Category: After Hours

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Book Review, Giveaway: Mend by Chelle Bliss

Mend 

by Chelle Bliss

 

From USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss comes a feel-good, sexy second-chance STANDALONE romance.

Six years ago, the only girl I ever loved moved away.
She said she’d come back to me.
She promised she’d write.
She swore she’d always be mine, but Evie Bailey lied.

Now, Evie’s back, and this time, I’m not letting her go without a fight.

Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only boy I ever loved.
He said he’d love me forever.
He promised nothing would tear us apart.
He swore he’d wait for me, but Jack Nelson lied.

Now, Jack wants to make me his again, but he may never be able to forgive my sins.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I loved her from the moment she walked into homeroom on the first day of eighth grade. The fact that she had on a Nirvana T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans just made me fall even harder.

  

He’s about as exciting as a piece of toast… The man doesn’t even eat dessert. Who doesn’t eat dessert? It’s unnatural…He’s definitely not a keeper… I can’t be with someone who doesn’t appreciate a great cupcake or even a cookie, for shit’s sake.

 

Shave your bits, girl. You may get lucky tonight… I like a great hairy leg, but yours is a bit prickly. I don’t think Jack will approve… You’ll need a machete to get through that jungle, doll…

 

My Review:

 

Mend was a quick and easy read with an engaging, sweet, and somewhat steamy love story occurring over two time periods.   Packaged with endearing characters, an emotive and heart-squeezing yet entertaining narrative of young love, conniving villains, snarky levity, small-town pettiness, and a sweet first and second-chance romance; Chelle Bliss has completely satisfied my wishlist for today. Loves me some Chelle Bliss!

AMAZON – chellebliss.com/mend-amz

IBOOKS – chellebliss.com/mend-ibooks

NOOK – chellebliss.com/mend-nook

KOBO – chellebliss.com/mend-kobo

GOOGLE – chellebliss.com/mend-gp

SIGNED COPY – chellebliss.com/mend-signed

Mend Release Giveaway

Chelle Bliss is the USA Today bestselling author of Misadventures of a City Girl, the Men of Inked series, Enshrine, and the ALFA Investigations series. She hails from the Midwest, but currently lives near the beach even though she hates sand. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, coffee fiend, and ex high school history teacher. She loves spending time with her two cats, alpha boyfriend, and chatting with readers.

Where to follow and connect with Chelle Bliss

WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – NEWSLETTER – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM

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Book Review: Into the Night by Cynthia Eden

 

Into the Night

 by Cynthia Eden

 .

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

 

Publisher: HQN (December 26, 2017)

 

Two FBI agents are caught in a merciless vigilante’s crosshairs in New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s electric Killer Instinct series Sheltered in the shadows of the Smoky Mountains is the suspect who’s summoned FBI agent Macey Night’s fears to the surface. Every day that the “Profiler,” a vigilante serial killer, escapes justice is another day she’s reminded of what it is to be a ruthless predator’s prey.  Capturing him is a craving deeper than anything she’s felt in a long time. But Agent Bowen Murphy, equal parts sexy and volatile, seems hell-bent on changing that. Working together—needing, living and breathing each other—they’re entwined to distraction.
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Bowen’s used to operating on impulse: act, don’t feel. Now Macey and the controlled terror behind her beautiful eyes have him rethinking everything, including his rule to never get close to a colleague. He’s willing to fight for a future with Macey, but the consequences of love could be deadly.
 
 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

She felt as if she’d shattered into a million pieces and then been put together all wrong.

 

I just want to fall asleep in your arms and know that, for a few moments, I’m safe. Because that’s what you are to me, Bowen… You’re my safety in a storm.

 

My Review:

 

I fell right into this intense and intriguing story during its extremely powerful and harrowing prologue. I felt gripped by my hair and the tension in my neck did not relent until the last chapter. This was my first time reading Cynthia Eden and had no idea what to expect, I now expect to be reading her crafty tales quite often.   The premise was interesting and the writing was well paced, wily, and compelling. Although the FBI didn’t like the idea of a killer besting them and taunting them with it, I rather fancied the idea of a killer killing off loathsome predators and wondered – why not let him be – until I realized there was collateral damage to innocents as well since killers aren’t all that discriminating… silly me for not thinking that through. And in the midst of all that hunting and chasing and slicing and dicing, a sweet and steamy love story blossomed – oh yeah… I liked that… I really like that a lot.   

 
 
 
About Cynthia Eden
Cynthia Eden is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She writes dark tales of romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, and was named a 2013 RITA® finalist for best romantic suspense. Cynthia lives in the Deep South, loves horror movies, and has an addiction to chocolate. More information about Cynthia may be found at www.cynthiaeden.com.

Connect with Cynthia

 

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Book Review: Crazy Sexy Notion by Sarah Darlington

Crazy Sexy Notion

by Sarah Darlington

 

My former best friend…is now a hooker… 


MICK 
After a terrible breakup, the crazy notion hit me to look up my childhood friend. With half a country between us, I haven’t seen Raven since the day my dad rushed in and saved me from the Sandy Hill Trailer Park. But I loved Raven as a boy, and now I need to find out if I could love her as a man. Only problem: her profession. 
Come to find out—she’s a prostitute. 

RAVEN 
Mickey Lawson 
Yeah, I hate that guy. 
Really, he’s only a faint memory now, but at one point in time he meant everything to me. 
My protector. My savior. My best friend. 
I was ten. 
Then he left. 
Now he’s back. 
Fifteen years too late.

**CRAZY SEXY NOTION is a standalone.**

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

It didn’t help that this man had to be straight up handsome, too. Like Clark Kent handsome… He even had on dark frames, as if he really were trying to channel Clark Kent up in the front seat. Good thing I’d always been a Batman fan.

 

I had a feeling I was about to see the side of him that turned smart girls, like Sandra, stupid.

 

His blue eyes were sincere and kind, staring at me like I hung the moon in his eyes. He knew the worst about me and…still, he’d only ever looked at me with adoration.

 

 I knew my life was never going to be the same… You aren’t the little girl I remembered—you’re so much more.

 

 My Review:

 

I have only read two of Sarah Darlington’s books, but I plan to remedy that as soon as is humanly possible. She has mad storytelling skills. Her characters tend to be uniquely quirky train wrecks, less than admirable and deeply flawed screw-ups, and some have even been absolutely obnoxious and cringe-worthy. However, despite their countless poor choices, missteps, and transgressions, I find myself a bit tense with conflict before pulling toward them and wanting good things to happen for them to balance out the poor hands they had been dealt, and such was the case with the low-rent/trailer-park raised waitress/part-time hooker character of Raven in this engrossing tale.

 

Raven was jaded, temperamental, impulsive, easily angered, crass, and impatient. She was also beautiful, highly sensual, and a survivor. She was doing the best she could muster given her limited opportunities and heart-breaking history.   The writing and storyline of Crazy Sexy Notion held me captive, even when I wanted to give the exasperating characters a hard pinch or whack to the head I couldn’t stop reading and finished the book in a day. Prepare for lots of expletives, characters you’ll want to smack, heart-squeezes, sizzling sensual scenes, and an addictive tale that proved hard to quit. I can’t wait to see who and what Ms. Darlington conjures up for me to love/hate next.

 

About the Author

 

Website 
Twitter
Goodreads

Sarah Darlington grew up traveling the United States (Navy Brat here!)—although, she’s called Virginia home for most of her adult life. She’s the proud mom of an intelligent 5-year-old boy with autism, who makes every day an adventure, and a 1-year-old red-headed little girl who is as fiery as her hair color. She believes in true love, soul mates, unicorns, rainbows, and that Hogwarts really does exist. Before having kids she worked as a flight attendant. And when she’s not writing, she’s busy plotting her next grand adventure (aka vacation).