Archives for May 11, 2017

* Release Blast / Book Review * THE MAGNATE’S MARRIAGE MERGER by Joanne Rock

* Release Blast / Book Review * THE MAGNATE’S MARRIAGE MERGER by Joanne RockThe Magnate's Marriage Merger by Joanne Rock
Series: The McNeill Magnates
Published by Harlequin Desire on May 1, 2017
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four-stars

The matchmaker meets her match…in one very persistent tycoon!

Secretive matchmaker to the rich and famous, Lydia Whitney prefers to stay behind the scenes. But after one mistake, rich resort developer Ian McNeill is hot on her trail, and he's more attractive—and persistent—than ever before.

Ian can't believe it when he figures out who's messing with his family: a woman who has deceived—and seduced—him before. What's her agenda? And why can't he resist her? He'll get the answers to all his questions, if Lydia agrees to his convenient marriage proposal. But once she's in his arms again, will he let her go?


A dashing business man gets a second chance with the one that got away! The characters are easy to like, and we enjoy seeing them interact with the rest of the family that we got to know in the previous book. A fast-paced, satisfying read! Looking forward to more in the series … and especially delving into the secrets that were uncovered!

Resort developer Ian McNeill got more than he bargained for when he hired his PI buddy to track down the matchmaker that caused a huge scandal for his brothers a couple of months ago. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d come to him with a picture of his ex!

Lydia Whitney admits that the secretive matchmaking originally started as a little bit of payback on Ian, but she seriously never meant for the big snafu to happen with his brothers! A big misunderstanding that she was a bit too sensitive about led to them breaking up a year ago after a short-lived relationship … and seeing each other brings back those same old feelings. Ian proposes she help him out of a situation by marrying him for a year … and she reluctantly agrees. When all is said and done, will either of them be walking away?

 

 

 

 

The Magnate’s Marriage Merger
The McNeill Magnates #2

By: Joanne Rock

Releasing May 9, 2017
Harlequin Desire

 

 

Blurb
The matchmaker meets her match…in one very persistent tycoon!

Secretive matchmaker to the rich and famous, Lydia Whitney prefers to stay behind the scenes. But after one mistake, rich resort developer Ian McNeill is hot on her trail, and he’s more attractive—and persistent—than ever before.

Ian can’t believe it when he figures out who’s messing with his family: a woman who has deceived—and seduced—him before. What’s her agenda? And why can’t he resist her? He’ll get the answers to all his questions, if Lydia agrees to his convenient marriage proposal. But once she’s in his arms again, will he let her go?

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

 

 

Link to Follow Tour:  http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/magnates-marriage-merger-joanne-rock

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32336143-the-magnate-s-marriage-merger

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/200999-the-mcneill-magnates

 

She was a woman of habit and that would serve him well now. He hoped. He remembered how much she had enjoyed swimming first thing in the morning when they were working together in the islands of Tahiti. He’d accused her of being a mermaid with her daily need to return to the sea, but even when he’d been bleary-eyed from working late the night before, he never missed a chance to swim with her. For safety purposes, he’d told her, and not just because he enjoyed the occasional chance to slide a hand beneath her bikini top or wind the wet rope of her hair around his hand and angle her sea-salty lips for his kiss.

When the elevator sounded its dull chime, he slowly looked up. The doors opened and Lydia strode into view. His gaze fell on her long, shapely legs, the hem of her black mesh tunic revealing a hint of thigh.

“Ian?” Her voice tugged his attention higher, pulling his focus to her green eyes and creamy skin devoid of makeup.

With her hair scraped back into a ponytail, she looked every inch the part of his earthy, warmhearted lover from last summer. He had to remember that she hadn’t been the woman he thought, that he’d been wrong about her, or he might have swept her up into his arms and ridden the elevator back up to her hotel room to remind her how good they were together in at least one respect.

Sex. Raw, sensual, mind-blowing sex.

His pulse ramped up at the steamy memories, so much so that he had to shut down those thoughts and focus on the present or his plan would be doomed before he even started.

“Hope you don’t mind if I join you.” Ian tucked his phone back into the pocket of the cargo shorts he’d slid on over his swim trunks.

She halted in front of him abruptly. Then, eyes sliding to the desk attendant, she stepped closer. Probably she did it to minimize the chance of being overheard.

Ian liked the opportunity to breathe in the scent of her—the lavender fragrance of the detergent she washed her clothes in and a subtle perfume more complex than that.

“What on earth are you doing here?” She glanced over her shoulder. “You realize most of the consultants working on the Foxfire are staying in this hotel? What will they say if someone sees us together at this hour?”

“They’ll think we had a whole lot more fun last night than they did.”

Last night, he’d paced the floor of his penthouse suite for far too long, thinking through every aspect of a contract marriage and what details he should include in the paperwork.

In the end, she would sign. But she wasn’t going to like him forcing her hand, and that bothered him more than it should have.

“And that doesn’t concern you? I happen to enjoy a hard-earned reputation as a professional.” Her clipped words and the high color in her cheeks told him he’d gotten under her skin in record time.

“If you don’t want anyone to see us together, we might as well hit the beach. Take refuge in the water.” His hand itched to touch her. To rest on the small of her back and steer her out the door, across the street and onto the soft sand. But he had to be careful not to push or she could dig her heels in about his suggestion and delay the whole thing.

Now that he’d made up his mind and seen the benefits of a union between the two of them, he couldn’t think of one damn reason why he should delay.

After narrowing her green eyes at him for an instant, she pivoted on her wedge sandals and strode toward the exit.

He caught up to her in two long steps, holding the door wide for her before as they headed out onto Ocean Drive, which was strangely quiet in the predawn dark. There were more joggers on the beach than bathers; a few runners kicked up sand as they pounded past them.

“It’ll be quieter down here.” He pointed out a stretch of the shore where no beach loungers had been set up yet, a spot free from any hotel guests.

In fact, he’d claimed the location for them earlier when he’d ordered a cabana and sunrise breakfast. Lydia apparently didn’t notice his preparations, however, instead appearing too absorbed in her frustrated march toward the water, her feet churning through the sand at breakneck pace.

The horizon was starting to smudge from inky black to purple as she reached the shoreline and kicked off her shoes. Then she yanked the black mesh cover-up off and over her head. Mesmerized by her silhouette as his eyes adjusted to the light, Ian watched as she ran into the surf and made a shallow dive under an oncoming wave… She was a woman of habit and that would serve him well now. He hoped. He remembered how much she had enjoyed swimming first thing in the morning when they were working together in the islands of Tahiti. He’d accused her of being a mermaid with her daily need to return to the sea, but even when he’d been bleary-eyed from working late the night before, he never missed a chance to swim with her. For safety purposes, he’d told her, and not just because he enjoyed the occasional chance to slide a hand beneath her bikini top or wind the wet rope of her hair around his hand and angle her sea-salty lips for his kiss.

 

 

Author Info

Four-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann. 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

 

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Prize 1: a Lily Pulitzer weekly calendar, makeup bag, scented soap, nail polish set and romance by Maisey Yates and Joanne Rock ( 1 winner – US Only)

Prize 2: $10 Amazon GC and digital download of The Magnate’s Mail -Order Bride by Joanne Rock (1 winner, open INTL)

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four-stars

* Blog Tour/ Release Blast * BETTING THE BAD BOY by Stefanie London

 

Betting the Bad Boy
Behind the Bar #3

By: Stefanie London

Releasing May 8, 2017
Entangled Lovestruck

 

 

BLURB:


Self-confessed perfectionist Paige Thomas isn’t used to failing. But when a critical error in romantic judgment sends all her big city career dreams crashing down, she scrambles to find a job—any job—to make ends meet.

 Noah Reid may as well have “trust issues” tattooed on his forehead. Being raised in the foster system didn’t give him a positive outlook on relationships, but now he’s looking after his best friend’s bar for one month, and he can’t do it alone.

 Things get steamy when Noah hires Paige, but she’s determined not to repeat her mistakes and she bets Noah that she can keep her hands to herself while they’re working together. Too bad for her, Noah is an expert at breaking the rules…

Buy Links:  AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO

 

 

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/4/3/betting-bad-boy-stefanie-london

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34738007-betting-the-bad-boy

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/160771-behind-the-bar

 

 

She held the blindfold while trying to ignore the flutter of excitement in her stomach. Her fingers toyed with the elasticated band meant to hold the mask in place.

“Both partners are going to get a turn at being blindfolded,” Libby said from the front of the room. “Between yourselves, pick who’s going to go first.”

Noah looked down at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He ran a hand along his jaw, catching the reddish-gold bristles of his burgeoning beard. For a moment, Paige was totally captured with the idea of how the bristles might feel on her skin. Would they be smooth or rough? Would she shriek if he brushed them along her inner thigh?

“What do you say, new girl?” He cocked his head. “Would you rather do the blindfolding or be blindfolded?”

At that point she would have been happy to go all in— blindfolded, tied up, and held down.

Holy crap, would you listen to yourself? This is a work function, not a goddamn re-creation of Fifty Shades.

“Blindfolded,” she squeaked, thrusting the mask into his hands and spinning so quickly that she almost lost her footing.

“You know, I’ve never done this before.” His hand steadied her, the reassuring warmth of his touch seeping into her skin. Her bones felt like jelly.

“Blindfolded someone?” she asked, cringing at how shaky her voice sounded.

“Ah, no. I meant the taste test.” He chuckled as he slipped the mask over her eyes.

Heat rushed up to Paige’s cheeks. Of course he meant the taste test. What an idiot she was. Just because her brain was earning an R-rating tonight didn’t mean his was, too. She fought back a tremor as he brushed some loose hairs from her neck so he could adjust the strap on the mask.

Everything went dark, and Paige gripped the edge of the table for support.

Warm breath whispered over her ear, and she could tell he’d leaned in a little closer. The scent of coffee and faded cologne tempted her to turn her head toward the source.

“I’ve definitely blindfolded someone before, but it wasn’t for a taste test.”
Her breath hitched, and she was grateful that she’d had the presence of mind to hold on to something.

“Oh.”


He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what she said.”


Holy. Freaking. Shit.

 

AUTHOR INFO:

Stefanie London is the USA Today bestselling author of over ten contemporary romances with humour, heat and heart. Growing up, Stefanie came from a family of women who loved to read. Thus, it was no surprise Stefanie was the sort of student who would read her English books before the semester started. After sneaking several literature subjects into her ‘very practical’ Business degree, she got a job in Communications. When writing emails and newsletters didn’t fulfil her creative urges, she turned to fiction and was finally able to write the stories that kept her mind busy at night.

Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels and zombie movies.

 

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

 

 

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