Sunday, November 30, 2014

Take this Regret by A.L. Jackson ~ PROMO - Grab it for 99 cents !!!!

TTR on sale  




SYNOPSIS:

There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian Davison, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth Ayers. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back. Can Elizabeth forgive someone who has committed the unforgivable? Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal? 

AMAZON  *  B&N  *  iTunes *  KOBO  

 





SYNOPSIS:

People come into our lives. Some stay, and many go. Some build us up, while most tear us down. They become our friends, our enemies, our lovers, our tormentors. Christian Davison came into mine, and I knew I’d never be the same. To Elizabeth Ayers, New York City had always been a dream. She’s worked her entire young life to make it here. Groomed to one day take over his father’s law firm, attending Columbia University was Christian Davison’s only option. Neither wanted anything more until they sat across from each other at a café table after being paired as study partners. Christian wants her, but Elizabeth knows better than to give into their intense attraction. Yet there is little she can do to stay away. Lost to You, the prequel to the bestselling romance, Take This Regret. A New Adult novella, recommended for readers 17+. It’s unnecessary to have read Take This Regret to enjoy Lost to You.


AMAZON * B&N * iTunes * KOBO   




 If Forever Comes, the final chapter in the New York Times Bestselling The Regret Series

SYNOPSIS:

Christian Davison’s life is complete. With a ring on Elizabeth’s finger and his daughter at his side, he’s ready to run headlong into their future. Elizabeth Ayers never believed she would again find this kind of joy—the joy of a family and the wholeness found in the touch of the man she’s always loved. Their love is intense and their passion only grows as they set out to rediscover each other. But life is never easy. Rocked by the unforeseen, Christian and Elizabeth will find themselves fighting for the one thing they hold most important—family.


AMAZON * B&N * iTunes * KOBO 
    
 
Bio:

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Come to Me Quietly, Come to Me Softly, Pulled, When We Collide, and If Forever Comes.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.


Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. 

Stay Connected to A.L. Jackson:

Newsletter http://bit.ly/ALJacksonNewsletter
Instagram @aljacksonauthor
 
 

Friday, November 28, 2014

The Weight of Destiny by Nyrae Dawn ~ Review





 By Nyrae Dawn


Synopsis:


     When “crazy” runs in your family and your namesake is known for walking into a river with a pocket full of rocks, a girl kind of wants to avoid tempting fate at all costs. For Virginia Nichols, the only way to dodge that bullet is to be perfect at everything: school, student council, life. Too bad it’s all a lie, and underneath the perfection...Virginia is lost.

   
     Ryder Blackstock knows a thing or two about being born into fate. The talents passed down from his father aren't exactly normal; instead of learning how to throw a fastball, he was taught to hot-wire a car like a pro and pick any pocket in sight. He’s got criminal blood, just like his old man. And as soon as he turns eighteen, he’ll be living life on the run with his dad.
    
     When Ryder and Virginia meet on the beach, it seems they couldn't be more different. Soon they discover they’re both trapped in their lives—Virginia denying her fate, Ryder embracing his. Like the rocks in Virginia Woolf’s pockets, the weight of their destinies will pull them under. But being together brings out pieces of themselves they didn't know existed—pieces that make them want to take fate into their own hands and rewrite their destinies...if it’s not too late.






     Back around the end of August 2012, I downloaded an ebook called Karma Bites. It was a YA paranormal. I really enjoyed the book…until I got to the damn ending and it was a cliffhanger. Not only was it a cliffhanger there was nothing about a sequel anywhere. Right then and there, I swore I was never going to read a book by this author again. NEVER!

     Why am I starting a review telling you about an author I swore never to read again? Because sometimes you need to eat some crow. If I had stuck to my vow to never read another book by this author, I would have missed out on the fabulous stories of Charade, Façade, Masquerade, Measuring Up, Searching for Beautiful, Four Summers, Rush, and now comes The Weight of Destiny.

      From the first page of this book, you feel the struggles these two kids are going through as they deal with very adult issues. Ryder and Virginia couldn’t be more different on the surface…or more alike on the inside.
What would you do if your destiny was decided for you simply by the circumstance of your birth?

      Ryder rebels in all the typical ways while Virginia rebels in by doing everything that’s expected of here, except one—she won’t write no matter how much her teachers try to encourage her. They’re both afraid to try—afraid to fail. The weight of their destinies is pulling them down, but sometimes extending your hand to help someone else, rescues you as well.


     Their HEA may or may not include each other, but finding each other could help them escape the weight of their destinies. Nyrae has written a beautiful story that will stay with you from beginning to end.  Don’t miss The Weight of Destiny, at the end, you’ll feel the weight dissipate as a feeling of triumph fills you.

Reviewed by Liz.

BLOG TOUR ~ BRAYDON by Nicole Edwards (Review and Interview with Braydon and Jessie)




From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nicole Edwards comes the sixth searing adventure in her Alluring Indulgence erotic romance series, which follows the seven Walker brothers and their sizzling-hot love interests!

Braydon Walker has always shared everything with his identical twin brother Brendon—hopes, dreams, career choices, and yes, even women. Known for tag-teaming their love interests in every way imaginable, Braydon is surprised and unnerved when he finds himself wanting to keep their newest lover all to himself. Will the twins’ relationship evolve to fit this new mold, or will Braydon’s desire for independence tear them apart?

REVIEW:

Braydon and Brendon were twins, they were inseparable.   They shared everything,  and I mean everything... including their woman.  The brothers were never with a woman without the other, so when Braydon begins to develop feelings for Jessie, he doesn't know how to handle them.  

Braydon was a total sweetheart and melted my heart. I wanted him to be happy, and to see that he was suffering with the feelings that he had for Jessie, broke my heart.  He didn't know how to handle them, and he sure as hell didn't know how Brendon was going to handle this revelation.  Would Brendon accept the fact that Braydon wanted Jessie for himself? Would Braydon tell Jessie how he feels?  Will Braydon stay the third wheel in the relationship and watch Brendon dominate it?  Can Braydon and Brendon have exclusive relationships on their own?  Will Braydon wanting Jessie for himself change the dynamics of the twins' relationship? How will Brendon handle Braydon choice?  Will Brendon support his twin or will this divide the two? 

I have to say, I wasn't sure how Brendon was going to handle the news that Braydon wanted Jessie for himself, but we knew from Ethan's book, that Brendon knew that Braydon was developing feelings for Jessie, that is why Brendon issued the ultimatum to Jessie.  He wanted her to choose.  

Knowing that Jessie wouldn't choose, she didn't want trouble between the twins, he played his hand well.  They continued to have a threesome, but it was only a matter of time until Braydon couldn't stand by and watch his brother with Jessie.

Jessie didn't have the best track records for relationships.  She promised herself that she wouldn't fall in love again, she was tired of getting hurt.  So when she began to develop feelings for Braydon, she refused to tell him.  Jessie wasn't going to be that vulnerable girl again.  To see Jessie struggle with her feelings for Braydon was hard.  Many times I was frustrated reading this book, I just wanted Jessie to say what was on her mind.  Tell Braydon how she felt.  Take a chance, don't be afraid to fall, cause if she did, Braydon would be right there to catch her.  Braydon never gave Jessie a reason to doubt him.  Braydon was worth fighting for.

Nicole Edwards has a way of creating characters that make it hard not to fall in love with them.  With each Walker brother, there are different characteristics that I love. Braydon was so loving and nurturing, so to see him in struggle with the feeling she had for Jessie, gutted me.  Not only was Braydon trying to juggle his feelings for Jessie, he was trying to juggle his relationship with his brother, Brendon.



INTERVIEW WITH 
BRAYDON AND JESSIE

I would like to thank Braydon and Jessie for sitting down with Naughty and Nice Book Blog.  I have to say, there must be something in the water in TEXAS because you Walker boys are FINE!!!!!  They need to pipeline that water to the east coast and a little more north.

Braydon, do you think you should have told Jessie how you felt sooner than you did?
Braydon: Hindsight being 20/20 and all, sure, I think it might’ve made more sense. No matter the timing though, I think things worked out the way they were supposed to."

Why do you always seem to take the backseat when it comes to Brendon?  You showed us that you have a dominant personality, yet you never showed that with Brendon.
Braydon: Brendon’s always had a more aggressive personality. It was easier not to rock the boat and I guess I got used to it. I don’t regret any of it.

Do you think Brendon over reacted just a bit to your relationship with him changing?
Braydon: That’s not for me to speculate on. I think Brendon reacted in a way that I was expecting. Neither of us want change, but I think there comes a time in everyone’s life where it just works that way.

Braydon, do you think that if you and Jessie communicated a little better, some of your problems in your relationship could have been avoided?
Braydon: Communication’s always the key. Again, knowing what I know now, it’s easy to say that if we’d opened up more it would’ve helped. But sometimes those underlying fears just make it difficult to do what seems to be the most logical.

Jessie: When emotions come into play, conversation isn’t always the first thing on your mind.

How are the two of you communicating now?
Braydon: Hmmm… Often and every day. Oh, you said communication. Did you mean verbally? Or…? *smirks*

Jessie: *elbows Braydon in the arm* Really?

Is your mom still working her matchmaking skills?  You know, there are still two single Walker brothers.  Do you foresee your mother meddling with Sawyer and Brendon’s relationships?
Braydon: I foresee my mother meddling anytime she can. It’s what she does. We’ve learned to live with it.

Let’s turn our attention to Jessie.

Why didn’t you trust Braydon enough to open up about your past to him?
Jessie: I can’t say it was a trust thing. It was more about self-preservation that had me shying away from him. It’s not easy for me to open up to people, I’ll admit that much. Especially about something I don’t care for people to know. I’m embarrassed, although I know it wasn’t my fault. That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.

Did the idea of telling Braydon how you truly felt ever cross your mind, prior to him walking away from you?
Jessie: No. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about talking. Again, it’s the self-preservation. We all want someone to fight for us, to come after us, to make us believe we mean something to them. Talking is what the logical solution is, but it isn’t always the answer when you’re dealing with emotions.

Jessie, have you showed Braydon the more dominant side of you that you like in the bedroom? 
Jessie: Let’s just say we’ve been experimenting.

We know the Walker men like sex. Do the two of you have a favorite position?
Braydon and Jessie: (no hesitation) Reverse cowgirl.

Has Jessie used her sex toys on you lately?
*Braydon blushes* I’ll plead the fifth.

Have the two of you ever tied each other up?
Braydon: Not yet, but thanks for the idea.

Do you have a preference, sex or foreplay?
Braydon: Both, they kind of go hand in hand.

Do you plan on having a “big” Walker wedding, or something small and intimate?
Braydon: If I had my say, we’d go to Vegas. My mother would have none of that, so we’ll see. Right now, we’re just taking it one day at a time.

Jessie: I don’t care for a big wedding. Something intimate with family would be nice, sure. I just don’t know that we’re at that stage yet.

I would like for you both to tell us something about each other that the readers don’t know.  It can be anything.
Braydon: When certain songs come on the radio, Jessie starts dancing. Just subtle movements, but it’s cute.
Jessie: Braydon talks in his sleep.

I would like to thank the two of you for stopping by and sitting down with Naughty and Nice Book Blog.  I look forward to seeing what Nicole has in store for the rest of the Walker men, as well as the two of you.

  



















Haven't started the series yet? Get started now: Alluring Indulgence



Join us TODAY on Facebook for the Braydon Release Day Event here: Release Day Party! 





ALLURING INDULGENCE SERIES



Wednesday, November 26, 2014

ROWDY (A Marked Men Novel, #5) by Jay Crownover (Review)



The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances.

SYNOPSIS:

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.


REVIEW:

Where do I begin?  Jay Crownover created a series that EVERYONE MUST read.  I have to say, the Marked Men is one of my favorites.  These rowdy, arrogant, cocky men, have a soft side underneath their hard rough exterior.  With each book that Jay writes, she has me falling in love with these men all over again.

Rowdy had a rough childhood with losing his mother at a young age, he was forced into the system.  He was placed in a small town in Loveless, Texas with a foster family.  He formed a friendship with the two girls that lived across the street, Poppy and Salem Cruz.  

These two girls were his best friends for years, that was until Salem left town when she reached the age of eighteen (18).  Salem left town for her own reasons, but she never stopped to realize the repercussions of her actions and how they affected others... especially, Rowdy.

Rowdy had no family, accept the family that he formed when he met the Marked Men.  Jet, Rule, Nash and Rome were his family.  Phil, Nash's father who passed away, took Rowdy under his wing and gave him the love that he needed and the encouragement to follow his dreams.  When Phil set his plan into motion prior to his passing, none of the Marked Men knew what to expect, they only knew that everything Phil did, he did for a reason.

So the day that Salem received a phone call from Nash offering her a position, it took one click of the mouse for her to look up the shops website, and she knew her decision. ABSOLUTELY, she was heading to Denver.   For years, Salem was a traveling gypsy, roaming from place to place.  Never planting her roots.  But when she saw who was at the shop in Denver, she knew she didn't want to run anymore.  Rather than continue to run from her past, she wanted to run toward her future.  A future with Rowdy.  BUT.... Will Rowdy feel the same way?  
It was like staring at everything that I suddenly wanted in the center of a crystal ball telling me that was what my future was supposed to look like. ~ Salem
When Rowdy walked up the stairs at the new shop, he never knew his life was about to change.  He never expected to see Salem standing before him.  The girl who took part of his heart when she left him ten years ago.  Rowdy never recovered from that.  Everyone that Rowdy loved and cared for left him.  Whether it was intentional or by accident.  Losing his mother, left him an orphan, so when Salem, his best friend left him as well, he never wanted to feel that pain again.  He never wanted to open himself up to anyone to allow himself to get hurt again.  When Salem arrived, something in Rowdy changed.  He began to feel eROmotions that he never felt before.  There was something about Salem, that made him want more. Made him want to try.  The two of them needed to be able to address their pasts.  They needed to both open up on how they truly felt about each other.  Will Rowdy forgive Salem for leaving him ten years ago?  Will Rowdy be ready to mend that relationship? Will the two of them be able to move forward?  Can they overcome the obstacles in their way?
"You started all of this, Salem.  You don't get to back away just because you don't like what's hiding in the dark once the light you're shining hits it." ~ Rowdy
Rowdy and Salem knew each other. They saw each other for who they truly were.  They accepted each other for who they were.  Salem and Rowdy were bound in ways that they couldn't explain. Salem always encouraged Rowdy to pursue his interest in art, to pursue his dreams in what he loved. 
"You always saw me Salem.  You understood me when I didn't even get myself.  You were by best friend and then you left. I can't care about someone, attach myself to someone, when they're just going to leave me in the end." ~ Rowdy
This book pulled at the strings of my heart.  Rowdy needed to be loved, he deserved to be loved.  I wanted Salem to love him, I wanted her to stay.  I wanted her to prove to him that love doesn't always hurt and that she wasn't going to leave.  That Rowdy was worth fighting for.  I was routing for the two of them the entire time.  I wanted to see both of them happy. Both, Rowdy and Salem had unsettled feelings from their past, and until they spoke openly about them, they would never be able to move forward.  These two loved hard, and fought hard as well.  The chemistry between the two was off the charts, you could feel the love the two had to each other, as well as the pain that they both endured.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ROWDY !!!!!

"I've heard you say my name in a lot of ways, Salem.  Gotta say hearing you say it in bed when I'm about to eat you up is probably my favorite to date." ~ Rowdy

I will scream it from the roof tops, if you have not read The Marked Men Series, you do not know what you are missing.  One click this series, because you will fall in love with these tatted up bad boys in a blink of an eye.






Tuesday, November 25, 2014

OWNING VIOLET by Monica Murphy (Review and Interview)

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy begins a sexy new contemporary romance series—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emma Chase—that introduces three sisters born to wealth, raised to succeed, ready to love, destined to make waves.



SYNOPSIS:

I’ve moved through life doing what’s expected of me. I’m the middle daughter, the dutiful daughter. The one who braved a vicious attack and survived. The one who devoted herself to her family’s business empire. The one who met an ambitious man and fell in love. We were going to run Fleur Cosmetics together, Zachary and I.

Until he got a promotion and left me in the dust. Maybe it’s for the best, between his disloyalty and his wandering eye. But another man was waiting for me. Wanting me. He too has an overwhelming thirst for success, just like Zachary—perhaps even more so. He’s also ruthless. And mysterious. I know nothing about Ryder McKay beyond that he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.

One stolen moment, a kiss, a touch . . . and I’m hooked. Ryder’s like a powerful drug, and I’m an addict who doesn’t want to be cured. He tells me his intentions aren’t pure, and I believe him. For once, I don’t care. I’m willing to risk everything just to be with him. Including my heart. My soul.

My everything.





REVIEW:

I am a HUGE fan of Monica Murphy so I was not surprised that I loved Owning Violet.  This book will have you captivated from the very first page until the last.  I did not want this story to end, I just loved these characters.  Monica takes you on a journey of two completely different people that find love when they both least expected it.  We always say opposites attract and Ryder and Violet fit this perfectly.

Violet Fowler was a goal driven woman, who focused on her career with the hopes to run her family business, Fleur Cosmetics one day.  Her love life with Zachary took a turn that she least expected when he got a promotion and was leaving her behind.  With Zachary heading overseas for a new position, Violet decides that she needs to make some changes in her life, starting with her love life. 

Ryder McKay was dark and mysterious.  Rumors circulated around the office about him, but we all know how rumors are.  There could be some truth to them, however they could all be false.  Violet has heard quite a few, but there was something about him that made her feel something... something she has never felt before.  

Violet is drawn to Ryder, she knows she shouldn't trust him, she knows she should stay clear of him... but she can't.  He is like her favorite drug, and she needs her next fix.

What started off as a bet with a high wager, quickly turned to something way more serious that Ryder McKay ever expected it would.  Ryder has noticed Violet on many occasions, he would have to be blind not to.  When the opportunity arises for Ryder to get to know Violet on a more personal level, he jumps at the opportunity.  Ryder does not allow many people in, he doesn't know how to love.  He makes this perfectly clear to Violet that she should stay clear of him.  That she deserves better, that he can't give her what she wants or what she needs and deserves.

But as hard as Ryder tries to push Violet away, she always tried to see the good in him. Ryder wore a mask, a mask that rarely revealed the true person beneath it.  His attitude was all a facade, and Violet saw that.  Despite Ryder's warnings to Violet, and his own fear for "feeling" something for Violet, both of their hearts had its own agenda.  Our heads may tell us one things, but sometimes our hearts lead us in the opposite direction.
"I'm falling in love with you.  You'll probably tell me I'm not because I don't know how to love, but I'm one hundred percent positive that's what I feel for you." ~ Ryder
The chemistry between Ryder and Violet is evident, and as a reader I felt it.  I felt the struggle that Ryder was feeling.  Ryder needed to be honest with Violet if he wanted to move forward with their relationship.  What started out as a challenge to him, turned into something he never imagined.  Ryder was a creep, I won't lie.  Some of the things that came out of his mouth made me cringe, and I wanted to smack him for Violet.  BUT...  I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  I saw that there was a good person under that cocky, arrogant facade.  Ryder deserved to be happy, he just needed to allow himself to be.  Violet was the one person that could make him truly happy.
"You're mine." ~ RyderI mean it.  For once in my life, I fucking mean it.  Something -- someone -- is more valuable to me than any possession.  She is my possession.  An obsession.  

Owning Violet was a great book and I highly recommend it to others.  I am excited to get the rest of the Fowler sister's stories.  

This review was prepared by Heather.  I received an ARC in exchange for an HONEST review.  I have also pre-ordered a copy from Amazon as well.



INTERVIEW WITH MONICA MURPHY



Heather: "Thank you so much for letting us be a part of this! We would love to get to know more about Monica Murphy and her new book Owning Violet."

Monica: "Thank you so much for having me here today! Well, I write romance under two names (also as Karen Erickson) and I live in central California with my husband and three children. When I'm not working (which is pretty much all the time), I like to read, travel and spend time with my family."

Heather: "Tell me about Owning Violet. How did you come up with the story?"

Monica: "OWNING VIOLET is the first in three books about the Fowler Sisters, who's family runs a cosmetics company, Fleur. This book is about Violet, the middle sister and her new relationship she starts with a man who works at the company, Ryder McKay. Ryder's intentions aren't true - he's out to use Violet to get a promotion but he doesn't count on falling for her." 

Heather: "How would you describe Owning Violet to someone who has not read your previous novels?"

Monica: "This is a very dark, very sexy read with a lot of twists and turns." 

Heather: "Can you describe Ryder and Violet’s personalities?"

Monica: "Violet is quiet but strong. She may come across as meek but she becomes stronger throughout the book. And Ryder is a dark, mean, ugly mess when the book first starts, but he starts to feel for Violet...and starts to care about a lot of things as the story progresses."

These two characters are more than anything, real and flawed and raw and mistake-ridden. I wanted them that way. No one is perfect, not even characters in a book but I always make sure they get their happily ever after."

Heather: "Where were you when the idea for this book came to you?"

Monica: "I've wanted to write a book about sisters with flower names for years (since 2007!) and at first, back in the early days, I wanted it to be a paranormal (and I don't even write paranormal). It's evolved over the years."

Heather: "Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing process?"

Monica: "Not a big plotter so when I get stuck, that can present a challenge sometimes. But plotting the entire book takes the fun out of it for me so I just...can't do it." 

Heather: "Do you read reviews posted on Amazon and Goodreads?"

Monica: "I'll be honest - I do. And sometimes there are some terrible reviews on there, but that's okay. Everyone's allowed their own opinion and I respect that. What I write isn't for everyone."

Heather: "What are you reading right now? Are there any authors that you would name as influences?"

Monica: "At the moment, I'm not reading anything because I am in full on writing mode. Past influences include Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood and Lavyrle Spencer. Those are the ladies I read in my teens and they inspired me to want to become a romance writer." 

Heather: "What advice would you offer to a new author following their dreams of publishing their first book?"

Monica: "First and foremost - finish the book. I said I wanted to write a book for years. I tried to - for YEARS. I wrote bits and pieces and scenes here and there, off and on but never really got serious. Once I got serious, I realized I needed to finish the thing and even though it was a huge heap of crap, I felt like I accomplished something and that was an important step of the process."
Heather: "What is the best thing about being an author?"
Monica: "There are so many things. I meet a lot of great people, I get to create characters and play in their worlds, I work from home, I can be there for my kids and I get to ogle hot men on the internet all in the name of research. You can't beat that." *winks*

Heather: "Do you have any favorite authors that you enjoy reading?"

Monica: "There are too many to mention but my go to, always have to read when she has a new book out, is Jill Shalvis. I love Jill Shalvis. I say it in every interview when I'm asked, I'm sure she thinks I'm some sort of crazed stalker but I don't care. I love her books. She writes the best heroes ever." 

Heather: "Once again, thank you so much!"

Monica: "Thank you again for having me!"


PRE-ORDER 
OWNING VIOLET by MONICA MURPHY