Category: After Hours

Posted on

Book Review, Giveaway: RUNAWAY GROOM I Do, I Don’t – Book 2 – by Lauren Layne

 
 .
“Lauren Layne gets the red rose for this one, and fans of The Bachelor will fall in love with this thoroughly charming story.”—Kate O’Keeffe, bestselling author
 .

 .

RUNAWAY GROOM
I Do, I Don’t – Book 2
Lauren Layne
Releasing Jan 30, 2018
Loveswept

 .

 

 .

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it.

Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .

Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.

NOW AVAILABLE!

.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I was one of the few noncrazies in the early stages. One woman carried her pet turtle strapped to her chest. Another woman was stressing about whether the producers would want to count her dual personalities as one contestant or two.

 

Twenty-one. My life has come to this— being known as a number. I’m surprised they don’t tag my ear.

 

They’ve told me to pace myself, but that started to get hard when contestant number six told me (and the rest of America) that her hobbies include Brazilian waxes and flossing, and so help me God, I don’t even know if she was talking about her teeth.

 

But once, just once, I want someone I care about to look at the crapshoot that is my life, to take in the Jilted contract and the Killboy movie shoots and the never-ending tabloid rumors and say, “Yeah, that stuff sucks, but Gage is worth it.” I want to be worth it. Just once.

 

My Review:

 

What fun!   Runaway Groom is destined to be a runaway hit. Packed with smart snarky humor, witty banter, poignant insights, and steamy love scenes, this rom-com is one of Ms. Layne’s best. The story was highly amusing, unfailingly entertaining, and well written with a dual POV. I may require Botox if I continue to follow this author as my face seems to maintain a near constant smirk while reading her clever arrangements of words.

 

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies.  She lives in New York City with her husband.
A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in 2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she’s written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAY, New York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.
 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted on

Book Review, Giveaway: When the Stars Come Out – A Cottonbloom Novel By Laura Trentham

 

When the Stars Come Out

A Cottonbloom Novel

By Laura Trentham

 

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past—and find reason to stay forever in Laura Trentham’s When the Stars Come Out. . .

Willa Brown never planned to stay in Cottonbloom. She was on the way to somewhere else when she landed there and found work at the Abbot brothers’ garage. . .and a sense of comfort and safety that she had never known. The same holds true for Jackson Abbott himself. With one glance in her direction, he can make Willa’s heart melt. But what begins as an unrequited crush turns into something far more powerful than Willa could have ever imagined. . .

Jackson’s most meaningful relationship has always been with his car—and he’s not afraid to admit it. Still, he can’t help but become emotionally entangled with his new star mechanic Willa, who is definitely hiding some dark secrets of her own beneath the hood. Jackson desperately wants Willa to trust him, and to seek protection in his arms. But even as the two slowly surrender to their shared attraction, the danger lurking in Willa’s past remains a stubborn obstacle. Can she open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

 

Praise for When the Stars Come Out

“The fifth installment in the Cottonbloom series, following Leave the Light On (2017) is hot and sweet, and readers will cheer for Willa and Jackson. Fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Mallery will love the immersive world that Trentham has created in Cottonbloom, a small southern town divided by the Mississippi River.” Booklist

“When the Stars Come Out is a tender and sexy small-town tale of blossoming love.” BookPage

Returning to Cottonbloom has never been sweeter, When The Stars Come Out is pure literary magic, it’s sure to have readers mesmerized from start to finish!! Red’s Romance Reviews, 5 stars

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Country Aire trailer park wouldn’t get a magazine spread unless it was in Trailers and Trash, but she’d lived in far worse places.

 

With curly red hair and dark blue eyes, she crackled as if an electrical current gave her endless energy.

 

The Honda coughed like a lifelong smoker that needed an oxygen tank.

 

The only new clothes Willa splurged on were underwear. Apparently, the line she wouldn’t cross in the name of poverty was buying used panties.

 

Everything the man did was sexy and arousing. She pictured him with a wrench in his hand and the flex of his biceps as he torqued a bolt. Her inner muscles clenched. Next time she saw him do that she might require resuscitation on the shop floor.

 

“I have a feeling all those Abbott brothers are good with their hands. I know Wyatt sure is. Comes from working on cars, I’d guess.” Sutton made a sound like she’d tasted something delicious.

 

 My Review:

 

This was a cleverly amusing, heart squeezing, emotive, and angsty read that was packed with family drama, quirky characters, and wry humor, and written from my favorite dual POV. Deftly detailed with lush descriptions the story flows in an agile and engaging manner while Ms. Trentham kept the sharp and colorful visuals smoothly scrolling through my gray matter while the stalwart and admirable character of Jackson was rattled from his routine enough to find what he needed was right under his nose, although the anxious and skittish Willa made him work for it.

When The Stars Come Out could easily be read as a stand-alone book although it continues on from the established storyline with many of the characters from the previous book in the series, Leave The Night On. And while you don’t need to have read the previous book, it was also an engaging and fun story and would deepen your enjoyment of this clever tale. I was intrigued by the various multi-layered storylines and characters as Willa’s secrets were slowly being revealed. Willa was a complicated and fretful character and I found her to be somewhat frustrating as she was severely lacking in interpersonal skills and was rather cowardly as her fight or flight response was always flight, which had lead to some bad decisions. Of course, I’ve never made any of THOSE myself. 😉 There were several subplots and lots going on yet the ending pulled most of it together nicely with a surprising twist and a few treats, while also lighting a fuse for the next installment, which I am already eager to get my mitts on.

 

Giveaway 

Enter to win the first four (4) books in the Cottonbloom series!

 Kiss Me That Way, Book 1

Then He Kissed Me, Book 2

Till I Kissed You, Book 3

Leave the Night On, Book 4

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Author Bio

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. KISS ME THAT WAY, Cottonbloom Book 1, won the Stiletto Contest for Best Long Contemporary and finaled in the National Readers Choice Award. THEN HE KISSED ME, Cottonbloom Book 2, was named an Amazon Best Romance of 2016 and was a finalist for the National Excellence for Romance Fiction. TILL I KISSED YOU, Cottonbloom Book 3, is a finalist in the Maggie contest. LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, the latest Cottonbloom book, was named an iBooks Best Book of the Month and a Recommended Read from NPR.

Social Media Links

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

Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham

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

Sign up for my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bwbOkD

Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham

Posted on

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

Posted on

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.
.
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

 

Posted on

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).