Bingeworthy Books

Tag: Mandy

  • Review: No Promises by Cari Quinn

    Well, this was a hot little book. Like hubba, hubba!!

    I’m a  football girl. Born and raised in Georgia, I was at college football games at the age of 6.  I bleed Red and Black.  I married a football player, my son played football this year… you get the picture right?  To be honest, though, this book didn’t really take place on the field.  There weren’t games or anything like that but the male MC, Bryan, is a professional football player at home for his sister’s wedding and he is recovering from an injury.  Jill is his sister’s BFF and they’ve all known each other forever.  Jill, bless her heart, is determined to seduce Bryan via her bff’s bachelorette party, thanks to a sexy striptease of sorts.  Annnd lose her virginity…to Bryan. Goodness gracious that is hot scene..the striptease. 😉

    The whole book is full of hot scenes.  Hot flashes galore in this one!

    Jill is somewhat inept where seduction is concerned but she jumps right into the fire with both feet and totally goes for it with Bryan.  And by going for it I mean, handling Bryan’s man parts…

    “It’s a pretty big one, too isn’t it?”  Her breathing stuttered.  “I mean, nothing astronomical, but large enough as they go.”

    “What do you know about cocks?”    The response was a knee-jerk reaction to his dented pride.  Later, he might feel guilty about it.  Maybe. “A chaste girl like you.”

    Jill bumbles her way through the seduction at times and there were some cringe worthy but funny moments.  Bless her.  As for Bryan, well, there were times where I was not sure how I felt about him.  He really tries to emotionally isolate himself from all of it, even though he cares for Jill very much.  Bryan just doesn’t want to let anyone down, certainly not the lovely and loving Jill.  I think it’s because Bryan is VERY dominant and he wants to let loose but is wary of how Jill would respond to it.

    They were going to have a serious talk once she finished her show. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to yell at her or kiss the smirk off her pouty mouth.

    Or just fuck her blind.

    […] Right then, he didn’t care of she could talk or not.  He was ready to put her on her knees to see what she should take, his sister or propriety be damned.

    Jill was a fun character.  She totally owned her new found de virginized status and completely handles whatever Bryan throws at her.   I’m telling you though, Bryan is a dirty, dirty but very sexy bird.   😉

     

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    Purchase No Promises Required: Amazon //B&N
    I’ve read the first book in this series, No Dress Required and after meeting some of the other characters from the 2 books I have not read in this series, I am planning to read those books too.
    Book 1: No Dress Required  AMAZON // B&N
    Book 2: No Flowers Required  AMAZON // B&N
    Book 3: No Romance Required  AMAZON // B&N

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  • Review: Fighting the Fall by J.B. Salsbury

     

    Blog Tour banner

    I really do enjoy this series, especially the first book, Fighting for Flight.  (I have a signed copy that I gaze at lovingly on a regular basis.) While I enjoyed reading Fighting the Fall, this was not my favorite of the series.  Honestly, it’s a matter of “it’s not you, it’s me”, because I just didn’t connect with Eve at all.  Yes, she has issues.  Her father is a royal POS and she has serious self esteem issues.  I think her age and initial immaturity made it hard for me to connect with her…I think I said that already.  I will say that she matures some by the end of the book and I appreciate the character growth.

    Cameron.  I like him well enough.  He is a surly alpha guy and has a whole lot on his plate…  An ex wife who is so dependent upon him, she can barely function,  a son (who is quite well adjusted) and as CEO of the UFL he has a lot of responsibility.  There is quite an age difference between the two, Eve is 21 and Cameron is 38.  Personally, I don’t have an issue with the age difference as long as the male MC doesn’t act too paternal.  It’s a very fine line.  As always, the sexytimes between Cam and Eve are smokin’ hot.  No complaint there!

    As always, I enjoyed checking in with characters from previous books and Ms. Salsbury is doing a bang up job of developing Mason into a character that I’m looking forward to reading.

     

    Eve:

    With my head down, I make way to my car when I notice a familiar car parked next to mine. I look up and my steps freeze just feet away. Leaning against my car, arms crossed at his chest, long powerful legs crossed at his ankles, is Cameron.

    My hand clutches my purse to my side. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I internally scold myself for sounding more defensive than happy to see him. He can’t possibly know what’s in my purse.

    It’s been days since I’ve seen him, and our quick telephone conversations do little to slake my desire to see him in the flesh.

    He shrugs. “Passing by, saw the place was closed for the night. Thought I’d hang out and see if I could speak to the manager.”

    My stomach jumps and goes warm. He came all the way here just to see me?

    “Did you have a bad experience? Like to make a formal complaint?”

    He pushes off my car and takes two steps toward me. Close, but not close enough. His eyes set in their usual glare, he shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark washed jeans. “Mmm . . .” He rubs his fingers across his lower lip, as he did the night in front of Mason. His eyes burn through me. “I have no complaints about my . . . experience.”

    His presence combined with his insinuation become too much and I drop my gaze. A tickle of caution pricks at my subconscious, reminding me that I’m not the kind of girl who shies away from flirtation. I’m not timid, demure, or easily swayed by just any man. But there are a few who have brought me to my emotional knees, and both of them I dislike. Immensely.

    His feet move into my line of site, and I pull my gaze up to settle on his face. How is he even more beautiful than I remember with all that thick dark hair, his fierce jaw, and full lips that I know are as powerful as they are soft?

    “What’re your plans tonight?” He reaches out and brushes my bangs off my forehead.

    Such a tiny gesture, but the sweetness of it makes my eyes flutter. “I was going to grab a bite to eat.”

    His eyebrows pinch together. “You hungry? I’ll take you to dinner.”

    I look around at the empty parking lot then move my eyes back to his. “Now?”

    “You hungry now?”

    “Very.”

    “Then yeah. Now.”

    “But it’s the middle of the night.”

    The corner of his mouth lifts so slightly it’s barely noticeable. “It’s Vegas, babe.”

    “But I’m in the mood for a bacon cheeseburger.” I lick my lips. I can almost taste the greasy goodness. “With green chilis.” My stomach grumbles in agreement. “And onion rings. Not the battered ones, but those breadcrumb ones.” I hum low in my throat. “Oh, and a chocolate milkshake or an ice cold beer will also do.” I tap my lips, thinking. “Hm. Maybe both.”

    So lost in my food-fantasy I don’t notice the way he’s staring at me until I focus on him. His glare isn’t as tight as it usually is, and his mouth isn’t the straight—but full and kissable—line it usually is. It’s as if someone pulled the starch from his expression, not completely relaxed, but tender.

    Silence builds between us and I shift on my feet. “Or not, ya know . . . I mean whatever you want is fine too.”

    He tilts his head, still not speaking.

    “There’s an IHOP down off of—”

    “Shut up, Yvette.”

    God, I hate that name, but hearing it growled from Cameron’s lips makes it more than tolerable.

    “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . Did I say something wrong?”

    His lips tilt, tilt, and holy shit, tilt some more, lighting his entire face, the entire city of Vegas, probably the whole damn atmosphere with the most brilliant smile.

    “Far from wrong, babe.” He grabs my hand and tugs me to his chest. “I dig a woman who knows what she likes and asks for it.”

     

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    Purchase Fighting the Fall:
    Amazon
    Purchase the Series
    #1 Fighting for Flight
    Amazon US // Amazon UK // B&N
    #2 Fighting to Forgive
    Amazon US // Amazon UK // iTunes // Kobo // B&N
    #3 Fighting to Forget
    Amazon US //Amazon UK // iTunes // Kobo // B&N

  • Release Review: This Christmas by Jeannie Moon

    I’m a bit of a Jeannie Moon junkie.  Recently, I read Ms. Moon’s The Second Chance Hero and that caught me up on all of her books.  To say that I was despondent would be an understatement.  Then, I found out that Ms. Moon was releasing a holiday novella and felt the heavens open up and smile down upon me.  (Dramatic much?)  So, I tracked that book down and thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing, I was able to read it and bask in the loveliness that is Ms. Moon and her writing.  (And now I’m stuck with no new Ms. Moon crack on the immediate horizon.  Hold me.)

    For a novella, this was a well rounded book.  I didn’t feel shortchanged and the story was fleshed out so well.  From the very beginning of Sabrina and Jake’s story which begins 10 years before, I really felt clued in to the depth of their relationship and exactly what was sacrificed by both of them when Jake left.

    Fast forward 10 years later, her daughter, Charlie (who I loved) is ten years old and Jake comes back to town and face to face with his daughter….that he did not know he had.  I ate this book up.  Nom nom nom.  I LOVED Jake and I loved the moments Jake has with his daughter, getting to know her.  Jake was meant to be a father.  Jake and Bree (Sabrina) were so sweet and I appreciated that there were no stupid back and forth games between them.  It was such a lovely story of the two of them rediscovering each other.  I loved the setting of the small town, Holly Point and her family home.

    Thanks to Ms. Moon, I also discovered a new publisher, Tule Publishing.  New publisher means new authors!  Guess what?  There’s a series that this book is a part of and they are set in NY also.  Some in NYC (which… I LOVE LOVE LOVE New York City and I’m sucker for any book set in the city.)

    •The recommended reading order is below but they can stand alone.  Ms. Moon’s book contains a prologue and Ms. Blount’s contains an epilogue.  These actually went live Monday night and I’ve already bought the other 3 (99 cents for a VERY limited time).  My plan is to read them soon and share my thoughts about them with you.

    Christmas in New York series
    Book 1: This Christmas by Jeannie Moon
    Book 2: All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen
    Book 3: A Light in the Window by Jolyse Barnett
    Book 4: Goodness and Light by Patty Blount

     Purchase This Christmas:

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon  ❃

     

     All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen

    All I want

    Cassandra Baines almost has it all: a flourishing career as one of the youngest English Lit assistant professors at NYU, an apartment in a city she adores, and a close circle of lifelong girlfriends that are like sisters. The only thing she doesn’t have is someone special to share it with. She’s been married to her work since Sean McKinnon broke her heart seven years ago.

    Musician and bar owner Sean McKinnon keeps busy – too busy for a love life. He blew it with Cassie all those years ago, and no one has held a candle to her since.

    But then one fateful night, of all the people in New York City, Cassandra walks into his bar, and he’s drawn to her as strongly as ever. She wants nothing to do with him, but he’s not going to give up so easily.

    Can a bit of New York Christmas magic help two people take a second chance on true love?

     

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon ❃

     

     A Light in The Window by Jolyse Barnett

    LightintheWindow

    Adirondack girl-in-transition Jade Engel comes home to recharge after ending a career she never truly wanted, but soon realizes she’s in danger of also being swept off her feet by the boy-next-door, her former best friend, Ben Stephens. If only he’d stop kissing her every time she falls into his arms.

    Everything local celebrity Ben Stephens ever wanted is in Starling. Then Jade comes home after an eternity away and sends his simple world into a tailspin. He’s determined to pursue her—the one girl who got away. But when their friends-with-benefits arrangement blows up in their faces, will they have the courage to put their pasts to rest in order to forge a future together?

     

    ❃  Goodreads // Amazon ❃

     

     

     Goodness and Light by Patty Blount

    GoodnessandLight

    Thirteen years ago, two teens met on the ramp to Ground Zero, on a cold and snowy day, strangers bonding in a moment of grief. The boy pressed a crystal snowflake ornament into the girl’s hand and disappeared into the crowd, unaware that his simple act of kindness saved her from the guilt that threatened to consume her.

    Since losing her mom, Elena Larsen hasn’t set foot in New York City — until now. Agreeing to help her sister prepare for her baby’s birth seems like a good way to spend Christmas and Elena vows not to let the monstrous guilt that weighs on her heart ruin everything. But those plans go awry when she meets Lucas Adair, a man whose own grief and guilt just might rival her own.

    When Elena discovers Lucas is the boy who gave her that crystal snowflake all those years ago, she can’t accept it as the sign Lucas believes it to be. For her, it means only one thing — even beyond the grave, her mother can never forgive Elena for breaking her heart.

    For Lucas, New York is hallowed ground that he can never leave. He spends his days working in the Financial District and his evenings volunteering and it’s almost enough to help him forget what he did. Lucas knows better than to make plans with a woman who will soon be leaving, yet can’t help himself. There’s something about Elena that pulls him in. He doesn’t put much faith in signs but even he starts to believe Elena is his absolution. Now, he only has to convince her.

    ❃  Goodreads // Amazon  ❃

     

  • Review: Christmas at Twilight by Lori Wilde

    I love a good holiday/Christmas story and I gotta tell you that this is a GREAT book and I loved it.  Holiday books tend to be light and fluffy, this one is not.  It’s intense.

    Both characters are going through some very heavy stuff.  Hutch is recuperating from being wounded while deployed and his throat complicates his life a great deal.  Let’s throw Meredith in on top of that, this woman is running for her and her son’s life from a truly crazy son of a bitch.  She settles in the lovely town of Twilight with her precious little boy and almost starts to feel like maybe she could make a life there.  She remains super cautious and ready to pack up and leave at any time, though.

    Twilight is a typical small town with plenty of meddling folks who mean well.  Let’s face it, Hutch and Meredith needed all the help they could get!  The challenges they needed to surpass were pretty epic.  While there was an extremely intense plot, the holiday aspect was well represented and I loved that too.

    The children in this one were also fantastically written and were so cute.

    Overall, an excellent Christmas read to add to your Holiday tbr list.  Even though this is book 5 in the series, you can read it as a stand-alone.

    Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

    November 22

    Delta Force Operator Captain Brian “Hutch” Hutchinson hated group therapy almost as much as he hated the mind-warping meds.

    He slumped in the hard wooden folding chair that was part of a circle of ragtag military burnouts, watched the clock over the door, and counted off the seconds until this charade was over. His legs, encased in desert camo fatigues, were sprawled out in front of him. Muscular arms, crisscrossed with scars, lay clamped across his chest, a don’t-fucking-look-at-me scowl digging a trench between his eyebrows. All the damn benzos they pumped into him left the inside of his head feeling as jagged as glass shards, and conversely as foggy as a hot breath on an icy winter morning.

    You sure it’s the benzos and not brain damage?

    To keep from thinking about that too much, Hutch studied the olive drab wall behind a legless GI in a wheelchair who was detailing his fantasies of eating a bullet.

    Someone had taken a pathetic stab at decorating for the holiday. A cardboard rendition of a live turkey had been taped to the wall along with a cherubic boy in a Pilgrim costume carrying a big black musket. Brightly colored leaves, gathered from the hospital grounds had been stuck underneath the cartoon boy’s feet, strung out like a path, leading him right to his target. The opposite wall depicted a Thanksgiving feast, complete with a golden roasted bird, foretelling what was in store for the hapless turkey.

    The room fell silent. The legless GI had stopped talking, his eyes filled with so much damn pain that Hutch felt it in his own gut.

    “We all understand what you’re going through,” said the group leader, Major Jenner, a skinny-assed psychologist with a bad comb-over.

    Hutch tightened his arms and snorted. Jenner had never been within sniffing distance of a battlefield. He knew shit about life. Or death.

    The major pivoted to face him.

    Aw, hell. Why had he snorted? So far, he’d managed to stay off the shrink’s radar.

    “Captain Hutchinson, you’ve been here for three weeks and you’ve yet to share in group. It’s time.”

    What the hell? Hutch glowered and slapped the raw scar at the base of his throat.

    Jenner dipped his head, and shot Hutch a this-is-for-your-own-good glance over the top of his glasses. “Yes, yes, you suffered an injury to your throat, but have you even tried to speak?”

    What did the son of a bitch think he did all day when he wasn’t stuck in this claustrophobic room with five other guys just as screwed up as he was?

    Anger flashed through him, hot and quick. He bolted upright in the chair, and clenched his hands into fists against his thighs. Once upon a time he’d been the easiest going operator on his team. Always ready with a smile. A cracker of jokes. More friends than he could count. He’d been the one to break up fights, calm hotheads, smooth choppy waters. The skill had earned him the moniker Igloo in a group that was already known for their cool heads, because he was so unflappable.

    But those days were gone.

    Just like everything else.

    He stared down at his left hand that was missing the index finger. A lost finger, a damaged trachea, a pinch of PTSD. He was lucky, damn lucky, and he knew it. All he had to do was look across at the legless GI for confirmation. He’d made it back, relatively in one piece. Not so the rest of his squad.

     

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    Purchase Christmas at Twilight:

    ❃ AMAZON // B&N  // KOBO //iTUNES  ❃

     

  • Review: Surrender by June Gray

    Hmmm.  I really like this series and I have to admit that I am a bit behind with it.  I have yet to read the book before this one, Arrest.  That being said, if you have not picked up one single book in the series before this one, you will be ok.  I am aware of some of the events in Arrest but I didn’t feel spoiled by any means. This is a really good series, so if you haven’t read it you can read it all (books 1-6) in DISARM.

    I have to admit that I came away from this book not being a big fan of Julie.  I just never really connected with her very well.  She was kind of hard on Neal and kept pushing him away and I just have a hard time with that kind of character.  *Shrugs*

    Now, I really did like Neal.  He was a really sweet guy and he and Julie connected quite quickly.  Neal was open and affectionate and downright HOT when it came to the sexy times.  I truly loved how caring and affectionate he was.

     

    I leaned my head on his shoulder.  “I haven’t been held like this in so long,” I murmured, then realized belatedly what I ‘d said.  I was only too glad that the darkness hid the blush that was no doubt coloring my face.

    “That’s a damn shame,” he said, bowing his head to rest his cheek against my temple.

    “A woman like you should always be held like this.”

     

    Sigh.  See?  Neal.

     

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    Surrender:

    ❃  Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

    Arrest:

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

    Disarm:

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

  • ARC Review: Pushing the Limit by Emmy Curtis

    I’m not sure but I think this may have been my favorite.  Which is kind of unusual for me because I tend to prefer a little more lovin/sexytines between the MCs.  (Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty but not as much as the two books before this one) The STORY in this one was sooooo good and the combination of romance and suspense was perfect.  I think it was because the mystery subplot was so interesting and it helped that I just realllllly liked Matt.  Matt. Matt. MMMMMmmmmatt.

    Harry=Henrietta, who we met in the previous book was kind of a mystery to me.  In Over The Line, she seems kind of  insecure and a  ninny at times.  ( I think it was the circumstances of that book, more than her being actual ninny. ) Which, really couldn’t be further from the truth. She’s freaking archaeologist in the freaking desert…she’s really kind of badass in her own way.  When she and Matt meet initially, she is not afraid to take what she needs from him and when they run across each other again, she does not back down then either.  So, she was pretty awesome.  She was dealing with some pretty serious baggage in her own life and I found it very interesting how her and Matt’s lives intersected with each other.  Matt and Harry had absolutely crack-a-lackin’ chemistry and I’m telling you, do not miss this one!

    This was such a fun book to read! I found myself sighing, laughing and turning the pages as fast as I could!  Sadly, I do not have another Emmy Curtis book to look forward to but we meet some characters in this one, a guy and girl that I would absolutely LOVE to read about again.  So, my fingers are crossed for more from this series and this author.

     

    pushingfinalfr

      ★ Want to read it?  Ms. Curtis’s publisher is offering a digital copy via Netgalley.  Please comment if you’re interested and be sure to follow the comments to see if you won! ★

     

     Excerpt

     

    Matt heard her sharp intake of breath and wondered if he’d misjudged his attempt at lightening her mood.

    There was a second in which he opened his mouth to explain, when there was a shifting in the air around him, and just as his lightning instinct had him reaching for his weapon, a soft projectile thwomped into his face, knocking him backward and off the bed.

    “No one makes fun of my pain without incurring the wrath of the pillow ninja,” she hissed.

    Relief and outrage vied for pole position as he immediately planned his revenge. He let out an agonized groan.

    “Oh my God.” He heard her scrambling over the bed to the foot where he’d fallen from. “I’m so sorry, did you hurt—”

    He reared up, wrapping his arms around her legs, and launched her back onto the bed. She bounced like a rag doll as he grabbed the cushion he’d taken from the lobby and swiped at her as she tried to right herself.

    “Ooff,” was the only thing she managed to say.

    Victory is mine. “Truce?” he asked from a safe distance.

    “My hand is caught in the headboard.” She giggled. “I swear it’s not a trap. I’m an honorable foe, unlike you. Look, or feel.”

    Still keeping his distance, he put out his hand where he thought her shoulder should be. It was soft. Heat rose in his body.

    “Okay, airman, it’s not my breast that’s trapped, it’s my hand,” she said with a totally audible grin.

    “Sorry.” He thought he would run his hand up to her shoulder, then her arm to find her trapped hand, but it seemed all his appendages had minds of their own. He hesitated on her breast, feeling it swell beneath his palm. Shit. He stretched his hand out so just the center of it was touching her, and he circled it around her nipple. Its hardness tickled his palm. He meant to move it to her shoulder, but he swore he heard her groan. The sound sealed the deal.

    His other hand found her flat stomach. He ran his fingers over her skin, making her shiver. “Does your hand hurt?”

    “No,” she whispered. It was a tacit yes to everything else.

    He lowered his lips to her stomach and kissed her, feeling it undulate beneath his lips. Kneeling on the bed now, he ran his hands up and down from her waist to her legs, legs to waist, and then with the same motion, he hooked her shorts around his

    fingers and yanked them down. She gasped. He grinned in the dark.

    “You’re kind of at my mercy now, aren’t you?” he said.

    In an instant she wrapped her legs around his waist and tipped him over onto his side. Before he could recover, she rolled him over and sat astride him.

    “I’m sorry? What did you say?” In the shadowy darkness she whipped off her tank. He could barely see her in the dark. No way. Nakedness or death? He grabbed her waist and held her as he sat up and pushed her down toward the foot of the bed. He

    used the few seconds he was upright to flick open one side of the curtain covering the small window. A faint blue light lit the room. Just enough to see her in.

    “I guess you weren’t really that trapped, then?”

    “Not that trapped.” She smiled up at him, and he was gone.

    He ripped his shirt off over his head and was about to undo his jeans when Harry beat him to it.

    Her delicate fingers played with his fly, flickering touches on his hard dick through the denim. Grazing her nails along his length until he was desperate to feel her friction. As if she read his mind, she flattened her hand and pressed hard against him, making him groan and push himself against her.

    She undid his fly, and when the heat of her fingers touched his flesh he closed his eyes and allowed his whole body to feel her.

    Enough. He wanted her, right now. Stripping off his jeans, and managing to extract a condom from his wallet without fumbling, he retook the bed. He slid his whole body across hers touching every part of her with every part of him. She fit him perfectly. In every way.

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     Purchase:

    Pushing the Limit:  Amazon // B & N // iTunes // Kobo 

    Over The Line: Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Books-A-Million // GooglePlay // iTunes

    Dangerous Territory: Goodreads// Amazon // B&N // Kobo // iTunes // GooglePlay

     

     

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  • ARC Review : I Saw Her Standing There by Marie Force

     

    I’m always excited beyond belief when I start a Marie Force book and depressed when I’m done.  Every single book, I am beyond excited to start it and to return to the world that Ms. Force has created!  Then as I’m reading, reality dawns upon me that sooner or later, I’ll come to the end of the book and finish it.  I guess I can call that a First World/Book reading problem.  There are much worse problems to have.

    Now, this book?  I ADORED Lucy and Colton!! Colton was just as delicious and charming as his older brother, Will.  I remember when I read Will and Cameron’s book, All You Need Is Love, and I completely freaked out over Will.  I kept wondering, are all of the Abbott men, this AWESOME?  So far, the answer is

    HELL YES.

    There is something about the Abbott men and their skills in and out of the bedroom.  Holy CRAP.

     

    He kissed her.  Hard.

    When she moaned and opened her mouth to his tongue, he took full advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate the other things she could do with her mouth beside obsess about other women in his life.  He wrapped his arms around her and settled into his kiss as his muscular body pressed against hers.

    Lucy curled her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.  She’d never been kissed the way Colton Abbott kissed her, as if kissing her was the only thing keeping him alive.  He didn’t kiss so much as consume.  She felt consumed by him, and it was the sweetest feeling she’d ever known.

     

     

    so-hot

     

    Colton and Lucy lead very different lives in completely different places and neither one has any plan to make a change.  So what happens with you fall madly in love (while in a bit of denial about it) with someone and all you can think of is that person, wanting to be with that person and you can’t see them on a daily, much less weekly basis?  This is the conundrum for Colton and Lucy.  To Ms. Force’s credit, there was no easy, quick fix.  She brought them along slowly and I kept wondering, how in the world would Lucy and Colton figure this out?  I love that there was no quick fix, it was all about Colton and Lucy figuring out what was important to them and how to manage their lives and compromise.

    And of course we cannot forget the elder members of the Abbott family and their adorable meddling ways.  I truly love how Ms. Force has woven the parents and grandparents into this series (just as she has done in the McCarthy/Gansett series).  Although, the elder Abbotts are on another level of meddling, but it’s meant in a “we know what’s good for you  and we are going to do it anyway- way”.  We also get to hang out with Cameron/Will (squee) which made for some hilarious conversations between brothers and BFFs.  Hannah/Nolan of course made several appearances and we got a little bit more of Hunter.  I really cannot wait to see how Hunter’s book plays out.  I loved getting a glimpse of the Abbott family members via conversations with Colton (aka giving advice) and family dinner.

    In conclusion.  I LOVED this book.  Love Love Love and I cannot wait for more from Ms. Force and this series.  Hell, I’ll read anything she writes, she’s THAT author for me.  If she writes it, I’ll buy it.

     

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    Book 3- I Saw Her Standing There:

    ❃ Amazon // B&N ❃

    Book 2- I Want to Hold Your Hand:

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

    Book 1- All You Need Is Love:

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

    Preorder Book 4- And I Love Her

     ❃ Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

     

    I have the pleasure of offering one of my lucky blog readers the prize pack below.  This giveaway is AWESOME!!! I want to win it! 😉

    • Green Mountain series sticker
    • Stuffed Fred the Moose
    • Signed copy of I Saw Her Standing There
    • Sample of Vermont Maple Syrup
    • Vermont Country Store catalog (we are requesting this—will see if they’ll do it)
    • Marie Force pen
    • $25 Gift card to BN, Amazon or iBooks

     

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

     

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  • Review: The Doctor’s Fake Fiancee’ by Victoria James

    In August of last year, I stumbled upon the Red River series, in the midst of a weekend full of DNFs.  (You can read about it HERE)  The Red River series had me completely hooked and the only thing I really needed was Evan’s book.  Cue to now, over a year later!  I was pretty much salivating for Evan and Grace’s story and the bookend to this series.

    I have to admit that I had a hard time liking Evan.  He was so focused on his career and what he thought it meant to be successful that he placed value and priority on his job above all else.

    And then, Grace and her son, Chris came into his life.  Grace and Chris needed someone like Evan as much as Evan needed them.  Grace was used to scraping by on almost nothing and Evan presented her with an opportunity to climb out of barely getting by.

    Now, I know I said I wasn’t all that crazy about Evan.  BUT, as he spends more time with Grace and Chris he sees how being part of a family (being needed) has its merits.  Grace and Chris were certainly attracted to each other and that helped move things along.  I appreciated the transformation that both characters went through.

    Evan’s brothers and sisters in law helped things along and there were some really funny moments between the brothers.  I loved that they gave Evan such a hard time.  Evan has always held his brothers at arms length and they kept on trying with him.  Gotta love Jake and Quinn!  Overall, I enjoyed this one and I’m so glad we got closure for the series 🙂

     

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    Purchase The Doctor’s Fake Fiancee: Amazon // Nook // Kobo // iTunes

    Book 1: A Risk Worth Taking

    Amazon // Nook // Kobo //  iTunes

    Book 2 : The Best Man’s Baby

    Amazon / Nook // Kobo //  iTunes

     

     

  • Review: Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey

     

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    It’s kind of scary to me that Ms. Bailey improves with each book she publishes.  Somehow, some way, something always evolves with her writing.  To be honest, I’m not a huge BDSM fan but I know that if Ms. Bailey wrote it, I won’t not hate it.  😉  I think that’s one of the marks of a truly talented writer, they can take a subject you may not be bouncing off the walls about and push you out of your own zone and enjoy the book.

    This one is as full of intensity as (many? all?) of Ms. Bailey’s books are, but Jonah possesses an edge that I found to be slightly different than the others.  That’s something I truly appreciate, Bailey’s characters do not run together for me.

     

    “Why don’t we start with your name?”

    He dragged his tongue across his teeth.

    “The one I was given at birth or the one I’d prefer you to call me?”

    Caroline swallowed hard, already regretting her answer. “Both.”

    “Jonah.” He pressed his hips forward.

    “Master.”

     

    Um yeah.  Hot flashes galore with this one.  On the other hand, Ms. Bailey explores Caroline’s viewpoint so well.  Caroline could not understand the lure of this kind of club, much less the lifestyle.  Little did she know that Jonah was exactly what she needed in more ways than one.  Caroline admits to herself that “she expected to be disgusted” and yet she was far from it.  These feelings are quite a source of confusion for her and a source of contention between her and Jonah because he recognizes that she may (or not) be more trouble than she is worth.

    But what fun would it be if Jonah walked away from that kind of challenge?  None.  Zip. Nada.  Jonah possesses the requisite “Bailey Badass” intensity and a vulnerability that I will not the reveal the details of.  But I will tell you that it adds another layer of  depth to this story.  Jonah is a dominating sexual ninja AND a tender lover/partner and it’s freaking fantastic.

    At one point there was shift in the plot, a moment where a decision is made by Caroline (again, not going to divulge) and I swear, I just sat there and thought “Tessa Bailey, you just moved up another notch as a writer.” When I finished, I felt like this book represented another shift in Ms. Bailey’s writing evolution.  Personally, I think she needs a bigger field to run around in (like a horse needs a large field…like a really pretty, funny and smart horse).  I’m talking larger word count, longer books…more room to run.  Either way, I’ll keep reading.

    Just sayin’.

    GUESS WHAT?  In October Ms. Bailey is releasing another book in the SERVE series, Exposed by Fate on 10/27.  The book features Caroline’s brother (Oliver) and her BFF, Eliza.  Good things to come, I suspect.

     

     

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    Purchase: Amazon // B & N // iTunes

  • Blast from the Past: The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

    I just did a re-read of this book.  Just finished it last night.  It was just as good, if not better than the first time I read it.  I came to this series late, I put it off because I thought I didn’t want to paranormal/period romance.  But I was wrong, wrong, wrong.  I LOVED this series as much as KA’s others.  So, I decided I would add a Blast from the Past category so I could share my reviews of my favorite books and re reads with you.

    From November 2012-

    SERIOUSLY???!!!! This book is so frick fracking epic that I don’t even know how to express myself.
    I really truly thought I could not love Kristen Ashley more. I was WRONG….way wrong. I loved the 1st book and I knew there were aspects of this book that I would not like and yes it was hard to read at first. But I am here to say that this was an epic love story…for me. Just between being from different world, the language barrier and culture differences…. and they still were just the most fantastic thing ever for me. Circe and Lahn are just an incredible story- how she challenged him to change things in his kingdom, how he changed things within himself for her. How she worked to understand his world for him.
    This book just killed me….crying before it ended- when the bottom fell out for Circe and then I cried tears of happiness at the end. I am so looking forward to more in this series…. so freaking much.

    And at 58% I posted this update:

    This one has sucked in me so hard… I don’t want to do anything else but read! What? The kids don’t REALLY need a healthy meal… cheetos are fine!!!

    You have to know, that when I start making up words like “frick fracking” that the book was good.  And as for my most recent re read and review from last night-

    Sigh. Love love love.

    Once my review queue gets slow, I’ll have to go back and re read the other books in this series.  Annnnnd then I’ll share my then and now reviews.