31 January 2015

Rough Justice ARC Review

Rough Justice - Sinner's Tribe MC #1
by Sarah Castille




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From bestselling author Sarah Castille comes a scorching new series featuring red-hot, hard-riding bikers and the women who can’t help but love them…

IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN

Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Hunter has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.

TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.

The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?


Releases 3rd Feb by St Martin's Press - ISBN: 9781250056603


I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!


What I say: The best way to describe Rough Justice? Think star-crossed romance for adults with bikers and a Motorcycle Club, and you're nearly there. The plot is far more complicated than this but in essence it's a forbidden biker romance story.

Jagger is the president of the Sinner's Tribe MC and Arianne/Vexy is the daughter of their main rivals. They shouldn't want each and they definitely shouldn't be together but their sizzling chemistry draws them together and all hell breaks loose.

I loved Arianne's sassy biker chick side and appreciated how she managed to stand up to the bikers and wasn't scared by them. Even with the many biker books I've read I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully get my head around the idea of 'propery' and women knowing their place, but I appreciate this different culture and I definitely like the leather cuts! This being said it was nice to see a female character in a MC book who was already part of the culture and respected the rules. She may not always agree with all the macho attitudes but she's respectful and never gives in to whinging like many other women in this genre often do.

I couldn't decide whether I really liked Jagger or wanted to hit him. He goes from bad ass and scary, to hot and demanding, to sweet and protective - it's very conflicting but I really approved of his protectiveness in terms of Arianne. I did find myself wondering if people actually speak like the characters do in the book and whether guys really think like Jagger (now I've got Moves Like Jagger in my head).

The star-crossed element made the plot more interesting than your average contemporary romance. Arianne's brother is called Jeff which did keep reminding me of Marie's brother (also called) Jeff in Joanna Wylde's Reaper's Property - but the story is very different.


I really liked Cade and am looking forward to him getting his own book. Will he be able to win you-know-who around?


4 hot Stars in my Sky!




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30 January 2015

The Dangerous Love of a Rogue - Release Blast


The Dangerous Love of a Rogue
by Jane Lark


Dangerous Love of a rogue_Jane Lark 300dbi


Series: Marlow Intrigue
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: January 29, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins


"The game is on with Pembroke’s little sister…" Lord Drew Framlington watched Miss Mary Marlow. The woman had been warned to keep away from him, but she had a little contrary in her soul. She had not been deterred. Perhaps she had a taste for bad hidden beneath her cold denials, or a liking for naughtiness in her soul – either of which appealed.
"Stop pretending you do not like me…" Lord Framlington had urged Mary, "Stop running..." Her body urged her to as much as he did. Something pulled her towards him. Something unknown and all consuming… and yet how could she disobey her father and her brother...




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Author Spotlight:

Jane Lark reads at The Festival of Romance, 2013
Jane is a writer of authentic, passionate, and emotional Historical and New Adult Romance, and a Kindle top 25 bestselling author.

She began her first historical novel at sixteen, but a life full of adversity derailed her as she lives with the restrictions of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
When she finally completed a novel it was because she was determined not to reach forty still saying, I want to write.

Now Jane is writing a Regency series and contemporary, new adult, stories and she is thrilled to be giving her characters life in others’ imaginations at last.
You might think that Jane was inspired to write by Jane Austen, especially as she lives near Bath in the United Kingdom, but you would be wrong. Jane’s favourite author is Anya Seton, and the book which drew her into the bliss of falling into historical imagination was ‘Katherine’ a story crafted from reality.

Jane has drawn on this inspiration to discover other real-life love stories, reading memoirs and letters to capture elements of the past, and she uses them to create more realistic plots.

‘Basically I love history and I am sucker for a love story. I love the feeling of falling in love; it’s wonderful being able to do it time and time again in fiction.’
Jane is also a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, and uses this specialist understanding of people to bring her characters to life.



Giveaways:

Signed copy of The Lost Love of a Soldier and The Illicit Love of a Courtesan (One Winner)
      Historical books for £20 or $30 Amazon voucher plus signed copies, to end April, 30th





New Adult books for a £30 or $40 Amazon voucher and signed copies of The Starting Out Series £30 or $40 Amazon voucher and win all of the Starting Out Series in print to close on March 31st. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Review coming 5th Feb!



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Losing At Love Cover Reveal

Losing at Love by Jennifer Iacopelli
Cover Reveal

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: February 24th


book2-publicity-front


Grass courts, tennis whites and the fiercest competition in the world. Wimbledon. After two crazy weeks in Paris, the girls of the Outer Banks Tennis Academy are headed to London with just one thing on their minds: winning. Indiana Gaffney is fresh off a surprise win at the French Open junior tournament. Sponsors are clamoring for her attention, but what she wants more than anything—aside from a wild card to Wimbledon—is to be with Jack Harrison, but international fame and a secret relationship rarely mix well. When Penny Harrison dreamed of playing at Wimbledon she never imagined agonizing pain shooting through her ankle with every step. With just a month until the tournament and the whole world expecting her to win, she’s determined to play, with or without the support of her coach or the love of her life, Alex Russell. For the first time ever, no one expects anything from Jasmine Randazzo. After a crushing first-round defeat in the French Open juniors, the tennis world has given up on her, but worse than that, so have her parents, her best friend Teddy and maybe even her coach. With everyone writing her off, can she find it within herself to go after her dreams?


Add on Goodreads!

AND...

Reveal for the new redesign of Game. Set. Match. Jennifer is sharing an excerpt from Losing at Loveas well as a giveaway, so be sure to check it all out.


book1-publicity-front


Excerpt:

Stepping into the sunshine, Indy shouldered her bag and turned towards the OBX library, her mind running through the assignments she still had to complete when a shadow crossed over her path, a large body falling into step with her, close, but not touching, their strides matching.

“Jack,” she said, glancing up at him sideways, a small smile threatening at the corner of her mouth.

“Indiana,” he said, echoing back her name, sending a shiver down her spine. He was the only one allowed to call her that, the only person who made the name she’d hated since forever sound friggin’ good.

They walked together without another word, turning the corner that separated the courts from the residential area of the complex, but her stride was suddenly cut off when Jack shuffled his feet, sliding his arm around her waist and pulled her into a shady walkway between buildings. Her bag slid off her shoulder, but he caught it before it crashed to the ground and smashed her laptop to smithereens. He let it settle on the ground gently before leaning over her, forcing her to step back into the wall.

Walls were their thing. Their first kiss had been against a wall in a random hallway at Roland Garros, their second pressed against the wall of their hotel in Paris and now that they were back in North Carolina, they found any excuse to push each other against a wall and kiss until they were gasping for air and their bodies begged for relief. Jack’s lips trailed from her temple, using the wall behind her as an anchor before bending his head to hers. Pushing up onto her toes, Indy met him halfway. She’d never been so grateful for every millimeter of her five feet ten inches as she was when she was kissing Jack. His hands slid through her hair, twisting it around his fingers, then cradling the back of her head, drawing her mouth more firmly against his. Indy brought her hands to his torso, gripping his t-shirt, letting her palms press against the cut of muscle that disappeared into his cargo shorts. The skin on skin contact made his breath hitch, his mouth opening just enough to allow her tongue to slide in, deepening the kiss, before letting her teeth nip at his bottom lip. A groan rumbled in his throat as he stumbled forward, pressing his body full length against hers. He wrenched his lips from hers, trailing his mouth over the line of her jaw to the spot just behind her ear. It was her turn to gasp and her head fell back as she arched into him. No one had ever kissed her there before. Jack smiled against her skin as her fingertips dug into his sides and she let a moan slip free as he focused his attention on that spot, scraping his teeth against it then soothing that small pain with a flick of his tongue. Her hands scrambled to get purchase against his shoulders, desperate for some leverage, anything to help her slide her body against his. Then he was gone, his hand gone from her hair, his mouth gone from her neck and his body inches then feet away. Indy blinked at him, trying to figure out what happened when the voices echoing down the pathway towards them finally reached her ears.

Bending down, he lifted her bag as she ran her fingers through her hair, knowing he’d made an unholy mess of it. “You’re fine,” he muttered, handing her the bag, then keeping the distance between them as a group of junior boys stomped past them, none giving them a second glance.

“You have good ears,” Indy said, biting her lip at the close call. If those boys had seen them, the news would have spread like wildfire through the OBX campus and everyone would have known by the end of the day. She was only seventeen for another few months, but that wasn’t really the problem, seventeen or eighteen wouldn’t matter to other people. She was a young tennis pro, he was an up and coming agent. The last thing either of their careers needed was the heightened publicity of a controversial relationship, even if Jack Harrison was far more of a gentleman than any guy she’d ever met. Sometimes a little too much of a gentleman, truth be told.

Jack shrugged, glancing back over his shoulder again before facing her fully. “I’m sorry about this.”

She reached out and took his hand, “We both agreed,” she said, entwining their fingers together, “it’s just between us for now. It makes sense for the both of us.” Pressing his lips together in a thin line, he nodded, but she knew he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Jack, we talked about this. You said you were okay with it.”

“I just wish it were different,” he said, tugging her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. His hands released hers and dropped to her hips, the edges of his thumbs brushing against her hipbones in slow circles sending shivers over her skin.

“Me too.” She wanted to scream it from the rooftops that this amazing guy was hers. That he had deep green eyes and a smile that brightened them whenever he looked at her. That he was brilliant in ways that she couldn’t even fathom with his degree from Harvard. That he’d fought their attraction for so long because of that ingrained sense of honor, like one of those heroes in a fairy tale, except Jack was real, flesh and blood.

"Have you thought...maybe we should tell Penny?" Indy asked, her fingertips landing on his forearms, gently stroking up to his elbows and back down to his wrists.

Jack let out a heavy breath. "Penny has a lot on her plate right now."

"I know, I just feel funny keeping it from her. Jasmine knows."

"We'll do whatever you want to do. This is your show, baby."

"I don't need a supportive…" she hesitated, almost using the word boyfriend, but that didn't really fit, did it? Not if they were keeping it a secret, "I need honest Jack."

He leaned back, looking her in the eye. "Honest? Honestly, my sister doesn't do well with change. It freaks her out and right now, I'm not sure that the idea of you and me will go over that well. On the other hand, if we don't tell her and she finds out?"

"She'll be pissed."

"Yep."

"Maybe we wait a little longer. We could tell her in London?"

Jack nodded, "Face to face instead of over the phone."

“There’s always Skype,” she said, not really sure if she wanted to know what Penny, the only girl who’d made an effort to befriend her when she first arrived at OBX, would think if she found out she and Jack were together.

“There’s that.”

Indy shook her head. They should do it in person. They should have done it before they left Paris, but Penny had been so devastated by withdrawing from the tournament that it hadn’t felt like the right time then either. “In London. We’ll be there in less than a week. We’ll tell her then.”

“Okay, in London.” They stood there for a moment, just breathing each other in until Jack leaned away. “I’ve gotta go. I have a meeting with a potential new client this afternoon and I’ve got to prep.”

Indy snorted a laugh. “Right, like you don’t already have a complete profile worked up along with potential sponsors to contact if they sign.”

“You know me so well,” he said, leaning around the building, checking the pathway for any more unwanted spectators. “I’ll go this way.”

Indy nodded back in the opposite direction. “And I’ll go that way.”

With a bow, he was gone, around the corner and out of sight, so she turned and adjusted her bag over her shoulder, heading out from between the buildings and towards the library. She’d have about half the time to get her Calc done than she originally planned. Fingertips pressing against that spot on her neck lightly recalling the feel of his mouth and the way her entire body was lit on fire by his touch, it was totally worth it.

“Are you sure that is a good idea?” a voice rang out from just a few steps behind her, the French accent giving its owner away, if the superiority and condescension weren’t enough of a clue. Indy spun around and came face to face with her agent, tall, blonde, perfectly put together in a silk blouse and linen skirt, somehow looking completely cool and calm despite the blaze of the sun. She was in town before they all left for England, mostly to go over her plans for Indy’s future off the court.

A denial formed on Indy’s tongue, but she knew it was useless. Caroline had seen them and it probably just confirmed what she’d suspected for a while. Her agent was damn good at her job and it wasn’t like she and Jack had been super careful about keeping private moments behind closed doors. “Good idea or not, it’s none of your business.”

Raising her eyes to the sky and shaking her head Caroline said, “You are my business, Indiana.”

“How many times do I have to say it? Don’t call me that, and my tennis is your business,” Indy corrected. “Keep your nose out of everything else.”

“It is not that simple,” Caroline insisted, her voice inching up in pitch.

“It really is.” She turned on her toe and walked away, wanting to look back, hoping that Caroline’s brow was furrowed and her hands were on her hips, lips pursed in aggravation. But looking back would ruin the moment because despite getting in the last word, Caroline now had the upper hand and it was only a matter of time before she used it to her advantage.




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To celebrate the cover reveal, Game. Set. Match. is on sale for .99!!



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Game. Set. Match.

Nestled along the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the world's most elite training facility. In this pressure-cooker environment, futures are forged in blood and sweat, and dreams are shattered in an instant. Penny Harrison, a rising female star, is determined to win the French Open and beat her archrival, Zina Lutrova. But when her coach imports British bad boy Alex Russell as her new training partner, will Penny be able to keep her laser-like focus? Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. The daughter of two Grand Slam champions, she's hell-bent on extending her family’s legacy and writing her own happily-ever-after...until her chosen Prince Charming gives her the just-friends speech right before the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic. With a powerful serve and killer forehand, newcomer Indiana Gaffney is turning heads. She’s thrilled by all of the attention, especially from Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and hot older brother, except he keeps backing off every time things start heating up. With so much at stake, dreams—and hearts—are bound to break. Welcome to OBX: Where LOVE is a four-letter word, on and off the court.



Amazon * B&N * iTunes * Kobo * Goodreads



Author Spotlight:

Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 3.09.39 PMJennifer Iacopelli was born in New York and has no plans to leave...ever. Growing up, she read everything she could get her hands on, but her favorite authors were Laura Ingalls Wilder, L.M. Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett all of whom wrote about kick-ass girls before it was cool for girls to be kick-ass. She got a Bachelor's degree in Adolescence Education and English Literature quickly followed up by a Master's in Library Science, which lets her frolic all day with her books and computers, leaving plenty of time in the evenings to write and yell at the Yankees, Giants and her favorite tennis players through the TV.




Jennifer’s giveaway!!





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29 January 2015

What If Paperback Release


As much as I love my kindle nothing beats having the actual book in my hands. 

Well the fabulously clever WHAT IF by Rebecca Donovan (see my review here) is now available on paperback.






You can pick up a copy here:

Amazon US * Amazon UK

Add to Goodreads



WHAT IF follows Cal Logan from childhood to college and is told through a series of flashbacks and memories from his core group of lifelong friends.  Including shy Nicole Bentley, Cal’s childhood crush who mysteriously moved away without any explanation right after their high school graduation.   Now away at college, Cal is shocked to see Nicole in the local coffee shop—except she’s not Nicole. 

Nyelle Preston introduces herself to Cal and despite looking similar enough to Nicole to be twins; their personalities are nothing alike.  Where Nicole was reserved and shy, Nyelle is impulsive and outgoing.  Call is instantly attracted to her and feels a connection that he knows can’t be real.  Who is this young woman who looks so much like his lost friend but claims to be someone else?  And more importantly, what is she hiding?


WHAT IF is a story of first love, and loss but also these strong, enduring friendships that are such an integral part of growing up.


Enter the publisher paperback giveaway below:

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Author Spotlight:

Rebecca Donovan is the USA Today bestselling author of the highly-acclaimed New Adult trilogy, The Breathing Series. Her novels include: Reason to BreatheBarely Breathing, and Out of Breath.  When not writing, Rebecca can be found online at www.rebeccadonovan.com and www.facebook.com/rebeccadonovan.  She lives in Massachusetts with her son. 







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28 January 2015

Kick Tour, Giveaway & Review


Kick by Carmen Jenner
RELEASE DATE: January 26th, 2015


When I was ten, my father indoctrinated me into the family.
A brotherhood who would fight, protect, and give their lives for one another. A club whose ties ran thicker than blood, murkier than the dirt and grime that tainted my soul. Stronger than the bonds that connected me to my own family.
A band of brothers, where loyalty was kept and paid in a currency of blood.
When I was twenty-seven, I betrayed that brotherhood.
I’ve spent every day since running, avoiding paying back that debt.
My name is Daniel Johnson.  I have betrayed everyone I ever loved.
And I’ll betray her too.
This is my story—if you’re screwed up enough to want to read it.

Warning: KICK contains graphic violence, profanity, drug use, and explicit sexual situations of a taboo nature. Intended for an 18+ audience only. Not intended for pussies.

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Buy Links: 

Kick trailer:




Visit the Saint Savage MC official website

Author Spotlight:

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY Best Selling Author, doctor, pilot and CIA agent.  She's also a compulsive, flagrant prevaricator who gets to make things up for a living.

While Sugartown may not technically exist, Carmen grew up in a small Australian town just like it, and just like her characters, she always longed for something more. They didn't have an Elijah Cade, though.
If they did, you can be sure she would have never left.







Other books by Carmen Jenner:

Welcome to Sugartown 
Amazon B&N * iTunes

Enjoy Your Stay
Amazon * B&N iTunes

Greetings from Sugartown
Amazon B&N iTunes


Welcome to Sugartown Website





Excerpt:



I take a deep shuddering breath, close my eyes and stretch my hand towards him. His touch is gentle this time, far more gentle than I’d ever thought someone with so much uncontained violence to him could be.
“Spread your fingers,” he commands. I do, and he lifts the roll of tape, presses the edge to my skin and begins winding it over my knuckles. I close my eyes. The strident sound of it stretching out from the roll makes me want to flee. It makes me want to run as far from his touch—from any man’s touch—as I can possibly get.
The feel of the tape against my flesh, binding, holding, is so much worse. I tug on my hand, but he won’t let go. My heartrate skyrockets, and sweat beads erupt over my brow and upper lip. I’m in that room again, struggling, screaming, trying to fight them off, and failing.
 Biker knows it, too. His dark eyes challenge, they dare me to run, but they also implore me to stay. It’s ironic that the only thing keeping me here, keeping me grounded, is the man who abducted me.
He holds my gaze. I don’t know exactly what is hidden in his dark blue one, but it suffocates the panic within me, douses it like water flooding flames. He bends his head to my hand. Taking the paper tape in his mouth, he rips it with his teeth.
I still. I soften. His gaze doesn’t leave mine, not even once. Not even when he starts in on my wrist, gently biting through each piece of tape before pressing it down with his rough hands. I’m mesmerised by his mouth, the piercing, and the soft, full lips. The light catches a silver chain around his neck, something I’ve never noticed before—but then I try not to make a habit of staring too closely at him. Not now, though. Now I watch every twitch, every blink, every intake of breath, and every inch that is swallowed up by his mouth moving closer to my flesh.


I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!





What I say: I've read quite a few MC books recently and whilst some seem to border on romanticising biker lives, others focus on the more brutal aspects of living in the outlaw biker world - KICK definitely fits into the later category. The story is very dark in places, so much so that Carmen Jenner provides a strong warning at the start of the book. If violence (including sexual) is a trigger for you then KICK is probably not the book for you. 

Daniel aka Kick has always lived the biker life and doesn't know anything else. He's witnessed time and again how brutal it can be and has committed some horrible acts himself. In his world, violence rules the way and the club comes first. Women are either whores or old ladies but either way they do what they're told. 

Kick's backstory was interesting and very different from past MC books I've read. I wasn't quite expecting the level of violence (even with the warning) because Jenner takes her characters to a very dark place - but she also provide moments of light and hope. In with the violence and power struggles are stories of loss, love, betrayal and banter.

I couldn't decide how I felt about Indie and some of the other girls in the book, but the main thing I noticed was that they were all really damaged. What Indie goes through is horrible, but I appreciated how she kept fighting and how she stood up to Kick and the brothers. I'm not going to lie, certain scenes had me on edge and I kept thinking how many times can one poor woman suffer but I'm glad I stayed with the story.

4 traumatic Stars in my Sky!








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