Blog Tour: Holding Aces by Nikki Groom; Patrycja's Review, Excerpt, Giveaway

Title: Holding Aces (The Kingdom #1)

Author: Nikki Groom

Release Date: May 29th 2014

Genre: Adult contemporary romance

They say that time heals all wounds.
But mine are set in so deeply, they’ve taken on a life of their own, lurking in the shadows at every turn and haunting my thoughts.

The girl I once was has been replaced by a stranger.
I don’t even know who I am anymore.

I run.
And I hide.
Pretending to be someone I’m not…

Until I meet Denham King.
My burst of color in an otherwise grey world.
And for the first time in my life, I find myself running towards someone instead of running away.

But fate can be cruel,
and I can’t escape my past.
Can I?

**Holding Aces is part one of a two part Adult Contemporary Romance series that contains mature sexual content and language and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**

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“Don’t run,” he says before releasing my hands slowly, and I instinctively move to tangle my fingers in his thick dark hair. Both his hands move to my ass, squeezing and pulling me closer as he kisses me with a fierce tenderness I can’t explain. I vaguely register him flicking the lock on the door as he walks us backwards, never breaking contact.

He turns me as we reach his desk, and I hear paperwork flutter to the floor and glass smash as he sends everything on the desk flying before lying me down on the cold, hard surface, his body pressed tightly against mine. I have a desperate need to touch him, to taste him, to feel every inch of this man. I slide my hands in the waistband of his trousers and pull out his shirt. I let my hands roam freely over his torso, realizing I’ve wanted to do this since the very first time I saw him at the elevator.

He runs his hands down the length of my body and pushes them back up again, skimming my thighs and taking my skirt with them, exposing my lace underwear. “Stunning,” he says before bringing his mouth to mine.

Tasting…

Feeling…

Testing…

Our teeth crash together as the desire grows, and we both know it’s impossible to stop this now. “Arianna,” he says breathlessly. His chest is heaving and there are little beads of sweat gathering on his brow.

“Yes…” I can barely form the word. I haven’t answered to my real name for a very long time, but it feels natural coming from him.

“Tell me you want this...”

It’s a command, but I don’t feel threatened. I want this as much as he does.I nod my answer.

“Tell me, Ari. I won’t touch you until you tell me.”

“Yes, yes I want you...”

With very interesting premise, gorgeous cover and promise of fast paced steamy romance, Holding Aces seemed to be ideal read just for me. I was very thrilled to crack this story open and meet the main characters. I really wanted to be blew away by it and I kept all of my fingers crossed till the end.

Holding Aces is debut novel by Nikki Groom, yet the writing was really mature and easy to follow. The plot had more than few surprising twists and turns and I was biting my nails through some of the situations. Unfortunately there were few things that didn’t sit well with me. Still, though the story had amazing potential, and maybe it was used only in about 70% but overall I liked this novel and will read more.



The Kingdom series is about Arianna. She’s a young woman on the run from her terrible past and a monster who had turned her life in hell, and her husband who turned out to be just as abusive as her first. Now, she’s hiding in high-class hotel called The Kingdom, where she meets Denham King.

Denham is powerful man and the owner of the hotel she decided to stay. What’s more, this man wants her… badly. While both of them enjoy their steamy romance, Arianna lives with fear what tomorrow will bring.

Firstly, Denham and Arianna together? Fucking HOT! Sparks flew everywhere. They just lighted up my panties on fire. On the other hand, I felt like the connection between them was too quick and rushed. I wanted a little bit more of romance built up; besides, I have found it weird and very unrealistic, that the main character would jump straight into another relationship after just ending her marriage to complete asshole and still hiding from the monster in her past. I also rolled my eyes quite a few times, when I read how cheesy and unoriginal some of the conversation Arianna and Denham have had.

My other issue was the big cliffhanger ending…I really wanted to punch someone close to me for making me feel so frustrated.

While some things worked pretty great, others not so much, still though I had fun. I found Holding Aces interesting and quite captivating read. There was angst and dirty love, lots of troubles and sexy times, so it felt good to read. I won’t lie, I expected a tiny bit more. I had higher expectations, that weren’t meet in every way, but Holding Aces was definitely worth reading! I’m not regretting reaching for it and I can’t wait for more by this author.


* Review Copy provided by the author in exchange for a honest review *

Nikki Groom is a hopeless romantic, lover of all things happily ever after and firm believer that love makes the world go around.
In her spare time, you will find Nikki laughing with her very treasured family, walking with her beloved dog in the hundred acre wood or curled up in a cosy corner with words and wine.
She lives in East Sussex with her husband and two children. Having turned her hand to many things over the years, Nikki is now proud to add ‘author’ to that list.
Having always been a dreamer, Nikki’s imagination stretches far and wide, which enables her to get lost in faraway places and imaginary people.

Nikki loves to chat, especially about books! You can find her here…

Facebook | Twitter | Email | Booktropolous Social | Goodreads

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Christie's Review: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

Title:All Lined Up

Series: Rusk University #1

Author:Cora Carmack

Release Date: May 13, 2014

Rating:4.5 stars

Cliffhanger: No

[Yes (hide spoiler)]
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

I was so pleasantly surprised with All Lined Up. The New Adult genre has been inundated with so many additions in the last couple years. The sheer number of them is mind boggling. Some memorable and some not so good. As many great examples there are, there are probably 5 times as many unoriginal and trite with frustrating characters. This book definitely did it right. I've read several of Cora Carmack's books in the past and while I didn't love them all, there's no denying her talent as a writer. She has a great style that I connect with that makes reading her books smooth and enjoyable. This book in particular though probably now gets the top spot for my favorite Cora Carmack New Adult. The characters were completely likable-which made for a pleasurable reading experience. The story had a deeper meaning than just "Hey, there's this hot guy, he's a bad boy, he's a manwhore, he plays in a band, and oh, yeah, the heroine is broken". The characters were people that felt so genuine, like I could meet and know them in real life. They had everyday, plausible problems that many could identify with, and that's what made this book surpass all so many others in this genre. It seems like lately, after finishing a book, even though I enjoyed it, I still come away from it thinking: I just wish it was…more. That's what this book gave me. More.

Dallas is a young woman trying to make sense of her life and her emotions. She's flawed and feeling lost about how to make everything right that's been wrong and been ignored for so many years. Her relationship with her father is rocky and they're not close-nor do they know the first thing about how to communicate with each other or show affection. Growing up, football has always seemed to be his main focus-turning around failing teams and making them champions was top priority.

There is a gap in our house. Maybe it's the mom I never knew. Maybe it's the words we never say. Or maybe it's both of us.

She's also scared of asserting herself, quick to anger, and tends to run away or ignore her problems. She doesn't take chances because it's too risky. Chances lead to hurt and she's all about self-preservation.

"Sometimes I hold people at arm's length, so that it's harder for them to hurt me."

But the problem is, she doesn't want to be that way. She's spent so long in her father's protective bubble that she's not sure how to navigate her own life. He's always been there, caging her in and controlling her freedom. He's overprotective-at a distance.(If that makes sense) Her many reasons for being unsure and unhappy don't bleed into her one true passion. Dancing.

I loved the fact that she was a dancer. There doesn't seem to be that many heroines with a love of dance. Dance is one of life's true forms of expression. Like music, you don't need words to feel the emotion and heart poured into it. Dance is her way of feeling free, expressing herself, and makes her feel whole like nothing else.

I love the silence before the music starts. There's potential in the quiet, an opening for something new and beautiful to enter the world.

Carson...what wasn't to love? This guy was bordering on perfect. He's a total sweetheart, sexy with a footballer's body, and has respect for women and his family. He's focused and driven. His life revolves around football-working 3 steps ahead of everyone else so that he can take the financial burden off his family and get a football scholarship. He wants to make all his father's sacrifices worth something and make something of himself. Everything depends on him keeping his grades up and catching the attention of the coach. If he can be better-faster, stronger, maybe he might get his chance to make it. What he didn't account for was one crazy, bold, and honest readhead who jumps off a balcony into his arms.

Their attraction is instantaneous and overwhelming. He makes her act brave like she's never been before. She makes him act impulsive like he told himself not to be. She's his Daredevil and she wants to be the person that she is in his eyes.

She is the most intoxicating mix of hard and soft-lean, strong muscles covered in silken skin. That's her personality, too: combative and shy, bold and insecure.

After realizing that her father is his football coach, they have even more reason to stay away from each other. Not one good thing could come from them being together and they try their hardest to avoid each other but they keep getting pulled back in. They both become better when they're around each other. She loves who she is when she's with him and it makes her fight to be a better version of herself.

She jerks in my arms, and I can't tell whether she's trying to get closer or pull away. "Please. Just help me, " she demands. "Help how?" Her fingernails dig into my shoulders, and I can't tell what she's thinking. Not at all. "Fix me," she whispers.

I loved this book. There were many factors that made a winning combination. The passion and the tension were there. You could feel their incredible attraction and their need to be with each other as much as they tried to deny it. The characters were well thought out and interesting. Flawed yet endearing. I recommend this book to NA readers AND non NA readers. It has a little something for everybody.

***ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***


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Patrycja's Review: The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorens

Title: The Forgotten Girl

Series: Standalone

Author: Jessica Sorensen

Release Date: May, 2014

Rating: 3 stars

Cliffhanger:. No

Twenty-one year-old Maddie Asherford is haunted by a past she can’t remember. When she was fifteen years old, there was a tragic accident and she was left with amnesia.

In the aftermath, Maddie’s left struggling with who she is—the forgotten girl she was six years ago or the Maddie she is now. Sometimes it even feels like she might be two different people completely—the good Maddie and the bad one.

Good Maddie goes to therapy, spends time with her family, and works on healing herself. Bad Maddie rebels and has dark thoughts of hurting people and sometimes even killing them.

Maddie manages to keep her twisted thoughts hidden for the most part. That is until she starts having blackouts. Each time she wakes up from one, she’s near a murder scene with no recollection of what happened the night before and this helpless feeling like she’s losing control of her life. Maddie doesn’t want to believe she’s a killer, but she begins to question who she really was in her past. If she was bad Maddie all along and that maybe she was a killer

I am still not sure what I’m thinking about this book. It was so… different, sometimes exciting and definitely very disturbing. I was kept on my toes through all of it. I felt thoroughly mind fucked too. There were parts I liked very much, and parts that made me roll my eyes or stare on my ereader in terror. More than once I had a ‘WTF is going on’ moment. That’s why rating and reviewing Forgotten Girl is very hard task… I’m not sure if doing it without spoilers is possible, but I will try. I won’t be summarizing the plot here or telling you what this book is about. In my opinion, it would be only more confusing for you and I don’t think I have enough strength to not spoil it to you.

First thing you have to know is that Forgotten Girl is very different from other Jessica Sorensen’s books. This is no heart fluttering romance filled with angst and lust. This novel is very dark, gritty, emotional thriller that literally makes you go insane. It’s like going deeper and deeper into the world of pure insanity. You will quickly forgot what is the reality, what’s the true and what is only a mirage..

Did I love Forgotten Girl? I’m not sure. From time to time. Did I found it fascinating? Well, yes of course I did. It was like being fascinated by something disgusting. You hate watching it yet you just can’t make your eyes stop doing so. Did I hate it? Yes, of course I did hate some things there. It was so frustrating and over the top… and I’m so confused as well as unable to put all of my thoughts in this review. Lately, almost every book by Sorensen disappoints me, so I really wished this one could be different.

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Cover Reveal: Six of Hearts by LH Cosway

Title: Six of Hearts

Author: LH Cosway

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster

.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.

But most of all, I put on a good show.

The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.

Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.

I want it for all six of us.

She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.

So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.

You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.

I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.

So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.

***

When famed illusionist Jay Fields walks into her father’s law practice, Matilda Brandon has a hard time keeping her heart from pounding. With a non-existent love life, she wonders if she could ever have a chance with a man this sexy and charismatic. She knows she’ll never meet someone like him on her online dating site, that’s for sure.

Jay wants to sue a newspaper, however, he leaves with a new landlord and a rather smitten housemate instead. As the two form a bond, Matilda finds herself becoming a part of Jay’s crazy world of illusion and mentalism, where underground magic shows, casino gambling and secret vendettas abound.

Jay has a dark history, and Matilda isn’t sure if she should open herself up to such an enigma of a man. Is he really who he claims to be? And why does he keep so many secrets?

She doesn’t know it yet, but they share a common past. Jay has set a plan in motion and whether she likes it or not, claiming her heart has always been his ultimate goal.

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