Review

Blog Tour: Rome by Jay Crownover (Review and Giveaways)

The MARKED MEN are coming back on January 7, 2014, so get ready for the ride of your life with ROME (MARKED MEN #3) by the fabulous Jay Crownover.
You’ve met inked-up bad boy RULE (Marked Men #1) and have been swept away by the lyrical JET (Marked Men #2). Now, get ready to be riveted by Rule’s older brother ROME.
Rome returns to Denver after serving his country and leaving a part of his soul, along with his blood, behind on the sands of the battlefield. When he meets Cora, sparks fly and all bets are off in this steamy, heart wrenching love story. Can two souls who have their own dark past survive the explosion of them coming together. Find out in ROME on January 7th.
Be sure to join us as are part of the Jay Crownover’s Rome Book Tour.

Author: Jay Crownover
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: January 7, 2013
Synopsis
Cora Lewis is a whole lot of fun, and she knows how to keep her tattooed bad boy friends in line. But all that flash and sass hide the fact that she’s never gotten over the way her first love broke her heart. Now she has a plan to make sure that never happens again: She’s only going to fall in love with someone perfect.
Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He’s stubborn and rigid, he’s bossy and has come back from his final tour of duty fundamentally broken. Rome’s used to filling a role: big brother, doting son, super soldier; and now none of these fit anymore. Now he’s just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes the only color on his bleak horizon.
Perfect isn’t in the cards for these two, but imperfect might just last forever . . .

Goodreads:

Pre- Order Links

Five amazingly burning stars!!!!
Rome! Rome! Rome!
All hail Rome!
Can I just say that Rome is soooo hot – there aren’t enough words to describe just how hot he is!
Rome is a man who is tortured by the demons of his past – both in the battlefield and the news he’s learned of his brother. He’s not in a good place to say the least. His brother Rule is having a great life with his deceased brother’s best friend and Rome is not convinced that Rule has changed or that he will be actually happy with Shaw. Life hasn’t been kind to Rome and he takes out his aggression to his closest friends and family.
Enter Cora – aka Tink – a spitfire who can duke it out with Rome and his grumpiness. Whew!!! The pages were burning with sexual tension and rich dialogues that as a reader you go, “Egads, what just happened?”
Jay Crownover is a master storyteller. Her stories are rich with content, character, and their backstories are just as amazing. The Marked Men gang’s back in full force and I don’t want to give away so much but I love reading about all of them – Rule, Shaw, Jet, Ayden, Nash, even Asa…The cover is smoking! I can really picture the guy on the cover as Rome and boy is he good-looking!!
Ms. Crownover’s hit the ballpark and then some in this latest Marked Men installment and I cannot even begin to say how much I’m anticipating Nash’s story next!

Author Information

Jay Crownover Author Pic copyI’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.
I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.

Book Review: Rock Bottom by R.K. Lilley

Title: Rock Bottom
Author: R.K. Lilley
Published: Nov. 25, 2013
Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive.
The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape.
Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?”
DANIKA
Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons.
I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked. 
I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break. 
No one could say I didn’t fight for him. 
“I love you,” I spoke softly into his ear. 
He gripped me harder. “I can’t ever lose you, Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive it.” 
“You’ve got me. And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.” 
I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us.
I’d have given my life for that fight. In fact, I very nearly did. 
TRISTAN
She was the one. 
If I’d ever had a doubt, I didn’t now. She was the one I’d be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I’d pine for her like a lovesick fool. 
This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life. 
This book is intended for readers 18 and up.

Rock Bottom is a completely captivating, breathtakingly bittersweet love story. I don’t think I took a single breath between the first and last page and I loved every second of it. R.K. Lilley has masterfully created a piece that I will never get tired of re-reading. Every line, every dialogue is packed in every single scene, it’s sooooo good!

The premise is simple enough but Ms. Lilley seems bent on injecting it with her usual angst, you cant help but to be sucked in.

I loved Danika and Tristan.

They are two of the most endearing characters I’ve ever encountered. They are so admirable, so real, and so human. The tragedy of the story made my heart ache in a happy and in a sad way, as I struggled with them through their self-doubts and fought the battle within to regain the faith they had in their love and each other. I held my breath as I watched the doubt and insecurity creep into their minds, tempered by the frustrations which life often brings, praying that they wouldn’t surrender, that their love and faith in each other would prevail.

Did I want to smack Tristan for being a jerk and giving up on Danika’s love after all they have been through? Oh! More than you can imagine! But to be honest, after a few days bawling my eyes out, pulling my hair and trying to figure out why things happened the way it did, I finally came to understand why. That’s the only perfect way to end it…and im only hoping but good things for the next book.

I could go on and on about this book and how much I connected with it, but I want potential readers to discover it’s joys for themselves.

This a great love story, full of angst and emotions from one end of the scale to the other, and a very fulfilling conclusion. I could not recommend this book enough. So if you haven’t started the series yet, please, in the name of everything holy go one-click this series. 6 words! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

R.K. Lilley lives in Colorado 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 the author of the erotic romance novels In Flight, Mile High, Grounded, and the novella, Lana.

B&N | KOBO
OTHER WORKS OF R.K. LILLEY

BAD THINGS
IN FLIGHT (Up in the Air #1)
MILE HIGH (Up in the Air #2)
GROUNDED (Up in the Air #3)
LANA (Novella)

Book Review: Forever & Always and After Forever by Jasinda Wilder (Pam)

 Forever & Always  and After Forever
(The Ever Trilogy)
Jasinda Wilder
Released: Dec. 20th, 2013
Ever,
These letters are often all that get me through week to week. Even if it’s just random stuff, nothing important, they’re important to me. Gramps is great, and I love working on the ranch. But…I’m lonely. I feel disconnected, like I’m no one, like I don’t belong anywhere. Like I’m just here until something else happens. I don’t even know what I want with my future. But your letters, they make me feel connected to something, to someone. I had a crush on you, when we first met. I thought you were beautiful. So beautiful. It was hard to think of anything else. Then camp ended and we never got together, and now all I have of you is these letters. S**t. I just told you I have a crush on you. HAD. Had a crush. Not sure what is anymore. A letter-crush? A literary love? That’s stupid. Sorry. I just have this rule with myself that I never throw away what I write and I always send it, so hopefully this doesn’t weird you out too much. I had a dream about you too. Same kind of thing. Us, in the darkness, together. Just us. And it was like you said, a memory turned into a dream, but a memory of something that’s never happened, but in the dream it felt so real, and it was more, I don’t even know, more RIGHT than anything I’ve ever felt, in life or in dreams. I wonder what it means that we both had the same dream about each other. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You tell me.
Cade
~ ~ ~ ~
Cade,
We’re pen pals. Maybe that’s all we’ll ever be. I don’t know. If we met IRL (in real life, in case you’re not familiar with the term) what would happen? And just FYI, the term you used, a literary love? It was beautiful. So beautiful. That term means something, between us now. We are literary loves. Lovers? I do love you, in some strange way. Knowing about you, in these letters, knowing your hurt and your joys, it means something so important to me, that I just can’t describe. I need your art, and your letters, and your literary love. If we never have anything else between us, I need this. I do. Maybe this letter will only complicate things, but like you I have a rule that I never erase or throw away what I’ve written and I always send it, no matter what I write in the letter. 
Your literary love,
Ever

Forever & Always

Here are some things you will need to know before you pick up book one in the Ever Trilogy. 

  1. This book will be read in one sitting 
  2. From page one a rollercoaster of emotions will whip you from sad to happy to hope to well…just about every emotion in between. 
  3. Stop by your local super store and pick up a case of tissues. 
  4. You may or may not dislike Mrs. Wilder for about 24 hours (or more). 
  5. You will long for the simple beauty of the written word. The lost of pen pal friends and the simple joy that a stamped square envelope can bring. 

Extraordinary! This is the one word that will sum up Forever and Always for me.

“That summer we met, Interlochen. The lake. Drawing all day. Sitting on the dock together. It was the last day of my childhood, I think. The last happy days of my life.”

Beautifully painful, this story paints a picture of love, uncertainly, growth, and the strength to live life no matter where it may lead. Ever and Cade meet as children and although their time was limited it bonded them forever. Pen to paper, they both created a connection stronger then either of them thought possible.

They both become each others life line…

“It really was a drug. The more I got, the more I needed. And I didn’t know where the endpoint was. I was afraid I’d reached the event horizon, the point from which I’d never escape the inexorable gravity of needing him.”

Just as the strokes of a painting or sketched lines of a drawing, life will never be predictable. The beauty of existence is that in a moment, a split second, the unbearable can and will happen. Forever altering the reality we thought we knew.

“I also knew I’d never be the same. I felt the scars on my heart and in my mind. I’d been cut deep and the wounds would never really heal… I’d been painted by pain. Several coats of it, a deep, thick varnish that wouldn’t ever fade.”

This book, really this series, is a game changer. Jasinda writes exquisite stories that overwhelm the reader, pulling them into a world of emotions. I find it hard to explain what this book is all about. Simply put my words will never do justice explaining why you need to read Forever and Always. Read! This! Book! If you are already a Wilder fan or if this is the first book of hers you pick up know that you are promised no less then a wild ride of pure literary genius.

    
After Forever

Ever,
I don’t know who I am anymore. I’m a castaway. Lost. Drowning. I love you. That’s the only true thing I know, and it’s all I have to hold on to. I love you. I’ll love you forever. Until the day I die, and I’ll love you in whatever world comes after this one. I love you so much, Ever. I miss you. Dear Jesus, I miss you. Come back to me.
For forever, and after forever,
Caden

Forever and Always rocked me to my core. When Jasinda told the masses that she was releasing book one and two of this trilogy back to back I was hesitant. If the author is willing to state upfront that this book will wreck you then you may want to take notice. Cracking open After Forever I was a mess. How could I piece myself together to continue Ever and Cades story? I am unsure of how I did but it happened and now I wait for book three…

A spoiler free review is complicated for After Forever. The twist in this book is earth shattering. Up until the last words I was jaw dropped (and I still am). I felt the twist. I did! The words flowed and I keep giving myself a mental pep talk…Will it? NO! Really? REALLY? Well it did and I will say I am still on the fence about my feelings. I keep looking at the big picture and I am emotionally mapping out book three in my head. I know what I want but one very wicked Wilder may have other plans.

Jasinda Wilder writes one hell of a story! You may love or hate her but you can not deny the basic fact that her stories provoke emotions. So my lack of a review is the best review I can produce. As I, not so patiently, wait for February 14th I hope you pick up the first two books of the trilogy and hop on the emotional rollercoaster with me!

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

Forever & Always Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/18WCGFL
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cgL0WT
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/18WDLgO
ITUNES: http://bit.ly/18WENcF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/18WEWg5

After Forever Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/Jbr9eJ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/192Yv9E
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/192Yzq4

Book Review: Rock Bottom by R.K. Lilley

Title: Rock Bottom
Author: R.K. Lilley
Published: Nov. 25, 2013
Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive.
The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape.
Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?”
DANIKA
Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons.
I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked. 
I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break. 
No one could say I didn’t fight for him. 
“I love you,” I spoke softly into his ear. 
He gripped me harder. “I can’t ever lose you, Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive it.” 
“You’ve got me. And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.” 
I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us.
I’d have given my life for that fight. In fact, I very nearly did. 
TRISTAN
She was the one. 
If I’d ever had a doubt, I didn’t now. She was the one I’d be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I’d pine for her like a lovesick fool. 
This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life. 
This book is intended for readers 18 and up.

*Taps mic*

Sung in the key of D minor in my best Miley voice…

R.K. came in like a wrecking ball…

BOOM! Game over!

“What was left of a woman when she gave a man everything?”

And that’s no F’N JOKE!! I knew what was going to happen! I KNEW and I am still wrecked! Like TOTALLY WRECKED! 

“Tragedy never took its full chunk out of you right away. It always took a while to hit you head on, and sink in and for something substantial, some hint of the real feeling, the real reaction, to come to the surface…”

R.K. I never would have guessed this story would play out the way it did! Thank you for that. Having read the Up in the Air Series I knew the score but that didn’t stop me from rooting for these two crazy kids. Danika and Tristian are unlike any other couple I have read. I don’t know why but they both just clicked with me and I love them.

“Always. Every second of every day.”

Picking up where Bad Things left off we follow Danika and Tristian on a no hold bar ride of emotions. Examining their lives post family deaths and messed up childhoods these two press on creating what they think is a promising relationship. Forgetting that in order to move on from past you must first understand and learn from it. Moving on is never easy and moving on with understanding is even harder but necessary. 

“Every misstep that led us down the path to our destruction was our own doing…”

Tristian is damaged. He holds so tight on to Danika hoping for a life unlike the one he has lived. In life, all is not a fairytale and sometimes the bottom of a bottle, liquid or pill form, holds tighter than one person ever could. 

“I can’t ever lose you Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive.”

There was no lack of HOT in this book. R.K. can write the hell out of a sizzling sex scene. These two together are like fire! Danika and Tristian balance a slow burn that will heat you to the core. 

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he rasped into my ear. “I want you to tell me just what you want. Make it dirty.”

What’s hot and sizzles will cool as it hits rock bottom in a fizzle. Scorched permanently, both in mind and body, Danika and Tristian are left fighting a war. They may not have created the battle ground but anything worth loving is worth saving. 

“This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life.”

With that I say…R.K. fans pick up this book and clear your schedule. You will not want to put it down. This is also the perfect time, if you have yet to do so, to read the Up in the Air Series. Good God if you really have waited this long to read that series we may need to chat! You are missing out! Do yourself a favor read them. You will be 100% ready for Lovely Triggers. Wrecked but ready. 
Oh and a side note for my beloved Mrs. Lilley! I am on my knees! Begging! I ain’t to proud to beg! I want, need, desire, demand a Frankie novella! Ok…maybe not demand! I will ask nicely! PLLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSEEEEESE! She is amazing! You created a secondary character that stands out. I want to hang out with her! Party with her and get inked by her! And if you cannot tell by my OVER use of exclamation marks…I WANT IT NOW. So after you do the 100 other things I am sure you have your little writing fingers in, think about it. I mean it is the least you can do for making use a corny Miley Cyrus reference. Mwah!

R.K. Lilley lives in Colorado 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 the author of the erotic romance novels In Flight, Mile High, Grounded, and the novella, Lana.

B&N | KOBO
OTHER WORKS OF R.K. LILLEY

BAD THINGS
IN FLIGHT (Up in the Air #1)
MILE HIGH (Up in the Air #2)
GROUNDED (Up in the Air #3)
LANA (Novella)

Blog Tour: Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard (Review)

Author: Sylvain Reynard
Title: Gabriel’s Redemption (Gabriel’s Inferno Series #3)
Publisher: Penguin Berkley
From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Inferno comes the epic conclusion to the captivating romantic trilogy.
Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.
But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront Julianne about the subject of her presentation—research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.
In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.
So I have to start by saying this was a hard read for me. I loved the first two books. Like read in on sitting love. As with all books that I fall in love with…I wanted more. I will say that I was one of the masses that chanted more! So when Gabriel’s Redemption found its way to my Kindle I was oh so happy but for about the first 50% I was unsure. I did not devour Gabriel’s Redemption as I did the other two. This one really doesn’t present anything new in the way of plot but what we do get are final answers. 
Julianne’s struggle with motherhood/career is a huge part of this story. Fighting to make an independent mark in the world of Dante, Julianne has some hard choices to make. Can she have it all? Only time will tell. Julianne’s character is one that any woman can relate too. Do you leave behind what you worked so hard for something of equal importance? Can a woman have it all? Can the love of one man allow you the strength to have it all? Now we are talking about Gabriel Emerson! I will say that my love for this man was one thing I did not battle with in this book. Yet again Gabriel is loveable flawed perfection. 
Old faces appear once again and intertwine with the main story line of Julianne and Gabriel. We know that Paul will forever be in love with Julianne, Christa is a huge “see you next Tuesday”, and Simon and Natalie…well are in a class by themselves. As it was nice to get a little more info I felt that they were unneeded filler and created more questions. 
BUT all is not lost! The last half of this book made the read worth it. I could have lived with two Gabriel books and still could. With that said the last 30% gave me what I was looking for. It made up for that was lacking from the first half. So with that it was worth the read. I really do enjoy Julianne and Gabriel story. Their love is one for the ages. It was a pleasant surprise seeing how this love story played out and as I read the final words I was content with the journey that Sylvain Reynard took me on. There were some moments I was worried and in complete shock but that is what makes a great story. It was a hard earned 4 stars but as an over all trilogy and a rally at the 11th hour I say well done Mr. Reynard.           

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.

Blog Tour: Fighting Redemption by Kate McCarthy (review and giveaways)


Title: Fighting Redemption
Author: Kate McCarthy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2013

Ryan Kendall is broken. He understands pain. He knows the hand of violence and the ache of loss. He knows what it means to fail those who need you. Being broken doesn’t stop him wanting the one thing he can’t have; Finlay Tanner. Her smile is sweet and her future bright. She’s the girl he grew up with, the girl he loves, the girl he protects from the world, and from himself.
At nineteen, Ryan leaves to join the Australian Army. After years of training he becomes an elite SAS soldier and deploys to the Afghanistan war. His patrol undertakes the most dangerous missions a soldier can face. But no matter how far he runs, or how hard he fights, his need for Finlay won’t let go.
Returning home after six years, one look is all it takes to know he can’t live without her. But sometimes love isn’t enough to heal what hurts. Sometimes people like him can’t be fixed, and sometimes people like Finlay deserve more than what’s left.
This is a story about war and the cost of sacrifice. Where bonds are formed, and friendships found. Where those who are strong, fall hard. Where love is let go, heartache is born, and heroes are made. Where one man learns that the hardest fight of all, is the fight to save himself.

Sometimes it’s beneficial for love to hurt; it gives us a different perspective. It helps us remember the reasons why we fell in love in the first place and why and even though things become complicated sometimes, through all the hardships and temptations, we still find a way to fall in love. 
Ryan and Fin’s story is in the throes of such a battle.
Driven to impress his parents and prove that he is worth of something, Ryan puts all his heart and soul into becoming a soldier; the only way he knows how to escape the demons of his past except for one thing…his feelings for Fin. That even after those six years of being away from each other, he knew that nobody holds his heart the way Fin does…and so does she.
Fin has always been in love with Ryan. Even if she knows that she won’t completely own him. Having such a big responsibility to protect others and keeping them safe, Ryan was left with no other choice but to leave her but Fin continues to love him despite of.
How long will they be able to resist each other and the temptations of love?

“For six years I fought every day not to think of you and I lost, because every day you were all I could see. You were the best thing in my life–so sweet and innocent, and so goddamn tempting.”

Kate McCarthy is one of my favorite writers, and once again she has managed to impress. This is a bittersweet tale of finding courage and compassion; a story full of desperation and fear of getting hurt. There is enough angst and emotional confusion in the beginning to make anyone wonder whether they will end up or not, and the level of passion once they dare to start falling again is breathtaking, and boy, do they make up for lost time once they get back together.
This is one of my favorites so far from all her writings, perhaps because I, as well as many others can easily relate to the almost hopeless feeling of sensing that something wonderful is slipping away and not knowing how to fix it. The story is so well written, logical, and clear. The characters are wonderfully formed and extremely easy to understand. It’s an extraordinary story and one that we will all do well to keep in mind. Truly captivating! Her best work so far. 
If you are a hopeless romantic, like me, you will enjoy this heartfelt story of bravery, love, loss, passion, intrigue, and discovery, reminding us that true love and hope is worth fighting for.
Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.
She now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works as an accountant, along with a sideline wedding cake business and her writing. 
She is married with two children, has two dogs and house in the suburbs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the country that help keep her sane.
When she’s not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, crunching numbers, piping buttercream and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Her favourite books are the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward in which she longs to eventually join the brotherhood and change her name to Phierce Mutha.

Blog Tour: Remy by Katy Evans (Review, Excerpt and Giveaways)

Book Title: Remy
Author: Katy Evans
Date of Publication: November 26, 2013 
Publisher: Gallery Books
Blog Tour Hosted by: The SUBClub Books

Underground fighter Remington Tate is a mystery, even to himself. His mind is dark and light, complex and enlightening. At times his actions and moods are carefully measured, and at others, they spin out of control.
Through it all, there’s been one constant: wanting, needing, loving, and protecting Brooke Dumas. This is his story; from the first moment he laid eyes on her and knew, without a doubt, she would be the realest thing he’s ever had to fight for.

New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans expands upon the intense love story begun in Real–this time from Remington “Riptide” Tate’s point of view.

Underground fighter Remington Tate is a mystery, even to himself. His mind is dark and light, complex and enlightening. At times his actions and moods are carefully measured, and at others, they spin out of control.

Through it all, there’s been one constant: wanting, needing, loving, and protecting Brooke Dumas. This is his story; from the first moment he laid eyes on her and knew, without a doubt, she would be the realest thing he’s ever had to fight for.

“…the ring awaits. Twenty – three feet by twenty – three feet, four ropes parallel on each side, four fucking posts, and that’s about it.”

TKO! Third time is a charm! Remy! Remy! Remy!

“That ring is a home to me. When I’m not on it, I miss it. When I train, I think about it. Every step I take in its direction pumps me up and gets me going…It’s my ring. My crowd. My fight. My fucking night.”

Katy Evans has done a wonderful job of bringing this story full circle, or maybe full ring, by gifting the readers what we wanted most…more Remy. This beautifully complicated man could fill hundreds of pages. A stone cold stance, loaded iPod, one two punch, and an undeniable ache for his Little Firecracker, Brooke, confirm that the story is never complete till we read it through a male point of view.

“Mine. If I’d even known she existed before, I would have hunted her. I would have caught and conquered her.”

Learning what was inside the gentle giant gave this series a new twist. Like many other book boyfriend alpha males, Remy’s inner monologue provided a heart breaking rewind on the first two books. Although I knew the story I still enjoyed what Remy had to offer. It was a great recap with a little more. This series makes me want to pull out my Rocky box set! That moment when Rocky calls out for Adrian so reminds me of Remy and Brooke! True love will never suffer a TKO.

We go toe-to-toe. I feint and Hammer swings, opening his side. So I jab his ribs, feel the satisfying punch race up my arm, and we bounce apart. Hammer is stupid in the head. He falls for all my feints and never covers right. I ram him hard enough to make him bounce on the ropes and drop to his knees. He shakes his head and hops to his feet after a moment. I love this. My heart pumps slowly. My every muscle knows where to move, what to do, where to send my power—right from my center, up my chest, shoulder, down the length of my arms, to the tips of my fucking knuckles that hit with the force of a charging bull.
I take him down, and then I do the same with the next foe. And the next.
A powerful energy takes over me as I fight, and I fight knowing that Brooke Dumas watches me. If there’s anything in my head other than winning, it’s that I want her to think inside that lovely round head of hers that she has never, ever, seen a man like me.
By the time the tenth guy falls, sweat coats my chest, and as the ringmaster raises my arm, I’m anxious to see the look in her eyes. I want to see that she liked it, that she—like everyone else in this room—thinks I’m the shit. Our eyes lock, my gut goes hard and twisted and wild with desire, and I smile at her as I try to catch my breath.
When the ringmaster releases my arm, I cross the ring, jump over the cord, and land in the aisle, watching her part her lips in shock as I come over.
People go crazy when I go outside the ring, and they’re losing their shit right now.
The whole room screams with their applause and cheers. And I know they all can see where my gaze rests and where I’m headed.
“Kiss his heart out, woman!”
“You don’t deserve him, you bitch!”
“You go, girl!”
I smile down at this woman who has stolen my thoughts, and as I wonder if she wants me to, she looks pleadingly up at me, almost begging me not to kiss her here. My blood simmers as I remember her lips on mine, but it won’t be happening again.
Not until you’re ready, Brooke Dumas.
I bend to her and scent her hair, whispering at her temple, “Sit tight. I’ll send someone over for you.”
I back off before I lose it, and climbing up into the ring, I steal one last look at her. My chest does all kinds of strange things when our eyes lock.
“Riptide, people!” the announcer screams.
The yells feed me. I suck them in with a smile, full of pride and satisfaction. I can see in every one of these people’s eyes that I’m the man. But I want to see it in her eyes. That. I’m. The Man.
The man who wants to be hers.

Hey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!
           
Promo: Real                 Review: Mine

Book Review: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

Title: Four Seconds to Lose
Author: K.A. Tucker
When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths.
Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that. 
Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can’t get distracted by romance.
Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

K.A. Tucker’s writing is phenomenal, amazing, worth hours of sitting in the couch to read the whole book. Just as I thought she can’t do any more, she writes a brilliant book that leaves me wound up and tangled in all sorts of emotions – happy, sad, upset, hot…everything.

Cain is a twenty nine year old who owns a strip club and is a good guy but knows how to throw it down! After all his past has made him tough and hard knuckled. He’s a good owner, a fair and not one of those sleazy types of strip club owners. Enter Charlie Rourke, a woman shrouded in mystery who under her dire circumstances need to work as a stripper. When Cain and Charlie meet, sparks fly and boy, do they burn the pages! There are so many intricacies, so many twists and turns in this book that I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen…and I loved every single moment of it!!

My favorite quotes are:

“I believe you don’t weeks or months or years to make an impact on a person’s life. You have seconds.”

“I only have tonight, I remind myself…”

“It took this man – a stranger – mere seconds to decide he will protect me.”

I loved the cover! The secondary characters – Ben, Dan,Storm, Livie, Kacey- everyone is just as great! It’s truly an engaging, unique read! K.A. Tucker can write as many novels as she can and I will devour every single one of them!

5 Absolutely Amazing Stars!!!!
Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. 
She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. 
Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.



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Book Review: The Final Piece by Maggi Myers

Title: The Final Piece
Author: Maggi Myers

Life shouldn’t be about picking up the pieces.

Beth Bradshaw has spent her life hiding from her tragic past. From the moment a trusted family friend steals her innocence until the moment another rescues her, she struggles to just survive.

Surrounded by the comfort and protection of her extended family, Beth embarks on a journey of healing far from the horrors of her home. In her darkest moments, she meets a boy named Ryan. For one incredible summer, Ryan shows Beth what it’s like to act her own age.

To feel free and let go.
If only for a while.

Years later, another tragedy threatens to shatter the life Beth has carefully crafted. When faced, yet again, with more pieces to pick up, Beth begins to question what her choices have cost her.
Leaving her old life behind, she sets forth on a pilgrimage that will bring her back to the boy she could never forget. He wants to help her pick up the pieces of her life, but is she willing to do what it takes to become whole again?

Can she trust him with a piece of herself?

“The world is a great puzzle that hasn’t been put together yet, and we’re trying to find the other piece of the puzzle that goes with us.” ~ EE Cummings 

I finished reading The Final Piece a while ago but admittedly couldn’t review it until now. This story gripped my heart and soul in a way that not many others have. I needed time to process my emotions and formulate my feelings. The Final Piece has been with me since I finished reading the last page. It left me having to pick up my own shattered pieces. It left me speechless… kudos Maggi Myers as that is no easy feat!! 
What an amazing exploration through time and psyche you take with this book. The road traveled with these amazing characters will undeniably warm your heart. With every page you will grow more attached to each and everyone of them. Each of them encompassing so many facets of people in our own lives that it is near impossible not to relate to them on a personal level. 
Maggi’s writing style is flawless. Successfully she draws you in and squeezes your heart until you’re unsure just how much more you can take, releasing the vice she slowly allows you to recuperate and watch an amazing story of unconditional love and healing unfold. 
The subject matter in the beginning is not for the faint at heart but Maggi handles it with such grace and poise that you can’t help but continue to turn the pages. It’s a story of survival and coming of age. Elizabeth Bradshaw (Beth) is an amazing young woman with astounding strength and countenance. Her heart breaking, gut-wrenching introduction ushers you to a heart warming, hopeful ending. Spending a perfect summer in Iowa she meets Ryan Cantwell. That summer returns her to an age of innocence lost. We are privy to be the audience watching the relationships of family, friendship, romance, and self ensue. Maggi took each of these fragments and perfectly wove them into a vibrant tapestry of life and love. 
“Pretty.” What a simple sentiment, and doesn’t do this book justice, but that is what this book is. “Pretty” in every sense of the word. 

“Life shouldn’t be about picking up the pieces. We are all broken in one way or another. It’s about how we put those pieces together that matters.”

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.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MAGGI?
MARK AN ENIGMA PROJECT IN YOUR TBR

BLOG TOUR: MINE BY KATY EVANS (REVIEW)

Title: Mine
Author: Katy Evans
Date for Re-Release of Paperback: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Gallery Books
Blog Tour Hosted by: The SUBClub Books

“I will do anything to make her MINE.” —Remington Tate 

In the international bestseller REAL, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington “Remy” Tate as vital as the air he breathes . . . and now he can’t live without her. 
Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman’s dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when they need each other the most, Brooke is torn away from the ringside. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE.
He’s mine, and I’m his. Our love is all-consuming, powerful,
imperfect, and real…
Remy, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington “Riptide” Tate as vital as the air he breathes . . . and now he can’t live without her.
Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman’s dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when they need each other the most, she is torn away from his side. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE. 

“The heart is a hollow muscle, and it will beat billions of times during our lives…All I know is that I feel this love in every molecule in my body, every breath I take, all the infinity in my soul. I learned that you can’t run if you tear a ligament, but your heart can be broken into a million pieces, and you can still love with your whole being. I’ve been broken and put together again…but now I dream solely of a blue-eyed fighter who one day changed my life, when he put his lips on mine…”

Katy Evans, thank you! Thank you for gifting us with REMY! Let me tell you that there is nothing hotter then a man with tapped knuckles, a silk boxing robe, and one hell of a fight face! I mean REALLY! Alpha male to the extreme and Brooke knows that the good out weighs the bad with it comes to Remy. 

“My every cell knows this is my mate and prepares me for him. Just him.”

Brooke is back on the payroll to better Remy’s mind, body, and soul. In the best shape of his life Remy is working to claim what he lost in Real. The top spot was taken from him and not for lack of power but for something more…love. 

“Baby, the way you need me can only barely cover half of the way I need you.”

Scorpion is also back. Insert boos and hisses! Right! Evil in its pure form! There is no end to his wick games in and out of the ring. Remy’s secret weapon come in one size…Brooke. With her, Remy is ready for the fight of his life in more ways them one.

“Remy, take care of her! She plays a tough little cookie, but her melted chocolate center is for you, you know!”

In MINE Brooke learns that her deeply completed man is all she needs. His love for her is true and all encompassing. 

“Nobody ever taught him how to love. He does it instinctively.”

Both Remy and Brooke are two halves that complete and competent each other. Love in its pure raw from, beautiful and real. 

“Every second that you and I breath, you belong to me.”

MINE is a follow up that gives you what you are looking for…more! More Remy, more love, more fighting, and most importantly more music. The use of music in this series is incredible! Remy’s wingman, his iPod, creates remarkable moments that only music can produce. Book three, REMY, will be the third round KO for this unbelievable raw yet touching series. I am so looking forward to living it all over again through the eyes of the people’s champion…REMY!

“When everything’s made to be broken I just want you to know who I am” GooGoo Dolls Iris

Hey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!