REVIEW ~Safe at Last by Maya Banks~

Title: Safe at Last

Author: Maya Banks

Series: Slow Burn #3

Release Date: June 23, 2015

My Rating: 4 Stars

The third book in the beloved #1 bestselling author’s sexy, romantic suspense Slow Burn series…

They say young love doesn’t last, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks with unique abilities and the hometown golden boy were determined to defy the odds. For Zack Covington, Anna-Grace—his “Gracie”—was the one. Until one night forever alters the course of their future, when a devastated Gracie disappears without a trace, leaving Zack to agonize over what happened to the girl he loved. As the years pass, his desperate efforts to find her uncovered nothing.

Now working for Devereaux Security, he stumbles across a painting featuring a special place only he and Gracie would know. The image is too perfectly rendered for it to be coincidence. His Gracie must be alive. When he finally tracks her down, he is shocked—and heart-broken—to discover the wounded shell of the girl he once knew and still loves. Her psychic gifts are gone, and worse, she believes he betrayed her all those years ago.

Zack has enemies, and once his weakness is discovered, Gracie becomes a target for revenge. He’ll have to save her before he can earn her trust and her love. And he vows they’ll never be torn apart again.

This book is intense. As in I had to read it in short bursts. It's quite emotional and the pressure feels all too real. Zack and Gracie were the couple to be and the couple that never was. When Gracie experiences a horrific trauma at the hands of who she thinks is Zack she runs. Even years later that night haunts her. And when Zack finds after the same years for searching for her, all he wants to do is take her in his arms, and once again she runs. To her, he is responsible for killing what little love she had left in her heart and doing the unthinkable. Yet, the pieces don't add up for Zack, he can't understand why Gracie wouldn't want to see him when he's been searching for her since the day she left. When Zack finally puts all the pieces together - hell hath no fury like an alpha man who has his woman stolen and hurt.

I do have to say, this is not your typical romance. It's light on the romance and heavy on the mystery/crime part. I still enjoyed the book, very much so. But I wish I had seen more love and connection between Gracie and Zack. It's there in their actions throughout the book, and the emotions that overflow, but it wasn't quite there in a togetherness sense. More like, they were having the loving and longing feelings, but separately and not sharing them. I almost wish the plot had resolved earlier to give these two the healing, and together time they deserved. But who says they didn't? The story doesn't end after "The End." That was more of a PSA for those whole year for Maya's romance, which she always delivers so well, this is a horse of a different color for her. 

Again, I still enjoyed the book. As a book, and not categorized as a romance, it was incredibly enticing and definitely kept my attention. And how I lived for that ending! Whew! Zack ad Gracie definitely got their moment, and I reveled in it. Not many characters are due the kind of reunion Gracie and Zack were due and received. This is absolutely and enjoyable read, and blends well with the previous two books in the series!

Happy Reading!

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with Maya:

EXCERPT REVEAL ~Manwhore +1 by Katy Evans~

Title: Manwhore +1

Author: Katy Evans

Series: Manwhore #2

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Billionaire playboy? Check. 

Ruthless businessman? Check. 

Absolutely sinful? Check.

Malcolm Saint was an assignment. A story. A beautiful, difficult man I was supposed to uncover for a racy exposé.

I intended to reveal him, his secrets, his lifestyle—not let him reveal me. But my head was overtaken by my heart and suddenly nothing could stop me from falling. I fell for him, and I fell hard. 

Malcolm Saint is absolute Sin, and I've become a hopeless Sinner.

Now that the assignment is over, Saint wants something from me--something unexpected--and I want this wicked playboy's heart. But how can I prove to the man who trusts no one that I’m worthy of becoming his plus one?

FOUR WEEKS

I’ve never been so hopeful as when I board the pristine glass elevator at the M4 corporate building. A handful of employees ride along with me, murmuring perfunctory greetings to each other and to me. I think my mouth must be on vacation because I can’t seem to force it to speak. But I smile in reply—my smile nervous, nervous but hopeful, definitely hopeful. My riding companions step out on their floors one by one until I’m alone, riding up to the executive floor on my own.

Toward him.

Toward the man I love.

My body is raging. My blood is pumping—my blood is storming—my thighs are shaking. My stomach feels filled with little earthquakes that just won’t quit, then they turn into a full-fledged roil when I hear the elevator ting at his floor.

Stepping out, I’m in corporate nirvana, surrounded by sleek chrome and pristine glass, marble and limestone floors. But I hardly have eyes for anything except the tall and imposing frosted glass doors at the far end of the room.

Framing those doors to each side is a pair of sleek designer desks, for a total of four.

Behind these desks are four women in identical black-and-white suits, sitting behind their gleaming dark-oak desks, working quietly behind their flat-screen computers.

One of them, the forty-year-old Catherine H. Ulysses—right hand of the man who owns every inch of this building—stops what she’s doing when she sees me. She arches her brow, then seems both tense and relieved as she lifts the receiver on her desk and murmurs my name into it.

I. Am. Not. Breathing.

But Catherine doesn’t miss a beat as she motions me toward the huge frosted doors—those intimidating doors—that lead into the lair of the most powerful man in Chicago.

The human being with the most powerful effect on me.

This is what I’ve been waiting for, for four weeks. This is what I wanted when I left a thousand messages on his phones and what I wanted when I wrote a thousand others that I left unsent. To see him.

For him to want to see me.

But as I force myself to step forward, I don’t even know if I’ll have the strength to stand before him and look him in the eye after what I did.

I’m wracked so hard with nervousness and anticipation and hope—yes hope, small but bright, even as I shake like a leaf.

Catherine holds the door open, and I struggle to hold my head high and walk into his office.

Two steps inside I hear the swoosh of the glass door shutting behind me and my systems halt at the familiar sight of the most beautiful office I’ve ever been in.

His office is all vast marble and chrome, twelve-foot ceilings, and endless floor-to-ceiling windows.

And there he is. The center of its axis. The center of my world.

He’s pacing by the window, speaking into a headset in a low, low voice—the kind he uses when he’s pissed. All I can make out are the words have to be dead to let her fall into his clutches …

He hangs up, and as if he feels me in the room, he turns his head. His eyes flare when he sees me. His green eyes.

His achingly familiar, beautiful green eyes.

He inhales, very slowly, his chest expanding, his hands curling a little at his sides as he looks at me.

I look back at him.

Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint.

I just walked into the eye of the most powerful storm of my life. No. Not a storm. A hurricane.

Four weeks, I haven’t seen him. And he still looks exactly as I remember. Larger than life, and more irresistible than ever.

His striking face is perfectly shaven today, and his sensual lips look so achingly full I can almost feel them against mine. Six-feet-plus of perfectly controlled male power stand before me, in a perfect black suit and a killer tie. He’s the very devil in Armani; strong-boned, square-jawed, gleaming dark hair and those penetrating eyes.

He’s got the best eyes.

They twinkle mercilessly when he teases me, and when he doesn’t tease me, they’re mysterious and unreadable, assessing and intelligent, keeping me guessing about his thoughts.

But I had forgotten how cold those eyes used to be. Green arctic ice looks back at me now. Every fleck of ice in those eyes gleaming like diamond shards.

He clenches his jaw and tosses the headset aside.

He looks as approachable as a wall, his shoulders stretching his white shirt, which clings to his skin like a groupie. But I know he’s not a wall; I’ve never wanted to throw myself at a wall like this.

He’s walking towards me. Every step he takes makes my heart pound as he moves with that quiet and confident own-the-world stride of his.

He stops a few feet away and shoves his hands into his pants pockets; and he seems so big all of a sudden, and he smells so utterly good. I drop my eyes to his tie as the little candle of hope I walked in with starts to flicker with doubt.

Links to Buy:

PRE-ORDER BONUS!

Submit your proof of pre-order and get an early peek at Ms. Manwhore, the last of Saint and Rachel's passionate love story. Click here to enter: http://www.katyevans.net/pre-order-bonus/

BOOK #1

Title: Manwhore 

Author: Katy Evans

Series: Manwhore #1

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?

This is the story I've been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I'm the one discovering him...or if he's uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin? 

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:

BLOG TOUR REVIEW + GIVEAWAY ~Relentless by Skye Jordan~

Title: Relentless

Author: Skye Jordan

Series: Renegades #4

Release Date: June 22, 2015

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Bad boy Troy Jacobs is all about taking risks. As a stunt double for Hollywood’s A-listers, there’s no fall he won’t attempt. With one exception—women. Troy fell hard once, and it nearly broke him. Since then, he’s vowed never to trust like that again and he’s got everything under control. Until the woman who shattered his heart years before shows up on his movie-set.

Country music star Giselle “Ellie” Diamond learned long ago that sometimes love isn’t enough. When love got in the way of her goals, she made the tough choice to let go of happily ever after and chased the glitz and glamour of the stage. It may not be all she expected, but now it’s all she has. And with a worldwide tour on the line, Ellie needs one last gig to rocket her toward stardom: a high-profile role in a blockbuster film.

Passion sparks, and old feelings return. But while Troy and Ellie grow closer their problems from the past simmer in the background. And this time around, there's more tearing them apart than just one star-studded career.

I say this every time I read a new Renegades novel, but THIS one was my favorite (at least until the next comes out:))! Ellie and Troy are explosive. So much love led to so much hurt, and so the story goes. I was dying to see these two together. And when they were it was so achingly beautiful. But they're both in high stress, high profile jobs, and the tension is enough to shatter their cozy world all over again. They're stuck in a wicked circle until Ellie finally decides what she wants out of life, and Troy decides that loving Ellie trumps all else. 

There was not a minute of this I did not enjoy, although if there had been more scenes reminiscent of their first meet after years, I wouldn't have complained. Talk about SCORCHING! Once again, Ms. Jordan blew my mind with the seemingly effortless writing, that seduced my mind, and dragged me (all too willingly) back into the Renegades world. I'll never complain about that kind of field trip!

Overall, one of my favorites of the year. Troy and Ellie are one of those sickeningly sweet couples with the passion to singe. I highly recommend, not only this book, but the entire series to anyone who wants a fantastic, all-consuming read!

Happy Reading!

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Skye:

Skye Jordan is a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling romantic suspense author Joan Swan. Skye’s novels are about enjoying that little wild streak we don’t let out often enough. About those fantasies we rarely get the opportunity to indulge. About stretching limits, checking out the dark side, and maybe even acting a little naughty. They’re about escape and fun and pleasure and romance.

And, yes, even love, because while wicked-great sex is good, happily ever after with wicked-great sex is even better. 

Skye (aka Joan) lives on the central coast of California in the heart of wine country with her husband and two daughters. As often as possible, she retreats to a hotel with critique partners for a power-writing week where much drinking, laughing, and yes, even working, ensues. When she’s not writing, Skye goes to breakfast with her hubby, attends her daughters’ barrel races, and spends a lot of time with her own horse, Riddle…while her two dogs, Paxton and Indie, tag along. She also loves to read, knit, craft, row, ride, and dabble in photography.

Connect with Skye:

COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY ~Relentless by Skye Jordan~

Title: Relentless

Author: Skye Jordan

Series: Renegades #4

Release Date: June 22, 2015

Bad boy Troy Jacobs is all about taking risks. As a stunt double for Hollywood’s A-listers, there’s no fall he won’t attempt. With one exception—women. Troy fell hard once, and it nearly broke him. Since then, he’s vowed never to trust like that again and he’s got everything under control. Until the woman who shattered his heart years before shows up on his movie-set.

Country music star Giselle “Ellie” Diamond learned long ago that sometimes love isn’t enough. When love got in the way of her goals, she made the tough choice to let go of happily ever after and chased the glitz and glamour of the stage. It may not be all she expected, but now it’s all she has. And with a worldwide tour on the line, Ellie needs one last gig to rocket her toward stardom: a high-profile role in a blockbuster film.

Passion sparks, and old feelings return. But while Troy and Ellie grow closer their problems from the past simmer in the background. And this time around, there's more tearing them apart than just one star-studded career.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Skye:

Skye Jordan is a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling romantic suspense author Joan Swan. Skye’s novels are about enjoying that little wild streak we don’t let out often enough. About those fantasies we rarely get the opportunity to indulge. About stretching limits, checking out the dark side, and maybe even acting a little naughty. They’re about escape and fun and pleasure and romance. 

And, yes, even love, because while wicked-great sex is good, happily ever after with wicked-great sex is even better. 

Skye (aka Joan) lives on the central coast of California in the heart of wine country with her husband and two daughters. As often as possible, she retreats to a hotel with critique partners for a power-writing week where much drinking, laughing, and yes, even working, ensues. When she’s not writing, Skye goes to breakfast with her hubby, attends her daughters’ barrel races, and spends a lot of time with her own horse, Riddle…while her two dogs, Paxton and Indie, tag along. She also loves to read, knit, craft, row, ride, and dabble in photography.

Connect with Skye: