Thursday, August 30, 2018

Book Review: Sparrow by Emma Nichole - Meet Me in Savannah Collection



Meet Me in Savannah: A Collection
Authors: Various
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 30, 2018



Blurb

The summer heat isn’t the only thing steamy in Savannah.

Seven authors bring you seven scorching stand-alones about love, lust, suspense and second chances set amongst the historic cobblestones and plantation homes of this southern city where the only thing hotter than the weather is the men that call Savannah home.




Behind every great hatred there may be a love story, but behind the face of an angel and his sweet words was nothing but pretty little lies.

My hatred for Noah Hill really did start as love – hard as it is to believe.

A love that was the earth-shattering, forever type that not everyone is fortunate enough to experience in their lifetime… or so I thought.

Take a picture, it’ll last longer.

That’s what he said to me.

That was the biggest lie of them all.

Because the broken heart remained long after the pictures burned.






AMAZON - Coming Soon

Free in Kindle Unlimited




LA Taylor

LA Taylor lives Down Under. Makeup Artist, Shoe whore, Taylor Swift enthusiast, beach bum, coffee drinker, nap taker, bad driver, snake charmer and dreamer. Often can be found having dance parties in her lounge, watching Top Gun or at the beach or at Kmart and Target buying things she doesn’t need.






Once college sweethearts, Poppy and Keir were the all American couple.

Until the big time came calling.

Misunderstandings and miscommunications lead to broken hearts and broken trust.

But fate throws them a second chance when their paths cross again.

Now they have to decide if they are ready to take another try at forever, or if the past is better left behind them.

Kier knows this is his final down. His last opportunity to make it right, but Poppy's going to need a little more convincing.

Throwing out a Hail Mary, he gives it all he’s got.

With a little luck, this time he may just be able to Score.






AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited




Emma Louise

A long time lover of all things romance, Emma Louise is a book blogger turned debut writer. She’s a die hard bibliophile, addicted to tea (Real British tea) and speaks fluent sarcasm.

She lives with her husband, three children and overgrown puppy in South Wales, UK.

Having been an avid reader for as long as she can remember, she’s recently decided to try her hand at writing a love story of her own.







The roller coaster called life can take you on many different journeys.  Some you crave and long for, others you regret and wish you could forget, but some claw their way inside of you and refuse to let go.

Amelia's journey has included flips, twists, turns and scares, but when she is finally brave enough to take the reins for herself, her path leads back to her past. Back to Grayson Aldrich.

He's the man who embodied all three types of journeys. Longing, regret, and a love so deep it would be forever embedded in her heart.


ADD TO GOODREADS


My Rating: 



Favorite Quotes:




“A sparrow. They symbolize vigilance and hard work. It can guide you to a happy and full life. It’s a symbol of protection. Even if we never see each other again, I’ll always be there…” he reaches down to touch the necklace, “over your heart.”



“A dark secret, huh?” She laughs. “I hate chocolate.” “Excuse me? That’s downright blasphemous… I need to speak with your boss. I can’t have a nurse who doesn’t like chocolate. You’re clearly unhinged and not trustworthy,” I say, feigning seriousness.




Amelia, that man looked at you like you were a piece of cake, and he wanted to get all up in your frosting.



My Review:



Sparrow was a quick and super sexy second chance romance. Written in my favorite dual POV, this crafty writer packed a steamer trunk load of contemporary issues into her compelling novella including postpartum depression, spouse abuse, addiction, active-duty injury, single parenting, divorce, abandonment, and grief. Despite all the tragedy, the storylines were well balanced and engaging with hefty handfuls of sensuality, wit, and an adorable preschooler. The main characters were destined to be together by gravitational pull, vibrantly alluring, endearing, and swore like champions.


Empress DJ





AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited




Emma Nichole

After years of living vicariously through so many characters and stories created by others, Emma Nichole has taken the plunge herself.

A southern girl born, raised, and still residing in Tennessee, she holds the quirks of this area of the world close to her heart, and showcases it in her writing.

She's a wife, a mother of two, an avid college football fan (Go Vols), a best friend, a sister, a lover of all music, movies, and above all else... a lover of books.






She was the one that got away.

Destined for culinary greatness, Bethany left behind the only life she’d ever known. And the man who broke her heart.

He was the one she could never forget.

Three years could change a man. Gideon was proof of that.

Pride and selflessness forced him to make choices that altered his life forever. But his biggest regret would always be letting her go.

What happens when true love is set to simmer?

For Bethany and Gideon, it may be a second chance to set fate right.

Meet them in Savannah and fall in love all over again.






AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited




C.G. Burnette

I'm a self-proclaimed book addict. It's sad but true. I want ALL THE WORDS! My love of words led me to blogging and blogging led me to this newest and most awesome adventure as an author. What a ride this will be!

I'm a mommy to two really cute little guys who run me happily ragged on most days and a wife to a wonderful man who has had my heart since the day he said hello. I have a vast collection of Godzilla toys, dinosaurs, LEGO pieces and blocks in all shapes and colors. Romance novels have been my thing since my aunt snuck me a Harlequin when I was ten. And let's not forget the binge watching of all things anime, Vikings and old B movies.

Let the fun begin!






You know how fairy tales start?

Once upon a time...blah, blah, blah.

Girl meets handsome prince...blah, blah, blah.

They kiss...blah, blah, blah.

Throw in an apple and she almost dies, he swoops in and saves her life. Then they live happily ever after?

My story is just like that, but with a few minor changes.

Goes like this: Girl sees family being murdered; girl runs for her life, then finds out she isn't exactly who she thought she was because she's been lied to. Oh yeah, as it turns out, she's also in quite a bit of danger, with a lovely bounty over her head.

With one man ordered to "watch me," and another one who promised to protect me, who exactly am I supposed to trust, when I'm just finding out who I really am?

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scarlett.







AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited





Jenna Cole

Jenna is a book hoarding, book boyfriend stealing author from Florida. She's the wife of an Army veteran (Hooah) and the mother of a teen daughter (send wine). She works in the corporate world, where she's been busted several times for breaking out her kindle to finish a book. When she's not spending time with her family, you can find her reading, hitting up the beach, and blogging and chatting about books with friends.







Protecting her is easy.
Falling for her is dangerous.
Loving her could destroy them both.

Melanie Quinn has given up on finding a man until she meets her sexy new bodyguard with an irresistible smile. She trusts him with her protection but refuses to hand over her heart.

Chase Taylor, ex-marine, has given up on life until he lands a job as a bodyguard for a beautiful, fiery red-head. His emotional wounds run deep, but when danger lurks, he’s always willing to go to war. Protecting his Princess could prove to be deadly.

Fate brought them together. Scars from their past could tear them apart.






AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited





JM Kelley

JM Kelley loves to write sexy hot Romance as much as she loves to read it. She grew up and still resides in Long Island New York with her husband of twenty-nine years and her three sons. She is a lover of baseball and has been a Yankee fan since the day she was born. If you can’t find her reading or writing she’s probably in Disney World since that’s her favorite place in earth.






Cover Design: Kari Nappi, Kovers by Kari

Deception and betrayal caused us to swerve off our path of forever.

Camryn James –

One night. One decision forced me to walk away from my future. Tragedy brings me home after twelve years, forcing me to face my past and the truths I refused to hear. Surviving Trystan once almost broke me completely. A second time would be impossible.

Trystan Harrison –

One mistake. One disaster of epic proportion left the only woman I have ever loved, broken and devastated. After twelve years, Camryn is back home and will be forced to realize that everything is not always as it seems. Second chances are not always promised and I refuse to waste mine.







AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited




Kristi Lynn

Kristi Lynn is a certified book whore who has been getting lost in the words of others for years. After going through a tough time a few years back, she decided to put pen to paper as a means to heal. Stories started coming out of nowhere and the decision was made to self-publish. Kristi lives in Connecticut with her rescue pup Jazmine. Coffee is her elixir of choice, followed closely by good sangria, or captain and coke. Music is playing 24/7 around her and she is often singing along (watch those ears, she never claimed to be a good singer). Fall and football season are her preferred time of year (Go Pats! And Julian Edelman is her husband. She has the shirt to prove it.) She lives in flip flops year round (except when mother nature showers her in that blasted white stuff New England is known for in the winter). She swears like a sailor, and has and addiction to finding the perfect quotes for any occasion. She loves to connect with new people, so don't be shy.






Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Book Review, Giveaway: Evie’s Little Black Book by Hannah Pearl 





Evie’s Little Black Book
by Hannah Pearl 


Amazon US / UK  



Is hunting down every man you’ve kissed the answer to finding Mr. Right?


When Evie is invited to the wedding of the guy she’d fancied throughout her teens, it’s the final straw. What’s wrong with her and why can’t she keep a man?

In between consoling herself with ice cream and chocolate, and sobbing her heart out to her cousin Charmaine, Evie has a brainwave – and it all centers around her ‘little black book’ (well, more floral patterned notebook really) – which contains the details of every man she’s ever kissed or dated. Perhaps the cure for her disastrous love life has been nestled within its pages all along …


Does Evie’s little black book really hold the answers, or will she learn that exes are exes for a reason?


My Rating: 



Favorite Quotes:


‘What you need next,’ she declared, ‘is new underwear. I always feel better when I’m wearing really sexy knickers.’ She pulled the top of her pants up over her trousers to show me. I could see what looked like a piece of leopard print string, and I presumed her taste in underwear was a little skimpier than mine. An elderly gentleman on the next table choked on his tea.

‘I like a lot of different types of women.’ That was an understatement. I suspected that Matt and George had very few types of women they didn’t like. ‘But you know what I find most attractive of all in women?’ he asked me. I shook my head, wondering whether he’d be offended if I’d answered with my first response of a vagina and a pulse.

If you want people to notice you, you have to show them that you have something worth noticing.

I wasn’t a pretty crier. My nose was running and I was taking big, heaving gulps of air every few seconds to power the tears. Jake walked to the cupboard, opened it and handed me a huge bar of Dairy Milk. ‘I’m sure Bea won’t mind you raiding her stash,’ he said. ‘This seems like an emergency.’

 My Review:


This was a slow moving yet thoughtful and often humorous read that chronicled a woman’s efforts to examine her past to recoup and repair her tattered identity by reaching back to examine what had transpired during and after her previous crushes, attractions, and relationships with men.  Much of the narrative is interior as she works through her memories and observations of the past while also dealing with the present and meeting new and more interesting people while learning to trust again.  The writing was insightful and observant with frequent lashings of slyly amusing dry wit. 

Ms. Pearl had obviously done her research and compiled the easiest and clearest representation of how an intelligent woman would allow herself to be treated in such a heinous and dastardly manner.  She nimbly captured the subtleness and myriad nuances of how a woman could gradually be stripped of her identity and self-confidence and allow and even expect mistreatment and subjugation.  Evie wasn’t merely trying to understand what went wrong with her previous relationships, she was trying to find who she had been as she had lost herself and no longer trusted her own judgment, and rightly so, she had been decimated.  And thanks to Ms. Pearl, my Brit Vocab List now includes stonking - which Mr. Google tells me is something remarkably large or exciting, I like that.  In an effort to utilize a fraction of my newly acquired knowledge I will close this review with a small sampling of what I have gleaned from my sloney and swot reading list… Bloody Nora, I’m not telling porkies when I say my personally culled Brit list is mahoosive and stonking.  


Empress DJ


Author Bio – 

Hannah Pearl was born in East London. She is married with two children and now lives in Cambridge.

She has previously worked as a Criminology researcher at a university in Leicester, as a Development Worker with various charities and even pulled a few pints in her time.

In 2015 she was struck down by Labrynthitis, which left her feeling dizzy and virtually housebound. She has since been diagnosed with ME. Reading has allowed Hannah to escape from the reality of feeling ill. She read upwards of three hundred books during the first year of her illness. When her burgeoning ereader addiction grew to be too expensive, she decided to have a go at writing. In 2017 she won Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City #heatseeker short story competition, in partnership with Heat magazine, for her short story The Last Good Day.



Hannah is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.

Blog - dizzygirlwrites.wordpress.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/HannahPearl_1




Giveaway 


Win 2 x set of floral notebook, pen, book locket necklace and chocolate (Open Internationally)






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



Monday, August 27, 2018

Spotlight: The Wedding from Hell - Part 3 Consumed by J. R. Ward



The Wedding from Hell
Part 3: 
Consumed
Exclusive Excerpt 
by J. R. Ward

Available: August 28, 2018
Gallery Books | E-book Original
ISBN: 9781982105389 | Free



The Wedding from Hell, Part 3: Exclusive Excerpt of Consumed is the final part of J.R. Ward’s The Wedding From Hell ebook serialization. Don’t miss this exclusive teaser to her upcoming standalone romantic suspense, CONSUMED (available in October 2, 2018). See why “Consumed takes it to a whole new level” (Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
About the Book:


From the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed...

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse blaze changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again—until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the commonwealth, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

About the Author:

J.R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries around the world. She lives in the South with her family.

Video from J.R. Ward:




Excerpt:

Harbor Street and Eighteenth Avenue
Old Downtown, New Brunswick, Massachusetts


Box alarm. One-niner-four-seven. Two engines and a ladder from the 499, responding.
Or, put another way, Anne Ashburn’s Friday night date had showed up on time and was taking her to a show. Granted, “on time” was the precise moment she had sat down for a meal at the stationhouse with her crew, and the “show” was a warehouse fire they were going to have to chorus-line for. But if you judged the health of a relationship on its constancy and whether it brought purpose and meaning to your life?
Then this firefighting gig was the best damn partner a woman could ask for.
As Engine Co. 17 turned the corner onto Harbor with siren and lights going, Anne glanced around the shallow seating area of the apparatus. There were four jump seats behind the cab, two forward- facing, two rear-, the pairs separated by an aisle of gear. Emilio “Amy” Chavez and Patrick “Duff” Duffy were on one side. She and Daniel “Dannyboy” Maguire were on the other. Up in front, Deshaun “Doc” Lewis, the engineer, was behind the wheel, and Captain Christopher “Chip” Baker, the incident commander, was shotgun.
Her nickname was “Sister.” Which was what happened when you were the sibling of the great Fire Chief Thomas Ashburn Jr., and the daughter of the revered—falsely as it turned out— Thomas Ashburn, Sr.
Not everybody called her that, though.
She focused on Danny. He was staring out the open window, the cold November wind blowing his black hair back, his exhausted blue eyes focused on nothing. In their bulky turnouts, their knees brushed every time the engine bumped over sewer access panels, potholes, manholes, intersections.
Okay, okay, she wanted to say to fate. I know he’s there. You don’t have to keep reminding me.
The hardheaded bastard was a lot of things, most of which carried terms you couldn’t use around your grandmother, but he knew she hated the “Sister” thing, so to him, she was Ashburn.
He’d also called her Anne—once. Late at night about three weeks ago.
Yes, they had been naked at the time. Oh, God . . . had they finally done that?
“I’m gonna beat you at pong,” he said without looking at her. “Soon as we get back.”
“No chance.” She hated that he knew she’d been staring at him. “All talk, Dannyboy.”
“Fine.” He turned to face her. “I’ll let you win, how about that?”
His smile was slow, knowing, evil. And her temper answered the phone on the first ring.
“The hell you will.” Anne leaned forward. “I won’t play with you if you cheat.”
“Even if it benefits you?”
“That’s not winning.”
“Huh. Well, you’ll have to explain to me the ins and outs of it when we’re back at the house. While I’m beating you.”
Anne shook her head and glared out the open window.
The first tap on her leg she ascribed to a bump in the road.
The second, third, and fourth were obviously—
She looked back at Danny. “Stop it.”
“What?”
“Are you twelve?” As he started to smile, she knew exactly where his mind had gone. “Not inches. Age.”
“I’m pretty sure I peak more like at sixteen.” He lowered his voice. “What do you think?”
Between the sirens and the open windows, no one else could hear them—and Danny never pulled the double entendre if there was a risk of that. But yes, Anne now knew intimately all of his heavily muscled and tattooed anatomy. Granted, it had been only that once.
Then again, unforgettable only had to happen one time.
“I think you’re out of your mind,” she muttered.
And then they were at the scene. The old 1900s-era warehouse was a shell of its former useful self, sixty-five thousand square feet of broken glass panes, rotting beams, and blown-off roof panels. The outer walls were brick, but based on the age, the floors and any room dividers inside were going to be wood. The blaze was in the northeast corner on the second floor, billowing smoke wafting up into the forty-degree night air before being carried away by a southerly wind.
As Anne’s boots hit the ground, she pulled the top half of her turnouts closed. Her ponytail was up high on the back of her head, and she stripped out the band, reorganized the shoulder length, and cranked things tight at her nape. The brown was still streaked with blond from the summer, but she needed to get it trimmed—so all that lightness was on the chopping block.
Of course, if she were a woman “who took care of herself,” she’d get it highlighted through the winter months. Or so her mother liked to tell her. But who the hell had time for that?
“Sister, you sweep the place with Amy for addicts,” Captain Baker commanded. “Stay away from that corner. Danny and Duff, run those lines!”
As Captain Baker continued to bark orders out, she turned away. She had her assignment. Until she completed it, or there was an insurmountable obstacle or change of order, she was required to execute that directive and no other.
“Be safe in there, Ashburn.”
The words were soft and low, meant for her ears alone. And as she glanced over her shoulder, Danny’s Irish eyes were not smiling.
A ripple of premonition made her rub the back of her neck. “Yeah, you, too, Maguire.”
“Piece’a cake. We’ll be back at pong before ten.” They walked away from each other at the same time, Danny going around to the stacks of hoses in the back, her linking up with Chavez…


Sunday, August 26, 2018

Book Review: Last Heartbreak (A Nolan Brothers Novel Book 5) by Amy Olle 



 

Last Heartbreak

(A Nolan Brothers Novel Book 5)

by Amy Olle 

Falling in love was easy, instant, and dangerously all-consuming. Breaking up won’t be so simple.

Shea and Isobel were teenagers when they had a baby together, months before they’d even gone on their first date. Now, after nearly eighteen years of marriage, the heartaches have piled one on top of the other, dousing the fire of their passion and drowning the memories of a life built together. Though he is her first and only love, two years spent living separate lives has convinced Isobel it’s time for them to let go.

Except quitting isn’t in Shea’s blood. Every day of his life has been a fight—to save his brothers, to put food on their table, to hold on to the tattered shreds of his dignity—and now he’s in for the toughest fight of them all: the battle to win back his wife. But with Isobel already one foot out the door, is it too late for their second chance at happily ever after?

LAST HEARTBREAK is a full-length, stand-alone steamy contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author Amy Olle. Fans of emotional, sexy romances will fall in love with this fifth installment in the series about the five Irish-born, fiercely loyal, beautifully flawed Nolan brothers. Books in the series may be read in any order. 


My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:




“Eighteen years. The porcelain year.” Porcelain. Like a toilet. Seemed fitting.



“Is this my T-shirt?” He rumpled the cotton in his grip. “I’ve been looking everywhere for this.” “Hmm? Oh, you must’ve left it here by mistake. I sleep in it sometimes.” A smug smile curved his impossibly pouty mouth. “And I also wear it when I clean the toilets.”



“You know what’s crazy?” Sophie nudged Isobel with a soft elbow. “Your only real flaw is your perfectionism.” Isobel narrowed her eyes. “I don’t want to be friends with you anymore.”




My Review:



The Last Heartbreak was an angsty and insightful read featuring a failed marriage where both participants had starved the relationship to a skeletal level. Yet the bones hadn’t quite been picked bare. I held my breath for this deeply flawed couple, they were struggling with each other as well as their own complex issues and family dramas. While I was rooting for them I wasn’t sure they could or should find their way back to each other.



I recall feasting on the first two divinely written books of this series two years ago yet seemed to have lost track when the third and fourth books arrived. I am drawn to this family of complicated brothers as well the author’s skilled and agile style of storytelling. As with my previous experience with her work, Ms. Olle’s engaging narratives were emotive, observant, and heart squeezing with lashings of wit and sensuality – oh my, at one point I was actually gasping for breath and in desperate need of libation.



Empress DJ

About the Author

Goodreads

Amy Olle writes sexy contemporary romances filled with hope, heart, and humor. She is delighted to put her Psychology degrees to good use writing romance.

Her debut novel, BEAUTIFUL RUIN, is the first book in a series about the five Irish-born Nolan brothers sent as children to live with family on a remote island in northern Michigan.



BEAUTIFUL RUIN received a Readers' Favorite 5-star review!

Amy lives in Michigan with her long-suffering husband, brilliant son, and (female) turtle named George.

If you would like to receive notifications of Amy's new releases, join her mailing list at: http://www.amyolle.com/newsletter/