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Friday, June 30, 2017

Tasty Book Tours Q&A + Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Love with a Scottish Outlaw By Gale Callen



Tasty Q&A with Gayle Callen

If you had to title your own life what would it be and why?
“Lucky in Love.” I met my husband a year before we started dating, but once we dated, we married within six months. And I knew that first month that I was in love with him. So any time someone uses love at first sight in a romance novel, I think it could be true, because it happened to me. And we’ve been married 35 years, so it can work!

What is your favorite place to visit?
It may sound cliché for a historical romance author, but I love England. I’ve visited three times now, and every time I see a different part of the country, I fall in love all over again. Last time, I visited my daughter who was studying for her semester abroad in London. The two of us rented a car and drove north—on the left side of the road!—all the way to Yorkshire. The countryside changes so much, from thatched roofs and abundant gardens, to bleak moors that roll to the horizon. Incredible!

Favorite writing place.

Even though I’ve written most of my books from a small office on the lower level of my house, my favorite place to write is on my patio. I spent all last summer working outside 4-6 hours every day. My yard is mostly trees, but I have an umbrella to sit beneath when the sun is overhead. I planted begonias and impatiens, which do well in the shade. I put up my feet up, my laptop on a lap desk, and I write, listening to the sound of the bees, the birds, and distant lawn mowers. My neighbor has several bird feeders that spill seeds onto the ground, so sometimes birds, squirrels, bunnies, and chipmunks are all cavorting in the grass together, like my own private show. It’s so peaceful!

What are 5 things you must have with you when you write?
Ooh, interesting question. I don’t think I’m superstitious about anything in particular, but there are some constants when I’m writing a book. A laptop is number one—a desktop computer can’t easily be moved, so I’ve used a laptop for years so I can set it aside to research, spread out my index cards, etc. And I want to be able to take it with me, too! Next, I always have ice water in a big insulated mug. I have index cards, because that’s how I keep track of all my scenes. I use a purple pen to write on them. And lastly, markers, because I highlight a corner of each index card to keep track of all my plotlines when I lay the cards out: purple for the heroine’s emotional growth, blue for the hero, pink for the romance plot, then green/orange/red for the various plotlines in the book. Yes, I love to organize and plot things out.

Can you tell us a little about your book?
I was so excited to write LOVE WITH A SCOTTISH OUTLAW, mainly because I finally found a story to fit a plot I’d always wanted to write: amnesia. I opened the book with the heroine, Catriona, waking up in the Scottish Highlands, her head bleeding, not knowing who she is. It was such fun to write! The hero Duncan is the chief of an outlawed clan—and he knows exactly who she is, the daughter of his enemy. While Catriona thinks he is being kind enough to house her while she discovers who she is, Duncan is really holding her captive. And of course, the sparks fly!


Love with a Scottish Outlaw
Highland Weddings #3
By: Gayle Callen
Releasing June 27, 2017
Avon







Blurb

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Forever Romance Spotlight + Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: The Highland Commander by Amy Jarecki


THE HIGHLAND COMMANDER
Lords of the Highlands, #2
Author: Amy Jarecki
Forever
June 27, 2017



She cannot resist the man behind the mask...

As the illegitimate daughter of a Scottish earl, Lady Magdalen Keith is not one to partake in lavish balls or other frivolities. Yet at her father's urging, she agrees to dance with the battle-weary officers at this year's holiday masquerade. It's practically her civic duty! But when one such officer—whose dashing good looks cannot be disguised by a mere mask—sweeps her off her feet and into his arms, the innocent lass can't help herself. Her lips are his for the taking.

But will he betray his country for a kiss?

Navy lieutenant Aiden Murray has spent too many months at sea to be immune to the charms of this lovely beauty. Even after he returns to his ship, she lives in his dreams. But when he discovers Maddie's true identity—and learns that her father is accused of treason—will the brawny Scot risk his life to follow his heart?

My Thoughts:

Forever Romance Spotlight + Excerpt + Giveaway: On The Plus Size by Alison Bliss


ON THE PLUS SIDE
A Perfect Fit, #2
Alison Bliss
Forever
June 27, 2017




Big girls don't cry. They go after what they want.

Thanks to her bangin' curves, Valerie Carmichael has always turned heads-with the exception of seriously sexy Logan Mathis. Just Valerie's luck that the object of her lust-filled affection is also best friends with her overprotective brother. But Valerie's determined to get Logan's attention…even if it means telling a teeny little lie to get a job at his new bar.

Logan can't remember a time when Valerie didn't secretly fuel all his hottest fantasies. Now the curvaceous she-devil is working behind his bar, tempting him every damn night. It's only when he finds Valerie's naughty things-to-do list that Logan decides to break every rule in the book-by making each red-hot deed a reality.

No one warned them that they were going to fall this hard. And no one warned them that sometimes the smallest secrets can have the biggest consequences.

Excerpt:

Monday, June 26, 2017

Tasty Book Tours Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: An Unlikely Duke by Sophie Barnes


A Most Unlikely Duke
Diamonds In the Rough #1
By: Sophie Barnes
Releasing June 27, 2017
Avon Books




Blurb
He never thought he’d become a duke, or that the secrets of his past will cost him his greatest love...
Raphe Matthews hasn’t stepped foot in polite circles since a tragedy left his once-noble family impoverished and in debt. The bare-knuckle boxer has spent the last fifteen years eking out an existence for himself and his two sisters. But when a stunning reversal of fortunes lands Raphe the title of Duke of Huntley, he’s determined to make a go of becoming a proper lord, but he’ll need a little help and his captivating neighbor might be just the woman for the job…

After her sister’s scandalous match, Lady Gabriella knows the ton’s eyes are on her. Agreeing to tutor the brutish new duke can only lead to ruin. Although she tries to control her irresistible attraction to Raphe, every day she spends with him only deepens her realization that this may be the one man she cannot do without. And as scandal threatens to envelope them both, she must decide if she can risk everything for love with a most unlikely duke.

My Thoughts:

Sunday, June 25, 2017

InkSlinger PR Review + Giveaway: The Red Lily by Juliette Cross


The Red Lily 
Vampire Blood, 2
Juliette Cross
Entangled Select Otherworld 
6/19/17



About the book:

When Red falls for the Big Bad Wolf…

The Black Lily resistance needs a larger army if they are to defeat the vampire monarchy. In order to do so, former lieutenant and traitor to the vampire Crown, Nikolai must seek help from the red-hooded temptress he needs to avoid at all costs. The secret he carries could prove dangerous for her if she gets too close…even though keeping her close—very close—is the only thing on his mind.

Sienna will do anything for the Black Lily, and when Nikolai asks for her assistance to gain the trust of the commonwealth, it’s the last thing she wants to do. The thought of leaving her woods and her wolves behind is terrifying…not to mention the danger being with Nikolai poses.

My Thoughts:

Friday, June 23, 2017

Social Butterfly PR Review + Excerpt: Scored by Marquita Valentine


Scored
Marquita Valentine
June 20, 2017




Scored, a sexy all-new STANDALONE from Marquita Valentine is available now!!!

Dallas Drake has a big salary and an even bigger…ego…and he’s not afraid to use either of them to his advantage. As infamous as he is attractive, Dallas has all the equipment necessary to bring home the win.

The first time I met him, I was in handcuffs.

The second, he saved me when I fell off a ladder.

Now? Now we’re working together to plan a charity event.

I may not be interested in what Dallas has to offer, but as the game goes on, I’m becoming more open to his passes.

Is he looking for the win, or just determined to score?

My Thoughts:

Friday, June 16, 2017

Harper Collins Spotlight + Excerpt: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network
Kate Quinn
Harper Collins
June 6, 2017

ABOUT THE ALICE NETWORK
In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

Excerpt:

Thursday, June 15, 2017

InkSlinger PR Spotlight + Review: Blackmailing the Bad Girl by Nina Croft


Today we have the blog tour stop for Blackmailing the Bad Girl by Nina Croft! Check it out and grab your copy today!


About Blackmailing the Bad Girl:

Cynical CEO, Nik Masterton, believes he’s finally met a woman who isn’t interested in his money…until she vanishes with a hefty amount of it. He’s been searching for her ever since and has finally found her doing a stint in Holloway prison for stealing...from someone else. Clearly, he’s just one of many. Now she’s coming out, and it’s time for a little payback.

After two years in prison, Summer Delaney is determined she’s never going back. While she had good reasons for doing what she did, it’s time to move on to a new life and earn an honest living. Unfortunately, there’s a glitch in her plan, and he’s waiting at the gate as she comes out.

Nik isn’t above using blackmail to make Summer work for him until he decides just how he’ll get his revenge. But this time they’re both determined to keep their distance. Right until the inconvenient attraction explodes between them...

My Thoughts:

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

The Cajun Doctor by Sandra Hill (Review)

Yes, I wanted to read The Cajun Doctor, because the hot guy on the cover. I also did want to read it, because I like Sandra's Vangel books. I actually didn't realize this was part of a previous series, now I know. However, those who have been following Cajun books will remember some of the characters, while it's all new to me.

We meet Daniel and Aaron LeDeux, twin brothers, after their mother's death find out they have more family. Their father's family, so they travel down to Louisiana to meet them. At this time, they aren't sure what they are going to do with their lives. Then the story starts to focuses on Daniel, and Samantha Starr. When Samantha was trying to fix her life after a blip of a marriage, she had decided that all doctors were scum. Gotta love scum sucking ex-husbands. So, you might say that Daniel and Samantha don't see eye-to-eye. Actually, they tend to egg one another on. They seem to rub each other the wrong way, so the banter between them is pretty fun. However, her brother finds himself in some serious trouble decides to turn to Daniel for help.

The Cajun Doctor was an all right read. I liked the story, but the cajun dialect got a little too much for me granted it was in the bayou area. I guess I'm use to redneck Louisiana, which there is. However, I did like the relationship between Daniel and Samantha. It was pretty much all sexual tension they were going to ignore until they were forced to be together. Now I'm curious where Aaron was while he was missing in action. He was always gone, but he would come back here and there. I wouldn't mind knowing what's going on in his life. Anyway, an all right read.

Copy provided by Avon.

Rating:
3 1/2 Stars

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Forever Romance Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: The Story of Us by Tara


THE STORY OF US 
Tara Sivec 
Forever Yours eBook
June 11, 2017



How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That's how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I'll do anything to get back to her.

Only Shelby Eubanks isn't the girl I left behind all those years ago. She's someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother's ambitions. But I won't give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

My Thoughts:

Friday, June 9, 2017

Forever Romance Playlist + Excerpt + Giveaway: Forbidden Promises by Katee Roberts


FORBIDDEN PROMISES
The O’Malleys, #4
Katee Robert
Forever
May 30, 2017



New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert delivers the next book in her sizzling O'Malleys family series, hailed as "The Godfather meets Romeo & Juliet."

“A tension-filled plot full of deceit, betrayal, and sizzling love scenes will make it impossible for readers to set the book down.” –Publishers Weekly

“A great read from the talented Robert!” –RT Book Reviews

“This is an extraordinary series by any standards, and FORBIDDEN PROMISES slays the competition.” –Fresh Fiction

Some lines should never be crossed . . . not even for love.

Sloan O'Malley just left her entire world behind—her family, her wealth, and even her real name. For the first time in her life, she's free. She can live the "normal" life she's always wanted. A life without fear. But there's nothing safe about her intensely sexy next-door neighbor.

Jude MacNamara has no room for innocence in his life. Only revenge. Still, he's never been able to walk away from the forbidden, and Sloan—who is every inch of pure, mouthwatering temptation—has forbidden written all over her. Only after it's way too late does he discover the real danger: claiming Sloan as his puts a target on her back. To protect her, Jude is willing risk everything . . . and to hell with the consequences.

FORBIDDEN PROMISES Playlist

Thursday, June 8, 2017

TLC Spotlight + Review: The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen 
Lady Travelers Guide, 1
Victoria Alexander
HQN
May 30, 2017

Blurb

Embark on the breathtaking romantic adventures of The Lady Travelers Society in the brand-new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander

Really, it’s too much to expect any normal man to behave like a staid accountant in order to inherit the fortune he deserves to support the lifestyle of an earl. So when Derek Saunders’s favorite elderly aunt and her ill-conceived—and possibly fraudulent—Lady Travelers Society loses one of their members, what’s a man to do but step up to the challenge? Now he’s escorting the world’s most maddening woman to the world’s most romantic city to find her missing relative.

While India Prendergast only suspects his organization defrauds gullible travelers, she’s certain a man with as scandalous a reputation as Derek Saunders cannot be trusted any farther than the distance around his very broad shoulders. As she struggles not to be distracted by his wicked smile and the allure of Paris, instead of finding a lost lady traveler, India just may lose her head, her luggage and her heart.

My Thoughts:

Monday, June 5, 2017

Tasty Book Tours Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: The Girl with the Make Believe Husband by Julia Quinn


The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband
Rokesbys #2
By: Julia Quinn
Releasing May 30, 2017
Avon




While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...

Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

My Thoughts:

Thursday, June 1, 2017

My Sweet Home Alabama by Erin Knightley (Review)

Okay, I read My Sweet Home Alabama by Erin Knightley. Let me say that this story is super quick and sweet. We have Delaney Hart who is leaving behind the life she knew, because of a no good ex-fiancee. Basically, the no good ex-fiancee was causing problems between her and best friend Beauregard Rodney (by the way love the name Beauregard), which Delaney had no clue what had happen. So, they have to come to an understanding before they can move on in their lives. That's the gist of the story.

Like I said super quick and sweet. This a pretty good story if you are not looking for something super deep and complex, but something short and sweet with a satisfying happy ending. That's all I got for My Sweet Home Alabama.

Copy provided by author

Rating:
4 Stars