Friday 29 April 2016

Review - The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke


Title: The Year We Turned Forty
Author: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Release Date: April 26, 2016


If you could repeat one year of your life, what would you do differently? This heartwarming and hilarious novel from the authors of The Status of All Things and Your Perfect Life features three best friends who get the chance to return to the year they turned forty—the year that altered all of their lives, in ways big and small—and also get the opportunity to change their future.

Jessie loves her son Lucas more than anything, but it tears her up inside that he was conceived in an affair that ended her marriage to a man she still loves, a man who just told her he's getting remarried. This time around, she’s determined to bury the secret of Lucas’ paternity, and to repair the fissures that sent her wandering the first time.

Gabriela regrets that she wasted her most fertile years in hot pursuit of a publishing career. Yes, she’s one of the biggest authors in the world, but maybe what she really wanted to create was a family. With a chance to do it again, she’s focused on convincing her husband, Colin, to give her the baby she desires.

Claire is the only one who has made peace with her past: her twenty-two year old daughter, Emily, is finally on track after the turmoil of adolescence, and she's recently gotten engaged, with the two carat diamond on her finger to prove it. But if she’s being honest, Claire still fantasizes about her own missed opportunities: a chance to bond with her mother before it was too late, and the possibility of preventing her daughter from years of anguish. Plus, there’s the man who got away—the man who may have been her one true love.

But it doesn’t take long for all three women to learn that re-living a life and making different decisions only leads to new problems and consequences—and that the mistakes they made may, in fact, have been the best choices of all…






Have you ever wished for an opportunity to do something over? Go back in time to a specific event to make a different choice? Do something different, hoping for a different outcome? 

Three best friends–Jessie, Gabriela and Claire–are given an opportunity to turn back the clock and “relive” their fortieth year. A year that was life-altering for each one of them. Jessie would keep the paternity of her son, Lucas, a secret. Gabriela would listen to her biological clock and have a baby. And Claire would spend more time with her mother before it's too late. 

But is it really that simple? Really that “easy” to fix the past when each “different” choice brings its own ramifications and unexpected results. Jessie, Gabriela, and Claire quickly learn that reliving their past isn't what they thought, but are the differences better or worse than what happened originally?

I LOVED this book! Honestly, there have been times in my life I've wished I could go back and make different choices–things like going to a different college, having a different career, moving back home after college, not changing jobs… But if I could go back, I wouldn't necessarily have the wonderful things in my life–my daughter, my husband, my house, my job, my friends… The Year We Turned Forty is intensely thought provoking, beautifully written, and a great testament to long-enduring friendships and love. You'll run through a whole gamut of “feels”–happiness, sadness, frustration, disbelief–but, in the end, experience complete and total satisfaction. 
~ Review by Missy




Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke have been best friends for over 25 years. They co-created this website in 2009 to celebrate books women love and to have a place to talk shit about reality TV stars. They have three novels with Simon & Schuster/Atria Books. Their debut novel, Your Perfect Life, about two childhood best friends who switch bodies at their twenty-year high school reunion, published on June, 10 2014. Their second book, The Status of All Things, about a woman who realizes she can change the course of her entire life by what she writes in her Facebook status, was published on June 2, 2015. And their third book, The Year We Turned Forty, about three women who get the chance to relive the year they turned forty, a year they each made tough, life changing decisions, on April 26, 2016. But a lot happened before the publishing deal…



Review - Ladies Man by Katy Evans


Title: Ladies Man
Series: Manwhore #3
Author: Katy Evans
Release Date: April 26, 2016



TAHOE ROTH.
Irreverent, cocky, playful and naughty.
He’s not the guy you date.
He’s the one night stand.
The one your mother warned you about.
The one your body craves.

You’d think the man who called me succulent would want to strip me down and spread me out on his bed—like he’s done with countless others.
But he passed on my offer….
Just like I’d once passed on his.
He’s wary, like I am.
He’s broken, like I am.
And everyone knows two broken parts can’t ever make a whole.
Tahoe and I are strictly friends.
So I distract myself with other men.
He doesn’t think my new man is good enough. This blond blue-eyed beast doesn’t think any man is—himself included.
But the more time we spend together, the more confused I feel.
I'm trying to open myself to love.
Yet I'm quickly realizing that the only man I want is Tahoe Roth.
The one man who will surely break my heart.






If this review were based on the last 25% of the book alone, it would be an easy five stars. The last quarter of the book was everything—sexy, sweet, and almost overwhelmingly emotional. Everything came together perfectly. My heart thumped with excitement and my stomach fluttered with butterflies and I felt so invested and rewarded and happy about how things all worked out.

It took a while for me to feel those things though.

I struggled with some character likability issues throughout the book. Gina, in particular, came off as whiny and insecure (more so than was intended, I think), and made some decisions that made me want to shake some sense into her and thump my head against the wall in frustration. I know she was going through some things emotionally, but I wanted for her to believe in herself more, to have more self-respect. I think I needed her personal storyline to go deeper in order for me to feel less annoyed with her and fully invest in her happy ending. 

I didn’t have exactly the same problem with Tahoe—though he wasn’t always likable to me either. I adored how he behaved around Gina when they were together, but was deeply frustrated by his mixed signals. I understood much more once his layers were peeled back and his story came together, however it didn’t really excuse the confusing messages he was sending Gina throughout the majority of the book.

Having said that, there were moments that took my breath away. I loved how the romance was a slow build—as friends that smoldered into lovers. I didn’t always love the process; it was ugly and frustrating and heartbreaking, but I adored some of the moments along the way. And, of course, I am nuts about the ending. 

There was some definite growth here—for both of these characters—but I would have liked to have seen more from Gina especially. She made some great strides, which made most of my early frustration with her worth it, but as I mentioned before, I might have liked to have seen it go a little deeper—her evolution a little more dramatic to make up for some of those terrible decisions she made along the way.

In the end, it paid off hugely. The last quarter of the book was phenomenal as both Gina and Tahoe dealt with their demons and embraced each other. It felt deeply rewarding and over the moon happy! It’s definitely worth the read—the story is solid, if sometimes bumpy, and the heart-racing butterflies in the end make all the angst and frustration along the way completely worth it! 
~ Review by Shelly




Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then all of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world, with over a million copies sold worldwide.



Release Boost - Shameless by Lex Martin




Title: Shameless
Author: Lex Martin
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: April 26, 2016



Blurb

Brady…
What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. 

Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart.

I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things.

Katherine…
When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me. 

What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love.

I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.


Shameless is an adult contemporary romance/spinoff featuring a character from The Dearest Series, but it can be read as a complete standalone.







Purchase Links

Last chance to get your copy for only 99c!!!

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The Dearest Series Boxed Set is FREE on KU for a limited time. Get all three Dearest Series books, including Dearest Clementine, Finding Dandelion and Kissing Madeline, as well as Dearest Series bonus scenes and the first chapter of Shameless.



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AMAZON US / UK / UNIVERSAL




Author Bio

Lex writes adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, she's lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.


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Cover Reveal - Hit the Spot by J. Daniels




Title: Hit the Spot
Series: Dirty Deeds #2
Author: J. Daniels
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: December 6, 2016



Hit the Spot

"Love! That's the four letter word to describe how I felt about this unique, sexy story. J. Daniels' hottest book to date."---Penelope Ward, New York Times bestselling author on Four Letter Word

New York Times bestselling author J. Daniels brings us the second book in her Dirty Deeds series. Hit the Spot features Jamie and Tori's story.

This book can be read as a stand-alone.





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Pre-order for October 4, 2016

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Author Bio

J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the upcoming Dirty Deeds series.

She would rather bake than cook, she listens to music entirely too loud, and loves writing stories her children will never read. Her husband and children are her greatest loves, with cupcakes coming in at a close second.

J grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.



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Release Blitz - Predator by Michelle Horst




Title: Predator
Author: Michelle Horst
Genre: Romantic Suspense
 Release Date: April 29, 2016



Blurb

All my life I’ve been hiding, until there is no corner on this god-forsaken earth left for me to hide. I have to pay for the sins of my father. No one with Ellison blood in their veins is allowed to live, and I am the last of my bloodline.

I am kept in a container waiting for my death sentence to be carried out, when he comes. He is only known as ‘Predator’. No one knows who he works for, only that he leaves no one alive.

His every breath is filled with the last gasp of his dying prey.

But for some reason he doesn’t kill me.

I don’t know which is worse, the death sentence hanging over my head, or being at his mercy.






Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK






Excerpt

“Look at me, Cara,” and he waits until I do, “love is such a flawed thing. You can love someone but still leave them. What I feel for you goes way beyond that one word. I’m addicted to you. I feel protective of you. I breathe for you.” His eyes caress my face and follow the tears into my hair. “Love is really such a flawed word for what I feel. I live for you.”





Author Bio

Michelle Horst is from a small town in South Africa.

She's been in love with reading from an early age. She has a passion for books, quotes and animals.

She first tried her hand at writing in early 2009 and as the first words started to form into a book, she knew she was hooked. 

Dreams spilled onto pages, and that was the beginning of a wonderful journey. A journey filled with joy, passion and heart stopping moments. Most of all, it's filled with such pride and peace as a story comes to life, and characters fill your life, living in the very walls of your mind, living in the minds of your readers.

Thank you to each and every reader and for choosing to escape in one of my books.

Michelle ;) 



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Release Blitz - So Into You by Maggie Kaye




Title: So Into You: Leighton's Story
Series: The Girlfriend Series #2 (Standalone)
Author: Maggie Kaye
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 29, 2016



Blurb

Leighton McCall has a great job as a corporate lawyer, a terrific apartment, the perfect parents, and the best friends any woman could want. Up until now she has led a seemingly charmed life.

Having it all though has come at a price. Her ideal job isn't so ideal. They only like to promote men. Being Senator Andrew McCall's daughter has never been easy. She has learned to live her life under her father's shadow and in the spotlight. Not to mention, the loss of her older brother has left an irreparable rip in her family. Her perfect family is really a sham, created for her father’s political aspirations. The only thing perfect in her life are her girlfriends. But even they don't know she is keeping a secret.

She had a vacation fling with a less than perfect candidate, Owen Foster, a construction worker from "Down Under" who has left her with a slight complication. What's a girl to do when everything she worked for isn't working? And the one man who holds the key to her heart, she can never picture fitting into her world, even if he is so into her.






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Trailer




Excerpt

 “You understand. You’re mine. Say it.”

“I’m yours.”

He moved down to a spot above the swell of her breast, nipped it and then licked it.

“More.” She rubbed herself against his thigh. His erection swelled.

“Hold still.”

She relaxed into the sheets and closed her eyes briefly, trying to obey him.

“You like that, don’t you?” He squeezed her breast as his mouth latched onto her nipple and sucked. He scraped his teeth along the tip.

“Yes. Now, shut up and do me,” she snapped back.

It’s what he liked about her. She was spunky and smart. She never would take any guff from anyone, including him.

“I told you. I’m in control.”

“Sure, Aussie. You’re in control.”

“Do you want this to end?” He clutched her ass and pressed his erection against her clit.

“Hell no.” She sounded breathy and mutinous.

“Then behave.” To change it up, he reached down to see how wet she was and took her other nipple into his mouth. He used his other hand to apply pressure, as he sucked on her breast. Releasing it, he continued his downward movement, licking into her belly button before descending to her center. He took a moment to admire her sweetness. “Have you ever been kissed here?”

“Ah. No.”

“Good. I promise you, you’re going to like it.”

He licked through her lips and then sucked her clit. She moaned and moved her hips up to press closer to his mouth. She reached down and held his head tight between her legs. “You’re right. I like it.”

He increased the tempo and added his fingers to increase her pleasure, first one then another.

She was moaning and writhing in the sheets. “I’m going to come.”

“Then come.”

He watched as she let herself go. She was so gorgeous. He rose up to lie next to her, kissing her so she could taste herself, as he had. “Now sleep, Tex.”

“Aren’t we going to?” She yawned sleepily.

“No, Legs. This was just for you.”





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In the work place, we all know there are boundaries. One of those boundaries is Never Date Your Boss, especially if he is a playboy and you just had your heart broken. When Chloe Lambert finds herself down on her luck, none other than her hunky CEO boss, Garrett Nolan, steps in to rescue her, offering her temporary shelter at his ranch. Now, her boss is looking more appealing, and her friends can’t agree on whether she should sleep with him or not. Don’t even mention the fact she just learned he has a soft spot for kids and is using the ranch to help sick kids. What is a girl to do when it feels so right?


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Trailer







Author Bio


When Maggie Kaye was in college, she and a friend attempted to write their first romance book. They actually never reached the writing part. Mostly, they lay in the sun, brainstormed, laughed, and snacked, typical behavior for young college students with short attention spans.

Maggie went on to earn a teaching credential in special education and a career in teaching. Although they never completed that first book, the desire to tell stories remained with her. Eventually, she took out a writing pen or in her case a notebook computer her hero (husband) bought her to pursue her dreams and wrote the end.

Today, Maggie lives in the Southern California with her husband, two children, and three cats that sometimes share the keyboard with her. She enjoys writing stories with plenty of heart, humor and a bit of steaminess.



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