Tag Archives: romance

Giveaway – Return To Hummingbird Way by Reese Ryan @XpressoTours @ReeseRyanWrites

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Return to Hummingbird Way
Reese Ryan
Publication date: April 25th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other?

Ambitious real estate agent Sinclair Buchanan is ecstatic to be her best friend’s maid-of-honor—until she discovers the best man is Garrett Davenport. Sin and Rett’s mutual hate crush ignited when they were teens and hasn’t let up since . . . except for that one extremely hot (and extremely regrettable) night they shared five years ago.

Nothing gets Rett fired up like going toe-to-toe with Sinclair. She’s as infuriatingly stubborn, and as absolutely gorgeous, as when he fell for her back in high school. Working together to plan their best friends’ last-minute wedding is one thing, but when his matchmaking grandmother gets involved Rett knows he’s in deep. Attraction has always simmered between them, but this time, they’re both in danger of losing their hearts.

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EXCERPT:

“Garrett Davenport, how very nice of you to finally show up.” Sinclair sashayed toward him, clutching a clear clipboard decorated with a colorful floral design.

Sinclair assessed him with disdain, flecks of green and gold dancing in those large hazel eyes he’d been mesmerized by from the first moment he’d laid eyes on them in high school. She pursed her glossy pink lips, her nostrils flaring, and planted a fist on one curvy hip.

The bossy little she-devil was infuriating, attitudish, and fucking gorgeous. And she damn well knew it.

Her floral, sleeveless dress showed off her toned arms and sculpted shoulders—a feature he’d never noticed on a woman before, let alone been attracted to. The hem of the flirty little skirt grazed her midthigh, accentuating her tawny brown skin, a shade that landed smack between her father’s dark brown skin and her mother’s olive skin tone.

Sinclair flipped her hair, a deep, rich brown highlighted with ribbons of honey blond, over one shoulder and ran her manicured nails through the waterfall of shoulder-length waves. Her gaze bore into him, and if looks could kill, he’d be lying on the floor stone cold.

“You do realize you’re an hour late to your own best friend’s engagement party.” She leaned into him, speaking in a harsh whisper that only he could hear. “You sure you gon’ be able to show up for the wedding on time?”

Her nasally voice reminded him of Whitley Gilbert’s from A Different World. And just a few minutes into the conversation, she’d already intimated that he was an unreliable slacker. Rett clenched his jaw. Yet, as annoyed as he was, he couldn’t help noticing how hot Sin looked tonight.

“Sorry I’m late,” Rett finally managed. He shoved his hands, balled into fists, into his pockets. “Something came up.”

Sinclair’s gaze dropped to the placket in front of his zipper momentarily. Her eyes widened and her cheeks and forehead flushed. She quickly returned her attention to the clipboard.

Maybe he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t forget their previous encounter.

“It’s always some excuse with you, Rett.” Sinclair wrapped her arms around the clipboard, clutching it to her chest. Her eyes didn’t quite meet his.

Was she clutching the clipboard because he made her nervous? Or was she shielding her body’s reaction after shamelessly ogling him two minutes into their conversation?

It didn’t matter. Because Sinclair Buchanan was as irritating now as she’d been when they’d been forced to hang out together while Dexter and Dakota had dated in high school. She seemed to hate him on sight back then. But he hadn’t helped matters when he’d tried to talk his cousin out of getting serious with Sin’s best friend.

When Dex had suddenly ended things with Dakota the Christmas after he’d left for college, Sinclair had confronted Rett outside his grandmother’s house. She’d been as mad as a hornet and had cussed him out six ways to Sunday—sure he’d been behind the breakup.

He hadn’t been. But he hadn’t bothered telling her so. Besides, as distraught as she’d been, he’d doubted Sinclair would’ve believed a single word he’d said.

Since Dexter and Dakota’s reconciliation, Sinclair must surely have learned the truth: he had nothing to do with Dexter and Dakota’s breakup back then. In fact, he’d been as shocked by it as anyone. But evidently, it didn’t matter, because Sinclair clearly still wasn’t a fan. Though she certainly had been that night in his hotel room, given the enthusiasm with which she’d called his name and the marks she’d left on his back.

“It’s not an excuse, Sin. I planned to be here on time, but I was sidetracked by—”

“Didn’t think you were going to make it.” Dexter approached, holding Dakota’s hand. The two of them looked ridiculously happy, and Rett felt a slight twinge of envy.

“And miss your engagement party?” Rett slapped palms and clasped hands with Dex. “No way, cuz. Been waiting half my life to see you finally tie the knot with this beautiful lady.” He turned toward his cousin’s soon-to-be better half. “Congrats, Dakota.”

“Thank you, Rett.” Dakota’s grin lit her brown eyes. She gave him a big hug. “And for the record, I knew you’d be here tonight. It was these two who were sweating it.” She gestured toward Dex and Sinclair, then glanced around the room. “Mama Mae didn’t come with you?”

“She’s sick and didn’t much appreciate me fussing over her,” Rett said.

“But you did anyway.” Dakota smiled. “The relationship you two have is adorable.”

“’Cause Mama Mae is the only woman who can get him to behave,” Sinclair muttered as she scanned her clipboard. When they all turned to look at her, Sin looked up and shrugged. “What? You know it’s true.”

“Be nice, Sin.” Dakota pointed a finger at her best friend. “You promised you two would get along.”

“Fine.” She flashed Rett a dead-eyed smile and turned up the Whitley Gilbert singsong southern belle voice. “We are so very glad that you could join us this evening, Garrett. I was just about to ask the staff to take the food away. So please make yourself a plate.” She batted her long, thick eyelashes. “In fact, why don’t I escort you to the buffet?”

Dexter and Dakota snickered, and Rett couldn’t help chuckling to himself.

That was as warm a greeting as he could expect from the former beauty queen, who now employed that same charm in her job as one of the island’s top real estate agents. Evidently, she reserved that charm for people not named Rett Davenport.

Sinclair turned and walked toward the buffet, indicating that he should come with. He did, captivated by the subtle sway of her hips as he followed in the wake of her soft, delicate scent. All of it taking him back to that night they’d shared in Raleigh five years ago.

Yes, he’d been an immature jerk to Sinclair in high school. She clearly still held a grudge and had no intentions of letting him forget it. Despite the night they’d shared.

Fine. Because he wasn’t here for Sinclair. He was here for Dexter and Dakota. For them, he’d tolerate Ms. Thing. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun with her.

Author Bio:

Reese Ryan writes sexy, deeply emotional romances with family drama, surprising secrets, and unexpected twists.

Past president of her local Romance Writers of America chapter and a panelist at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Reese is an advocate for the romance genre and diversity in fiction.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Youtube


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Giveaway – Undertaking Love by Megan MOntgomery @XpressoTours @meganthraxm

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Undertaking Love
Megan Montgomery
Publication date: April 1st 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Bethany West upgraded her lucrative career as a sex worker for her dream job as a death worker when she partnered at Smythe & Co. Mortuary. She expected her eco-friendly innovations and death positive attitude to blow the roof off the Victorian-era relic. But that was seven months ago, and during that time, she’s only managed to piss off her embittered business partner, George Smythe, a man dead set on maintaining the status quo and driving Bethany out of his namesake business.

When the pair reluctantly travel together to a mortuary conference in New Orleans—and compete in dueling embalming demonstrations—George finally recognizes the value of Bethany’s business model for the first time. He’s also starting to recognize a growing attraction to his blonde bombshell business partner. Meanwhile, Bethany learns the truth behind George’s cold contempt, and it’s much worse than she thought, stemming not from a single incident, but from the constant on-call status, the compassion fatigue, and the overwhelming stress of the job.

Bethany has 4 days to crack open his tough outer shell to reveal the compassionate man she knows is inside, and she has a plan, but unless George learns to open his heart and lean on her, at the risk of succumbing to their cremation-level attraction in a dangerous way, he’ll jeopardize both the business and their hearts by refusing the true partnership they both need.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Bethany

My body was broken.

I blinked hard to lubricate my eyes, struggling to stay awake behind the wheel. The vent blasted tepid air into my face, trying its damnedest to desiccate my skin and sabotage the efforts of my latest hyaluronic acid injections.

My stomach churned from too much coffee and too little sleep.

A sweat broke out under my arms and boobs.

Great. Now I could smell all that coffee excreting from my pores and ruining my favorite silk blouse.

I glanced at the man in the passenger seat.

George’s pores were looking perfectly dry, as usual. He wouldn’t think of sweating, even from the most strenuous effort.

I’d seen him pull a rotund, decomposing man out of that impossible space between the toilet and the bathtub and plop him on a mortuary cot in an un-air-conditioned, third-floor apartment in the middle of August without breaking a sweat.

The man never had a hair out of place, was never not freshly shaven, and he never forgot to button his suit jacket when he stood, or unbutton it when he sat.

And he was a consummate professional—as long as you didn’t work with him.

And as long as your name wasn’t Bethany West.

I breathed in a lungful of stale air. Even now, in the mortuary van, George managed to smell fresh, yet intensely masculine. The faintest notes of sandalwood and citrus wafted toward me as he fiddled with his ear, pushing his earbud deeper in.

I suspected he wasn’t listening to anything producing actual sound; the earbuds were just a tactic to try to keep me from making “unnecessary” conversation.

I was almost too tired to care.

I stifled a yawn, hoping he wouldn’t catch it.

He did, of course.

I saw the tick of his jaw from the corner of my eye. Glaring at the screen of the laptop balanced on his crossed legs, his flexed fingers hovering over the keyboard, a ballpoint pen clutched in his teeth.

I’d never seen the man smile except for a wince-like approximation of the real thing, and he saved that stingy expression for our clients.

After an entire life spent in the trenches of the funeral business, his handsome face was permanently etched into a show of bland sympathy—except when he scowled in contempt.

That expression was reserved exclusively for me.


Author Bio:

Megan Montgomery writes romance. Sometimes they’re funny. Sometimes they’re morbid, but all her characters have cool jobs. She and her husband, Johnathon Olavarria co-host Forced Proximity podcast, a weekly romance book and movie club.

Her debut novel, Well . . . THAT Was Awkward was inspired by her homesickness for southern Maryland. She now lives halfway across the US on the prairie with her husband, son, and mom.

When she’s not writing, reading, lifting weights, or cooking dinners her son won’t eat, you’ll find her toiling in the garden or brewing potions from her medicinal herbs.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway – Entirely by Talya Blaine !XpressoTours

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Entirely
Talya Blaine
(Transformation Series, #3)
Publication date: April 25th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

“…the deep interplay between the two main characters adds a special intimacy to the novel.” -Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize

“a fantastic story…with many surprises and exquisite intimacy. …an excellent read for romance fans and anyone new to the genre.” -Literary Titan

A startling revelation. A secret that speaks to who we are and who we hide. A choice that forces one heartbreaking question: Can their love survive?

Quinn and Jonathan’s journey continues in Entirely, the third novel in the Transformation series. Outfitting a wedding barn and planning Becca’s reception has Quinn furiously busy and—except for a stinging writing rejection—optimistic. Jonathan watches her self-protective walls crumble as their relationship begins to bloom.

Until Octavia calls with an urgent plea.

Quinn can’t refuse Octavia’s request, while Jonathan sees red. The erotic arrangement she proposes to make it up to him yanks him straight out of his comfort zone. He rises to the challenge, though, taking them to stratospheric heights of pleasure and closeness.

When a shocking discovery forces Quinn to make an impossible choice, will their story end with a chasm of hurt and betrayal between them, or can they find their way back to each other?

Intensely intimate, sensual, and emotional, Entirely concludes the first Transformation trilogy. (No cliffhanger.)

• Friends to lovers, slow burn, second chance, fish out of water—readers will click with the themes in this edgy contemporary romance.
• Third-person, alternating points of view
• Characters over 40 and a sexy beta hero

Note: Mature themes, strong language, dungeon and super-steamy open-door bedroom (among other places) scenes. Entirely is Book 3 in the Transformation series; the novels should be read in order.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Q&A with Talya Blaine:

What was your favorite scene or theme in Entirely to write?

My favorite scene to write was the one in which Quinn and Jonathan are standing in her kitchen in the early hours of the morning, after Becca’s wedding reception. They listen to Becca’s voicemail and then they go to bed. Funny, sexy, intimate–and before the realization of a secret that threatens to pull them apart. Writing that scene was a pleasure.

What was the hardest part of the story to write?

Without spoilers, it was when Jonathan makes his “discovery.” I felt terrible for him because I knew he would feel so utterly betrayed–it was hard to write the scenes where he’s trying to process what happened.

Entirely completes the first trilogy of the Transformation series. What’s next?

Plans are underway for the release next year of some shorter, lighter, funnier stories, more like sexy rom-coms. And with the chemistry between Quinn and Jonathan, as well as all the twists and turns I imagine their life–and the other characters’ lives–taking, expect to see more of them soon.

What’s at the top of your TBR (to be read) pile right now?

The pile is high and always growing but since I’ve been writing a lot lately, I haven’t had as much time to read. Also, when I’m writing fiction, the stories and characters really inhabit my life (or I, theirs), and it’s hard for me to get into other stories and worlds. That said, I’m excited because next up are:

  • The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell, a locked-room whodunit on the set of a British reality TV baking show. (Big grin)
  • Winter’s List by Jordyn Kross, a ménage tale about a law-school graduate who meets two sexy strangers on a flight to the Caribbean.
  • War’s Peace by Raisa Greywood, the first Club Apocalypse novel. I’ve been wanting to check out more of these last two authors’ work since reading their short stories at the end of 2022 in a Holiday Shorts anthology.
  • Last but not least, Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. Transcriptionist for a sex therapist falls for one of his clients and the two accidentally meet IRL? I’m in.

Where can readers find you online?

Visit my blog, and to be notified of new posts, book releases, and special offers, add your email to my list. And/or let’s connect on BingeBooks, BookBub or Goodreads.


Author Bio:

Talya Blaine writes later-in-life contemporary romance that’s emotionally intense and thought-provoking, spicy and sweet. She writes “older” characters (40+), sexy beta heroes, and explores how relationships of all types change over time. Silently (Transformation Series Book 1) is her debut romance, with Secretly (Book 2) and Entirely (Book 3) completed and releasing soon.

Website / Goodreads / Bookbub


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Giveaway – When You Break Girl Code by J L Lora @caffeinatedpr @jtothelove

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Join me in celebrating the release of the newest standalone romance in the Sometimes Love Happens Collection. WHEN YOU BREAK GIRL CODE by J. L. Lora delivers a steamy romance with a side of suspense you won’t want to miss! Check out an excerpt before grabbing your copy! Be sure to enter the giveaway.

When You Break Girl Code



Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Goodreads

She just meant to do an associate a favor. After she’s blamed for murder, can she prove her innocence before she’s permanently canceled?

Mila Rosario is walking on cloud nine. Thrilled with her huge promotion, the marketing genius reluctantly covers for a co-worker by distracting the woman’s hot and well-heeled boyfriend. But when their instant connection turns into a sizzling night in the sheets, she’s horrified to wake in her new lover’s arms and discover her work friend has fallen prey to a killer.

Biting her tongue about the affair when talking to the cops, she lands on the suspect list and the perp doxxes her to social media’s wrath. And as those around her start dropping dead, the curvy beauty fears even her handsome protector can’t save her from a grisly end.

Can Mila outwit a murderous stalker closing in for the kill?

When You Break Girl Code is the dramatic standalone fourth book in the Sometimes Love Happens contemporary romance series. If you like characters who grow, terrifying stakes, and plenty of steam, then you’ll adore J. L. Lora’s explosive chemistry.

Teaser

I calculated the risk. I don’t know how good the reward is going to be. But I’ve made my investment, and I don’t want to turn back. I want to find out what it would be like to have her.
The ball is in Mila’s court. I’m giving her the chance to call all the shots.
Well… kinda.
I insist on driving her home. There’s no way I would let her get in an Uber, though that would have been the safest thing for us. Safe is not what I’m going for, though. I left safe way behind after our first drink. Further cemented when I sent Madison the message breaking it off. She doesn’t care enough to answer me. I don’t care anymore, either. I did what I had to do and closed the door. Tomorrow, I will call her and make sure we stay friends, for our families. She’s obviously okay because she kept texting her friend. But she’s gone right out of my mind because I’m pulling over in front of Mila’s building.
“It’s really nice of you to drive me home, and thank you for dinner.” She’s not even looking at me while she says it.
“Mila.” I wait until she turns to me. “Thank you for a great evening.”
She smiles like she’s relieved. Then leans over to kiss my cheek and lingers. The warmth of her lips clings to my skin. The air conditioner breeze cools it down almost immediately. When she pulls back, the heat in her eyes that matches the one surging inside me. I see all I need.
I don’t calculate. I don’t leave it up to her. I swoop in and crush my lips to hers.
Her reaction is immediate. She opens her mouth for me and I taste our whole evening in her tongue, traces of sweetness, spices, desire, and danger.
She pulls back and we stare at each other. The message is in her eyes. We crossed the line. She opens her mouth, but I beat whatever she’s going to say.
“Invite me in.”
Her eyes round, her lips drift apart, but she says nothing.
And I should take that as her answer.
“We really shouldn’t…”
That’s not a no. She knows it too.
“But we want to…”
She nods.
“And we’re going to.” Again, not a question because my answer is her glowing eyes.
.

About the Author



J. L. Lora is a Dominican-American author of contemporary and romantic suspense. Her stories explore the dark side of good characters—people living in the gray areas of life—playing the cards life has dealt them. Her stories manifest her love for badass alpha heroines and take-your-breath-away alpha men. 

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter


Giveaway

Join the celebration and enter to win a $25.00 Amazon eGift Card. One winner will be selected. Giveaway ends May 3, 2023. Best of luck!

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Giveaway – Wicked Knight by Diana A Hicks @XpressoTours @diana_hicks

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Wicked Knight
Diana A. Hicks
(Knight Duet, #1)
Publication date: April 18th 2023
Genres: Adult, Romance

Sinfully gorgeous Professor Luca Gallo has zero tolerance for the remarkably spoiled Donata Salvatore. The last time their paths crossed, she almost ruined his life with her lies. Now she’s in his classroom asking for favors and an easy grade. Professor Gallo has a lesson for Donata. One he’ll make sure she never forgets.

Goodreads / Amazon





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EXCERPT:

“I can see it in your face. You’re mad at me for going to that place and getting marked like this. But if you hadn’t brought me back into your sphere, I never would’ve followed you there. I would’ve stayed away. I managed to do it for two whole years. I was clean.” She stopped to inhale. Her chest rose and fell as she glared at me.

“Clean?”

“Yes, Luca. Clean. That’s what you are to me. You’re like a drug.” She scoffed. “You knew that. And you took advantage of that fact. You lied to me and used me.”


Author Bio:

Diana A. Hicks is an award-winning author of steamy romantic suspense and science-fiction romance.

When Diana is not writing, she enjoys hot yoga, kickboxing, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta and loves spending time with her two children and husband. Connect with Diana on social media to stay up to date on her latest releases.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / TikTok / Amazon


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Giveaway & Review – Prophecy Of A Vampire by Tania Gold @RoxanneRhoads @Taniagoldauthor

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Prophecy of a Vampire
Tania Gold

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: March 29 2023
ISBN: 978-1509248247
ASIN: ‎ B0BS4JXXSS
Number of pages: 254
Word Count:66572
Cover Artist: Diana Carlile

Tagline: One prophecy, a thirst for blood, and a tangled web of lies…

MY REVIEW

I am always up for a vampire story, so when I saw Prophecy Of A Vampire by Tania Gold, I grabbed it. I didn’t find anything unique or original in the story, but I did enjoy it. That part, what happens next, was a disappointment, because it is a series…

“Because the doctor is dead. His entire family has died. Just like the rest of us will. Except you.”

We start out in 1924, during the Los Angeles pneumonic plague epidemic.

We have Zachary Phillips, who is under Connor’s, his twin brother, control. He wants out. Connor is a vicious vampire, reveling in destroying humans. When Zachary hears of the Vampire Queen prophecy he sets out to find her. If he delivers her to Connor, he will be free. Stella, his witch friend, helps guide him on his mission.

Ivy Litt, a new vampire, has no clue what’s going on, but when she meets Zachary, he helps explain what is happening to her and an attraction blooms.

Oh my gosh. My body is on fire. When Zachary and I were discussing arousal during feeding, the pulsations in my nether region started a party of thumping. It was like a frickin’ nightclub down there.

I busted out in laughter. Zachary is helping her learn what it means to be a vampire and doing his best to ignore his attraction to Ivy. She is meant for Connor. Does he feel guilty for all the lies he is telling her so she will come along peacefully?

Her best friend, Damien, has turned on her, when he learns she is a vampire. She finds out he is a werewolf, determined to kill her. Most everyone likes the way things are and believe she will change their world when she becomes Vampire Queen. So, she must go.

We have some battles along the way, as the werewolves try to stop them from getting to Connor. The longer it takes, the more Zachary is rethinking things, wanting Ivy for himself, but Ivy feels she must fulfill the prophecy.

Prophecy Of A Vampire by Tania Gold may be predictable, but I did enjoy it. I think some of my problem was I didn’t really connect to the characters, and I may never know how everything pans out, seeing it is a series. I find many times, I enjoy the second book more because it gets into the meat of the story, the first book setting the foundation. Some may enjoy it more than I did, so give it a try and find out for yourself.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Prophecy Of A Vampire by Tania Gold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars
Book Description:
 
It’s been almost a century since Zachary Philips was turned into a creature of the night. A brooding man with a thirst for freedom and for blood. When he hears of the prophesied Vampire Queen being reborn, he hatches a plan to gain his freedom. Soon, their lives collide and although they are opposites, their sizzling sexual chemistry binds them together.

It doesn’t take too long before Ivy Litt finds herself ensnared by Zachary. She also realizes she can’t stay away from him. If only she knew about the web of lies he was spinning.

Will Zachary’s past and cry for freedom ruin his one chance of happiness, or will Ivy’s thread of humanity change the course of what could be something special?

Amazon      BN      Dymocks     AngusRobertson

 

Excerpt:

“Ivy, there is nothing you can do about it anymore. You might think that what you did was bad, but you protected yourself and it also happened to be in the natural way, for a vampire, that is. Which you are now, so you must learn to understand, and live with the knowledge that this will be a part of your future. You will get angry, you will get thirsty, and that thirst will be to kill whoever stands in your way. In this case, the mutts were advancing on you, and you did the natural thing and retaliated with fangs.”

 I give her another light squeeze, which then turns into my thumb, rubbing circles on her shoulder, just as I have done in the past. I feel her loosen up a little and all the anxiety and distress fleeing her body.



About the Author: 

Growing up with a passion for writing, Tania Gold, a wife and mother of two from Sydney, Australia, has always enjoyed delivering exciting stories to an audience. An avid reader of Fantasy and Romance novels, she had dreamed of creating her own world full of exciting and loveable characters.










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Review – Protecting Hawk by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Protecting Hawk by Jane Blythe is Book V of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.

About Operation Alpha

Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been reading Jane Blythe’s work for a long time now and her writing style fits me well. Protecting Hawk is Book V in her Special Forces: Operation Alpha – Prey Security series. I am familiar with many of the characters from previous books and am eager to see what she puts them through in Protecting Hawk.

The guys are hunks and the women are damsels in distress, sorta. But, be careful. You push them into a corner and they can bite.

A one night stand and they are unable to forget? I can sure see why she can’t. LOL I guess if you are a guy back from a military mission, one who only does one night stands because he does not want a relationship, maybe…if he met the right one…she could be unforgettable. Is there such a thing as love at first sight?

Madeline Montgomery works as a victimologist, studying the relationship between victims and their attackers, working with police across the country.

She is on the run, because her work brought her to the attention of a serial killer, but it goes so much deeper than that. I am not going to tell you why, but it does tie into an issue that Prey Security has been dealing with.

She walks in. Eight months pregnant. Seeking help. Her life and her unborn baby’s life is on the line. She knows they are the best, so here she is.

The premise is a familiar one with romantic suspense. It’s hard to get around the push/pull, (mis or no) communication and keep the story going. After all, that is usually how it leaves her open to danger. And, real life, look how well we all communicate. LOL

After meeting Madeline, Hawk has started to reconsider his military career. Maybe it’s time to retire and accept a job at Prey Security. His family had been after him to join the firm and now he has a reason to consider it…if he goes after her. With all the skills his family possesses it would not be difficult to find her, he just has to make up his mind to do it. Before he has the chance…

It’s hard for me to imagine a scenario I don’t see coming, but Jane Blythe does manage to surprise me, when Ellen walked into the room….

Thank you, Jane, for the hours of unputdownable entertainment. Keep it coming.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Hawk by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

It was only supposed to be one night.

When Madeline Montgomery finds out she’s carrying her one night stand’s baby she’s shocked, but without his name she can’t find him, and determines to raise her child alone. With a stalker upping his ante and the cops refusing to take her seriously, she runs to Prey Security for help. Stunned to find her baby’s father is a co-owner of the company, the two grow close, bonding over their son’s birth. However a threat is hovering over them, one their fledgling relationship might not survive.

Hawk Oswald doesn’t believe relationships last, yet he can’t stop obsessing over the one night stand from eight months ago. When the woman in question shows up as a client at Prey, pregnant with his child, he realizes maybe he does want a family of his own. But someone is out to get him and his siblings, and when evidence suggests Maddy might be a part of it, he’s going to have to decide whether or not he believes in the woman he’s falling in love with before its too late.

  • Military, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense and Thriller Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2022

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

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MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Review & Giveaway – Violins And Vampires by Cee Bee @XpressoTours @CB_Bauer

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Violins and Vampires
CEE BEE
(Vampires of the Daemonverse, #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: August 25th 202
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

MY REVIEW

I am Bloodkin, born a vampire. Direct sunlight won’t hurt bloodkin.

Tavish is nightling, a human who was transformed into a vampire. Direct sunlight kills nightling.

The Bloodkin women are gone, killed by the bloodking plague. Konstantin searches for the Gray Woman to save the last of the women, his wife, Elisava. She tells him it is too late. She cannot help, but, she has a plan. Will Sash and Alexa be the answer? As time goes on, I’m not sure if her plan is good or evil.

Cee Bee takes us to the past and brings us back to the present, one thousand years later. Alexa is now eighteen years old and has no memory of her past. Anya explains that her and Sash had both been in comas. Alexa is plagued with nightmares, and Sash has an illness that requires expensive medication to keep her alive. To do that, she has become enslaved to a mobster. Her father owed him millions and to save them her ‘mother’ promised she would work to pay off his debt.

Alexa spends her life taking care of her sick sister and putting up with her useless mother.

We do have moments of humor:

“Pick a vowel! It’s Wheel Of Fortune, not Circle Of Idiots!” I laughed out loud because it sounded like me talking to the TV.

Once Caelin sees her, he can’t forget her. Alexa receives a job offer from him, but neither is prepared for what is to come.

“What d’ya think I do all day?” Lexa shrugs. “I don’t know. Race around in sports cars! Toss cash out windows?”

Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee is written in a fun way. The title was a hint for me, but I love anything vampire. They can be soft and fuzzy or hard and monstrous. I love them all. Yes, we do have evil roaming around, but there are moments of humor and laughter.

I feel like Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee is setting us up for the future books, giving us details and explanations, laying a foundation. For sure, the last twenty percent picked up the pace and made me eager for more. Next up, Veils and Vampires. Cee Bee also writes young adult fiction under the name of Christina Bauer. It’s always nice to know that.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Lexa Kozlov must pay her family’s massive debt to the mob… all while raising even more money to save her little sister. The result? Lexa’s trapped in a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the Bratva. She barely has time for sleep, let alone find love.

Enter Caelin Vass, the handsome Scotsman who runs Empire Investments. Caelin offers Lexa a new job with dollars galore, as well as a hot bod (that would be his own) to contemplate every workday. Even so, Lexa isn’t sure she should take the gig. Freaky things keep happening whenever Lexa and Caelin are together. Simply put, the energy between them is magical, sensual, and way overwhelming. Lexa faces a big question: is she leaving her old prison just to enter a worse one… or is Caelin Vass all he seems and more?

***12,000 word novella, previously published on Kindle Vella as Blood Slave***

Vampires of the Daemonverse Series
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

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Author Bio:

Author Christina “CEE BEE” Bauer has sold more than 1M copies across her 45+ epic fantasy books for young adults. She’s recorded (and narrated) eight of her books into audiobooks, as well as led the translation of her novels into four different languages. USA Today has called her work “must-read paranormal fantasy.” Bauer is an autism advocate and quirky loudmouth whose writing style really isn’t for everyone. But if you like stories with complex worlds inhabited by chicks who kick ass and take names, then read on!

Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. She loves to connect with her fans at ChristinaBauerAuthor.com.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It!

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Giveaway – Beautiful Lies by Paul Dombrowiak @XpressoTours @PDombrowiak

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Beautiful Lies
Paula Dombrowiak
Publication date: April 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I own the boardroom. He owns the stage. We were never meant to be together, but when something’s forbidden, it only makes you want it more.

My jaded heart was determined never to be fooled again. There’s too much at stake, and my daughter always comes first.

And then one night, on the eve of my forty-third birthday, I walked into a bar, and locked eyes with Adrian Corvin.

He’s a musician, covered in tattoos… and way too young. He’s the opposite of everything I should want.

When he followed me outside of the bar, not even the Arizona monsoon could keep me from kissing him.

With just one taste, I was an addict.

It was only supposed to be one night.

No names, no expectations, and no truths.

Only lies.

And he tells beautiful lies.

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EXCERPT:

Maybe it’s the beer or the stifling heat, but his eyes seem to follow as I make my way around the room. Caught staring back, it’s as if he sees my thoughts when the corner of his lip tugs into a knowing smile. It’s impossible for him to know that I’m imagining what kind of lover he would be – selfish or generous, relentless or fleeting, but his smile says otherwise. That smile could knock a girl right out of her panties. Maybe for one night I can be someone else, and that makes the prospects endless.

Slipping between the crowd, I find myself on the street. A gust of wind travels down the long strip mall. Everything is dark, all the other stores closed for the night. Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply and smell the rain.

It’s coming.

The city hibernates all year waiting for the rain to penetrate the hard-shelled soil, breaking it open, and once it does, everything comes to life.

A lightning bolt stretches across the sky just as the wind picks up, blowing the hair from my neck and cooling it. I start to walk down the block on the way back to my car, passing a darkened record store when I hear a voice call out behind me. “Hey.”

Without even turning around, I know it’s him, the singer with the velvet voice and the kissable lips. The wind continues to blow like a freight train down the block, picking up the edges of my shirt and blowing my hair across my face. Turning around, I see he’s standing on the sidewalk, looking every bit as delicious as he did on stage. Waiting for him to look around me, to the person whose attention he was really trying to get, but he just stares at me the same way he did in the bar, like he’s trying to unearth my secrets.

Caught in the spider’s web of his soulful eyes, I’m unable to move.

The silence is broken when the sky opens and dumps heavy sheets of rain, plastering my hair to my face and my shirt against my body in less than a minute. Moving towards me, with each step closing the distance between us, the bashful smile on his face causes my pulse to quicken, and the blood rushing in my ears becomes the only sound I can hear. When he reaches me, I can see the pulse in his neck as his hand grips my waist, guiding me into the alcove of the darkened record store, taking us out of the rain. With his hand still on my waist, the heat from it makes me shiver.

His close proximity takes the breath out of me, and I watch as the water drips from his hair onto his full lips, leaving a trail down his chin. In the dim light of the alcove with only the streetlamp to illuminate his face, I see the green flecks in his brown eyes as he searches mine. They pull me in like a magnet; intense and beautiful. My palms press against his chest slowly gathering his shirt between my fingers, all while my heart pounds in my chest because this stranger drew me in the minute I laid eyes on him in the bar. It’s as if he is a tiny piece of my past buried long ago now being unearthed.

Maybe it’s the wind, the way it wraps itself around us, pushing us together rather than pulling us apart, I feel as though this is a chance I need to take. How many times in the last eighteen years had I truly taken something just for myself? And how many more times in my lifetime will I get a chance to choose something for myself?

In the small space between us, a question lingers in the air.

Can I kiss you?

Wanting it and doing it are two different things, because once I cross that line, will I be taking a step backwards? Looking at his beautiful rain-soaked face, I know the answer.


Author Bio:

Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. She is a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys, and the tragically flawed. Music inspires her storytelling.

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$100 GC Giveaway – Twelve Hours In Manhattan by Maan Gabriel @xpressotours

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Twelve Hours in Manhattan
Maan Gabriel
Publication date: April 18th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fairy Tales, Romance

Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.

Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.

But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.

As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve—and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.

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Author Bio:

Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington DC home. After Perfect is her first novel.

“I dream of a world full of hope, where believing is as important as life itself, and where love can move mountains. This is in the very core of my stories, and I wish in more ways than one that I can inspire you to see the world as I see it… a fairy tale.”

– Maan

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