5 STARS!

Dynamic!  The Ribbon Ridge series that Darcy Burke has shared with us has been been such a pleasure to read and experience!  The Archer family has a little bit of everything … sibling rivalry, love, laughter, tears, angst, guilt, you name it — but in the end, it’s all about being a family.  I stumbled across this series with Book 4, and have dearly loved 4, 5 and this one is #6.  I will one day find the time to go back and read 1, 2 & 3 because I love this family so much!  Kudos to Darcy for wrapping a family around my heart and making me wish for the world for them all.  I feel a great sadness that this is the wrap up of the Archer kids … but look forward to catching future glimpses at them from afar with more books set in Ribbon Ridge.

Hayden Archer has spent the last year in France escaping from real life, and when he returns home, isn’t sure where he fits in anymore.  After a family tragedy, his parents and siblings have all had a lot of healing to do and each has gone about it a different way, but have all settled back home in Ribbon Ridge.  When he arrives to find out his college girlfriend who broke his heart five years ago is now working for the family brewery, he’s not happy.  He finally got over pining for her and now she’s back in his life again.

Bex Holmgren couldn’t face staying in Ribbon Ridge with Hayden all those years ago. Turmoil over a loss they shared along with being overwhelmed by his large family drove her to need some space away.  Running into Hayden now that he’s home shows her that the love she thought she was over, is still there … he’s still the one … but can he ever forgive her and trust her with his heart ever again?

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

You’re Still the One
Ribbon Ridge #6
By: Darcy Burke

Releasing April 5, 2016
Avon Impulse

BLURB:

USA Today bestseller Darcy Burke concludes her Archer family saga with a second chance at first love…

Everyone thought college sweethearts Bex Holmgren and Hayden Archer were headed for the altar… until a tragic accident sent young Bex running from a future she wasn’t ready to claim. But when she’s offered her dream job at Archer Brewing, Bex can’t pass up the chance to reconnect with the big, crazy family that once welcomed her with open arms—and the one man she’s never stopped loving.

When he returns home after a year in France, Hayden is less than thrilled to find his ex-girlfriend working for his family’s company. He’s finally moved on, and being around her rekindles long-buried feelings he’d rather ignore. But Bex isn’t the same girl he knew—she’s more mature, more beautiful, more tempting than ever—and he can’t resist the pull of the intense passion he’s only ever shared with her.

Have five years changed them enough, or are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past? The only thing Bex knows for sure is that for her, Hayden is still the one.

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/03/youre-still-one-ribbon-ridge-6-by-darcy.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25900554-you-re-still-the-one

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/117022-ribbon-ridge

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011IT5CLS

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/youre-still-the-one-darcy-burke/1122599633?ean=9780062443533

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Darcy_Burke
_You_re_Still_the_One?id=kxEoCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unti-ribbon-ridge-6/id1018939148?mt=11

Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/you-re-still-the-one-6

EXCERPT:

“Your family is tough.”

He tipped his head up to look at her. “Tough?”

“It’s just . . . big. Complicated. Competitive.”

His brow furrowed. “Is that how you see us?”

“That’s how I see them. How do you see them?”

He smiled. “Complicated. Competitive.” He looked at her with appreciation in his gaze, which wasn’t helping her campaign to shelve her feelings for him. “It feels off being back now. I’ve always been the one to be here—you know that.”

He’d felt it was his responsibility to stay. Except maybe responsibility wasn’t what he’d felt. Maybe it was the desire to be the one who was necessary. Not martyrdom—nothing that self-serving—but a true need to feel . . . needed. Why had she never seen that before?

“I did know that, but I don’t think I really understood it until now. I shouldn’t have asked you to leave.”

He sat up and pivoted the stool so he was facing her. His knee brushed hers as he turned, and she felt the connection everywhere. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice.

“Whoa,” he said. “This is a total one-eighty. I’m not sure I can wrap my head around this.” There were lines of humor around his eyes, so she knew he was at least half-joking.

“I know, right?” She brought the whiskey to her lips and drank.

“What happened?” he asked softly, his gaze intense. “Why do you say that now?”

Oh, this was dangerous territory. This intimate conversation, the dimness of the room, the familiarity and its pull—at least for her. “You seem out of sorts now, like you maybe can’t find your place, whereas before you knew what it was. You were Hayden the Dependable, the one everyone counted on.”

His stare pierced her. There was a bit of admiration there. She fidgeted with her glass, unsure where this was going.

“You get it. No one gets it.”

She wasn’t sure that was true, but maybe it was just that he hadn’t talked to them about it. And maybe he didn’t want to. Maybe his place wasn’t here. “I get it now,” she said, smiling. “But I didn’t before. And I’m sorry.”

“You said you shouldn’t have asked me to leave. Do you . . . do you regret leaving?”

Damn, that was the worst question ever. Yes and no. “Until I’d come back here, I would’ve said no. Now . . . I’m not sure. It’s hard to regret things, isn’t it? Because we are who we are today because of the choices we made. And I like who I am.” For the most part.

He hadn’t broken eye contact with her the entire time she’d spoken, and she wondered if he felt this connection, this bone-deep longing that she’d truly never experienced before. Then he leaned in, and she did the same. Did he realize how close they were? If they both leaned just a bit more, their lips would touch.

“Maybe that’s it.” His voice was soft, sexy, but dark, too. “Maybe I don’t like who I am.”

AUTHOR INFO:

DARCY BURKE is the USA Today best-selling author of hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional, contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age eleven, a happily-ever-after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan that loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, and three Bengal cats. In her “spare” time, Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a twelve-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.darcyburke.com/

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/DarcyBurkeFans

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/darcyburke

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823441.Darcy_Burke

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

A signed set of Ribbon Ridge Series (Bks 1-5), a custom pint glass, coaster, and other Ribbon Ridge Swag. (U.S. Only). Additionally Avon Books will be giving away Three sets of Only In My Dreams and Yours to Hold (books #1 and #2) in digital downloads.
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4 1/2 STARS!

I loved this book!  I really enjoyed the connection between Mason & Kat. They are super HOT and sexy, yet the best of friends who are always there for one another!

Mason Kincaid is a sexy tattoo artist who loves hot, dirty sex.  His motto is “hit it and quit it” because he doesn’t do relationships.  One night of fun is all a girl ever gets from him.  He’s all about using a woman to satisfy his internal demons.

Katrina Sands has been Mason’s best friend since high school and is the Manager at his tattoo shop, Inked.  When a wild night leads to something happening between them, will Mason change his ways, or will Kat be left to deal with being dumped by her best friend?

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

Dirty Sexy Inked (Dirty Sexy Series Book 2) by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Date of Publication: April 5, 2016

Blurb

Available From

About Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Find Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde Online

Teaser

“WE’RE OFF TO Las Vegas, Kitty-Kat,” Mason Kincaid said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Sin City is the perfect place to get down and dirty and have some fun. What kind of trouble do you think we can get into while we’re there?”

Katrina Sands buckled her seat belt and settled more comfortably in the first-class leather seat next to Mason—her best friend since they were fourteen and freshmen in high school. She wasn’t at all surprised that he was already making a mental list of all the wild and reckless adventures that awaited him in a no-holds-barred place like Las Vegas. Mason Kincaid was a rule breaker, a thrill seeker, and a self-indulgent bad boy who was all about pleasure and instant gratification. From everything she’d heard about the city that never slept, he’d be right in his element.

Oh, joy, she thought with a resigned sigh. It wasn’t as though she was a prude. Far from it. She just wasn’t thrilled about watching her best friend’s man-whoring ways in action in Vegas. She spent enough time seeing it up close and personal on a day-to-day basis.

She turned her head and met Mason’s bright blue gaze. “You do realize that this trip isn’t all about you and your dick, right? That we’re heading to Vegas because your brother Clay is marrying Samantha?” she asked, reminding him of that one important detail.

The corners of his mouth curved with an indulgent grin. “Of course I realize my brother is strapping on the old ball and chain tomorrow afternoon. But that doesn’t mean the entire weekend is going to be all wedding, all the time. In fact, tonight Levi and I plan to take Clay out to make sure he spends his last evening as a bachelor in style.”

Which gave Mason the perfect opportunity to carouse for a willing female to take back to his hotel room for the night. It’s what Mason did. For as long as she’d known him, he’d had a hit-it-and-quit-it motto when it came to women, and he always made sure they knew the score up front. He didn’t make promises or do commitment or anything longer than a one-time fling.

And each time Katrina watched it happen, a little bit of hope died inside of her. The hope that one day Mason would see her as more than just a best friend and the woman who managed to keep his personal and professional shit together. But the man was oblivious to her deeper feelings for him, and she wasn’t willing to tell him and risk certain painful rejection. It was much easier, and safer, keeping them both squarely in the friend zone.

She’d known him for twelve years, and had truly come to believe that Mason Kincaid didn’t have the ability to commit to any single woman. And it really wasn’t hard for her to figure out why considering the kind of childhood he’d had—no father figure to speak of and a mother who cared more about her next fix than her own kids. Mason might be a master at giving off a carefree, I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude, but Katrina was one of the few people who knew just how much pain and resentment that laid-back demeanor really masked.

The commercial plane they were taking to Las Vegas finished the boarding process, and one of the cabin crew started closing the overhead luggage bins, while another made an announcement to set all electronic devices to airplane mode. A pretty brunette flight attendant stopped next to Mason’s aisle seat and set her hand on his shoulder.

He glanced up at her, and the woman smiled, her complexion flushing a bit as he turned all that potent male sex appeal her way. Yeah, Mason had that kind of breathtaking effect on women. Between his gorgeous features, that sexy, panty-dropping smile, and his sleeves of bad boy tattoos that wrapped around both muscled arms, he was an irresistible force to the female gender.

And the jerk knew it, too, and didn’t hesitate to use that charm to his advantage.

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5 STARS!

I adored meeting the Kincade family in Book 1 of the Sunshine Creek Vineyard series and can’t wait to see what more they have in store for us when the next sibling’s book comes out!  They are a family filled with love that has had some sadness, regret and secrets mixed in along the years that are coming to the surface now.

Jordan Kincade has been living the high life in the NHL since he was drafted right out of high school 15 years ago.  It takes the tragedy of his parents death to bring him running home to Sunshine Valley, Washington to face his grief along with his 4 brothers and little sister.  He never realized how much he pushed family aside and no longer fit into the pack until he walks through the door and feels like a virtual stranger.

He’s determined to make it up to his siblings for not being there, and starts out by handling their little sister who is bordering on flunking her senior year in high school because of a sudden attitude she has going on.  When he goes to meet with one of her teachers, he finds out it’s Lucy Diamond who he had a little thing with in high school.  He can’t resist flirting with her, but she’s intent on not forgiving him for the past.  Will he be able to change her mind?

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

A Better Man
Sunshine Creek Vineyard #1
|By: Candis Terry

Releasing March 29, 2016
Avon

BLURB:

In Candis Terry’s first novel in her Sunshine Creek Vineyard series, the handsome Kincade brothers convene to rescue their legacy-but the last thing they expect to find is love….

Sooner or later…

Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Creek for the NHL, but his sports career has overshadowed everything else-a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now his little sister Nicki is flunking out of school, and only one teacher can help Jordan save her-the shy but incredibly sexy Lucy Diamond, the same girl whose heart he broke years ago. But he’s determined not to make the same mistake twice. If only Lucy would give him the time of day.

Love has a way of catching up with you.

Lucy has no intention of drowning in Jordan’s deep blue gaze again, even if he seems to have turned over a new leaf. Still, his devotion to his sister is impossible to ignore. As they team up to salvage Nicki’s future, Lucy soon discovers that Jordan’s sweet caresses and lingering kisses might just be everything she needs.

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/02/a-better-man-sunshine-creek-vineyard-1.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25858362-a-better-man

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/157808-sunshine-creek-vineyard

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062351176/

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-better-man-candis-terry/1122340977

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Candis_Terry_
A_Better_Man?id=GqkaCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-better-man/id1016473337?mt=11

Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-better-man-11

EXCERPT:

Today, she was a different person. Stronger because of the things she’d lived through. Smarter because she’d found a way to survive and come out the other side in a happy place. She knew exactly where she belonged, and that was teaching and helping students like Nicki. Which was why, right now, she was going to pull on her big girl panties and face the boy who had disappointed her head on.

Lucy managed to pull herself together as Jordan removed his sunglasses and slid them to the top of his head. His smile lifted a masculine pair of lips that somehow managed to look cruel and sexy at the same time.

The boy had turned into a man times ten.

Tall and broad shouldered, his chest looked a mile wide. Judging by the smooth ripples beneath his snug shirt he was packing muscle, not pounds. Jeans, worn and frayed at the stress points, accented his long muscular legs and trim waist. His longish nearly black hair gleamed beneath the overhead lights. And his sharp blue eyes focused intently on her.

It was all she could do to keep her heart at a normal pace and her legs solidly beneath her. If ever a man could be described as delicious, Jordan Kincade would be a menu’s specialty of the day.

Too bad he was such a jerk.

“Ms. Diamond?” He came forward and stretched out his very large hand. “Jordan Kincade.”

And clearly he didn’t remember her.

Lucy smiled as a funny little tickle moved through her chest. Maybe this was going to be fun after all. Rarely was she ever given the upper hand or the opportunity to have even the slightest edge.

When he moved closer his warm palm engulfed hers and her triumph died with a sizzle.

Close up she got a better look. She inhaled his sexy scent of worn leather and warm man. Every square inch of her female DNA perked up like it was party time. She hated to disappoint the little darlings but today was all about helping someone else.

“Please.” She kept the handshake brief and formal before she disengaged and motioned toward the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

He glanced at the standard school chair with a you’ve got to be kidding me lift of his brows. When he sat down, the orange plastic chair creaked and seemed ridiculously small beneath the scope of his height and muscles.

Lucy took her own seat and noticed that the difference in chairs made her tower over him and seemingly give her another advantage. But when he leaned back and crossed an ankle over a knee, he appeared completely comfortable.

So much for one-upmanship.

“I apologize if I seemed taken aback just now.” She opened the folder and pulled out Nicole’s progress report as well as several exams and the few assignments Nicole had actually turned in. Late, of course, but complete nonetheless. “I expected your brother Ryan.”

“He had business at the vineyard and sends his regrets.”

She couldn’t help notice how very deep and smooth his voice had become. Like hot buttered rum on a cold winter night. He had the kind of voice a woman could imagine whispering sweet nothings in her ear while he caressed her in places that tingled beneath his touch.

“I understand.” Snapping out of the fantasy, she imagined the enormous scope of duties Ryan Kincade must need to tend to after the death of their parents. Her heart sank a little further for the family. Especially for Nicole, who was so young and really needed the love and guidance of her mom and dad. “I hope you’ll accept my condolences. And I sincerely apologize for having you come down at this sorrowful time to deal with what might seem insignificant but—”

“Anything regarding my sister is important, Ms. Diamond. Now more than ever.” His brows dipped in a no nonsense fashion. “So don’t judge me when you don’t even know me.”

Oh, she knew him.

Knew he was the type who’d make a promise then shatter it without ever looking back.

But that was then, and this was now.

“My apologies, Mr. Kincade. That was certainly not my intent.”

His piercing eyes perused her face for a long, uncomfortable moment and she had to admit that the look did something funny to the beat of her heart.

Especially when with a slight tilt of his head he asked, “Why do you look so familiar?”

“Do I?” That erratic heartbeat kicked up another notch as she let go a chuckle to cover up what was really going on inside. “People say that all the time. I guess I just have one of those faces.”

She pushed Nicole’s schoolwork in his direction. “If you’ll take a look at these projects, you’ll see that even though she didn’t complete the assignment exactly as it was defined, Nicole has an enormous gift.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a lie.”

“Excuse me?” Irritated, Lucy’s gaze shot up to the slight smile curling his lips. “How can you say that without even reading anything? I guarantee your sister has a multitude of talent.”

“I’m not talking about my sister’s work. I’m talking about you just having one of those faces.” He uncrossed his long, muscular legs and leaned forward without even looking at the papers she’d put in front of him. “So now I’m wondering why you sidestepped my question.”

Good God the man was intense. There was something in the combination of that nearly black hair that fell over his ears and his nape in perfect waves and those deep blue eyes that seemed almost otherworldly. She could imagine how he’d intimidate an opponent on the ice.

And it had nothing to do with his size.

But as far as admitting who she really was? Not going to happen. No need to dredge up a bad memory when all she really wanted was to help his sister.

“I apologize.” Her heart beat erratically as she avoided the intensity of his gaze. “But I would like to stick to the subject of your sister’s grades—or lack thereof—that may prevent her from graduating with the rest of her class. I genuinely care about her which is why I noticed a problem way before the loss of your parents.”

“And now you won’t even look at me,” he said. “Why is that?”

As he leaned in, his intoxicating scent came with him. Normally such things didn’t affect her. Well, at least not with her colleagues who tended to wear either too much aftershave or worse, too much body odor. Jordan wore his masculine scent like a sexual promise and Lucy swore he should come with a warning label.

AUTHOR INFO:

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://www.candisterry.com/

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

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/CandisTerry

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4935263.Candis_Terry

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a Print Set of the Sweet, Texas Series (ANYTHING BUT SWEET, SWEETEST MISTAKE. SOMETHING SWEETER, SWEET SURPRISE, and TRULY SWEET (US Only)
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5 STARS!

The exciting conclusion of the Mid-Season episodes finds the Rush family trying to cope with the fallout of the Senator’s scandal.  Marylee is ready to move heaven and earth to clean up after Sebastian’s mess and make sure his campaign is not affected.  Peyton and the kids are angry, but unwilling to rock the boat too much by speaking their minds.

Various members of the town are still up in arms as well.  Logan can’t forgive Ginny, Marcus doesn’t know how to handle Dakota, Brittany can’t help but hate her best friend, Marylee is constantly up to no-good, etc.

Can’t wait to see what happens when Season 2 picks up!

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

Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy…

Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.

But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.

Reading like an on-going drama in the tradition of classic day and night-time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, and All My Children, Rising Storm is full of scandal, deceit, romance, passion, and secrets.

With 1001 Dark Nights as the “producer,” Julie Kenner and Dee Davis use a television model with each week building on the last to create a storyline that fulfills the promise of a drama-filled soap opera. Joining Kenner and Davis in the “writer’s room” for the Midseason Episodes of this serial opera are bestselling authors Lexi Blake and Larissa Ione who have brought their vision of Storm to life.

So get ready. The storm is coming.

Secrets, Sex and Scandals …

Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.

As Sebastian and Marylee plot to cover up Sebastian’s sexual escapade, Ginny and Dakota continue to reel from the fallout of Dakota’s announcement. But it is the Rush family that’s left to pick up the pieces as Payton, Brittany and Jeffry each cope with Sebastian’s betrayal in their own way…

Experience Rising Storm Here…

Rising Storm Midseason Episode 1 (March 29): Lexi Blake’s After the Storm
Amazon ** Kobo ** iTunes ** Barnes & Noble ** GooglePlay ** All Romance EBooks

Rising Storm Midseason Episode 2 (April 5): Larissa Ione’s Distant Thunder
Amazon ** Kobo ** iTunes ** Barnes & Noble ** GooglePlay ** All Romance EBooks

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Check out this fantastic excerpt from DISTANT THUNDER!

It had only been three days since the Great Founders’ Day Disaster, but it felt like a month. For the first twenty-four hours after Dakota’s revelation, the town had been mostly shell-shocked. Then the story started spreading through social media, and last night after Marcus dropped Brittany off after dinner at Murphy’s, she discovered that someone posted the Founders’ Day Disaster on YouTube. The media had descended on Storm like locusts this morning, and her father, whom she’d only seen in passing since Founders’ Day, had adopted a shelter-in-place stance.

Brittany had given him suggestions on where he could shelter in places that were much, much hotter than Texas, and then she’d run out the front door toward her car, only to be swarmed by reporters.

“Ms. Rush, is it true that your best friend is pregnant with your father’s baby?”

“Ms. Rush, how do you think this scandal will affect your father’s reelection campaign?”

“Ms. Rush, did you know about the affairs your father was having with your friends?”

Ugh. She and her mother shouldn’t have left Francine’s cabin so soon, and Jeffry certainly should have remained with one of his buddies. But when Marylee snapped her fingers and went into crisis mode, everyone came running and fell in line like good little minions.

“This blows,” Jeffry said, looking up from where he was lounging on the couch with his iPad.

“What blows?” She sank onto the love seat across from her brother. “The game you’re playing? Or the fact that we’re trapped like animals? Or maybe the fact that our father is a lying, cheating bastard who slept with our friends? Or the fact that my best friend is going to give birth to our little brother or sister?”

Yep, she might be a little bitter. And it was ex-best friend.

He tucked his feet under him on the couch and sighed. “Yeah.”

“I can’t believe Mom thinks we need to be here for him—”

She broke off as their mother, Payton, came around the corner with a tray of finger sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade. They hadn’t spoken much about any of this, and Brittany wasn’t sure how to go about it. As far as she could tell, her mother hadn’t so much as shed a tear over the fact that her husband had knocked up a girl young enough to be his daughter and had probably slept with a dozen more.

“I brought you something to eat,” Payton said, and if she’d heard Brittany talking, she was choosing to ignore it. “Your father and grandmother are finished with their meeting with Mr. Stayton, and they’re on their way up to talk to you.”

“This should be good.” Jeffry reached for a sandwich as their mother put them on the coffee table. “I was wondering how long it would be before we got the circle-the-wagons lecture. Five bucks says he tries to convince us that everything Dakota said was a lie.”

“I know you two are angry and confused and you have a lot of questions,” Payton said as she took a seat next to Brittany, looking all prim and proper in a subdued green dress and gray scarf. “But we’ll get through this. I promise.”

About Larissa Ione:

Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Website | Facebook |Twitter | 1001 Dark Nights | Rising Storm on Goodreads

3 1/2 STARS!

I wasn’t overly fond of the skip in time towards the beginning of this book, I would have preferred to “live” the hard road with him, but none-the-less, I felt intrigued to see what was going to happen in the long run.

Tyson is sitting at the bottom of a wasted career when we first meet him, but after a lot of hard work , he’s back at the top of his game as the quarterback of the Austin Mavericks. When a blast from his past crosses his path again, will it throw him off course or will it make him stronger to relive it all again?

Dani Carr is there to handle the PR for another player, but try as she might, she doesn’t seem to be able to avoid run ins with Tyson.  She has a secret that she isn’t ready to tell him yet, but she can’t resist being near him time and time again.

Will there be a happily ever after in their future or will they part ways again?

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

The Total Package
By: Stephanie Evanovich

Releasing March 15, 2016
William Morrow

BLURB:

Smart and sexy Dani Carr knows as much about football as any man–maybe more. It’s always been her dream to make a living talking about the game she loves. But Dani’s not interested in being just the usual eye-candy sideline reporter; she wants to be the first woman analyst on a pre-game show, the ultimate in exclusive boys-club jobs. And it turns out, that despite the odds, she has the talent to get her there.

Star quarterback-and heartthrob–Tyson Palmer always did things in spectacular fashion, including ruining his career after debuting as a first-round draft pick. When the head coach of the Austin Mavericks refuses to let him waste his million dollar arm, Tyson makes a Hail Mary pass at redemption and succeeds with everyone…except Dani, who appears to be using her high-profile commentator job to make a name for herself at his expense.

Dani refuses to let anyone forget about Tyson’s transgressions….and for good reason. There’s history between these two, sizzling history that dates back to their college days, and it ended in another spectacular flame-out of Tyson’s. He’s conveniently forgotten all about that episode because Dani is no longer the cute girl next door he barely remembers–she’s a bombshell with huge ratings and a long memory.

But can a woman trying to claw her way to the top and a quarterback who knows all about rock bottom make it to the Super Bowl without destroying each other in the process? And what will happen when Tyson-riding high on his career comeback-realizes he needs to make an even more important comeback with Dani?

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/12/the-total-package-novel-by-stephanie.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18635067-the-total-package

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Total-Package-Novel-3-ebook/dp/B00OG7A2NI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1447447363&sr=1-1

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-total-package-stephanie-evanovich/1122570452?ean=9780062234858

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stephanie_Evanovich_
The_Total_Package?id=UAHNBAAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-best-ever/id929225847?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-total-package

EXCERPT:

 Tyson scowled defensively, before leaning his forearms down on the table between them. “Then I guess there really isn’t any story left to tell. Sounds like you know it all.” He was sorry he had offered her a seat, much less his drink.

“I told you, Tyson, I want to try to help you,” she reiterated.

“Why?”

“Because I believe in you,” Ella stated with conviction, as if that was enough to earn his trust. But Tyson Palmer was long past trusting anyone, including himself.

“Why?” he repeated, now angry.

Ella looked down at the table for a moment, then said quietly, “Because I remember the guy I tutored. Who was serious about his game and never had a problem taking no for an answer.”

He wanted to laugh in her naïve face. To mockingly tell her at the time she hadn’t been worth the pursuit, if for no other reason than to get her to leave him alone. He wanted her to stop looking at him in the way she was, like he was not a total disaster. But most of all, he no longer wanted to be reminded of when he was in control and held the world in the palm of his football-throwing hand.

“That kid doesn’t exist anymore. When you graduate and join the real world, you’ll realize that people change, usually not for the better,” he spat out cynically.

“I refuse to believe that.”

Tyson sighed and ran his hand through the shaggy brown hair that had outgrown his clean cut months ago. She was being way too persistent, but her sincerity was admirable, and part of him wanted to believe her.

“Okay. We’re friends, now what?”

She brightened with his acquiescence. And she really did have a pretty smile. “Now you let me be a good friend and help take care of you. You look so tired. ”

This time he didn’t hold back the laugh, and while it wasn’t exactly harsh, it still was hollow. She wasn’t able to help him any more than he could help himself. And she made it sound so easy, like she could perform some sort of exorcism and all his demons would flee. The more likely story was she was trying to get close to him under the misguided impression that he had something left to offer.

“You’re good, Mother Teresa. Why don’t we go someplace quiet where I can confess my sins and you can absolve me? Make sure you turn your phone on to record, so you don’t miss the good stuff.”

“You’re wrong, but I understand you being leery,” she patiently explained. “I . . . I always liked you, Tyson, and you were always so nice to me. You deserve to have someone on your side. I know this is all just your circumstances talking.”

“Sorry, not interested.” Tyson took back his now-empty glass and went back to sucking the last remnants of Gentleman Jack off the ice. Damn his mouth was dry, always so dry. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was closed. He wanted her to get out before he settled back into the dark side.

“What would it take for me to get you interested? For you to consider coming home with me, at least for a decent night’s sleep?”

Maybe it was the way she asked it, completely oblivious to the fact that the question itself made her sound like a hooker. Maybe it was the pity or her dogged insistence that he see himself for something other than he was, which was a lost cause. And then, like a lighthouse shining through the fog in his brain, it dawned on him. His cute little virtuous tutor had joined the ranks of pleasure seekers and was trying to get him into bed. At least that explanation turned the exchange from ludicrous to one that made sense.

“You still a virgin, Ella Bella?” He answered her question with one of his own, accompanied by a smile of complete impropriety.

Finally she blinked. Her grip tightened around the handle of the purse in her lap, and she stared at it before looking back up at him and meeting his gaze head-on.

“Yes.” She spoke her one-word answer unemotionally, even as the flush crept up to her cheeks.

Tyson sat back in his chair, the recesses of his drug-addled mind jarred. Wrong answer. She was supposed to have forsaken her outdated notion of chastity. She was supposed to have been tainted by now, like everyone he knew. As corrupted as he was.

“Hey Ella Bella, what do you say to you and me going someplace to get freaky?” Part of it was said in jest, trying to recover from just how badly she managed to throw him. Another part of him longed to engage in just a little bit of the same harmless banter from the days when she was a sweetheart and he was a hero.

“Your place or mine?” Her answer was so unexpected and sounded just as foreign to his ears.

AUTHOR INFO:

New York Times Bestselling Author, Stephanie Evanovich is a full-fledged Jersey girl from Asbury Park who began writing fiction while waiting for her cues during countless community theater projects. She attended New York’s School of Film and Television and acted in several improvisational troupes and a few small-budget movies, all in preparation for the greatest job she ever had, raising her two sons. Now a full-time writer, she’s an avid sports fan who holds a black belt in tae kwon do.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://www.stephanieevanovich.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StephanieEvanovichBooks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SEEvanovich

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6547908.Stephanie_Evanovich

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

Two Hardcover Copies of THE TOTAL PACKAGE

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4 STARS!

Filled with instant attraction, battling from two different sides of a coin, fun loving families, and HOT sex!  I felt this one was slightly slower to get started than some of Melissa’s others books, but once they decided to act on their attraction and become the center of the story line, it really got interesting!

Duke Ryder is a successful real estate investor, and visits Elpitha Island to look the property over in anticipation of making the head of the Liakos family an offer to develop a resort there.

Gabriella Liakos is an attorney in New York City, but her heart is on Elpitha Island where her family is and where she grew up.  She returns to the island at her grandfather’s request to give Duke a tour and answer his questions about the property.  She hopes she can dissuade him from buying it, because she doesn’t want her quiet island ruined by development.

When she and Duke have an instant attraction to each other that they decide not to try to fight, will there be able to be a happy ending for either of them?

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

Claimed by Love
Love in Bloom: The Ryders #2
By: Melissa Foster

Releasing March 23, 2016
World Literary Press

BLURB:

Family law attorney Gabriella Liakos has one true love, Elpitha Island, where she grew up and hopes someday to return. But Elpitha is in financial ruins, and Gabriella will do anything to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

Duke Ryder is a savvy real estate investor set on making Elpitha into an exclusive resort. Unlike other investors, he’s not scared of purchasing a property where one family has roots so deep they practically reach the ocean floor…until he meets his beautiful, stubborn, and enticing tour host―the daughter of the owner of most of the island.

Gabriella sets out to dissuade Duke from purchasing Elpitha, but Duke has other ideas. He wants Gabriella and the island. Duke’s powerful seduction draws Gabriella in, but can a savvy investor who’s used to glamour and glitz, and a woman interested in preserving the culture she adores find a happily ever after together?

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/01/claimed-by-love-love-in-bloom-ryders-2.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23123770-claimed-by-love

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/135715-love-in-bloom-the-ryders

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Claimed-Love-Bloom-Ryders-Ryder/dp/1941480292/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452462789&sr=1-2

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claimed-by-love-melissa-foster/1122904306?ean=9781941480298

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=T1VjCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/claimed-by-love/id1032049432?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/claimed-by-love-love-in-bloom-the-ryders

AUTHOR INFO:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.melissafoster.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY: 

Two Winners will receive a Digital Copy of SEIZED BY LOVE

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