A MONSTER LIKE ME by Pamela Sparkman

Heart of Darkness series #2

HELLO STRANGER by Lisa Kleypas

The Ravenels series #4

THE BUTTERFLY PROJECT by Emma Scott

Companion to the Full Tilt series

PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Jill Shalvis

Heartbreaker Bay series #7

UNWRITTEN by Jen Frederick

Woodlands series #5

Cross My Heart by L.H. Cosway

Hearts series #5.75

MOONSHADOW by Thea Harrison

Moonshadow series #1

Friday, September 29, 2017

Review: The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd


















Title: The Indigo Girl
Series: Standalone
Author: Natasha Boyd
Release date: October 3, 2017
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

An incredible story of dangerous and hidden friendships, ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.

The year is 1739. Eliza Lucas is sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their family's three plantations in rural South Carolina and then proceeds to bleed the estates dry in pursuit of his military ambitions. Tensions with the British, and with the Spanish in Florida, just a short way down the coast, are rising, and slaves are starting to become restless. Her mother wants nothing more than for their South Carolina endeavor to fail so they can go back to England. Soon her family is in danger of losing everything.

Upon hearing how much the French pay for indigo dye, Eliza believes it's the key to their salvation. But everyone tells her it's impossible, and no one will share the secret to making it. Thwarted at nearly every turn, even by her own family, Eliza finds that her only allies are an aging horticulturalist, an older and married gentleman lawyer, and a slave with whom she strikes a dangerous deal: teach her the intricate thousand-year-old secret process of making indigo dye and in return -- against the laws of the day -- she will teach the slaves to read.

So begins an incredible story of love, dangerous and hidden friendships, ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.

Based on historical documents, including Eliza's letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today. Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history. When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

This book is set between 1739 and 1744, with romance, intrigue, forbidden friendships, and political and financial threats weaving together to form the story of a remarkable young woman whose actions were before their time: the story of the indigo girl.


Preorder:

REVIEW


Lately, I've been searching for books that are outside the contemporary romance sphere. Has it been because I've read the same thing too many times, or are original plots about unique characters genuinely becoming more scarce? I can't say. Here's one thing I can say with certainty:

The Indigo Girl is special and it deserves to be voraciously devoured and appreciated by readers. Those who are hungry for a story that will move them and linger in their minds. You WILL soak this story up like a sponge, passionately shouting your enthusiasm to anyone who will listen.

It's that kind of book.

Like me, it's very likely you'll say to yourself, "How did I not know about this incredible woman?" She was so revered and respected that our first president publicly acknowledged and honored her contributions to the country. In colonial America, women were quite literally dismissed as silly and inferior as the general rule. Yes, gender inequality is alive and well today. But there's no comparison to how women's choices were taken away and their lives completely controlled in Eliza Lucas' time. The enormity of what she accomplished is immeasurable. Especially when you consider that this was a teenage girl who shattered the limitations placed around her by society.

Eliza grew up in the Caribbean island of Antigua, and moved to South Carolina with her affluent family as a young girl. With racial and political tensions rising, moving off the island was a move considered for everyone's safety. She and her father developed a close relationship as she matured, one that grew out of respect and love. He unconventionally fostered her fascination with botany and her interest in the management of the numerous plantations they owned.

If I loved someone would that be enough when I no longer had the satisfying business of a plantation to run? My drive to succeed and improve our lot, as unattractive a quality as Mama said it was, couldn’t be helped.

Encouraging interests outside of finding a husband was virtually unheard of in those days. However, as the oldest sibling of four, she was depended on to help as her younger brothers obtained their education in England. When her father leaves to report to the British Army, his desire to rise in the ranks of the military lead him to entrust their plantations in Eliza's capable care. Much to his wife and many neighbors' dismay.

Unbeknownst to Eliza, her family's livelihood was quickly deteriorating. Her father had been secretly hemorrhaging money towards his military ambition. She soon realized that with their homes heavily mortgaged, they were barely scraping by and paying the bills. One wrong move, and the whole house of cards would come tumbling down.

I felt like I was holding on too tight to everything . My ambitions, my emotions … I feared they would soon slip through my fingers and unravel at lightning speed.

Her solution was diversifying into the extremely profitable, but mysterious indigo plant. Everyone knew that the dye extracted from indigo was highly sought after and desired. The challenge wasn't just finding someone willing to share the delicate process of accurately producing it. There were few that had faith that a slip of a girl could succeed where so many men before her had failed. But she didn't let that stop her, because she had nothing to lose. With the faithful help of her neighbor, Mr. Pinckney, she set out to prove everyone wrong.

Intertwined with Eliza's urgent struggle to prove her worth and bridge an independent life for herself, is a heartrending story about forbidden friendship. Ignorance and hatred separated two children whose bond could never have been accepted. The boy she knew in Antigua had been sold, but never forgotten. And his reappearance in her life had an immense emotional impact on her.

Our friendship was the friendship of two connected souls who’d met in the shade of trees on a sugar plantation when our hearts were pure.

This book made me feel so much, and not all of it was comfortable. Boyd doesn't shy away from depicting the horrors and injustice of slavery. It was enough to make your chest ache and your throat clog, thinking of the silent suffering that was endured. Eliza's mother enraged me on so many occasions. She had absolutely no sense of her daughter's strength and courage, often belittling her, or intentionally preventing her from succeeding. Her ambition for her daughter began and ended with marrying her off, while her brilliant and progressive mind was stifled.

Treachery, betrayal, and tragedy pave the path to Eliza's dreams. Told in Natasha Boyd's beautifully descriptive narrative, The Indigo Girl captivated me, inspired me, and transported me to a volatile time filled with terrible despair and fragile hope. Eliza Lucas dared to reach for the impossible and changed the course of history. Even if you're not typically a reader of historical fiction, I believe you should give this powerful book a chance. It's been almost a week since I finished reading it, and my mind is still drifting back to Eliza's remarkable story. It's one I can easily say that I won't soon be forgetting.


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Thursday, September 28, 2017

Double Cover Reveal: Cracks Duet by L.H. Cosway


COVER REVEAL

Titles: A Crack in Everything & How the Light Gets In
Author: L.H. Cosway
Series: Cracks Duet
Release date: November 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance







SYNOPSIS:

So, hypothetical scenario. An alien species comes to earth, but we share no common language. We can only communicate through pictures and sounds. At first, they see our art, hear our music, gaze upon our sacred lands and they’re dazzled by the beauty. But then, as they explore deeper, they see all the stuff we’d prefer to hide; the pain, the cruelty, the pointless wars.

If you were one of the aliens, would you let us live or wipe us out?

Heavy question, I know, but I didn’t always think this way. Life used to be simple. I was a typical city girl with small dreams that were big enough for her. Then I met Dylan O’Dea. He changed how I saw the world, opened my eyes.

For him, the sky was always falling. I guess that was why he achieved so many great things. The constant fear of catastrophe was an excellent motivator. It’s kind of poetic that he came back to me 16 minutes and 59 seconds into Beethoven’s Symphony no. 7.

Dylan showed me the crack in everything. How our world is a contradiction of beauty and ugliness. How we choose to ignore the awful and gloss over it with the palatable. How you need just a tiny drop of something unsavoury to create every great scent.

Pretty deep for a pair of teenagers living in a block of council flats in inner city Dublin, right? Probably. But that wouldn’t always be our lot. We’d part ways, cross oceans and come together again. Dylan would create perfumes adored by women across the globe and I would be the one who first showed him the magic of flowers.

My name is Evelyn Flynn and I’m going to tell you about the cracks.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Cover Reveal: Dawn (Hero Society #1) by Jessica Florence


Title: Dawn 
Author: Jessica Florence
Series: Hero Society #1
Release Date: October 17, 2017


Synopsis:


Dawn has come, a time for heroes to rise.

Draco has lived long and felt the pain of loss more than anyone in one lifetime could imagine. Immortality was given to him as a gift, a gift that failed him and turned him into a shell of the man that has nothing left but to wait out the end of existence alone.

Until her.

Rose is an empath who sees more than who Draco is supposed to be: she sees him, and what they could be.

Together, they will begin the search for others with extraordinary powers, to stop a war that’s been brewing for over a millennia.

The journey is only beginning, and an unnamed enemy has started to make his mark on their world.

The dawn of heroes has finally arrived.

Only time will tell if it’s too late to defeat the upcoming darkness of night that now descends upon all of mankind.


Pre- Order Available!
❋Amazon- http://amzn.to/2jXgMDi
❋I-Books, KOBO, B&N- http://bit.ly/2xtJvCN




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


When she's not writing her next invigorating story. You can find her running her own business, and spending time with her husband, daughter and German Shepherd in southwest Florida.
Harry Potter nerd, Move geek extraordinaire, and Lover of romance.

Jessica loves to interact with her readers! Email address: JessicaFlorenceAuthor@gmail.com

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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Review: Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis




Title: Chasing Christmas Eve
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #4
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release date: September 26, 2017
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 4 stars



Synopsis

Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot chemistry—he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener just because she gets Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.




Purchase here:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kKkr7u
iBooks: http://apple.co/2maK4eK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ljlCcy
B&N: http://bit.ly/2m4L9rK






About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.



REVIEW



“We all have horrible track records,” he said. “It’s what leads up to the real thing. It’s what allows you to recognize it when it shows up.

Anyone who knows me, knows that nerd/genius characters are my number one weakness. So even if I hadn't read the previous book, Accidentally on Purpose and thoroughly loved it, I would be all over this story at first glance. Shattering my sturdy book slump, Shalvis came through once again in delivering a feel-good romance that had a huge smile stretching across my face. There's something about her writing that feels effortlessly smooth and genuine every single time. Her characters are endearing, yet human and relatable. The humor is snappy and clever, and it never fails to make me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the pages.

Colbie looked at Spence. “Are you sure you’re not in a relationship with Elle?”
“No, I’m in a relationship with bad judgment.”


I was so excited to get to know Heartbreaker Bay's resident genius Spencer. Delving into his family, his past, and his idiosyncrasies made me love him even more than I already did. Spence isn't perfect by far-he's work obsessed, extremely forgetful, and unable to maintain a healthy romantic relationship because he doesn't know how to successfully balance work and pleasure. Genius runs in his family, and he's come to the conclusion by example that family and career are two separate entities never to be merged. He's about to learn that sometimes you can't choose to turn away from love. Love chooses you, often when you least expect it.

Colbie has escaped her stressful life in New York for some much needed peace and relaxation in California. Her alter ego, CE Crown is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Storm Fever series. It was even translated to the big screen, and now the pressure is on to produce more money makers. Feeling trapped into catering to her immature family, her impatient publishers and agent, she did the only thing she could: she ran. After an inauspicious, yet indulgently charming first meeting, Spencer is determined to take her under his wing for the few weeks she's there. Beyond feeling responsible for her welfare, he felt an immediate attraction that he couldn't seem to let go.

“You joked about running away from home,” he said. “But it doesn’t feel funny.”
She gave a slow head shake. “That’s because it isn’t.”


What ensued after he moved her into one of his spare apartments was a whole lot of flirting, sexy bantering, and unsuccessful attempts to deny the sparks that were flying. So another alternative was presented: could they pull off a respectful, no expectations affair with an expiration date? There were sure more than willing to try. Approaching it as two reasonable and rational adults who knew that geography and pressing careers would interfere, they vowed to enjoy the now together. What they didn't anticipate was being able to relate so effortlessly and understand one another where others had so hopelessly failed.

Both had secrets that came back to bite them eventually, but the conflicts were not drawn out or overdone. Overall, this was a wonderfully sweet story without falling into the saccharine, sappy category. Spence had a bit of a naughty side that came out to play that I think many will find a happy surprise and steam up some E-readers. Colbie and Spence were a perfectly matched pair, teaching each other about the difference between family support and enabling those programed to use. Learning to set priorities for people in your life, and setting boundaries for your career. I felt the joy that they found in just being able to be. To not have to try to change the essence of who they were, or put aside the love of what they do.

I simply adore this series! Perhaps this storyline was a bit simple and straightforward, but as a light and charming rom-com this really hit the spot. One thing in particular that I really appreciated was the fact that neither Colbie or Spencer distrusted one another because of their past romantic failures. There was no automatic, unearned black marks. They had their hang ups, but were adult enough to respect each other instead of making misplaced assumptions.

Even if you haven't been following along with the series this far, don't hesitate to jump right in, head first. Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay friends will quickly become your own, ones that you will rush to revisit time and again.


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Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Blitz: Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt





Title: DUKE OF DESIRE 
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt 
Series: The Maiden Lane Series #12
Publication date: October 17, 2017
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 


Synopsis:

A LADY OF LIGHT

Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked-and-nude!-Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him…only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.

A DUKE IN DEEPEST DARKNESS

Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.

CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DANGER…AND DESIRE

Much to Raphael’s irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involes herself in his life—and bed. Soon he’s drawn to both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael’s past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael’s own demons?



Buy the Book:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vaN4MI
B&N: http://bit.ly/2uBw5Gh
iBooks: http://apple.co/2uBCbGL
Google: http://bit.ly/2u2o8YW
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2uBsEiB
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2uw1hpD

EXCERPT

Iris tasted of red wine—the red wine she must have drunk at dinner—and all the reasons he shouldn’t do this fled his mind. A vital chain broke in his psyche and everything he’d held back, everything he’d restrained with all his might, was suddenly set free. He surged into her mouth, desperate for the feel, for the taste of her, his wife, his duchess, his Iris. She was soft and sweet and warm and he wanted to devour her. To seize her and hold her and never let her go. The deep unfathomable well of his urges toward her frightened him, and he knew that if she became aware of them, they would frighten her as well.

But that was the thing—she wasn’t aware of them. She thought she was simply consummating their marriage or some such rot, God help them both.

She gripped his naked arms and the beast within him shuddered and stretched, claws scraping against the ground.

Dear God, he wanted this woman.

But he had to remember—to keep that human part of his mind awake and alive—that he mustn’t seed her.

Must never do as his cursed father had done.

He broke from her mouth, feeling the pulse of his cock against his breeches, and trailed his lips across her cheek to her ear. “Come with me, sweet girl.”

She blinked up at him, wide blue-gray eyes a little dazed.

He covered her mouth again before she could speak—either to consent or decline—and drew her slowly backward, step by step, toward the bed, until he hit it with the backs of his legs. He broke the kiss, looking down at her, her wet ruby lips parted, her cheeks flushed pink.

She looked edible.

“Raphael,” she whispered, his name on her lips like a plea, and something within him broke.

This wasn’t what he wanted. This wasn’t right. But it was the only thing possible and it would have to suffice because it was all he could do.

And trying to resist was killing him.

He traced a hand up her arm, over her shoulder, to her neck, and from there touched her bound golden hair. “Will you take down your hair for me?”

She gasped—a small, quick inhalation—and nodded.

He watched as she raised her arms, her stormy eyes locked on his, and withdrew the pins from her hair one by one until the heavy mass fell like a curtain around her shoulders. He bent then and gathered the locks in his hands, burying his face in her neck, inhaling her.

His woman.

He felt her tremble against him and then her fingers speared through his hair. “Raphael.”

He lifted his head.

Her hands fell away and she began undressing, her head bent down as she unhooked her bodice. He saw that her fingers fumbled and he knew that a better man would turn aside. Would give her privacy to collect herself and disrobe with modesty.

But he wasn’t such a man. He wanted all of her—her mistakes and her private moments, her shame and her worries—everything she held back from the rest of the world. As he wanted this. This moment of fumbling.

This moment of intimacy.

She pulled the bodice from her arms. Untied her skirts and let them pool around her feet before kicking them aside. Glanced up at him and then worked at the laces to her stays.

Her unbound hair fell over her shoulders, nearly to her waist, thick and swaying gently as she moved.

Beautiful.

She was beautiful.

She pulled her loosened stays off over her head and stood in chemise, stockings, and shoes. The tips of her breasts peeked out from beneath the thin cloth.

She began to bend for her shoes, but he stopped her. “No. Let me.”

He grasped her by the waist and lifted her to the bed.

Carefully he drew off her slippers, letting them drop to the hardwood floor before running his hand up her left calf. The room was so quiet he could hear each breath she drew. She watched him as he reached under her chemise, into that warm spot behind her knee, tugging at the ribbon of her garter.

Her breath hitched.

He glanced up at her as he found bare skin. Hot, so hot under her skirt. He could almost imagine he smelled her, standing between her bent legs. He pulled the first stocking off and moved to her other foot, smoothing his thumb over her arch, over that high instep, that sweet, delicate ankle. The curve of her calf—one of the loveliest curves in nature—elegant and perfect. Someday he’d like to draw her nude.

The faint, almost inaudible whisper as he pulled the ribbon off raised the hairs on the back of his neck. His nostrils flared and he couldn’t wait any longer. He lifted her bodily, moving her farther up on the bed, placing her head and shoulders against the pillows, and then pushed up her chemise, crawling between her spread thighs and settling to enjoy what he’d found.

There. There she was, her pretty, pretty pink cunny, all coral lips and wispy dark-blond curls. He hiked her trembling legs over his arms, ignoring her gasp of shocked surprise. He glanced up once and saw wide, wondering eyes gazing back at him. Her gentlemanly first husband had evidently never done this to her.

More fool he.


About the Author:



Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing "mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

Social Media Links:


Add Duke of Desire to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2vaU2Bp

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Blog Tour with Review: Play On by Samantha Young




Title: Play On
Series: Play On #1
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Cover Design By Hang Le


Synopsis:

Nora O’Brien chased a dream from Indiana to Scotland, so sure it was the right thing to do. Three years later she was left in her adopted country with nothing to her name but guilt and regret.

Until Aidan Lennox entered her life.

Older, worldlier, a music producer and composer, the sexy Scot should never have made sense for Nora. But somehow in each other they found the light they were looking for, the laughter and the passion—the strength to play on despite their past losses.

But when life dealt Aidan another unlucky hand, instead of reaching for her he disappeared. The agonizing loss of him inspired something within Nora. It fired her spirit— the anger and hurt pushing her forward to take control and reach for her dreams.

Finally pursuing a career on stage while she put herself through college, everything is how Nora wants it. She’s avoiding heartbreak and concentrating on her goals.

Sounds easy but it’s not. Because Aidan is back. And for some reason he hates Nora.

He’s determined to be at war with her.

And she has absolutely no idea why.




OUT NOW in digital and paperback edition!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xoZkgX
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2wj6vCb
iTunes: http://apple.co/2wT8Mrg


EXCERPT

Despite Seonaid’s warning that I couldn’t keep my feelings bottled up, I tried very hard to convince myself that I was okay with how things had played out with Aidan. That I needed to be okay so I could go on living my life in perfect contentment. While he gallivanted around the theater with his beautiful women and horse-assery.

Finding my Zen, however, was proving more difficult than I’d thought. I was a bundle of confused feelings. At war with myself.

So it wasn’t any wonder I reacted the exact opposite of how I’d hoped when Aidan finally confronted me in private.

Having to meet up with another student to work on an assignment we had for a tutorial, I hadn’t seen any point in heading home to Sighthill only to have to return to Tollcross for rehearsal. I’d grabbed a salad from a shop on Potterrow, and walked to the theater. I was ninety minutes early so no one was there. Thankfully, Quentin was usually at the theater during the day so the doors were open. When I got inside the auditorium, however, it was pitch black.

“Quentin?” I called out. “Are you here?”

My voice echoed.

Nothing.

“Anyone?”

But the silence told me I was alone. I wondered if Quentin had accidentally left the theater unlocked. I’d need to let him know.

Switching on the stage lights to make me not feel like I was about to become part of a horror movie, I found my way into an empty dressing room.

Eating my salad, I worked on a paper, waiting for the minutes to tick by.

A noise far off in the distance made me still like a rabbit caught in headlights. I cocked my head, listening, and sure enough, footsteps approached. Blood rushed in my ears as my pulse raced. I then cursed myself for being freaked out when it was obviously a cast member who was—I glanced at my watch—an hour early.

I waited, and the dressing room door I had left slightly ajar squeaked open.

My breath caught at the sight of Aidan filling the doorway.

He crossed his arms and his ankles and leaned against the jamb, staring at me dispassionately.

All I could do was stare back, my emotions whirling in a mess of feelings, like a tornado, with no thought to what it was sucking up into its wind funnel. “What are you doing here?” I finally said, my voice hoarse.

“I was sitting in the coffee shop across the way and I saw you come in.”

“You followed me?”

“I argued with myself about it for a while. But aye.”

Adrenaline coursed through me and made my hands shake. I curled them into fists and hoped I looked back at him with as much boredom as he was bestowing upon me. “Why?”

“Curiosity.” He shrugged.

“Curiosity?”

“Were you always such a heartless robot and I was just too fucking blind to see it?”

I flinched, knowing this was the moment I should tell him that Laine had lied to me. But I couldn’t get the words out. I wanted to and I didn’t want to.

So fear of him hating me and fear of him loving me left me in some kind of exasperated, frustrated no-man’s land. I shot to my feet. “If you came here to use me as your emotional punching bag, you can leave,” I hissed.

His eyes flashed and he pushed off the jamb, coming into the room. For the first time, I hated that I had to tip my head back to look up at him. “Not before I tell you what I really think of you, Nora, instead of hiding it behind the subterfuge of giving a fuck what happens with this play.”

“Aidan—”

“You are the biggest coward I’ve ever met in my life. You’re weak and emotionally defunct. What’s worse is how fucking manipulative you are—”

“Aidan—”

“I’ve never met anyone who had me so fucking fooled!” His chest heaved as his cool fled in the wake of his rage. “You lied and strung me along, fled when the going got tough, not once but goddamn twice, and I’m the idiot who let you do that to me.”

“Aidan—”

“But rest assured, Nora, you are the last woman who is ever going to make a fool out of me. I see you now. Who you really are. A fucked-up, selfish, self-involved, immature little—”

Whatever horrible thing he was going to call me next, I swallowed it in my kiss. Unable to bear his contempt any longer, but not knowing how to make it stop, I went with my gut.

And my gut told him to grab his T-shirt in my fists and use it to haul him down to my mouth.

What a mistake.

Because I remembered him now.

I remembered how beautiful he felt.

So when his hands gripped my forearms and tried to pry me off, I let him, only to slide my arms around his neck and cling on tighter, kissing him in desperation.

He grunted and grabbed my arms again and just as I feared he would shove me away, he broke. Aidan jerked me closer, his mouth opening under mine, his tongue searching for my tongue.

Quite abruptly, he was in charge.


About Samantha Young:



Samantha Young is the New York Times,  USA Today  and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows.  Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us was published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017. Play On 

is an adult contemporary romance and the first in a brand new series set in Scotland.

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.



Review

This was a tough one for me to rate because this had a considerable amount of angst in it, and it successfully left me teary eyed more than once. However, there were several things that didn't quite work for me so I decided on a mid-level rating. Play On certainly had a lot of things going for it. I'm sure that many fans of second chance romance will be swept away by this story of a young woman faced with many tragedies and setbacks, who finds love at a very low point in her life. Twice.

The story is broken up into three parts, and part one is mostly Nora's early years in her Indiana hometown just after graduating high school. She's working in a fast food restaurant and has no personal life to speak of. She doesn't live, she exists. With dreams hidden under her bed in a little box, tucked away where prying eyes can't find them and crush them. Ever since her father lost his successful construction business and became wheelchair bound, she and her mother only exist to pay the bills and take care of him. Her home is void of love or encouragement to better yourself. You're expected to accept the dismal fate that was handed to you without complaint. Which leaves Nora feeling very hopeless, trapped, and desperate for any means of escape.

When Jim McAlister inadvertently stumbles into her life and showers her with attention, she grasps on to him with both hands. Starving for someone to show her the barest scraps of affection, she gets swept away by this exciting new romance with the infatuated foreigner.

I peeked at him again and blushed harder under his intense scrutiny. “You’re looking at me.” “Aye. It’s hard not tae.”

It wasn't that she never loved him at all, but unfortunately for Jim, her feelings were tepid at best and it only went downhill from there. Their impulsive teenage marriage was doomed from the start, having only known each other for a few weeks before eloping. But when your life is at such a rock bottom low such as hers, you leap before you look. You take risks on a possible happiness rather than certain unhappiness. Just when their rocky marriage had come to a crossroads, the choice was taken out of her hands on how to proceed with their future. And from that point on, she was stuck in limbo. Unable to forgive herself of the past, and equally unable to allow herself a new start in life.

I’d started to lose myself when I’d followed him to Edinburgh to escape my life. Once there, once I’d realized I didn’t love him like he loved me, instead of being honest, I’d stayed with him and played the part of the wife he wanted and in doing so lost myself entirely.

My first problem was surrounding part one. Don't get me wrong, I sympathized with Nora, and appreciated the development in her character. I just didn't need six chapters and roughly 100 pages devoted to her relationship with Jim. I would have been perfectly satisfied with starting out in part two with a few flashbacks to better understand where Nora's commitment and family issues came from. I found myself wanting to skim over a lot of the details because I just wanted to get to central relationship to the story.

Once Aiden and Nora's section kicked in, I started to become completely engrossed within the pages. Their relationship was bridged by his niece Sylvie who attended her story time at the children's hospital where she volunteered. After introducing her to her uncle whom she hero worshipped, Nora became a little starry eyed herself. With twelve years on her in age and sophistication, he seemed to have his life all together while hers was only ever floundering. He was a rich, successful composer and he intimidated her while simultaneously made her heart pound. I enjoyed their attraction to one another, their crackling chemistry that never got a chance to fully ignite.

As much as I enjoyed their relationship, it was the side story with Sylvie that ultimately brought tears to my eyes. I didn't feel an all-consuming need for them to be together, I was a little more interested in the fate of his niece and how Nora would overcome her internal struggles.

After a somewhat standard and frustrating reason for separation, Nora and Aiden were once again reunited as she finally seemed to be moving on and setting her life back on track. Nora suddenly finds that the man who broke her heart eighteen months ago strangely hates with with a vicious passion. And she realizes that they both may have been the wronged parties in their split. She thought all along that giving Aiden her heart was probably foolish, but the heartbreak was something that she felt she deserved as a kind of penance for what occurred in her marriage. She had to come to realize that she had to give herself permission to be happy. To give love a doorway into her life, and follow her passion in acting. But most of all, to trust that forging a new and solid relationship wouldn't ruin the fragile happiness she had found.

There was one scene in particular that I really loathed and I was so disappointed. After finding each other once again, the best part of a second chance romance are those first intimate moments together. The reunion. And I was not happy at all with the ugly way in which they first reconnected.

As far as your concerned, you’re already a ghost in my bed. I’m so fucked in the head over you, I’m willing to be haunted."

I really loved the wonderful secondary characters in Seonaid, Roddy, and Sylvie. Samantha Young has a true talent in making every character shine and come to life. I also enjoyed her vivid descriptions of Edinburg, and the heroine's journey in shedding her fears and guilt. Overall, a story of overcoming life's tragedies, accepting the love and future you deserve, and finding the courage to heal. It's not my favorite from her, but I think one many will enjoy if you're a fan of a good emotionally charged story.


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Release Launch: Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Juliette Poe

   

 



Synopsis

Things in Whynot, NC have gone to the dogs, and that’s just the way the town’s only veterinarian, Laken Mancinkus, likes it. No matter if she’s up when the rooster crows, or working until the cows come home, Laken never leaves an animal in need. So when a gorgeous Yankee comes begging for help herding some wily goats, Laken is up to the task.


Jake McDaniel is looking for a tax break, and what better way than to take up…farming? This ex-football player turned businessman turned unwitting goat farmer is up to his knees in goat drama. Runaway goats, dehydrated goats, and a baby goat that wants no one other than him, Jake needs more help than he cares to admit. Good thing the sexy veterinarian is right there to coach him on how to be a farmer. The only problem is, Laken’s not looking for anything more than a good time, while Jake is looking for his forever girl.


Will the baby goat, and Laken, be enough to get Jake to stay? Or will he take his tax break and hoof it back to Chicago? One thing is for certain…what happens on the farm doesn’t always stay on the farm.


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Juliette Poe is the sweet and swoony alter ego of New York Times Best Selling author, Sawyer Bennett.

A fun-loving southern girl, Juliette knows the allure of sweet tea, small towns, and long summer nights, that some of the best dates end sitting on the front porch swing, and that family is top priority. She brings love in the south to life in her debut series, Sex & Sweet Tea.

When Juliette isn’t delivering the sweetest kind of romance, she’s teaching her southern belle daughter the fine art of fishing, the importance of wearing Chucks, and the endless possibilities of a vivid imagination.