** Book Review ** MORE THAN HE EXPECTED by Andrea Laurence

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4 STARS!

Playboy Alex Stanton likes his relationships short and without strings.  He never makes repeat appearances … at least not until Gwen.

Gwen Wright was the maid-of-honor at his best friend’s wedding a few months ago.  She’s a genuinely nice person who’s a lot of fun and he really enjoyed the time they spent together.  Now he’s actually eager to see her again at another Will & Adrienne get-together … but how will he react when he sees her pregnant belly?

Will these two “single and loving it” people decide they want more than a merry-go-round of temporary flings?

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

** Book Review ** THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS by Marin Thomas

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4 STARS!

An emotional journey through years of hurt and disappointment in the lives of several characters.  The power of forgiveness is shining bright … forgiving yourself, forgiving those who hurt you, and most of all, forgiving the pain that has kept you standing still all these years.

Ruby Baxter is 31 years old and has nothing to show for her life other than a sassy teenage daughter that she feels like she’s failed.  She’s moving them to Elkhart, Kansas in hopes that a new start will get their relationship back on track and be what they both need in life to make them happy.  When she received a letter from her birth father, she’s shocked because she didn’t even know he existed.  She decides to stop in Unforgiven, Oklahoma to see what he wants, and what his story is.

Hank McArthur is none too warm when they arrive … at least to her.  He and Mia hit it off right away and he takes her daughter under his wing and teaches her about horses.  Ruby has to learn to cope with the answers she finds there from Hank, and along the way, how to make her daughter happy again.  Ranch forman, Joe Dawson, is there beside her each step of the way.

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

** Book Review ** WHAT LIES BENEATH by Andrea Laurence

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4 STARS!

A story about unlikely endings.  Lots of intrigue as you try to put the puzzle pieces together!

She wakes up in a hospital remembering absolutely nothing about herself, her life or what led her there.

Will Taylor takes fiancee Cynthia Dempsey home when she’s released from the hospital, but he’s just holding his breath for the tirade to start one day soon when she regains her memory.  She’s been like a different person since waking up after the accident … she’s nice, she’s polite, she seems to listen and care about people around her … nothing like she was before!

When her memory comes back in a rush, will her life be changed forever?

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

** Blog Tour / Book Review / Giveaway ** SEE YOU AT SUNSET by V.K. Sykes

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4 1/2 STARS!

Sometimes you find what you always knew you wanted in the least likely place!  A sweet friends-to-lovers romance that shows how overcoming loss and finding your way through to try again can be the best thing you ever did.

Holly Tyler has always felt like Seashell Bay Island was”home” even though she’s been living in Boston for years.  Everyone she knows and loves are there waiting for her when she makes her yearly visit.  This time she’s arriving under disturbing circumstances though, and she’s got to try to get her family healthy again and get the dilapidated business they’ve been running back in better shape before she heads back to Boston.

Micah Lancaster is a deputy on the Island, and has been one of Holly’s best friends for years.  Last summer they spent a lot of time together when she was here and sparks were flying.  He knows she’s got a boyfriend, but he doesn’t shy away from letting her know he’s interested when she arrives this time.

Will Holly do what she needs to do and head back to the city, or will she decide everything she’ll ever need is right there on the Island?

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

 

 

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See You at Sunset
Seashell Bay # 3
By: V.K. Sykes

Releasing February 23, 2016
Forever / Grand Central

BLURB:

 DEEPER THAN ANY OCEAN . . .

 All Holly Tyler wants is a fantastic career, a not-too-committed relationship, and a city where there are no painful memories. Instead, she’s called back to her hometown of Seashell Bay to help with her family’s struggling general store. It’s a town where everyone knows everyone, and where one man could sink Holly’s careful plans.

Deputy Sheriff Micah Lancaster has wanted Holly for as long as he can remember. He knows she has a life on the mainland-and a boyfriend-and that there’s no real future with her. But now Holly is back and the attraction still flickers between them, a promise of something more. Their desire is stronger than any undertow . . . and once it pulls them under, it won’t let go.

 

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/11/see-you-at-sunset-seashell-bay-3-by-vk.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25711951-see-you-at-sunset

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/129828-seashell-bay

 

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/See-You-Sunset-Seashell-Bay-ebook/dp/B00Z7J7BF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444275490&sr=1-1&keywords=See+You+at+Sunset

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/see-you-at-sunset-v-k-sykes/1122087702?ean=9781455552597

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/V_K_Sykes
_See_You_at_Sunset?id=7CDVCQAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/see-you-at-sunset/id1003350471?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/see-you-at-sunset

 

EXCERPT

Micah gave Holly lots of space as she made her way across the room to the shuffleboard table. It wasn’t like him to jump in like that, accepting Ryan’s challenge—not when it was clear that Holly was about to decline. But he just hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to get close to her. He never could when it came to Holly Tyler.

Not that he wasn’t tempted to whack Ryan upside the head for being so obvious. His buddy knew exactly how conflicted he was about Holly, and yet he still hadn’t been able to resist playing matchmaker. Like plenty of islanders, Ryan wanted Micah and Holly to hook up. Not just for his sake but because it might pull her back to Seashell Bay.

Too bad Holly wasn’t down with the program. Nor was she the type to want a casual summer fling. And when it came to Holly, neither was Micah. He wanted more than that, and was pretty well convinced he would never get it.

And she has a boyfriend. Micah forced that unpleasant thought away.

He kept his eyes pretty much glued to Holly’s perfect ass as she slipped through the crowded tables. Her short, red skirt was hot enough to peel the paint off the Pot’s walls. Her form-fitting white blouse showcased her trim waist and dynamite rack. Not for the first time, Micah couldn’t help thinking that, looking the way she did—not just tonight but all the time—Holly could have virtually any man in the world.

By the time he caught up with her, Holly was already lining up the shuffleboard pucks at one end of the fourteen-foot wooden table. “Ryan, since you issued the challenge,” she said with a sly smile, “I assume you have no problem with Micah and me having the hammer to begin?”

Micah swallowed a grin. Players usually flipped a coin to see who would have the advantage of throwing the last puck—called the “hammer”—in the opening round. Holly had smoothly backed Ryan into a corner.

“No problem,” Ryan said with a mock sneer. “You and my big doofus pal will need all the help you can get.”

Morgan poked him in the side. “Play nice, you jerk.”

“Babe, I love it when you talk dirty,” Ryan said, pulling her tight against his side.

Holly laughed. “Hey, are we here to play shuffleboard or make out?”

Making out sounded pretty great to Micah. He couldn’t help pointedly raising his eyebrows as he stared down at her. Holly’s eyes opened wide as she realized her mistake, then a sweet flush turned her cheeks rosy. He almost laughed when she scowled back at him.

“Both sound good to me,” Ryan joked.

Morgan rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Keep it up, buddy, and you’ll be sleeping on the sofa tonight.”

 

 

VK Sykes

AUTHOR INFO:

V.K. Sykes is really two people – Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance and also romantic suspense. Randy excels at plot and characterization, but tends to fall down on the job when it comes to that pesky old thing called emotion. That’s where Vanessa steps in. She usually writes the sex scenes too, since Randy is a bit uncomfortable when it comes to that sort of stuff. Vanessa also writes award-winning Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. You can check out Vanessa’s bestselling historical romances at www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Author Links:  Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website 

Website:  http://www.vksykes.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VKSykes

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4095695.V_K_Sykes

 

 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

Grand prize: $25 Amazon gift card, and 4 runner-up prizes: books 1 & 2 of the Seashell Bay Series (Meet Me at the Beach and Summer at the Shore)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Book Review ** LOSING AN EDGE by Catherine Gayle

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5 STARS!

Another great visit with the Portland Storm NHL team!  These guys are like a big family with their wives, kids, girlfriends, siblings, etc. all along for the ride.  It’s always a pleasure to dive into another of the hunky player’s stories!

Levi “501” Babcock has lived his whole life under his big brother Jamie’s shadow.  Jamie is the Captain of the Portland Storm hockey team that Levi now plays for as well.  He can never manage to one up his big bro, and ever since he hit the big league, he’s doing worse than ever at it.

Cadence Johnson is coming off the high of winning gold in her figure skating career, but also off the low of the drama she faced with her former partner.  She’s come to Portland to meet with a possible new partner while she’s staying with her big brother Cam “Jonny” Johnson, also on the Portland Storm team.

Levi has had a crush on Cadence for awhile, so when he runs into her at a team party, he asks her out.  She’s very gun shy and wary, but decides to go out with him as friends.  They are soon spending more and more time together, when her life is thrown into a tailspin again when her ex shows up in town.

Will Cadence decide to be honest with the people around her before it’s too late?

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

** Book Review ** LONDON’S MOST ELIGIBLE DOCTOR by Annie O’Neil

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4 STARS!

Can two wounded souls be just what the Doctor ordered?

Lina Keminsky had only a few short years of the life she always dreamed of as a prima ballerina before an injury ruined her career forever.

Dr. Cole Manning left his home in Maple Cove, North Carolina to travel around the world and wound up taking over a clinic in London, where he meets Lina.

Can he help bring her out of the hovel of a life she’s been living since her injury to get her out and about the land of the living again?  And as they spend time together and grow closer, will he find the strength to tell her about the big secret that drove him away from home?

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

** Book Review ** A GIRL’S GUIDE TO MOVING ON by Debbie Macomber

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5 STARS!

Sometimes in life you’re dealt a bad hand.  You can choose to grin and bear it and sweep the cards under the rug, or you can choose to stand up and walk away from the game in hopes of finding a better hand elsewhere.  This book shows a case of both situations.  I really loved reading it, found it hard to put down and just kept hoping for happy endings all the way around.  I highly recommend you take the journey!

Leanne put up with her husbands cheating for decades.  She was heartbroken the first time it happened, but she didn’t want to rock the boat and lose Sean, so she simply pretended to have the perfect life in public and turned the other cheek in private as he lived his life however he pleased.

When she discovers that their son Jake has followed in his father’s footsteps and is cheating on his dear wife Nichole, she can’t stand it and tells Nichole the truth.  Nichole refuses to accept that behavior from her husband and leaves him immediately.  Her strength guides Leanne to finally stand up for herself too and they go through the journey of moving on together after failed marriages together.

Nichole and her toddler Owen move into an apartment with Leanne living just across the hall.  They both go on to stumble across a new man to welcome into their life, as they continue to deal with the lingering connections to their ex-husbands.  Lots of drama filled moments of love, laughter and tears to follow.

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

 

** Book Review ** FULLY IGNITED by Shannon Stacey

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4 STARS!

Another great edition to the Boston Fire series!  It is always a pleasure seeing the familiar characters again from the previous books, and to get to the heart of the new romance.

Jamie Rutherford is filling in for Lt. Danny Walsh at Engine 59 for a couple of months.  She’s used to fitting in with new companies, and is happy to see the comfortable family type atmosphere at this house.  What she doesn’t expect is the instant attraction to one of her subordinates.

Scott Kincaid has sworn off casual dating because he’s decided he’s tired of the game and is ready to settle down and have a family.  He finds he can’t resist the chemistry he feels with Jamie, even though they know she’s only there short term.

When they give in to temptation, will it cause problems on the job?  And will Scott be able to bank back his overprotectiveness and let Jamie do her job?

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

** Book Review ** NAVY SEAL SURVIVAL by Elle James

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4 1/2 STARS!

Sexy SEAL’s on vacation, rescuing damsels in distress!

Duff Calloway and three of his SEAL team members have a couple of weeks down time and have decided to spend it vacationing in Cancun, Mexico.  Shortly after they arrive, they run into Natalie.

Natalie Layne just arrived in Cancun to try to find her sister.  She disappeared while scuba diving a couple of days earlier and hasn’t been seen since.  Duff and his buddies happen to be on a scuba excursion with Natalie when she’s setting herself up as bait hoping to be taken where her sister is being held and set in to help her.

Will they be able to find her sister before anyone else is taken?

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

** Book Review ** BACK IN THE SADDLE by Karen Templeton

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4 1/2 STARS!

A great story that pulls at your heartstrings many times over.  It was a pleasure to be thrust into the Talbot family once again as we learned Zach’s story and saw Levi & Val continue their journey to wedded bliss.  Zach & Mallory were simply magical together.

Mallory Keyes decides she just has to get away from the Hollywood lifestyle for awhile, so she buys a place in Whispering Pines, New Mexico.  Her life changed years ago after an accident, and though she loves her son dearly, she needs some time away from the spotlight.

Zach Talbot is doing his best to hide away from anything more than doing his job as the town Veterinarian and raising his adorable sons.  When he stumbles into a meeting with Mallory, not even realizing who she is at first, he feels drawn to her.  She’s a breath of fresh air with her down to earth take on life.

Will they decide to take the chance on the attraction building when they are around each other, or is each too scarred from the cards life has dealt them to move forward?

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