Review: One True Love by Linda Kage

SYNOPSIS

Custom demanded that Prince Urban get a love mark tattooed to the side of his left eye as an infant, just like the rest of his people, but to him, the stupid things have only brought on the scorn of his father, the misery of his siblings, and caused his entire kingdom to go broke from fighting so many wars over the irritating ink stains.

When Urban’s sister must travel to Donnelly, the kingdom within the sand, for her arranged marriage to align two realms, he goes with her. But he no sooner steps foot inside their castle than his mark starts itching like a son of a bitch, telling him his one true love is near.

It just figures, though, that the woman meant for him is completely forbidden. Now he must decide if he should ignore the persistent mark, telling him she's the one, in order to avoid a possible war between kingdoms, or if he should discover whether she's worth risking everything for so they can be together. Either way, his life gets sucked into chaos with threats of beheadings, dark magic lurking, castle traitors scheming, and sword fights eminent.

Who knew one little tattoo could cause so much trouble?

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REVIEW

One True Love by Linda Kage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Title: One True Love
Series: Love Mark #1
Author: Linda Kage
Release date: June 6, 2018
Cliffhanger: No

[HEA (hide spoiler)]

Believe it or not, this is my first read by Linda Kage! I've seen her books around the blogosphere and goodreads for a long time now, but never had the chance to check any of them out. When I saw her announce her first fantasy book, I immediately perked up and added it to my TBR. I loved the idea of the hero being able to spot his soulmate/one true love, but finding out that he was forbidden to be with her. If you're a fan of the forbidden romance trope, I highly recommend this one. Even for readers who don't typically venture into fantasy.

I'm not going to go into a ton of detail about who the heroine is, because revealing why she's forbidden to him is taking away from the experience the author was trying to create. Here's what I will say: she was loyal, courageous, had a fabulous sense of humor, and was determined to live by her set of morals and honor even when those around her proved to do the opposite.

There were two people in particular who took advantage of her kindness, and I wished that she stood up for herself more and refused to take their consistently horrible disrespect. Not saying that she never did so, but she continued to make excuses for their blatantly abusive treatment which I didn't really get. Yes, she was the peacemaker and diplomat, but it seemed like she, along with several others were determined to stick their head in the sand and refuse to see what was right in front of their faces. It was very clear to me from the very beginning who had malicious intentions, and it seemed like it should have been obvious to them too.

When three sets of royal parents die in a short amount of time, how do you accept that as accidental? I don't understand how nobody would have gotten suspicious that there was a traitor/enemy amongst them committing murderous power plays. It seems as if Caulder would make it top priority once he came to be king to investigate this suspicious chain of deaths.
Urban was very alpha in the way his possessiveness and protectiveness came out, but with a true romantic side. My heart went out to him for all of the things he had to suffer. First, getting blamed for his mother dying while giving birth to him. His father treated him cruelly his whole life for something that he had no control over. The lack of love, and the constant mental abuse were more than enough to make poor Urban feel worthless and discarded his entire life. Then on top of that, he's forced to live with the fact that his mark has identified his soulmate to him, and she is someone that he can never have. To have to live in the same castle as the person you're destined to love more perfectly than any other, and can never claim them would be unimaginably painful. But his dedication to her safety, and her happiness proved that he put her needs before his own wounded heart.

A big reason for my rating was I found their completely modern speech in a historical setting pretty odd. If you had taken these characters out of this setting and stuck them into a contemporary romance, they would have fit without any problem. Their slang, their expressions, mannerisms, were so out of place in a castle, wearing gowns and tunics, and riding in carriages...etc. I know this is a completely fictional fantasy world so it can be whatever the author deems fit, but when I'm reading historical fantasy, if it's not consistent it just doesn't feel realistic to me. I know this won't be a problem for everyone, but in my case, it caused me to somewhat disconnect with the story.

Another thing was that I started to become impatient for the H/h to at the very least have a conversation, if not get to know one another a lot earlier than they did. Yes, there was a reason for Urban to keep his distance at first, but it lasted so long that I kept wondering when we were going get to the build up of their natural feelings for one another. The love that Urban felt was basically insta-love because of his tattoo that helped him instantly identify and connect to his true love. I was fine with that, because it has paranormal elements, and like any similar type of book such as shifter mate insta-love, it works. Though, at over 400 pages, it took until almost halfway into the book for them to begin saying more than one or two words to each other. Which after a while got frustrating because Urban was so utterly devoted and tortured, and yet they knew next to nothing about each other for so long. He only knew little things that he could observe from across the room, and tidbits that his sister shared that she could glean from her. If the page length had been shorter, this might not have been quite so noticeable or bothersome.

One of the things I really liked was the dream sharing they had. It was a very smart way for them to interact with each other and explore their feelings without any consequences. The way he could sense when she was near and feel her extreme emotions and distress was a magical and romantic element that I really enjoyed. I also thought the humor was sharp and entertaining throughout the whole book, and it gave a lightness to the story that made it a very fast read. One True Love didn't suffer from the common issue of a slow pace that first books in a fantasy series tend to have, which I really appreciated.

Overall, I'm still happy with my first Linda Kage book, despite it not being a huge five star winner. I found plenty to enjoy, and I think fans of the forbidden romance trope will be very satisfied. If you're looking for a light read with love, betrayals, a magical kiss that can bring you back from the brink of death, and plenty of action and humor, this could be the book for you.

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Release Blitz: The Surviving Girls by Katee Robert

 THE SURVIVING GIRLS is now live!

Don’t miss this intense, and suspenseful crime novel by Katee Robert! 

“This is a must read summer read!” —Book Him Danno

“Robert takes the story to an unexpected revelation of who the real killer is and the trip there is highly entertaining in a hang on to your chair kind of way. Every Robert book I’ve read has been filled with well defined, gritty characters and a well-paced plot. The women aren’t Cinderallas and the Princes Charming have an edge to them. Just the way I like it.” —Jeep Diva

Download THE SURVIVING GIRLS or add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek and your chance to enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card or books from Katee Robert!

Title: The Surviving Girls 

Author: Katee Robert 

Series: Hidden Sins #3 

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Release Date: May 29, 2018 

Publisher: Montlake Romance 

Print Length: 282 pages 

Format: Digital and Paperback 

ISBN: 978-1503902442 

Synopsis:

A fierce survivor and a fearless FBI agent battle a copycat serial killer in a gripping thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert.

Twelve years ago, Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson miraculously lived through the notorious Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one of their sisters dead. Still wrestling with the trauma but finally out of the limelight, Lei and Emma are now devoted to helping other victims find closure. But most disturbing for Lei—beyond the gut-wrenching survivor guilt—is that the killer was her boyfriend. He’s behind bars, but she’ll never lower her guard again.

When a copycat killer targets Lei and Emma, FBI Agent Dante Young is put in charge of anticipating the sociopath’s every move. But what he doesn’t expect is his immediate and overpowering attraction to Lei. The closer they get to each other, the more desperate and terrifying the questions become: Who wants to finish what the killer started—and why?

Now Agent Young vows to protect Lei at all costs. If they have any chance of a future together, first they have to stay alive…


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The Surviving Girls Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert

Lei couldn’t breathe. Her chest closed painfully as if she’d been knocked flat on her back, and her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Somewhere in the tiny rational corner of her mind, she knew there was nothing really wrong with her, but rational thought had no place in the midst of her panic.

He’s back. Emma was right all along and he’s coming for us.

Stop.

You’re spiraling.

Travis Berkley is still in jail. This is a copycat, and no matter how bad a copycat is, he can’t be worse than Travis. You survived before. You will this time, too.

A whine cut through her thoughts, and then Saul was there, nudging her hand with his cool nose. She inhaled sharply, suddenly aware that everyone in the room was staring at her. The Feds had the blank-slate expression she’d come to associate with cops when they were in a difficult situation. Emma looked at her as if she was on the verge of her own panic attack.

Lei stroked her hand over Saul’s head, forming a wall of indisputable facts in her mind to keep the fear at bay. She wasn’t twenty-one anymore, only a couple of years out of the stifling family home she’d grown up on, still drunk on freedom and the realization that she could do anything she wanted to with her future.

She’d been an idiot. A child who was playing dress-up without realizing the pitfalls of adulthood.

Though most pitfalls don’t come attached to a knife.

Lei wasn’t that girl anymore. She’d seen the worst Travis Berkley could offer and had the scars to show for it. She could shoot. She could fight. She’d worked with enough cops over the course of her career as a trainer and search team that she had an inside view to how their minds worked.

She would not lose herself to terror.

Another stroke to Saul’s head and she was able to speak. “How close to the original murders are the details?”

Agent Young exchanged a glance with his partner and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. His big hands dangled between his legs, and she distantly noted that he had really firm thighs beneath the expensive slacks. He spoke slowly, as if gauging her response. “We haven’t had a chance to check the original case files, but the big details are almost identical. The murders were performed in the same way—girls kept in a main room and taken out individually. We think he snuck in through a window, because their condo was on the second floor and he used a knife from the kitchen.”

She could almost hear Travis’s voice in her head, even after all these years. Let me in, Lei-Lei. I have a surprise for you. Stupid. She’d been so incredibly stupid, swayed by a pretty face and a boy her parents would approve of who made her feel. Smart, athletic, the right dollar amount in his family’s bank account. Someone bright and colorful and checking all the right boxes.

Since she couldn’t bring herself to ask if one of the girls let him in, she focused on the rest. “If this is a fan, he must have been in contact with Travis at some point.” She put her hand on Emma’s leg when her friend flinched at his name. The Feds didn’t react, which made her sigh. “But you already knew that. You don’t need me telling you how to do your job. What is it you need?”

Another loaded look between them. They’d obviously been partners for a long time, because they managed to convey an entire conversation’s worth of talking in a single look.

Again, it was Agent Young who took the lead. “We can find the details of the case easily enough, along with your accounts, but what I’d like to know is your take on Travis.”

“Because I dated him.” She stated it baldly, as if the fact she’d slept with a murderer was something she’d dealt with and moved on from. As if the fact didn’t still keep her up at night, moving beneath her skin until she wanted to take a wire brush to her body. There weren’t enough hot showers and bleach baths in the world to change the fact she’d willingly been with him. She could never take that back.

“Because you—both of you—have known him longer than anyone.”

“Agent Young—”

“Dante.”

She stopped short. Dante. It fit him somehow—strong and a little bit intense. He masked it well, but there was fire lurking in the depths of his dark eyes, in the way he clenched his fists as they spoke about Travis. She shouldn’t be forming personal opinions about any man, let alone one connected with the case. Lei’s track record had more than proven that fact.

While she was still trying to process her strange and seriously inconvenient reaction to him, Emma had found her voice. She spoke softly, her southern accent giving her breathy tone a pretty lilt. She had a Dolly Parton thing going for her—at least before Dolly got a little crazy for plastic surgery—and Emma wasn’t above playing up the sweet-southern-belle thing when it suited her. “Travis Berkley is a sociopath with a healthy dose of narcissistic personality disorder—which you already know because you read the file. Everything is in the file. We have been doing our best to get past what he did to us—to our sisters—and that means forgetting as much as possible.”

Maybe for Emma. Lei couldn’t afford to forget. It had been her mistake that tipped the first domino that destroyed so many lives. While it was possible Travis could have gotten into the house on his own, she’d been the fool who let him in her window.

The knowledge made her hands shake. Emma might want to do everything to avoid that gory walk down memory lane, but Lei didn’t have that option. Guilt wrapped around her throat, tightening, ever tightening. “You have something specific you’re here for.”

Agent Rowan leaned forward, a clear indication that she’d take it from there. As much as Lei wanted the calming force Dante—Agent Young—seemed to emanate, she turned almost gratefully to the redhead. She eyed her as if Lei was a particularly interesting bug. “We’re theorizing this fucker—”

“Clarke.”

She didn’t look at him. “These women have seen enough, Dante. You know as well as I do that a few choice curse words aren’t going to have them scrambling for their sniffing salts.”

Lei understood now why Britton had paired these two together. Clarke was the blunt force designed to set a person back on their heels so they were too busy reacting to her foul mouth to stop and think that there might be a shrewd mind behind those deceptively big blue eyes. Dante on the other hand, was a cool summer mist, unruffling feathers and putting everyone in the room at ease with his calm presence. Both agents would be underestimated in different ways, which was only to their benefit.

Clever.

She eyed the dogs on the floor. Neither of them seemed overly concerned with the Feds in the room. Good. Lei had more than proven she could be fooled, but Saul couldn’t. Every time he reacted poorly to a person, she paid attention—and most of the time something eventually came to light to prove her dog’s instincts correct.

Clarke followed her gaze and then refocused on Lei and then Emma. “A lot of sociopaths think they’re smarter than everyone else in the room—some of them are even right—and Travis sure as hell falls into the latter category. His IQ is 167, and from all accounts, prison hasn’t broken him. What we need to know is if he’d encourage a fan to take these steps.”

“Of course he would. He’s a fucking psycho,” Emma snarled.

“What do you think?” Clarke was looking at Lei.

Because why not? Even now, cops thought Lei had some kind of inside track to the way Travis’s mind worked. She’d dated him for months, had slept with him countless times, and so she must have some insider knowledge to explain how the golden boy went so very, very wrong.

She hadn’t been able to give them a satisfactory answer then. She didn’t have one now, either. But she could try.

Praise for The Hidden Sins Series

“…a captivating read, made all the more rewarding when good triumphs.” —Washington Post on The Devil’s Daughter

“Robert shows off her impressive versatility in this fast-paced and inventive new Hidden Sins series. The small-town setting is a masterful blend of quaint and oppressive, which ratchets the menace and thrill factor. The protagonists carry the full weight of their pasts with them, making their growing relationship as compelling as the mystery element in The Devil’s Daughter. With plenty of twists and betrayals, this is a book that is sure to earn Robert a wealth of new fans.” —RT Book Reviews on The Devil’s Daughter

"Katee Robert has definitely picked up the romantic suspense genre and made it her bitch. I can’t wait to see what we get next. Given some of the books I see she’s been using for research, I know it’s going to be frightening and amazing at the same time." —Goodreads Review

“Every bit as complex as book one but with a totally different storyline, The Hunting Grounds once again proved Katee Robert is more than capable of spinning a thrilling romantic suspense tale that will keep readers on their toes.” —Harlequin Junkie on The Hunting Grounds (recommended read)

“Filled with suspense and lot of unpredictable twists and turns…Gripping.” —Life at 17on The Hunting Grounds



Other Books in the Hidden Sin Series

THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER

Get more information at:  Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

THE HUNTING GROUNDS

Get more information at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension." When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

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Review: The Surviving Trace by Calia Read

Title: The Surviving Trace

Author: Calia Read

Series: (Untitled #1)

Release Date: May 21, 2018

Rating: 2 stars

SYNOPSIS

Our love is timeless. 

Will is my fiancé. The shy man I met years ago in college. The person I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

This is the life I’ve always wanted until finding a picture of four men changes everything…

Etienne says he’s my husband and the year is 1912. He can’t stand the sight of me, but I don’t know why.

Oh, and he’s one of the men from the picture.

I’ve done the impossible and have become trapped in time and I know Etienne is my key to going home.

The more time I spend with Etienne, the further I fall for him, until I’m questioning which time I belong in and if the life I left behind is the one I truly desire.

All I know for certain is I need to survive time.

I need to survive love.

And I need to make it out on the other side alive.

Contemporary Romance/Time Travel

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU 

REVIEW

The Surviving Trace by Calia Read
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Title: The Surviving Trace
Series: Surviving Time #1
Author: Calia Read
Release date: May 21, 2018
Cliffhanger: Yes

This is my first Calia Read book, and I was so excited for the opportunity to introduce myself to her work. I've heard a lot of great things about her previous titles, and already had a couple of them on my TBR. This story in particular had my name written all over it. Time travel, psychological elements and twists, time travel, a (mostly) 1912 setting, did I mention time travel? The prologue was an immediate hook, which led me to hope that this was going to be a big winner. Unfortunately I didn't end up falling in love with the story as I had anticipated. Originally I was going to rate it a three, but the more I thought about it, I had to face facts that in all honesty it was just okay for me.

My two star rating was a struggle, because the writing style is just the kind that I love to read the most. I loved the author's way with words. There were quite a few highlighted quotes like this that were beautifully woven into the story:

    I more than loved her. She’s a religion, and I’m a believer. For the rest of my life, I’ll worship every single part of her.

It was the technical issues in the storyline itself that caused my inability to fall in love. There were way too many questions unanswered, and unsatisfactory explanations. Plus, character behaviors were not plausible at some points, which led me to feel disconnected from the romance.

Here's some background:
Serene is happily engaged to Will. They get along fabulously, she owns an antique store with her good friend that allows her to make a living off of what she's passionate about: history. One day, her business partner finds an old photograph of four men that she can't seem to take her eyes off of or stop thinking about. She feels an odd connection to these mysterious men, in this captured moment that is long passed, and she's consumed with questions about their identity and stories. Standing by the fireplace in her apartment that she lives in with Will, she suddenly feels herself inexplicably slipping to another time and place.

It's 1912 in Charleston, South Carolina, and she's standing in the middle of a party in the Belgrave Plantation. People are greeting her by her name, and then her husband arrives in a rampage, angry that she has once again ignored his wishes. Here's what we know: 1912 apparently has a woman with her name, her identical appearance, but opposite personality, different parents, different birthday, and of course...a completely different life.

    “I don’t know who this woman is,” I confess, my voice hollow. “We have the same body and name, but it all ends there.

Boy, was I ever intrigued. I needed to know how in the world this happened. Was she visiting a past life? (I shot that idea down because if that were the case, she wouldn't have the same name or appearance.) Is she crazy? Your mind immediately starts to calculate possible outcomes. I kept waiting for some kind of solid foundation, and honestly? That never happened. This was one of the most confusing things about the story, and yes, there is more to come in the series, but that needed to be explained. I understand that it's time travel and you have to suspend disbelief to a point, but it still needs to make sense.

After falling in love with "her husband" Étienne, she manages to make her way back home. Which brings me to my first big issue.

Serene googles Étienne, his wife Serene, and her "fake parents" (the parents of the 1912 Serene). Not only is there no record of either parent, but now 1912 Serene has the heroine's birthday. She concludes to herself that she's changed history. If I'm reading this right, this is implying that the other Serene has been wiped out of existence. SHE is now the Serene that belongs there. Same birthday, right? Here's my problem with believing that. If that's the case, why does Étienne remember BOTH versions of her after she time travels back home? If his real wife has been erased, that would mean that he has no memory of this other person.

Not only that, but we are never given an explanation as to where his real wife goes when the heroine arrives there. Old Serene just disappeared into thin air, never to return? Étienne ruminates broodingly that he must come up with an explanation as to where Serene went, because he's not sure if either Serene will ever return. This was a huge part of the plot, and none of it was adding up for me.

Then we come to the cheating. And yes, there was cheating here, I don't see it as a technicality at all. Not only was the heroine engaged to a good man in her own time, but Étienne is clearly married. And let me emphasize this: He is not married to HER. Just because she has the same name, and looks like her, doesn't make them husband in wife in reality. They are not the same person. I'm not a fan of cheating, but I can see that everything is not black and white. I actually didn't care in the slightest that Étienne was being unfaithful to his wife. They had an arranged marriage, and didn't try to hide the fact that they slept with other people. They never should have gotten married in the first place. However, in her case, she was in a committed loving relationship.

It's one thing to say that, hey, I'm trapped in another time, I don't know how or if I'll ever return home. If that's her mentality, you can kind of excuse it. But no, even as she sleeps with the hero, she never once decides that she wants to stay there. The whole time she's focused on making her way back to her own time. The day after they sleep together, she KNOWS what they did was wrong, and tells him that it was a mistake that they can never repeat.

    I don’t regret anything about last night. What I wanted to talk to you about is the fact that it can never happen again.” “Why not?” “I have a fiancé.”Étienne crosses his arms. “But you’re having sex with a man you’re married to. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a husband overrides fiancé, yes?” Challenging his logic is hard. “Yes. Even so, I’ll know the truth.”

Am I the only one that sees that his "logic" is a flimsy excuse that even she doesn't genuinely agree with? Of course, immediately after this conversation, they sleep together again. What is poor Will's crime that causes her to excuse her infidelity so flippantly?

    My time with Étienne is making me realize that everything I thought about love—the bliss, the perfect contentment—is false.

So...Will is too perfect? Too easy? Again, this is not doing it for me to make me feel like these two were meant to be. The way she broke things off with him didn't make any sense to me either.

When she returns home, she realizes that nothing is the same for her, and she needs to be honest about her feelings with Will. She decides to tell him about traveling back in time, fully expecting that he's going to trust and believe her insanely crazy sounding story. When (naturally) he starts to worry that she's having a mental breakdown, he calls her family out of worry for her. What anyone would do for someone they love. She turns blame onto him for reacting that way, and dismisses their relationship, and her guilt.

    A small part of me understands why Will called my brothers and that he’s coming from a place of love and concern. But a bigger part feels betrayed. It’s as if he took all the trust that had been built between us throughout the years and crushed it with one hand. I have a feeling that when I walk out of the front door, I’ll also be walking away from Will.

How IN THE WORLD did HE betray HER? He did absolutely nothing wrong. If anything, she is the one who betrayed in their relationship. I'm not going to lie, this resolution to her inconvenient engagement was very frustrating. But that brings me to another related point. In comparison, when she was stuck in the past, and she decides to use her knowledge of the sinking of the Titanic in order to prove that she's from the future, that was another thing that really didn't make sense to me.

This is actually a good way for her to prove herself, since she knew very specific facts about the disaster that contradicted what the newspapers were originally reporting. However, when she insists to Etienne that the newspapers are wrong, and spouts off a bunch of facts to him about what happened...he suddenly automatically believes her. Wouldn't it make more sense if he believed her after what she was saying was proved to be right? Just because she's giving him this story and says that it's all true....that means it's true? Crazy people say things all the time with confidence, but normal people need evidence to believe a story like hers.
The last thing I need to mention is the hero's American southern accent. The way that it's presented is very typical. For example, words like walking, talking, sleeping are pronounced like walkin' talkin' sleepin'. A letter dropped at the end of words. The book is told in from the heroine's 1st person POV for almost the entirety. But there were a few chapters that were from Étienne's 1st person POV. What I found strange was that in his chapters, his inner dialogue/narration was told with absolutely no accent. This was awkward and unnatural, and it took me completely outside of the storytelling. How is it that somebody can talk and think in two completely different ways?

Based on all of the reviews I've read so far, my opinion is very much in the minority, and the complete opposite of the consensus of the plot accuracy. If you loved the book, and disagree with me, more power to you! For me personally, the vague surface explanations we were given here are enough to leave me wanting more. I love the time travel trope, the excitement of trying to unravel the plot, and the lovely period setting, but for me the series ends here.

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Release Blitz: Cocktales: A Cocky Collective

   

Cocktales, a limited-release anthology of original, never before published material, from some of your favorite bestselling authors is available now!

Each story was specifically written for this anthology.

The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).

Cocktales will only be available May 26th-August 26th.

Download your copy today:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2InBckG

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/Cocktales

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2rUn33i

iBooks: https://apple.co/2IoO7CM

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Google Play: https://bit.ly/2ImisBR

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/CockTalesGR

 

Contributing Authors Include:

Nana Malone, USA Today Bestselling author – Foreword

Dylan Allen – 'Cocked and Loaded'

Jana Aston, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Double Cocked'

Whitney Barbetti – 'Cocksure Grin'

Author Sawyer Bennett, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'A Wicked, Cocky Plan'

K.f. Breene, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Magical Cock and Bull'

Ruth Clampett, Amazon top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Don’t Get Cocky'

L.H. Cosway, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Illusionist Seeks Neanderthal'

Mariah Dietz – 'Landmines'

Amy Daws, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling author – 'Cock and Balls'

BB Easton, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Cocky BB: Two Boys, One Prom.'

Jaymin Eve, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Cockier the Dragon, the Harder They Fall'

Emma Hart, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Tricky Bond'

Staci Hart, Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author – 'Cockamamie'

Jessica Hawkins, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Couture'

Julie Johnson Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Culinary Cock-Up'

Karpov Kinrade, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Crimson Cocktail'

Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Swag'

Lex Martin, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Love & Hate at the Stallion Station'

Aly Martinez, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Going Down'

Katyi McGee - USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocksure Co-Star'

Corinne Michaels, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cockblocked'

Liv Morris, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Getting It Up'

Red Phoenix, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Her Cocky Russian'

Daisy Prescott, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Confessions of a Cockblocked Wingman'

Jessica Prince – ‘A Cocky Corruption Engagement’

Meghan Quinn, Amazon Top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Fight or Flight'

CD Reiss, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Capo'

Penny Reid, WSJ and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Beard and Hen'

Julie Richman, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Color of Love'

Aleatha Romig, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Aligned'

Kennedy Ryan, Top 40 Amazon Bestselling author – 'All'

Kylie Scott, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Short Story with Mal and Anne from The Stage Dive Series'

Sierra Simone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Until the Cock Crows'

Tara Sivec, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Chocolate and Cockup'

Kate Stewart, Amazon Top 30 Bestselling author – 'The Golden Sombrero'

Leia Stone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Alpha'

Karla Sorensen – 'Tristan & Anna: A Bachelors of the Ridge short story'

Rachel Van Dyken, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Mafia'

April White, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Code of Conduct'

 

*ALL* net profits will be donated to:

Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund.   *Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.  

For more information, visit: https://www.cockyauthors.com

 

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Cover Reveal: Cry Baby by Ginger Scott

Check out the cover for CRY BABY by Ginger Scott! Don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Cry Baby by Ginger Scott

A Contemporary Young Adult Romance
Release day: June 22, 2018
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2rjlag4

Blurb:
Tristan Lopez is loyal to his brothers. He doesn’t really have a choice, born into a gang that has a chokehold on every kid that roams its streets. He gave his life to them willingly, knowing if he did then one day this kingdom, led by boys drunk with power and ruled by fear, would all be his.

He was loyal through it all. Loyal when prison took his dad away. Loyal when his face was touched by the cold metal of the rival gang’s gun. Loyal even though his mom begged him to run the moment she returned home from rehab.

He thought about becoming someone else. It was hard not to crave the life of a regular 17-year-old. It’s the only reason he stayed in school—to pretend. But he always fell back in line.

Loyal.

Riley Rojas didn’t belong in Tristan’s real world. She should have only been part of the fantasy, one of the many faces he got to pretend with amidst rows of metal chairs and desks and whiteboards with assignments. But there she was, moving boxes from the back of an old pick-up into a house Tristan had shot up on a dare with his friends only a few months before.

Tall enough to look him in the eyes and strong enough to fill his shadow, Riley took up space on his streets, her loud mouth fearless in the face of the gang leaders who terrified everyone else. She pushed Tristan around on the hard court, and she balled better than his friends—better than him
sometimes. She challenged him. She needed him. He liked it. And when her pale blue eyes stared into his, he quit wanting to pretend.

He couldn’t ask her to leave because she’d only dig her heels in deeper. He couldn’t ask because he didn’t want her to go. She was blurring his lines. She was testing his loyalty.

He was falling in love.

And it was going to tear him apart.

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, and A Boy Like You.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor
Twitter: @TheGingerScott
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

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Review: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchableuntil her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.

For more about the Empirium Trilogy, check out the series website!

PURCHASE HERE:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2AonwSf

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2x596p0

B&N: https://bit.ly/2AR2RFK

IndieBound: https://bit.ly/2EWXeFV

BAM: https://bit.ly/2KJ4GpI

Indigo: https://bit.ly/2rXOREU

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn't stop thinking about the stories in her head. A native Texan, she is now a writer and librarian living in central New Jersey.

Her first novel is THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, one of the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2012. She is also the author of THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, a ghost story for middle grade readers, WINTERSPELL, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker, and SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, a middle grade story about mental illness, family secrets, and the power of storytelling. SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS is a 2017 Edgar Award nominee and one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2016. Her latest novel, FOXHEART, is a fast-paced fantasy-adventure and a 2016 Junior Library Guild selection. She is also one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade short fiction that was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street Best Book, and among the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2014. 

Coming up for Claire is FURYBORN, the first book in the Empirium trilogy, due out May 22, 2018, followed by SAWKILL GIRLS in fall 2018, and THORNLIGHT, a companion novel to FOXHEART, coming in winter 2019.

Visit Claire at claire-legrand.com and at enterthecabinet.com.

website | blog | facebook | twitter | pinterest

REVIEW

Furyborn by Claire Legrand
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Title: Furyborn
Series: Empirium #1
Author: Claire Legrand
Release date: May 22, 2018
Cliffhanger: Yes

[HFN (hide spoiler)]

    Her power was not an intangible thing, a trick of the mind. It was the power of the world itself, and all that lived inside it. And only I, she thought, can tell it what to do.

Furyborn gives you a world filled with magic and mystery. A distant land where villains are saviors, and angels are monsters. Two queens will rise. The Sun Queen who would bring light into the darkness, savior of humankind and elemental magic. And the Blood Queen, The Lady of Death, The Kingsbane. They're destined to bring ruin and salvation, foretold by the angel Aryava. The only question was, when?

This is an epic fantasy unlike any you've read before. The plot is so detailed and incredibly fantastical, it will sweep you away from the very first pulse-pounding pages. The prologue throws you right in the middle of the action, and the desperation of the characters is so palpable, it will grab hold of you and refuse to let go. The struggle between good and evil is a strong theme; in the fight against the angels and the Empire, and the internal struggle within both of the heroines. Eliana and Rielle both grapple with the duality of their morals, their conscience, and their loyalty.

Rielle Dardenne is blessed with the ability to control all of the elements in the Empirium, but lives in fear of being discovered. There have been signs that the prophesy of the two queens is almost upon them, and the kingdom of Celdaria will look at her with suspicion and distrust if they learned of her unimaginable power. But she's impulsive, and simmering with impatience over being suppressed for so long by her father. One wrong move, and an attack on Prince Audric forces her hand in revealing her true self. Now she'll be forced to prove that her heart and intentions are pure.

During the Angelic wars, the seven saints defeated the angels by opening a doorway into the Deep, and sealing them behind a great gate. They were locked away, with many years of peace ahead, but they would not be imprisoned forever. Rielle will soon discover that one sinister angel in particular somehow has his sights set firmly on her and the potential of her power. In the privacy of her mind, he places doubts about her loved ones, and feeds the fire of her anger. Corien was a truly menacing and disturbing villain. I can't say I really understood her failure to tell someone that he was communicating with her once she knew what he was. Maybe it was his ability to see her weaknesses and exploit them. Or maybe the praise she received from him filled a hole that was left hollow for so long. But as she was put through seven trials to prove her skills and intent, that voice in her head only got stronger and louder.

    I want… I want. I crave. I hunger.“I want so many things,” she whispered, “and none of them are very good.”

I've been seeing a lot of people say that their favorite of the two young women was Rielle, but personally, I was drawn to Eliana and her storyline the most. Eliana Ferracora was the Dread of Orline. A deadly assassin who sold her soul every day for the safety and protection of her family. Her mother and brother are the only things of importance in her ravaged world, She's lost hope for herself, but will never give up fighting for their future. If she has to lie, cheat, or kill, she'll do it. Without hesitation.

After her first kill at the age of 12, and since then, doesn't allow herself the luxury of guilt or remorse. Those weaknesses are tucked away in a neat little box never to be heard from again. Survival is her ultimate priority. Eliana was a cold and hard character, but understanding her motivations, and seeing the selflessness that she showed in those rare moments made me believe that the Empire hadn't hadn't completely ruined her. She would need faith to make the right choices, to use her gifts to fight for the weak and helpless rather than throw them to the wolves. And speaking of wolves....that brings me to the Wolf.

The Wolf is a character you can't help but admire, as the second in command to the leader of the resistance. He seems noble, strong, brave, but like both women, much more complex than he first appears, with layers that haven't even begun to have been pulled back.

    “Dread,” he murmured, his breath caressing her cheek, “is only a feeling, easily squashed. But wolves, my dear, have teeth.”

Both Eliana and the Wolf were a well oiled cog on opposite sides of the war. Unlikely allies, but not necessarily friends, the reluctantly made a mutually beneficial bargain that would further their own agendas. They clashed and butted heads, but fought together like a perfectly synchronized machine. And they were more alike than either would care to admit. I desperately wanted both of them to find a little peace, even if for a moment. His deepest, darkest scars that have yet to be revealed, and I'm so eager to unravel his secrets.

It would be impossible to adequately describe the depth of the characters, or the intricacy of the world building. And I wouldn't want to. You need to discover this awe inspiring world for yourself. There will be terror, despair, heartache, and loss. But there is also love, hope, resilience, and courage. So why not five stars? That was my original rating, but I did have a minor issue with the alternating storylines feeling too jarring. It would have been easier to transition if we got to spend more time in each place, say three or four chapters instead of one before the switch. It was honestly a noticeable adjustment for a decent chunk into the book. However, that being said, this is still undoubtedly a top favorite for me this year, and after that action packed ending, I'm going to be counting down the days until I get my hands on the next installment. Don't walk....RUN now to get your copy of this book.

    “We survived the end of the world, you and I, we’ll survive this too.”

**Note: There is romance in this book, and more sexual content than your average YA fantasy. The characters are in the 18 year old range, but it reads more like a new adult based on the explicitness.

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Release Blitz: The Surviving Trace by Calia Read

Happy Release Day to Calia Read and her new time travel/romance—THE SURVIVING TRACE! This is one you don't want to miss!!

Will is my fiancé. The shy man I met years ago in college. The person I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

This is the life I’ve always wanted until finding a picture of four men changes everything…

Etienne says he’s my husband and the year is 1912. He can’t stand the sight of me, but I don’t know why.

Oh, and he’s one of the men from the picture.

I’ve done the impossible and have become trapped in time and I know Etienne is my key to going home.

The more time I spend with Etienne, the further I fall for him, until I’m questioning which time I belong in and if the life I left behind is the one I truly desire.

All I know for certain is I need to survive time.

I need to survive love.

And I need to make it out on the other side alive.

START THE SURVIVING TRACE TODAY!

Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Goodreads

 

 

Right then, someone places a hand on my arm. I turn and see Nat. Her eyes are wide with panic. “Étienne is here.” I stare at her blankly, and she frowns. “Did you hear me? I said Étienne’s here. He’s livid.”

Judging by Nat’s frantic expression and tone of voice, I know this Étienne is someone important. But I don’t know who the hell he is or why I should be the slightest bit nervous.

I’m getting ready to say that when she plants her hands on my shoulders. It’s impossible to tell if the gesture is more for her benefit or mine. “You’re in no shape to see him. I’ll distract him. That should afford you some time to hurry to your room.”

Before I can reply or ask who in the hell this Étienne is, the whispers start. Word spreads like wildfire until conversations practically cease.

“Go,” Nat pleads.

No sooner has the word escaped her mouth before the doors at the far end of the room slam open. People stop what they’re doing. Even the musicians appear unsure and stare at each other in confusion.

Nat and Livingston move in front of me like a pair of bodyguards. I stand on my tiptoes and try to peer between their shoulders, but all I can make out is a stark white shirt. I’m confident it’s the Étienne man Nat was talking about.

In the hushed silence, I can distinctly hear his powerful steps. People inch toward the walls or the double doors.

“What are you still doin’ here? Go!” Nat whispers to me.

Why would I go? It’s just getting interesting. A thrill courses down my spine and spreads throughout my body. Minutes ago, I wanted to leave, but the dramatic reaction elicited from everyone and the giant question mark stamped over this mysterious Étienne makes me stay put.

Plus, this is a dream. Right now, I’m merely a cat with nine lives. If danger comes my way, I’ll survive. By the ninth, I’ll wake up.

For now, I’m safe.

The closer he gets, the louder his footsteps become. My heart pounds in sync with his footsteps. When he stops walking, Nat and Livingston’s shoulders are practically fused together. All I can see is the man crossing his tan arms.

There’s a beat of silence before Nat speaks. “Étienne. This is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“I live here. This is my home.” His voice is laced with the same slow, Southern drawl as everyone else I’ve heard speak tonight. But I think it’s the deep timbre that makes my pulse jump. Yes, that has to be it. “Who’s behind you?”

“No one,” Livingston and Nat say in unison.

“Are you sure? Because I swear I see the top of Serene’s head behind your shoulder.”

He knows my name. How does he know my name? Once again, I remind myself that anything goes in dreams. But something about this isn’t sitting well in my gut.

Livingston and Nat turn at the same time. They wear expressions of pure shock, as if they had no idea I’d been standing behind them.

“Oh, it’s Serene.” Livingston shares a well-practiced look of confusion with Nathalie. “I didn’t know she was there. Did you, Nat?”

“I did not.”

Damn, these two are good. If this were real life, we’d be fast friends. From how they play off of each other’s body language and words, I know they’re siblings; my brothers and I covered for each other the same way.

I can’t see the man’s expression, but I’m willing to bet he’s not buying anything they’re saying.

“Step aside. I need to talk to her.”

No one makes a sound. My legs shake.

When Livingston and Nat don’t budge, he says, “Move. Now.”

Nat’s shoulders slightly sag in defeat. I’m half-tempted to tell her not to give in to his demands, but my tongue becomes three sizes too big for my mouth.

As she steps to the right, she gives me a quick once-over and whispers, “I tried to warn you.”

They move away, and it feels as if I’ve been thrown to the wolves. Now I’m facing the leader of the pack. The first thing that comes to my mind once I see him is, Shit. I should’ve listened to Nathalie.

Because this isn’t the good ol’ boy every mother wants their daughter to end up with. No. This is the man every mom has warned their daughters about. You run, not walk when you encounter someone like him.

I stand there as though I’m nailed to the floor and watch as the man gazes around the room. He sighs as if everyone is wasting his precious time.

Then he turns his eyes to me, and when he does, the realization hits me like a bolt of lightning.

It’s my mystery man.

The man from my dream.

The man from the picture.

Standing inches away from me.

 

 

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Calia Read lives in Texas with her husband and their five kids.

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START THE SURVIVING TRACE TODAY!

Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Goodreads

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