Friday, November 29, 2013

COVER REVEAL ~Drew + Fable Forever by Monica Murphy~

Title: Drew + Fable Forever
Author: Monica Murphy
Series: Drew + Fable #3.5
Release Date: January 14, 2013
Monica Murphy returns with her most beloved characters, Drew and Fable, in this eBook original short story that brings her bestselling New Adult series full circle.

Fantasy. How I ended up with NFL player Drew Callahan, the guy every woman wants, is beyond my wildest dreams. All I know is that once he chose me as his one and only, I sure wasn’t looking back. I had past wounds and he showed patience and concern—even accepting responsibility for my messed-up kid brother. Now, yet again, he's found a way to blow my mind: an exotic wedding and honeymoon miles and miles away from home. What else could a girl ever ask for?

Reality. Except now the honeymoon’s over. Drew's football schedule takes him on the road constantly, while I need to stay put and look after my brother until he finishes high school—because God knows our sorry excuse for a mother won’t. I know Drew loves me with all his heart, and I’ll always be over the moon about him. This just isn’t how I imagined life as newlyweds . . . dealing with the distance, missing him constantly. But we’ve gone through hard times before. We can get through this, too, right? We’re Drew and Fable, together forever. At least I hope so. . . .
“We should check out Ocean Avenue tomorrow,” Drew whispers close to my ear, amusement tingeing his deep voice.

“What? Are you serious?” Even though I’ve come to terms with being here, it doesn’t mean I want to linger and make it a serious vacation. Besides, Drew needs to get back home so he can resume practice.

“Well yeah, remember the spot where we kissed?” His eyes are warm as they search my face, filled with so much love I feel my heart swell.

“Yes,” I whisper achingly. “Of course I remember.”

“I want to go back there.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his index finger lingering on my skin. “I want to kiss you again in that little alley and remember how wet we were from the rain. How nervous I was. I was scared you might reject me.”

I’d felt the same way. We’d dealt with much of the same feelings and fears and hadn’t even known it.

“I want to take you to that store where you got the dress that just about killed me and buy you whatever you want,” he continues, his fingers drifting across my jaw. My eyes flutter closed as memories rush back at me. “I want to sit outside the dressing room and have you come out to show me every single thing you’re trying on.”

That he remembers all the little details sends a thrill of pleasure spiraling to the very depths of my soul.

“And then I want to wander off for a bit and let you do whatever you want, secretly hoping that you’ll send me a text that says marshmallow. Though if you don’t that’s okay because I’ll send you one instead.” He offers up a crooked smile and the sight of it cracks my heart wide open, overflowing with so much pure love for him I want to cry. “Because we made a deal. Whenever we see or hear that word, the other comes running. I’ll always be the one to rescue you, Fable. You never have to worry about that.”
Links to Buy:

Meet Monica:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.
Connect with Monica:









Thursday, November 28, 2013

BLOG TOUR + GUEST POST ~The Thrill Of It by Lauren Blakely~

Title: The Thrill Of It
Author: Lauren Blakely
Series: No Regrets #1
Release Date: November 21, 2013

My Rating: 5 Stars!
A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power...

Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.

Trey...

With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.

How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

Lauren Blakely has reached a pinnacle with The Thrill Of It. I'm sure she will go on to create many more fantastic books but, this book has reached an all new high for me as a reader, and for her as an author. This book will gut you and make you experience so many emotions. Harley and Trey have led such rough and gut-wrenching lives, and they are trying to fight their way back to a healthy way of life. But it is a constant fight. They were the first people to evoke healthy, loving feelings in one another but, they can't help but doubt those feelings at every turn. When they met, they were struggling with their love/sex addictions. And what seemed like a missed connection ended up being a fated friendship. They end up meeting again at a SLAA (Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous) meeting, and quickly fall into a close friendship. But at every moment they are battling their addictions and their pasts. 

This book is one emotional rollercoaster. It was suspenseful to find out what the full history of of their lives were. While they are quite frank with most of it, some of it is put off a bit. But it truly kept me captivated the entire time. After their sordid pasts, Trey and Harley are extremely gun-shy to enter into a relationship together. But their friendship is an anchor for them to hold onto. Their friendship warmed my heart to the core. I love that they are so headstrong to get to the better side of life and leave their past behind. But their plans are not as easily executed as they would like.

The Thrill Of It is a book that I would recommend to anyone. It is a deep, captivating, and heart-wrenching story that will leave you gasping. I have to warn my readers, this is a cliffhanger, but please don't make that stop you from picking up this book. You will fall in love and be so invested in their story. And the best part is that once you've finished The Thrill Of It you can read the novella, The Start Of Us for FREE! Yay! So please go get this book, I promise it's one of the bests of 2013! I would also like to thank Lauren Blakely for guest posting as well. Please read below for a little insight into Harley and what she is thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving Readers!

Happy Reading!
*ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review*
Links to Buy:

Top 3 Things Harley is grateful for this year.

1. She is grateful for every day.

2. She is grateful for the ugly beautiful.

3. And she is grateful for sandwiches, because she is always grateful for sandwiches, especially grilled cheese. In fact, she’s going to make one right now.
Meet Lauren:
Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He's Mine, Playing With Her Heart, Trophy Husband, and Far Too Tempting. On November 21, she'll release the edgy new adult novel THE THRILL OF IT. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.






Connect with Lauren:









Wednesday, November 27, 2013

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY ~Remy by Katy Evans~

Title: Remy
Author: Katy Evans
Series: Real #3
Release Date: November 26, 2013

My Rating: 4 Stars
Underground fighter Remington Tate is a mystery, even to himself. His mind is dark and light, complex and enlightening. At times his actions and moods are carefully measured, and at others, they spin out of control.

Through it all, there's been one constant: wanting, needing, loving, and protecting Brooke Dumas. This is his story; from the first moment he laid eyes on her and knew, without a doubt, she would be the realest thing he's ever had to fight for.
The Seattle crowd is wild tonight. Backstage, the noise reverberates between the walls, bounces off the metal lockers in the room where I prepare with some of the other fighters. I watch Coach bandage the fingers of one hand, and all I can think of is how Brooke Dumas is out there among the spectators, sitting in one of the seats I bought for her.

I’m so jacked up I feel like I’m plugged into a fucking electrical outlet. Blood pumps heady through my veins. My muscles are loose and warm and ready to contract and strike anything in my path. I’m ready to put on a fucking show and there’s one girl, one lovely girl, that’s got me tied up in knots, that I want to see me fight.

I hand Coach my other hand and stare at my bare knuckles as he shoots off the same instructions he always says.

My guard . . . patience . . . balance . . .

I zone out, letting his words slip through me and into my subconscious, where they belong. Right before a fight, I find a calm. I can hear all the noise but listen to nothing. A clarity comes with fighting. Every detail sharpening in your mind.

This sharpness and awareness makes me lift my head to the doorway. She stands there like out of some childhood dream, looking at nobody but me.

She wears a pair of white jeans and a pink top that makes her skin look even tanner than it is and so damn lickable my tongue hurts inside my mouth. Neither of us so much as twitches as we stare.

Hammer steps into my peripherals, and when I see him head straight for her, my anger ignites.

With deadly calm, I grab the tape from Coach and throw it aside as I stalk over to her. Then, I position myself directly behind her and to her right, taking my spot in a way that lets the dipshit Hammer know I was born to be here. Beside, behind, and by her.

“Just walk off,” I warn him, my voice low but lethal.

He doesn’t seem inclined to listen, instead narrows his eyes in contest. “She yours?” he asks with narrowed eyes.

Nodding, I narrow my eyes and let my gaze burn into him. “I can guarantee you, she’s not yours.”

The asshole leaves, and I notice Brooke doesn’t move for a long second, as if she doesn’t want to step away from me in the same way I don’t want her to go anywhere. Holy god, she smells good.

I drag her scent to my lungs like a junkie, and suddenly every inch of my body wants to cup her hips and draw her into me so I can scent her more. She turns her head to mine and softly murmurs, “Thank you,” but quickly leaves. I duck my head and haul in as much as I can before she walks away.

I remain standing there, feeling dizzy, my shorts ridiculously tented.

“Riptide! Hammer! You’re up next!”

Exhaling as I hear my name, I glance narrowly at Hammer across the room, who seems amused as fuck that I am clearly in deep shit with this girl.

He’s in even deeper shit with me.

“Remington . . . are you listening to me?”

I whip around to Coach, who’s fixing that last bandage he couldn’t secure. I keep glaring at Hammer as Riley extends my satin robe, and as I ram my arms into the sleeves, I decide Hammer better be prepared to vacation in a coma for a while.

“I said don’t let that bastard get to your head.” Coach knocks his knuckles to my temples. “And that girl neither.”

“That girl’s been in his head since the first fight here,” Riley tells him with a smirk. “Hell, he wants to carry that girl around with him like an accessory on tour. Pete is drafting the contract as we speak.”

Coach pokes a finger into my chest and I feel it almost bending. “I don’t give a shit what you’re planning to do tonight with the girl. You keep your head in the fight going on right now. You got that?”

I don’t answer, but obviously I get it. I don’t need to be told these things. Half a fight is in your head. But Coach likes feeling useful, so I just roll with it and trot out. I’ve fought all my life to stay sane. To keep focused, driven, and centered. But tonight, I fight to show one woman my worth.
Ok, this is going to be a bit of a different structured review. Instead of me just spouting out whatever is on the top of my head, I'm going to separate it into categories- The Positives, The Negatives and the Final Consensus sections. The reason being this book was a first for me and I just automatically starting dissecting it by those three sections. So here we go!

The Positives:
I have to say this was my first re-telling from a different POV and I really liked it! I could seriously read Remy and Brooke all the time and never tire of wanting more of their story. I think because the books so intense that when I re-read them I see something that I missed the time before. Or sometimes a certain scene strikes a deeper meaning with me the third or fourth time around. And Remy was the same way. It is the reflection and remembrance of certain scenes from Real and Mine from Remy's POV. The best part is we also get glimpses of Brook and Remy's church wedding. For me, it was kind of like a "The Best Of Brooke and Remy." It retold some of my favorite scenes and it gave them deeper meaning because it was retold from Remy's POV. I think being inside Remy's head gives much more insight to his thoughts and reasons for his actions. You experience him both going black and become blue again. And it really helped me understand him more. Katy Evan's drives home the point that he has an illness, and while he is 100% aware of that fact, he also can't help his triggers. At certain parts it hurt my heart to see Remy almost defeated by Brooke, Pete or Riley's actions. Like he knew they were coddling him and he didn't want it but, he needed it. So, I think this offers a facet to the series that was definitely needed and will show the readers what exactly goes on his mind. Because it is much more than just Remy being an alpha male, or extremely possessive. It enlightened me as to how Brooke is literally his livelihood, and the constant struggles that Remy experiences. Oh, another positive is the little tidbits into the current goings-on with Melanie and Riley and Pete and Nora. Because I absolutely cannot wait for those stories to unfold!

The Negatives: 
Obviously by my gushing above there won't be many negatives but, with any book there are always those few tweaks the readers wish they could make. My only problem with this book is that, I wish it had more "Present" moments. I understand the importance of showing us the scenes from the first two books, and I enjoyed those. But I also wish it had gone a bit further or started a bit earlier in the present storyline. I did however, immensely enjoy what present storyline there was. I just wanted more of what Remy and Brooke are doing now. Yeah, I know I'm greedy. But I don't care! These two are one of my favorite book couples so of course I want more! :) Anyhow, other than more present moments, there was nothing else I found lacking in this book.

Final Consensus: 
For fans of Mine and Real, you will want to pick this up. It is just that little bit of more that some of you are looking for. For those of you who, heaven forbid, did not like Remy as a character: maybe try this one out. It gives you insight that you didn't have before and opens up a whole load of explanations as to the thought process that Remy experiences. To me, Remy was the perfect tie-in to the previous books. It offers whys and hows to questions previously unanswered and really helps bridge that connection between Remy and the reader. Overall, a fabulous book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I urge you all to go pick up a copy and let me know your thoughts once you've read it!

Happy Reading!
*ARC was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*    

Links to Buy:

Meet Katy:
Hey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!
Connect with Katy:





Tuesday, November 26, 2013

RELEASE DAY + REVIEW ~Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye~

Title: Hard As It Gets
Author: Laura Kaye
Series: Hard Ink #1
Release Date: November 26, 2013

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...

Oh this was a fantastic read! Hard As It Gets is the first in a brand new series by Laura Kaye and I was wowed throughout the entire book. This is one of those perfectly blended books. Just the right amount of heat, suspense and thrilling story all rolled up into one gripping book. It was also a very unique setting, the home base for the story is a tattoo shop that is eventually packed with a handful of ex-military men. Can you say hot? The story focuses around Nick Rixey and Becca Merritt, who, despite their circumstances could not have been more made for one another. The connection is magnetic but, they also understand each other on a whole different level. In an almost eerie way they can preempt each others moods and actions. And they become the support the other has never had before. 

Becca and Rixey are both incredibly strong-willed and stubborn. And while Becca is light to Rixey's dark, and sweet to his gruff, they compliment one another. When her brother goes missing, he leaves Becca clues to help find him. The clues, which lead straight to Nick Rixey. And once a reluctant Rixey realizes there is more at stake than he realized, he agrees to help Becca in her journey to find her brother. With Becca and Rixey it was a lot of push and pull. Both intimately and professionally. They fight their attraction, until they simply can't anymore. I felt like once they gave in physically, they also gave in mentally to one another. They had created such a relationship before they ever fell in bed, it was basically the last stepto take in their relationship. But don't take that to mean there is any lack of heat or sex in this book... because there isn't! But along the way secrets have been kept, and tensions rise higher until all hell breaks loose. Rixey's team has joined the efforts but, not just to find Becca's brother. They believe they can prove the wrong doing of their commander that caused them to be kicked out of the military. A commander who just happens to be Becca's father. And in this twisted web of connections everyone's life is at risk.

Hard As It Gets is a rollercoaster of a story. It's intense, then sexy, emotional, then laugh out loud worthy. This group looking to save a hostage, ends up unfolding a story much bigger than anyone thought possible. And it the midst of it all two people learn to heal and love together when the scenes unfolding should be tearing them apart. Ms. Kaye writes a refreshing and thrilling book that I will be suggesting to everyone! You like suspense and mystery? Pick it up. Romance? Pick it up. You like heated scenes and alpha men? Pick it up. It literally has a taste for almost everyone. It was highly enjoyable and captivated me from beginning to end! So, go forth and buy it!

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with Laura:


ALSO click here for a list of Laura's Release Week Events!