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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Secrets and Sins: Raphael (A Secrets and Sins Novel #3)

When Greer Addison finds her future husband in bed with another woman, she runs…right into the arms of dark and dangerous Raphael Marcel. Angry and hurt, she throws caution to the wind and spends a hot night with the sexy security specialist. But when her fiancé is found dead, Greer becomes the main suspect of a crime she can’t remember. 

Raphael is stunned and suspicious when Greer shows up on his doorstep claiming she’s carrying his baby. Worse, she’s the target of a stalker bent on making her pay for a murder she doesn’t recall. As Raphael begins to trust Greer, they must race against the clock to uncover a killer. 

Because Greer’s memory is returning...

Buy Links:  Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Overall Rating:  5 Rockin’ ★★★
One minute life was expected, stable, a black-and-white montage of predictability.  Then the next it was chaotic, confusing, a Technicolor whirlwind of lies, betrayal, and humiliation.

Greer finds her fiancé having sex with one of her friends, so she breaks her engagement and turns to her family for support.  What a laugh…her father has never loved her, her brother or her mother.  He was an expert at tearing them to pieces.  Greer refuses to take back her cheating fiancé and so her father tells her to leave.
                                
What good are you?  The one thing you’ve done right-the one time you were useful to me, had finally done something to make me proud-and you screw it up.  Your brother’s a fag, and you’re a failure.  A useless failure.

Greer ends up in a local bar with her brother drinking away her sorrows and family woes. Greer hears a voice behind her that she will never forget, Raphael Marcel, a man that her father would never approve of because he is so different. 

“Why, Ms. Addison,” a voice heavy with amusement drawled from behind her.  “A dive bar?” A taunting tsk, “I do believe you’re slumming”

Raphael made her feel things that she had never felt before, even with her fiancé.  He made her want things that she had always told herself she would never allow. 

Raphael was an intimidating blend of sex and danger.  Both had her leaning back against the bar’s edge. 
Something she had no business feeling toward an almost stranger when the man whom as of one week ago she’d been about to marry hadn’t inspired the same leaping-off-a-high dive sensation.

Greer and Raphael have a one night stands and when he drops her off at her apartment she finds her ex-fiancé murdered in a pool of blood.  She tries to run for help but is struck from behind and wakes up in the hospital and cannot remember anything after she arrived at her home.  The police find a blood knife and accuse her of the murder.  Raphael comes to the police station and gives her an alibi for the time of the murder, but the press had already convicted her.

Flashes blinded her.  Invasive camera lenses stalked her.  Yelling voices assaulted her.  “Why’d you do it, Greer?” 
“Did you kill Gavin because he cheated on you?”

Finally Greer is cleared of charges only to find that her one night had left a lasting gift, she was pregnant with Raphael’s child. There is also a stalker trying to kill her so Greer turns to Raphael to protect her and the baby. She knows that she must tell him about the baby, but will he believe that the baby is his? Will he agree to protect her and the baby?

Not that he believed her.  Damn, she hadn’t expected that.  Or the pain his skepticism inflicted.  “…it seems more likely he would be the father than me.”  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or your baby.”  “I used protection, Greer.”
  
Hero –Raphael Marcel: 5 stars
Heroine –Geer Addison: 5 stars
Steam: 5 stars 
Plot: 5 stars 
Cliffhanger: No

Would I recommend this book: Yes! This book has hot sex in the back of a SUV, murder, betrayal and healing for two damaged hearts.


Would I read other books by this author: Yes! This was my first book by this author and I am now going to read the books in this series that came before Raphael's.  I am also excited about the next book about Raphael’s friend Chayot Grey.

***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Friday, April 25, 2014

Night Child (Night #3) by Lisa Kessler

A psychic gift... 

Muriah La Deaux's latest job requires her to locate an ancient codex detailing a prophecy of an immortal birth. But before she can deliver it, her client is brutally murdered. Now a man with chaos in his eyes wants the codex she's hiding.

An immortal child... 

Issa is one of the original Night Walkers, a proud protector of the mortal world. Now, when the survival of his entire race rests on protecting an unborn child, Issa is the only immortal strong enough to protect Muriah on a risky mission--locate the lost scrolls that will trap their foe--but his tenuous grasp on his sanity is slipping. 

The ultimate sacrifice... 

Muriah's headstrong spirit awakens feelings in Issa that are best left buried. But as the battle between love and chaos ensues, sacrifices must be made...

Overall Rating:   5 Rockin’ ★★★★

Muriah is not an ordinary book seller.  Her family has for generations procured and sold unique books and relics to a select clientele. She finds a relic, a codex, which will allow the God of Chaos to control all Night Walkers and humanity.  Lukas was a Night Walker and had watched over her family for generations.
Lukas was the closest thing she had to family.  He often disappeared for months at a time, but eventually he always made an appearance in her doorway with another request for a book he needed for his research. 
Fearing for her life, Muriah goes to Lukas for help.  Before she can ask for help translating the codex, more Night Walkers show up. One of them is a man that she had seen in her vision when she touched the codex. He is Issa, the Mayan God of the West and her only chance to survive the God of Chaos. Chaos needs the codex and the unborn immortal child to complete his plan of world domination.
He quickly draped the towel over the codex and slid it back into her bag.  “We need to get you and this codex far away from Gretchen and the child.”
Issa knows that he cannot kill Apep, the God of Chaos.  He must try to protect the unborn child, his people and Muriah.
“If Apep is bent on destroying the Night Walkers, or controlling us to do his bidding, this world is doomed anyway.  This is not a being I can sacrifice or imprison within the earth.” 
“Maybe not,” Muriah clutched the bag to her chest.  “But we might be able to trap him some other way.”
Muriah and Issa agree to go to Egypt to find the necessary artifacts to imprison Apep.  They are two souls that are battered but find an undeniable bond forming with each other.   
“I will accompany her to Egypt.  I know the area.  If there is a way tostop Apep, we will find it there.”
The beginning of an incredible adventure starts as the two board a private jet headed to New York and then on the Egypt.  Answers will be found and the bond started will be solidified between an unlikely pair…an immortal and a human.
A week ago, he would’ve sank his fangs into her flesh without a second thought.  But now?   Muriah had lured him into her world, into her reality, not as a god, but as a partner, a man.

Hero –Issa “Mayan God of the West”: 5 stars
Heroine –Muriah LaDeaux: 5 stars
Steam: 5 stars 
Plot: 5 stars 
Cliffhanger: No

Would I recommend this book: Yes! This is an amazing book about the supernatural world of the Night Walkers and how they are bound to the Earth as protectors of humanity.  It is also a story of how love can heal to broken souls.

Would I read other books by this author: Yes! This author has intrigued me with her different approach to the world of supernatural beings.


Buy Links:

***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Cover Reveal



ON THE WAY HOME

Skye Warren

Available: May 20, 2014


Synopsis:

Clint
For eight months Ive been deep under cover as a special operator in the Army. On the plane ride home, all I want is a hot shower and a long sleep. But a Dear John text message leaves me stranded. I need a ride and a place to stay, and the pretty stewardess is more than willing.

Della
Its supposed to be a simple trade—the passenger in seat 34B for my sister. But the sexy soldier is more than I can handle in all the best ways. He trusts me, but I cant save him. No one can. Sometimes trouble has a way of following you home.

On the Way Home is a dark new adult romance intended for readers over eighteen.

About the Author:

Skye Warren writes unapologetic erotica, including power play or erotic pain and sometimes dubious consent. There's struggle in the sex. There's pain in the relationships. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

Links:


Convincing Constance Release Day Blitz


Buy Links
Amazon US   /   Amazon UK


Excerpt...


Turned out Gary Steele from Music Line did have a job for me. I almost lost my shit when he said Blow Hole was looking for a replacement guitarist to finish their tour with them. Fucking Blow Hole! As in some of my favorite music to play.
I knew the chords to their songs better than any other band. I liked their sound and I’d always been able to pick up their pace right away. I could hardly believe my luck. So when he told me they wanted me to come to their condo in Los Angeles to audition, I was all over that shit.
I called Shay to bring me some gas money, told her why I needed it, listened to her scream on the other line, and then I drove entirely too fast to the address Gary gave me. I pulled up around the corner and changed my clothes in the backseat of my car before going inside the massive building the boys lived in.
When I finally made it to the top floor, I stood in front of the door and convinced myself that ringing the doorbell was the best thing I could do no matter how badly my nerves were jumping around. I’d never auditioned before since I’d never played for any other reason than I loved it, and I couldn’t lie. I was scared.
When I finally worked up the nerve, I reached out and rang the doorbell. I stood there waiting for someone to answer the door, but no one came. I rang the bell once more, and the door opened quickly.
“Can I help you?” It was Finn, the lead singer.
Everyone who loved music knew who Finn was. His voice was soulful. When he sang, he put so much emotion behind it you could almost believe he was living his lyrics. He was raspy and deep, and I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t attractive.
He was taller in person, and honestly, I expected more muscles, but that didn’t take away from his eyes or those lips that girls seemed to get wet over. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. A black shirt with cut-off sleeves covered his chest yet revealed his tatted arms, and a pair of drawstring sweats hung from his hips with loose ties that brought my eyes to his crotch.
Quickly, I looked back up at him and my cheeks turned red when his expression told me he’d caught me looking. Turning away, I adjusted my guitar case and shook the thoughts from my head. I wasn’t one to get star struck… ever, but Finn was the real deal.
Looking back up at him, the question in his eyes told me I needed to speak or he was going to close the door in my face.
“I’m here for the audition.” My voice cracked and I wanted to slap myself.
I needed to snap out of it.
I adjusted the guitar strap on my shoulder to show him I wasn’t messing around.
“You’re kidding, right?” His right brow popped up in challenge.
I didn’t have time for the whole females can’t play bullshit I knew was coming. So I went in for the kill.
“Do I look like I’m kidding? Is the word jokester tattooed across my forehead? Yes, I’m a chick. I have tits and a clit, but I have bigger balls than any man you know, and I can play the fuck out of a guitar. Now are you going to keep wasting my time, or are you going to invite me in to play?”
His mouth popped open in a wide, shocked smile. Then he chuckled to himself and stepped aside.
“Then by all means, come in.”
The space was sleek and clean considering it was the home of a bunch of rockers. Abstract red-and-black paintings of different instruments covered white walls, and the place smelled like pot and beer.
The place was huge. I followed behind Finn through three sets of doors until we were in a sitting room, and then I set my guitar case on the counter that split the living room from the kitchen.
 A white, leather sectional filled the room. Eyes stared back at me as I entered behind Finn and instantly I recognized the drummer, Chet, and the bass player, Tiny. Finn left the room, leaving me in a silent uncomfortable moment.
Taking a seat on the edge of the couch, I kept my bitch face on. Chet grinned at me from across the room and nodded at me as he licked his lips. His tongue piercing clicked against his teeth. He was the colorful one of the group. Tattoos and piercings everywhere. I did, however, seriously dig his fauxhawk.
I’d been looking at him too long, and he was enjoying the attention. He was definitely the playboy of the group. I’d heard the rumors about him and how he stuck his cock in anything wet. I rolled my eyes and turned my head, and then my eyes connected with the bass player’s.
Tiny’s name was a joke considering there was nothing small about the man. He was huge. His thick tattooed arms were crossed. A look of absolutely no tolerance was plastered on his face. Quiet and mysterious was his game. Every band had one, and I usually dealt best with them, but something about the way he looked at me made me feel nervous.
His dark-brown hair was buzzed short and faded into a set a sideburns that melted into his light mustache and goatee. My eyes shifted to his lips and again, I wanted to slap myself. It was unlike me to even notice the things I’d noticed since I stepped into the den of sin, also known as the home of Blow Hole, and I wasn’t about to let the disgusting pheromones that lingered in the air get to me.
Tiny’s dark, angry eyes dug into mine and I suddenly felt exposed. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair to make sure I had no strays poking out, and then I turned away from him. Even without looking at him, I could feel his gaze in the side of my face. I didn’t like it.
Just when I was close to telling him off, Finn came back into the room and crashed onto the couch. Behind him, Zeke, the lead guitarist, came limping in. A cast covered his picking hand and instantly I felt for him. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to play. He looked at me in confusion as he sat down.
As far as I was concerned, Zeke was one of the best guitarists I’d ever heard. His technique was unusual, but the sounds that came from his strings were amazing. I’d practiced his sound since the first time I’d heard them play on the radio. I’d once see them from afar in concert at a bar in Los Angeles, but the boys were playing bigger venues these days.
“So where’s the replacement guitarist? Zeke asked in aggravation.
The room filled with laughter like I was a joke, and it pissed me off. I stood and crossed my arms to show them I wasn’t dicking around.
“That would be me,” I said sternly.
Zeke looked me up and down without a drop of sexual awareness in his gaze, and I appreciated the fact that he was simply sizing me up, not checking me out. It probably had something to do with the petite blond that had followed him into the room.
“Is that so?” he asked.
He was acting cocky, and honestly, he had every right to be.
“Yep. Want me to play or what?” I asked.
Everything depended on this job and while I knew some would call me stupid for being such a bitch, I knew the boys would appreciate it. I’d been a part of their world before. I knew all about the girls that chased rockers around with their legs open. I was sure it was refreshing to have a woman in their presence who didn’t drool all over them. I’d definitely checked them out, but I wasn’t the drooling type. Not to mention, I knew band boys weren’t for me—at all.
Zeke looked around the room at the rest of the guys. “Is this some kind of joke?” he asked.
Again, the boys burst out in laughter, which did nothing but make me madder.
“It’s not a fucking joke. Quit being a chauvinistic asshole. Either you want me to fucking play or not. Say something and quit wasting my goddamn time,” I snapped.
His stern expression cracked into an appreciative smile. “Then play,” he said with a careless shrug.
Stepping over to my guitar case, I flipped it open and pulled out my baby. It was a candy apple-red Les Paul from my dad. I barely played it, but I thought of this audition as a special occasion. The boys of Blow Hole didn’t need to see my normal guitar.
I strapped it on, took a deep breath, and began to play. My fingers dug into the strings and I closed my eyes and let go of everything. Rips and grinds filled the condo, bouncing off the walls and shaking the windows. I mimicked Zeke’s playing perfectly. I even ripped through his unique chords that other guitarist seemed to have a hard time with.
I played an entire song and no one stopped me. When I was done, I unhooked my strap and set my guitar back in its case. The room around me was silent, and when I looked up, looks of shock stared back at me.
The only girl in the room, the tiny blonde with ice-blue eyes, began to clap.
“That was amazing!” she said with a smile.
I nodded at her compliment and turned my attention back to Zeke. He stared at me with angry eyes. That was his thing. I don’t think I’d ever seen a real smile from him ever.
“What did you say your name was again?” he asked.
“I didn’t. No one bothered to ask. My name’s Constance,” I responded.
He looked around the room and then back at me. The side of his mouth lifted in an almost grin. “Well, Constance, welcome to Blow Hole.”




Blow Hole Lyrics
“The Addict”
The addiction you bring
It’s more than I can stand
Feeling your soulful depth
Why can’t you understand?
Bound by sick desires
Reaching for your sin
Body breathing fire
And I can’t let you in
Chorus:
Drugs don’t fail me now
For she’s forever gone
Despising all her strength
Against all that I’ve done wrong
Numb my aching heart
I’ll never be brand new
Finding who I am
In the high that comes from you
I’m addicted to your smile
Withdrawals and frowns are me
Knocked down and I am vile
While you’re forever free
Needing you right here
Jonesing for a dose
Panic turns to fear
Longing for your ghost
Chorus:
Drugs don’t fail me now
For she’s forever gone
Despising her strength
Against all that I’ve done wrong
Numb my aching heart
I’ll never be brand new
Finding who I am
In the high that comes from you



Links to everything...


International Rafflecopter giveaway link - http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7df55b4/

Flames of Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons #3) by Melissa Foster

Flames of Love
As one of New York’s Finest, firefighter Cash Ryder is always prepared. When a woman’s car skids off the side of a mountain during a snowstorm, he’s there to rescue her. Cash is totally focused on the woman’s well-being, but within minutes of getting her to safety, he realizes that he’s nowhere near prepared for the heat that rolls off of sensual, smart-mouthed, and stubborn Siena Remington.

As a model, Siena Remington has dated some of the wealthiest, most handsome men in the industry, and she’s made peace with the idea that most men are just looking for eye candy and they wouldn’t know how to romance a woman to save their lives. When she’s rescued by a tall, handsome stranger, she thinks that maybe, just maybe, she’s found her own real-life romantic fairy tale—until he opens his mouth and everything that comes out is gruff, ornery, and aggravatingly sexy.

Thrown together during an annual firehouse calendar photo shoot, the passion between Cash and Siena sizzles, and neither one knows how to control the flames. After an evening of verbal sparring followed by a sinfully sensual night, their darkest secrets are revealed—and so is Cash’s warm, romantic heart. But Siena’s secret might be too much for big, strong, always-prepared Cash to handle—and Siena is forced to choose between a man who’s everything she’s ever dreamed of and an opportunity of a lifetime.



Overall Rating:  4.5 Rockin’ ★★★★☆

Cash is always prepared or so he thinks until on a snowy night he rescues a woman that he is totally unprepared for. Siena is a top model and the pin up dream of a lot of Cash’s fellow fire fighters. Instant attraction sizzles through them both and lots of denial.


“Hey, you all right in there?” A man’s deep voice broke through her worry. “Yes! Help me. Please!” Oh, thank God. “Hurry. Please hurry.” Siena gasped a breath before realizing that any sane person would be covered up in this weather. Her heartbeat picked up as she stared at the mask that covered everything but a swatch of skin around serious dark eyes. Sexy dark eyes, filled with serious concern. Jesus, what am I thinking? “Please help me.”

Siena is looking for someone like her brothers. Someone that will romance her like her brothers had their significant others.  Will Cash be that someone that will treat her as a woman and not eye candy?

Is it too much to want a guy who pays attention to more than my looks?  Who picks up on the little things? Unsaid things?

Siena and Cash come together in an unconventional way, a fireman holiday calendar shoot! Siena and her friend Willow are there as the female part of the calendar.  Cash and Siena are shocked at the presence of the other and the heat is blazing when they are paired. 

Siena lifted her eyes just in time to see Cash walk through the door.  Holy crap.  No way he’s modeling.  
Siena couldn’t concentrate.  How could she when his pants hung just low enough to reveal the curve of his abs where they sank below his hips and dipped toward the center in a sexy V as they traveled south?

Siena finds out that Cash is more than the hot exterior that the world sees and she wonders if he can be the one that can see who she really is! Cash also sees that Siena is not just the photos that everyone sees but a special woman that can save him.


Hero –Cash Ryder: 5 stars
Heroine –Siena Remington: 4 stars
Steam: 4.5 stars 
Plot: 4 stars 
Cliffhanger: No

Would I recommend this book: Yes! If a hot fire fighter and a top model can find true love, then we all have a chance for that HAWT relationship.  This author makes it all believable.

Would I read other books by this author: Yes! This is one of my favorite authors.  I cannot wait to see where she will take me next when she tells Rush Remington’s story.


Buy Links



The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller


Aubrey Miller banner
Release Date ~ April 25th
Author: L.B. Simmons




Synopsis
18780453Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
add-to-goodreads-button31

Excerpt
“Thank you so much, Quinn. This day has been…unbelievable. And I owe it all to you. You have no idea.” My voice trembles a bit with the admission, because she really has no idea what she’s done for me today. 
I feel normal. 
A normal girl, about to have a normal birthday celebration with her friends, in a normal (albeit spectacular) dress, with normal hair and make-up. 
The only thing that’s missing is a pair of normal shoes. 
“Shoes! I need shoes!” I exclaim.
“No, you don’t.” Quinn giggles and reaches for the knob of my bedroom door.
“What? Why wouldn’t I need shoes?”  
That makes no sense. 
She’s drunker than I thought. 
That’s it, I’m officially hiding the champagne. 
“You’ll see,” she says just as there’s a knock at the front door. 
She winks. “Trust me. Just, stay in here. Don’t come out until someone comes to get you.”
After Quinn quietly shuts the door behind her, I remain seated. As the sounds of Kaeleb’s murmur filters into my room, a nervous excitement flitters through my belly and spreads into my chest. My joy takes flight and I breathe in deeply, contentment pumping enthusiastically with each thrumming heartbeat. 
Damn, it feels good to be alive. 
I don’t have to wait for long. After a very loud squeal from Quinn in the other room, there’s a knock at my door. My pulse kicks up and I rise from the bed, smoothing out my dress. With a glance in the mirror, I pluck a couple of sections of my new hair with my fingers and set them back into place.  “Come in,” I remark, turning in the direction of the door. 
The handle turns and as Kaeleb pokes his head around the corner, his eyes find mine. His eyebrows rise as his mouth falls slightly open, and he breaks my gaze as his focus shifts to take in my hair, my exposed neck and the line of my dress. He holds his stare briefly at the crystalline sash lining my waist, and then slowly drifts down to my smoothly-shaven legs and perfectly painted toenails. The left side of his mouth quirks up as he clears his throat, frozen in place. He tears his scrutiny away from my feet to fully step into the room, then turns away from me to shut the door.
I take advantage of the 1.5 seconds his back is turned, and survey him from head to toe. His light-blue button-up is folded to his elbows, displaying the prominence of the flexed muscles along his forearms. As he places both palms on the door and leans into them, his shirt rides up enough for me to see the designs on the back pockets of his dark jeans. They hug his ass perfectly, and for the first time in my life, I want to slide my hands right into those pockets just to feel the hardness of his toned body. 
My fingers itch with the need to touch him, but I maintain control while Kaeleb braces against the door, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He stays planted there for a few more seconds until I suddenly begin to feel self-conscious. I run my hands over my hair and dress to make sure everything is as it should be. 
Just as I start to ask him if he’s all right, he whips around with a full smile on his face. A few long strides later, and he’s standing right in front of me. Raising both hands, he traces the tips of his fingers along the sides of my cheeks, leaving a scorching trail as they run down my neck and thread themselves into the hair at my nape. With his thumbs underneath my chin, he tilts my head back and looks me directly in the eyes. 
“You look amazing, Sunshine. Truly breathtaking.” His head dips slightly and he runs his lips tentatively along mine, the movement so sensual I can’t keep my hands off of him any longer. Fisting his shirt in my hands, I pull him into me and press my mouth hard against his, the need to taste him overriding my caution. A whimper rises in my throat and escapes into his mouth as his tongue slides in between my lips, slowly and deliberately, taking his time to stroke and caress mine. His hold tightens as his fingers curl deeper into my hair, the tinge of pain sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my body until they land right in between my legs, the throbbing sensation growing with each strike.  
After another gentle sweep of his tongue, he lessens the kiss and pulls back slightly.  His lips brush against mine before they slide over to the corner of my mouth, up along my cheek, and then rest them against my ear as he breathes, “Happy birthday. The dress is phenomenal.”




LB Simmons

About L.B. Simmons 
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.