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Release Day & Review: A Lover’s Lament by K. L. Grayson & BT Urruela

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It’s the release day of A Lover’s Lament by KL Grayson & BT Urruela! I love this fantastic contemporary romance so much. Today, we have an excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so be sure to check out all of the release day fetivities!

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About A Lover’s Lament:

In a matter of seconds my entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and simply began to exist.

In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger.

I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before.

Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again.

But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancé I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart?

***

I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain.

These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known.

The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for.

I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her.

A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.

Buy Links:

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Devin Teaser

Review:

Wow. What a poignant, beautiful, and heartbreaking story full of love, loss, war, life & death. This book held me close to tears the entire time, rocking me over my breaking point more than once.

Katie’s dealing with loss and after loss – she’s been through a tragedy that she’s not sure that she can recover from and she’s hiding her hurt in anger. She’s pushing away everyone that can possible feel anything for her and it’s ruining her life. When her therapist suggests writing to a soldier and she sees the name of the only man to ever break her heart on that list, she knows that she has to try. Try to live again. Connect with a man who was once her best friend. A man she called her soulmate.

Devin’s story is so captivating it hurt to read at times. He’s in the Army and is deployed. While he doesn’t want to be there, he doesn’t want to be anywhere else. He doesn’t have anyone at home waiting for him and everyone he cares about is right in front of him – except for those who he has already lost in battle. His story touched me deeply and I felt that it was portrayed in such a respectful and accurate way.

Their letters turn to phone calls and so much more – this book is real and manages to describe the indescribable feelings of love, loss and fear. Emotional doesn’t even begin to cover it. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one and I couldn’t stop the wave of feelings that crashed over me. The writing is unbelievable, hooking you into the story like you know characters. I was head over heels for each of them for completely different reasons and was fighting for their love just as much as they were.

This raw and gorgeous book captured my heart. If you crave a book with All The Feels, you need A Lover’s Lament. You need to read this book. 5 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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Exclusive Excerpt:

I wake before the sun has checked in for the day and scan the tent, noting my men still sleeping heavily. My morning ritual, at least the days I have time to do it, requires a bit of privacy, and I make certain I have it before I begin. Most of these clowns will just jerk it from their cots in the middle of the night with the rest of us passed out around them. There’s always been something odd about that to me. On a regular basis, I’ve woken up to the sounds of heavy breathing and skin slapping skin, and it pisses me the fuck off. If I’m not dog-tired, they’ll get a boot heaved in their direction, aimed straight for the dick and with the express purpose of putting them out of business for a while.

No, jackin’ the beanstalk in public isn’t for me. Unfortunately, that leaves only one other place to do it—the Drop Zone. Porta-shitters, as we like to call them, sit for weeks without being emptied and capture every bit of the sun’s heat. It’s like a fucking greenhouse in there, and one breath in that motherfucker while beating off and your dick is in full retreat.

So there’s a trick to doing this just right; you have to prep him first. You get him up and going, and then you quickly finish in the shitter. For most of these guys, the bikini-clad chicks above their cots or the porno mags stashed in their bags are a necessity for a proper jerk-off, but I’m an imaginative guy. I close my eyes and my mind becomes like a time machine of fuck. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot … bam! … cum everywhere. Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red swimsuit bent over the counter … set the time machine and go.

This time my mind goes for none other than Jackie O. She’s spread-eagle, with my tongue lightly flicking her throbbing clit while she’s begging for my dick. And, of course, I’m making her call me Mr. President. I laugh at the last thought but notice it’s at least gotten the job started. Since my dick is half-mast and ticking its way to full form, I slink my way to the tent’s entrance.

Stepping out, I’m met by the sun creeping softly over the tops of the barriers, and I hurry toward the porta-shitters, positioned just past the Humvees in front of the eastern wall. This two-hundred-yard walk is the most important part of the process. You have to walk with speed but not urgency, in hopes that you don’t attract attention from the few others also awake—all while the imagined porn still reels in your head.

I manage to make it into the shitter undetected and quickly go to work on my shaft while my left hand pinches my nose like a vise and my eyes squeeze tightly shut. Only this time it isn’t someone famous that I picture. It’s Katie.

Even as early as it is, the Drop Zone is like a sauna, and beads of sweat collect on my forehead. I try desperately to hold in my breath as the seconds tick down. Just as my lungs begin to demand air and my body stiffens, I toss my head back with a stifled groan. My body recovers from its high much quicker in this setting, but at least the job is done. Two weeks of combat stress gone, just like that.

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About the Authors:

Kirby_9135K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KL-Grayson/1403900879892076?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorklgrayson

IG: @booksbyklgrayson

IMG_3638Taylor Urruela was an infantryman in the US Army from August 2004 until February 2011. At the end of a year long tour in Baghdad, IQ, his vehicle was hit by two roadside bombs, which took his right leg below the knee and the life of his commander. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds, an Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He medically retired from the Army in 2011 and moved to Tampa, FL where he currently works as a Director and Brand Ambassador of VETSports, a veteran community sports nonprofit he co-founded in 2012. He also conducts speaking engagements and he’s a personal trainer for Tampa Sports Academy.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTUrruela?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BTUArmy

IG: @BTUrruela

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Blog Tour & Review: Sinful Desire by Lauren Blakely

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AHHHH! It’s the Release Week Blitz for SINFUL DESIRE by Lauren Blakely, the second full-length, standalone novel from her bestselling Erotic Romance Series, Sinful Nights! This new series is a new erotic romance series written in the high-heat, high-stakes, high-glamour style of the Seductive Nights series that readers know and love, but heading in a new direction with a new family that’s full of drama, checkered pasts and dangerous life-and-death secrets.

Lauren Blakely is well known for writing sexy, heartfelt and humorous contemporary romance as well as deeply emotional new adult stories –one commonality in all her books is the scorching hot sexy times. And the Sinful Nights series is absolutely no different! First, there was SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, and now Lauren brings you the passionate and suspenseful SINFUL DESIRE filled with sexy moments that will keep you up all night!

Sinful Desire- cover

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ABOUT SINFUL DESIRE:

This book contains Lauren Blakely’s hottest, dirtiest, and most dominating hero ever! Panties optional when reading this sinfully sexy STANDALONE novel in the NYT Bestselling Sinful Nights series!

He gave her the most mind-blowing night of pleasure ever. He made her want to get down on her knees. He dominated her in ways she’d only dreamed of. And she didn’t even know his name…

Control.

It’s what Ryan Sloan values most. Control of his business, control of his secrets, control of his days and nights. With the way his life spiraled in the past, he needs to stay in charge of his present.

Giving up control.

It’s what Sophie Winston craves. After a wildly successful career, she’s stepped away from the business world and is now focused on her work as her city’s most noted philanthropist.

When she meets Ryan Sloan, the chemistry is scorching, and utterly undeniable. Their desire for each other runs red hot. He wants everything she’s willing to give him in bed, and she wants him to take her to new heights as only he can.

Soon, he has to have more. All of her — heart, mind and body.

The only trouble is, he hasn’t been honest about how he met her and the dangerous connection he has to her brother.

When the truth is revealed, he’ll have to give more of himself than he’s bargained for or risk losing the only woman he’s ever let into his heart.

SINFUL DESIRE is book two in SINFUL NIGHTS, a four-book series. Each full-length novel features a new couple. This high-heat, high-stakes sexy romance series follows the Sloan family as each sibling falls madly in love against the backdrop of sin, money, greed, passion, mystery and suspense…

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✮✮✮TWO BOOKS FOR ONE PRICE! ✮✮✮

Buy One Get One Free This Week Only!

This week ONLY when you buy SINFUL DESIRE (or if you preordered it!) you can get a FREE copy of Lauren’s USA Today Bestseller PLAYING WITH HER HEART. Every eBook of SINFUL DESIRE includes a link in the back of the book to redeem your free copy of PLAYING WITH HER HEART! All you have to do is simply click the link in the back of the book, follow the instructions, and you will be able to download a copy of PLAYING WITH HER HEART readable on any eReader. ONE-CLICK and get two books for one price! If you already read PLAYING WITH HER HEART, there is a paperback giveaway to enter.

The link to redeem your free copy is in the back of every e-book of SINFUL DESIRE this week only…

And that’s not all!

Sinful Desire - Giveaway

Feeling the Desire to have a Sinful night of your own? Then you’ll want to take the Sinful Nights quiz and answer fun trivia questions about the Sinful Nights series! To celebrate the release of SINFUL DESIRE on September 22nd, Lauren is giving away a $500 gift card for a stay at the Ritz Carlton nearest you!*

Everything you need to turn your fantasy into reality and enter the Sinful Nights contest during release week can be found in the back of the SINFUL DESIRE eBook, including the short quiz in the book that you have to complete to enter the contest. The SINFUL DESIRE eBook is the ONLY location with the link to the quiz. The release week contest runs through Saturday, September 26, ONLY, so you’ll have to make this read a quickie to enter to win this awesome prize! In addition to the grand prize, there are several other great prizes in the giveaway!

So grab your copy of SINFUL DESIRE today! Get ready to ignite your passion and dive into SINFUL DESIRE on release day!

*Please note: If you are the winner and there is no Ritz Carlton near you, you may opt to receive a $500 gift card to any Marriott property, or Marriott-owned hotel.

** If you purchase the paperback and would like to participate in the contest, please contact me at lauren@laurenblakely.com for instructions.

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REVIEW

This is a dirty-talking work of art. While a little lengthy (we all like ’em long though), I could have rolled around in the pages for days, especially with Ryan. Holy Hell, I fell for him immediately. My skin prickled and pussy clenched the second he started whispering commands in Sophie’s ear. I’m not sure he could have gotten any hotter. Yes, sir. Please, sir.

Ryan meets Sophie on a complete whim – call it lust at first sight or whatever you want, but when he sees her red lips and rocking body step out of her car in front of the county municipal building he’s instantly hard and needs to know her. Despite their stranger status, their connection is knowing. The anticipation made me feel alive, and Blakely delivers on every promise her characters make.

As their relationship grows from something that could be notched on the one-night stand post to more I fell further for both of them.

I loved everything about Sophie’s strong presence & submissive bedroom spirit. She’s a sassy and accomplished woman and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’s completely put together – exactly like this story. Ryan’s dominant nature, need for control, and steely commands had me begging for release. There are so many incredibly hot sex scenes in this book, you should have your vibrator on standby.

The overarching plot involves Ryan’s quest to find out what really happened with his father’s murder. This is a continuation of book 1, but you don’t need to read that one to understand this one (although you should because, BRENT).

The sexiest thing about both of these characters is their confidence and willingness to – *gasp!* – work on things. They know what they want in the bedroom (and it is RED HOT) and while they struggle with issues of the heart, they also act like adults when things get a little complicated. I was cheering for these two from the second Ryan’s dick hardened when he got his first glance of Sophie. The email banter is on point & the submission contains just enough kink to get me off. Basically, this book hits all of my favorite plot points and is hot enough to light me on fire.

Mystery swirls around the story, like a storm cloud building momentum, waiting to strike. Clues are collected, orgasms are reached, and love is solidified. Blakely has incredible talent crafting characters you want to know, want to love, and want to cheer for. She totally achieves that here. Sinful and romantic, Lauren one-ups herself. LOVED. 5 Stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Excerpt

“His fingers traveled along her spine and up her neck to her hair, grabbing it, turning her so she looked up at him. Her eyes were hazy and full of a lust that matched his. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked harshly.

“I think I do.”

“You are under my skin,” he whispered, as he kept her pressed against the warm hood with one hand, then slinked his other hand down to her waist, and unfastened the slim, orange belt. “And in my head,” he continued as he snapped the belt free. “And I can’t fucking stop thinking about you.”

“I can’t stop either,” she said, and in a flash he wrapped the belt around her wrists, knotting it, twisting it, and tying her hands together with her own accessory. She allowed him, offering up her wrists to be bound. She was a willing hostage.

“That turns me on even more,” he growled in her ear, as he stretched her tied arms along the silver hood.

“Tying me up?”

“Yes,” he said, pressing his erection against her ass. “But what makes me rock hard is the way you let me. The way you want me to. The way you give your body to me,” he said as he grabbed a condom from his pocket, unzipped his pants, and pushed down his briefs.”

And don’t miss the first title in the Sinful Nights Series,

Sweet Sinful Nights - cover

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS!

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Add it to Goodreads here!

SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS Series on Goodreads

And be sure to watch for the next titles in the Sinful Nights series!

Sinful Longing

SINFUL LONGING – November 17, 2015

Preorder SINFUL LONGING Here!

Add SINFUL LONGING on Goodreads!

Sinful Love

SINFUL LOVE – March 2016

Preorder SINFUL LOVE Here!

Add SINFUL LOVE on Goodreads!


About Lauren Blakely:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and she has had eight books on the New York Times Bestseller list and fourteen on the USA Today Bestseller list. Like the heroine in her novel, 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 bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire. She recently released SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the first novel in her new sexy romance series Sinful Nights that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. Her new adult forbidden romance, 21 Stolen Kisses, hit e-readers in May and landed on the USA Today Bestseller list. In September, she’ll release SINFUL DESIRE, her next title in the bestselling SINFUL NIGHTS series. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | SINFUL DESIRE Goodreads | Lauren Blakely Goodreads

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Blog Tour & Review: Sacked by Jen Frederick

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LINKS:
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BLURB

What he wants he gets…

Knox Masters is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And…virgin. Knox knows what he wants–and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he’s set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she’s the sister of his fellow teammate, but that’s not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one.

…but he’s never met her before.

But Ellie isn’t as sure. She’s trying to start a new life and she’s not interested in a relationship…with anyone. Beside it’s not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother’s teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing.

Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

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REVIEW
SACKED comes with a free book hangover. It is perfection. My heart is bursting and I’m smiling stupidly and I’ve stayed up way too late to finish this book and IDGAF. If every book made me laugh and swoon like this one, I may never leave the house. This book plucked at all my feels, like it was fine-tuning a guitar, and I loved every second of it.
Knox is the most popular football player at college – he’s the Head Jock of All Jocks and he wears the title proudly; however, he’s not the jerk you’d make him out to be. Knox is, by far, my favorite player…and not the way it sounds. He’s a virgin – and proud of it. His kisses are disarming, his spirit is pure and so is his virtue. Good lord, I loved every fucking second of his deflowering.
Eliot, or Ellie, is the girl with the boys name, who is constantly looked at as second to her older brother, a teammate of Knox’. He’s the reason she’s at the same school. He’s the reason she takes extra classes. He’s the reason she can never get out from under her parents’ thumb. But the thing is, she loves her brother. Their relationship is symbiotic, awesome, and really sweet. Frederick plays up the sibling rivalry but also shows us the nice side of having a sibling who is close to you in age.
I thought that the drama would stem from Ellie’s relationship with Jack’s teammate. And I was wrong. Ellie has been so used to being known as second best that she can’t seem to understand how she’s first to Knox. Fuck, the sexual tension. It’s outstanding, boiling and completely hot.
Not only does Frederick know how to write, but she also writes new scenes that I’ve never read before. A bathroom scene where neither touches the other but yet so much is released. I was nearing combustion myself by the time Ellie and Knox came together. SO HOT.
While I loved every sexy bit of this book, STACKED is about so much more than sex. Witty banter and solid feelings moved this story straight into my favorites column. I’m floored with adoration for every little piece of this book, it’s characters and their love. I didn’t want this story to end. ALL THE STARS!
[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]
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​EXCERPT

I lock my legs to keep from falling over and pull out the biggest barrel I have. “Masters, there are things about me that if you knew you wouldn’t want to spend another minute in my presence.”

He considers my words, the silence taking on a heaviness and part of me already aches for what I could have if I was just any other girl at Western. “Have you killed anyone?” he finally asks. I can feel his eyes assessing me and I keep my gaze averted afraid of what

I’ll see in his moss green gaze.

“No.”

“Have you slept with my brother?”
“What?” I can’t prevent myself from gawking at Masters, who’s smiling as he asks the question. “No! God, I’ve never even met him!”

“Are you catfishing poor athletes from Auburn? Wait, don’t answer that because I don’t think I’d find that objectionable. Oh, I have it—” He snaps his fingers.

“This isn’t a joke, Masters.”

He tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Until you tell me what it is, it’s not a reason to be apart either.”

I suck in my lower lip to prevent throwing myself at him and telling him to take me.

“Why?” I ask helplessly.

“Because I like you.”

He grips me by the chin and lays down gentlest, sweetest kiss. In that kiss he tells me everything. That he wants me. That he’s willing to take it slow. That he’s not giving up.

He kisses me as if this is the only thing he wants to do for the next ten hours.

His lips barely move but I can feel everything in me surge toward him. The short wedges
I shoved on this morning suddenly feel precarious. I grip his shoulders to steady myself and then find myself rising up on my tiptoes to press deeper against him. He hauls me flush against him until I can no longer touch the floor.

His one hand palms nearly my entire back while the other angles my head for better access. He may be a virgin, but the guy knows how to kiss. His tongue is finding places inside my mouth that I didn’t even know would feel good.

All the pent up desire that has been boiling in me for days comes pouring out of me. I attack him with my next kiss, biting his lower lip, sucking on his tongue.  Against my belly I can feel the hard ridge of his erection.

“God,” I breathe as he abandons my mouth to trace the line of my jaw with his lips. He growls in response and pushes me back against the bookcases but I don’t even mind that the shelves are biting into my back. I just want more.

And he gives it to me. We cling to each other, feeding off of each other’s seemingly endless need until I hear a gasp and then a muted giggle. And those two faint sounds somehow manage to break through the haze of lust and bring with it the realization that

I am in a very public place. I wriggle against him and he sets me down reluctantly.

“We’re in the bookstore,” I say in a scandalized voice.

“You’ve never kissed a guy in the bookstore before?” He grins, the wicked mischievous one I’m beginning to associate with something tremendously naughty. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Blog Tour & Review: Find Me by Laurelin Paige

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FIND ME is the HIGHLY ANTICIPATED sequel to FREE ME and the Conclusion of Gwen and JC’s Story

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NOW AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAILERS:

Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1KOTZjc

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1M9P2St

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1IiBzUa

iBooks: http://apple.co/1IKNr31

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Blurb

Gwen Anders came to The Sky Launch to begin fresh, away from the horrors of her past. She fit in quickly, becoming good friends with her co-manager, Alayna Withers and the owner of the club, Hudson Pierce. Though the circumstances that brought her here were not the best, she’s never felt more at home.

But starting a new life means letting go. And there are some things she doesn’t want to leave behind – like JC, the man who taught her how to let loose. The man she wasn’t supposed to fall in love with. The man she doesn’t want to lose.

Now, with the reason she ran still a threat, Gwen fears she’ll never be able to move on completely. And if she does, can she still hold out hope that JC loves her enough to come and find her?

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Review:

Hotly anticipated, Laurelin’s duet to Free Me more than lives up to the hype. When this appeared on my kindle I sort of majorly freaked out with excitement. And it was entirely well deserved.

At the end of Free Me, I was practically crumpled into the floor in a ball rocking slowly back and forth wondering HOW how how Laurelin could leave me in such a state for months. Needless to say, I was more than ready to dive into Find Me.

If I thought that the passion was intense before, I was mistaken. We pick back up with Gwen a year after JC goes into witness protection declaring that he will find her after the Trial of the Century is over and he’s safe once more. Gwen’s struggling to move on – and in truth, she hasn’t. She’s treading water, fucking Hudson’s brother to pass the time (yup. not a typo. also not a spoiler, you learn that in like the first two seconds, so calm down) and waiting for JC to return to her life.

And then he does.

And it’s awkward and angsty and uncomfortable and the tension buzzed through the pages so hard that my fingers were shaking.

Paige makes us work for it, but it’s absolutely worth it. There are a lot of surprises in this book, some of which made me want to throw my kindle and others that had me slapping a hand over my mouth to cover my gasp. JC’s just as smooth, in control, obstinate and utterly adorable as he was in Free Me, and his words will both set you on fire and have you swooning.

Gwen has grown by leaps and bounds from where she was, but she still struggles not to go numb when things start to go awry. Even as JC and Gwen finally solidify their love, they continue to hit roadblock after roadblock on their path to happiness. I was so nervous as the pages turned and things were getting more complicated, but then I’d be reminded: The love they have for one another is epic & timeless. This book is sweet, romantic, suspenseful and angst-ridden.

IT HAS EVERYTHING. No question, it’s going on my favorites list.

Find Me takes you to the edge and keeps you there, holding your pleasure – delaying your gratification – so when you finally get to the end, it’s so much better than you ever could have imagined. Grab a hold of your lady balls and get prepared to crash and soar on this crazy ride.

Gah! I love it I love it I love it!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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Excerpt

I grabbed my cell and checked the time. It was six-twenty-nine. I threw it in my purse and turned back to the mirror to give myself a pep talk. “We will not have sex. We will not have sex. We will not have sex.”

Jesus, I was so horny already, and I hadn’t even seen him yet. I’d thought about taking care of myself before JC got there but wasn’t sure if that would make things better or worse. By the time I’d decided it would make it better, Ben was there, and now JC was ringing my buzzer.

“You look incredible,” he said when I opened the door.

I blushed as I gave him a onceover. He was dressed in khakis with a fitted shirt and a lightweight jacket. Lots of buttons, I thought. Which was a good thing, considering how damn good he looked. Had he always been that buff? “You do, too.” My thighs felt hot. Good thing I’d changed out of my pants.

I really should have pulled out my vibrator earlier.

“You brought flowers?” I’d been so taken by him I hadn’t noticed the small bouquet in his hands. Three red roses dressed with some smaller white bell-shaped flowers I couldn’t identify were wrapped in a red ribbon. I hadn’t expected it. “I didn’t know you were the kind of guy who brought girls roses.”

He shrugged with one shoulder. “I’m trying to impress you. I have a feeling this date is a test of some kind, and I want to make sure I pass.”

“Not a test,” I said dismissively. Though, wasn’t that what this was? A test to see if we got along as well outside the bedroom as we did inside? “But thank you. You do impress.”

I shifted my weight to one hip and flitted my glance between JC, still standing on the other side of the threshold, and the flowers in my hand. “I should put these in water.” But I wasn’t sure I was ready to invite him in. Because in meant we’d be closer to my bed. And my couch. And my kitchen counter. All of which were locations that could be tempting.

Really, I just shouldn’t be anywhere alone with him.

Either JC felt the same way I did or he could read my mind. “You can do that later. The plastic containers on the stems should last until we get back. And we should get going.”

“Perfect.” I set them on the console table behind me, relieved and nervous all at once. I took a deep breath, grabbed my purse, and turned back to him. “Let’s go!”

In the hallway, he offered me his hand. I took it, then, there it was—the shock of his touch as his fingers weaved with mine. I let out an involuntary sigh, and with it bricks of tension fell from my body. Release. It shuddered through me as electricity sparked up my limb from where we were connected and spread throughout my body, and I wondered if this was what it felt like to melt. What it felt like to be frozen for so long and then, finally, to have the sun brush against cold ice, transforming it into something more fluid, something entirely different.

I glanced down to where we were joined, so overcome by how right it felt to be touching him in this simple way. When I looked back at him, I found his eyes pinned on me. His expression said he’d felt it too.

“You messed up, you know,” he said, as we started toward the elevator. “You were supposed to wear something that I didn’t want to rip off of you.”

My cheeks heated—actually, I wasn’t sure they’d ever cooled from the first blush he’d caused. “You said it would be impossible for me to wear anything that wouldn’t elicit that response. The only other choice was to go naked.”

“That would have been an excellent choice.”

“But not very practical.”

“I’ve never been a fan of practical.” He pushed the call button and the elevator doors opened immediately, the car likely still there from when he’d arrived.

We stepped inside, our hands still molded together. The doors closed, and I so badly wanted to turn and kiss him.

Instead I delivered the short speech I’d practiced since I’d woken up that afternoon. “I think I should tell you, I don’t have sex on first dates.”

“Wow. That’s…surprising. Considering we had sex before we’d ever even been on a date.” He squeezed my hand. “But, after you left me with blue balls this morning, I already figured out you’d turned into a prude.”

I laughed. “I’m not a prude. I’m cautious. And that’s nothing new. That’s always been me.”

“Yes, it has.” The short phrase was full of subtext, and I knew he was remembering how uptight I’d been when we’d first met. Icy. Frigid bitch.

“I’m better than I was,” I assured him.

He nodded. “I know. Otherwise you wouldn’t have given me even this much of you. And if you want to wait, then I can too.”

What I wanted was to push him against the wall and devour him.

But that was an in-the-moment want, and long-term, I wanted a relationship that was real and lasting. “Thank you. It means a lot.”

He leaned in close and, though we were alone, whispered in my ear. “I’m not going to say that I’m not dying to have you under me, Gwen. Because I am. But I’m dying to just be with you more.”

Despite the descent of the elevator, his words sent me floating. “You’re really good at that impressing thing.”

He gave me my favorite grin. “Who knew?”

findme1

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Haven’t read this series yet, check out FREE ME at:

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Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1T12QNK

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BCH3cV

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1g6aSIH

iBooks: http://apple.co/1OOuZqi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1hijeOm

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About the Author:

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

STALK HER:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

Free Me/Find Me Signed Set
$25 Amazon Gift card

Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Book: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)

Other book in Series:

Slammed (Slammed #1)

tl;dr recommendation: This is a #MustRead series. It just is.

Book Summary:

Hardships and heartache brought them together… now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

Longer Review:

This is a #MustRead series. It just is. I love Lake and Will immensely. I love their non-traditional family and their way of handling parenting problems and their fierce fierce love. I adored the introduction of new characters in this book – especially Kiersten. She’s the coolest butterflying eleven year old I have ever read about.

Written in Will’s POV, Colleen pulls out the little touches in this book that made all the difference. Julia’s presence is still very present, basagna makes another ill-timed appearance and that gnome with the red hat is brought back at just the right moment. The sarcasm is funny, the anger is real, and the angst is out of control. Point of Retreat is full of sexual tension, LOTS OF pumpkin carving, and yea….so much goddamn angst.

The angst got to me a bit. I think I was on such a high HIGH from Slammed, that when I slid into this one, I was surprised that there wasn’t as much poetry. Indeed, the points of conflict in Point of Retreat were pretty familiar: Lake took her anger too far, and Will was punished for crimes that he never committed. Of course, Lake’s young…and maybe I should cut her a fucking break because life dealt her a shit hand. *shakes Lake* BUT I DIGRESS.

Regardless, this book is beautifully written. The elegant words wrap around you, cocooning you in the story, letting you make it your own. The love between Lake and Will is gorgeous to watch, even when it’s falling apart. Will is one of my favorite characters, ever. Whether he’s acting as a father, a friend or a boyfriend, he’s completely genuine. His pain was my pain – I LOVED HIM.

This series is one that will stick with you and make you question all of your goals, wishes and desires. CoHo is an immediate one-click for me. always.  4.5 stars!

Review: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

This post is part of my ongoing reviews/reading of the Outlander series – Read Outlander first. Potential spoilers ahead.

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Book: Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4)

Other Books in Series:

Outlander (Outlander #1) – my review is here
Dragonfly In Amber (Outlander #2) – my review is here
Voyager (Outlander #3) – my review is here
The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7)
The Space Between (Outlander #7.5 – a novella)
Written in My Heart’s Own Blood (Outlander #8)
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander #8.5 – a novella)
Moonlight And Howling (Outlander #9 – not yet finished)

Link to buy all 8 books here

tl;dr recommendation: Drums of Autumn gave me the HEA I so desperately craved and that I damn well deserved.

Book Summary:

In this breathtaking novel—rich in history and adventure—The New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon continues the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser that began with the now-classic novelOutlander and continued in Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager. Once again spanning continents and centuries, Diana Gabaldon has created a work of sheer passion and brilliance….

It began at an ancient Scottish stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past—or the grave. Dr. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice.

Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became a legend—a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in the American colonies. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century—their daughter, Brianna….

Now Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the circle of stones and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history … and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past … or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong….

Longer Review:

4.5 stars!

I’m not kidding when I say that Diana tries to kill you in this book. Once again, every emotion you have is played upon, tweaked and twisted until you’re not sure what end is up and how things will end.

From the book summary you know that Brianna goes through the stones to find her mother and meet her father. I don’t read those before I start these books, so I was so fucking excited when I realized what was happening. Brianna leaves everything – and everyone – behind on her quest. I was actually bouncing up and down on my couch like a toddler in the back seat of a car asking ‘are we there yet?’ I couldn’t put it down until Brianna got to where she was going and THEN I couldn’t put it down because of what was happening when she got there. #DianaKillsMe

Don’t worry – you get plenty of Jamie and Claire in this book. They haven’t gone anywhere at all. They’re settled in North Carolina, trying to make a place for themselves and set up the life they plan to have. Their love is ever present while they build their future.

I absolutely adored the storyline in this book but didn’t always love the way it was presented. There are many times that you’re taken to the cusp only to start a new chapter in a different character’s POV that takes you back to the beginning again. It was reading with cliffhangers thrown in the middle of a book. This tactic was effective to have me reading through my fingers but it also caused me to read a little faster than I wanted because I NEEDED to know what happened. I wanted to skip over all the other stuff (which was also fucking important) just to find out what happened to the FIRST stuff. Gah. It made me all anxiousy and I wasn’t a huge fan. But I digress.

Out of all of the books so far, I needed an HEA in this book, and Diana knows it. Drums of Autumn gave me the HEA I so desperately craved and that I damn well deserved. I was cheering and flailing and loving every member of that Fraser clan like they were my own. DoA is full of adventure, suspense and the makings of a new life. *winks*

I’m slightly terrified to start book 5 because I was left in such a happy place at the end of this book. Really, this could have been the end of the series and I would have been ok – I mean, I would have been in a major book hangover, but my soul would have been in tact. THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS ENDING.

However, I’m also dying to know what ultimately happens – so, I’ll pull up my big girl breeks and get on with it. The Fiery Cross is up next!

Review: Under My Skin by J. Kenner

Author: J. Kenner

Book: Under My Skin (Stark International Trilogy #3)

Other books in series:

Say My Name (Stark International Trilogy #1) – review here
On My Knees (Stark International Trilogy #2) – review here

tl;dr recommendation: Basically, I’m full on #fangirling. Five Stars.

Book Summary:

Jackson Steele and Sylvia Brooks are back in the powerful finale of a provocative, sizzling-hot new erotic trilogy set in the world of J. Kenner’s beloved Stark novels: Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me.

He’s the only man I’ve ever loved, and the one man I can’t bear to lose.

Jackson Steele is my light in this world. Charismatic, bold, and always in control, he knows what he wants and how to get it—and absolutely nothing stands in his way. His hold on me is magnetic, his claim on me complete, his kiss my ultimate escape.

We both harbor dark secrets that could tear our lives apart. Though we’ve tried to bury our pasts, there are certain people who won’t let us forget. But the closer danger comes, the brighter the fire between us burns—our ecstasy consuming and soothing us both.

There’s no telling what lies ahead, but I know that Jackson never gives in without a fight. I’d do anything he wants to keep him safe, give him anything he needs. And now that we’re in deep, nothing can make me run.

Under My Skin is intended for mature audiences.

Longer Review:

I LOVE I LOVE I LOVE I LOVE!!!!! gush. flail. squeal. cheer. I’m doing all of those things. Basically, I’m full on #fangirling.

J. Kenner mixes a hot alpha man with a murder accusation, sabotage and sex so hot you’ll fall to your knees. The relationship angst is light (thank fuck) but there’s plenty of other drama to pull your interest. And throughout it all a thread of heat sizzles just underneath every.single.scene.

Jackson Steele is back and hotter than ever. We catch back up with Sylvia and Jackson after learning that the Hollywood producer we all really really hate is dead and Jackson is the main suspect. Suddenly Jackson and Sylvia are barraged with lawyers and PR people and the media circus commences.  Their private lives are no longer their own and every move is splashed across the front page of every gossip mag. Sylvia tries to deal with it, but struggles. Jackson tries to ignore it, but fails. Yet, when the two of them work together as a team – they realize that they just might be able to conquer anything.

Sylvia is awesome (for the most part) in this book. She hasn’t forgotten her promise to Jackson – the promise where he can use her as he needs to – and use her he does. PHEW! Sylvia grows so much in this series, and this book solidified my love for her. She uses what she previously believed to be weakness as a catalyst to propel her forward and stand on her own two feet. GO SYLVIA.

The Stark series is one of my all time favorites and I am so loving the continuation of this series. The brotherly bromance between Jackson and Damien was icing on the goddamn cake. They. Were. Adorable. In Under My Skin, Kenner leaves you feeling sated and completely satisfied – giving you the steamy scenes she’s known for with a slight undertone of submission. oh yes please, SIR.

ICYMI, I fucking love this series. This is a #MustRead.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Book: Slammed

tl;dr recommendation: Be prepared to be forced to the floor with All The Feels. Five Stars!

Book Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Longer Review:

Colleen’s books never fail to leave me in a cloud. I’m transported into another space in my head that I didn’t know existed, hadn’t even contemplated…and her words nudge that space until it’s forced open and I’m suddenly staring at a brightened room, shielding my eyes from the stark light that’s blinding me and cowering from the feelings that are bombarding me. This is what this book did to me. This is why I’m in mid-major book hangover. This is why I’m re-evaluating my life decisions and what I’ve put first, second or third. This is why her books are so motherfuckingly powerful. This is why I fucking read.

Should I give a brief summary of this book? I could, I suppose, but I’d rather not. Go into this blind, but with your heart open. Get ready to face real truths and harsh life. Be prepared to be forced to the floor with All The Feels.

I was actually shocked that I loved this book as much as I do, because the storyline is something that usually has me grimacing and blanching. But this didn’t make me do that. The writing was so easy that it made me feel like the would-be-uncomfortable parts were natural. Colleen writes emotion better than most and I can’t believe that this was her first ever novel (I also can’t believe it took me so long to read it, but whatevs).

This book is about being okay with what your heart says, living a life without regret, and loving with every piece of yourself even through grief. It’s funny when it’s sad, and sweet when it feels all wrong. I loved every word, every poem and every kiss. Will and Layken are perfectly developed characters whose connection is palpable and whose pain is unbearable.

Slammed is an exceptional heart-breaking and soul-warming novel. I’d say I loved it, but loved isn’t a strong enough word for my feelings right now, but I suppose it conveys they right emotion. So, I fucking loved it.

Review: The Training by Tara Sue Me

Author: Tara Sue Me

Book: The Training (The Submissive #3)

Other books in series:

The Submissive (The Submissive #1)
The Dominant (The Submissive #2)
The Chalet (The Submissive #3.5 – novella)
The Enticement (The Submissive #4)
Seduced by Fire (The Submissive #5)
The Collar (The Submissive #6)
The Exhibitionist (The Submissive #7 -coming on November 3, 2015)
The Master (The Submissive #8 – coming on February 2, 2016)

tl;dr recommendation: Sensual, romantic and just a bit kinky, you’ll quickly submit to all the feels in this book.

Book Summary:

It started with a hidden desire.

Millionaire CEO Nathaniel West has always played by his own strict set of rules, ones he expects everyone to follow—especially the women he’s dominated in his bedroom. But his newest lover is breaking down all his boundaries and rewriting his rule book.

Abby King never imagined that she would capture the heart of Nathaniel West, one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors—and its most desirable dominant. What began as a weekend arrangement of pleasure has become a passionate romance with a man who knows every inch of her body and her soul – yet remains an enigmatic lover. Though he is tender and caring, his painful past remains a wall between them.

Abby knows the only way to truly earn his trust is to submit to him fully and let go of all of her lingering inhibitions. Because to lead Nathaniel on a path to greater intimacy, she must first let him deeper into her world than anyone has ever gone before…

Longer Review:

The third in the series, The Training turns up the dial on Abby and Nathaniel’s sexy as hell lifestyle. Sensual, romantic and just a bit kinky, you’ll quickly submit to all the feels in this book.

The Training lets us into Abby and Nathaniel’s lives now that their a couple. How do they navigate these new and unchartered waters? Is Abby supposed to be a submissive all the time? So far, this is absolutely my favorite of the series. I think I loved it most because it’s completely realistic.

The Training is about two normal people coming together and finding a way to combine their worlds, their love and their lives. This combination is exactly like any other couple, just with a little kink on the side. There is this undercurrent that flows through this book of utter devotion and complete reverence for each other that had me grasping my kindle a little extra hard so I wouldn’t drop it when I swooned.

You never have to worry about either of them cheating (thank fuck) and this book doesn’t have some ridiculous event that will make you hate one or both of them. Some might say that nothing happens, but to me – I think everything happens. You don’t need one party to completely fuck up and have to beg for forgiveness (although that’s completely an enticing idea here) in order to have a phenomenal book. Tara’s exceptional writing kept me glued to the pages, breathless to discover what boundaries are going to be pushed next.

Nathaniel’s lifestyle friends are introduced and Abby takes a more assertive role in her submission (not a typo!). They push further and harder in this book than ever before and I was panting a bit after some of those sessions. I could seriously read about this two all day, every day. I’m gushing now and idgaf. This series is fucking amazing. Their love is stronger than any rope that Nathaniel can find and the sex is off the charts – regardless of whether it’s in or out of the playroom. There is definitely a happy ending in this one that I think was initially meant to be the finale of the series, but it’s really only just the beginning…

ALL THE STARS.

[Thank you Tara for sending me a copy of this book! I LOVED IT!]

Review: The Dominant by Tara Sue Me

Author: Tara Sue Me

Book: The Dominant (The Submissive #2)

Other books in series:

The Submissive (The Submissive #1)
The Training (The Submissive #3)
The Chalet (The Submissive #3.5 – novella)
The Enticement (The Submissive #4)
Seduced by Fire (The Submissive #5)
The Collar (The Submissive #6)
The Exhibitionist (The Submissive #7 -coming on November 3, 2015)
The Master (The Submissive #8 – coming on February 2, 2016)

tl;dr recommendation: I’m completely tied and bound to this series.

Book Summary:

Nathaniel West doesn’t lose control.

As the playboy CEO of West Industries, he governs the boardroom during the day; as a strict dominant with exacting rules, he commands the bedroom at night. He never takes on inexperienced submissives, but when Abigail King’s application comes across his desk, he breaks his own restrictions and decides to test her limits.

Abby’s combination of innocence and willingness is intoxicating, and Nathaniel is soon determined to collar her as his own. As long as she follows his orders and surrenders herself fully to him, no one will get hurt.

But when Nathaniel begins falling for Abby on a deeper level, he realizes that the trust must go both ways—and he has secrets which could bring the foundations of their entire relationship crashing down…

Longer Review:

This is how you write a male POV novel that pairs with a prior story. There are so many new scenes, so much insight into his head and terrific heartbreak and vulnerability. I’m completely tied and bound to this series. THE DOMINANT leads you down the path of a complicated Hero, allowing you entry into the crevices of his mind that he doesn’t share with anyone else.

I adored Nathaniel. I mean, I thought I loved him at the end of The Submissive but NOPE, layers were peeled back and truths were exposed in THE DOMINANT and I’m now left feeling sated and fulfilled.

Nathaniel’s keeping his own secrets – ones that he thinks will ruin everything if Abby finds out. You watch him struggle with controlling his emotions and feelings. You understand why he shuts down the way that he does. You experience his complete and utter heartbreak and you become privy to conversations you never knew he had. What leads him to take the actions he takes in THE SUBMISSIVE? Now you know.

I was so excited to find out that Nathaniel’s actually active in the lifestyle and talks to other people about it. It’s a completely natural thing that makes sense, but for some reason I never really thought about how much I would enjoy the interaction he had with his mentors and friends. This book takes what you already know and tilts it, letting in the light, allowing you to see the story from a different angle. Exactly how it should be.

There are scenes that you only heard mentioned in THE SUBMISSIVE that you get to fully experience in this novel. I mean, this is perfection. Complete, fucking perfection. This one gets the complete five stars from me. It’s everything I hoped it would be and more.

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