Archives for May 2016

** Blog Tour / Book Review ** SECRET BABY SCANDAL by Joanne Rock

Secret Baby Scandal

4 1/2 STARS!

With this 4th book in the Bayou Billionaire series, Joanne Rock brings us the story of the youngest Reynaud brother, Jean-Pierre.  It’s a sweet ending to getting to know the sexy brothers!

Tatiana Doucet grew up around professional football, and she’s headed back into the fold when she comes to find her childhood beau Jean-Pierre, Quarterback for the New York Gladiators.Their one night of fiery passion a few months ago led to a surprise that she needs to tell him about.

Jean-Pierre sees a media circus starting when Tatiana shows up at the press conference just before they head out of town for a big game, so to thwart it, he brags about a fake relationship between them.  Little does he know she’s about to introduce him to the son he didn’t know he had!

ARC received from Tasty Book Tours

 

RB-SecretBabyScandal-JRock_FINAL

Secret Baby Scandal
Bayou Billionaires #4
By: Joanne Rock

Releasing May 1 (eBook) and May 10 (Paperback)
Harlequin Desire

BLURB:

His proposition: pretend they’re a couple to end a scandal. But she has secrets of her own…

Tatiana Doucet has dealt with sexy, arrogant athletes most of her life. But Jean-Pierre Reynaud is a whole different animal—in bed and on the field. Unbeknownst to him, their one amazing night produced a son. Now her family’s biggest football rival is back, offering a seductive wager she can’t refuse.

Jean-Pierre despises the media. When rumors fly, he knows a fake relationship is the perfect diversion for the tabloids—and Tatiana’s unbridled passion is the perfect diversion for Jean-Pierre. But when she drops a baby bombshell, the scandal will rock them both!

 

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Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/02/secret-baby-scandal-bayou-billionaires_23.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27190152-secret-baby-scandal

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/168229-bayou-billionaires

 

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Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Baby-Scandal-Bayou-Billionaires-ebook/dp/B015W8IWPE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-baby-scandal-joanne-rock/1122713651?ean=9780373734580

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Joanne_Rock
_Secret_Baby_Scandal?id=Bo6fCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/secret-baby-scandal/id1044200950?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/secret-baby-scandal

 

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EXCERPT:

…Darting back the way she came, she turned a corner and nearly plowed right into none other than Jean-Pierre himself.

“Oh!” With a yelp of surprise, she gripped his forearm to stay upright.

“Shh,” Jean-Pierre warned her, tucking her under his arm and pressing a finger to her lips. “There’s a camera crew just down that hallway.” He nodded to the ramp just ahead on his right.

Tatiana tensed at his touch. His scent. His maleness. She’d spent so long avoiding him, but in spite of all logic, he affected her. At six-three, and at this close range, he had to peer down at her, his brown eyes flecked with hints of gold and green. She’d fallen for him hard back in prep school, a young love that had only felt more poignant after they’d been torn apart by their families’ sudden rift. They’d both moved on, of course, two thousand miles of separation proving as effective a deterrent as the well-publicized feud. But when he’d joined the Gladiators and she’d seen him at the occasional party, she’d been as drawn to him as ever. It had been an attraction that hadn’t been reciprocated, judging by his cold words about her court case last winter. She still didn’t understand how that terse confrontation in the courtroom had turned so heated.

Now, heart hammering, she simply nodded, knowing they needed to avoid the press. Heaven forbid the media were to overhear what she had to tell Jean-Pierre.

He frowned down at her, not moving.

“What?” she whispered, shaky and off-balance as she peered up into his shadowed face.

“We could let them find us,” he suggested, his gaze roving over her as he seemed to weigh the idea. “They could photograph us kissing.”

The mention of kissing should not have sent a bolt of lightning through her. Especially when Jean-Pierre seemed to be mulling over the idea with the same attention he might give a playbook. Dispassionate. Assessing.

“Are you insane?” Her whisper notched up an octave as she grabbed his sleeve and tugged him in the other direction.

Not that he moved….

 

Joanne (1)

AUTHOR INFO:

Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author of over seventy novels enjoys writing contemporary romance and medieval historicals alike, recently exploring Young Adult romance under a pseudonym. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance–in all its forms– fits her life outlook perfectly. When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded sons.

 

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.joannerock.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JoanneRockAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JoanneRock6

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93455.Joanne_Rock

 

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

Joanne will be hosting a Tour Wide U.S. Prize Pack giveaway including, MY SECRET FANTASIES by Joanne Rock, PURSUED BY THE RICH RANCHER by Catherine Mann, emery boards, lip color, notecards, towel. Joanne is also hosting an International Giveaway including a set of Runaway Brides Series ebooks

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** Book Review ** FACING THE MUSIC by Andrea Laurence

Facing the Music

5 STARS!

Young love gone wrong sets the scene for a fiery reconnection!

Rock star Ivy Hudson is not excited to be heading home to Rosewood, Alabama!  A current scandal has her aching to get out of the press, and her Manager is prodding her to head home to help with a rebuilding fundraiser for the high school after a destructive tornado tore through the town.

What she doesn’t know until after she arrives, is that Blake Chamberlain is now the high school football coach that she will be working hand in hand with on the project.  Blake was her high school boyfriend who broke her heart in college and inspired her first hit song … “Size Matters”.

Blake’s NFL career went down in flames after an injury, and he is yet to live down that humiliating song.  When they are forced to work together for the good of the town, they’ll have to finally have it out about what went down all those years ago!

 

Blog Tour Grand Finale — His First Choice, Tara Taylor Quinn

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for
His First Choice
By Tara Taylor Quinn

We hope you enjoyed the tour for TTQ’s newest addition to her Where Secrets are Safe series. If you missed any of the stops, go back and check them out now…

Launch – Welcome to the Tour for His First Choice

I can promise you that if you join me in this journey, you’ll be welcomed with a sense of friendship and belonging. My posts are authentic and my books are heartfelt.

Becky on Books – Excerpt

JEM COULDN’T BELIEVE his eyes when he pulled into Uncle Bob’s on Saturday, glanced toward the beach and saw Lacey Hamilton in double. In both forms his fantasies had taken. One was drably overdressed, and the other rather undressed. He skipped over the version with long, tanned legs exposed, and stared at the one with loose black cotton shorts that hung to her knees.

deal sharing aunt – Spotlight

Night Owl Reviews – Interview

What is your latest book, His First Choice, about?

A twist I’ve never seen or read before in the romance world, but a story I believe needs to be told – one that speaks to the heart of true romance. Lacey is an ex-child star whose identical twin sister is still in Hollywood, a soap opera star. Though she and her sister have identical looks, her sister always shines brighter. Lacey has moved to Santa Raquel to be a family services social worker. As part of the ‘Where Secrets Are Safe’ high risk team, she meets Jem Winston, whose four year old son is showing signs of abuse. Jem’s story is a heart breaker. His First Choice delivers his happy ending.

Beck Valley Books – Not an Ordinary Book

This book is…not ordinary. I think it’s powerful. And emotionally compelling. And I hope so much you give it a chance. I can tell you why I think this, and hope this. I can describe Jem to you. He’s the hero of my heart.

underneath the covers – Imagine

Imagine, you’re identical twins. You both look exactly the same. And yet…she gets all the attention. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? You adore your sister. She’s sweet and kind and really good to you. But…wouldn’t that be hard? Always feeling second best, without even knowing why?

You can imagine…or you can pick up a copy of His First Choice and live the life with Lacey Hamilton – and her identical twin Kacey – as they figure it all out.

EskieMama Reads – Excerpt

He thought about telling his son they absolutely did not want to speak with the other woman. Telling him that for their own safety they had to stay away from her. But he couldn’t figure out how to do so when Levi had been told she was a friend. He’d let her take Levi alone to a playroom. He’d let her in their home, to see Levi’s room and most prized possessions.

Lady Amber’s Reviews – Coming in First

Kacey, my heroine, isn’t the middle child. As a matter of fact, she was born first. But she seems to slide into the background her entire life. She’s overshadowed by her identical twin sister.

I’m not a twin. Didn’t even have a sister – though I always wanted one desperately – but I understand those feelings of being ‘on stage’ (for her, literally) of being at the event, but not coming in first. Not shining the brightest.

Thoughts of a Blonde – Review

“A gut wrenching story that hooked me by the first page and had me feeling so many emotions throughout! I smiled at the adorableness of this little boy, I ached for the pain being felt, I felt anger, and most of all, I hoped for a happily ever after for these two special guys that wormed their way into my heart. Highly recommend!”

Harlie’s Books – Review

“I can not stress that while Ms. Quinn’s books have a message there is also some of the best love stories to date. Poignant, relatable and emotional. You can’t help but fall in love with both characters. Ms. Quinn tackles the hard issues but in the end, love always wins. Always…”

Brooke Blogs – I Am Honored

I’ve said since the moment I started writing for Harlequin that I write to touch women’s lives. To find them where they are and give them a heart-felt boost – whether it be by giving them a couple of hours of enjoyment, to replenish themselves, so they can step back up to their plates. Or, more often, to reach out to hurting hearts, to hold on gently, and walk with them back to the road to joy.

Wishful Endings – Not Your Ordinary Romance

My books are filled with hard topics, issues that face real women, without any sugarcoating to make them more palatable. I didn’t choose this route. The voices, the stories, the people that appear in my head, chose me.

Don’t forget to enter all the giveaways at the end as well!

His First Choice (Where Secrets are Safe)His First Choice
(Where Secrets are Safe #8)
by Tara Taylor Quinn
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
May 1st 2016 by Harlequin Superromance

The best decision they’ll ever make

Lacey Hamilton is used to living in the background. Overshadowed her entire life, she stepped out of the Hollywood limelight and into the role she’s meant to play: a counselor, part of the High Risk Team started by The Lemonade Stand women’s shelter in Santa Raquel.

Her caseload leads her to the doorstep of Jeremiah “Jem” Bridges to rescue a little boy. She’s not supposed to fall in love with the rugged construction worker and his adorable son. Love and duty, though, don’t always agree. Especially when a truth is uncovered that neither she nor Jem is prepared to face.

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. A 2015 RITA finalist Tara appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists, and multiple showings on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning.

Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

Are you a blogger and would like to join a future
Six Months of Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn tour event?
Find out more and sign up HERE!

Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn Giveaways

HIS FIRST CHOICE TOUR GIVEAWAY

$20 VISA Gift Card (US only)
ebooks of Wife By Design, Once A Family, and Husband by Choice by Tara Taylor Quinn (open internationally)
Ends May 11th

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TTQ PRE-ORDER/PURCHASE KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY

ENTER HERE

Kindle Fire with Six Pre-loaded TTQ Books (books 1-6 from Where Secrets are Safe series)
US only
Ends August 31st

To Enter: Submit your receipt online for your pre-order or purchase of any of Tara Taylor Quinn’s six releases being promoted on her Heart Stopping Tour (Love By Association, His First Choice, The Promise He Made Her, Strangers in Paradise: Sheltered In His Arms, Sheltered In His Arms Audiobook, and For Love Or Money). Enter as many times as you purchase. One book purchase equals one entry (one receipt per entry and must be uploaded at time of entry).

TTQ HARLEQUIN MY REWARDS POINTS GIVEAWAY

1st Place: 25,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 5 free books, reader’s choice of any book published by Harlequin/MIRA/Carina Press.
2nd Place: 15,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 3 free books, reader’s choice
3rd Place: 10,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 2 free books, readers choice
Open internationally
Ends August 31st

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Grab Our Button!

** Blog Tour / Book Review ** HIS FIRST CHOICE by Tara Taylor Quinn

His First Choice

5 STARS!

A gut wrenching story that hooked me by the first page and had me feeling so many emotions throughout!  I smiled at the adorableness of this little boy, I ached for the pain being felt, I felt anger, and most of all, I hoped for a happily ever after for these two special guys that wormed their way into my heart.  Highly recommend!

Lacey Hamilton has always felt like she was living in the shadow and on the outside of another life, so she left the life she was living and found her comfort helping other people as a counselor for California Social Services and as part of the High Risk Team for The Lemonade Stand women’s shelter in Santa Raquel, CA.

When a case brings her to the house of Jeremiah Bridges and his adorable son, she’s drawn to them.  She’s not supposed to get close, but after a little time has passed and they cross each other’s path again, she can’t help herself.  Jem turns out to be the love she’s always hoped for, but will his inability to distance himself from the past be their downfall?

 

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

 

His First Choice (Where Secrets are Safe)His First Choice
(Where Secrets are Safe #8)
by Tara Taylor Quinn
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
May 1st 2016 by Harlequin Superromance

The best decision they’ll ever make

Lacey Hamilton is used to living in the background. Overshadowed her entire life, she stepped out of the Hollywood limelight and into the role she’s meant to play: a counselor, part of the High Risk Team started by The Lemonade Stand women’s shelter in Santa Raquel.

Her caseload leads her to the doorstep of Jeremiah “Jem” Bridges to rescue a little boy. She’s not supposed to fall in love with the rugged construction worker and his adorable son. Love and duty, though, don’t always agree. Especially when a truth is uncovered that neither she nor Jem is prepared to face.

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin

The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. A 2015 RITA finalist Tara appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists, and multiple showings on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning.

Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

Are you a blogger and would like to join a future
Six Months of Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn tour event?
Find out more and sign up HERE!

Heart Stopping Tara Taylor Quinn Giveaways

HIS FIRST CHOICE TOUR GIVEAWAY

$20 VISA Gift Card (US only)
ebooks of Wife By Design, Once A Family, and Husband by Choice by Tara Taylor Quinn (open internationally)
Ends May 11th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TTQ PRE-ORDER/PURCHASE KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY

ENTER HERE

Kindle Fire with Six Pre-loaded TTQ Books (books 1-6 from Where Secrets are Safe series)
US only
Ends August 31st

To Enter: Submit your receipt online for your pre-order or purchase of any of Tara Taylor Quinn’s six releases being promoted on her Heart Stopping Tour (Love By Association, His First Choice, The Promise He Made Her, Strangers in Paradise: Sheltered In His Arms, Sheltered In His Arms Audiobook, and For Love Or Money). Enter as many times as you purchase. One book purchase equals one entry (one receipt per entry and must be uploaded at time of entry).

TTQ HARLEQUIN MY REWARDS POINTS GIVEAWAY

1st Place: 25,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 5 free books, reader’s choice of any book published by Harlequin/MIRA/Carina Press.
2nd Place: 15,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 3 free books, reader’s choice
3rd Place: 10,000 Harlequin My Rewards Points – equivalent of 2 free books, readers choice
Open internationally
Ends August 31st

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grab Our Button!

** SALE BLITZ ** Denial by Lisa Renee Jones

To celebrate the upcoming release of DEMAND (Careless Whispers book two) on May 31st, Lisa Renee Jones has put DENIAL (Careless Whispers book one) on sale for $1.99 (reg. $7.99) for the FIRST TIME!! 

Grab your copy:
bit.ly/DenialAmazon
http://bit.ly/DenialAmazonCA
http://bit.ly/DenialAmazonUK
bit.ly/DenialBN
bit.ly/DenialiBooks

http://bit.ly/DenialKobo

More buy links: www.lisareneejones.com/books/Denial

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, the first book in the CARELESS WHISPERS series. This is a spin-off of the INSIDE OUT series (in development for TV) that follows Ella Ferguson, Sara McMillan’s best friend.

Ella Ferguson awakes alone in Italy, unsure of who she is, and a gorgeous man has claimed her as his own. He’s tall, dark, and sexy, with money and power, the kind of man who makes a girl want to be possessed. And he does possess her, whispering wicked wonderful promises to her, stealing her trust and her heart. Soon though, the past finds her, yanking her from a cocoon of passion and safety. Everything is not how it seems. The truth will shatter her world, but it can set her free, if it doesn’t destroy her first.

More info about the upcoming book, the series and a mega giveaway: lisareneejones.com/careless-whispers-series-page

Lisa

Lisa’s bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series, which is now in development for a television show to be produced by Suzanne Todd of Team Todd (Alice in Wonderland). Suzanne Todd on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with. I’m thrilled to develop a television show that will tell Sara’s whole story – her life, her work, her friends, and her sexuality.
In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin’s Press.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

** Release Blitz ** MISTER O by Lauren Blakely

Nowavailstack

 

Lauren Blakely’s MISTER O is here for all of your reading pleasure! MISTER O is a standalone, sexy romantic comedy, including a forbidden romance, told from the male POV. You met Nick in Lauren’s BIG ROCK, and he’ll keep you up long into the night as you turn the pages of MISTER O.

 

 

“This book is an absolute gem! Nick is so freaking SEXY! And funny! And adorable in the HOTTEST way!!!” – NYT Bestselling Author Emma Chase

 

 

Mister O - RWB - Teaser 1

 

“This was absolutely brilliant! Full of sex, sarcasm, and shenanigans, Lauren Blakely, once again, brings me to my knees in her romantic comedy!” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

 

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Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/1NeFvf0
Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1W0Yw7Q
iBooks ➜ http://tinyurl.com/MisterOrgasm
BN ➜ http://bit.ly/1Y1PCEI
Kobo ➜ http://bit.ly/1oXCxRi
Google Play ➜ https://goo.gl/4Ygf2m
Paperback➜ http://amzn.to/1NmKTMO
Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/1NM3RNd
Amazon AU ➜ http://bit.ly/1rqlyYH

 

ABOUT MISTER O:

✮✮✮MISTER O will be available on Kindle on release day May 2!✮✮✮

Just call me Mister O. Because YOUR pleasure is my super power.

Making a woman feel ‘oh-god-that’s-good’ is the name of the game, and if a man can’t get the job done, he should get the hell out of the bedroom. I’m talking toe-curling, mind-blowing, sheet-grabbing ecstasy. Like I provide every time.

I suppose that makes me a superhero of pleasure, and my mission is to always deliver.

But then I’m thrown for a loop when a certain woman asks me to teach her everything about how to win a man. The only problem? She’s my best friend’s sister, but she’s far too tempting to resist–especially when I learn that sweet, sexy Harper has a dirty mind too and wants to put it to good use. What could possibly go wrong as I give the woman I’ve secretly wanted some no-strings-attached lessons in seduction?

No one will know, even if we send a few dirty sexts. Okay, a few hundred. Or if the zipper on her dress gets stuck. Not on that! Or if she gives me those f*&k-me-eyes on the train in front of her whole family.

The trouble is the more nights I spend with her in bed, the more days I want to spend with her out of bed. And for the first time ever, I’m not only thinking about how to make a woman cry out in pleasure –I’m thinking about how to keep her in my arms for a long time to come.

Looks like the real Adventures of Mister Orgasm have only just begun….

**MISTER O is a standalone romantic comedy and it follows supporting characters first introduced in BIG ROCK**

 

“A sexy, delicious, toe-curlingly good time!”

NYT Bestselling Author Marie Force

 

“Nick is hilarious, sexy, passionate, sweet, and knows that cake is very important to a woman’s heart and soul. Together, their banter is refreshing, their sex is off-the charts hot, and their minds are brilliant.” – Sandra at Two Book Pushers

 

EXCERPT:

“You’re good, Nick. You know just what to do and how to behave. This is why you attract women in droves.”
I kind of want to protest. I feel like she has this impression of me that I don’t necessarily want her to have, but I’m not sure how to deflect this. “Because I have a gift?”
“That and several other reasons.” She waves broadly at my arms. It’s October, but it’s not chilly tonight so I don’t have a jacket on. “First, there are the arms. All that ink and muscle.”
She roams her eyes over my biceps. “I mean, your ink is awesome,” she says, pointing to the shapes and swirls I designed myself. The tattoos are abstract lines and curves, but inside them there’s a sun, a moon, and stars, because those were the first things I realized I was good at drawing.
“Then, the body. Mr. Men’s Health-I’m-so-fit,” she says in this mocking tone, but it’s not me she’s making fun of. It’s the article.
“You read it?”
“I read everything. I devour information,” she says, and we’re right back to that place I seem to inhabit with her, where she compliments me, but she could be saying it like I’m a car she’s considering buying. And this one has one hundred seventy horsepower.
“And then, there’s your face, and you have all this awesome scruff on it.”
I run a hand over my jaw, and the neat, trim beard that’s like an additional sex toy I can bring to the bedroom. “Chicks dig the beard,” I say, with a lopsided grin.
“I bet they do,” she says under her breath. She doesn’t say anything else right away. She presses her teeth into the corner of her lip and then speaks, more softly than before. “Can I feel it?”
FUCK, YES.
She raises her hand and touches my jaw. My breath hitches as she runs her thumb across the light bristles. I’m keenly aware of every second that passes, one ticking into the next as she touches me, stroking my jawline like she’s mesmerized by the texture.
“Soft,” she whispers, almost in wonder as she stares at my chin. My heart starts hammering, and I fight to stay still. When she says, “But kind of hard, too,” I swear, I don’t know how I manage not to cup her cheeks, back her up against the stone wall, and just kiss the hell out of her. Kiss, touch, grind, and then some. I want to yank that lush body against mine, let her feel how much she turns me on, and find out if I do the same thing to her. The way her breath barely catches sends my mind spinning and lust spiraling tight in me. I can’t help but hope she wants what I do, and it feels like she could, going by the way she touches my face. It truly fucking does, and maybe that’s why her name takes shape in my throat like a warning.
So she knows she’s playing with fire if she touches me like this again.

 

 

Mister O - RWB - Teaser 2

 

Add it to Goodreads here!

 

✮✮✮ Enter to win this amazing giveaway for a Basket filled with goodies! ✮✮✮

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Author pic - Lauren BlakelyAbout Lauren Blakely:

Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With nine New York Times bestsellers,her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller List more than three dozen times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love and Fighting Fire. She recently released BIG ROCK, a sexy standalone romantic comedy that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. In the late spring, she’ll release MISTER O, another standalone romantic comedy.

 

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

 

 

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** Book Review ** LEVELING THE FIELD by Megan Erickson

Leveling the Field

4 STARS!

In the 4th and final book in the Gamers series, we get to see Ethan find love!  This book is steamy hot, raunchily funny and hands down a nice ending to the series.

Ethan Talley has exiled himself from life for a number of years now, and he isn’t happy to have his business partner forcing a newspaper interview on him, but he draws the line at having his picture taken, no matter how sexy the photographer is!

Lissa Kingsman only has to hear Ethan’s voice for a few minutes before she recognizes him as a YouTube gamer from years ago that she used to watch with her brother.  He disappeared from the limelight all of a sudden and no one knew why.  She wonders if the scars down the side of his face have something to do with it.

Ethan is drawn to Lissa even though he wants nothing to do with being in front of her camera.  She reaches him like no one else, and he finds himself unable to stop hooking up with her.  After a few times, casual sex is no longer enough and he wants more.  Are they ready to handle each other’s pasts in order to have a future together?

** Book Review ** SEDUCING THE FIREMAN by Jennifer Bonds

Seducing the Fireman

4 1/2 STARS!

This is a sweet “finding your way back to each other” type of story, wrapped in between super hot, sexy fireman on board, love scenes!

Jackson Hart has come back home to Brooklyn after 10 long years away.  He’s a Lieutenant in the NYFD and has a mission in mind.  He’s going to track down the woman he hasn’t been able to get off his mind since he left town all those years ago, and see if he can make things right after being a jerk and standing her up when he left.

Becca Mancini recognizes Jax the moment she sees him, but she’s not going to make his life easy!  She can’t resist the pull between them long enough to totally blow him off, but she won’t be forgiving him and letting him break her heart again.  No way!  She will however, have some fun with him without a problem!

Can Jax convince Becca that he’s the real deal and she should let her guard down once and for all?

** Release Blitz ** SCANDALOUS BILLIONAIRES

Scandalous Billionaires
Eve Gaddy, Katherine Garbera, Kathleen O’Brien, Mimi Wells, Nancy Robards Thompson
Publication date: May 3rd 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Escape to Italy’s fabled Amalfi Coast with five USA Today Bestselling and award-winning authors for a limited time at a special price – only $0.99!

The exclusive Isola del Sole is a billionaires’ playground. Intrigue, adrenaline, and deception rule the day for the wealthy De Luca brothers and their closest friends—but only the right women can ignite their passions during the hot Amalfi nights…

The Billionaire’s Temptation

Rocco De Luca lives and loves in the fast lane. Filling in for his older brother for a few weeks sounds… well, boring. Until he meets Steffi Harlan, who’s in charge of keeping the playboy out of trouble. Except Steffi isn’t immune to Rocco’s charms.

They burn up the nights they spend together… But can they both survive love in the fast lane?

The Billionaire’s Deception

Shel Myerson, wildly successful TV mogul, has no privacy thanks to a recent and ugly public breakup. What he doesn’t expect is to be mistaken as an employee by Janine Pike, the one person in Europe who also doesn’t have any idea who he is.

Shel and Janine discover their chemistry is combustible–but will their budding relationship survive the heat once the press catches on?

The Billionaire’s Betrayal

Matteo De Luca’s single focus is rebuilding his hotel empire, and he’s close to achieving his goal, but there’s a sexy distraction standing in his way. Helena Von Lienz knows it’s finally time to let go. But what she finds are some unexpected truths about her late hubby, and a strong sensual shared desire with Matteo.

Will mixing business with pleasure be the end, or just the beginning, for Matteo and Helena?

The Billionaire’s Secret

When Sophie Smith’s dearest friend asks her to be her stand in at an Amalfi resort, Sophie won’t let her down. Turns out, she get used to this life, especially handsome gardener Declan Muldoon who’s more thrilling than any of the billionaires around.

But Sophie’s not the only one pretending. Declan is actually the black sheep of a very wealthy family, a man in need of an heiress. An heiress exactly like who Sophie is pretending to be…

The Billionaire’s Charade

Summer St. Croix hates weddings. But when she meets hot-as-sin Luke Vanetti, he promises to give her a reason to like them. It’s all sexy fun and games until Summer realizes that Luke is none other than her new boss. And her first assignment is posing as his fiance.

Playing the happy couple is hard enough during the day, but the nights might turn the charade into more than just a job for both of them.

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EXCERPTS:

 

 The Billionaire’s Temptation by Katherine Garbera

Steffi Harlan heard the inner door to her boss’s office open. She knew his younger brother, Rocco, was in there with him and she was doing her level best to ignore the fact that Rocco had shown up for the meeting wearing only a pair of slim white swim trunks.

Rocco was a Formula One racing champion who could easily have been a GQ model. He had classic Roman features— well-defined cheekbones, a strong blade of a nose, and firm lips. Not that she’d spent a lot of time studying him. But it was impossible not to notice with that mop of thick, curly brown hair that framed his face, giving him a fallen angel look.

Honestly, she wished she could say she’d been outraged by him, but the truth was she’d had a hard time keeping her eyes off his tanned, muscled chest. He’d been an F1 driver for mercy’s sake. He should be small and lean. But it seemed the year he’d taken off after winning the F1 championship had seen him get into even better shape.

Where did he find the time? He lived a debauched life full of women, wine, and, she could only imagine, torrid sex.

The last part made her seem jealous.

As if.

She liked her men sophisticated and with charm. She wasn’t saying there wasn’t a place for white-hot sex… but she didn’t attract that kind of man. Her usual guy was happy enough to take her to dinner and the opera first. She wasn’t saying she didn’t have good sex. She did, but she hadn’t had Rocco sex.

Matteo cleared his throat.

“Steffi, could you join us please.”

“Right away, Matteo.”

She grabbed her Clairefontaine notepad and her favorite Montblanc fountain pen and joined the older De Luca brothers. She’d met their father a few times before his death and Enzo had been charming, so she wasn’t surprised his sons were. And their mother had been a fabled film star who’d worked with Fellini when she’d been younger. She’d given up her career to raise her sons.

Steffi knew it would be more efficient to take notes on the tablet device that Matteo had given her but she liked using pen and paper so much more. She liked the smooth glide of the pen as it moved across the paper. It almost distracted her from Rocco.

She glanced up and noticed that Matteo had loaned Rocco his spare dress shirt. Now that’s what she was talking about. Nothing wrong with a little decorum.

And Rocco had rolled the sleeves up and left the front unbuttoned. His tanned chest contrasted with the stiff white, laundered linen shirt. She could see the light dusting of hair and the taut leanness of his stomach.

“Steffi?”

“Hmm…” She glanced at her boss and realized he’d asked her something.

Ah, this was why she didn’t date men like Rocco. They rendered her useless. Instead of paying attention to her boss, she was imagining pushing the dress shirt off of Rocco and replacing it with her hands.

“I’m sorry I was trying to remember if I had booked your private boat for Venice,” she said, hoping Matteo would buy that and move on. He knew she’d taken care of every detail last night.

He gave her a kind smile. “You did. What I was saying is that Rocco is going to help out while I’m gone but I need you to make sure that he…”

“He wants you to keep me in line, cara. You’re to be my parole officer and if I get up to anything untoward then you are to… what, Matteo? Should she report me to you? Or will she mete out discipline?”

An image of Rocco sans shirt standing in front of her waiting for her to discipline him flashed in her mind. She wouldn’t mind having him under her control. Maybe have him put his hands behind his back, flexing those well-developed pectorals and then…

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rocco. You’re not an errant schoolboy.”

 

The Billionaire’s Deception by Mimi Wells

“Signorina.”

“Hmm?” Janine Pike didn’t want to open her eyes.

The buttery smooth voice could have been conjured out of the decadent dream she’d been having. Something involving champagne, of course.

“Signorina.”

Silk lingerie. Candlelight. Chocolate. A Hemsworth giving her a foot massage.

“Signorina.” The voice was insistent now.

She shaded her eyes, cracked one open just a slit, and instantly regretted it. Apparently she’d had a lot more limoncello to drink last night than she’d thought.

“What is it?” she asked.

A slim, Italian man, dressed in a finely-cut linen suit with an open-collar shirt, peered down at her, his expensive calfskin loafers wildly out of place on this stretch of beach. “Your friends—”

She cut him off with a careless wave.

“They’re getting something off the boat.”

“There is no boat, signorina.”

“Of course there’s a boat,” Janine huffed, sitting up and frowning. “The À Bientôt. It’s right over…”

Her voice trailed off as she took in the scene around her. Plastic cups and empty bottles littered the sand near the ashes of a makeshift fire pit. A silver hoop earring glinted, half-buried, beneath an abandoned hot pink bikini top. Not hers— Simone’s. But Simone, her boyfriend Christophe, and their gaggle of hot young European friends Janine had been partying with last night on the beach were nowhere to be seen. Neither was the boat. Or, to her horror, her backpack containing her entire wardrobe, her European journals, and her passport.

Panicked, she scrabbled in her pocket for her phone and came up with only acrumpled € 20 note and some lint.

Oh, God. Her phone. Sometime last night she’d gotten up to charge it and— yep. It was probably exactly where she left it, plugged into one of the outlets in the galley of Christophe’s cruiser, which was God-knew-where in the iridescent waters off the Amalfi Coast by now.

À Bientôt, indeed. So long, sucker.

“This is not happening,” she murmured, trying to quell her rising panic. She’d been in Europe for three months. Three months with no huge problems. When she’d stepped on the plane at Hartsfield International airport in Atlanta back in April, her mother had hugged her tight and made her swear to be cautious, to be safe, to come back in one piece. And Janine had promised. Up until now, it had been an easy promise to keep.

“Signorina, there is one more thing—”

“What?” she barked, hating the panicky sound in her voice. This wasn’t her.

“There is the small matter of the bill.”

She gulped. There’d been a lot of drinking last night. More than the pile of bottles here indicated. Definitely more than twenty euros’ worth, for sure.

“My friend left his credit card with the bartender,” she explained, pointing toward the marina’s upscale rooftop bar.

The man pursed his reddish lips, his disdain clear. “The card has been declined.”

Damn Cristophe and his expensive tastes. And his enthusiasm. Last night was the first time she’d let herself get really looped. Even at home, she wasn’t a big drinker, and with the constant threat of “some lunatic with a pocket full of roofies,” as her roommate Hannah warned, Janine was more likely to order one drink and nurse it, keep it close, than she was to indulge.

But not last night. Last night had been a beer (only one), limoncello (dangerously delicious), and grappa (kill me now)-fueled blur. Simone— blonde, giggling Simone— had kept pace with Janine, Christophe, and the trio of Italian layabouts they’d picked up in Portofino and seemed none the worse for wear. Typical. Simone’s capacity had been campus legend at the small college they’d attended together. Ginormous linemen couldn’t keep up with her. Janine was a fool to have tried. But she was nearing the end of her trip, so she’d gone for it.

Man, had that been a mistake. The departure date on her ticket— oh, God, the ticket!— was looming ever closer. She only had a few days left. Only a few days to indulge. Only a few days to soak in the culture she wouldn’t be able to afford to visit again for years.

Only a few days to find her.

Janine had saved the Isola del Sole until last. Not just because it was famous for its turquoise seas, its flowers, its history. But because she lived here. Stéphanie, her sister.

 

The Billionaire’s Betrayal by Nancy Robards Thompson

“Your husband was a good man, Baroness. I’m sorry for your loss.” A good man. Was he?

Helena Von Lienz smiled politely and bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from asking the stranger the question that had been burning in her gut since her late husband, Anton Von Lienz, died in the fiery crash off the Amalfi Coast highway six months ago with Enzo De Luca, patriarch of the esteemed De Luca family.

But the well-wisher had already moved along the impromptu receiving line to speak to Matteo De Luca, oldest son of Enzo, who stood next Lena. Another unknown person stepped up to gush similar empty sentiments.

Matteo had assured her only family would attend the memorial service to scatter Anton’s and Enzo’s ashes. She certainly hadn’t counted on each and every person queuing up to express their condolences. But somehow, after the memorial, she and Matteo had found themselves wedged into a corner of the terrace under a fruit-bearing lemon tree that was next to an obnoxiously lush bougainvillea. She was numb with grief, so fresh it felt as if the accident had happened yesterday rather than nearly half a year ago. In some ways, it seemed as if Anton had been gone for a long time. In other ways, it seemed as if it was just yesterday. Due to the nature of the accident – the car plunging off the cliff – the Italian police had investigated. It had taken time. So only now were they here, scattering the ashes, saying their goodbyes.

Lena glanced down the seemingly endless line of well-wishers. It snaked around the lavish infinity pool that blended into the Mediterranean from its perch high atop the upper patio of the De Luca family’s compound on the aptly named crescent-shaped island of Isola della Luna.

Obviously, the meaning of family was relative to the De Luca clan. Their nuclear family included the five De Luca brothers, Matteo, Rocco, Nico, Marco and Alessandro. When she factored in other blood relations such as their nona, various uncles and cousins – and who could forget Prince Santino III, the reigning monarch of Isola del Sole – he was related to them somehow, but Lena couldn’t remember exactly – the guest list became unmanageable.

When the honorary family was added in – heaven forbid they left out anyone – it was downright ridiculous. Judging by the crowd, Lena wondered if there was a single soul left on the big island, Isola del Sole. But her shoes pinched and her face hurt from forced cordiality, which didn’t match how she felt inside. Inside, she was just numb. All she wanted was to excuse herself and disappear from this infernal ring of hell that had ripped wide open the wounds she’d worked so hard to heal.

When Matteo had called her about plans for the joint memorial service, Lena had almost declined. Standing here now, she wished she had opted for something more private, because returning to the place where her husband had lost his life was a lot more difficult than she expected for so many different reasons.

But the stark reality remained— scattering Anton’s ashes by herself hadn’t felt right either. Since Anton didn’t have family, except for three ex-wives who had come before Lena and couldn’t be bothered to attend the service, it seemed as if the De Lucas were the closest thing to relatives Anton had. He’d certainly spent enough time at the family’s private compound. In the fourteen years that Lena had been married to Anton, she’d never been invited.

Until now.

Her heart was heavy. But when Matteo had said, “The famiglia needs closure. Enzo’s and Anton’s friends need closure. I’m sure you do, too,” she’d agreed to leave Miami and make the trek back to the Amalfi coast she where she’d vowed she’d never return.

Famous last words.

When she set aside her pride, she had to admit there probably wasn’t a better final resting place for her late husband.

Now that she was here, she wished she could find the peace of mind and heart that Matteo claimed would come through a simple ceremony where people told heartwarming and sometimes bawdy stories about the men.

 

The Billionaire’s Secret by Kathleen O’Brien

Sophia Rose Smith wasn’t a rich woman, but she knew exactly what they looked like. She should— she’d studied a thousand paintings of them in art school. Her favorite was a Sargent portrait of a pale, dark-haired beauty in black. Staring directly at the artist, the woman was utterly composed, unsmiling, concerned only with her own opinion, and not with anyone else’s.

Sophie carefully arranged that same expression onto her features as she stepped out of her limo and gazed up at the elegant Hotel dei Fiori, the pride of Isola del Sole, a jewel of an island near the Amalfi Coast.

At least she hoped she got the “rich” look right. It would have helped to be six inches taller, and maybe a chic thirty-three instead of an inexperienced twenty-five.

It would have helped to look like Millie, who at sixty-eight still had a slightly Lauren Bacall elegance, an aristocratic, angular face under a dark Gibson Girl upsweep.

Sophie, on the other hand, had a girl-next-door snub nose under Shirley Temple yellow curls.

But she could pull this off. She had to. Pretending to be a wealthy American tourist for the next two weeks might seem silly to her, but it was everything to Millie.

Stretching her shoulders back in ballerina posture, she began ascending the steps. It felt wrong not to help the driver and the porter as they wrangled with her luggage, but she forced herself to leave them behind, like debris in a sailboat’s wake. Think like a princess.

She didn’t allow herself to rubberneck at the beautiful people and sophisticated architecture around her. Gawking was the Boston Sophie. The Amalfi Sophie had been here, done this, too often to be impressed.

But when she entered the lobby, the suave act failed. She hadn’t ever been here— or anywhere remotely this grand. Like someone rising from the dark into a blinding light, she was temporarily overwhelmed by the bustling activity, by the vaulted ceiling, the massive flower arrangements, the crystal and gold and gleaming wood.

The large, cool space smelled of old money, exotic blooms, and rare perfume.

She paused on the center medallion of an ornate Persian carpet, as if the circle of roses was a safe space on a chessboard. For the first time since agreeing to come, she felt butterflies in her stomach. That surprised her. She hadn’t ever been overly impressed by money. She wasn’t intimidated by the rich and famous.

But this… this was different.

Pretending to fit in here wouldn’t be as easy as she’d thought, back when she and Millie planned it at the older woman’s dining room table. Originally, they’d been planning it for Millie, and she’d spent a fortune on this trip, buying the best of everything from luggage to hotel suites so that she could, just once in her life, experience the life of a rich, pampered somebody.

And then, when last year’s cancer had suddenly returned, robbing her of the chance, she’d recruited Sophie to take her place.

In a nearby marble column, Sophie could just make out a watery reflection of herself. It took her a few seconds to recognize that stylish creature swathed in sea-green silk. The long, flowing dress cost more than anything she’d ever owned. She’d been horrified when Millie insisted on buying it. But Millie hadn’t budged.

The woman reflected in the marble looked small, and a little lost. Sophie took a deep breath. Was she up to this, after all? The doctors had said they weren’t absolutely sure Millie’s chemo would work this time.

Would the last thing she ever did for her friend and mentor end up being a failure?

No. She set her jaw. She might not have done much traveling in her life, but she had exhaustively studied the finest art of the entire world. She understood beauty. She appreciated it. She could be as comfortable here, in this glamorous place, as anyone.

 

The Billionaire’s Charade by Eve Gaddy

 “You look like I feel,” a deep voice said.

Summer turned and saw one of the groomsmen holding out a glass of champagne. Exactly what she needed.

“Thanks. How is that?”

“Wondering when you can cut out.”

Summer laughed. She’d noticed him. In a group of surprisingly good-looking men, he stood out. Tall, dark, and sinfully, deliciously gorgeous.

“Probably before you can. I’m just a friend of the bride’s. You’re in the wedding.”

“Jeremy would be the first to understand if I left early. Especially if it was with you.”

No doubt about it, this guy was hot. Dark brown, wavy hair, the kind that made her itch to run her fingers through it. His eyes were dark, too, a deep brown, almost espresso-colored. Normally, she wasn’t a fan of stubble, but on him it looked good. So, he looked great but would he say something unexpected or would she hear the same thing she heard from nearly every man she met?

“You’re trying to decide if I’m going to tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Or at least in the room tonight.” He took a drink.

Appreciating his candor, Summer couldn’t help smiling again. The music swelled and she waited a minute to respond. “Something like that.” She sipped her champagne and asked, “Are you?”

He shook his head. “No. I figure you’ve heard that refrain a time or a thousand. I’ll just admire you silently.”

She gave him points for originality.

She offered her hand, saying, “Hi, I’m Summer St. Croix.”

He shook her hand and said, “I’m Luke—” Thanks to the music picking that moment to crescendo, she didn’t catch his last name. Dan? Ban? Fan? Fantasy? No, that couldn’t be it. Seriously, though, did she really care?

They smiled at each other. Damn, he’s even better when he smiles. If I were the type, I’d swoon.

“Do you like to dance?” he asked as the band struck up a new song.

“Not really.” Dancing at a wedding. Uh, no. That also reminded her of things she’d rather forget. Not to mention, she was a terrible dancer.

“Great. Neither do I. Would you like to go somewhere and talk?”

“What did you say? I can’t hear you.”

He laughed. “My point. Does the hotel bar work for you?”

“Sure. Why not?”

They found a booth in a corner of the bar. “Would you like another glass of champagne or do you want something else?” Luke asked.

“It seems a shame to pay for drinks when there’s free champagne and beer at the wedding.”

“But then we’d have to go back. I like it here.”

“I do, too,” Summer said, looking around. The bar, like the rest of the hotel, was elegant, tastefully decorated, and it whispered “money” in dulcet tones. “I’d like a mojito.”

Luke signaled the waitress who came over instantly. After he ordered two mojitos, he said, “Are you staying at the hotel or are you local?”

“Staying. I’m from Dallas. What about you?”

“Staying, and I live in Dallas, too.”

While a coincidence, it wasn’t much of one. Summer imagined a good third of the guests lived in the DFW metroplex.

They talked some more and the waitress brought their drinks. “To your eyes,” Luke said and touched his glass to hers.

“If you say I have eyes the color of jade or emeralds, I’m outta here.”

He studied her, then tipped her chin up with a finger and looked into her eyes. Summer stared back, words deserting her as she fell into the depths of his gaze.

“No, your eyes are an unusual shade. If I were to describe them, I’d say they look like malachite.” He dropped his hand and added with a wicked grin, “With some jade and emerald swirling around.”

“You’re very smooth, aren’t you?” And he was revving up her heartbeat with a look and a touch.

She took a sip of her drink to steady herself. It didn’t help.

“I try,” he said modestly. “How am I doing?”

“You’re good and you know it. Okay, what color is my hair?” She was curious how he’d describe it. Lots of men had tried, so she’d heard a gazillion variations of redhead and red.

Luke picked up a strand of hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “A thousand shades of wildfire.”

Summer’s breath caught in her throat. They were playing a game, but my, oh my, he was good with words. She wondered what else he was good at.

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** Book Review ** THE JOURNEY OF A GAMBLER’S WIFE by Bella Sharma

The Journey of a Gambler's Wife

4 STARS!

This was a memoir/autobiography, which is a little different for me, but I enjoyed it and these are my thoughts …The book was written well for the most part, and she gave a good background prior to meeting her husband, and good detail of how she suffered afterwards. She went on to overcome the adversity she had lived and it inspired her to help others.  I think the biggest weakness for me as a reader was the lack of detail to what she suffered while with him.  We heard about all the things he stole and sold, etc. but when talking about the abuse she suffered, she bypassed it instead of disclosing it.  In my opinion, there could have been more people helped and inspired by the book if they could have seen themselves in her story and recognized it for what it was if they were in denial about their own abuse.

Bella Sharma married a man she thought she knew, only to be blindsided by his gambling addiction and the depths at which he was willing to lie, steal and leave them with nothing to feed his addiction.  This is her story of the turmoil her life became, and the choices she had to make.

 

**  Received free in exchange for an honest review  **