Archives for September 6, 2017

* Review * SECRET SHORES by Ella Carey

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SECRET SHORES by Ella CareySecret Shores by Ella Carey
Published by Lake Union Publishing on September 5, 2017
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Goodreads
four-stars

In 1946, artist Rebecca Swift’s dreams of love and a life free from convention are crashing like the waves of the Australian coast below her. And it’s into those roiling waters that she disappears.

Forty-one years later, Tess Miller’s dreams are crashing, too. The once-successful New York editor has lost her most prestigious author to the handsome new golden boy of publishing. Meanwhile, she’s stuck with Edward Russell, a washed-up Australian poet writing a novel about some obscure artist named Rebecca Swift. But Tess may have underestimated Russell. His book is not only true—it’s a searing, tragic romance and a tantalizing mystery set in a circle of postwar modernists. When Tess uncovers a long-hidden secret, she’s drawn even deeper into Rebecca’s enigmatic life and death.

As Rebecca’s past intertwines with the present, Tess finds herself falling for the last man she thought she’d ever be drawn to. On the way, she discovers the power of living an authentic life—and that transcendent love never really dies.

 

A sweet love story that ranges years of ups and downs, surprises and heartaches to finally come around to being told and revered! The characters are well developed and the plot is an interesting spiel. I am not a fan of getting into the past, then back to the present every other chapter the way this book did. I always appreciate the writing more when the past is told, then it’s brought forward to the future … it just makes it flow and work better for me. Overall, an endearing story!

New York editor Tess Miller feels like her world is crumbling down around her. She already has a strained family life, and now the job that she lives for is falling apart. The prestigious author she spent years molding into a hit is being handed over to the new golden boy of the company, and she’s being handed what appears to be a washed up poet trying to reclaim his youth!

The more she reads Edward Russell’s story and the deeper she researches his past love Rebecca Swift, the more intriguing she finds them. A poignant love story is taking root, and she can’t help but be enthralled by it. When she uncovers a secret from Rebecca’s life, she’s left with how to reveal it without anyone getting hurt, and with letting the light of true love everlasting still be the spotlight.

four-stars

* Review * ON THE CHASE by Katie Ruggle

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * ON THE CHASE by Katie RuggleOn the Chase by Katie Ruggle
Series: Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 5, 2017
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Injured in the line of duty,
His orders are simple:
Stay alive.
But when a frightened woman bursts into his life, Hugh and his K9 companion have no choice but to risk everything to keep her safe.

The sole witness to a horrific crime, Kaylee Ramay flees to the Colorado Rockies to start a new life. There she becomes Grace, a dog kennel employee desperately trying to avoid attention—especially from dangerously attractive K9 Officer Hugh Murdoch.

Because Hugh is tall, dark…and nothing but trouble.

Hugh is anxious to get back in the field after an act of heroism left him warming the bench.
Until then, he and his K9 partner Lexi spend their hours teasing the town’s mysterious newcomer. But when their simmering attraction is nearly cut short by a sniper’s bullet, Hugh’s mystery woman must come clean about the secrets she keeps…

Or both of them will pay the price.

 

Intrigue in the first few pages draws us into this story and keeps us invested in seeing the outcome. I had trouble connecting with Grace & Hugh at first because they almost seemed to be having a childish “I know you are, but what am I” back and forth bickering between them, but after they truly started having feelings for each other, the chemistry between them became believable and drew me in. Looking forward to more in the series!

Kaylee Ramay can’t believe what her life has become! Because of witnessing something she wasn’t supposed to see, she’s now on the run for her life in hopes that the bad guys won’t track her down and silence her for good. Now Grace Robinson, she is trying to keep a low profile as a kennel employee, but one particular guy isn’t giving up on getting to know who she really is!

K-9 Officer Hugh Murdoch might be on mandatory leave after an act of heroism got him injured, but that doesn’t stop him from zeroing in on the suspicious stranger in town … and it doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous! When incidents start happening, Grace is left with no option but the spill her secrets to Hugh in hopes that he can keep everyone safe … but when more is going on than meets the eye, they could all be in for the run of their life!

four-stars

* Excerpt Reveal * THEIRS TO TAKE by Laura Kaye

 

 

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

 

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life.
Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

 

 

About THEIRS TO TAKE (Blasphemy #4, 9/26/17):

12 Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

She’s the fantasy they’ve always wanted to share…

Best friends Jonathan Allen and Cruz Ramos share almost everything—a history in the Navy, their sailboat building and restoration business, and the desire to dominate a woman together, which they do at Baltimore’s exclusive club, Blasphemy. Now if they could find someone who wants to play for keeps…

All Hartley Farren has in the world is the charter sailing business she inherited from her beloved father. So when a storm damages her boat, she throws herself on the mercy of business acquaintances to do the repairs—stat. She never expected to find herself desiring the sexy, hard-bodied builders, but being around Jonathan and Cruz reminds Hartley of how much she longs for connection. If only she could decide which man she wants to pursue more…

As their attraction flashes hot, Jonathan and Cruz determine to have Hartley for their own. But the men’s erotic world is new and overwhelming, and Hartley’s unsure if she could really submit to being both of theirs to take…forever.

 

 

A Special Cross-Over Release with Jennifer Probst’s Reveal Me from her Steele Brothers Series!

 

Available On:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

 

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to share this sneak peek from my upcoming Theirs to Take, a standalone in my erotic romance Blasphemy series! It’s been a few years since I’ve written a ménage romance, and I’m having so much fun writing charter sailboat captain Hartley Farren’s relationship with Jonathan and Cruz, two business acquaintances who help her when her boat is damaged during a storm—and who are also Masters at Baltimore’s most exclusive play club.

I hope you’ll grab your copy! And try book 1 in the series – Bound to Submit ­– which is free on all retailers! Now, read on:

 

“What am I going to do?” Hartley asked herself as the office door opened and closed. The office manager, Linda, no doubt.

“Hey, are you okay?”

The voice was deep, male, and definitely not Linda’s. Hartley’s gaze whipped up. And up. To find a tall and incredibly sexy man standing in the doorway to her cubicle. Sun-kissed shoulder-length blond hair framed a ruggedly masculine face and intense gray eyes that were at once inquisitive and observing. Broad shoulders and defined muscles pulled taut a heathered-gray T-shirt with a single word written across the chest: NAVY. His lean forearms and legs beneath a pair of khaki cargo shorts were toned and tanned, as if he spent a lot of time in the sun.

The guy exuded raw sex appeal doing nothing besides standing absolutely still, and his very presence scrambled her brain.

“Uh, hi. Yes. Sorry. I’m kinda in my own world here. Did you need Linda?” Hartley managed as she pushed to her feet. At five-five, she wasn’t exactly short, but his impressive height made her tilt her head back to meet his assessing gaze.

He shook his head. “I was coming by to see if she needed any help around the marina.”

“Oh. Wow. I’m sure she’d appreciate that. She stepped out to a meeting but she should be back soon if you’d like to wait.” Despite his selfless reason for being there, the man made Hartley nervous. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the intensity behind those odd, gray eyes. Or the way he towered over her. Or how freaking good-looking he was.

(Or the way she wanted to climb him like mainmast. Gah.)

“I’ll do that. Thanks.”

“Sure,” she said. But he didn’t leave. “Um, anything else I can do for you?”

His gaze stayed glued to hers, but she had the oddest feeling that he was checking her out nonetheless. He smiled and shook his head. And, man, was his smile a stunner, highlighting the strong angles of his jaw and charming her with the way the right side of his mouth lifted higher than the left. He thumbed over his shoulder. “I’ll just grab a seat.”

And then he disappeared from her little doorway.

Hartley was half tempted to peer around the corner and watch him walk away. Just to see if the rear view was as impressive as the front.

On a sigh, she dropped back into her chair. And even though her thoughts should’ve returned to the huge problem of fixing her boat, they lingered on the sexy Good Samaritan currently making small noises on the other side of the room. Who was he? Hartley had essentially grown up around this marina. Even though she couldn’t say she knew everyone here, she still recognized most of the regulars. And she’d never seen Mr. Tall, Blond, and Ruggedly Handsome before.

Her cell phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Mrs. Farren, this is Ed Stark returning your call from Stark Restoration.”

Hope rushed through Hartley. “Hi, Mr. Stark. Thanks for calling back so quickly. And, please, call me Hartley.” Being called missus was almost laughable when she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone on a date. With rebuilding the charter business after her father’s death and taking care of her grandmother, Hartley didn’t have time to date. Or, at least, she hadn’t made the time. Not that she’d had any prospects motivating her to do so. Shaking the thoughts away, she filled the man in on the damage her boat had sustained and the challenge of her three-week deadline.

“I might be able to get someone out to take a look at your boat by the end of the week, but you’re at least the tenth call I’ve had today. I wouldn’t be able to guarantee a completion date without assessing the damage, and I’ve got a number of other repair jobs ahead of yours at this point.”

It was the same thing all the others had told her. And she got it. She did. It wasn’t anyone else’s problem that she depended on the Windsong for her livelihood. Or that she’d put most of what her father left her into her grandmother’s home and a bigger boat that could carry more passengers two years ago. Or that July had been so rainy that her normal charter business had been halved. Or that she needed the extra income that the sailboat show and Sailing University courses would bring in to make it through the leaner winter months.

Just then, the front door opened again. “Hartley, I’m back. Sorry I was gone so long.” This time, it was definitely Linda. “Oh, Jonathan. How are you? How did you guys make out in the storm?”

“Our shop’s fine, ma’am,” the man said. “Thanks for asking.” Jonathan. Jonathan who apparently had a shop somewhere in the marina? “Do you need any help with anything? Cruz and I are available if you do.”

“Oh, aren’t you a sweetheart?” Linda said. “For the moment, I think we have everything under control, but I will absolutely keep your offer in mind.”

Even more curious about the mystery sex god in her midst, Hartley stepped out of her cubicle and tried not to stare. Or drool. But between those mountainous shoulders, built biceps, and his sun-streaked hair, it was hard not to. (That’s what she said!) Oh, God. Hartley was clearly losing her mind. She forced her gaze to her friend. “Hey, Linda. Everything go okay?”

“Oh, yes. Just little fires everywhere that need put out,” Linda said, dropping a legal pad full of notes onto her desk. “Were you able to find anyone to do the work?”

Hartley’s shoulders fell. “No. No one can even look before Friday.”

Linda frowned, and then her gaze swung to Jonathan. “Have you two met yet?”

That intense gray-eyed gaze landed on Hartley, unleashing a whirl of butterflies in her belly. “Haven’t had the pleasure,” Jonathan said.

It was a simple statement. But something about the word pleasure from that man’s mouth made a tingle run down her spine. It’d clearly been too long since she’d been on a date. Or been kissed. And waaaay too long since she’d last had sex. Embarrassingly long. Like, she didn’t even want to admit to herself how long.

(Fifteen months.)

With that fantastic thought in mind, all Hartley managed to say was, “Uh, hi. Again.” She chuckled to cover how much she wanted to duck back into the cubicle and bang her head against the desk.

He grinned, and it was a grin that could’ve easily been playful or mischievous. Either way, it was sexy as hell. “Hi. Again. I’m Jonathan Allen.”

“Hartley Farren.” Feeling Linda’s amused gaze on her, she cleared her throat. “You have a shop in the marina?”

He nodded. “A&R Builds and Restoration.”

“Jonathan and his partner Cruz own the business that moved into the old Stanton space at the beginning of the summer,” Linda added helpfully.

Hartley’s eyes went wide as her heart kicked into a sprint. “You do builds and restoration?”

He chuckled. “As the name suggests.”

She didn’t even mind the teasing, not when he might be able to help her. “Then you might be my new favorite person.”

“Is that right?”

The office phone rang, and Linda excused herself to answer it.

Hartley stepped closer to Jonathan. Why did that make her feel like she was approaching a usually friendly but sometimes lethal animal? Her stomach did a little flip. “Yes, because I need a huge, huge, gigantic favor.”

He arched a sexy brow. “And if I do this favor, will I officially be your favorite person?”

She grinned, enjoying his playfulness—and the fact that he was entertaining doing her a favor when they barely knew each other. “Without question. I’ll even make you an official certificate. Jonathan Allen. Hartley Farren’s Favorite Person.

That crooked smile emerged again, and hope flooded through her. “Hmm. I don’t know. I mean, a certificate is nice and all, but…”

Was he playing with her? She thought he was, but she didn’t know him well enough to know for sure. Hartley braced her hands on her hips. “Are you teasing me? Because that would be evil, Jonathan, and you don’t strike me as an evil man.” Now she arched a brow.

His chuckle this time was different. Deeper. Grittier. Sexier. With an undercurrent of…something she didn’t understand. “You never know, Hartley.”

“Oh, come on. Can I at least tell you what my favor is?” she asked.

Those gray eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, I couldn’t help but overhear your phone conversation, so I might have an inkling.”

Wait. He knew what she needed and still hadn’t said no? Hope and anticipation rushed through her, making her feel restless and brave. “Then if my awesome certificate idea isn’t enough, what can I offer to convince you to walk out to my slip and take a look at my catamaran?”

That eyebrow arched again, and Hartley suddenly felt like they’d been playing chess—and her words had just allowed him to put her in checkmate. But still, he didn’t make any claims of her.

She stepped closer. “Jonathan. Mr. Allen. Mr. Allen, My Already Officially Favorite Person, are you going to make me beg? Because that wouldn’t be very nice,” she added playfully.

Those gray eyes flared. She would’ve sworn they did. He bit back a chuckle as he shook his head. And when his words came, they were filled with a deep intensity that made her shiver. “Why don’t you show me your boat, Hartley, and then I’ll answer your questions.”

 

 

 

 

Books in the Blasphemy Series:

Hard to Serve #.5

Bound to Submit #1 – FREE EVERYWHERE!

Mastering Her Senses #2

Eyes on You #3

Theirs to Take #4 (9/26/17)

On His Knees #5 – Coming Winter 2018

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

 

 

 

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