Book Review: Lily Love by Maggi Myers

Title: Lily Love
Author: Maggi Myers
 Released: June 24th,2014
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Rating: ★★★★★

Caroline used to have it all: she was madly in love with her husband, Peter, and they worshiped their beautiful baby girl. But as Lily grows into a toddler, Caroline notices that her daughter seems to live and act with a disconnect, and soon the perfect future Caroline had envisioned, along with her marriage, begin to crumble. Now she and Peter are no longer lovers, they’re plaintiffs in the throes of divorce while still struggling to care for Lily. After years of blame and overwhelming despair, Caroline’s chance encounter with a stranger at University Hospital opens her eyes to the prospect of accepting new support, new loves, and new dreams.
From the acclaimed author of The Final Piece comes a story of a family broken and unable to cope with a daughter’s disability. And a mother who finds that letting go of the life she imagined may be the only way to get to the life she was meant for.

Liiiiillllllyyyyy Love! Yes, I am singing that while I write. Beautiful on so many levels, Lily Love is a story for the caregivers. That forgotten person that stands strong daily. Suffers in private. Breaking down alone, controlled, and as quick as the tears come they are wiped away. Why? Because there is no crying when you are the one left holding all the pieces together.
We are taught that after the “I do” in order to complete the happily ever after, two become three. What happens with the third takes over everything you ever knew? Demanding time and attention. When Caroline fell in love with Peter she thought it was for better or worse. When worse become a never ending uphill battle it was Caroline left to stand strong, alone.
Reading Lily Love I was able to relate to the struggle even though I am not a parent. Caroline’s story, regardless of the players, sadly has become the norm for many. In a society where everything has become disposable, even relationships, someone is left to pick up the portion left behind. Lily becomes the secondary character, as Caroline finds a way to recycle her past while caring for the one person that holds her love, unconditionally.
Lily Love is an outstanding follow up to Maggi Myer’s first book, The Finial Piece, and a book that demands attention. This book is not only entertaining, it is a beacon of hope for all that have lost their way caring for others. Its ok to feel, its ok to be angry, and its ok live, because unless you are the best you can be you can never be the best for others.

Born in West Des Moines, IA and raised in Miami, FL, I have an appreciation for the heartland and really good cuban food.

I want to write stories that make people think. The things you thought you knew about other people and their lives? I want to twist those perceptions and make you question everything.

I am a big fan of the underdog. The one that everyone else has written off? That’s where my heart is and where my most inspired writing happens.

Book Review: Captured by Jasinda Wilder

Title: CAPTURED
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Release Date: August 12th, 2014
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Rating: ★★★★★

You go into combat, you fear death. It’s what keeps you careful, keeps you alive. I’ve faced death more times than I can count. I’ve taken bullets. I’ve taken lives. 
But nothing can prepare me for the soul-crushing terror of being captured. 
***
I married a Marine. I knew the risks. Every time my husband shipped out, I knew there was a chance he wouldn’t come back. But Thomas always did. Always. Then one day two officers in full dress uniform knocked on my door and shattered my world. 
How do you keep going when you lose what made life worth living?
***This is a full length, stand-alone contemporary romance, set in the world of WOUNDED**

“Eventually…you’ll find your way to okay.” 

Captured has captivated me mind, body, and soul. Jack and Jasinda complied words into emotions, crafting a painfully beautiful story worthy of the highest honor. War is ugly. War destroys. War demands attention. Sadly war is all too real for countless men, women, and children. Although every story is unique, at the core, everyone affected thrives to survive. Reagan and Derek’s story beautifully illustrates that once the parades have ended, and the heroes are long forgotten, only then does the real war begin. 

“Every time a woman sends her lover off to war, she’s sending out her heart. She lives, left alone there at home, with a hole in her chest. It’s a big, gaping, numb wound.” 

Reagan’s life has become foreign. Sending the love of your life away over and over again, she is living her life on repeat. Every goodbye harder than the last. 

“I’m rubbing at my face, trying to breathe, trying to stop, but now that I’ve opened the floodgates it’s all coming out, years and years worth of pent-up misery and sorrow.” 

Derek, fighting alongside his Marine brothers, holding onto words, promises, and prayers that he will return home. 

“Just…stay with me. Okay? I don’t mean just physically staying, as in not leaving, I mean…I mean you have to believe in yourself. In me. And in us.” 

Be prepared for a rush of emotions. All of the feelings. Every. Last. One. This is a roller-coaster ride. Jack and Jasinda are the power couple of words. Multiple layered stories create reading bliss. Captured is a stand-alone but is told alongside its predecessor, Wounded. Wounded was impressive, but Captured will captivate your heart. By far this is my top Wilder read. 

“I just see you.” I’m behind her, holding onto her arms. “You’re beautiful, Reagan. In the light, in the darkness. All the time.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably shopping, baking, or reading. 
​Some of her favorite authors include Nora Roberts, JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Liliana Hart and Bella Andre. 
She loves to travel and some of her favorite vacations spots are Las Vegas, New York City and Toledo, Ohio. 
You can often find Jasinda drinking sweet red wine with frozen berries and eating a cupcake. 
Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

GR | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Book Review and Giveaway: Dair (The Wildside #3) by R.K. Lilley

Book Review and Giveaway: Dair (The Wildside #3) by R.K. LilleyDair by R.K. Lilley
Series: The Wild Side #3
on July 25, 2014
Genres: Erotica, Romance
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I’d started writing everything about her down. I didn’t want to forget.
The color of her hair. The depth of her eyes. The stubborn shape of her jaw. The way her lips shaped words with such expression. The way her voice made my chest ache. The way she gave advice beyond her years.
The way she listened like she cared about every word.
The way she made me feel—Alive.
Every curve and hollow of her body was recorded, in my mind, and now my hard drive.
There was a bit of truth in every lie, and even if it had only been fed to me in the smallest increments, I wanted, needed to remember the real Iris.
Because in the end, there was one irrefutable thing that I couldn’t deny.

Hostage or hustler, sinner or saint, whatever she was or wasn’t, whether she lied to my face or taunted me with hints of the truth, all of this seemed always to defer to the more pertinent fact at hand.

She was mine.
Inconceivably.
Undeniably.
Mine.

After yet another shocking discovery, followed by a disturbing letter, Dair is almost certain Iris has left his life for good. He tries his best to move on.
Easier said than done, and when an unexpected and dangerous opportunity arises for him to find out what happened to her, he doesn’t hesitate to take it.
As usual, with Iris, the answer leaves him more lost than the question.
Every revelation is shrouded in mystery, and every disclosure leaves Dair more in the dark than ever.

And when finally, the messy truth is revealed in its entirety, will he be ready for it?
This is the final installment in Iris and Dair’s story

This book is intended for readers 18 and up

(more…)

About R.K. Lilley

R.K. Lilley lives in Texas with her husband and their two beautiful sons. She’s had a lot of interesting jobs, from being a first class flight attendant, to being a stablehand, but swears she never knew what hard work was until she had children. She’s been addicted to both reading and writing fiction since she can remember. She loves to travel, read, hike, paint, game, watch anime, and make the most of every single day. She is currently working on Boss, The Other Man, and Crossing Fire, Book #2 of Heretic Daughter series.

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Book Review: Rogue (The REAL series Book 4) by Katy Evans

Title: Rogue (The REAL series Book 4)  
Author: Katy Evans
Release Date: July 29th, 2014
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Rating: ★★★★

The fourth story in the new adult series that began with the New York Times bestseller Real, featuring Brooke’s best friend, Melanie, and the ROGUE she can’t resist.

Greyson King…
My boyfriend. My friend. My protector. He’s the reason I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and the reason I fall asleep limp, worn out, and aching for his warm arms around me. When we make love, he says my name like it means something. Like I mean something.
He
Lied.
His name is Greyson King, but his alias is Zero.
There’s zero trace of him, he has zero past, and now I know that with him, I will have zero future.
He may leave no trace of him anywhere, but his imprint is in me, in my very soul–and I hate that a mere look at him commands the beat of my heart. The temperature of my body.
I’ve looked for love my entire life. I’ve waited for the butterflies, the rainbows…
Instead I’m in a free fall of emotions and there’s no one to catch me but the one man I should be running away from. The one man I thought was my prince charming.
Except this prince charming went rogue.
Greyson will stop at nothing to make me be with him. He’ll let no one stand in our way, will allow no one to threaten me, and maybe this is what scares me most of all…
What will my rogue do to keep me?

“At a very young age I was taught that there were no certainties in life. Life itself is not a certainty, nor is friendship, or love. But given the first, you have the certainty of an opportunity to chase after your friendships, live your life, and search for love.”

Melanie’s life is empty. Lost in a world she believes was not meant for her. Accepting her false truth, Melanie is going through the motions. Working, family, and friends. Filling the emptiness with a parade of nameless facesin hopes of feeling her own real, she stumbles upon the one man that holds her attention and leaves her breathless. For her its kismet but for a rouge man nothing is left to fate.

“I look at him, and he doesn’t scare me. He lures me. He tempts me, exhilarates me. He makes me want to claim him as if I’m claiming back a part of me that was once lost.”

Enter Greyson King, better known as Zero. To the Underground, Greyson is a finisher. In and out. Zero accountability, Greyson is the beginning, middle, and end. Pulled back underground in hopes of filling his own emptiness, he finds that the one thing he wants won’t allow for zero liability.

“Do you know what it feels like to carry the weight of a dead heart with you your whole life, like you’re just looking for your grave?”

Rouge takes on a whole new feel, differentthan previous books in the Real Series, offering a darker look into the operation known as The Underground. If you are looking for more Remy and Brooke be prepared for a bit of a letdown. Katy has used Rogue to create layers to an already heavy story. Greyson and Melanie are a little darker, flawed, and just as lovable as their predecessors. I enjoyed Greyson and Melanie’s story. Although I didn’t feel as connected to them as Remy and Brooke, the story was well written and keep me interested.

“Always you, just you. You may be zero in your world…but you’re everything to me.”

Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…

Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover



Ugly Love

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Rating: ★★★★★ +++
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

“It’s heartbreaking. It’s devastating. It’s ugly. It’s over.”

Dual realities, the past and the present, painting a portrait of liquid perfection. Miles finds himself reliving the past. His memories live on constant repeat. His metaphorical iPod of emotions stuck on play, Miles throws himself into work and a mediocre social life. 

“I suppose if a man lived through the ugliest side of love, he might never want to experience it again.” 

Tate becomes the one constant that allows Miles to feel again, to live again, and even though he hides behind the rules – “Never ask about the past and don’t expect a future.” – Tate is chipping away the perfect imperfection which is Miles Archer.
When Miles attempts to school Tate on love and life…

“Love isn’t always pretty, Tate. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it’ll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you’re back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way.” 

Tate confirms that you cannot createa solid without liquid…

“No, Miles. I follow. That’s how it is with us. You’re solid, I’m liquid. You part the waters, I’m your wake.”

I am eight books into my Colleen Hoover love affair and I am ready for eight more.Colleen’s talent for the written word demands to be noticed. Ugly Love has veered off form the prior seven novels adding a new level of word mastery. The balance of past and present lend to a painful love story with a powerful twist. While reading the final chapters I found myself at a loss for words as the pain drips from the page. Liquid, creating enjoyable misery. If love is ugly I am prepared for the fall.

“It’s all worth it. It’s the beautiful moments like these that make up for the ugly love.”

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.

BOOK REVIEW: UGLY LOVE by COLLEEN HOOVER @ColleenHoover






Ugly Love

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Rating: ★★★★★
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.
I was helluva excited about Ugly Love but I was a bit scared to actually read it because I loved Colleen’s previous works especially Maybe Someday. I kept thinking that while there is a good chance I’d really enjoy UL, I’m never going to feel the same way about it that I did with MS. It would be like the replacement goldfish that your parents try to convince you to take care of is just as great as the one you had to flush down the toilet. It’s not its fault but it’s just not the same as the first you really loved.
The verdict? Colleen Hoover has nailed it A.G.A.I.N.! 
I typically don’t make bold statements like this but I’m going to because I feel so strongly after reading UL. CoHo has been a go-to author for me since the day she wrote Slammed. Whenever there’s a new release, I beat down the doors to get it. If I were in my teen days, I’d probably be wearing shirts proclaiming the awesomeness that is Colleen Hoover and would probably be making posters hanging in my wall just like the one’s I did for my favorite boy bands back in the 90′s (true story).
Colleen Hoover is an auto-buy author for me for wonderfully written contemporary novels with swoon-worthy and unforgettable characters. She infuses so many unpredictable elements into her books and the little details are so wonderful. Ugly Love of course is no exception. From an awesome and very peculiar reference to Tate and Miles relationship down to the delicate choice of words. I just found myself smiling at the smallest details and it added so much to my overall enjoyment of the story. CoHo writes the perfect contemporary novel for me. It isn’t so distorted of a reality that it becomes too unbelievable but it has just enough drama that keeps you reading. Because, let’s be honest here, if novels were TOO realistic, we’d be bored and feel like we were reading about our own stories. She writes things I felt as a teen and still feel now at 33 <<–(secret).
All of her characters really felt alive and real to me. Its not very usual that I adore the heroine. Most of the times I want to slap them with their own book. But here in UL, I’d say I loved Tate more than I loved Miles. She’s different. She can be funny but when you get to know her a little deeper, you would know there is more to Tate than just those funny lines and sexy body. Even if she proclaims she doesn’t have time to have a serious relationship, she knew from the start how she really felt for Miles and that is more than just their arrangement for sex. I can honestly say that I felt like I was reading the character of Tate as a big sister. I was protective of her, I wanted to hug her during both crappy and awesome moments. 
And Miles? I know you want to know if the boy is as wonderful and remarkable and swoon-worthy as Will and Ridge. Oh YES ladies! Eat your heart out. Be prepared to be so thrilled about the book boyfriend that CoHo has handed to you on a silver platter. There are seriously not enough “nice guys” in Contemp lit. But Miles could lead the army against all those douchenozzles that seem to be in the “in” thing now. I want to see more guys that are super nice, but not pushovers, and actually have a personality. Miles is one. He’s polite, responsible, very committed to his work and honestly the type of guy I love and I truly felt as though he complemented Tate so well. He’s nice but not perfect. He’s got some unusual habits and interests and some stupid boy moments. He likes, oh scratch that! He needs Tate but not in a romantic way; not in the way she likes him. But he was very vocal about his needs and very upfront about it. No attachments. No Love. Just plain SEX. And the only way they could continue with this arrangement is if Tate follows 2 of his rules. 

“Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.”

It may look absurd, one-way and very UGLY. But Miles has his reasons. Something about his past that made him so apprehensive to start feeling it again. But love, no matter how ugly it could become, has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart. It has its own way to reach its own destiny. And once the destination is found, it follows its own path to blossom.
I don’t want to give away anything about this book, but I honestly loved the whole story, the romance, the tension that was present in different threads of the story, and the ending! Oh my goodness! I felt myself charmed by Tate and swept up in Mile’s life. He certainly went through a lot in the story and I really believed in his progress and the path that CoHo leads him on. Ugly Love was not overwrought with emotion and drama but perfectly captures the complicated nature of love and relationships. It also shows the joys that come with the pain and awkward moments. It shows the ugly side of love.
I know of some who had problems with things in the book. I may not know the technical details in plot diagram or anything like that but I knew that I was held captive by the story. I knew that crazy sensation of shaking yourself out of the pages of the book that you were so trapped in and finding yourself back in reality. I knew the feeling of wishing there could be more pages to appear because you just weren’t ready to be done with the last few ones because you devoured the book at an alarming pace. This is how I felt with Ugly Love. And I think these is all that matters. CoHo’s writing is undoubtedly beautiful and lush and worthy of being savored. But how could I? I needed to know what happened…badly!
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Wife Number Seven by Melissa Brown @LissaLou77



Title WIFE NUMBER SEVEN
Author: MELISSA BROWN
Released: July 21st
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Rating: ★★★★★ +++

Lipstick. Bright, red lipstick. Nothing but lipstick. Even though it’s against our faith to wear a color that screams of sexual promiscuity and deviant behavior, I’m not allowed to protest. But, I want to. So badly.
You see, there’s more to me than the braid that spills down my back. More to me than the layers of heavy fabric that maintain my modesty. And so much more than the oppressive wedding band that adorns my finger–the same band that each of my sister wives wear. So much more. To protest would be sinful. I must keep sweet, that is my duty.
So I’ll wear the lipstick. I’ll do as I’m told. And I’ll do my best to silence the resistance within me, to push him from my mind. If only my heart would do the same.

“I always knew I would share my husband…My existence is a lonely one. Lehi relieves that loneliness for the twenty-four hours when I pretend I’m the only one he lays with. And I do pretend. Every waking hour.”

Born into the polygamist life, Brinley is screaming to be heard. Surrounded by many but drowning in loneliness she is slowly learning that more love means less Brinley. 

“The voices in my head started as disjointed whispers, so unconnected that they didn’t make any sense. But, those whispers were coming together, becoming more cohesive, clearer and louder in my head than ever before. From a whisper to a scream… I was waiting for the scream.”

Everything happens for a reason and in a life that prides its self in God’s words, Brinley is looking for her place in this world. Performance, Brinley’s daily performance is done through masked eyes until that mask is pulled away. Porter. The boy who stole more than a backpack has transformed her less than perfect world into one of more. More life, more love, more acceptance and more independence. 
Porter sparked an already gas socked fire in Brinley. The key element on her path to self-discovery, Porter presented her with a world of possibilities. Teaching her that life on the opposite side of the wall, while not perfect, is worth the fight. 

“And you’re not damned. If anybody’s damned to fucking hell, it’s the one everyone calls the Prophet. He’s a sick fuck who plays with your lives for his own twisted purposes. He controls every single one of your lives. It’s disgusting.”

Porter finds the home he has been lacking, while she finds the woman who was locked away. The compound becoming a jail with less perks and now Brinley is shedding her forced identity and learning about the uniqueness she had all along. 

“I told you, you’re my heaven. If I burn when I die, that’s fine. I’m a selfish man and I want my heaven now.”

Melissa has proven that no matter the topic or genre you are promised no less than a well-crafted story with emotion, strong main characters and a cast of ancillary characters that scream, loudly, for their own story. Melissa has done her homework on this one. Diving deep into the polygamist lifestyle, she has presented an honest look into life in the compound. Wife Number Seven is a story of hope. The hope that one day you can find your own personal happiness. I am reminded of one of my favorite, non Melissa Brown quotes…

“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” -Glinda The Good Witch of the North

Brinley, like Dorothy went on a journey in search of more and learned that the power to change is within. Along the way you will be guided by loved ones but in the end the power is your own. Porter guided her with smarts, courage, and a heart of gold. Their story is not a one easy but a life worth living never is.

Melissa Brown was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois and is the mother of two fantastic kids. She’s an avid reader who enjoys making handmade gifts for her family and friends, as well as baking and painting. She speaks fluent movie quotes from the 1980s and ’90s.Her romance titles include Bouquet Toss, Champagne Toast, Picturing Perfect and Unwanted Stars. She is currently developing a Young Adult series called Sorority of Three.

BOOK REVIEW: MAYBE MABY BY WILLOW ASTER




TITLE: MAYBE MABY
AUTHOR: WILLOW ASTER
RELEASED: JULY 13TH
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Rating: ★★★★★

Mabel Armstrong is on the verge of giving up. But just when things feel bleakest, there seems to be a shift in the universe. People come out of the woodwork. Her ex won’t leave her alone. An old friend finally tries to become more. Even the cute guy at the coffee shop starts paying extra attention.
Maybe Maby is a heartbreaking, and at times, hilarious story about coping with loss, finding love in New York, and learning to recognize hope in the middle of it all.

Pushed to her limit, Maby learns that the only way to rebuild is to breakdown. Dealing with the loss of her mother and her mental state, Maby fights daily for stability. 

“I shake my fist at the universe, careful to not anger God in the process. I’m pretty sure he knows I’m crazy, so it’s probably okay.”

Numbers. They are never wrong. One plus one will always equal two. For a damaged person the control in numbers equals power. Maby pulls herself into a world of controlled chaos but what she is lacking is a sense to belong. To love again when it was pulled from her, leaving her blindsided. 

“Sometimes the loneliness is so thick, it threatens to choke me.”

Old love clouds her loneliness, menacing an already unbalanced life. Work and the daily pressure to just survive allow Maby little to no time to live. It is only when she looks with clearer eyes that she finds Coen, everything she needs but is afraid to take. 

“I have enough fear for the both of us.”

In passing Coen has been part of Maby’s life for close to two years, offering a smile and a kind word. Now Maby has to believe that she is enough, worth the fight. 

“I can see why you’re so special,” I tell him. “You’ve been adored your whole life, but also challenged to do something with yourself…no time for being spoiled, except with love.”

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. Maybe Maby is a reading experience that you don’t want to miss. Seeing so much of me in a main character was hunting and a little scary. Willow allowed me to relate to Maby’s issues, transporting me into the story. I felt as if I was interacting with them. The raw pain of love, loss, confusion and fear brought Maby to life. Maby was inspiring. Struggling to find herself in spite of her issues and working through them even when they threated to overcome her. Life is about learning from our mistakes, taking that knowledge and applying it as we move forward. Maby’s journey isn’t easy but Willow made it feel effortless.

Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story, In the Fields, and Maybe Maby. She lives with her husband and two kids on a tropical beach in paradise. Well, at least part of that is true … the rest is Story Lala Land, where Willow spends most of her time.

Series Spotlight: The Gilded Flower by Vivian Winslow




Gilded Lily (Gilded Flower #1)
Released: May 18th, 2014

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After catching her fiancé Jack in bed with her sister the day before her wedding, New York socialite Lily Baron escapes to Rio, her honeymoon destination—alone. There, Marcelo, the dark and sexy hotel masseur, releases a heated passion Lily had never experienced with Jack. When Lily meets handsome and powerful Brazillionaire Gustavo de Lima, she can hardly resist him. There’s just one problem. He’s married. In this uber-sensual city, will Lily’s reluctance to be with a married man, in light of her own fiancé’s betrayal, give way to her burning desire for Gustavo?




Calla Lily (Gilded Flower #2)

Released: June 21st, 2014
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Having experienced a profound personal and sexual awakening during her solo honeymoon to Brazil, New York socialite Lily Baron rushes back to New York upon hearing the news that her father has fallen ill. Now, Lily must take the helm of the Baron Media empire and fend off a high-stakes hostile takeover attempt. With the fate of the company hanging in the balance, will Lily be able to resist the advances of the luring, unwanted suitor in the boardroom as well as the bedroom? Things get steamy in this highly anticipated sequel to Gilded Lily.



Released: July 20th, 2014
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Weary from battling a hostile takeover attempt of her family’s company, Lily seeks a distraction in Todd, an erstwhile bartender with a large trust fund and magical tongue. Meanwhile, a connection seems to be developing between Lily and Alejandro, a wealthy and gorgeous Cuban-American, whose brother, Rodrigo, is dating Lily’s twin sister, Dahlia. When Alejandro unexpectedly rebuffs Lily one night, she is deeply dismayed. But, after seeing Alejandro’s picture with a gorgeous Latina model in the gossip pages, Lily thinks it wasn’t just a misunderstanding. When the sisters and brothers reunite in Aspen for a ski weekend, will Lily’s heart remain frozen or will the fire between her and Alejandro rekindle and melt away the ice?
Gilded Lily
The Gilded Flower Series
Chapter 1
“I walked in on them, mom. You think I don’t know what my own fiancé looks like?” The thought of her fiancé and sister’s naked bodies intertwined was seared on Lily’s mind. It was almost like looking in a mirror— watching her twin sister, Dahlia, betray her with the man she loved. The man she was ready to pledge her life to.
“Well, you know how your sister is, it could’ve been anyone,” her mom replies.
“But it wasn’t just anyone. It was Jack, and on the night before we’re supposed to get married!”
“Darling,” her mother says, patting her head like a two-year old child who just dropped her lollipop. “You can still get married. It’s not too late. Men are all the same— it’s time you learn that.”
Lily looks up from her pillow at her mother and around her room, still the same since she went away to boarding school eleven years ago. Pink and purple with a large, canopy bed, a bed “fit for a princess,” her mother had always said. And for all intents and purposes she was a princess, living a privileged life in New York City— the best schools, the right friends, and the (former) perfect fiancé. 
“What are you saying, mother? That it’s ok for Jack to screw anyone he wants?”
“Oh, honey. Men have needs. It’s pure biology. Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a good husband and father.”
“Are you saying Dad cheated on you?” Lily sits up, wiping away her tears.
Her mother turns away for a moment and picks up a family photo on the nightstand. “It’s the unspoken rule here on the Upper East Side, Lily. With the house in the Hamptons and the chalet in Aspen comes infidelity. I thought you’d had some clue. But it’s my fault. I’ve kept you sheltered because I hoped for a different life for you than mine.”
“But why didn’t you tell me sooner? I never imagined Jack would cheat on me.” Lily falls back onto the bed.
Her mother faces her and raises an eyebrow. “Jack is no different from his father. His family has a lot of money and influence in this city. Even more than we do. Our two families would make an incredible alliance.”
“So that’s all this was to you, some sick power game?”
“Marriage is business, Lily, not love. And in New York, power isn’t just about how much money you have, but the friends you can count in your corner. You want love, go have your own affairs. After what he’s done, Jack can’t expect fidelity. Just try to be more discreet than he was.”
“But it was love. I’ve loved him since the first day I laid eyes on him,” Lily says, remembering how he offered to share his umbrella with her when they walked out of Intermediate French one afternoon.
Her mother caresses her hair. “I know honey. That was your first mistake.”
Author Profile: Having spent most of the last two decades abroad, Vivian Winslow currently resides in New York City with her husband and two grade school-aged children. Her stories are heavily influenced by her ex-pat experiences. The Gilded Flower Series is her first foray into erotic romance.

Promo Tour: TOTALED by Stacey Grice (Excerpt, Playlist & Giveaway)

Title: Totaled (Totaled #1)

Author: Stacey Grice
Add to  Goodreads
Buy from: Amazon | B&N | IBooks | Kobo | CreateSpace

Bree Murphy is stuck. Forced to grow up too fast after the tragic death of her mother, she has little time for any sort of life for herself. Now in her early twenties, she is coming to the realization that she deserves to put herself first.

Drew Dougherty is also stuck, in a state of merely existing. Memories and secrets of the day he lost both of his parents haunt him, forcing him to cope the only way he knows how…by fighting.

When these two worlds collide, hidden truths are revealed and relationships are put to the ultimate test. At a crossroad in their lives, they must decide if taking a risk is worth everything.

Or will their love be…

Totaled.

Totaled is a full length, new adult contemporary romance novel. Due to mature content, profane language, and sexual situations, this book is recommended for ages 18 and up.




My heart raced, my palms grew sweaty, my skin felt flushed, and my breathing sped up. I let my tongue graze over my lips to wet them, and apparently that was invitation enough. His eyes immediately dropped to my mouth. Drew started to slowly lean in towards me, closing the distance between us, never releasing my face from his hold. Everything moved in slow motion and I knew this was the moment of our first kiss.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sky opened up and it started raining. Not raining, pouring! Everyone around us (of whom I’d been unaware for the last hour) scattered like ants and we stood to run for cover with the rest of the crowd. People were frantic and crazy, squealing and sprinting for cover, bumping into us left and right. Drew grabbed my hand and pulled me with him, jogging away from the chaos in the rain. We were running in the street along the inter-coastal, in the direction of the gym a few blocks away. Already drenched, we laughed at each other, stepping in puddles and pulling each other back and forth to dodge others in our path. It felt like we were children, being playful and having fun with it, because what else could you do
at that point? 
When the rain picked up, we were still a good four blocks from the gym. Drew suddenly stopped jogging in front of me and turned around to face me, a look of intensity and determination in his expression. I almost couldn’t stop in time and nearly crashed into his chest. He grabbed my face with both of his strong, masculine hands and looked at me like I was a giant piece of chocolate cake and he was starving. For two seconds he stared at me. Four seconds. Six seconds. All the while standing in the middle of the street in the pouring rain. And then his lips crashed into mine. His lips were firm at first but immediately softened. He licked my lower lip, tasting me, enticing me to open for him and I couldn’t dream of doing anything in that moment but exactly whatever he wanted me to do. I opened my lips slowly to invite him in and our tongues touched each other, playfully at first and then with purpose. They danced together in perfect synchronized harmony like a beautiful Viennese waltz. The waltz turned into an angry paso doble, full of passion and angst. He kissed me with urgency, like he couldn’t get enough, but not with haste. He was savoring me, cherishing me. My hair stuck to my face, slick with wetness from the rain, my dress clinging to my body, soaked all the way to my underwear, but I didn’t want to move. Our hands were all over the place, grabbing each other anywhere, everywhere. He held my face with one hand and reached around to the small of my back to pull me in closer to him. The substantial, hard bulge between us confirmed how much I was affecting him. I felt my core twitch and throb with a need that I’d never felt before. My romance novels were finally right about something—this aching and throbbing stuff was legit. I didn’t want to stop feeling it. I didn’t ever want to stop. 
Our mouths separated and I tried to take a deep breath, but he moved his mouth down to my throat and neck, kissing and licking, lapping up the raindrops from my skin, and I couldn’t possibly catch my breath with him doing that. I suddenly realized where we were still outside, still in the wide open, still in the rain. He must’ve felt me stiffen, because he brought his eyes up to mine and smiled.
“Let’s get you out of the rain,” he said, and we started jogging towards the gym again.



I am a mother, wife, Registered Nurse, avid reader, and most recently pursuing taking my own writing to the next level. I appreciate honesty but not cruelty, a wicked sense of humor, and a good cup of coffee, blond with enough creamer to coat my tongue yellow. 
Being an astute people watcher and having an extremely judgmental mind gives me constant inspiration for my stories. But my characters, like many authors, are conceived from actual people in my life. A hodgepodge of personality traits, real world instances, and conversations that I have directly taken part in are the foundation for my fictional world.