Patrycja's Review: Delayed Penalty by Sophia Henry

Title: Delayed Penalty

Series: Pilots Hockey #1

Author: Sophia Henry

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Cliffhanger:. no

She closed her heart long ago. He just wants to open her mind. For fans of Toni Aleo and Sawyer Bennett, the debut of Sophia Henry’s red-hot Detroit Pilots series introduces a hockey team full of complicated men who fight for love.

Auden Berezin is used to losing people: her father, her mother, her first love. Now, just when she believes those childhood wounds are finally healing, she loses something else: the soccer scholarship that was her ticket to college. Scrambling to earn tuition money, she’s relieved to find a gig translating for a Russian minor-league hockey player—until she realizes that he’s the same dangerously sexy jerk who propositioned her at the bar the night before.

Equal parts muscle and scar tissue, Aleksandr Varenkov knows about trauma. Maybe that’s what draws him to Auden. He also lost his family too young, and he channeled the pain into his passions: first hockey, then vodka and women. But all that seems to just melt away the instant he kisses Auden and feels a jolt of desire as sudden and surprising as a hard check on the ice.

After everything she’s been through, Auden can’t bring herself to trust any man, let alone a hot-headed puck jockey with a bad reputation. Aleksandr just hopes she’ll give him a chance—long enough to prove he’s finally met the one who makes him want to change.
[ yes (hide spoiler)]

In nutshell, Delayed Penalty is a story about Auden, college student who was raised by her Russian grandparents and Alexandr - a Russian hockey player. When Alexandr comes to play for one of the Canadian's hockey teams, Auden gets a job as his translator.

I've been trying to write my review for Delayed Penalty for a very long time. Every time I sat down and started writing I couldn't get into it. I stared at a blank page and nothing worth sharing was coming to my mind. I guess Sophia Henry's book is one of those 'meh' 'forget-all-about-it-in-ten-seconds-flat' reads for me.


It was not bad! Nope. There were few parts that I definitely did enjoy, but it just didn't leave a permanent mark on me. I've been reading it without feeling connected to the story or the characters. And that what was really disappointing, because the premise of the story was solid and it had a potential to become stellar new adult sports romance.


Mostly, I missed the chemistry between the main characters. It was more of a slow burn and I hoped for something more intense and blazing. I am not even talking about sex, as I know that it is possible to write intense, sexy story without it, but about the 'spark' that was nonexistent there. Auden and Alexandr didn't have the strength to pull me in. Their relationship lacked of depth and sometimes it felt rushed.


Overall, it was a three stars read for me. Not bad, yet not good enough to make me love it.


However, even though it missed the mark for me, I am certain that Sophia Henry's debut novel will appeal to other readers and I really hope that her next addition to Pilots Hockey series will be more developed.

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Cover Reveal: GRAYSON'S VOW (A sign of love, Libra) by Mia Sheridan

Title:GRAYSON'S VOW 

Series: (A sign of love, Libra)  

Author: Mia Sheridan

Release Date: 10th September 2015

Kira Dallaire is desperate.Some challenges in life seem too hard to overcome. With little money, and even fewer options, the quick-witted and vibrant twenty-two-year-old needs to reinvent herself. Known for her generous heart and impulsive personality, she devises a survival plan, possibly her most outrageous idea yet. Grayson Hawthorn is losing hope.Some obstacles in life seem too hard to overcome. Betrayal definitely being one of them. With limited capital, and dwindling resources, he is attempting to resurrect his failing family vineyard, a self-imposed vow seemingly destined to fail. That is until a young woman enters his office with an outlandish, unexpected proposition impossible to refuse. What begins as a temporary business arrangement, soon evolves into more as vivacious, spirited Kira challenges detached, arrogant Grayson to want more from life. To want more for himself. But as their wills clash and fiery passion ignites, they'll realize that sometimes the past creates walls too difficult to climb, and that lies and deception rarely precede a happily every after.As Kira and Grayson race toward their destiny, they will discover that some vows are meant to be broken, and others are worth risking everything for . . . even your very own heart.

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Some sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow

Coming September 22, 2015

Skylar Nixon is a twenty-seven year old failed actress with no Plan B. After a humiliating stint on a reality TV show crushes what’s left of her childhood dream, she finds herself back in her hometown with no money saved, no college degree, and no confidence she’s anything but a joke—a small town starlet who couldn’t hack it in the big city.

When she runs into former classmate Sebastian Pryce, she can’t believe the hot body and chiseled jaw belong to the shy, troubled loner she knew ten years before. He’s not exactly friendly at first, and she’s heard the rumors about his tragic past, but something in his sad eyes intrigues her. She only wants to get to know him better.

Until the night she wants more—and takes it. (Hard and deep. Twice.)

Are they just two lonely people seeking solace? Or can a disgraced beauty queen and flawed, frustrated man find some sort of happy ever after?

**SOME SORT OF HAPPY is a full-length, dual POV novel, complete with a happy ending.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not reading good books, she gets her kicks from TV series like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, Deadwood, Mad Men, and Downtown Abbey (although she wishes it were more HBO and less PBS). Melanie is the author of the FRENCHED contemporary romance series (FRENCHED, YANKED, FORKED) and the sexy historical series SPEAK EASY (SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOW), set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Connect With Melanie

Melanie's Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melanieharlow2

Instagram: https://instagram.com/author_melanie_harlow

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow?fref=ts

Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351191341756563/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095467.Melanie_Harlow

Goodreads Fan Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/160643-melanie-harlow-books

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/Oyn5j

 

 

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Release Blitz & Giveaway: 9 Ways to Fall Anthology

Covers

9 WAYS TO FALL (An Exclusive Collection of NINE Red-Hot Romances by bestselling authors, featuring Alpha Males, Fighters, Rock-Stars, Movie Stars, Sexy Bad Boys and more)

by Lexi Ryan, Kaylee Ryan, HJ Bellus, Cambria Hebert, Aly Martinez, Erin Noelle, Tessa Teevan, Ilsa Madden-Mills, and Tia Louise

 What's unique about this anthology?  Well....most of these titles have NEVER been in an anthology and a few are very recent releases, not just first books in a series.  The authors really worked hard at making this collaboration ONE OF A KIND!

NOW AVAILABLE

ONLY $0.99

ONE-CLICK NOW - THIS 9-BOOK BUNDLE WILL BE GONE OCT. 1!!!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1JfDDOF

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1gUhVEF

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/9WiB

B&N: http://bit.ly/1J0oRdk

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1hKKdSZ

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1WCk6xx

Blurb

Head Back to School with NINE COMPLETE (Full-Length) Romances from New York Times, USA Today, and Bestselling authors NEVER BEFORE in ONE Boxed Set!!!

 

NINE new book boyfriends are all here to make you sigh, swoon, and switch panties as you head back to school (or kiss the kids and send them out the door! *wink*)

INCLUDING:

 

UNBREAK ME, by Lexi Ryan: Returning home to be a bridesmaid in her ex-fiancé's wedding to her sister, Maggie Thompson, a 21-year old college-dropout, hopes to salvage her long-tarnished reputation and strained relationship with her family. Instead, she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and deception between the man who once promised to fix her and the sexy ex-rocker who gives her permission to break.

 

LEVITATE by Kaylee Ryan: Just when you think you've got it all figured out, you realize your puzzle is unfinished. With one touch you find a piece you never thought you needed. The piece that makes you Levitate.

 

BLUE by HJ Bellus: Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance, until one night changes her forever. The beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with 90 percent of his body scarred. What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?

 

TATTOO by Cambria Hebert: An undercover cop on vacation, a bank teller just doing her job, and a group of bank robbers waiving a gun around. Just when Brody and Taylor think they'll make it out a tattoo changes everything.

 

FIGHTING SILENCE by Aly Martinez: I spent my life dodging the punches reality threw at me. I had worthless parents and two brothers who depended on me. Meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan--neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one. They both happened anyway.

 

SPARK by Erin Noelle: Desperate to improve his younger brother's worsening condition, Crew Elliott and his family decide to turn to unconventional treatments and move to Colorado. It is there, in the search for medical marijuana, he finds beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell--a girl who may not only hold the key to heal his brother, but to fix him as well.

 

COMBUST by Tessa Teevan: When Virgin Queen Andi Kane meets Cohen Wellington, she's sure he's The One... She's never been more wrong. Three years later, he's the man she never wants to see again, she's the one who got away, and this time, despite her protests, he's not letting her go without a fight.

 

VERY TWISTED THINGS by Ilsa Madden-Mills: He's a rock star with a past. She's the heiress who's lost everything. Welcome to Briarcrest Academy--Hollywood style--where sometimes the best things in life are VERY TWISTED THINGS.

 

ONE TO LOVE by Tia Louise: Fighting, tattoos, fame, love, LOSS... It's the one thing Kenny and Slayde have in common, until the night Fate throws them together and everything changes. It's a story about fighting, about falling in love; and it's about losing everything only to find it again in the least likely place.

 

GIVEAWAY

Signed Paperback from the following authors:  Lexi Ryan, Kaylee Ryan, HJ Bellus, Cambria Hebert, Aly Martinez, Erin Noelle, Tessa Teevan, Ilsa Madden-Mills, and Tia Louise

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/09964f03729/

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Eliza's Review: Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Title: Him

Series: Standalone

Author: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Release date: 28th July, 2015

Cliffhanger: No

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Him was a few reading firsts for me. It was my first time reading MM, it was my first time reading anything from either author and it's the first time I could have have happily swaped my vagina for a penis. No joke! Him was simply Amazeballs! Pun intended.

Make that two! There are a whole host of stellar reviews for this book and after reading, heck even whilst reading, it's so obvious to see why. Wes and Jaime make falling in love look so easy. The love and unshakable devotion they have for one another combined with the fantastic banter and many a inset-ones-self-in-this-steamy-moment moments make Him a science proven winning read.

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Sale Blitz: ENTICE (The Affair Series, #1) by Stacey Lynn

Title: ENTICE, The Affair Series, #1

Author: Stacey Lynn writing as S. Layne

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Now is the perfect time to sink into a good book. Entice, the first book in the erotic romance, The Affairs Series is currently FREE for a Limited Time Only!

Blurb

When the most difficult decision of Laurie Baker’s life needed to be made, she took off for a weekend alone to weigh her pros and cons and consider all her options.

What she didn’t expect was to run face first into one more complication her life didn’t need.

Distracting, sexy, and British, Liam Parker offered Laurie exactly what she needed when she was desperate for attention.

One night of pleasure.

She wanted it.
She craved it.
She took it.

And when the sunlight dawned and the lusty haze of one night of passion disappeared and reality revealed itself…

Laurie returned home knowing that everything she had once believed, everything she had once loved and desired, was about to be tossed upside down and shaken in a way she could never imagine.

Get your copy for FREE today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Continue the Series!

EMBRACE (The Affair, #2) $3.99

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Liam Parker crash landed into Laurie’s life when everything else was crumbling all around her. Her marriage and career were in pieces and her mind was left spinning.

But one touch from Liam, and Laurie could forget everything else around her.

She thought she had it all figured out.

As Laurie lost herself in Liam’s warm caresses and his commanding blue eyes, her husband refused to go quietly into the night. While Laurie fought to move on, it was James who was working his way back into her life, fighting for the marriage they had once held dear.

Forced to make choices she never imagined having to make, Laurie finally found herself on firm footing, knowing which way she was going to turn.

But then life threw her another curveball. And when she once again began picking up the pieces, learning how to survive and rebuild after everything exploded, there was only one man still there, one man who remained by her side, showing her that sometimes life isn’t about learning how to survive…

It’s about learning how to thrive.

ENFLAME (The Affair, #3) $3.99

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Talia Merchant dropped the idea of a forever kind of love after the first guy she loved stole not only her heart, but he also took her virginity….and then he took off.

Now, busy with caring for her father and trying to save her teen shelter, Talia doesn’t need the messy entanglements that come with real relationships she doesn’t have time for.

But after a mysterious benefactor saves her free clinic and reveals himself…everything changes.

Donovan Lore doesn’t just want in Talia’s bed, which is the only thing she offers —he wants inside her heart and he doesn’t care what type of fight Talia puts up. He’s determined to break through every one of her walls until she’s pliable and needy in his hands and writhing beneath him.

And Donovan always gets what he wants.

S. Layne currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and four children. When she’s not conquering mountains of laundry and fighting a war against dust bunnies and cracker crumbs, you can find her playing with her children, curled up on the couch with a good book, or on the boat with her family enjoying Minnesota’s beautiful, yet too short, summer.

She lives off her daily pot of coffee, can only write with a bowlful of Skittles nearby, and has been in love with romance novels since before she could drive herself to the library.

Connect with S. Layne

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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