Thursday, June 28, 2018

Tempting the Laird by Julia London - Review and Excerpt

   

From New York Times bestselling author Julia London, comes TEMPTING THE LAIRD—the fifth standalone novel in her Highland Grooms Series!

TEMPTING THE LAIRD is now available where all fine books are sold. Grab your copy today!

   

 

GoodReadsKindle ~ Barnes&Noble ~ 

Nook ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ 

B-A-M ~ IndieBound ~ Powell’s

Author: Julia London
Publication Date:  26 June, 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Series:  Highland Grooms, book 5
Genre:  Historical Romance
Age Recommendation: 16 and Up
Rating: 5 Stars
~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 



Book Description:

Mystery and desire cloak the Scottish Highlands

Unruly. Unmarried. Unapologetic. Catriona Mackenzie’s reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Her beloved late aunt Zelda taught Cat to live out loud and speak her mind, and that’s exactly what she does when Zelda’s legacy—a refuge for women in need—comes under fire. When her quest puts her in the path of the disturbingly mysterious Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, Cat is soon caught up in the provocative rumors surrounding the dark duke. Never one to retreat, Cat boldly goes where no one else has dared for answers.

Shrouded in secrets, a hostage of lies, Hamlin must endure the fear and suspicion of those who believe he is a murderer. The sudden disappearance of his wife and the truth he keeps silent are a risk to his chances at earning a coveted parliamentary seat. But he’s kept his affairs tightly held until a woman with sparkling eyes and brazen determination appears unexpectedly in his life. Deadly allegations might be his downfall, but his unleashed passion could be the duke’s ultimate undoing.


     


My Review:

This is one of those books in a series that you anticipate from the very first book, yet have to wait until the end or near end to get it, but it is always so worth the wait.  Catriona, the outspoken, determined sister of the Mackenzie clan finally get's her story but not with out great cost to her emotionally.

I adored this story because it gives us a headstrong woman who is not afraid to live her life by her own rules.  A woman who is not afraid to fight for those she loves and for those who can not fight for themselves.  She is a woman who has a gentle soul, a woman who fears that she will never have the dreams she aspired to as a young woman, but will create new dreams for herself and will not be put 'on the shelf' just because she is a grown woman with no wanted prospect for marriage.  I also love that her family standby her though they worry for her.  There could not be any easy love for dear Catriona, it would take a man just as head strong, just as compelling, just as beautiful inside and out to capture this characters heart and wow do we get him, Hamlin, the Duke of Montrose!

Hamlin, is a man who is living a lie...a lie that he allows to be perpetuated because he can not tell the truth.  While a dark cloud may surround him do to secrets untold Hamlin is a bright spot in this story. I instantly fell in love with his heart and soul, his compassion for his ward and the people who rely on him.

Hamlin and Catriona's story is one of fighting against their times societal expectations, rules, and norms.  It was at times heartbreaking to see their love suffer because of the ideals of other people but I love how they still managed to come together, to find a way to make not only their love work but also their dreams for the future of their country and it's people, especially the disenfranchised.  I loved the passion of these two, both that they had for each other and also that they had for making their world a better place.  It's hard to really put into words how wonderful I think this story is for not only the romance but for what the author is showing us about the shaping of society, as well as a reminder of how we need to be more gracious in our own dealing with people who have 'lost all' and have no one left to turn to, especially toward the ones that deserve your grace the least..though I will say my vindictive side wouldn't have minded a little less happiness in the end for a certain some one, but again, this book is a nice reminder of why I need to set that little devil on my shoulder to the side. ;-)

On top off all that there is Uncle Knox, oh Uncle Knox, how I adore you.  His gregariousness, his love for his family, his honor, his generosity...but even more now, how I love him for what he gave up.  I wish that we could see him getting an HEA especially knowing now all that he walked away from so he could be the man he is 'today'.  It is a bit heartbreaking in truth and I wonder how much pain he hides behind his boisterous personality.

It was lovely getting a small glimpse at all the couples that came before Catriona, to see how they thrive and continue to grow.  I have come to love this little Scottish (or not so little) family, their loves, and their trials.  Tempting the Laird is a truly sweet romance, with a touching story that transcends the 'simpleness' of romantic love and gives us a story of suffering and triumph over other's expectations.  If you are a fan of Historical Romance these books are a must read and they can be read as standalone, though as I often say, you might as well start at the beginning because when you finish this one and fall in love with these characters you'll want to go back and read them all.


~ HAPPY READING ~


       





TEMPTING THE LAIRD 
by Julia London

“Criosd, Cat, no one has spoken ill of you!” Rabbie said. “But for the last few months, you mope about and drink your fill of wine and brandy every night, aye?” Rabbie said. “You donna attempt to have any society about you.”

“What society?” she exclaimed loudly. “Where is it, Rabbie, do point me in that direction, aye? And in the course of it, perhaps you might point to something that I might do.”

He frowned. “Do you no’ see what we all see? You’re letting your life slip between your fingers, you are.”

She felt strangely exposed. Uncomfortable. Not angry, really, but…but she didn’t like this, not at all. What did they expect of her? None of them had ever been a spinster, with nothing to look forward to, without any hope of ever being a mother, or a wife. “What would you have me do? I’ve no occupation, no’ a bloody thing to do with my time but mope about and drink wine and brandy!” She felt on the verge of tears. She felt annoyed, she felt betrayed, she felt as if they’d all left her behind. Every one of them had families and loves and occupations, and purpose, for God’s sake, but she, by virtue of being born female and at a time when suitable men were scarce, could do nothing but float from one gathering to the next, looking for something to do with her time.

The only meaningful thing in her life at present was the abbey. Zelda had given a purpose to Catriona’s life, and they would take it away?

Blast it, but the tears began to slip from her eyes again.

“Diah, I didna say it to make you cry,” Rabbie said gruffly.

Her mother walked to Catriona’s seat and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Go to your uncle Knox, allow him to help you, and please, darling, take a bit of time to care for yourself.”

“I canna leave them,” she said tearfully, and took the handkerchief Daisy offered her and blew her nose.

“Aye, Miss Catriona, you can.”

Catriona stilled. The mutiny was complete, then. “You, too, Rhona?” she asked in a whimper.

Rhona colored slightly. “We’ll be quite all right for the summer, aye?” she said nervously. “Your lady mother, she…well, she’s right, she is. You deserve happiness, Miss Catriona. You’ve no’ had it at Kishorn.”

Catriona wanted to argue that she was happy, but it was a lie. She was desperately unhappy with her situation, and apparently, in spite of her best efforts to hide it, they all knew it.



   

About Julia London: Julia London is the New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical romance series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch and The Perfect Homecoming. She has over 100,000+ Facebook followers, is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. You can visit her website JuliaLondon.com. She lives in Austin, Texas.    

 


Julia London’s TEMPTING THE LAIRD – Review & Excerpt Schedule:
June 27th
Tania’s Book Blog – Excerpt
June 28th
Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
June 29th
All about reading – Review & Excerpt
TBR Book Blog – Excerpt
June 30th
Sofia Loves Books – Review
July 1st
NightWolf  Book Blog – Excerpt
July 2nd
Bookishly Yours – Review & Excerpt
Jax's Book Magic – Excerpt
July 3rd
Feel the Book – Excerpt
KatyaRath – Review & Excerpt
Romance Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt
July 4th
Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Addict's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
July 5th
Travels N Reads – Excerpt
Vagabonda Reads – Review & Excerpt
July 6th
3 degrees of fiction – Review & Excerpt
My Nook, Books & More – Excerpt


 

Make Me Crave by Katee Robert - Pre-Order Alert, Excerpt, and Giveaway




Have you Pre-ordered MAKE ME CRAVE Yet? 

In MAKE ME CRAVE by NYT Bestselling Author, Katee Robert, Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company.

Pre-order MAKE ME CRAVE and add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek excerpt and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card or one of three (3) ebooks from Katee Robert’s backlist!








Book Description:

“I crave you…”

Can their hunger be satisfied?

Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company. He expects a challenge—but not their immediate intense attraction. After an accidental one-night stand they agree to put business aside—for now. The island lulls them into a heated sexual journey…but what happens to their opposing interests when they return from paradise?





Make Me Crave Excerpt 
Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert 


Tomorrow would be soon enough for them to go exploring and try out the stand-up paddleboards Allie had eyed when she’d checked out the beach. 

Her face heated at the fact she’d been caught topless sunbathing. Whoever that guy was, he’d been far off enough that she couldn’t clearly see his face. Those shoulders, though… Allie shivered. Even at a distance, she’d seen the cut of his muscles and how purposefully he’d maneuvered the kayak through the turquoise waters. The island must have already gone to her head, because she’d spent a truly insane moment hoping he’d come to shore so she could get a better look at him. 

Maybe more than a better look. 

Allie laughed at her fanciful thoughts. Vacation hookups were all well and good, but if that was what she’d wanted, she’d chosen the wrong place to go. Isolation and relaxation were the name of the game on West Island, which was exactly what she’d craved when she let Becka talk her into booking the trip. It was the exact opposite of New York and her life there. 

But now she found herself wondering if maybe something slightly more chaotic would have been a better choice. The sun and sea had soaked into her blood and the heady feeling had her convinced anything was possible. It was only a week. The perfect length of time for a fling… 

If she wasn’t on a private island in the middle of the ocean without a single man in sight. 

She bypassed the little golf cart that was one of the main forms of transportation here. It felt good to walk after being cooped up on the plane and then lying prone while she sunned herself. She usually taught at least one class a day at Transcend—more if she needed to cover someone else’s schedule—so being inactive wasn’t natural for her. It was only a mile or two to the restaurant and the day had started to cool as the sun reached for the horizon. It’d be downright pleasant tonight. 

She’d make sure to wake early and attend one of the yoga classes offered, and the rest of the day would be filled with activities that would keep restlessness from setting in. There was even scuba diving available, though Allie wasn’t sure she was feeling that adventurous. Snorkeling? Sure. Going deeper with only a tank and a few tubes between her and drowning? That would take a whole lot more convincing. 

The path was cleared and well maintained to allow the carts to drive without problems, so she let her mind wander as she fell into a natural stride that ate up the distance without tiring her out. Every once in a while, the path would branch off in different directions, some heading toward other villas, some heading deeper inland. There was a small selection of hiking trails that offered tours of the history of the island. 

She made it to the restaurant easily, and found it practically deserted. Allie paused in the doorway, wondering if she’d misunderstood the woman who’d checked them in. Maybe it was closed? 

“Looks like it’s just you and me.” 

She jumped and spun around. The man stood a respectable distance away, but his sheer size ate up the space and made her feel closed in. She froze. I’d recognize those shoulders anywhere. Confirming her suspicion, his gaze slid over her body as if he was reminding himself of what she looked like with nothing but what she’d worn on the beach. She tried to swallow past her suddenly dry throat. “You.” 

“Me.” He finally looked her in the face, and she rocked back on her heels. The man was an Adonis. There was no other way to describe his blond perfection, from his hazel eyes to the square jaw to the cleft in his chin to the body that just wouldn’t quit. He might be wearing a shirt now, but the button-down did nothing to hide his muscle definition. 

He held out a wide hand with equally perfect square fingers. “Let me buy you a drink?” 

“We’re at an all-inclusive resort.” 

His lips twitched, eyes twinkling. “Have a drink with me.” 

Oh, he was good. Charm practically colored the air between them, and she had the inexplicable impulse to close the distance and stroke a finger along his jawline. To flick that cleft chin with her tongue. 

Allie gave herself a shake. “Since we’re the only ones here, it’d be silly to sit apart.” 

The look he gave her said he saw right through the excuse, and why not when it was pathetically flimsy? The truth was that this man was magnetic and she suspected she’d be drawn to him even in a room full of people. He waved a hand at the empty place. “Lady’s choice.” 

“How magnanimous of you.” 

“I try.” 

She laughed and headed for the table in the middle of the small patio. There were half a dozen tables, and she picked a spot that put her back to the building and presented the best view of the ocean through a carefully curated gap in the foliage. 

He eyed the view and then the chair on the other side of the table, and then he picked it up and set it adjacent to hers so they were sitting on a diagonal, rather than directly across from each other. “Nice view.” 

She turned to agree—and found him staring at her. 

Allie wasn’t falsely modest. Life was too short to play games with body shaming and pretending she didn’t have access to a mirror. She was pretty—beautiful when she put some effort into it—but she’d given up being skinny or petite after the agony of high school, and she wasn’t athletically built like some of the women at her gym. Sure, she had muscle beneath her softness, and she could keep up with the best of them in her spin classes, but she loved food just as much as she loved to sweat, and her curves reflected that. Some guys had a problem with that, though she didn’t keep them around as soon as comments like “Should you really be eating that?” started. 

This guy looked at her like he wanted to put her on the table and feast on her for dinner. 

The desire stoked the flame inside her that had kindled the second she saw him. She leaned forward, checking his left hand. No ring. No tan lines, either. “What brings you to West Island?” 

“It’s paradise, isn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to come here to get away from it all?” 

That wasn’t quite an answer, but she was distracted by the intoxicating way his mouth moved when he spoke. Get ahold of yourself, Allie. You’re in danger of panting for him. She took a quick drink of water that did nothing to quell the heat rising with each minute she sat next to him. 

Luckily, a waiter appeared to save her from saying something truly embarrassing. He outlined the menu for the night and took their drink orders, then disappeared as quickly as he’d come. 

They were in the middle of one of the most beautiful places Allie had ever seen, and she couldn’t manage to tear her gaze away from this stranger. She licked her lips, every muscle in her body tensing when he followed the movement. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, he took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. 

The touch was innocent enough, but she felt that light movement in places that were most definitely not innocent. She didn’t have to look down to know her nipples now pressed against the thin fabric of her sundress. 

His smile was slow and sinful and promised things she never would have had the gall to ask for. “This is going to sound unforgivably forward, but what do you say we get out of here and go back to my villa?” 

It was crazy. More than crazy. She didn’t even know his name, and she sure as hell didn’t know anything more pertinent about him. 

But there on the softly lit patio with the tropical scent of some flower she didn’t recognize and the soft shushing sound of the tide coming in, she didn’t feel like Allie, gym owner and mother hen, the responsible one who could never afford to do anything out of line or make a misstep because too many lives depended on her. 

Here, she was just Allie, a woman. A woman who desperately wanted the man staring at her mouth as if he was doing everything in his power to keep from kissing her right then and there. She licked her lips again, secretly delighting in the way a muscle in his jaw jumped. “Yes.” 

“Yes?” 

“Yes, let’s get out of here.”







GiveAway:
Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card or 
one of three (3) ebooks from Katee Robert’s backlist!








About Katee Robert:


New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension." When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 






Connect with Katee at: 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Blood Match by K.A. Linde - Review and Excerpt

    

    




Author: K.A. Linde
Publication Date:  26 June 2018
Publisher: Loveswept
Series:  Blood Type, book 2
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Age Recommendation: 18 and Up
Rating: 4 Stars
~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

 As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets. A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided. Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell. Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham. She just has to find the will to survive this game. From the pawn, rises a queen.

 Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.

       

My Review:

This is a truly addictive series and boy does K.A. Linde know how to leave things that keep us coming back, nay, begging for more.  Blood Match picks up right where Blood Type leaves off.  Sufficed to say Reyna is not in a good place, emotionally or physically.  her world not only turned up side down but essentially destroyed she does the only thing she can, fights back through her pride until that too is beaten back and leaves her distraught.  

On that note I highly recommend going back and doing a re-read of Blood Type before starting in on Blood Match.  I found that I had sadly forgotten some of the small details that were important to the story when I began.  They ultimately came back as things fell into place but it made the beginning a little head scratching as I tried to remember.  Which leads me to saying, this is not a book that can be read as a standalone.  These books end on cliffhangers and tied tightly together with one another.  

As you might expect considering what Reyna goes through in Blood Type and what she will go through in the beginning of Blood Match, Reyna is not the naive but proud girl that we first met.  She is hardened by what she discovers and what she goes through.  All the things I wish she had been in the first book when she would frustrate me she becomes in this book, though she keeps a good dose of that pride and willfulness but would we really want her any other way.  She is a powerful and determined heroine who will enthrall you with her courage, perseverance, and loyalty.  She will frustrate you just as much with her willful determination and her lack of concern for her own self, but those traits make her capable of becoming the one that is needed to change everything.  

Beckham, what does one say about Beckham...well actually I can say a few things, ha.  First off I have to say I spend 3/4ths of my time loving him and 1/4th of my time hating him and thinking he is the worst scoundrel of all.  He's also just an amazing character all around.  Flawed so badly and determined to make amends for his past while moving the future of his race and that of all humanity in a new direction, but what direction that is...well you have to read to find out.  

This series is action packed and will keep you on your toes until K.A. Linde makes you tip right over crashing to the ground when you get to her ending for this book.  If you thought the end of book one was a cliffhanger you haven't seen anything yet.  Be prepared to want to scream and toss your book (don't do it..you've been warned so you can breathe deep and set your e-reader/book gently aside then throw a pillow) and beg for more.  This book will leave you scrambling and saying WHAT THE F, but it will be so worth it!  

~ HAPPY READING (laughs maniacally) ~



Excerpt:

“Please.” She wasn’t above begging. “I’ve waited so long.”
“I won’t bite you,” he said, his face sliding down between her legs. A fang nipped at the sensitive artery in her inner thigh. “But I bloody well want to.”
Did she even care if he bit her? It would be a relief after what she’d endured. A relief to feel that connection so acutely. But she wouldn’t press him this time. She remembered how they’d gotten carried away. He’d taken too much, drank too deeply, and she could have died. They needed to take it slow.
The blood. Not the sex. She needed that right now.
His finger slicked through her wetness and began to massage her clit. She vibrated from the sensation. She didn’t know if she’d be able to hold out before he was inside of her.
Then his eyes found hers again. His boxers disappeared and then his cock was in his hand. He massaged the length of himself as he watched her walk on a tightrope. Any second she was going to fall off and into oblivion. Nothing and no one had ever made her feel so good. No. No one had ever made her feel.
“So . . . close,” she ground out.
One powerful thrust seated him to the hilt within her. She cried out as he stretched her to the max. No warning or preamble just his cock inside of her, filling her to completion.
Her walls clenched around him. She was so close, but instinctively, she knew he wasn’t going to let her release without him.
Then he started moving. A slow pull out and a quick drive inward. Once, twice, three times.
“Not yet,” he said, his eyes commanding.
She tried to hold back. She could wait. Oh God, she could wait.
Then he started up the rhythm again. Setting his own course, owning and claiming her body. Reclaiming everything that he’d lost in that one moment of stupidity on her part. In his one moment of weakness.
She could see in his eyes the weight that loss had cost him. The toll it had taken on him for giving into his urges, for finally relinquishing his hold on himself. His eyes said he’d never do it again. His eyes were a promise.
“Becks, come with me,” she cried, clutching the sheets.
He grasped her hips and owned her body where he refused to own her blood. Taking everything she would give him, but not everything he wanted. Not everything she wanted.
She was so close. She looked in his eyes and knew they would finish together.
Reyna woke up screaming.
She jolted upright in her overly plush king-sized bed with its too many pillows and too much softness. Her hair was plastered to her face. Sweat coated her body, soaking through the thin white shirt she’d worn to bed.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she looked around the small room. Everything was in place. Nothing had changed. Not a damn thing.
Beckham wasn’t here.
It had been a dream. A sick dream. A desperate horrible dream.
Her hand moved to her cotton panties and found the slicked wetness still there. The ache still building in her lower half from lack of release. The aftereffects of the dream. It had felt so real. So very real.
She had felt him moving inside of her. She had seen the love in his eyes. She had known his remorse.
But none of that was real.
That was her imagination at work. Conjuring his face just to torture herself with his absence. Remembering the feel of his body and the love in his eyes, only to know that he hadn’t found her. Aching for one more view of him.
It had been fifty-five days since she’d last seen his face.
Reyna made a mark in the notebook next to the bed.
Fifty-six.



   


A startling new vision of paranormal romance: When a human ventures into the world of vampires—a decadent milieu of blood-bonds and betrayal—she discovers that not all is what it seems. 

 For Reyna Carpenter, giving up her body isn’t a choice. It’s survival. In a civilization laid waste by poverty and desperation, Reyna accepts a high-paying position with the wealthy and hungry vampire elite. Her new job is as the live-in blood escort for the intimidating, demanding, and devilishly handsome Beckham Anderson. He’s everything she expected from a vampire, except for one thing—he won’t feed off her. Reyna soon discovers that behind Beckham’s brooding, wicked façade lies a unique and complex man. And that, in a dark and divided world, she is more valuable than she ever would have believed. For with each passing night, Reyna can’t shake the sensation that it’s Beckham who’s afraid of her. 

  Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story continues in Blood Match. 

           
iBooks ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ Google Play   


 The stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive—humans or vampires. 

She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing. Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and darkly handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was just a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home. But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again. As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire elite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance. Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen—and complete her mission, once and for all.  

    



KylaK.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time. She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.


WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ 

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The Darkest Warrior by Gena Showalter - Release Day Spotlight and Excerpt

   

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, returns with THE DARKEST WARRIOR, a searing Lords of the Underworld tale featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep. THE DARKEST WARRIOR is now available where all fine books are sold. Grab your copy today!

   

GoodReads ~ Amazon ~ Kindle ~ Nook ~ 

B-A-M ~ Kobo ~ Book Depository ~ Audio



Book Description:

He is ice…

Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.

She is fire…

Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her…and become the warrior queen she was born to be.

Together they burn.

As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?

 

          


EXCERPT:

  So.  This is the girl William will live or die for. Puck crouched on the railing of an eighteenth-story balcony, gargoyle-style, and peered into a spacious apartment with only two occupants. William of the Dark and Gillian Shaw. Soon she would be Gillian Connacht. Find William. Wed his girl. War with brother. Now that Puck had found the warrior, his tasks shifted: wed the girl, cart her to Amaranthia, return for the male. Wed. Cart. Return. Perhaps he should stop staring at the female first? Impossible.   While the demon of Indifference growled with displeasure, Puck drank in Gillian’s dark fall of silken waves and eyes the color of whiskey. Seductive eyes filled with kindling. One day, a male would light her match, and she would burn for him, and him alone. Flawless golden skin and blood-red lips only added to her appeal, making her the embodiment of a fairy-tale princess. My princess. Puck bit his tongue—he should have tasted blood, but because of Indifference, he tasted nothing. There was no denying the truth. Being near the female he planned to wed came with an unexpected complication. Indifferent? Hardly. She roused his most possessive instincts. Soon she would belong to him. She would be his first and only “mine,” without actually being his. Must police my thoughts about her, or I’ll ruin everything. He felt as if he’d been watching Gillian for days, even weeks, as if he knew her, and yet he marveled over every new detail he learned. She was shockingly human, with a gentle spirit and an aura of kindness. Her beguiling smile was infectious, the rare times she revealed it. Mostly she studied the people and world around her, somehow both present and detached, all while radiating bone-deep sadness. Too many centuries had passed since Puck had experienced such heartfelt emotion. Before his possession, he might have sympathized with her—whatever her troubles happened to be—and sought to make things better. Now? He would use her without hesitation. He must. War before a woman. “I’m needed elsewhere,” William said, and kissed her cheek. Puck scrutinized his competition for the female’s affections: six-five, solidly built, black hair, blue eyes, handsome if you liked perfection, and soon to be sporting a broken nose if he kissed Puck’s future bride again. Inner slap. To achieve his goals, Puck needed both Gillian and William to cooperate. “Hades requires my expertise to obliterate Lucifer’s newest palace,” William continued. Lucifer. The male’s older brother. Gillian scowled. Soon she would smile. Around William, her moods tended to change lightning fast, as if she wanted to feel one way, but he made her feel another. “No, you’re staying here.” Her voice, even laced with a thread of anger, had the power to seduce. No wonder William had fallen hard for her, and no other. Puck had actually found the male hundreds of years ago, not long after the Oracles spoke their prophecy. Back then, William had loved no one but himself, forcing Puck to turn his efforts to obtaining the shears of Ananke. She was the goddess of Bonds, and rumors claimed her shears could sever any spiritual, emotional or physical tie without con- sequence. Of course, rumors also claimed the artifact severed more than the user bargained for. What was truth? What was lie? At first, Puck had contemplated using the shears to sever his bond with the demon. The creature had become a part of him, another heartbeat he needed to survive. Ditching him without penalty...could anything be better? Why else would the Oracles instruct him to find the shears? But, if using the shears on Indifference had been the answer to Puck’s dilemma, why instruct him to marry Gillian, and recruit William? What if the shears severed Puck’s connection to Indifference, but also his emotions? He would be in worse shape than before. What if he used the shears and died? The artifact might consider death a blessing rather than a consequence. Too many risks. In the end, Puck had opted to stick with his original plan, and work with William. Help me defeat my brother. In return, I’ll divorce your female and give her back to you. Puck returned his gaze to the dark-haired Gillian. She had such lush breasts. A flat stomach, and rounded hips. Long legs meant to wrap around a man’s waist—my waist. His heart beat with renewed determination, as if the organ had come back to life, even though it had never died. As if it said, I’ve been waiting for her.    


 

About Gena Showalter: Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours!  Her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans   


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Tempting the Laird by Julia London - Release Day Spotlight and Excerpt!

   

From New York Times bestselling author Julia London, comes TEMPTING THE LAIRD—the fifth standalone novel in her Highland Grooms Series!

TEMPTING THE LAIRD is now available where all fine books are sold. Grab your copy today!

   

 


Book Description:

Mystery and desire cloak the Scottish Highlands

Unruly. Unmarried. Unapologetic. Catriona Mackenzie’s reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Her beloved late aunt Zelda taught Cat to live out loud and speak her mind, and that’s exactly what she does when Zelda’s legacy—a refuge for women in need—comes under fire. When her quest puts her in the path of the disturbingly mysterious Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, Cat is soon caught up in the provocative rumors surrounding the dark duke. Never one to retreat, Cat boldly goes where no one else has dared for answers.

Shrouded in secrets, a hostage of lies, Hamlin must endure the fear and suspicion of those who believe he is a murderer. The sudden disappearance of his wife and the truth he keeps silent are a risk to his chances at earning a coveted parliamentary seat. But he’s kept his affairs tightly held until a woman with sparkling eyes and brazen determination appears unexpectedly in his life. Deadly allegations might be his downfall, but his unleashed passion could be the duke’s ultimate undoing.


       

  EXCERPT:  

  Kishorn Lodge, Scottish Highlands, 1755 

 There’d been a spirited debate among the Mackenzies of Balhaire over where to bury the remains of the ven­erable Griselda Mackenzie. Arran Mackenzie, her much beloved cousin, wanted her buried at the clan’s seat at Balhaire alongside two hundred years of Mackenzies. But Catriona, his youngest daughter—who had been as close to her “Auntie” Zelda as her own mother—wanted to bury her at Kishorn Lodge, where Griselda had lived most of her remarkable life. In the end, a compromise was struck. Auntie Zelda was buried in the family crypt at Balhaire, but a fèillein her honor was held at Kishorn a month later. This arrangement satisfied Catriona, as it was the celebra­tion she wanted for a woman who had lived life very much on her own terms. Unfortunately, the weather turned foul on the eve of her fèille. Kishorn was remote, far into the Highlands, reachable practically only by boat. Therefore, only the most immediate Mackenzie family was able to attend, rowing up from Balhaire, past the Mackenzie prop­erties of Arrandale and Auchenard, and across Loch Kishorn to the point where the loch met the river for which it was named. There was scarcely anything or anyone this far into the Highlands. A village and prime hunting grounds had once graced the banks of the river, but they were long gone. A Mackenzie ancestor had built the lodge on the ruins of the village. Zelda, who had always pre­ferred her freedom to a confining marriage, and had been indulged by her father, had taken possession of the abandoned lodge as a young woman and had made it her home, lovingly repairing and adding to it over the years. The only thing left of that ancient village was a crumbling abbey, built on a hilltop overlooking the river glen. It was small as abbeys went, and no one could say whose abbey it had been. Zelda had decided it was hers and had made half of the original structure habitable again. The other half—what had once been the sanctuary—was missing its walls, and only a few beams and arches remained of the roof. It served no useful purpose, other than to provide a wee bit of re­spite from the weather for the cows that wandered in from time to time. If only they’d had a respite from the cold rain that continued to beat a steady rhythm against the paned windows on the day of the fèille. Catriona was quite undone by it—she’d planned this event to rival all such celebrations for years to come. “I’m bloody well cross with God this day, that I am,” she said to the women gathered around the fire blazing in the hearth. They included her mother, the Lady of Balhaire, and Catriona’s sister, Vivienne. Also present were her sisters-in-law, Daisy, Bernadette and Lottie. “It rained the day we buried her, and here it rains again. She deserved better, she did,” Catriona said as she care­lessly held up her wineglass to be refilled. “Zelda would not care a whit about rain, Cat,” her mother assured her. “She would care only that you car­ried on with the fèillein spite of it. Can’t you hear her laughing? She’d say, ‘Did you expect cherubs and blue­birds to herald my arrival? No, lass, heaven weeps when I knock at the door.’” “Mamma,” Catriona said gravely, but she couldn’t help a small smile. Zelda would have indeed said some­thing like that. “I miss that old crone,” her mother said fondly, and lifted her glass in solemn salute. “She was incomparable.” That was high praise coming from Margot Macken­zie. She and Zelda had maintained a fraught relation­ship through the years, had never quite seen eye to eye for reasons Catriona still didn’t fully understand. She knew that Zelda couldn’t bring herself to forgive her mother for being English, which, to be fair, was a sin in the eyes of many Highlanders. But Zelda had also seemed determined to believe the absurd notion that Ca­triona’s mother was a spy, of all things. Once, Catriona had asked her father why Auntie Zelda said her mother was a spy, and he’d given her a strange look. “Some things are better left in the past, aye?” he’d said. “You canna believe everything Zelda says, lass.” He had not, Catriona had noted, denied it.    

 



 
About Julia London: Julia London is the New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical romance series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch and The Perfect Homecoming. She has over 100,000+ Facebook followers, is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. You can visit her website JuliaLondon.com. She lives in Austin, Texas.    

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Blood Match by K.A. Linde - Release Day Spotlight

   


  




Book Description:

As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets. A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided. Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell. Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham. She just has to find the will to survive this game. From the pawn, rises a queen. Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure. 


     



 



Book Description:

A startling new vision of paranormal romance: When a human ventures into the world of vampires—a decadent milieu of blood-bonds and betrayal—she discovers that not all is what it seems.

For Reyna Carpenter, giving up her body isn’t a choice. It’s survival. In a civilization laid waste by poverty and desperation, Reyna accepts a high-paying position with the wealthy and hungry vampire elite. Her new job is as the live-in blood escort for the intimidating, demanding, and devilishly handsome Beckham Anderson. He’s everything she expected from a vampire, except for one thing—he won’t feed off her. Reyna soon discovers that behind Beckham’s brooding, wicked façade lies a unique and complex man. And that, in a dark and divided world, she is more valuable than she ever would have believed. For with each passing night, Reyna can’t shake the sensation that it’s Beckham who’s afraid of her. 

  Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story continues in Blood Match.    


       


Book Description:

 The stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive—humans or vampires. She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing. Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and darkly handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was just a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home. But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again. As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire elite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance. Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen—and complete her mission, once and for all. 


      



    
Kyla
K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time. She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.