Monday, June 30, 2014

BLOG TOUR ~ KEEPING JAHLEEL by S. Ann Cole





SYNOPSIS:

Note to self:

If an arsehole tells you he’s yours, believe him.

If a good guy tells you he’s yours, be dubious.

Good guys lie, because their ‘good’ reputation makes it so easy.

Arseholes never lie. Because they have no reason to. They don’t care about your ‘feelings’. They just slap ya’ with the hard truths.

And nothing hurts more than the truth, right?

So basically, Hard Truth is an arsehole’s most precious weapon.

I wish I’d known all this. I wouldn’t have been so distrustful, nagging, annoying, and jealous. I wouldn’t have been the girlfriend every guy hates to have.

Keeping Jahleel shouldn’t have been that hard. I had him. He was mine. He loved me.
He assured me of this. Over and over.
And I should’ve believed.
I should’ve kept my mouth—and legs—shut.
I should’ve believed when he told me he was mine, and mine alone.

Because arseholes never lie.

A follow-up novella to JAHLEEL




EXCERPT:

June 15th

Forcing a smile, I nodded, and he slung an arm around my neck rude-boy style, moving out to the dance floor.
We stole the middle of the floor just as Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are began playing. Jahleel gave me his famous crooked grin and tugged me into him, crushing his lips to mine right there in front of everyone.
Surprised by the attack, I pressed a hand to his chest, but only to gain balance so I could kiss him back, as his arm was still hooked around my neck, making me feel like a biker's Old Lady.
Breaking the kiss, he stared down at me for a long moment, his golden eyes something fierce in the dark. Then he mouthed, "You're amazing," before unhooking his arm from around me, and in one smooth flow, caught me with his other hand and reeled me out, my hair whipping around, then he pulled me back in.
A happy giggle bubbled from me at the sudden movement.
He started dancing, and I was no longer in control of my feet. He moved for both of us. Hands on my waist, guiding me. Of course, he knew I couldn't dance, so he was doing me a huge favor.
The song bled into another, and then another, and we danced and danced. Me grinning like an idiot the whole way through. Music blaring, people moving, dancing, yet I saw only one person. Jahleel. For me, no one else was in the room but us. I loved him so much.
"Can't believe…I've been missin' out on this…all these years," Jahleel whispered brokenly into my ear as we rocked slowly to Christina Perri's A Thousand Years. "You're such a spectacular fuckin' view, Sassy. Priceless. Fuckin' priceless. Don't wanna look anywhere else but here. Through any other windows but your eyes. Walk through any other door but your heart."
I stared up at him, unblinking, as his words seeped deep into my soul. I felt like I've been loving him for a thousand years, too. And it was so surreal that we were finally together. We fought, we worried, we doubted, but in the end, we knew we belonged together. We knew we were each other's forevers.
A tear stained my cheek, and Jahleel gave me a faint smile, wiping it away with his thumb.
"Do you love me?"
"Forever," I answered without hesitation.
"Good," he said. "'Cause I love me, too. Nice knowing I'm not the only who thinks I'm the shit."
Giggling like the giggly sluts I hated so much, I smacked his arm. "Arse."
He watched me with soft eyes like he adored the crap out of me.
Of course, Lion had to bloody interrupt. Again. "Bodyguard's been briefed. Free to go now."
We started off the dance floor, and Jahleel leaned down to whisper, "So, do the cocky assholes usually get into the British girls' panties at the end of the night?"
"No," I answered with a serious expression. "They usually get hair-gripping blow-jobs. British style." 







AUTHOR BIO:

S. Ann Cole is a passionate writer and reader, and a lover of anything that distracts her from the real world.  Reader first and second a writer, S. Ann Cole is an exaggerator, a laugher, sometimes overly chatty, sometimes overly shy. She’s afraid of cats, dogs, snakes—heck, she’s only tolerable to gold fishes in a tank. Because if they do jump out and try to attack her, the suckers will die…

She hates chocolate, schmaltz and arrogance.

She loves carbs, Chris Brown and humility.

She lives nowhere and everywhere.

Jokey people are her favorite people, as laughter is the way to her heart.

Ann hopes that one day, the right day, when it’s her time (because nothing happens before its time), her hard work will be noticed and appreciated, and she’ll become a “bestselling author”…

…But she’s guessing that might not be likely if she continues to write such sucky author bios.
When Ann’s not abusing her computer keyboard, you can find her nosing a novel, watching anything on television that makes her laugh until she breaks into hiccups, studying the Bible, or guzzling booze.


AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: www.AnnCole.net


PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon US:

Amazon UK







Blog Tour Hosted:


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BOOK BLAST ~ STRIPPED FROM YOU and STRIP ME BARE by MARISSA CARMEL







PURCHASE LINKS:


Blurb:

You know how it ends, now see how it all began… 
"It doesn't matter how many women touch this body, only one woman has ever touched this soul."
Ryan Pierce doesn’t come from much, doesn’t ask for much, and doesn’t expect much. And he's come to accept that, until, Alana Remington. Alana is the girl who struck the match that lit his world on fire. She's the girl who opened his eyes to more. Who made him believe that just because you have nothing, doesn't mean you are nothing. And he loves her fiercely for it. But, just because you come together, doesn’t mean you stay together. One fateful decision rips Ryan and Alana apart and neither of them are ever the same again. 
For five years he's regretted that decision, but the deep seeded anger, shame and resentment has kept him from reaching out. And over those five years, a series of moments have spun Ryan's world in a direction he never saw coming. A world ruled by endless nights, infinite women and the name Jack the Stripper. A world, unbeknownst to him, that may just let two severed hearts collide. 

(Stripped From You is a Prequel to Strip Me Bare)



*Author Note- Stripped From You can be read as a stand-alone novel, but the author suggests reading Strip Me Bare first. 

Excerpt:

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course not, I just met you.”

“Then how about giving me the benefit of the doubt?”

She raises an eyebrow at me, and before I give her a chance to respond I slam the shot then pull her face to mine. And as my mouth covers hers, heat rapidly spreads through my body. 

She’s momentarily stunned. Her body is rigid against me, but then she relaxes, parts her lips and lets the tart liquid slide into her mouth.

I can’t believe I just did that.

I can’t believe she just let me.

After she swallows, she lets her lips linger, sucking up the taste of the sweet shot, causing my nervous system to shift into hyper-drive. We break apart slowly, but I refuse to let go of the nape of her neck. She just stares up at me with these enthralling eyes I know I’ll never be able to resist.

“Do you always break the rules?” she asks.

“No, not usually, but you seem to make me want to do crazy things.”

“Was that crazy?”

“Let’s do it again and find out.”

I lick my lower lip, tasting the sweet remnants of her lip gloss before I drop another shot. I pause for just a beat before lean down and press my mouth back to hers and let the alcohol flow between us. I flick my tongue against her teeth right before I pull away. I shouldn’t like this so much, but I do. I like the way she looks, the way she feels, they way she smells. 

There’s something about her, something ventilating; like she oxygenates the atmosphere.

I catch the cool beats to a song I recognize pumping though the air. “Do you want to dance?” I ask her.

“You can dance?”

“There’s only one thing I can do better.” I smirk.

Alana cocks her eye brow suggestively.

“Draw.” I fire back. “The only thing I can do better is draw. Dirty girl.” I tease as I grab her hand and lead her out to the dance floor knowing Mac will look after our drinks.

Once we find a comfortable spot, I start to move to the smooth rhythm, leaving a little room between us so it doesn’t feel like I’m forcing myself on her. Drake sings coolly about hot love and affection as we move in sync to the beat, our bodies brushing and grazing as the music plays on, then finally coming together in a comfortable unison. I wrap one hand around her waist as I roll my hips into hers, pressing our bodies as close as they can possibly get. Alana runs her hands up my chest and hooks her arms lightly around my neck keeping tempo with the music. She moves lithely against me, inducing my heart, thoughts, and pulse to race. 

Fuck, I’m drowning in want for this girl. I slide my hands up under her shirt and caress the smooth, soft skin of her lower back as she nuzzles her face into my neck, her warm breath skating across my collarbone, making me instantly hard.

Damn.

She lifts her head and meets my stare, which I know is filled with lust and unrepentantly wanton. She bites her lower lip, our bodies still jiving to the slow seductive music. In a brazen move, I slip my hand up the back of her bare thigh and cup her ass cheek under the hem of her short shorts. She gasps as I work my fingers against her, massaging the fleshy part of her bottom. I’m absolutely aching being this close to her, touching her, stroking her, grinding against her.

“Are you sure drawing is the only thing you can do better?” she pants in my ear.








Playlist:
Hold on, We’re Going Home- Drake
The Other Side- Jason Derulo
Demons- Imagine Dragons
Dark Horse- Katy Perry
Say Something- A Great Big World
Summertime Sadness- Lana Del Rey
Royals- Lorde




PURCHASE LINKS:


Blurb:

“I may have had more lovers than you, and I may take my clothes off for countless women, but you are the only one who can strip me bare.”

Do you ever stop loving someone just because they’re gone? Five years ago Ryan Pierce disappeared from Alana Remington’s life without leaving so much as a post-it note behind. He was the one she gave her heart to, her soul to, and her virginity to.  So imagine her surprise when she finds him dancing at one of NYC’s hottest male revues as Jack the Stripper.

Ryan never stopped loving Alana, and now that she serendipitously dropped back into his life, he’s vowed never to lose her again.  But being together has its costs, and challenges Alana isn’t sure she can handle.

She finally has Ryan back; but how in the world is she supposed to share the love of her life with half of the women in New York City?

Excerpt:

We stop in front of some hanging crystals. They clink as Ryan pushes them aside, “after you.”  I walk under an orange spotlight, into a small space with a white leather couch deep enough to lie on and walls a warm golden yellow.  

Ryan steps in behind me and presses his body flush against mine. My mind races. 
Is he really going to do this? 

Am I really going to let him?

Can I even handle this? Five minutes ago he was with another woman. Quite possibly in this same room doing God only knows what. 

“Why do you do this Ryan?” I expel. I know he explained it in words, but I need to experience it to truly understand. 

He ambles around me so close; the only thing separating us is a whisper of air. 
“I told you, the money,” he says as he unbuttons his shirt.
 
“You said women too,” I watch him cautiously, my gaze jumping between his eyes and his chest.

“That was before you walked back into my life. You’re the only woman I want to touch now. The others, like you saw before, it’s just an act. A business transaction. It’s what I have to do to get what I want.”

“Doesn’t it make them feel used?” I flick my eyes up at him.

“It mustn’t. They always come back.”  

“You like it. I saw your face. That wasn’t an act.” 

Ryan stands right in front of me, his shirt unbuttoned and dangling open. “I won’t lie to you Alana, I’ll never lie to you,” his tone is hard, but seductive. “I do like the attention. But it’s not real. It’s my job to sell attractiveness and fantasy, and I do it well. But that’s all it is, fantasy and I know it. When I’m with you, that’s my real.”

My breath catches when he says the word real. I can’t help but find the irony in his words; I’m exactly to him what he is to me. Two people one and the same, both living a double life to get what they want; a future and each other. 

And that is what I want. A future, with Ryan.  

I go to put my hands on his chest, but he steps away shaking his head no. “In this room, it’s all about you,” he walks around, stopping right behind me. “You have to tell me what you want Alana,” he whispers in my ear and I almost go limp, the sound of his voice is erotic as hell. 

I swallow hard, but can’t utter a single word, because truth be told, I have no freakin’ idea what I want. At least, not in this scenario. 

Ryan starts to rub my shoulders. I think he can feel my hesitation. 

“Why are you so tense? This is supposed to be fun.”

Fun? The word rattles around in my head. Fun - a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement.

Okay, let’s have some fun. 

I turn around to face him and our eyes lock. “Show me.” 

“Show you what?” his tone dripping with sensuality. 

“Show me Jack the Stripper.”

Holy fuck!  





Playlist:

Muse- Madness
Run- Leona Lewis
I Know You Want Me- Pitbull
Troublemaker- Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida
What You Wanted- OneRepublic
 (I Just) Died in You Arms Tonight (Club Remix)- Cutting Crew
Counting Stars- OneRepublic




Author Bio:

Marissa Carmel has loved writing ever since a young age. She has a duel degree in History and Political Science, but took as many creative writing classes in college as she could. She spent most of her twenties bartending, which is where she met her husband and a multitude of interesting people. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s hanging out with her family, experimenting in her kitchen or doing yoga on the living room floor.


Links:


Author Links:


GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5211765.Marissa_Carmel

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marissa Carmel/e/B005OKFXXU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1361243544&sr=8-2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marissacarmel      Handle:  @marissacarmel


Author pg: https://www.facebook.com/authormarissacarmel?ref=hl

Web/Blog: http://marissacarmel.com/





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Sunday, June 29, 2014

searching for perfect by Jennifer Probst (Review)




searching for perfect
By Jennifer Probst














Synopsis:

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself… Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

Review:

On goodness gracious Nate Dunkle is one hot nerd! When we first meet Ned he is the quintessential nerd, and, as Kennedy points out, his initials spell N.E.R.D. He also has a bad case of insert foot and swallow because he’s listened to his older brother’s advice like it was gospel. I really felt bad for the guy. Nate sincerely wants a person to share his life with. He wants a family to come home to every night. He was trying so hard to follow all of the pointers Cosmo and reading sexy novels could provide. Unfortunately, he missed the fact that most of that is bullshit.

Enter Kennedy, a matchmaker with Kinnections. She sees her ultimate challenge in the mess that walks into one of her mixers. And Ned wasn’t a hot mess, he was just a mess. Kennedy sets up a plan to remake Ned, starting with reclaiming his name. What Kennedy can’t predict is how Nate will remake her.

Life hasn’t always been kind to Kennedy, and she’s worked hard to claim the person she’s become, the person the world sees. The beautiful, stylish, and confident woman is somewhat of a façade. Kennedy encountered circumstances as a teenager that convinced her that being smart and fat was to blame for the horrible abuse she suffered. In order to combat these feelings, Kennedy began to hide her intelligence and focus on becoming aesthetically pleasing.  To quote Nate, she became her own Frankenstein. (Which btw is incorrect, because the monster’s name was never mentioned in the book. The doctor’s name was Victor Frankenstein.)

Nate knows he’s attracted to Kennedy. He even goes so far to admit it. What does Kennedy do? She sets him up with other woman. Poor Nate. He’s been overlooked for years, and when he finally starts coming into his own, the woman he wants can’t admit it. Luckily, there are a few people to help this couple along the way, not to mention a love spell.

searching for perfect is part of the Searching for series, which is a spinoff of the Marriage to a Billionaire series. I actually liked this book better than the billionaire series. The characters are so relatable, and I don’t know who could resist the pull of the hot rocket scientist— I mean aerospace engineer. The book is a very quick and engaging read.

Reviewed by Liz.


BLOG TOUR ~ BREATHE WITH ME by Kristen Proby





BUY LINKS:
Amazon  **  iBooks


Synopsis:

Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time…

Mark Williams has loved Meredith since he was seventeen. A successful man with a strong family, he’s worked hard to move on from Meredith breaking his heart all those years ago. When his path crosses with the only woman he’s ever loved again years later, Mark knows there is nothing he won’t do to keep her in his life. But when the going gets tough, will Meredith stick around or will he lose her again?

…But true love has a way of finding its way back.

Meredith Summers is a dancer. One of the first things she learned in following her dreams is that timing is everything. She has spent the past ten years following her dream touring with mega-stars while trying to forget the high school sweetheart she left behind. Now she’s back in Seattle, running a successful dance studio with her best friend Jax and determined to move on from her gypsy past. Until the day she sees Mark Williams and time stands still. It’s as if no time has passed at all when Meredith finds herself in Mark’s arms again. The chemistry, the bonds and the love are as strong as ever and hearing Mark whisper breathe with me in her ear is a balm to her wounded soul. But will she grab onto this second chance at love, or is the timing all wrong for them again?

Don't miss catching up with the Montgomery and Williams clans in this latest installment of the With Me In Seattle Series from New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Proby.

“There were days that I would have exchanged a year of my life just to touch you one more time.” –Mark Williams


REVIEW:

Is the saying true, that timing means everything?  Meredith and Mark were high school sweethearts.  Meredith had dreams of becoming a dancer in New York City and Mark was going to go with her when they graduated. That was until Meredith made a decision that changed both of their lives.  Meredith spent ten years following her dreams as a dancer, but there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about Mark.  Meredith knew that she left her heart behind in Seattle with Mark when she pursued her dreams.  Meredith made the choice that was best for her at the time and she chose to put herself first to follow her dreams,.

Mark Williams was shocked when Meredith broke up with him.  At no time, did he even think that they wouldn't stay together after graduation.  For years Mark tried to keep himself busy focusing on his studies so he wouldn't think of Meredith.  Not only did Meredith leave her heart behind in Seattle with Mark, she took his heart to New York City with her when she left.  Mark knew that Meredith was the one for him.  He went through the motions of dating and hooking up with women, but none of them meant anything, cause they were only filling a void that Meredith left behind.

Meredith's life has led her back to Seattle when she opened up a dance studio.  Everything changed one night when Meredith notices Mark in the audience at a dance recital.  Will she talk to him? Will either of them tell each other that they have never gotten over each other? Is the timing right this time?  Will Mark put his heart on the line again?  Will they be each other's priority this time?  Can they trust each other again?  Will they be afraid that the other will hurt them? Could this be their second chance at love? 

The chemistry between Mark and Meredith is evident.  Their chemistry was never the problem, timing was.  Now that Mark has Meredith within his grasps, he will stop at nothing to make her see that they are meant to be together.   

I absolutely LOVE this series, it is one of my all time favorites.  I am a HUGE Will Montgomery fan and he stole my heart from the beginning.  However, I have to be honest and say that Mark Williams is a close second behind Will.  I absolutely LOVED Mark Williams.  He laid is heart on the line for Meredith and to see how vulnerable he was to love, made be all warm and fuzzy inside.  While reading Breathe With Me, I felt the raw emotions that Mark felt for Meredith.  My heart ached for him.  I was routing for Mark and Meredith.  
Kristen Proby has done it again.  She never fails to deliver an AMAZING book with each novel she publishes.  Hold onto your hearts ladies, because Mark Williams is going to steal it.
Breath With Me is the 7th novel in the With Me In Seattle Series and with each book, Kristen captivates you and makes you fall in love with her characters all over again.  With each turn of the page, I found myself loving Mark Williams, just a little bit more.  I was always fascinated with Mark in the books leading up to Breathe With Me, I needed to know what made him tick. 

This review was prepared by Heather.  I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 


And don’t forget the rest of the With Me in Seattle Series…





About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.


Links:


Twitter: @handbagjunkie





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