5 stars

Book Review and Giveaway: Big Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder @JasindaWilder

Book Review and Giveaway: Big Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder @JasindaWilder

Book Review and Giveaway: Big Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder @JasindaWilderBig Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder
on May 10, 2016
Genres: Self Help
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From New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder comes BIG GIRLS DO IT RUNNING, a straightforward guide to lifelong health and wellness.

No gimmicks, no counting, no measuring, just practical advice on how to eat better, get moving, and live well, delivered with refreshing honesty and humor.

Do you want to start a journey to health and strength, but are afraid of failing yet another diet or exercise program? Have you ever struggled with your weight? Do you have problems losing weight and keeping it off? Do you have allergies, ADHD, PCOS, diabetes, constipation, skin problems, or insomnia? Are you worried about your kids developing unhealthy eating habits and making poor lifestyle choices, but don't know how to help them make changes? Do you want to eat healthier and be stronger, but just don't know where to start? Using her own unique life experiences, Jasinda has developed an 8-week plan, The Wilder Way, that will get you eating, moving, living well, and feeling great.

BIG GIRLS DO IT RUNNING contains everything you need to succeed in achieving your goals and become a fit and fabulous health warrior: tear-out shopping lists, easy menu plans, delicious recipes, and simple, effective workouts. If you find yourself struggling and failing to manage your weight, then read this book-it will change your life!

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About Jasinda Wilder

NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL and international bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU. You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her five children and menagerie of animals.

Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: LETTING GO by MOLLY MCADAMS @MollySMcAdams

by Molly McAdams
 
 
Title: LETTING GO
Author: MOLLY McADAMS
Add to GOODREADS
Buy from AMAZON
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author returns with a sizzling novel of love, loss, guilt, and forgiveness.
Grey and Ben fell in love at thirteen and believed they’d be together forever. But three days before their wedding, the twenty-year-old groom-to-be suddenly died from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. If it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger, Grey never would have made it through those last two years to graduation. He’s the only one who understands her pain, the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered. Jagger swears he’ll always be there for her, but no one has ever been able to hold on to him. He’s not the kind of guy to settle down.
It’s true that no one has ever been able to keep Jagger—because he’s only ever belonged to Grey. While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, he’s the only one who sees her strength. Yet as much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. Still they can’t deny the heat that is growing between them—a passion that soon becomes too hot to handle. But admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?

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About Molly McAdams

Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry four-legged daughters. When she’s not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and fried pickles, and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm … or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren’t really happening.

Book Review and Giveaway: The Muse by Raine Miller @Raine_Miller

Title: The Muse 
Author: Raine Miller
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What if the truth about a famous painting was not what it’s been told to be? What if it was not even the original work and a different painting had inspired its creation? The story of a painting… The motivation behind the work, Flaming June—Romanticist painter, Lord Frederic Leighton’s magnum opus—a woman sleeping in a chair. Hauntingly beautiful, but with its inspiration locked away in the mystery of times past.
1811…
Burdened with family skeletons and agonizing guilt, an unwilling Lord Rothvale, one Graham Everley, returns from a long sojourn in Ireland to attend to the obligations awaiting him in England. The last thing he imagines to find is his destiny, but find her he does. Imogene Byron-Cole, a girl as lovely as her past is tragic. Graham can’t walk away from her, and so he marries her instead, in spite of an increasingly tangled web of troubles that threaten to destroy the very foundation of his entire existence.
As Graham and Imogene start out on their journey together, they express their love through a series of portraits. The art ensnares them completely, and in the end, becomes their salvation, bearing them through their deepest pain of loss, and inspiring a masterwork.
[This will be book one of a three part saga in the Rothvale Legacy Historical Prequel series.]

Rating: ★★★★★ 


Another excellent masterpiece from Raine Miller!
In this poignant novel of yearning and salvation, two broken souls discover the promise of love’s magic and new beginnings.
Graham Everley was forced to give up his dreams of becoming a painter to perform his duties and takes over the estate he has inherited from his parents. But there’s something in his past that keeps haunting him. He is struggling to move on, and is in dire need of healing. Graham never expected that hope would come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering, Imogene Byron-Cole.
Graham is a wonderful character! I loved the way Ms. Miller chiseled him. He was a character that instantly stole my heart. Watching him with his realizations of love and the decisions he had to make was both enlightening and emotional. I truly could feel his inner struggles!
Imogene is a character I won’t soon forget. Her emotions were truly strong! She made me feel a whole array of emotions watching her deal with grief and grapple with her loss. It was just brilliant, touching and got me all choked up. 
Raine Miller brings an honest, wonderfully written story that tugs at your heartstrings. Her writing was magical in itself! The depth to her characters, their lives, and the detailed description of each scene is so strong, it was easy to transport yourself back to the time in which the story takes place. The conversations were believable as the deepest, painful moments were brought to life bearing their souls to one another as if it is happening right before your eyes. It was just one of those really touching, complicated stories that broke my heart but also mended it in ways.
The romance was hot and the dialogue was spot on. I personally loved the ending because as always Raine has a flair for the romantic. It was epic and beautiful. It is full of wit, wisdom, and hope–everything needed to balance the heartbreak and tragedy.
Raine has made a forever fan out of me, for sure! The Muse left a searing impression on my heart and I am happy to add it to my long list of re-reads. From history, to love and inner struggles, this book has it all.

Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop, because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero never goes out of fashion. A part-time teacher and writer of sexy romance stories every other chance she gets pretty much fills her days. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the characters in her books.

OTHER BOOKS OF RAINE MILLER

THE PASSION OF DARIUS
THE UNDOING OF A LIBERTINE
Amazon | B&N
NAKED (BOOK 1)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo 
ALL IN (BOOK 2)
EYES WIDE OPEN (BOOK 3)
CHERRY GIRL (BOOK 3.5)
Blackstone Affair spin-off, yet can be a standalone
RARE and PRECIOUS THINGS (BOOK 4)

Book Review: Rowdy by Jay Crownover

Title: ROWDY
Author: JAY CROWNOVER
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The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances.
After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.
Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.
Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

Rating: ★★★★★ 
The men of the Marked have marked my heart throughout all 5 books but Rowdy, the tattooed giant, has moved up the ranks as my topped inked man. Bright vibrant men as complelex as the ink they wear, Jay has created a colorful mix of characters you can’t help but love.
Rowdy, a broken child, has grown into a man carrying his childhood scars imbedded on his body through colorful, skillfully placed artwork. Salem, running from a past that her gypsy soul can’t contain, find herself drawn to one man… Rowdy.
These two are hot, sassy, and down right irresistible! Pulled together in ways they didn’t even see coming, Jay creates a love story that spans a lifetime. Dive into Jay’s rockabilly world! You will soon find that there is a marked man for us all.

“None of that stuff makes me great. It just makes me a man trying to do right by someone he cares about.”

And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She also introduced the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this last summer starting with BETTER WHEN HE’s BAD. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Blog Tour Review, Excerpt and Giveaways: Burying Water by K.A. Tucker @kathleenatucker @InkSlingerPR

Title: BURYING WATER
Author: K.A. TUCKER
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The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.
Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?
Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.
The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

COMPELLING, POWERFUL, INTENSE STORY THAT WILL KEEP YOU REELING UNTIL THE FINAL PAGE.
Rating: ★★★★★
 
Told in alternating perspectives of the past and present, Burying Water tells the story of a woman who wakes up in a hospital severely bruised and traumatized. Water was found nearly dead after she was raped, beaten and dumped in the fields of rural Oregon. What happened next was almost as awful…

“My memory—my life—isn’t simply riddled with holes. It has been sucked into a black hole, leaving nothing but this battered husk behind, my mind spinning but unable to gain traction.”

No memory of name, no traces of her past and existence. Where her mind pushes it into some inaccessible corner of the unconscious, Water needs to start a new life. A place where she can find solace and be with people she can truly trust.
Will she find the security she is looking for in the arms of Jesse?

“She had warned me. If I had just listened, had stayed away from her, had not told her how I felt…had not fallen wildly in love with her.”

What happens when her memories suddenly resurface? How can things be the same again?

” Am I happy? I am lost and yet somehow found. I am afraid and yet somehow comforted. I am drifting and yet somehow…home.”

I really loved Burying Water! The storyline is so captivating and really got to me. From the very first page I was undeniably locked in and the mystery and intrigue had me in its grips. I felt just as crazy as Water, dying to figure it out and trying to formulate guesses as to what is really going on. But I was loving it all.
There was some sexy, steamy tension and that was a nice distraction from the mysteries and confusion (LOL) I was in. The way the characters’ stories were intertwined and told in alternating chapters really worked for me, too as I learned more about ttheir life in smaller pieces — which really piled on the suspense! I was so invested in both Jesse and Water’s story that I’d finish one chapter and be all, “Oh man! I don’t want to switch POV yet” but then immediately be absorbed in the other’s narration. I loved learning about Water’s back story and how miserable her life is in the past while simultaneously learning more about what happened after the heartbreaking incident. K.A. Tucker sure knows how to deliver bits of answers in a way that you can’t help but hastily read because you really care so much about what happened.
At first, I was afraid I wasn’t going to really connect with Water but Ms. Tucker really made her into a character I loved as she had so many of her own heartbreaking issues to deal with that really drew her to this story. While obviously regaining her memory was the shining storyline, I thought that Water’s marital issues and the unfortunate accident that happened in their life was really interesting and I loved the healing that went on throughout the story in different ways. The only thing that I will say is that sometimes I thought things were a little bit too much of a coincidence but not in a way that really detracted from the story at all. But besides that, this book was fantastic.
Burying Water was the perfect blend of mystery laced with romance, and a serious page-turner. The pieces of the mystery were revealed in a way that its truly moving and will leave you a bit teary-eyed, gasping for more. K.A. Tucker has just such smooth & exquisite writing — the unraveling of the mystery, the scenes that make your heart ache, the amazing characterization & more — it was just all so neatly and wonderfully written.
If you are craving for a romance novel with a little more substance, beautiful prose and a dash of good mystery, you will definitely enjoy Burying Water.

” the truth is like water: it doesn’t matter how hard you try to bury it; it’ll always find some way back to the surface. It’s resilient.”

Jesse
 
Then
September was a heavy month for rain. It looks like October is competing for a record, too, because it’s pouring again tonight. It’s only a matter of time before the car gives out on me, right here in the middle of this deserted road. Then I’ll be just like the poor sucker on the shoulder up ahead, his hazards flashing.
Even though I’ve already made my mind up to keep moving, when I realize it’s a BMW Z8, my foot eases off the gas pedal. I’ve never seen one in real life before. Probably because there are only a few thousand in the entire country and each one would go for a pretty penny. It’s rare and it’s fucking gorgeous.
And it has a flat tire.
“Nope.” Changing tires in the rain sucks. That rich bastard can wait for roadside assistance to come save him. I’m sold on that plan until my headlights catch long blond hair in the driver’s side. Twenty feet past, my conscience takes over and I can’t help but brake. “Shit,” I mutter, pulling off to the shoulder and slowly backing up.
No one’s getting out, but if she’s alone, she’s probably wary. With a loud groan, I step out into the rain, yanking the hood of my gray sweatshirt up over my head. I jog over to the passenger-side window. Growing up with a sheriff as a father, you learn never to stand on the road, even if there isn’t a car in sight. People get clipped all the time.
I knock against the glass.
And wait.
“Come on . . .” I mutter, my head hung low, the rain pounding on my back feeling like a cold hose bath. It can’t be more than 40 degrees out here. Another five seconds and I’m leaving her here.
Finally the window cracks open, just enough for me to peer through. She’s alone in the car. It’s dark, but I’m pretty sure I see tears. I definitely see smeared black makeup. And her eyes . . . They glisten with fear. I don’t blame her. She’s driving a high-priced car and she’s sitting alone out here after eleven at night. And now there’s a guy in a hoodie hanging outside her window. I adjust my tone accordingly. “Do you need help?”
I hear her swallow hard before answering, “Yes. I do.” She sounds young, but it’s hard to tell with some women.
“Have you called Triple-A?”
She hesitates and then shakes her head.
Okay . . . not very talkative. She smells incredible, though, based on the flowery perfume wafting out of her car. Incredible and rich. “Your spare’s in the trunk?”
“I . . . think so?”
I sigh. Looks like I’m changing a tire in the pouring rain after all
Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker 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 currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.
 

Blog Tour: Surviving Broken by Beverly Preston (Review and Giveaway)

TITLE: SURVIVING BROKEN (A Mathews Family Novel Book 4)
AUTHOR: BEVERLY PRESTON
BUY FROM AMAZON 

Most women have a wish list when it comes to what kind of man they want to date. JC Mathews used a strict set of guidelines as a safety net to keep herself out of trouble and out of love.
On hiatus from the bright lights and speculative gazes of her career in the fashion industry, JC lets her guard down…only to the wrong man. After escaping Italy and the hands of her abuser, she returns to Malibu to recover. The last thing she expects to find is a large, gorgeous intruder swimming naked in her pool. 
Reed Rider left Texas and his broken heart behind in order to settle his aunt’s affairs after her death. Seeking refuge from the California heat for a midnight swim in his neighbor’s backyard, he never expects to find a nude silhouette of a long-haired beauty standing at the water’s edge.
As their passion ignites and the pages of JC’s rulebook fade to grey, she unlocks her guarded heart to begin a new chapter in her life. When hidden truths are exposed and secrets unravel, will they survive the threats from their broken pasts?

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Every once in a while a series comes along that just leaves a smile on your soul, The Mathews Family Series by Beverly Preston does just that. All of these books can be read as stand alones, but their stories do intertwine. I’ve been a fan of Beverly’s since book one. She’s got an amazing knack for making you feel like you’re one of the family. Her word choices and vivid imagery have you traveling to all of the places she writes about, you’re there with the characters for every step. Never has a series made me appreciate my life and my family the way that this one has. I have always been a proponent of everything happens for a reason, and her books simply solidified that for me.
In Surviving Broken, the fourth book and my favorite by far, the gang comes full circle. This installment focuses on the spitfire that is JC. This is her story, and man what a story. I will warn you, there is some tough subject matter in this book but Beverly handles it with perfect decorum. One scene is very difficult to sit through, but honestly, not one word could have been changed. It needed to be said just the way it played out. Perfectly. In walks Reed Rider… what can be said about him? Dreamy southern gentleman with class, wearing a good ‘ole pair of Levi’s. Swoon. Reed’s life hasn’t been a bowl of peaches. Together Reed and JC learn to trust, not only helping each other heal, but finding an amazing love story along the way. You can’t help but adore this couple and the journey they take you on.
When I finished this book I let out an audible sigh through my happy tears and smile. The ending was amazingly heartfelt and poignant. Beverly put pieces together I hadn’t even noticed were missing. The unconditional love of a family and what makes a family a unit, was beautifully orchestrated in the perfect final act. If there is such a thing as a perfect moment, this was it. It simply doesn’t get any better.

“Sometimes you have to go through hell to find your heaven.”

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Beverly Preston has been a stay at home mom for 21 years, although she prefers the title Domestic Engineer, raising her four amazing kids. As her children begin to venture out on their own, she’s left to shed a tear–for a minute–wonder what’s next in life, and embrace the feeling of empowerment that surely must’ve been wrapped in a present she received on her fortieth birthday. 
If Beverly isn’t at home riding her spin bike, you’ll find her spinning richly emotional and sinfully sexy romance stories. 

First Three books in the Mathews Family Series 
will be ON SALE throughout the tour!
ONLY $0.99
No More Wasted Time (bk 1)
Shayla’s Story (bk 2)
The Perfect Someday (bk 3) 

Book Review and Giveaways: Tattoos & Tatas (Chocoholics #2.5) By Tara Sivec @TaraSivec



Tattoos & Tatas (Chocoholics #2.5)
By Tara Sivec
Released: October 1, 2014


Facebook Release Day Party
Wednesday, October 1st 4-8PM (EST)


Buy from Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

During the month of October, 100% of the proceeds from Tattoos and Tatas will be donated to breast cancer awareness.

Claire and Liz have always had a friendship that defied the test of time, but when one of them is diagnosed with a disease that every woman fears, their bond is put through the wringer. How do you cope knowing your soul mate could be taken from you?

Filled with memories of their life long friendship, inappropriate behavior, bad tattoos and shaving cats, the two friends will realize that laughter really is the best medicine.

Tattoos and TaTas is not your typical love story; it’s a story of friendship and learning how to let go when something is beyond your control.


Rating: ★★★★★ 

Can Tara Sivec give cancer a comic twist? You bet she can.

Tattoos and TaTas is a love letter to friendship. The soul mate that doesn’t allow for a tax break but one that shapes the person you are, knows your secrets, and loves you no matter what. They may need a swift kick in the ass but none the less, they are a soul mate. Liz takes over the spotlight as she explains the power of her and Claire’s relationship, how she met the love of her life, and everything in-between.

Tattoos and TaTas is a follow up novella but with enough back story this is a quick read that you will enjoy even if you never one clicked a Tara Sivec book before. This one is for the girls, the two you own, and the ones that own a piece of your heart. Allow yourself a couple hours of entertainment knowing that 100% of proceeds, for the month of October, benefit the TATAS!

Tara Sivec is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when all three of them become adults and move out.

After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She is the author of the Playing with Fire series, the Chocolate Lovers series , the Chocoholics series, the Fool Me Once series, Burned and Watch Over Me. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book and she was voted Best Indie Author in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2014.

In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she’ll do and naps she’ll take when she ever gets spare time.


Prizes
1 Breast Cancer Awareness Scentsy Warmer
2 Signed Paperbacks of Tattoos and Tatas
3 Tattoos and Tats themed swag bags


Book Review: PRICELESS by RAINE MILLER

Title: Priceless
Author: Raine Miller
Released: Sept. 12, 2014
Buy Amazon | iTunes | B&N | KOBO
Ivan Everley, 13th Baron Rothvale, would admit he’s the last person on earth who should have custody over a priceless collection of art. British law affords him the title of ‘Lord,’ but underneath all the trappings he’s just a regular guy, despite being a world champion in archery, and certain…proclivities of a private nature. But Ivan’s public celebrity is merely a sham–a carefully guarded secret borne out of the pain of betrayal. Even his cousin Ethan Blackstone doesn’t know the truth behind the man he considers a brother. 
Lord Rothvale has a plethora of problems piled up to his aristocratic eyeballs, but that doesn’t stop him from complicating his world further when a beautiful art conservationist shows up to appraise his inherited collection of paintings. Once Ivan gets a taste of Gabrielle Hargreave, mistaken identity or not, he can’t think of anything but how good the green-eyed beauty felt in his arms. 
The chase is on, and Ivan’s dominant side isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer–but yet, Gabrielle might just teach our discontented lord a thing or two about life, and about himself, and help them both discover the undeniable truth in what it means to find something genuinely… priceless.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.
Like this lake at night with the moon and stars shining overhead.                                                            

You know how much I rave about Raine Miller’s books especially that of the Blackstone Affair Series, but after reading Priceless, I can officially declare that this is my new favorite book of hers. I don’t know. There’s just something about Gaby and Ivan’s story that was just straight-up excellent. Not overly dramatic and emotional but its exactly what I needed to read right now.
Obviously besides Raine’s storytelling abilities, what really drove this story for me are the characters. What phenomenal characters! Gosh I just loved them! I feel like I haven’t read a book in a while where I felt upon finishing the book, the characters were just clamoring to get out and linger in my heart a while longer. Raine Miller really knows how to write those kind of hearts-are-beating, blood-flowing-through-the-veins characters that are just so alive.
Gabrielle “Gaby” Hargreave. Oh I loved her so much! She is a great character that I felt like just leapt off the page. She felt really authentic and seemed like a normal girl that anyone could relate to on some level. She was hilarious and strong yet I could feel there’s more to her story. I really did wish though that I got to know MORE of her. I need more of her! But I suspect we will get a REAL sense of who she is in the next book. 

I was somehow different.
I couldn’t give in to those normal kinds of wants and desires that most girls have.
But we are creatures of habit, and are who we’re born to be. This was me- the real Gabrielle Hargreave. And as disgraceful and abhorrent it felt to accept the idea, it didn’t make the situation any less true. You reap what you sow, Gabrielle. Yeah, I’d learned my lesson the hard way.

I loved Gaby obviously but Lord Condemnation Ivan was to die for. OH MY GOD. I would have been a heaping pile of mess sitting next to him. He’s a very prominent part of the society and just exactly what most girls would love to have ~ he has the money, a gorgeous face and alluring body. He isn’t without flaws but it’s so hard not to like him. And when he wants something, he never stops until he gets it ~ just like Gabrielle Hargrieve. There’s something in her that made him feel something he had never felt for a long time. So he will do everything to get another taste of her, whatever it takes.

I know myself pretty well. When I want something, I won’t stop until I’ve conquered the challenge. Right now, my challenge was a green-eyed beauty that had, for whatever reason, bewitched this evening.

I cannot WAIT to see where the next book will take their relationship! Clearly they started out the wrong foot. But no matter how hard Gaby tries to avoid him, DESTINY brought them back together. Gaby unknowingly ticked the change in Ivan; his neediness, possessiveness and control. But is Gaby ready to fall too fast? Can she handle this strong feelings that Ivan has started to build for her?

His expression was one of adoration, respect, desire.
I wanted to stay with him. I wanted to be the object of his desire.
I told myself not to give into weakness, and not to allow the mistakes I’d made rule me.
Perhaps it was too late for me
Perhaps I was already falling.

Is Ivan ready to trust his heart with someone and do it all over again? 

Gabrielle Hargreave pushed all of my buttons and in just the right way.
I was pretty sure I pushed hers as well, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it just yet.
And for the first time in a very long while, I could say that I felt really goddamn…happy for once.

The unraveling of their story was just so absorbing and Ivan Everley got me BAD. Tthey have an innate sense of connection and were completely drawn to each other. And I am EXTREMELY HUNGRY to see more of that! 

A woman who knows what she wants and knows how to ask for it.

 I don’t want you gentle. I want to feel you over me -inside me. I want that, Ivan.

Told in alternating POVs, Priceless is a book that shot a line straight to my heart from the beginning and I was so thoroughly enchanted with Ivan and Gaby’s messy yet utterly romantic story. A story complete with moments that make your heart pitter patter and swoon in the midst of the obvious tension. There’s sex, yes, but it’s not overwhelming at all.

The most delightful surprise about this novel was how FUNNY it was. It’s so witty and peppered with humor and it just made it such a feel good read. One of the parts that made me snort laugh is when Ivan texted his admin assistant. And NO! Don’t expect me to tell you what happened. You have to read the book and experience the whole laughing part.

I mega loved this book and highly recommend it. It is a fantastic story that I’ve anticipated for a while and of course it didn’t disappoint. If you are looking for something to fall in love with, a story with such amazing characters that will have you immersed into their lives slowly but surely and emotions that will make a way into your heart, this book is definitely the perfect pick. Beautiful, finely written, just PRICELESS!

Trust me, Gabrielle. I want you here. Very Much.
I want you submissive when we fuck, Gabrielle. I want so badly to have that…with you.

Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop, because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero never goes out of fashion. A part-time teacher and writer of sexy romance stories every other chance she gets pretty much fills her days. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the characters in her books.

OTHER BOOKS OF RAINE MILLER

THE PASSION OF DARIUS
THE UNDOING OF A LIBERTINE
Amazon | B&N
NAKED (BOOK 1)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo 
ALL IN (BOOK 2)
EYES WIDE OPEN (BOOK 3)
CHERRY GIRL (BOOK 3.5)
Blackstone Affair spin-off, yet can be a standalone
RARE and PRECIOUS THINGS (BOOK 4)

Book Review: One Night: Promised by Jodi Ellen Malpas @JodiEllenMalpas

Title: One Night: Promised  
Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
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Released: Aug 5th, 2014
Buy from Amazon

Livy notices him the moment he walks into the coffee shop. He’s heart-stoppingly stunning, with a blue-eyed gaze so piercing she’s almost too distracted to take his order. When he walks out the door, she thinks she’ll never see him again. Then she finds the note he left on his napkin . . . signed M.
All he wants is one night to worship her. No feelings, no commitment, nothing but pleasure. Every defense mechanism Livy has adopted during her solitary life is at risk of being obliterated by this confounding man. He’s obnoxious but well-mannered. He’s a gentleman but aloof. He’s passionate but emotionless. Yet the fascination is so powerful, Livy can’t deny him… or herself.
M awakens something in Livy, something deep and addictive that she never knew existed — and that she fears only he can satisfy. But she senses that behind the fast cars, fancy suits, and posh apartment, he’s aching inside. To have him, body and soul, she’ll have to brave his dark secrets. Delving into his world and breaking down his defenses become her obsession – an obsession that could shatter her heart beyond repair.
Rating: ★★★★★ 

“Beautiful things should be savored, Livy, not rushed.”

Holy crap! So I thought I had it and I did BUT there was one twist I was not ready for and OMG was I excited about it. It was totally off the wall and not what I was thinking as it is not the norm for this type of book. Again, Jodi has created a sexy beast that will make any woman lose control. M is a whole new game, a twist on the Alpha male and oh my, is he more than one night. 

“I work hard. I’m emotionally and physically drained by it. I want to have you to worship and indulge in when I’m done”

Livy is plain and straight edged. A girl at home in a pair of converses and jeans, Livy is surviving. Demons of the past stunt her spiritual growth. Then one day it all changes. M walks into her life, plan and straight bends into a world of color and promise. 

“If I ever make you a promise, Livy, I’ll keep it… I’ll never do anything less than worship you.”

I never thought that the world of The Lord could be topped. I fell in love with the This Man Series. Jodi’s writing is intriguing and wraps you up, tight, in a word blanket. I snuggled up with One Night: Promised because I knew that it would be good but I had no clue just how good one night could be. After the jaw dropping end to Promised, I am longing for the warmth of a Jodi Ellen Malpas word blanket.

Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys. Working for her father’s construction business full time, she tried to ignore the lingering idea of writing until it became impossible. She wrote in secret for a long time before finally finding the courage to unleash her creative streak, and in October 2012 she released This Man. She took a chance on a story with some intense characters and sparked incredible reactions from women all over the world. Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters have become her passion – a passion she now shares with her devoted readers.

Book Review: On the Record by K.A. Linde @AuthorKALinde

Title: On the Record
Author: K.A. Linde
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For political reporter Liz Dougherty, election day—a day of looking toward the future and saying goodbye to the past—seems like a fitting time to start a new relationship. But feelings for her former flame still linger…

The sexy second book in bestselling author K.A. Linde’s Record series decides whether it’s better to pick up the pieces and move on…or to pick up right where you left off. 
The Record Series Inspiration 
My inspiration behind the Record series stems from my work on the presidential campaign in 2012. I worked on the UNC Chapel Hill campus as a campaign director at the time.
For the year before I started that job full time I’d interned for the campaign and been tossing around the idea about writing a political romance. I wasn’t sure how people would take the book since politics have always been such a hot button issue, but when I finally started to write about it, I realized that the politics are really just a backdrop for the relationship in the story. Nothing is expressly controversially political in that aspect, it just is the setting for the romance that blooms between Brady and Liz. 
I really loved the idea of writing a political scandal. I got my masters in political science right before writing this and I studied campaigns, congress, and the presidency so I already had a deep understanding of the process. So I thought it would be a bridge of all of my interests–campaigns, presidency, and writing!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Liz walks in and my heart drops! Off the Record had me wrecked but this is K.A. Linde we are talking about! So the pint sized power house has done it again with On the Record. 
Entering into a Brady-less existence just plain sucks! There is no way to spin that fact. The tall, dark, and dreamy power house takes a backseat as we learn a little more about Liz and her internal struggle with her choice to walk away. Dealing with the aftermath of her choice, Liz finds that when you are engrossed in a world of politics, moving on is a bit harder than she thought.

“She shut the door and locked it before sinking helplessly to the floor. Tears sprang to her eyes fast and hot. A sob racked her chest and she slapped her hand over her mouth. No. No. No. No. No. No.”

It is ingrained into our minds from an early age to do what’s right. What is best for our wellbeing. What is safe. Maxwell is not safe but why is it so hard to completely walk away. 

“Her throat was dry. Her fingers felt tingly. She wasn’t going to cry. No, this wasn’t that kind of moment. This moment wasn’t one to be mad or sad or pitch a fit. She couldn’t even muster those emotions. The only thing she felt was the one thing that she had never wanted to feel: regret.”

On the Record spins in way I never saw coming. Throw safe out the window because without a little danger, excitement, and challenge life is a bore. Just a small taste of Maxwell and I would follow him anywhere. As in Off the Record, K.A. Linde has continued to develop her characters into complex yet relatable situations. We may not date a congressman or a newspaper editor but the feelings are the same. You cannot help but fall for the political madness of Liz Dougherty’s world. K.A. Linde’s Record Series is a must read and I am waiting, not patiently, for book three. I need to know what happens with these two and in true K.A. Linde fashion I am sure it won’t be easy. She loves to taunt us but all fair in love and politics! 

“I want you to remember that you called me crying in the middle of the night. You were the one who used that line. You were the one who fell back into old methods. So don’t you f#%king pull this shit on me. Did you are did you not call as Sandy Carmichael?” He waited.

“Yes,” she grumbled through gritted teeth.
“Did you or did you not typically call that line for me to Famp;k you?” He waited again.
“Yes.”


USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde has written the Avoiding series and the Record series as well as the new adult novels Following Me and Take Me for Granted. She grew up as a military brat traveling the United States and Australia. While studying political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia, she founded the Georgia Dance Team, which she still coaches. Post-graduation, she served as the campus campaign director for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An avid traveler, reader, and bargain hunter, K.A. lives in Athens, Georgia, with her fiancé and two puppies, Riker and Lucy.

SERIES ORDER
Off the Record
On the Record
For the Record (Pre-order)