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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Spotlight: The Socialite by J’nell Ciesielski


Author: J’nell Ciesielski
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: April 14, 2020

Glamour, treachey, and espionage collide when an English socialite rushes to save her sister from the Nazis.

As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has a certain set of responsibilities. But chasing her wayward sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Now accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that her Nazi boyfriend provides, Ellie has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate for them—but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Arrested for simply trying to defend himself against a drunken bully, Barrett Anderson is given the option of going to jail or serving out his sentence by training Resistance fighters in Paris. A bar owner serves as the perfect disguise to entertain Nazis at night while training fighters right below their jackboots during the day. Being assigned to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. Can Barrett and Kat trust each other long enough to survive, or will their hearts prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner?

Purchase Links

About J’nell Ciesielski

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages Award and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.

Connect with J’nell

Review tour:

Monday, April 13th: @mixed_matched_socks
Wednesday, April 15th: Literary Quicksand
Friday, April 17th: Austen Prose
Monday, April 20th: Books and Cats and Coffee
Monday, April 20th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Wednesday, April 22nd: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Thursday, April 23rd: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife
Friday, April 24th: 100 Pages a Day
Monday, April 27th: @babygotbooks13
Tuesday, April 28th: Jathan & Heather
Thursday, April 30th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, May 4th: Orange County Readers and @orangecountyreads
Tuesday, May 5th: Read Eat Repeat
Wednesday, May 6th: @rendezvous_with_reading
Monday, May 11th: Into the Hall of Books
Wednesday, May 13th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Thursday, May 14th: Openly Bookish
Friday, May 15th: Girl Who Reads


Wednesday, April 29, 2020

April Mini Musings



All Your Twisted Secrets:  I loved the premise of this book and I was all in for the story.  Unfortunately, I didn't love the execution.  I was a bit bored by the story.  I wasn't a fan of  going between the present and past.  I was disappointed in the truth of why they were there.  Which led to the unfortunate ending, which I hated.  It's not all bad, just not one I would run out and recommend.

Redemption Prep:  I'm not sure I really understood big the reveal of this book.  It took a very weird turn. I didn't think the villian did a good enough job of explaining the purpose of the school.  That was a big let down after enjoying most of the book.  I liked to premise, the characters and the air of mystery in the school.  I just wish the ending was clearer.  It was also kind of open ended, which I'm not a fan of.  Maybe there will be a sequel that will clear things up more.

Curse the Day:  This was a really cute supernatural mystery that is also the first in a series.  I loved it because it didn't seem to take itself seriously.  Which is just what I needed at the moment.  The main character was hilarious and took the revelations about herself in stride.  I can't wait ot read more of the series.

Married by Mistake:  This was a cute romance.  I enjoyed the characters, especially Brock. He was very sweet. The couple had fun banter.  My only wish was that the book was a little longer.  I think the romance HEA would have been a little more to support it.  The ending was a little abrupt.

Cover Reveal: That's the Way I Loved You by Carrie Aarons




Check out this dreamy, GORGEOUS cover for Carrie Aarons' next release! That's the Way I Loved You releases on May 14, and it's a romantic, angsty read! It's a contemporary, second chance romance inspired by the movie Sweet Home Alabama.

Author: Carrie Aarons

Publication date: May  14, 2020
Add it to your TBR: bit.ly/TtWILYtbr

Savannah

This town ain't big enough for the two of us.
Which is why I left.

I was determined never to return to Hale, Texas. But when my new life in the Big Apple throws me a curve ball, I have to go back to tie up loose ends. One of those being him.

Jason Whitney was my first everything. Kiss, love, epic heartbreak. He shattered my world once upon a time, and apparently, he’s not done yet.

With old demons lurking around every corner, hightailing it out of my hometown is at the top of my list. Complete my unfinished business, and I get to leave any memory of my country existence behind.

Only, with each day I spend in it, with each moment I spend with him, I’m turning back into the girl who laid in the tall grass and swam in the creek all those years ago.

And I’m not sure that who I was is ready to let me go again.

Jason

We drew a line down the middle, and neither of us has crossed it.
That is, until Savannah Reese blew back into our hometown.

The day my high school sweetheart left, she took my whole heart with her. We promised each other forever, made plans that only teenagers could believe in, and crashed and burned on the grandest of scales.

When Savannah last saw me, I was a disgraced high school athlete. All washed up, I took it out on the only person who loved me. Then her world really fell apart, and I was too selfish to care.

Now she’s back, ready to sell the only remaining thing tying us to each other. I’ve been breaking my back for the last ten years not to think about her, not to be reminded of the love we shared.

But now that she’s right here, it’s impossible to forget how we used to be. Or let go of what we still are.

About the author:


Author of romance novels such as The Tenth Girl and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She’s a Jersey girl living in Texas with her husband, daughter and furry son.

Author Links
Visit Carrie's website: authorcarrieaarons.com
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Review: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Author: Holly Jackson
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Publication Date: February 2020

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.


I am always on the hunt for a great mystery with surprise after surprise.  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder fits the bill.  The story involves Pip, who decides to try to solve a murder for her Capstone senior project.  She believes that Sal was innocent of murdering his girlfriend.  She teams up with Sal's brother to find the truth.

As I said, I really enjoyed this mystery.  I listened to the audiobook and didn't want to stop listening until it was over.  There are so many twists in this book.  I definitely was surprised as each one was revealed.  The author did a great job at keeping me engaged and on the edge of my seat.  The characters were enjoyable and teens I actually cared about.  I felt like they were well fleshed out and not flat generic YA characters. I loved Pippa's intellect and drive to find the truth.  But I also loved her loyalty to her family and friends. Apparently, this is the first in a series and Pippa and Ravi will show up again in another book.  I look forward to reading it.  This is a really enjoyable debut novel and I highly recommend it.

Excerpt Reveal: 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy


Today, we have an excerpt from the first book in the new Tactical Crime Division series, 48 Hour Lockdown.  Stay tuned for reviews coming up in May and June for all four books!



Author: Carla Cassidy 
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
Publication Date: April 2020

A new miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue.


Stopping criminal activity wherever it happens. The agents at the Tactical Crime Division are ready for anything.

More and more, federal law agencies have to mobilize to remote locations to address large-scale crime

scenes and criminal activity—terror, hostage situations, kidnappings, shootings and the like. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever increasing response times to these criminal events, the Bureau created a specialized tech and tactical team, combining specialists from several active divisions—weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation, IT. Because they are a smaller unit, they are more nimble for rapid deployment and assistance to address various situations. This joint team of agents is known as the Tactical Crime Division (TCD).

CAST OF CHARACTERS
Evan Duran—Special Agent Duran is a hostage negotiator for the Tactical Crime Division, a specialized branch of the FBI.
Annalise Taylor—A teacher held hostage at a private school. She’s also Evan’s ex-lover. She’d broken his heart several years before, and now he holds her life in his hands.
Jacob Noble—Is he the leader of a charitable church or the dangerous leader of a cult?
Gretchen Noble—Jacob’s wife, who is not afraid to abuse or kill. Will she kill Annalise before she can be freed?
Hendrick Maynard—Brilliant tech agent for the Tactical Crime Division. Will he be able to get the
information Evan needs or will he be destroyed by old painful memories?
Walter Cummings—Chief of police in Asheville. Would his incompetence be the death of the hostages?

Purchase links:

Enjoy this excerpt:

***
As he drove he made a few phone calls, and he finally pulled up in front of the nondescript brick
building where TCD’s offices were located. He parked, got out of his car and hurried inside. As he strode down the hallway toward the main meeting room, he could hear Director Jill Pembrook apparently still conducting the morning meeting.
The main conference room was the heart of the office. It was where assignments were handed
out and situations were brainstormed. The agents sat at a long, highly glossed wooden table. On one
wall was an oversize FBI logo, and opposite that was the TCD emblem. A large, digital flat screen was mounted on the far side of the room, and a tablet lay at the head of the table.
Evan burst through the door. Director Jill Pembrook looked at him in surprise. “Agent Duran,
how nice of you to join us on your day off.”
The director was an attractive, stylish woman of substance with cropped steel gray hair and a
penchant for dark, custom-tailored suits.
She’d been with the FBI for over forty years, and she was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Her blue eyes could be warm and friendly or they could frost a puddle of water into a sheet of ice.
“I just saw the news out of Pearson,” he stated. “I need to get there… It’s Annalise.”
There was a collective groan from some of the other agents. Evan ignored it. “I’ll need you to
arrange a plane to be ready for takeoff. Also, I’ll need Hendrick’s help on this. And I’m taking Agents Brennan and Lathrop with me.”
“Call off the SEAL team, Duran is on the case, everyone,” “Agent at Large” Kane Bradshaw
murmured as the three men headed for the door.
Evan ignored him. While he liked Kane okay, there were times in the past they had butted heads
when Kane could sometimes be a bit of an arrogant jerk. Director Pembrook though tolerated his glib
attitude. And while Kane had no official rank as an agent with the bureau, he had an extensive
background with deep black ops.
Hendrick Maynard, the tech guru nodded. “You got it,” he answered without hesitation.
“Heading to my desk now. I’ll send you any relevant info ASAP.”
The director narrowed her eyes, and Evan felt the frost radiating from her. “Agent Duran, you
are way out of line.” She paused and continued to hold his gaze. “Ten minutes ago North Carolina state officials called for federal help…” She paused and he was wondering if he should offer to submit his resignation. “You will also take Special Agent Rogers along with the others. This is an all hands on deck situation. Rowan as usual will accompany you and provide team support.”
Rowan Cooper, an attractive woman with long dark hair who worked as a liaison between the
local police departments and the TCD team members, also rose and followed the men out the door. She accompanied any crew that deployed to a different location. Her specialty was smoothing over any personality difference or turf wars among different law enforcement units on scene. But her main
responsibility was arranging overnight accommodations and making sure the agents had what they
needed in order to remain focused on the task at hand.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied to the director. He knew he’d overstepped boundaries by barging in,
but he’d felt the need to act immediately when he’d heard about the situation… About Annalise…
“Plane leaves in twenty minutes. Now go,” Di-rector Pembrook said. To him she added,
“Duran…don’t pull this kind of stunt again.”
Evan would have offered to quit after the assignment if he met any resistance from the director
to him heading up the detail due to his personal connection to Annalise. Nothing was going to keep him from negotiating this hostage situation.
“Never,” Evan replied before turning to leave.

About the author:

About Carla Cassidy: Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

Purchase links:

Monday, April 27, 2020

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of The Lasaran by Dianne Duvall


The Lasaran
Book #1 Aldebarian Alliance
By Dianne Duvall
April 21, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters.

Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.

After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.

Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?

My thoughts:

The Lasaran is the first book in a new Sci-fi spin-off series.  The last book in the Immortal Guardian Series, Death of Darkness, left us all on a cliffhanger.  The first half of this book tells us covers the events the lead up to the mysterious strangers showing up at the door.  This is Taelon and Lisa's story.  It is so hard to talk about any of these books at this point without giving away spoilers for the Immortal Guardian series or this one.  I'll just say that I loved this first book and am so excited to have two series to devour from this author.  I loved Taelon and Lisa.  I loved their back story and their bond. I loved the direction the new series is taking.  Of course, this one ends in kind of a cliff-hanger, with the fates of some characters unknown.  I hope we get answers real soon!  I highly recommend this one.  You won't be disappointed!




Mythoughts:



Enjoy this excerpt:

The bathroom door opened. He turned as Lisa stepped out.
Leaving the light on, she pulled the door almost closed so a little light would illuminate the room for them.
Taelon turned off the overhead light and crossed to the bed.
Lisa faced him on the other side of it and fiddled with the edge of her towel. “My clothes are still wet.”
“Mine are, too.”
“I’m thinking there’s no way this towel is going to stay around me while I sleep.”
“Do you wish to sleep without it?” he asked, willing his body not to respond to just the idea of it.
“Um . . .”
“I can sleep on the floor.”
“Hell no. Not with those wounds. You’ll sleep in the bed with me. I’m just . . . not exactly an exhibitionist.”
He hesitated. “I don’t think my translator is giving me an accurate definition of that word.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You have a translator?”
“Yes. All members of the Aldebarian Alliance do.”
She studied him curiously. “Where is it?”
He pointed to his head, just behind his ear. “Embedded in my brain.”
“I’m surprised the doctors at the base didn’t remove it.”
“Their scans failed to detect it because it isn’t metal and appears to be part of my skull when viewed with your more primitive scanning devices.”
“That’s trippy.”
“That word isn’t translating at all.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What did it tell you an exhibitionist is?”
“A street performer.”
She laughed. “When I said I’m not an exhibitionist, I meant I’m not comfortable flaunting my naked body.” She glanced down and wrinkled her nose. “Especially when it looks like this.”
“You’re shy?”
“More self-conscious than shy,” she admitted. “I don’t know. I guess, despite my actions earlier, I just don’t want you to see me naked.”
Surprise coursed through him. “You don’t want ME to see YOU naked?”
Her brow furrowed. “Yeah.”
Taelon shook his head. “Lisa, you’re beautiful.” When she started to speak, he held up a hand. “I’m not saying that to put you at ease. I think you’re lovely. So much so that I’ve honestly been having a hard time keeping myself from staring at you too long.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “Really?”
“Yes.” He motioned to the towel at his hips. “This doesn’t exactly hide my body’s response to you, so I’ve been trying to keep my focus from drifting lower than your pretty face. You’re beautiful, Lisa. If anyone should wish to hide his body, it’s me. I’m quite a bit thinner than I used to be.”
Her eyes widened. “Seriously?” She motioned to his form. “You have all that muscle.”
“I used to have more. And I’m covered with all these ghastly wounds and scars because I’m too weak to regenerate. I don’t know how you can stand to look at me or manage not to grimace when you touch me. So again, I will offer to sleep on the floor.”
She stared at him, unspeaking.
“I won’t be offended if you don’t wish to sleep with me,” he assured her. Assuming an exaggeratedly somber expression, he rested a hand over his heart and spoke in dejected tones. “I will just be deeply, deeply hurt.”
Her lips twitched, then she laughed. “You are so freaking likable.”
He smiled. “I feel the same about you.”
“Okay then. We’re both adults. And neither one of us is physically up to engaging in anything amorous anyway, so—”
“Well,” he said with a grin, “that isn’t precisely true.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Stop making me blush!”
He laughed.







The Immortal Guardians Series:



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.

Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online . . .

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads | Book Bub | Instagram



Tour-Wide Giveaway:

- (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
- (2) An Aldebarian Alliance, Immortal Guardians, and The Gifted Ones by Dianne Duvall Prize Pack

*Please be aware, that should conditions worsen due to COVID-19, the author reserves the right to substitute an Amazon.com gift card of their choice amount for the prize pack. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 

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Sunday, April 26, 2020

April DNF Books



We Didn't Ask for This: I think this book suffered from me definitely not being the right demographic for this book.  As a mom, I couldn't get past a school that would shut the school and let the students have the run of the building with no chaperones.  I also found the activism to be a bit preachy. I DNF'd at 20%.

The Last to Die:  I really tried to get into this one.  I enjoy teen thriller/.mysteries.  However, the characters were horrible.  It was also pretty unrealistic.  Police are not allowed to interview minors with a parent present.  None of the teens showed much emotion. I say skip it.

Red Lotus: I read about 50% of this book and was so bored. I didn't really care to ever find out what the boyfriend was really up to.  Alexis never seemed to be that upset about the death of her boyfriend.  There was little intrigue.  The story felt unfocused and all over the place.  It's not worth it.

The Wedding Date Bargain:  I was never convinced that the main female character in this book really wanted to get rid of her virginity so callously. Her roommate's commentary on it was so off-putting.  Who cares if she wants to wait? I didn't love this couple together. The fun from the first book was lost in this one.  I stopped at about 30%.

Spotlight: Excerpt of Head over Paws by Debbie Bruns

Author: Debbie Burns
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: 4/28/2020

Who rescued who? Love can lead to your forever home in this charming contemporary romance from best-selling author Debbie Burns.

Olivia Graham isn't in a place to have a dog of her own, but her new position as a volunteer rescue driver for the local animal shelter will keep her close to her four-legged friends. When she's called to transport pets that have been misplaced by flooding, she doesn't hesitate to help, but then her aging car breaks down…

Veterinarian Gabe Wentworth, former EMT and firefighter, is also heading to the rescue site and reluctantly agrees to pick up Olivia on the way. After a bad breakup, Gabe's embraced the hermit life. When he meets Olivia, he can't deny their irresistible mutual attraction, and his first thought is to run the other direction. But then the two band together in a risky maneuver to save a beautiful abandoned dog from rising floodwaters. The more Gabe learns about the woman who would risk everything to save vulnerable animals, the more he realizes what he might be willing to risk…


Purchase Links:

Excerpt:

Olive and Gabe spotted the house at the same time.
“If we’re too late…” She swallowed back the rest. They weren’t too late. They were right on time. It couldn’t be any other way.
Gabe’s tires skidded to a halt on the wet gravel driveway. The teens who’d spotted the dog were nowhere in sight. Olivia grabbed the bolt cutters and hopped out into the rain. The soft gurgle of rushing water made the hair on the back of her neck and arms stand on end. Gabe jogged around to the back of the truck, and in the space of a minute, he had a tightly wound rope slung over his shoulder, a set of gloves shoved into his back pocket, and an ax and a jumbled mass of nylon in one hand.
As they headed along the side of the house, his free hand locked around her elbow. “Look, I don’t want to come off sounding like a macho prick, but there’s no trusting floodwater, not the current, not what it carries. So, if I don’t like the look of things, I’m going to ask you to hang back. I’d appreciate it if you’d trust me. I don’t want to have to choose between saving a dog and saving you.”
Electricity raced up her arm at the gentle strength in his grip, and his words struck a chord. She was a good swimmer, but she’d never swum in a current before. “Okay. You say it like you have experience in floodwater.”
“Technically, I do. Ten hours of water rescue training and one real-time rescue.”
Olivia started to ask him what he meant, but they’d rounded the corner of the house, and her heart lurched into her throat. A hundred or so feet out in the rushing, choppy water there was a dog pen attached to a small, rotted shed. From the creaks and groans emanating from it, the shed was on the verge of collapsing from the massive pressure of the water rushing into and past it.
Inside the pen, a large liver-brown and spotted-white hound balanced precariously atop a nearly submerged doghouse that must have been swept by the pressure of the water into the far corner. He was standing on all fours, his gangly legs balancing on the half-hexagon roof, his tail tucked tightly between his legs, and his head bowed low. The dog let out a giant bay that stabbed straight into Olivia’s heart.
“Water moving this fast has undercurrents, and you never know when you’re going to step into a strong one.” Gabe’s free hand locked around Olivia’s arm another a second or two. “Would you stay back and hold the rope for me? We could use that tree as a pivot joint.”
Olivia frowned. If she went in and the water knocked her off her feet, four years of high-school swim team might enable her to reach the pen, but there’d be no carrying out a dog that size through the water. She was willing to bet he was seventy or eighty pounds. Pushing through rushing water while holding a gangly, heavy dog would be a challenge even for Gabe, and he probably had half a foot of height and fifty pounds on her.
It was Olivia’s turn to squeeze Gabe’s arm, and even in the stress of the moment, some instinctive part of her responded to the solid feel of his biceps. “Just promise not to get into anything you can’t handle.”
“I’ll do my best.” He pulled out the gloves tucked into his back pocket and offered them to her along with the rope. “You’ll need gloves to hold the rope if I end up fighting with that water.”
The dog let out a series of long bays. To Olivia’s horror, she realized the water was close to tipping the doghouse over right underneath him. It was knocking back and forth against the metal fence of the pen from the pressure of the water. Dogs can swim, Olivia told herself over and over. They’re great swimmers. Even if it tips, he’ll be fine till Gabe reaches him.
Olivia tugged on the several-sizes-too-big gloves as Gabe threaded one end of the long rope through the belt loops of his jeans. His cotton shirt was lifted in the process, exposing an inch or two of remarkably defined obliques and a pronounced vee disappearing into his jeans and sending a wash of saliva over the back of Olivia’s mouth.
When finished, he hooked the backpack-looking strap over his shoulders. Just before he tugged a red-handled pull poking out from its left tip, Olivia realized it was a self-inflating life jacket, just a much slimmer one than the bulky Styrofoam-filled floaty she’d worn strapped around her on float trips as a kid.
Before she realized she was doing it, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. “Be safe.” Certain her face betrayed the easygoing demeanor she hoped to portray, she flushed tomato-red. She could feel the heat of it lighting her skin.
His hazel-green eyes locked on hers for a single second, then he turned and took off down the yard, leaving Olivia to unwind the rope and pivot it around a relatively young but sturdy-looking tree not far out of the water.
“Water’s damn cold for late March,” Gabe said when he was a few feet in. The brown water parted around his legs, rippling in a heart-shaped wave and forming soft bubbles against his jeans.
A large, floating branch struck the shed with a solid whack, bounced against it for a few seconds, then was swept away by the water.
She wanted to keep watching, but Gabe was pushing through the water fast enough that she needed to focus on unwinding the rope and providing him with the right amount of slack. A quick glance showed he was fifteen or twenty feet in, and the water was already over his knees. He still had a long way to go before he reached the dog. As a rush of fear pressed over her, all Olivia could think to do was pray harder than she’d prayed in a long time.
***
Excerpted from Head Over Paws by Debbie Burns. © 2020 by Debbie Burns. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.


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About the author:


Debbie Burns is an award-winning author and 2019 HOLT Medallion Award of Merit recipient. Her highly praised Rescue Me romance series features happily ever afters of the two and four-legged kind. She lives in Saint Louis in a gingerbread house that's almost cute enough to eat. In her free time, you can find her enjoying time with her two teens, two phenomenal rescue dogs, and a somewhat tetchy Maine Coon cat who everyone loves anyway.

Author Website: authordebbieburns.com

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Blog Tour: Review of The Best Mistake by Cookie O'Gorman




Title: The Best Mistake
Author: Cookie O’Gorman
Genre: Contemporary Romance

About The Best Mistake:
Honor Tierney just wants one night with the playboy.
One hot, steamy, meaningless hookup, and then she'll happily go back to reading her favorite books, studying to be an accountant and writing for the campus-paper-nobody-reads.  Too bad she ends up in the wrong bed, with the wrong brother…who gives her the hottest night of her life.
Archer O'Brien just wants to play ball.
Well that, and for his brothers to stop acting out, so he won't have to worry 24/7.  As the oldest O'Brien and team captain, it's his duty to make sure they don't drink too much, party too much, or get in too much trouble.  But when she walks into his bedroom—mistaking him for his brother—life throws him a curveball.
She's determined to guard her heart.  He's not giving up.
And when Honor gets assigned to cover the Wolves baseball team, it's game on.
This new adult sports romance features one hot (and hilarious) case of mistaken identity and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.
Sometimes, the best mistakes are worth making.



My thoughts:

I have to say, I am on a roll lately with great romance reads.  The Best Mistake was no mistake at all.   This book features Archer and Honor.  Archer is the oldest of six kids and an all star baseball player at his college.  He plays with three of his brothers as well.  The O'Briens are stars of the field.  Honor is a book worm who is more at home with books and her book boyfriends. (I was the same way in college!).  

I found this to be a really sweet romance with an adorable and sexy hero and a smart adorable heroine making for a super adorable couple.  Archer is definitely on my book boyfriend list. Even though he was a bit misguided toward the end.  There were some great laugh out loud moments.  I loved the banter with Archer and his siblings.  I also loved Honor's friends.  I'm hoping that the other characters get their own stories really soon!  Please let it be Chase next.  I want him to find his soul mate.  I highly recommend this one!



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About the Author:
Cookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, and The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad are out now!  She is also the author of NA sports romance, The Best Mistake.

Connect with Cookie:

Friday, April 24, 2020

Release Blitz: Twisted Steel Anthology from Knox Publishing


Twisted Steel Anthology is NOW LIVE!

TWISTED STEEL: A MOTORCYCLE CLUB ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY from Knox Publishing by Addison Jane, Erin Osborne, Nia Farrell, Chelle C. Craze, Dani René, Amy Davies, Elizabeth Knox, E.C. Land, Claire Shaw, Scarlett Black, and Rae B. Lake
Release Date: 4/18/2020
Eleven of your favorite MC authors have collaborated to bring you all new biker stories. Some clubs are known, while others are brand spanking new.

While each story takes place in a separate club, you can always count on copious amounts of danger, suspense and—most of all—angst.

We all know the common code of MCs. Will these men and women put their brotherhood above all else, or will they sacrifice everything for love?
#OneClick: 
#AddToYourTBR: