** Blog Tour / Book Review ** SAVED BY THE FIREFIGHTER by Rachel Brimble

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4 STARS!

A story about finding your way through grief and loss and having to pick up the pieces of your life afterwards.  I liked Trent a lot, but found it fairly difficult to connect with Izzy.  I understood her pain, but I just would have liked to see more depth to her instead of just pushing away the one person that cared about her the most … repeatedly.  Either way, I enjoyed their story.

Photographer Izzy Cooper is basically living her life in a cloud as she tries to overcome the enormous grief she is suffering over losing her brother.  She’s already pushed away family and friends, but the one guy who isn’t willing to give up on her is the one that she treats the worst.  She knows it’s irrational to blame him, but she does it anyway.

Firefighter Trent Palmer wishes he could have saved his best friend and Izzy’s brother the day of the accident, but he was gone before they even arrived on the scene.  He just wants to be there for Izzy and to have her want to have a relationship with him again.

Will working together on this calendar shoot be what will bring them back together?

ARC received via Tasty Book Tours

 

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Saved by the Firefighter
Templeton Cove #6

By: Rachel Brimble

Releasing November 1, 2016
Harlequin Superromance

 

BLURB:

How can she forgive him for what he didn’t do?

Photographer Izzy Cooper feels as frozen as her pictures. Trent Palmer might be the hottest firefighter in Templeton Cove, but she can never face him again. Not after he failed to save her brother. But when they’re forced together by a calendar shoot, the sparks between them are undeniable.

Izzy knows it’s not fair to blame Trent for the tragedy, but opening herself up to loss again isn’t something she’s prepared to do, no matter how determined Trent is to show her that pain is part of life and that love—their love—can make any suffering bearable.

 

 Link to Follow Tour:  http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master//2016/08/saved-by-firefighter-templeton-cove-6.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31858172-saved-by-the-firefighter
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/161969-templeton-cove

 

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Saved-Firefighter-Templeton-Cove-Stories-ebook/dp/B01FQX473Q
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saved-by-the-firefighter-rachel-brimble/1123750035?ean=9781488006906
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Brimble
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iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/saved-by-the-firefighter/id1114464965?mt=11
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/saved-by-the-firefighter

 

 

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EXCERPT:

She carefully climbed down the rocks, one hand steadying her as she made her slow descent. Trent waited, needing to know she was safe on the sand before he could leave.

He wanted to protect his family and loved ones––to never fail someone again as he’d failed his baby sister. In Izzy, he saw his future. Why her, he wasn’t sure he could ever explain, but she mattered. Deeply.

Yet, with every day that passed, she slipped further away from him and he wished to God it didn’t hurt so much.

He briefly closed his eyes before opening them again, ready to walk on. Walk away. He glanced in her direction once last time as she leapt from the final rock, her hand protectively clasped around the camera at her breasts. Looking up, she held up a finger toward him as though asking him to wait for her. Surprise turned to pathetic relief as she jogged across the sand, her long blonde hair swinging back and forth in its ponytail. As she got closer, the more Trent tensed.

It had been over a week since he’d seen her. The beach party a bigger disaster than he could’ve ever anticipated.

She came up the steps toward him, tucking some fallen hair behind her ear. He noted the way she tried to smile for him, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Hi.”

He pushed his hands into the pockets of his work trousers. “Hi.”

Slightly out of breath, she exhaled through pursed lips and stared into his eyes. “I think I owe you an apology.”

She might as well as said she loved him. The pleasure that jolted through him probably wouldn’t have been any less powerful. He dragged his gaze from hers to look blindly toward a spot over her shoulder. “For what?”

“For the way I spoke to you at the beach last week.” She sighed. “Won’t you at least look at me? You know apologizing doesn’t exactly come as second nature to me.”

He turned. The trepidation and pleading in her gaze teemed with the blush at her cheeks, tugged at his chest. “I get it, Iz. It’s fine.”

“What do you get?”

“You need to blame me for Robbie’s death. You’ll only ever look at me and see a firefighter now. The man who couldn’t save your brother. You’ll never just see me. A guy who really likes you.”

 

 

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AUTHOR INFO:

Rachel Brimble lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had five books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and three Victorian romances by eKensington/Lyrical.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

 

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://rachelbrimble.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble
GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble

 

 

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** Blog Tour ** NOW AND THEN FRIENDS by Kate Hewitt

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Book Title: Now and Then Friends (Hartly-by-the-Sea Novel, #2)
Author: Kate Hewitt
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: July 12, 2016
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

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book blurb

The USA Today bestselling author of Rainy Day Sisters returns to Hartley-by-the-Sea…

Childhood best friends Rachel Campbell and Claire West have not only grown up, but after fifteen years, they’ve also grown apart…

After her father left, Rachel had to dedicate her life to managing her household: her two younger sisters, her disabled mother, and her three-year-old nephew. When Rachel’s not struggling to look after all of them, she makes her living cleaning the houses of wealthy families—including the Wests, where a surprise now awaits her. . . .

A lifetime of drifting in other people’s currents has finally left Claire high and dry. First it was her parents, then the popular crowd in school, and finally her fiancé. Now she’s returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea to recover. But running into Rachel brings back memories of past mistakes, and Claire wonders if she now has the courage to make them right.

Soon Claire’s brother, Andrew, asks Rachel to keep an eye on Claire, which is the last thing either woman wants. But as their lives threaten to fall apart, both Claire and Rachel begin to realize what they need most is a friend. The kind of friend they once were to each other, and perhaps can be again. . . .

excerpt

READ AN EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE OF NOW AND THEN FRIENDS

 

meet the author

Kate Hewitt is the author of over 45 novels of women’s fiction and romance. Whatever the genre, she loves to tell an emotionally compelling story. An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband, five young children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can follow her adventures at http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk.

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** Blog Tour ** ONCE UPON A ROYAL CHRISTMAS by Robin Bielman

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Once Upon a Royal Christmas

by Robin Bielman
Publication Date: October 20, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Holiday

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BUY:

Synopsis: Colliding with a prince while walking four dogs isn’t how Rowan Palotay pictured meeting royalty, but then lately her life hasn’t gone according to plan. With one teensy tiny mistake, her job as a news reporter took a turn for the worse and now she’s lucky to have a small pet column in the local newspaper. Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and magic, but she feels like she’s forever stuck on the naughty list.Prince Theodore Chenery is in Marietta shortly after the death of his mother to meet his grandparents for the first time. When an accidental run-in—literally—with Rowan leads to an unexpected friendship, he finds himself enchanted with the outspoken, feisty country girl. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met and her special brand of kindness and honesty make it harder and harder to keep temptation away.

Giving into the passion and deep-rooted emotions between them, Theo and Rowan discover what matters most. But when their relationship makes worldwide news, Theo must decide whether or not to follow his heart or his royal duty.

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EXCERPT

“You okay?” the prince asked.

            “I’m fine,” Rowan said, pressing her shoulders back and raising her chin. “I’ve been hit with hundreds of snowballs.”

            “I’m not surprised.”

            “Excuse me?”

            “You strike me as good target practice.”

            She had no idea what to make of that comment. What a rude thing to say to someone who’d— “I just saved you from getting nailed by two snowballs and that’s what you say to me? Kind of insulting, don’t you think?”

            “I didn’t—”

            “You don’t even know me.”

            “I—”

            “And for your information”—she almost said “bucko” but caught herself—“it’s an honor to have been hit by so many snowballs growing up here. You don’t get snow where you’re from, so you wouldn’t know.” He came from a small state along the Mediterranean coastline known for its beaches and yacht-lined harbor, and where the sun reigned supreme year round.

            “May I speak now?”

            “If you must.”

            That earned her another arch of his brows. She’d probably be arrested for speaking so disrespectfully to him if they were in Montanique. But this was her home turf and he didn’t get to say whatever he pleased. Manners went both ways no matter who you were.

            “I meant it would be fun aiming for you.”

            She crossed her arms over her chest. That still sounded kind of harsh. Even though she was fun. “As opposed to aiming for…?”

            “Anyone else.”

            “I’m still not sure what—”

            “It was a compliment, Miss Palotay.”

            She shifted her feet. Okay, so maybe this meant he wasn’t holding this morning’s incident against her. “Call me Rowan.”

            “Call me Theo.”

            “Really?” She’d called him that in her head, but out loud was something entirely different.

            “It’s what my friends call me.”

            “Are we friends?”

            “You are wanting in my pants.”

            She threw her arms up in the air. He wasn’t serious. “What? I do not.”

            “You don’t want to take my pants to be cleaned?” His calm, casual tone irked her. Rowan bet nothing ruffled this man, or gave him pause. Confidence and poise rolled off him like a summer breeze in the middle of winter.

            “That’s not what you said. You said I wanted in your pants.”

            “You must have misheard me.” The small, entirely too charming, curve of his lips told her she had not misheard him at all, and he enjoyed teasing her.

            Two could play that game. “That’s too bad. I’m very good inside men’s pants.”

 

ABOUT ROBIN BIELMAN

Robin Bielman

When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts all of her story ideas.

She is a 2014 RITA Finalist, loves to frequent coffee shops, and plays a mean game of sock tug of war with her cute, but often naughty dog, Harry. She cherishes her family and friends and loves to connect with readers. Get the scoop on Robin, her books, and sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://robinbielman.com.

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** Blog Tour / Book Review ** GOING DOWN FAST by Carly Phillips

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4 1/2 STARS!

Another sexy billionaire takes us for a ride in the latest Billionaire Bad Boys release by Carly Phillips!  I loved Lucas, and other than wanting to kick Maxie a few times when I felt like she wasn’t appreciating him enough, I enjoyed her too.  Lots of steamy romance, and a bit of intrigue as we try to figure out what’s going to happen with the trouble that is following her around!

Though they were childhood best friends and each secretly wanted more with the other, Lucas Monroe and Maxie Sullivan went separate routes through life.  When hard times left her needing him, he was always there for her, willing to pick up the pieces.  This time is more complicated than ever, and requires lots of close quarters.  Will they finally decide to put down the armor and take a chance on each other?

ARC received via RockStar PR

 

 

Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys Book 2) by Carly Phillips

Date of Publication: October 11, 2016

Blurb

A stand-alone Billionaire Bad Boys novel.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Lucas Monroe dropped out of college only to become a multi-billionaire and tech world God. He can have any woman he desires in his bed, but the only woman he’s ever wanted is off limits and always has been. When Maxie Sullivan finds herself in dire straits, the only man she can turn to is the one she’s always secretly loved: her childhood best friend. Can they trust their hearts and make a future, or will their complicated pasts stand in the way?

This bad boy is going down fast …

And going down fast has never felt so right.

Available From


About Carly Phillips

After a successful fifteen-year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

Find Carly Phillips Online

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** Release Blitz / Blog Tour ** BOTTOM OF THE NINTH by Jami Davenport

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Bottom of the Ninth: Seattle Skookums Baseball
Game On in Seattle #6
By: Jami Davenport

Releasing October 21, 2016
Cedrona Enterprises

 

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BLURB:

This long-awaited story of the third Wolfe brother introduces the Seattle Skookums baseball team.

Zeke Wolfe, the man who’s written off his entire family, rescues a young woman and three children on a stormy Seattle night. Before he knows it, he has an instant family and a fake fiancé he’s certain he doesn’t want.

Paisley Madison dreams of having a real home for herself and her sister’s children. When a handsome baseball player drops into her life, she knows a gift when she sees one and hires herself as his assistant.

As their business arrangement turns into something much more personal, Paisley and Zeke’s pasts threaten to destroy their precarious hold on a future together. Can they conquer their demons and find love, or will they run from their pasts and abandon their future together?

 

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Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/08/bottom-of-ninth-seattle-skookums.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28239542-bottom-of-the-ninth
Goodreads Series Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/series/126686-game-on-in-seattle

 

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JDCO1V4
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124224673?ean=2940156916306
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bottom-of-the-ninth/id1116418229?ls=1&mt=11
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bottom-of-the-ninth-3

 

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EXCERPT:

Seattle.

He’d been traded to fucking Seattle.

Zeke Wolfe still couldn’t believe it, even though he’d made a few trips to the rainy city since the deed had been done, and he’d been wearing the Seattle blue and green during spring training.

Hell, he hadn’t come to terms with his new reality even as the Boeing 737 banked a steep turn to land at Sea-Tac Airport. He caught glimpses of Puget Sound and the Space Needle through the dark, oppressive clouds hanging over everything, including his life as of late.

Why did God hate him so much that he’d done this to him?

Truthfully, he probably didn’t hate Zeke. More likely, God didn’t know he existed. The big guy hadn’t been there for Zeke any more than his brothers had. At least he’d had his sister—until he didn’t have her anymore, either.

Zeke disembarked, hating the place that was his new home. It was bad enough he’d been yanked from sunny California to this dark, dreary place where the sun never shone and mold grew in every crack and crevice, but even worse, his brothers both lived here and played for Seattle’s professional hockey and football teams. Maybe God did hate him after all and was laughing his ass off at this latest cruel twist of fate.

Turning on his phone, he frowned as message notifications blipped across the screen. Them again. Why couldn’t they just leave him the hell alone? He’d just changed his number a month ago. Now he’d have to change it again.

Despite being irritated, Zeke put on his happy face in case anyone with a trigger finger on their cell camera happened to recognize him. Grabbing his bag from the baggage carousel, he found his recently purchased silver Jaguar F-PACE SUV, parked exactly where Al, his agent, promised it would be. The bastard was thorough. He’d give him that.

Relaxing into the plush leather seat, Zeke allowed himself a moment of forced calmness, then he pulled onto the wet streets. He listened to the GPS as he navigated to the house his agent had also bought for him in a quiet Seattle neighborhood of older but upscale homes. Al promised the house boasted views, views, and more views. Zeke didn’t give a shit about views right now, but he’d kill for something more substantial than airplane food, along with a blissful night’s sleep.

He stopped at a takeout place and grabbed a couple pizzas, before continuing his journey. The aroma of pepperoni and melted cheese merged with the new-car smell. His stomach growled, and he pressed harder on the accelerator.

Cutting the corner as he turned onto a side street, Zeke hit a deep mud puddle, hydroplaning and throwing water in all directions, including his windshield.

Shit. He couldn’t see a damn thing.

Slowing, he noticed a bedraggled woman standing on the sidewalk completely drenched—thanks to him. The hood of her ancient car was up, and she held the hands of two equally bedraggled and drenched little kids while a third stood nearby.

Well, crap.

Judging by their piece-of-shit car piled high with crap, they were probably homeless. He fully intended to drive on by. They weren’t his problem. At the last minute, he made the mistake of glancing in their direction. His gaze connected with the pleading, soulful brown eyes of the woman. She was young, but not too young; probably his age, yet way too young to have children this old unless she’d had them when she was just a kid herself.

Despite her miserable state, she was beautiful, with long blond hair and a cute figure. She looked like the girl next door, sweet and kind and needy.

Zeke so did not do needy.

Well, not too much. At least, not to the point he couldn’t extricate himself without some messy drama to go along with the neediness.

With a sigh, Zeke glanced at the time and pulled over. Pizza and sleep would have to wait a little longer because of his damn pesky conscience.

 

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AUTHOR INFO:


USA Today Bestselling Author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series. Jami’s new releases consistently rank in the top fifty on the sports romance and sports genre lists on Amazon, and she has hit the Amazon top hundred authors list in both contemporary romance and genre fiction multiple times. Jami ranked Number Seven on Kobo’s Top Ten Most Completed Authors, an honor bestowed on the year’s “most engaging” authors based on an average page completion rate by their readers.

 

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.jamidavenport.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/jamidavenportauthor
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jamidavenport
GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1637218.Jami_Davenport

 

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** Release Blitz ** TELL ME AGAIN by Michelle Major

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Celebrate the release of Tell Me Again by Michelle Major

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Synopsis:

As a teenager, Samantha Carlton used a career in modeling to break free from her painful childhood—walking away from her reckless twin sister, an alcoholic mother, and the boy she loved. Yet she never outran the guilt of abandoning her family. When the past shows up on her doorstep in the form of her late sister’s daughter, Sam opens her home and her heart to the girl she never knew existed. But it’s not so easy to face the man she left behind…

Sam had shattered Trevor Kincaid’s heart, and he’d sought comfort in her sister’s arms. But he’d pledged to shield his daughter, Grace, from the drama that followed the Carlton women. Now Grace has tracked down Sam, and Trevor is forced to deal with the one woman he wanted to forget.

History has a way of repeating itself, and the sparks between Sam and Trevor reignite an old flame. But as much as Sam wants a new future, is walking away again easier than risking her heart for a second chance at love?

Find out more at: Amazon

 

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Excerpt from Tell Me Again:

“I need to help you. I need to make it better so we’re even.”

“Even?”

She nodded. “I can’t owe you.”

“You don’t owe me.”

“We have a working relationship I can handle,” she said, dropping the towel to her desk and pressing the ice pack between her fingers. She welcomed the burn of the cold against her fingertips. “Then you go and play the hero.”

He laughed again. “I’m not a hero.”

“That’s not how I remember it,” she murmured, focusing her gaze on his shirt collar when it became too difficult to meet his eyes.

“What sort of working relationship do we have when you pretend I don’t exist any time I’m here without Grace?”

“The kind that doesn’t make me crazy.”

“Is that how you treat a hero?”

She laughed despite herself. “It is when I’m pretending you don’t exist because I want to rip off all your clothes and plaster myself to you every time we’re together.”

He raised one brow. “That doesn’t sound quite right to me.”

Embarrassment washed through her, but Trevor stepped into her space, crowding her, when she would have turned away.

“A better idea would be if we both had our clothes off.” He traced one finger along the skin above the collar of her baggy t-shirt. “What’s fair is fair.”

She bit down on her lip and ignored the sparks of desire that skimmed along every single one of her nerve endings. “It was actually a bad idea. Forget I said anything.”

“Fat chance,” he whispered and brushed his lips across hers.

It only took a second for the kiss to ignite into something hot and hungry. Even though it was the worst idea in the world, Sam lost herself in the feel of him. He tugged her closer, lifting her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his lean hips. He tasted the same as he had years ago, like mint and memories. He was the innocence she’d lost and everything she once longed for.

He kissed her like she was his whole world. It had been forever since she’d felt anything so perfect. His fingers tugged on the hair tie holding her bun in place and then his hands sifted through her hair. His mouth felt like it was everywhere at once–on her lips, her jaw, the sensitive spot just behind her ear that no other man had taken the time to discover.

 

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About Michelle Major:

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

Connect with Michelle: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

 

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Giveaway:

1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon Giftcard!

3 runner ups will receive a book bundle including Kissing Mr Right and Recipe for Kisses by Michelle Major!
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** Release Day Blitz / SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW ** FROM A PARIS BALCONY by Ella Carey

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From A Paris Balcony

Heartbroken and alone, Boston art curator Sarah West is grieving the recent deaths of her parents and the end of her marriage. Ultrasensible by nature, she’s determined to stay the course to get her life back on track. But fate has something else in mind. While cleaning out her father’s closet, she finds a letter from the famous Parisian courtesan Marthe de Florian, dated 1895. The subject? Sarah’s great-great-aunt Louisa’s death. Legend has it Louisa committed suicide…but this letter implies there’s more to that story.

Determined to learn the truth, Sarah, against her nature, impulsively flies to Paris. There she’s drawn into the world of her flatmate, the brilliant artist Laurent Chartier. As she delves deep into the glittering Belle Époque to unravel the mystery, Sarah finds that her aunt’s story may offer her exactly what she needs to open up to love again.

Following Sarah in the present day and Louisa in the 1890s, this moving novel spans more than a century to tell the stories of two remarkable women.

Read Reader Reviews

Buy on:
Amazon Kindle         Amazon Paperback         Book Depository      B&N

 

 

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Ella Carey is a writer and Francophile who claims Paris as her second home. She has been studying French since the age of five, and she has degrees in music and English. Her debut novel, The Paris Time Capsule, has captured global attention and her second novel, The House By The Lake, will be released on March 29th, 2016. She lives with her two children and a pair of Italian greyhounds in Hobart.

Ella Carey on the web:
Facebook        Twitter        Author Page    Website

 

Getting to know Ella …..

It’s been a joy to travel through Paris and Germany with you in your novels.  Are there other specific places that you dream of writing about one day?

  • Thank you Lynn! And thank you for having me here today. I admit that I am fascinated by the most romantic locations in Europe- Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, Florence. I wouldn’t be surprised if I wrote novels set in these places when the right stories emerge. I think all novels are a love letter to a place…
What hobbies do you enjoy doing when you’re not busy writing?
  • I enjoy walking my dogs, reading, playing the piano and going to films with my friends. I do love going to art galleries, and to concerts and the theatre as well. Anything to do with the Arts…
Do you have a particular process that you go through as you write?  A favorite place?  A strict time schedule?
  • I am dedicated to my writing. I’ve always viewed it as a job. I find the best time to write is first thing in the morning, so I’ll generally try and get going as soon as close to waking up as I can. I don’t have a strict time schedule, but I work until I’m sort of done. I just know when enough is enough, so I stop! That part of it is probably a little instinctive, but for the most part, I am quite disciplined about writing. Mind you, if I don’t write, then I’m not very happy at all!
If you could have lunch with one famous/infamous person, either dead or alive, who would it be?
  • Jane Austen, for sure! She fascinates me with her insights into society, into the nature of humanity, and with her enduring belief that love overcomes everything in the end. I have been to her house in Hampshire, and been to all the places where she grew up, lived and wrote.
Do you have a favorite author or two that inspired your desire to write?
  • Yes, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Bronte. And many other contemporary writers, but it was these two writers who sparked things off for me. I can turn to their novels again and again, and always find something new to inspire me in their work.

** Book Review ** WINNER TAKES ALL by Cheryl Harper

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4 STARS!

An inspirational story about finding your place in the world!  Very eye opening of how different the amenities are and what’s needed in other countries.  I enjoyed the characters and loved seeing them connect and grow as the story evolved.

When Stephanie Yates and her two best friends win the lottery, they push her out the door for the trip to some place exotic that she’s always talked about … only she was thinking something more along the lines of Paris, not Peru where “the one she compares all other men to” is setting up medical clinics!

Daniel Lincoln is the brother of one of her best friends, and is the man she’s had a crush on for like forever.  She sets out thinking she’ll be fine to just pass through and get in and get out without showing her feelings for him, but once she’s there and spending time working with him, she realizes how much he’s changed.  He’s an even better guy that he ever was before, and she falls even deeper for him.  And worse … she finds she’s more fulfilled in this foreign country than she is at home!

ARC received via Lola’s Blog Tours

 

 

Winner Takes All coverWinner Takes All (Lucky Numbers #1)
By Cheryl Harper
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: June 1, 2015

BLURB:
Winning the lottery means finally living her dreams…

Stephanie Yates isn’t really sure she’s ready to leave her hometown and see the world, but there’s not much she can do about it now: her friends have sent her on her way! And her first stop is a village in the breathtaking mountains of Peru, where Daniel Lincoln, her lifelong crush, is setting up medical clinics.

Stephanie thought she could hide her feelings for the hotshot doctor no problem, but Daniel has changed. And spending time with this strong, caring man helps her imagine a new life for herself, and for Daniel. That is, if he can start seeing her as more than just a friend…

You can find Winner Takes All on Goodreads

BUY LINKS:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Harlequin

 

EXCERPT:

“Give me the blindfold. I’m ready to hop on a plane to anywhere, you wait and see.” She tied the dish towel over her eyes and held out her hand. Jen pressed the dart into her palm and said, “See the map. Be the map.” They all chuckled, remembering countless slumber parties where Daniel had tried to show them how to hit the dart board instead of the innocent closet door.

Rebecca put her hands on Stephanie’s shoulders and spun her around once. “Do your best!”

“Come on, Paris!” Her heart racing with excitement and fear, Stephanie tossed the dart and hoped to hit land. She could see herself stepping off a plane. Floating on a boat, not so much.

She tried to yank off the dish towel but Jen shoved her glass of wine in her hand. “Before you see where you’re landing, let’s make another toast. To new beginnings and lottery winnings.”

Thinking they were spending a whole lot of time making plans for something that would never happen, Stephanie held her glass out, waited for the clink, and took a sip. Then Jen yanked off her makeshift blindfold and said in her best game show host voice, “Let’s see where you’re headed.”

The three of them lined up in front of the map. Somehow she’d completely missed France, not to mention the tiny dot of Paris. In fact, she’d overshot Europe as well. The dart was planted squarely in the middle of nowhere Peru.

“That’s impossible. There’s no way I missed the entire continent of Europe.” The images of Peru that came to mind were of llamas and Machu Picchu, which she might enjoy seeing, but that’s not where the dart landed. No, she was apparently going to…Alto, a place she’d heard of once in her life, thanks to a posting on Daniel Lincoln’s Facebook page. She narrowed her eyes at Rebecca. “What did you do?”

 

Cheryl HarperABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Whether she’s writing, reading, or checking the items off of her daily to-do list, small-town girl Cheryl Harper loves her romance mixed with a little laughter. When she’s not working, you will find her ignoring housework, cursing yard work, and spending way too much time with a television remote in her hand.

You can find and contact Cheryl here:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest


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** Blog Tour / Book Review ** HIS TO PROTECT by Karen Rock

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4 1/2 STARS!

In Karen Rock’s latest, she takes us on a heart wrenching journey into the mind of a man who left a brother in arms behind, into the mind of a loved one receiving the news back home and having to pick up the pieces of a so-called life again, and into the hearts of all who were touched by a tragedy.  Sad, eye opening and sexy all rolled into one!  Really enjoyed the characters and look forwarding to reading more of Karen’s coast guard heroes!

As a rescue pilot for the United States Coast Guard, Lt. Commander Mark Sampson has to make dangerous, split second decisions every day.  He’s saved many lives, but the most recent one that he didn’t is tearing him apart.

Nurse Cassie Rowe is looking for some closure and a way to move forward with a more meaningful life.  She didn’t expect it to be on the same mission with the man her family holds responsible for her brother’s death though!  She should hate him … but the passion they already shared makes for a lot of mixed emotions!

ARC received via Tasty Book Tours

 

 

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His to Protect
Uniformly Hot!
By: Karen Rock

Releasing October 1, 2016
Harlequin Blaze

 

BLURB:

Subject: Lt. Commander Mark Sampson

Mission: Keep his eyes on the skies…despite one sexy distraction!

There are things a man can never undo. For Coast Guard search and rescue pilot Mark Sampson, it was the agonizing decision that cost him a teammate—and his faith in himself. But an unbelievably sexy blonde on a secluded beach may help him forget…if only for a night.
Cassie Rowe needed a distraction—and, boy, did she get one! How was she to know the brooding stranger who rocked her world was the pilot who’d left her brother to die? And now they’re on the same mission. She should hate him. But she can’t fight the storm of desire threatening to pull them under…

 

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/08/his-to-protect-uniformly-hot-by-karen.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31140667-his-to-protect

 

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/His-Protect-Uniformly-Karen-Rock-ebook/dp/B01BSFBUOU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1470493409&sr=1-1

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-to-protect-karen-rock/1123427219?ean=9780373799152

Google:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Karen_Rock_His_to_Protect?id=kLSTCwAAQBAJ&hl=en

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-to-protect/id1084346144?mt=11

Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/his-to-protect-4

Audio: http://bit.ly/histoprotect_rock

 

 

EXCERPT:

“Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” Dylan hollered as the boat shuddered and lifted before crashing smack down on its side.

Cassie leaped into the whirling water and kicked hard against the sucking drag, her life preserver no match for the powerful force. Coughing and spitting out salt water, she flailed, trying to keep her head above the enraged ocean intent on swallowing everything. Including her.

Dylan reached her, cradled her head in his arm and began kicking them backward, hard, keeping her mouth above water. When she looked skyward, she didn’t spot the Jayhawk and her heart seized.

Had they lost them?

Would she and Dylan drown?

“Keep kicking!” urged Dylan and she put her shaking muscles into it. The injured swimmer wasn’t giving in and neither would she.

Several seconds, minutes, hours seemed to pass— she’d lost count—as she and Dylan battled the waves before, miraculously, a rescue strop dropped directly in front of them.

In a flash, Dylan had them hooked. Air whistled around her as they swung toward the helicopter. Larry snatched them into the cabin the moment her toes grazed the side of the aircraft.

The cabin door slammed shut. She blinked at the crying, shaking and staring survivors and her thoughts tumbled. A deep shudder started in her gut and rattled her to her toes. She pressed her hand against the Jayhawk’s side, not trusting that she really was out of the water and here.

Safe.

When she caught sight of her v-fib patient, she crouch-walked to his side as the helicopter wheeled then sped. What a relief to see the IV still attached to the litter.

She checked his vitals and tourniquet.

Stable. Critical, but stable. Hopefully enough to get to the airport then medevac to a major hospital.

A life saved. One for her and how many more for these extraordinary men? She looked around the cabin, deeply impressed as Dylan shrugged off any fussing over his dangling arm and began checking passengers alongside her.

“Swimmers.” Larry rolled his eyes at Dylan. “Crazy sons of bitches.”

“Or looking for some shirt candy,” put in Rob with a sheepish glance behind him.

“It’s an Air Medal for sure. You, too, Cassie, if you were in the Coast Guard.” Dylan’s cocky grin was firmly back in place.

Her gaze swerved to the cockpit and a spark, like the shock off an electric fence, went through her as she met Mark’s eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before he turned back, but the glimpse of his anguished expression tormented her. Made her want to reassure him she was fine. Not scared after all, she suddenly realized. She’d been so intent on her job, so focused on her survival, that she hadn’t been meek at all.

The change swept through her skin, whirling in the vast spaces between her atoms, reconfiguring her into someone else—or perhaps, as Jeff had pointed out, the person she was meant to be all along.

 

 

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AUTHOR INFO:

Award-winning author Karen Rock is both sweet and spicy—at least when it comes to her writing! The author of both YA and adult contemporary books writes red-hot novels for Harlequin Blaze and small-town romances for Harlequin Heartwarming. A strong believer in Happily-Ever-After, Karen loves creating unforgettable stories that leave her readers with a smile.

She enjoys returning to her teaching roots when speaking at regional and national writing conferences and interacting with other writers. She has a Master of Fine Arts in English and has continued to learn and grow professionally through her work with YA co-author, fellow romance author, friend and sister-in-law, Joanne Rock.

When she’s not writing, Karen is an avid reader who’s typically immersed in three different books at a time, all in different genres. She also loves cooking her grandmother’s Italian recipes, baking, Christmas (no need to specify—she loves every bit of it), and having the Adirondack Park wilderness as her backyard, where she lives with her husband, daughter, dog and cat who keep her life interesting and complete..

 

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://www.karenrock.com/

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

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/karenrockauthor

 

 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:
A $50 Amazon Gift Card and autographed print copies of HIS KIND OF COWGIRL, RAISING THE STAKES, and UNDER AN ADIRONDACK SKY

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** Release Blitz / Book Review / Giveaway ** SPARKING THE FIRE by Kate Meader

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5 STARS!

Another fun, drama filled story of the Dempsey family of Engine Co. 6!  This is a great family and I’ve enjoyed their stories so much.  Always a sexy hot read, with lots of family depth and humor thrown in!

Scandalized Hollywood actress Molly Cade needs her latest film to go off without a hitch to earn back some respect for her tainted career!  She wants every aspect of her action flick to be precise, so she is working with the best firehouse around to make it happen.

Sexy loner Wyatt Fox needs something to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest hot-headed recovery stunt at the firehouse, so his Lieutenant sets him up to be the expert consultant on the movie set of an upcoming movie.  He’s trying to get out of it until he realizes it’s a Cade Productions film.  Molly Cade and he once burned up the sheets in a week long anonymous fling, so he can’t pass up the chance to see her again!

ARC received via NetGalley

 

 

SPARKING THE FIRE
BOOK 3
A HOT IN CHICAGO NOVEL
KATE MEADER

Pocket Books
September 27, 2016
ISBN 9781476785936
$7.99

Praise for Sparking the Fire, Book 3:

“The tale of hot firefighters and the women—and one man—who love them has come to an end. Meader ends this series with role playing, fierce family loyalty and multiple orgasms. The male protagonist goes through a transformation that showcases his vulnerability, insecurities, possessiveness and protectiveness. The many instances of a family sticking together through it all are more than enough to tug on the heart strings, but the steamy sex and sentimental pillow talk make this book a must-read.”

RT Book Reviews Four Star Review, Scorcher

“Can a firefighter and a movie star really make it work? Meader (Rekindle the Flame, 2015) immerses you in Wyatt’s tight-knit family of foster siblings that she’s built throughout the Hot in Chicago series, and readers will feel like part of the family in no time. Her descriptions of Chicago will leave fans wanting to travel to the Windy City and fall in love with their own firefighters.”

—Booklist

 

About Sparking the Fire, Book 3:

Heating up reading lists this Fall will be Kate Meader’s highly anticipated Sparking the Fire, the “sexy and sassy” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux) steamy third novel in the Hot in Chicago series, where former lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

AN OLD FLAME STILL SIMMERS…

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Company 6, needs a low key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. But then in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

BUT WILL A NEW SHOT AT LOVE LEAVE HER BURNED?

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back into the big time. And she’s not going to let anything stand in her way—even a certain brooding, blue-eyed firefighter she’s never quite been able to forget…Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

 

katemeader

About the Author:

Kate Meader was raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly Cooper novels, and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.

 

Fire Giveaway:

We are excited to do a Fire Giveaway to celebrate the third in Kate Meader’s Hot in Chicago series, Sparking the Fire. This giveaway will include Flirting with Fire (Book 1) and Playing with Fire (Book 2). You can visit all sites on the blog tour to enter the Fire Giveaways – but keep in mind you can only win once! U.S. only.

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Blog Tour:

September 14:
RT Book Reviews – Excerpt

September 20:
Heroes and Heartbreakers – Excerpt

September 23:
USA Today’s Happy Ever After – Excerpt

September 26:
Harlequin Junkie – Interview
Under the Covers – Interview
A Midlife Wife
Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It

September 27:
Collector of Book Boyfriends
Literary Gossip
The Romance Reviews
Once Upon a Twilight
Straight Shootin’ Book Reviews

September 28:
Four Chicks Flipping Pages
In Between the Pages
Reviews by Crystal
Read Love Blog

September 29:
Abigail Books Addiction
Read Your Writes
Booklovers for Life
Dirty and Thirty

September 30:
Lush Book Reviews
Art, Books & Coffee
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
The Lovely Books

October 3:
The Romance Dish
Margie’s Must Reads
Girl Meets Books
Dirty Girl Romance
Jen’s Reading Obsession
Jackie’s Books ‘n Bags
What’s Better Than Books?
TJ Loves to Read
Curvy and Nerdy
Hot Guys in Books
KT Book Reviews
Four Chicks Flipping Pages

October 4:
About That Story
Love is a State of Mind
Closet Geeks and Slow Mo
Book Junkiez
Books Are My Friends, Come See Why
Off-Grid-Momma’s Bookshelf
Fire and Ice Book Reviews
Polished Book Worm
Ingrid’s Book Blog
Thoughts of a Blonde
E-Reading After Midnight

October 5:
Cocktails and Books
WTF Are You Reading?
Alathia Paris Morgan
The Reading Café
Those Crazy Book Chicks
Anonymisses
The Sassy Bookster
Always Booking
I Love Romance
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Kitty’s Book Spot!
Pretty Sassy Cool

October 6:
Bea’s Book Nook
Kricket’s Chirps Romance Blog
Ever After Book Reviews
Marie’s Tempting Reads
Jenerated Reviews
I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore
Ebookobsessed.com
A Fortress of Books
Author Liaisons
Sexy Bibliophiles
The Librarian – Blog Talk Radio Author’s on the Air – Interview Only – Listen Live at 7:30 pm ET!
Amy’s Books Obsession

October 7:
Once Upon a Page
Ramblings from this Chick
Southern Yankee Book Reviews
Dog-Eared Daydreams
Oh My Growing TBR
Bujoijoi22
After Dark Book Lovers
Literary, Etc.
Misty’s Book Bin And More
Fiction Fangirls
The Book Quarry
Red Cheek Reads

 

Sparking the Fire buy links:

S&S
AMAZON
B&N
BAM
INDIEBOUND
IBOOKSTORE (ebook)
KINDLE (ebook)
NOOK (ebook)
GOOGLE PLAY (ebook)

 

 

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