shoot me an email. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and occasionally on Twitter.

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Book Review:  The Twins by J.S. Lark @JaneLark @rararesources 

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The Twins
by J.S. Lark

 

 

If you liked Blood Orange you will love this!

From the moment they are born, twins Susan and Sarah are inseparable.  Through good and bad, the girls will always be together…forever.

Until they meet Jonny.

Older, charming, and handsome, Jonny offers the girls the much-needed love and attention they crave.  But he can only choose one and for the first time in their lives, the girls find themselves split apart – the invisible thread that binds them severed.

Set-free from her twin, Sarah builds a new life for herself, marries, has a daughter.  But Susan’s life spirals further and further out of control.

And now Susan is back.  And she’s determined to reclaim everything she feels Sarah has taken from her. 

Her home, her husband…her life?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The head teacher told Mum we’re feral.

There’s a strange detached sensation that tingles through my nerves. I feel as if I’m sitting up high in the corner of the room watching all of us acting out a scene in a play. I’m in the audience. High above them, on the upper balcony. Like a queen on a throne orchestrating all of this.

My Review:

 

I had some issues while reading this one, but while I debated my feelings and looked at my notes, it is still a cleverly crafted 5-star read. It was not an easy tale as the plot was unique and complicated and bent back on itself several times, and was cast with a slate of complex and difficult characters. It was also deeply disturbing, smartly contrived, indubitably twisty, frequently frustrating, and intensely intriguing. The twins were delinquents before they were even juveniles – by thirteen they were hooligans, hoochie mamas, drug addicts, parents, and prostitutes. Wow.   Mind Blown! J.S. Lark is a wily wordsmith and not to be trusted.

 

About the Author

Jane is a coffee, chocolate, and red wine lover, and a late-night writer of compelling, passionate, and emotionally charged fiction.

Jane’s books may contain love, hate, violence, death, passion, a little swearing, and an ending you are never going to forget.

Social Media Links 

Website: www.janelark.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JS-Lark-2288653328057315

Twitter: @JaneLark

Instagram: @Jane.Lark

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-s-lark

Sign up for Jane’s New Letter: https://www.janelark.co.uk/contact

 

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Book Review: One Last Time (Loveless Brothers #5) by Roxie Noir @RoxieNoir @jennw23

Seth Loveless has been my weakness since I was sixteen years old.

One Last Time, an all-new second chance romance with all the feels from Roxie Noir, is available now!

 

Two years ago, I moved back to my hometown. I started a business, bought a house, took up yoga, and went on hiatus from dating. Life is good.

If I never had to see Seth, it would be perfect.

After all, my history with my ex-boyfriend is anything but simple. It’s taken us years, but we’ve finally learned to live in the same town without killing each other.

Is there an elaborate set of rules governing our every casual interaction?

Yes.

Do I still think dirty, off-limits thoughts every single time I see him buying apples at the grocery store?

Of course. I’m only human, and Seth and I are practically experts at the two F’s: fighting, and…

…sleeping together.

Still, we’re managing just fine.

And then?

He shows up at my sister’s wedding. The man looks like pure sex in a suit, handsome as the devil himself and twice as charming.

Worse, he claims he’s my date.

We flirt.

We dance.

We break every one of our carefully-crafted rules, and we… should stop.

Too bad I’m having the time of my life.

I know I should end it. After all the heartbreak, hurt, and anger we can’t be more than enemies.

But Seth asks me for one more night.

Just one night.

Then, we’re back to being virtual strangers to each other.

I know I should turn him down.

I know this ends with my heart shattered into a million pieces.

I know lunacy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

But I’ve always been bad at resisting a weakness.

One Last Time is a standalone romantic comedy and the final book in the Loveless Brothers series. 

 

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gT9s3T

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/OneLastTime

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Does she… know? That Seth is the town bicycle and everyone’s taken a ride?

 

What if it turns out that he’s deep in some pyramid scheme and he spends the entire time trying to sell us essential-oil-infused leggings?

 

“Is that a sorority?” Georgia whispers. “I think it’s the Borg,” whispers back Wyatt. “Except, you know, blonde?”

 

I feel like a stadium when the lights go out. Like a concert hall when the orchestra stops tuning and suddenly plays the first note of a symphony. The background noise stops and the note swells, shifts, breaks into harmony. This is all there is.

 

My Review:

 

Wow, this was a long and passionate read full of devastating verbal warfare and heart-stopping sensual scenes that made my mouth go dry. I kid you not – am seriously dehydrated! This couple had a toxic and complicated dynamic and were essentially – a trash fire. But man-oh-man, this author can tell a story! She reeled me in despite there being far more conflict and angst than I am normally comfortable with. However, I was willing to tolerate the tension given the delicate balance of wicked humor, clever wit, and amusing family exchanges, as well as their tender underlying soul-deep love for each other that made them ever so vulnerable to the mortal combat they seemed destined to unleash on each other. Oh, and raccoons! Loves me some cute “varmints.”

I wasn’t convinced I could fully appreciate these characters based on the two previous books from this series I recently devoured. I had major concerns going in with Delilah, and rightly so, she was quite vicious and cruel in her behaviors and raging arguments, but Seth was no slouch in that arena either. They had volcanic sexual chemistry but couldn’t keep their incendiary tempers and pernicious tongues in check, which repeatedly resulted in the push/pull type of poisonous relationships that immature people excel in, and while theirs was quite lethal, it was also worth the fight. I am now even more curious about the first two books that I have yet to peruse. I do believe I have developed a Roxie Noir addiction as I fell hard for her exceptionally enticing family of sexy brothers. 

 

 

About Roxie

 I love writing sexy, alpha men, and the headstrong women they fall for.

My weaknesses include: beards, whiskey, nice abs with treasure trails, sarcasm, cats, prowess in the kitchen, prowess in the bedroom, forearm tattoos, and gummi bears.

I live in California with my very own sexy, bearded, whiskey-loving husband, and two hell-raising cats.

Connect with Roxie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/31ab2a6

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2YyYtDh

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2SRXTPK

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2owNy18

Join her reader group The Roxettes: http://bit.ly/2K5fRLU

 

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Book Review: The Hookup Equation (Loveless Brothers #4) by Roxie Noir 

The Hookup Equation
(Loveless Brothers #4)
by Roxie Noir 

 

Amazon / B&N 

Teach me everything.


My whole life, I’ve been a good girl. I follow rules like nobody’s business. I obey guidelines like I was born to it. Show me a line, and I’ll toe it.

I’m even a twenty-two-year-old virgin. Good is my middle name.

And then, I break one tiny little rule. Miniscule. Inconsequential.

Next thing I know, I’m trapped with an incredibly handsome stranger. He’s got eyes like cut emeralds, biceps that makes my head spin, and a smile that has me rethinking all my life choices.

We escape a bar bathroom together. We go on an impromptu date. We share the hottest kiss I’ve ever had, one that leaves me panting for more. We promise to see each other again.

Turns out, we see each other the next morning.

In my calculus class.

Which he’s teaching.

My handsome, sexy date is Professor Loveless, and we’ll be seeing each other plenty. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday all semester.

There’s no choice but to call it off. We both have too much at stake: I could lose my scholarship, and he could lose his entire career.

But I can’t call off the way I feel.

I can’t call off the way he looks when he rolls up his sleeves and explains imaginary numbers.

I can’t call off the heated glances, or the way our hands touch when I hand in my homework, or the memory of his body pressing against mine that night.

I’m a virgin.

He’s my professor.

And if we give in, it could cost us both everything.

But I’m so tired of being a good girl.

The Hookup Equation is a complete standalone romantic comedy with enough steam to fog your glasses.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m a total lightweight, and it only takes a couple of drinks before I’m that embarrassing girl who’s vomiting in someone’s bushes while sobbing that squirrels are too precious for this world.

 

Every single time I find a guy attractive or interesting, I wind up sticking my foot in my mouth so hard I leave teeth marks on my knee.

 

You know, once upon a time I thought that if I kept the five of you alive until you hit eighteen I’d be done with parenting? I was an idiot.

 

Some people believe sharing your secrets cleanses the heart and mends the soul… I think that white lies are the only thing standing between polite society and utter barbarism.

My Review:

 

Roxie Noir is a recent find for me and I enjoy indulging in her special brand of irreverent humor and super-steamy delights. In both of her books I’ve read so far, she has also provided several entertaining and unpredictable storylines populated with uniquely endearing and oddly appealing characters and armed them with clever banter, profound insightfulness, and compelling issues. I started in the middle but have definitely been grooving on this series while kicking myself for being late to the party. I have some catching up to do.

About the Author

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I love writing sexy, alpha men, and the headstrong women they fall for.

My weaknesses include: beards, whiskey, nice abs with treasure trails, sarcasm, cats, prowess in the kitchen, prowess in the bedroom, forearm tattoos, and gummi bears.

I live in California with my very own sexy, bearded, whiskey-loving husband and two hell-raising cats.

Connect with Roxie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/31ab2a6

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2YyYtDh

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2SRXTPK

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2owNy18

Join her reader group The Roxettes: http://bit.ly/2K5fRLU

Stay up to date with Roxie by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2SVTlb7

http://roxienoir.com

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Book Review: A Better Man (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3) by Carrie Elks @CarrieElks

 

A Better Man
(The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3)
by Carrie Elks

 

She’s his addiction. He’s her escape.

Logan Hartson is gorgeous, successful, and has a smile that’ll knock a woman off her feet. And from the moment Courtney Roberts meets him on a dirt road, the chemistry sizzles between them.

Everything about them is wrong. He’s city, she’s country.

He owns expensive restaurants. She runs a small farm.

None of that matters when they’re tangled together in her bed, his body promising things her heart shouldn’t want.

Until people start to talk, and things get rough, and after one last, sweet night together they agree to part.

She never thought she’d see him again. But nature has other plans. The serious kind.

Now she just has to tell him the truth.

So how do you tell somebody their life will never be the same again?

She takes a deep breath, her wide eyes meeting his. “Logan, I’m pregnant.”

*A Better Man is the third book in the Heartbreak Brothers series of emotional standalone romances, set in the small town of Hartson’s Creek. Find out why readers are falling in love with these handsome and brooding brothers!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d been called Poor Courtney so many times she wondered if it was her new name.

 

“The downsides of small town living.” Lainey sighed. “If the gossip doesn’t kill you, waiting for it will.”

 

Courtney Roberts is having a baby, even though her husband’s cold in the ground. It’s like an early Christmas gift for the town gossips.

My Review:

 

I am infatuated with this series of handsome, swoon-worthy, and successful brothers; they have all been my favorite brand of catnip. Each of the three installments could easily standalone yet they have been so much fun I advise anyone who hasn’t read them to start at the beginning. The storylines and writing style are engaging, witty, amusing, well-conceived, and expertly paced. There are two more endearing siblings to go in this quirky small-town family, although maybe if we beg the author enough she could be bribed to extend the series to in-laws, friends, and friends of friends.

 

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: Still The One (The Heartbreak Brothers #2) by Carrie Elks  @CarrieElks


Still The One
(The Heartbreak Brothers #2)
by Carrie Elks

Nobody expects to meet the love of their life on their first day at school, but from the moment Tanner Hartson set his eyes on Savannah Butler, she stole his breath away.

She was beautiful, wild and free. And though her life was hard, she made everything feel easy.

As they grew up, they were best friends.
Then sweethearts.
And finally lovers.

Until he broke her heart in the worst way.

They haven’t spoken for the last ten years. But now she’s returned to their small home town and he can’t fight the intense attraction that keeps pulling them together.

He wants her back. And this time he won’t take no for an answer.

Doesn’t true love deserve a second chance?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d always been obsessive about saving. Maybe somewhere deep inside she’d known her mom was a ticking time bomb. It was a matter of when, not if, she’d detonate.

 

“I have a sprinkle next weekend. Would you like to come?” “A sprinkle?” Van asked, biting down a smile. It sounded like some kind of incontinence problem. “What’s that?” “It’s like a baby shower, but without all the gifts.” Regan shrugged. “After three kids I have almost everything I need. And anyway, Mrs. Fairfax said it would be bad form to ask for gifts for the fourth time around.” She blinked, then forced a smile on her face.

My Review:

 

I am enjoying this series, but then I always enjoy reading Carrie Elk’s work. She implants me so easily into her characters’ vortex, I was so thoroughly engaged I could smell the popcorn and taste the smores. The storylines were entertaining and smirk-worthy and cast with a bevy of quirky yet complicated characters who rippled with wit and snark. I seemed to have inhaled this tale and feel more than ready for even more Carrie Elk goodness with her latest missive idling on my Kindle.

 

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: Just A Little Bet (Smokejumper #2) by Tawna Fenske @tawnafenske

Just A Little Bet
(Smokejumper #2)
by Tawna Fenske

After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.

So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?

But between roadside burgers and late-night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

What woman wouldn’t want a chance to tell a guy how he screwed up? … If an ex came to me and asked me to list all the ways he’d messed up, damn straight I’d share. Hell, I’d build PowerPoint presentations for some of them.

 

“Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat— everyone screws up. Your doctor screws up. Your hairstylist screws up. Your accountant screws up.” “I can’t decide if this is reassuring or terrifying.”

My Review:

 

While still a humorous romantic comedy at its core, considerable family drama, angst, and delicately handled issues of domestic abuse were also found on the pages of this insightfully written missive. I was enthusiastically rooting for Tony and Kayla and intrigued by the premise of visiting ex-girlfriends to unravel the underlying causes of relationship failures and following the not so woo-woo advice of a self-help guru. It was entertaining, smirk-worthy, and deliciously steamy between Tony’s angsty bouts of self-doubt. I’m ready for more sexy smokejumpers in my life and already looking forward to the next installment.

About the Author    

Website 

Amazon

Goodreads

 

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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Book Review: The Two-Date Rule (Smokejumper #1) Tawna Fenske @tawnafenske

The Two-Date Rule
(Smokejumper #1)
Tawna Fenske

“Complete with hot sex scenes, snarky double-entendres, slapstick humor, and quirky girlfriends, this comedic romp through modern-day dating checks all the romance boxes.” -Kirkus Reviews

Willa Frank has one simple rule: never go on a date with anyone more than twice. Now that her business is providing the stability she’s always needed, she can’t afford distractions. Her two-date rule will protect her just fine…until she meets smokejumper Grady Billman.

After one date–one amazing, unforgettable date–Grady isn’t ready to call it quits, despite his own no-attachments policy, and he’s found a sneaky way around both their rules.

Throwing gutter balls with pitchers of beer? Not a real date. Everyone knows bowling doesn’t count.

Watching a band play at a local show? They just happen to have the same great taste in music. Definitely not a date.

Hiking? Nope. How can exercise be considered a date?

With every “non-date” Grady suggests, his reasoning gets more ridiculous, and Willa must admit she’s having fun playing along. But when their time together costs Willa two critical clients, it’s clear she needs to focus on the only thing that matters–her future. And really, he should do the same.

But what is she supposed to do with a future that looks gray without Grady in it?

Each book in the Where There’s Smoke series is STANDALONE:
* The Two-Date Rule
* Just a Little Bet
* The Best Kept Secret

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Yes, please.” Kayla’s attention was fixed on Tony, and Grady couldn’t tell if her response was for the beer or for the tall smokejumper with rumpled black hair and dark eyes that seemed to make women crazy.

 

Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing a gorilla suit and trying to tread water in a pool filled with molasses.

 

My Review:

 

I adore Tawna Fenske and am greedy to amass every clever word she has and will ever scribble. Her wit is sharp, fathomless, and cleverly irreverent; who else would come up with a male stripper group named “The Bone Yard Gang,” or would give the main character a trio of special needs pets and name the three-legged cat Wheelbarrow and her deaf cat Earmuff? I eagerly ripped through this engagingly amusing missive and am licking my lips in readiness for the next in the series. I was quickly enamored with the featured couple and deeply infatuated with the secondary cast of characters and can’t wait to see what the wily minx has in store for the rest of them.

 

About the Author    

Website 

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When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year.