BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY ~A Beautiful Distraction by Kelsie Leverich~

Title: A Beautiful Distraction

Author: Kelsie Leverich

Series: Hard Feelings #3

Release Date: May 6, 2014

My Rating: 5 Stars!!

A brand new novel in the New York Times bestselling Hard Feelings series—where nothing’s more dangerous than a bad boy with a broken heart…

First Sergeant Rafe Murano did everything to the extreme. He trained harder, he fought harder, and, unfortunately, he loved harder. And falling for the wrong woman nearly destroyed him.

Home from a deployment, and without his missions to consume him, Murano is ravaged by memories of his heartbreak. So he drinks until he’s numb and drowns himself in meaningless one-night stands. But they only take the edge off…

Until he meets Fallon.

Haunted by her past, Fallon Kelly knows all too well about the desperate desire for an escape. So when she sees the tatted-up bad boy who’s one punch away from a ride in the back of a squad car, she offers a distraction—one that quickly becomes an addiction.

Little does she know, this bad boy can love so hard, it can break her…

Fallon and Rafe just about slayed my heart. These two can pack a wallop with their emotions, that I was not prepared for. You take a hot-headed, yet deliciously seductive, bad boy Sergeant and throw in a wounded, distrusting, burlesque club owner and you have a chemistry off the charts, and a story that had to be told. They are the most unlikely couple. He's possessive and she's not in the business of trusting anyone. Together they somehow, make a perfect couple. I say somehow, but really it's in the brillance of the writing. Ms. Leverich will time after time blow my mind with her characters. They're complex, but not overly dramatic, seductive and erotic, yet not over the top. It's one of those books that you pick up and then before you know it, it's over and you're left feeling bereft.

Rafe is suffering from a broken heart, although I have to hand it to him he kind of walked right into it. Nevertheless, pain and suffering still sucks no matter if it's self inflicted or not. During one of his nights out he locks eyes with the perfect distraction. It's physical, at first. Fast forward 20 minutes later when Fallon witnesses Rafe's heroic act to save one of her burlesque dancers and the pair are soon off to evade the cops. From the minute Fallon saw the look in his eyes she was drawn to him. Neither she nor Rafe were looking for long term. They don't think they're cut out for it. However, over time and a simple clicking of the minds,
Rafe and Fallon come to mean more to one another than they were ever expecting. They've both got pasts that haunt them. They see kindred spirits in one another. When the truths come out can they make peace with each other's, as well as their own demons? I would say time would tell, but these two are in the moment, quick reactors. So, it's going to take an act of perseverance.

I LOVE Fallon and Rafe! They truly bring out the best in one another. He learns to control his hot headed-ness and she learns to trust. It seems like the perfect match up. They are both quick-witted, and simply, captivating. And so amazingly real. I could imagine this happening in real life. Their pain was intense and believable. While, their pain did morph who they became they learned together not to let it dictate their everyday lives. This book is truly beautiful. As in, I need more Fallon and Rafe. With the ending the way it was, Kelsie can definitely fit some more in, right?! I devoured this book in a day and my mind is still stuck in Fallon and Rafe land. Also, along with more Rafe and Fallon and need more Murano brothers!! I'm about to go all author stalker and bug Kelsie to tell me if we're getting a prequel with Luca and Tilly, Marco and Leo have some pretty interesting stories too, I think! Hands down, a fantastic read that will tug on your heart and enrapture you.

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

Links to Buy:

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Meet Kelsie:

Kelsie Leverich is the New York Times bestselling author of The Valentine’s Arrangement as well as other contemporary romance titles. Kelsie grew up in the small town of St. Joseph Illinois before getting married and following her husband from one Army post to another. After eight years, they finally settled down in Avon, Indiana with two adorable knuckleheads that are better known as her kids. Kelsie's life revolves around her family (to include three dogs and a cat) and most of the time, actually all of the time, it’s a crazy mess—but that’s the way she loves it! When Kelsie’s not writing, you can usually find her snuggling on the couch with her kids and a good book or out on the lake with family and friends. Kelsie is not a morning person, has a soft spot for animals, loves musicals, hates seafood, and thinks laundry is the source of all evil.

Represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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REVIEW TOUR + GIVEAWAY ~The Valentine's Arrangement by Kelsie Leverich~

Title: The Valentine's Arrangement
Author: Kelsie Leverich
Series: Hard Feelings #1
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Tattoo artist Ronnie Clark is counting the days until Valentine’s Day is over. Ronnie doesn’t do romance. She doesn’t do flowers or dates, and she sure as hell doesn’t do love—not anymore. Love leads to heartbreak, and she’s vowed never to let herself get hurt again.

Sergeant First Class Kale Emerson is home on his mid-tour leave from Iraq, but he only has one thing on his mind—returning to his soldiers to finish leading their mission. He’s dedicated to his men and to his country, and he’s not interested in getting wrapped up in a distracting relationship…but casual sex, that’s a different story. From the moment he sees Ronnie, he wants her. And he agrees to her terms—no romance, no fluff—just passion.

But as their sexual chemistry ignites, the lines of their arrangement get blurry, and Ronnie starts to push Kale away. And when Kale realizes he’s found his match in this razor-tongued, gorgeous woman who is hell bent against love, winning her heart could be the toughest battle he has ever fought.

Kelsie Leverich has demanded and been rewarded a spot on my auto-buy list. The Valentine's Arrangement is a quirky, hilarious, and hotter than hot book. Ronnie and Kale have enough attitude to battle a group of 16 year olds and enough chemistry to blow up the tattoo shop. This book was entertaining from the get-go and was a fantastic escape from all those angsty books I have been reading. The Valentine's Arrangement is one of those books that you have to read. I feel like I've been missing out all this time. Right now, Ronnie and Kale are still bouncing around in my head, shouting to be read again. There was not one part of this book that I didn't enjoy. It's a full-package book that will make you swoon and laugh out loud.

Ronnie is a tattoo artist, who is just living day-to-day until she can move out of this town. She wants away from her messy past relationship and to move on. But while she's biding her time, a new client walks into her life and tilts it upside down. Kale Emerson's life is the army. While on a forced leave, he meets the tough, sexy, and quippy Ronnie. Of course, their attraction is too strong to fight but, they both agree it won't be anything but physical. As the days countdown to Kale deployment he and Ronnie find themselves enjoying each others company and engaging in some mind-melting sex. But Ronnie can't help but remember their rules and an unexpected visitor may derail Kale's future plans. 

The best thing about Ms. Leverich is that she always puts an unexpected twist at the end of her books. It caught me off guard in Pretending She's His, and it caught me off guard with this book too. But I love it. And her characters... *sigh* I've got character envy, and you should too. We should all hope to create characters as terrific as Ronnie and Kale. Ronnie is so perfectly unperfect. And Kale... well he's just perfect. Ronnie, however, may be one of my favorite characters. She is snarky, blunt, and sassy to boot. She's got that sweet element though, that only Kale can bring out. I loved that they made each other see beyond the blinders they wore. Kale convinced Ronnie to get past her hurt and Ronnie showed Kale there was life outside the Army. All in all, this is a fun, sexy book that will leave you wanting more. And it will definitely be shelved under "Re-read"!

Happy Reading!

*Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Kelsie:

Kelsie Leverich grew up in the small town of St. Joseph Illinois before getting married and following her husband from one Army post to another. After eight years, they finally settled down in Avon, Indiana with two adorable knuckleheads that are better known as her kids. Kelsie's life revolves around her family (to include two dogs and a cat) and most of the time, actually all of the time, it’s a crazy mess—but that’s the way she loves it! When Kelsie’s not writing, you can usually find her snuggling on the couch with her kids and a good book or out on the lake with family and friends. Kelsie is not a morning person, has a soft spot for animals, loves musicals, hates seafood, and thinks laundry is the source of all evil.

Kelsie is currently working on the third book in her military series with editor Danielle Perez with NAL/Penguin.


Represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Connect with Kelsie: