Cover Reveal: Another Sky by Jayne Frost

 

ANOTHER SKY by Jayne Frost 

Release Date: May 7th 

Photographer: Lindee Robinson 

Models: Alexis Susalla  | Nick White 

Add to Goodreads 

 

Blurb 

Miles's story.

Serenity is a lie. Closure a myth.

Peace died in a field six years ago.

I survived. But I left the biggest piece of me there.

In the dark. Trapped beneath twisted metal, drowned in the pouring rain.

But then... A little ray of sun from another sky. Gelsey.

I wanted nothing more than to bathe in her light.

But what do I have left to offer?

Whatever it is, it’s not enough

 

About the Author 

I grew up in California with a dream of moving to Seattle to become a rock star.

But when the grunge thing didn’t work out (I never even made it to the Washington border) I set my sights on Austin, Texas.

After quickly becoming immersed in the Sixth Street Music scene…and discovering I couldn’t actually sing, I decided to do the next best thing—write kick ass romances about hot rockstars and the women that steal their hearts.

Connect w/Jayne Website: https://jaynefrost.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaynefrostbooks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayneFrostBooks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaynefrost/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jaynefrostbooks/pins/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jayne-frost Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13563235

Newsletter Signup: http://bit.ly/2stNL6k

 

Read More

Review: Rooke by Callie Hart

Rooke by Callie Hart

Release date: March 14, 2017

Standalone

*STEAMY/DARK/GRAPHIC CONTENT

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2l6HKnW

ROOKE

Watchmaker. Car thief. Heartbreaker extraordinaire.

Rooke Blackheath has spent enough time in juvie to know that he really doesn’t want to go to jail. The food sucks, the clothes itch, and there are absolutely no women in sight. Well…none he wants to fuck, anyway.

He should probably stop boosting cars, but the money is stellar and the high is out of this world. And why should he turn his back on something that sets his soul on fire anyway?

The answer to that question comes in an unexpected form: a petite five-foot-three firecracker named Sasha who refuses to give him the time of day no matter how thick he lays on the charm.

Rooke’s not easily deterred, though. Just like the watches he builds from scratch, Rooke knows all too well how women tick. Women are a game to him. A game he always wins.

Sasha doesn’t stand a chance.

***

Sasha Cross’s life has been permanently derailed since her son died five years ago. You wouldn’t know it to look at her, of course. She has a great job, a beautiful house, and caring friends. Every week, she hosts a book club featuring the sexiest, most romantic stories on the planet, and every week she falls for a new fictional knight in shining armor.

Fictional men are perfect, though. They don’t hurt you. They don’t break your heart. They don’t cheat on you after your child dies, and they rarely ever leave the toilet seat up.

When Rooke Blackheath shows up at Sasha's workplace, it’s clear he’s nothing like the men who grace the pages of Sasha's favorite books. Dangerous, arrogant, sharp-tongued and sarcastic, Rooke’s not the kind of guy she needs in her life. Not to mention the fact that he’s eleven years her junior.

They don’t live in different worlds. As far as Sasha is concerned, Rooke lives in a different galaxy altogether. She’d like to keep it that way, but fate appears to have other plans.

When Cinderella lost her shoe, Prince Charming showed up at her door.

When Sasha Cross loses her book, an entirely different kind of rogue comes a-knocking.

Rooke Idlewild Blackheath is a 23 year old ex-con who works as a watch repairman by day. By night? Well, that's the other side of his conflicting coin. It's the side of him that nobody knows about, the one on the wrong side of the law. Using his natural talent for mechanical things, he can make his way inside a car in seconds flat.

His extracurricular activities give him a rush, and line his pockets very nicely for a man his age. There is something very raw, dangerous, and intimidating about Rooke. He's the last thing any woman should be gravitating towards, if they want safe and normal. Sasha has had normal and that didn't end too well for her.

Maybe sensible, reliable men with no psychopathic tendencies are always going to remind me of him, and in turn what we lost. Or maybe it’s the fact that edgy, dark, moody men with hidden pasts are bad for women like me, and I hit my self-destruct button a long time ago.

When she meets Rooke at the museum where she works, all she sees is a (too) young, cocky guy with a wicked look that could do serious damage. It wouldn't matter if she was even interested in him, she's hardly his type. Eleven years older, and dragged through hell and back, she's just a shell of a woman filled with nothing but darkness and tragic memories. Little did she know that when she dropped her romance book at his feet, he would use it to crash her book club. He had an unshakable focus, a determination to get close to her and learn all of her chaotic secrets. When faced with his sheer force of will, she didn't have much of a chance.

Rooke is fascinated by her the moment he sees her. It began as a curiosity, but he soon identified with her darkness and couldn't stay away. Sasha struggled a bit in the beginning with her reckless attraction, but soon threw her inhibitions aside. I really felt for her from the beginning. The horrible nightmare that she survived and lives with every day is unimaginable. There was a kind of numbness to her, but she had her moments when it all overwhelmed her and she succumbed to the pain. Knowing what she was getting into with Rooke, I was a little on edge just waiting for the shit to hit the fan.

The night owns him, or at least it owns a decent sized chunk of him. There will always be a side to him that needs rebellion and destruction. The real question is, can I accept that?

I really enjoyed the suspense brought on by the twisted story that Callie created. There was one event in particular at the museum that took me really by surprise. Sasha proved herself to be a woman who is a survivor in any type of situation. She didn't always make the wisest choices for herself, but it was understandable considering what she was struggling to overcome mentally. They couldn't be more different than night and day, but somehow made it work.

Rooke was gritty, unpredictable, and filled with combustible heat. That being said, I wasn't fully on board with certain aspects of the plot. I felt as if we needed to delve deeper into Rooke's violent personality and what made him into the man he was. Plus, the twist towards the end (view spoiler)[ His mother apparently took care of "housekeeping." Disposing of two dead people that would have sent him back to prison. This is the woman that he loathes with every breath he takes, a woman who he thought knew nothing of his secret activites. But this interior decorator, a woman whom he can't stand cleaned up his mess? There wasn't a clear explanation as to why this happens. (hide spoiler)] I wanted a little more background, it didn't feel as if it was addressed to my satisfaction.

The romance aspect was a bit rushed for me, but overall, I thought they worked well together. This was quite a different read from what I've been into lately. It was very refreshing and never failed to capture my interest. If you're looking for a book that's dark, fast paced, and full of steam with an alpha bad boy type of hero, than this could be the perfect book for you.

The love between us is fire and ice. It’s loss, and it’s redemption. It’s pain, and it’s comfort. It is everything.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews

Read More

Cover Reveal: Everything Unexpected by Caroline Nolan

Title: Everything Unexpected

Author: Caroline Nolan

Release Date: September 20th

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis: 

Can a man and woman be just friends?

Shane Carlisle and Leah Kessel think so. They’ve been the best of friends for years—and quite content being just that; it’s their friends who don’t believe it. None of them can understand how two gorgeous, non-committed adults have never thought about crossing that line. Until a night of celebration, too much tequila and new found curiosity makes it impossible for Shane and Leah not to think about it. So together, they cross it—promising themselves and each other that nothing will change and that yes, a man and woman can still remain just friends.

That is, until everything around them begins to spiral out of control.

Plans they had once formed, vanish. Promises they once made, are broken. And their once easy and effortless friendship turns into…the complete opposite. Coming face to face with the consequences of their actions, Shane and Leah are once again challenged by the same question.

Can a man and woman be just friends?
Not when everything unexpected is thrown their way.

Pre-order:

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Follow the Author:

facebook | goodreads | twitter  | instagram

Read More

Review: Ravage by Tillie Cole

Title: Ravage

Series: Scarred Souls #3

Author: Tillie Cole

Release Date: August 16, 2016

Cliffhanger: No

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

Taken by the Jakhua Clan as a teen, 194 was stripped of his name, his identity, and his freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless, soulless killing machine, trained solely to spill blood and stop hearts. This is a role he resents with every fiber of his being, but one he embraces to gain back the precious leverage the Georgians wield as their weapon of control: his younger sister, 152.

Mzia Kostava is in shock. After fleeing her mafia family's massacre in Georgia as a child, Mzia lives in secret, hiding from her enemies in the dark shadows of Manhattan. At age twenty-five, believing all her family is dead, word reaches Mzia that her brother Zaal is very much alive... and living with their family's greatest enemy: the Volkov Bratva in Brooklyn.

Yearning to be reunited with her beloved Zaal, Mzia risks her safety and anonymity for the brother she had mourned since childhood. But just as she reaches Zaal's apartment, Mzia is seized and taken captive by a strange man, who is strong, dark, and brutal... Unyielding, he demands her utter obedience as he locks her away in darkness. He is highly skilled in torture and inflicting pain, and demands to know everything about her brother Zaal and everything about her. He is a man that'll do anything to get what he wants.

Sometimes love requires the sacrifice and betrayal of those held most dear. But is finding one's true love worth committing the greatest sacrifice of all?

After the tease for this book at the end of Reap, I was beyond excited to read the next installment in the Scarred Souls series. Raze and Reap were big winners for me. The continuing mafia storyline is one that roused my attention and frayed more than a few nerves. Intense, savage, and powerfully done, these books will make you feel an overwhelming array of emotions. There are parts that made my skin crawl, and made me squirm in my seat at the horrible atrocities and evil that was displayed. Yet Tillie Cole always manages to deliver a love story underneath all the grit that calls to my love of romance. Sadly, while the mafia aspect was once again just as engrossing, the emotional connection between Valentin and Zoya was lost to me.

Once again, we meet another poor unfortunate soul who has been tormented and drugged by this horrible crime faction. Abducted as a child with his sister and enslaved to the mind-altering drug pumped into his body, Valentin is forced to become an animal with no free will. He's a stone cold killer with no hope of becoming anything more in his lifetime. And worse, the evil "mistress" who controls him takes joy in demanding his obedience even further. Stringing him along with the faint hope that one day he could earn his sister's freedom, he clings to his desperate goal in vain.

The enormity of the bleak world Valentin resides in is almost too much to contemplate. It's devastating what he experiences and sees every single day. There is no relief from his hellish life, and despite his grim existence, his one ray of light is that somehow he could save his beloved sister. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that he wouldn't do. His moral code has been obliterated, and he has nothing left to fear-not even death.

I think seeing the boy he was, how protective and loving he was towards his sister really made his current situation even more heartbreaking. You really get to see what drives his desperation in the horrible things that he's forced to do. Even in the moments when the drug allows some semblance of free will, he crushes his qualms quickly and carries on with his directive. To kill Zaal by any means necessary.

Zoya's news that her brother lives after all these years has her making a very foolish mistake. One that could cost her her life. In her haste to reunite with Zaal, she puts herself in the path of a killer and what follows is one excruciating situation. Let me just come right out and say that this was the turning point of the story for me. Up until Zoya's abduction and the following events, I was fully on board with the plot. I truly believe that Valentin had no other options and understood what forced his hand when his conscience kicked in over what he was doing. However, it was their lightning quick switch in emotions to "love" that I completely did not feel or see happening in a realistic way. The reasoning was too flimsy for my liking, I was never made to feel their connection growing naturally.

This feeling, this strange feeling for the savage but mysterious man, was engulfing me.

Now, to be real, I wasn't expecting an idyllic stroll through romance land with this book. I was expecting dark and gritty and that certainly was what you get in Ravage. Nonetheless, a romance was fed to us, and I feel that it was the weak side of the story. As hard as I tried, I could not understand the feelings that they supposedly had. Especially growing from their unfortunate meeting in that much haste. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but for me it wasn't fitting in with the circumstances.

The latest installment in the series certainly wasn't short on suspense. It takes you on a break-neck pace through the vile Jakhua Clan's vicious depravity. You also get to catch up with the couples and family from the previous books which was for me, very satisfying. This is no light and easy read by any means, it's disturbing at times and not for the faint of heart. Valentin's sister's book is next, and I'm extremely curious how her story will pan out. I have no doubt that it will be another crazy ride from Tillie Cole.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews

Read More

Blog Tour with Giveaway and Christie's review: Perfect Rage by Nashoda Rose

Book Title: Perfect Rage (Unyielding, #3) 

Author: Nashoda Rose 

Genre: Romance 

Release Date: July 26th 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

The third and final installment in the Unyielding series from the New York Times Best Selling Author Nashoda Rose.

This is Connor's story.

Unstable. Unpredictable. Consumed by perfect rage. I was fighting who I’d become and what I’d done.

There was nothing I cared about except her. She was fuckin’ mine. But I’d forgotten her—my shutterbug. And I lost her.

Until now.

I’d do anything to possess her again. Anything to keep her safe. Protect her against my biggest opponent.

The monster.

Me.

Full-length novel: 93,000 words Must be read in order: 

Perfect Chaos (Unyielding, #1)
Perfect Ruin (Unyielding, #2)
Perfect Rage (Unyielding, #3)

Click through to read an excerpt from Perfect Rage by Nashoda Rose

Nashoda Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Toronto with her assortment of pets. She writes contemporary romance with a splash of darkness, or maybe it’s a tidal wave. When she isn't writing, she can be found sitting in a field reading with her dogs at her side while her horses graze nearby. She loves interacting with her readers and chatting about her addiction—books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

There was every possibility that I'd set my expectations at an unattainable high with this book. There's always one in a series that you anticipate the most, and count the days until you get your hands on it. That one that oozes with potential and has you desperate to see the story realized. So it goes without saying that I went into it with some trepidation. But only a few pages into this highly addictive story and my fears melted away. I knew this book had had me in its tight grasp and wasn't letting go. Perfect Rage was without a doubt my favorite of the Unyielding books.

If you've been following the series, you know that Connor has been freed from the evil people who controlled him. The Vault has been dismantled, and the forces holding him from his loved ones have been destroyed. So that should tie everything up in a big red bow, right?

Wrong. The drug that was pumped into him to force compliance is filtering out of his system after many years. And with that release comes nightmarish memories. Ones that are so hellish that he's riddled with guilt and wrecked by his own actions under the Vault's sinister hands. But all of this is eclipsed by the one emotion that keeps choking him and keeping him from his newfound freedom. Rage.

This book is told in flashbacks and dual POV, helping you understand perfectly the type of man Connor used to be before being abducted, and the road that took him to who he has become. His beautiful month meeting Alina, the horrors they suffered, and the agony of trying to reconcile not being able to protect the woman he loved. This book had me all over the place emotionally. There was angst galore, I was consumed with every piece of their history and seeing them fight to hold onto each other through the storm.

At any moment, life could throw a hook and drag you under, but if you had that one person to hold onto, the fight to the surface was easier. That person was your reason to breathe.

Connor was cruelly suffering, his life in ruins, and yet nothing was as important to him as the woman who dominated his thoughts and dreams. Alina was his reason to keep going. He was so utterly protective even in his broken state, he put her safety and happiness above all else. At the core, he was still the same man with values and morals, even the Vault couldn't eradicate the essence of who he was. He just had to find a way to conquer the anger boiling inside of him.

"I am dead," I shouted as the control broke and the rage pumped through my veins. "I'm fuckin' dead, damn it. There's nothing left of me except raw, jagged pieces of a man I hate."

This book was just the total package. It was everything I was hoping for and more. Passionate, agonizing, and poignant. I was rooting for these characters every step of the way, craving a light at the end of their tunnel. And that epilogue? Absolutely beautiful. I couldn't ask for me, it left me feeling so at peace with the harsh realities they battled for so long.

If you haven't started on this series, you're really missing out. This is such a well developed storyline, filled with depth and guaranteed to wring every emotion out of you. After reading the first two in the series, I was already a fan, but this book has cemented Nashoda Rose as an auto-buy author, no questions asked. I can't wait to see what she has to offer next.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews

Read More