Category: After Hours

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Book Review, Giveaway: Mr. One-Night Stand by Rachael Stewart

 Mr. One-Night Stand

by Rachael Stewart 

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

One night only. 
Just think of the possibilities…

The second she sees Mr. Oh-So-Delicious, Jennifer Hayes knows she needs one night of crazy. No names, no strings, no rules. Except that Jennifer’s naughty one-nighter is actually Marcus Wright—her new business partner! Now they’re mixing business with all kinds of pleasure. But when it comes to falling in love her sexy Mr. Wright is either Mr. Wrong or the best mistake of her life…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Crack? It wasn’t a bad way to put it. He certainly felt as if someone had ripped him apart and put him back together all wrong.

 

My Review:

 

Sizzle and snap, this lascivious story had my Kindle throwing off sparks. It was lust at first sight and this couple was a five-alarm fire hazard. I could skip any plans of cardio for the day as this tale had me gasping for breath, elevated my heart rate, and doubled my laundry.   It could best be coined as an out of office unromance as neither party was willing to have anything to do with the other once they realized they would be working together. Yet neither could seem to concentrate. The premise wasn’t unique but the storylines were entertaining with frequent lashings of salacious inner musings. It was a quick, easy to follow and umm, highly sensual read. Certainly not one I would recommend for my elderly mother’s church ladies book club. Keep cool libations handy and ceiling fans set on high.

About the Author

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heart-warmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

Despite a degree in Business Studies and spending many years in the corporate world, the desire to become an author never waned and it’s now her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she’s not glued to her laptop, she’s wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

Social Media Links –

Website: www.rachaelstewartauthor.com

Twitter: @rach_b52

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachaelstewartauthor/

 

Giveaway

 Win an e-copy of Mr. One Night Stand by Rachael Stewart (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: No Regrets (Small Town Big Love Series Book 3) by Kelly Collins

No Regrets

(Small Town Big Love Series Book 3)

by Kelly Collins

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 

Their divorce papers are ready to sign. So why can’t they say goodbye?

Billionaire Samuel “Clem” Clemons Blackwood is tired of fighting with his wife. In an attempt to forget about his broken marriage, he agrees to help his sister save their tiny hometown from bankruptcy. But instead of signing the divorce papers, his former high school sweetheart joins the impossible rescue.

Kaitlin Blackwood can’t figure out where her perfect life went wrong. Even though she and Clem can’t stop fighting, she makes one last desperate attempt to rekindle their passion. As she starts to figure out where they want wrong, Kaitlin watches their years of bitterness begin to fade.

In the midst of Blackwood’s abysmal budget struggle, can Kaitlin and Clem’s marriage overcome its own deep deficit?

No Regrets… is the third book in the Small Town ~ Big Love series of contemporary romance novels. If you like billionaires with hearts of gold, sizzling chemistry, and second chance stories, then you’ll love Kelly Collins’ sweet and sexy tale.

 

 

My Rating:

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“You’re lucky Kevin isn’t here. He’d arrest both of you for indecent exposure.” “I’d say what is exposed is pretty decent,” joked Damon, suddenly listening.

 

Nothing killed the mood like an old lady in loafers and knee-high stockings.

 

Mrs. Jensen, who was all set with her coat and gloves. Without them, she might freeze to death as she moved through the store in slow motion. It seemed she squeezed every peach and smelled every apple. No pear went untouched. Her gloves came off and were put back on between all the feels.

 

His impulse was to barrel through the grocery aisles and toss one of everything into the cart, but there was no way he could. She was a little old lady and if he was honest, she was funny. She went through all the bags of grapes, taking out the best ones and putting them in the bag she would buy. “I don’t think that’s allowed,” Clem whispered to Kaitlin. She giggled. “We’re all going to grape jail.”

 

Counseling is an excellent idea because the two of you are either causing sparks or throwing spears.

 

“I’m not ready for anyone to call me daddy except for Jennifer.” “Okay, TMI.” Clem shook his head like he was getting rid of a bug in his hair. “TMI.”

 

I’ve never been a father. I’ve never been married but my advice to you is to never refer to your wife as a cute butterball again.

 

My Review:

 

There were three main story threads in this installment; a wealthy family full of newlyweds facing major life changes; a dying tiny mountain town in flux; and a restless and dissatisfied couple struggling to decide the fate of their broken marriage. Each of which sounds rather mundane and lackluster on the surface yet Kelly Collins spins them into amusing and engaging storylines with humorous descriptions, witty banter, emotive insights, sizzling sensuality, and mind snagging and vibrant details. I didn’t expect to enjoy this couple as much as I did. Kaitlin and Clem initially seemed rather childish and highly volatile, however, they were impeccably well matched and adorably in sync well before the concluding chapters and brought a satisfying closure to the series.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-seven years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new-found appreciation for green smoothies.

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Book Review, Giveaway: VAN (Vested Interest #5) by Melanie Moreland

Title: Van

Series: Vested Interest #5

Author: Melanie Moreland

Release Date: March 25, 2019

Genre: Contemporary/Romantic Comedy

Synopsis:

Vince Morrison, known to most people as Van.

Good with his hands, be it crafting a piece of wood, playing his guitar, or pleasing a lover—he excels at them all.

Friendly, flirty, and talented, he’s cool under pressure, and hot everywhere else.

But he keeps his heart closed, even as his interest and emotions are tested.

Olivia Rourke works alongside him at BAM.

Talented, private, and intriguing, she touches something inside him he can’t deny.

He wants to know her.  In every possible way.

He wants her to know him.

Her past tells her to stay clear. Van is everything that she wants, and exactly what she cannot have. She has someone else to think of who is more important.

Can either of them risk their hearts?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2HDno4y

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2Tv2Pc0

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2FvRdlx

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2FmlsKm

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/Van-VI5-Apple

Nook: http://bit.ly/Van-VI5-Nook

Kobo: http://bit.ly/Van-VI5-Kobo

 

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My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Between them her tea set was arranged on the table, many of her stuffed animals gathered around it… Van sat on the floor, his legs crossed, a few animals on his lap. A blue boa was draped around his neck, and a tiara sat askew on his head, the plastic gems glittering in the light. He held out his cup, his pinkie extended, no doubt having been schooled in proper tea party etiquette by Sammy, murmuring his thanks for more “tea.”

 

Call it experience or friendly advice, but if you’re gonna kiss your girl in the office, make sure to wipe the lip gloss off your mouth before pretending it never happened… Pink isn’t really your color.

 

Hal smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile, but rather the kind which happens right before the monster eats you.

 

 My Review:

 

Van, both the book and the character, were perfection. This deftly written story is a supreme example of my favorite type of book and reason for reading. The premise was relevant, interesting, and entertaining and cast with characters who were realistically flawed while totally appealing and disarmingly endearing. As expected, Ms. Moreland’s storylines were artfully crafted and expertly paced while tapping all the feels and filling my heart with a glitter bomb of delight.   And bonus round, the enticing and alluring main characters were gratefully supportive, passionate, and nurturing towards each other rather than engaged in constant conflict or battling their attraction. I was totally enamored and thoroughly smitten with the thoughtful and tender care the gentle giant Van extended toward the women in his life. I have fallen head-over-heels with every book in this divinely written series featuring the men of BAM and hope it continues into perpetuity. Melanie Moreland has mad skills.

 

 

In The Series: Kindle Unlimited

Bentley: Vested Interest #1

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

 

Aiden: Vested Interest #2

Amazon: http://mybook.to/Aiden

 

Maddox: Vested Interest #3

Amazon Universal: http://getbook.at/Maddox

 

Reid: Vested Interest #4

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LZ46oU

 

Author Bio: 

New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free-falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.

Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com

 

Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2wlWE1z

Melanie’s Minions (reader group) http://bit.ly/2wOwbdJ

Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/melaniemoreland

Website: http://bit.ly/2iLv0Xi

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2uQ4Ckj

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ql5R95

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2vIBTKq

Bookbub:  http://bit.ly/2vrs5oY

YouTube:  http://bit.ly/2eIuWq5

Pinterest:  http://bit.ly/2gmdBjj

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/2gtNOtk

Tumblr: http://bit.ly/2xy0xlT

Book+Main: http://bit.ly/2AuWp4S

 

Excerpt:

Van sat on the floor, his legs crossed, a few animals on his lap. A blue boa was draped around his neck, and a tiara sat askew on his head, the plastic gems glittering in the light. He held out his cup, his pinkie extended, no doubt having been schooled in proper tea party etiquette by Sammy, murmuring his thanks for more “tea.”

Sammy filled his cup with water and held out the plate of Oreos. I frowned. I never bought Oreos.

“More cookies, Prince Van? I made them myself.”

Prince Van?

He lifted his chin royally and accepted a cookie. “They are delicious. You must give me the recipe. I’ll have my cook at the castle make them.”

Never had I wished for a camera more than I did at that moment. Unable to contain myself, I giggled. They both turned to the door, excited to see me home. Sammy clapped her hands, demanding I join them.

I expected embarrassment from Van, but he simply tossed his boa around his neck and indicated the floor beside him with a wide grin.

“Liv, you’re home. Join us for tea? Sammy has made the most divine cookies.”

How could I resist?

 

Release Giveaway:

Signed paperback copy of Van and $25 Lowe’s gift card

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Book Review: Imagine That (Small Town Big Love Series Book 2) by Kelly Collins

Imagine That

(Small Town Big Love Series Book 2)

by Kelly Collins

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 

A mourning heiress. A selfless sheriff. Saving their town could free them both.

Maya Blackwood drowns her loss in alcohol. After her husband’s untimely death, she retreats to her family’s namesake town only to find they’ve sold it to shady developers. She hardly expected to be taken by the home she never knew and the handsome sheriff who patrols its streets…

Kevin Hoisington has always put everyone else first. And even with the whole town of Blackwood in danger, he finds himself drawn to helping the enchanting, damaged heiress. Holding her hand through recovery, he’s surprised to find that Maya has become his only priority.

When a sinister conman threatens to undo their efforts to protect the town, Kevin might have to give up everything to save the woman he’s falling for.

Will Kevin, Maya, and Blackwood fracture, or can they save both the town and their hearts?

Imagine That… is the second standalone book in the Small Town ~ Big Love series of contemporary romance series. If you like damaged heroines, self-assured heroes, and second chances for the heart, then you’ll love Kelly Collins’ sweet and sexy tale.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She was a Blackwood by birth and kept her name after her marriage to Brad Dick. He couldn’t say he blamed her.

 

Do you really want to report back to Togi that I let you slide? … I don’t. My coffee would never taste right again.

 

I’m not keeping anything on the down low. I’m just moving slowly. I want to do it right, but mark my words, it’ll be wherever and whenever after that. Got it?

 

While the universe hadn’t necessarily always been kind to her, it had offered her the gold standard for men when Kevin appeared in her life.

 

 My Review:

 

Oh swoon, I have a new BBF and his name is Kevin – he is simply divine; thoughtful, sexy, caring, and sweetness personified, he should be thoroughly checked for possible wings! He has to be fictional as men like this just do not exist out in the wilds of the real world, but I can still be totally enamored with him anyway. My fondness for Kelly Collins’ uniquely amusing and satisfying writing style and Small Town Big Love Series continues to grow, with eager anticipation already brewing for the next installment. I fully appreciate and have to stop to marvel how each crackerjack book interconnects with a continuing storyline yet are complete, cliffhanger free, hit all the feels, and are strong enough to standalone while enticing me to continue on for more. Boffo!

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-seven years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new-found appreciation for green smoothies.

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Book Review: Only With You by Layla Hagen

Only With You
(The Connor Family #4)
by Layla Hagen 

Carter Sloane is famous for one thing: winning cases. He’s a sharp, astute lawyer, who always gets his way. In his private life, he’s completely in over his head when it comes to raising his two nieces.

When he moves into a new office, he just can’t take his eyes off the fiercely independent woman across the street. He’d love to touch and kiss that irresistible body.

Valentina “Val” Connor is proud of her booming fragrance company. If only she were half as successful in her love life… Between trusting the wrong men and sheer bad luck, Val is convinced she’ll never find the one.

But with his sophisticated charm and sex-appeal, Carter is hell-bent on proving to her that he can turn her luck around. Val’s senses warn her to stay away from men like him—even if her body is begging her to cave. But when she finds out about Carter’s nieces, she steps in to help, doting on them with love and care.

As Val and Carter grow closer, one thing is clear to him: He’d move mountains to make her happy, but with Val’s career soaring, how can he ask her to commit to the chaos of his life?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I popped open a bottle of Pinot too, for good measure. The sour alcohol matched my soured mood and heart perfectly. Belatedly, I also realized it sent a clear signal. Our wine system wasn’t a secret: Pinot for moping, Chardonnay for celebrating.

What do you even need all these muscles for? You’re a lawyer. You carry out your fights with words.

The soul never gets old. We just forget to be children. Another saying of my dad’s.

You couldn’t make someone want you in their life, no matter how much you tried. You couldn’t love for two…

My Review:

Written in my favorite dual POV, this latest addition to the Conner series was extra sexy, I actually started to perspire while reading. I enjoyed the sweet and steamy romance, all the secondary storylines, amusing banter, and the many enticing characters in addition to the main pair who couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. I need to know what type of supplements they took as I would love to buy some.

About Layla Hagen   

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.

She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

She is represented by fabulous Louise Fury (The Bent Agency) 

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Book Review: Meant for You (The Connor Family #3) by Layla Hagen

Meant for You

 (The Connor Family #3)

by Layla Hagen

AmazonUK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KF5NGMC/

Amazon CA  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KF5NGMC/

AmazonAU  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07KF5NGMC/

iBooks  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1438131272

B&N  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meant-for-you-layla-hagen/1128072540?ean=2940156312498

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/at/en/ebook/meant-for-you-2

GooglePlay https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=DBh5DwAAQBAJ

Will Connor lives his life by simple rules: take care of those he loves, give one hundred percent to his job, and never ignore his instincts. So when he meets Paige, he doesn’t plan to ignore their crazy chemistry or the way her pretty smile strips him of all defenses…

As the development director of a non-profit, Paige Lamonica has met her fair share of people. But Will is something else entirely. The hot detective is a little too confident, and far too easy on the eye. She loves that he goes toe-to-toe with her at every turn. When Will asks her to attend his sister’s wedding with him, she thinks he just wants to throw off his scent some relatives with a penchant for matchmaking. She couldn’t be more wrong. Will wants her.

When she teases him, he teases her right back. When she pushes his buttons, he repays her with scorching hot kisses. Paige discovers that there’s more to Will than she thought. With every layer she peels off, she craves more…

But as the daughter of an army man, Paige has never wanted to get involved with someone on the force. Can Will persuade her to give in to their growing love?

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I practically flew to him. It felt that way, at least. Like I was so light that my feet weren’t even touching the ground, merely skipping over the surface.

 

“Just keep your eyes open for a smart and very sexy guy. Strong arms are important. Six-pack always a plus. Great skills in bed are also a requirement, but obviously, there’s no way to check that beforehand.” … I made a mental note never to ask about girl talk again.

 

My Review:

 

Layla Hagen is my go-to gal when I need something light and amusing as well as sweet and steamy. Her alpha males are full of swagger but quickly learn the importance of groveling when needed. I enjoyed the sweet pairing of Will and Paige, they were a feisty and sweary couple who could go toe-to-toe as well as scorch the sheets with their volcanically hot sexcapades.

About Layla Hagen   

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.

She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

She is represented by fabulous Louise Fury (The Bent Agency) 

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Book Review: HER by Britney King

Title: HER 
Author: Britney King
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: February 28, 2019
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“After four, I quit counting. What’s the point if you know it isn’t going to stop?”
 
Sadie is jealous. Why wouldn’t she be? Her life is falling apart. Meanwhile, her new neighbor is everything she is not.
 
Ann is perfect—the kind of woman everyone loves to hate—and a best friend to die for. She hosts over-the-top dinner parties, takes parenting to an entirely different level, and makes ambition look sexy as hell. 
 
Sadie learns quick: the best way to cure jealousy is to befriend it. She also learns there’s more to her new friend than meets the eye. She’s patient, she’s kind, and possibly a serial killer.
 
It isn’t until Ann’s proclivities hit a little too close to home that Sadie has to ask herself how much she’s willing to overlook in the name of getting what she wants.
 
Exquisitely paced, Her is an unnerving and electrifying psychological thriller about jealousy, passion, and the dangerous places desire can take you. Full of enough tension and twists to make even the most seasoned suspense reader break out in a cold sweat, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.
 
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I wish someone had told me: worry is a waste of time. The real troubles of your life will be things that never even bothered to cross your mind.

 

Ann says a lot of things. She believes in survival of the fittest, and she wants everyone else to believe in it too. But there are too many stupid people in this world for me to embrace that notion wholeheartedly.

 

I only wish someone had told me that making friends as an adult isn’t any easier than it is as a kid. It’s worse. You have all of those hardened beliefs and insecurities to contend with. And those at the top? They like to stay there.

 

Her emotions have hairpin turns.

My Review:

 

A plethora of adjectives and adverbs came to mind as I raced through Britney King’s Her, but I have yet to find adequate words to encapsulate my thoughts. I am stunned and may be in shock as I’ve never read anything like this.   Her was deviously clever, brilliantly crafted, disturbing, surreal, unsettling, and simply riveting to say the least. It was frighteningly brilliant and kept me on edge, off-balance, and highly intrigued throughout. I could never get my footing with these intense and alluring sociopaths; I was smirking at their cleverly snarky observations and inner musings one minute and reeling from their heinously twisted plotting and rationalizations in the next. The ingeniously penned storylines were completely unpredictable and enthrallingly contrived, obviously dark magic had to have been invoked. At 85% in, my stomach and jaw both dropped and I couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs. Britney King is a wickedly talented wordsmith and a cunning mastermind, and while I greatly admire her mad skills, I would definitely think twice about living in her neighborhood.

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Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
When she’s not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.
 
Currently, she’s 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. 
 
Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here: 
Web• http://BritneyKing.com
Instagram • https://instagram.com/britneyking_ 
Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingAuthor
Twitter• http://twitter.com/BritneyKing_
Goodreads • http://bit.ly/BritneyKingGoodreads
 
To get more– grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com
Happy reading

 

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Book Review: Let Me Burn by Carrie Elks

Let Me Burn

(Angel Sands Book 1)

by Carrie Elks 

Amazon US / UK / Universal 

She isn’t looking for love. He’s not planning on staying around. But when they meet, sparks fly… 
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Lucas Russell lives for his job as a big city firefighter. But when he’s forced to take extended leave following an accident, he returns to his small hometown to stay at the beach cottage his grandparents left him. The problem is, he’s not used to having so much time on his hands.  After a broken engagement, Ember Kennedy isn’t ready for love right now. But she didn’t count on meeting a handsome firefighter with a dimpled smile. After Lucas saves her from one awkward situation too many, she can’t stop thinking about him.
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Ember finds Lucas impossible to resist, and he’s determined not to let her. As long summer days melt into sultry, passionate nights what begins as a fling develops into something much deeper. Until the day Ember’s ex-fiancé returns to town and threatens to destroy the fragile connection that’s building between them.

*This stand-alone romance is low on angst and big on feels. If you enjoy a heartwarming read that’s sweet with heat, Let Me Burn is for you*

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Hey, if life gives you lemons—” “Add a little tequila,”

 

“She’s beautiful and she’s funny but she’s fresh out of a relationship.” “How fresh?” “I’m not sure. A few months maybe.” “That’s not fresh… That’s rancid. She’s probably ready for another date.”

 

If he’d felt like the King of the World before, now he felt like he’d expanded his empire to include the rest of the galaxy… “I like you, Lucas Russell,” she whispered. “I like you a lot.” Forget the galaxy, he was king of the universe.

 

He’s gorgeous. And a natural with kids. I only have to look at him and my ovaries start to flutter.

 

My Review:

 

Lucas and Ember were the sweetest couple and easily fell into a fun, satisfying, considerate, sexy, and supportive relationship. Let Me Burn was a pleasant start to a promising new series and an enjoyable and welcome change from angsty stories with constant conflict and drama. The writing and storylines were engaging, well-paced, lively, easy to follow, and performed an excellent job of introducing the characters and establishing the foundation for subsequent installments. I am anxious to see who will be the focus of the next book as I am already curious about several of the characters.

About the Author

 Twitter – CarrieElks

Facebook – CarrieElksAuthor

Goodreads – 7266211.Carrie_Elks

Website – https://carrieelks.com

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: What If (Small Town Big Love Series #1) by Kelly Collins

What If 

(Small Town Big Love Series #1)

by Kelly Collins 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

She’s a town icon. He’s all business. Will their rivalry bring ruin or romance?  Graphic artist Lucy Shoemaker has never known a life outside of Blackwood. And she’s determined to show the world why she loves her quaint Colorado hometown. But when a billionaire arrives looking to sell the land, Lucy feels both outrage and an irrepressible attraction…

John Blackwood usually gets what he wants. He never expected that selling the Podunk town would send him directly into a firecracker of a local. John knows that Lucy won’t stop causing him problems…but is that why he can’t get her off his mind?

With compromise off the table, will John and Lucy’s passion disappear along with Blackwood or can they discover love’s common ground?

What If… is a standalone contemporary romance with sizzling chemistry. If you like headstrong heroines, small-town drama, and a fresh twist on billionaire boyfriends, then you’ll adore Kelly Collins’ sassy saga.

Buy What If… to negotiate romance today! 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

If sin had a look, he’d be the model.

 

All her life she’d tried to shove a hundred-pound dream into a ten-pound bag and it never worked.

 

She thought that whoever had designed the bra should be given an award equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize. Anything that could make a pair of ordinary breasts extraordinary deserved recognition. A Grammy? An Oscar? A mammogrammy? The booby prize, she thought with a giggle.

 

The dark room was lit by beer signs and the bright eyes of jealous women.

 

“Are they hoping money will just fall off you?” She laughed, imagining people following him with cups, hoping for his pockets to empty into them.

My Review:

 

I always seem to start a new series with an equal measure of hopeful anticipation and trepidation. Will it be too similar, too different, too complicated, or too familiar? Silly me, I should know better by now when it comes to Kelly Collins. Although, the style and tone of What If seemed considerably different from her usual and the main characters were a bit of a challenge for me to warm up to, especial Lucy. Lucy had a difficult personality; she was a childishly impulsive drama llama who was flippant, hot-tempered, testy, and obstinately resistant to change. I did enjoy her feisty sass and smart mouth –  takes one to know one. 😉

I also initially had doubts about John, the wealthy and sex on legs Lamborghini driving lothario, who currently holds the lofty position of my current BBF. I was afraid he was playing Lucy to influence her into moving out of her home and business space without fuss to allow his family to sell their holding without issue, and he kind of was and kind of wasn’t. Of course, Lucy’s heated tantrums and behavioral outbursts led to increasingly hotter exchanges and sheet-scorching sensual encounters. The storylines were original, easy to follow, and held my interest despite a considerable amount of conflict and the pervasive angsty uncertainty about the vexing issue of Lucy’s future living situation.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-five years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new-found appreciation for green smoothies.

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Book Review: Fall (Montgomery Men #3) by C.A. Harms

Fall

(Montgomery Men #3)

by C.A. Harms

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Knoxville Montgomery liked things his way. He kept everything simple and he was always in control. That is until a head-strong blonde stumbled into his life and changed everything. She became a challenge he refused to walk away from.

It didn’t matter how much Knoxville tried, Tinley would not give into him. She couldn’t. On the outside, she appeared to be resilient and untouchable, but her reality was a much different story.

But Knoxville would not give up. Little by little, he started to tear down her walls, and at that moment, Tinley knew. Even though she fought it with every, single fiber in her body, their outcome was fated.

She would Fall…
And all she could do now was hope he’d be willing to catch her.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Lexington Russell is my brother’s secretary, best friend to Kinsley and Shanelle, and the biggest fan of the Montgomery men. The last part was no fucking joke. Lex loved us, as in loved to get us riled up, flustered, and half-naked. Again, no fucking joke. The guy was a menace.

 

“I can assure you, I am not pleasant company… I’m moody and cranky at least eighty -two percent of the day.” “How about the remaining eighteen?” “I’m asleep.”

 

“Fancy to me is using real silverware instead of plastic.” The sad part is, I wasn’t joking.

 

“I don’t need you to set us up, because I’m confident I can do that on my own. I’m pretty terrific after all. I just need a chance to get him alone.” I suddenly feel a little bad for Greg. “I know a homosexual man when I see one, and he is in fact into men. If I have things my way, he’ll be into me.” Lexington wags his brows suggestively, as if I didn’t already catch on to his little innuendo.

 

My Review:

 

I was unfamiliar with the Montgomery Men series but that didn’t seem to matter as I had no problem comprehending the story, although after reading this installment I am more than eager to pick up the first two as I am already enamored with the entire family and am quite certain I would enjoy the earlier books as much as I did Knox’s story in Fall. Knox was a sweet treat, a sexy, fiercely protective, and thoughtful man who seemed to have the patience of a saint. He was magnetically attracted to lovely Tinley, who didn’t put of encouraging vibes, at all. Tinley had shut herself down following a traumatic attack the previous year and was a difficult and prickly pear to even converse with. Knox enjoyed the challenge as much as her snark and barbs, and gradually won her over one inch at a time. The writing was full of sizzle and sassy humor while the storylines were engaging, easy to follow, interesting, well-paced, and cast with highly appealing and well-matched characters. C.A. Harms has been a recent discovery for me starting with her Oh Tequila series, but I have greatly enjoyed each and every one of books I that I have had the pleasure to peruse.

About The Author 

I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true. I love the little things; they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are the greatest part of my days, and their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my best friend for seventeen years, and looking forward to many more.

I am one of those authors that adore my readers. I love to hear from you. After all, it is because of each one of you that I continue to write.

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