Monday, February 27, 2017

RELEASE TOUR ~ LOVE REVEALED by JC Santo

 
Love Revealed
Author: JC Santo
Cover Designer: T.E. Black Designs
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Genre: M/M, Military Romance

Two men brought together by chance. What was only supposed to be a one night stand evolves, and now two years later they’ve found something in one another that they’ve never had with anyone else.

Marshall Stevenson has always lived his life in the open, never answering to anyone. He owns his own successful business and has a loving family and a supportive group of friends. The one thing he wants and doesn’t have, is a real relationship. The man he’s been seeing for the past two years, has pressed to keep their causal relationship a secret due to his own insecurities; however, Marshall is ready for that to change. 

Preston Clark has lived the last five years of his life afraid of people judging his sexuality. The secrecy isn’t ideal, but he has come to terms with it. His career in the Navy has been his main focus after leaving home, but Marshall changes everything. In order to be with Marshall and become the man he’s meant to be, Preston must face the past he’s been running from.

Can Marshall convince Preston to face his fears? Or will the combination of facing them and his past cause him to run away from his future?

Falling in love was easy, revealing it to the world will be the hard part.

*This book is intended for mature audiences(18 and up). It does contain explicit language and detailed sexual scenes. While Love Revealed is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.*


Prologue

Preston


“That’s not how a relationship works, Preston. Look, I know I’m no expert in this area, but I know that in a relationship, you should want to be there for the person you’re with; you want to go places and do things with them, not hide them away from the world because you’re scared.”

Marshall runs his hands along his head, his fingers skimming through his short brown hair. I hate that I’m the reason for his frustration tonight, but I understand why he’s upset.

We left the bar an hour ago, and I’ll admit, I hate that I took the coward’s way out tonight. We had plans to meet up with Marsh’s friends, his family, tonight, and officially come out as a couple.

However, I chickened out on my way to the Eagle’s Nest. After another hour of back and forth in my head, I went….Only as Clark and not Preston.

All of Marshall’s friends, the group he considers a close knit family, I know. I’ve worked with a majority of them over the past two years, but being military, they’ve only known me by my last name. I’ve been lucky that they haven’t connected the dots and put two and two together, realizing that Marshall’s ‘Preston’ is their friend, Clark.

“I spent the past two years thinking you were shy about being gay. I didn’t think you were ashamed of it.”

I start to speak but he holds his hand up in the air, stopping me from getting a word out.

“Don’t try to deny it. If you’re scared to come out to your coworkers, that’s one thing, but you don’t want to come out to anyone. I don’t know if your family rejected you when you told them you’re gay, and you’re holding onto that or what. But it seems like you think everyone will do that to you, without even giving them a chance to know the real you.” He shakes his head, and breaks my heart with his next words. “I don’t even know if I know the real you.”

The sadness on his face is enough to make me wish I would have manned the fuck up and came out tonight.

If only we could go back...

“Of course you do, Marsh…”

“Do I? One minute, I see one side of you and the next, I see someone completely different. If you’re gay, then be gay. I’m not asking you to plaster rainbows all over your car or wave a Pride flag around everywhere you go, I’m just asking you to be fucking real. You can’t be gay here in the privacy of these four walls with me, then straight in the eyes of everyone else. It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to yourself.”

I know he’s right, but my primal instinct is to protect my lifestyle by hiding it.

“I don’t act straight in front of everyone else. I just don’t flaunt my sexuality.”

He rolls his eyes at my lame attempt to defend my behavior.

“But you see, that’s where you’re wrong. When you’ve been working with people for this long and they still don’t know if you’re gay or straight, that’s when you know you’re hiding it.”

He shakes his head again and we’re both silent, contemplating what to say next, where to go from here.

He finally stops pacing the length of the couch and takes a seat beside me. Well, on the other side of the couch actually. With his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands, he delivers another blow I wasn’t expecting.

“Look, I’m too damn old to play this shit. You wanna be with me? Now’s the time to prove it. We have a family dinner coming up in a week, it’s way past time for you to meet my friends.”

“Marshall, I don’t know.”

He looks at me with a harsh glare that silences my plea in an instant.

“I do. I hate to be the one to dictate shit like this, but I’m done. If you still, at this point, can’t come out to the people who mean the most to me, then we don’t need to waste anymore of each other’s time.”

“Marsh, please…”

“No, I need some space and you need some time to think, Preston. I know you already have all the details for the dinner. You, or should I say Clark, were already invited. I guess it’s up to you who you decide to be that night.”

With that said, he walks over to the front door and opens it, waiting for me to take the hint and leave.

Unsure what to say or do at this point to make anything better, I quietly walk out with my head down, too afraid to see the anger and disappointment in his eyes.

Marshall

Closing the door behind Preston feels so...wrong and final. I don’t know if I did the right thing or not.

Scratch that, I hate what I did tonight. I treated him like shit all night, then gave him an ultimatum.
Who the fuck does that?

This asshole right here, apparently.

I sit on my now empty couch and consider the best way to get a hold on this mess. I hate not being in control of a situation. Any situation. I’m a control freak to the max. And this unsettled feeling is already eating a hole in me.

Calli, my calico cat, sits in Preston’s vacated seat, glaring at me. She’s only been around a few short weeks, but she already runs this house. And judging by her intense glare, she’s not happy I sent Preston away tonight; I swear she likes him more than me.

Refusing to backtrack now, I do the best thing I know to do; head into my kitchen, open my liquor cabinet, and pull out a bottle of Hennessy. Foregoing the glass, I sit on my counter and take swigs from the bottle.

As much as I want to fix this, I know I can’t. Pushing Preston into a take-it-or-leave-it deal wasn’t the right way for me to handle our relationship, but something needed to happen. I’m ready to snap from all of my frustration at the dodgy persona I’ve acquired to keep this ridiculous secret.

I take another long pull of the amber liquor and relish in the bitterness as it courses down my throat.

My friends would accept Preston without a second thought. They already do, he just won’t give them the opportunity to see it for himself.

The burn of the alcohol does nothing to wash away the guilt I feel after that fight, nor does it blur the memory of Preston’s crushed face and sagging shoulders as he passed me when I kicked him out of my house.

I bring the bottle to my lips again for another long drink and slide off the counter. With the bottle in hand, I head to my room.

If nothing else, maybe I’ll knock out shortly.

I can only hope Preston finds the resolution to our problem by daylight. If not, this is going to be one shitty week.


Review:

I loved all the other Navy Love books. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this one too since I was anticipating Marsh's story for quite some time now. However, this book is unlike the other M/M books I have read. To me it's a bit tamer and I'm not sure how I feel about that just yet. In this book we get more emotion, more storyline rather then just your sex filled book.

Marshall has always been out in the open with his sexuality and his family and friends have all supported him. One of the many things I love about this group, they go through everything together. When one is down, they pick one another up. Or when one is hurting they all hurt. Preston on the other hand did not receive that support from his family which has caused him to hide is sexuality from the world. We pretty much have known about Preston since the beginning but he hid his true identity so no one knew the real him. 

Because of Preston's lack of support it has caused him to hide who he truly is. From his co workers, his friends and even from Marsh. You can't help but feel bad for him. He's living his life based off of what his shitty parents did to him and because of that, it's causing a strain on his relationship with Marsh. 

When Marsh reaches his final straw he gives Preston an ultimatum. A dick move in my option. But with him doing it, it has shown Preston that he has nothing to be afraid of. His fears are from his past and the people they are surrounded by will support him and not put him down.

I loved Marsh in this book. He is very patient with Preston as he goes through this important phase in his life. He could have given up on him a long time ago but he hung on. You can see that he truly cares for him which is why he is helping him through it all. Any doubt that Preston has Marsh is there to prove him wrong and that he needs to stop living in the past. Watching Preston finding himself is very eye opening. He truly cares for Marsh it's just that his past has put so much fear in him. He doesn't want to be rejected or disappoint anyone again so he has hidden who is is. Little does he know he's doing that, he is keeping his feelings in. Marsh wants to be all in with him, Preston is having a hard time letting go.


When is enough enough? Can Preston look beyond the past to make a future with Marsh or will it be too late? What happens when the past comes bringing back doubt? Will they be able to pull through or will keeping hem hidden be their end?

Since this book is done, I'm a bit sad to see this series come to an end. 

This review was done by Jenn. I received an advanced copy for my honest review. 




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FOR  A LIMITED TIME ONLY, BOOKS 1-3
OF THE NAVY LOVE SERIES ARE ON SALE FOR
99 CENTS!


I'm a southern girl, born and raised in Texas, until my husband enlisted in the Navy and we were relocated to Virginia. I'm a stay at home mom to three boys, so my days are pretty packed. When I'm not reading or chasing around kiddos, I'm on my computer writing. 

I have a weakness for cupcakes and tattoos. My two addictions other than my handsome boys.


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THE HOT ONE by Lauren Blakely

From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a hot new standalone second chance romance…
THE HOT ONE!




Want a slow burn, sexy-as-sin second chance romance filled with wit, humor and so much heart? Dive in, and get ready to swoon and fan yourself from the heat!



A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely…

Ever notice that sometimes a guy will do something really stupid, like let the love of his life slip through his fingers? 
Yeah. I'm that guy. But the instant I run into her again I’ve got one goal and one goal only—a second chance. The plan? Go big or go home.
Fine, at first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend's place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her heart again. But trust me on this count—she always liked me best without any clothes on. And sometimes you've got to play to your strengths when you're fighting an uphill battle. As a lawyer, I know how to fight, and I'm prepared to fight hard for her. Because sometimes you need a second chance at first love.
He's the one who got away . . .
The nerve of Tyler Nichols to reappear like that at my job, showing off his rock-hard body that drove me wild far too many nights. That man with his knowing grin and mischievous eyes is nothing but a cocky jerk to saunter back into my life. Except, what if he's not . . .? I've tried like hell to forget him, but maybe I'm cursed to remember the guy I fell madly in love with eight years ago. Lord knows I’m not over him, so what's the harm in giving him a week to prove he's changed in the ways that matter? 
After all, how do you resist the hot one . . .?

➜ Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2lcoaWR
➜ Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2lmLL87
➜ Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2lI8vBQ
➜Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fY0KGf
➜Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fDNSRA




REVIEW:


Where do I even begin. Lauren Blakely is one of my go to authors. I love her sense of humor and it shows through her characters.  Tyler and Delaney will have you laughing out loud, all the while, Tyler swoons the hell out of you. The Hot One is steamy, romantic and has all the wants in a Rom-Com read for me.

Tyler and Delaney dated while in college. They both had dreams of becoming lawyers. Things change between them. Tyler begins to doubt that he can have it all. The girl, the dream, the dream profession when someone plants a seed of doubt in his head.  

Delaney was blindsides by the breakup. Her life takes a turn and she doesn't go to law school. Eights years have passed since they have seen or spoken to each other, until one day. While juggling in the park, Tyler's eyes fall on Delaney while she is jogging with two friends. Juggling, you see. How ironic, this is where there break up began. Tyler didn't think he could juggle a relationship and school at the same time.

Over the past eight years, Tyler has haunted Delaney's dreams. Some may say nightmares, since Tyler seems to have the staring role in everyone of her her dreams.

When Tyler realizes what he did was a mistake, he vows to try to win Delaney's trusts back. But truth be told. Does he deserve a second chance?  Will Delaney drop her walls and let Tyler back in again? Will Delaney trust Tyler again? He broke her heart once, will he do it a second time?  Only time will tell. Get one clicking if you want to find out what happens with Tyler and Delaney.

5 star read for me !




Excerpt:

Technically, I didn't drop my drawers the first time I saw her again. Just my balls.
The ones in my hands. Juggling balls.
Here’s how it went down. Picture a Sunday morning in Central Park. A perfect summer day. The grass was green, the breeze was warm, and I’d just spent the last few hours getting acquainted with turtles and frogs at the children’s zoo because I’m an awesome uncle. And Carly’s one cool seven-year-old.
The kid loves all creatures, but especially the ones that jump and crawl, so I took her to the enchanted forest part of the zoo. When we finished, she tugged on my shirt sleeve, batted her hazel eyes, and asked ever so sweetly for an ice cream cone.
Like I stood a chance at resisting her. C’mon. She’s my cousin’s kid, and clearly she gets her charm from our side of the family.
With her hand in mine, we strolled across the grass near the running path, hunting for the nearest ice cream dealer.
And then Carly did that thing little kids do.
She shrieked for what seemed like absolutely no reason. Next, she pointed to an impossibly tall dude wearing a beret while juggling two Rubik’s Cubes, two orange balls, and a small green beanbag.
“He can do five, Uncle Tyler!” Carly shouted, her eyes going wide.
“Five isn’t too shabby,” I said with a shrug.
She turned to me with a questioning stare. “I’ve never seen you do five.”
“That’s because I haven’t shown you all my tricks yet.”
“Can you really juggle five balls?”
I scoffed. “Please, I can do that with my eyes closed.”
I didn’t put myself through law school juggling for nothing.
Just kidding.
You can’t put yourself through law school juggling anything but insane class schedules and lack of sleep.
Carly arched an eyebrow. So did the juggler, as he kept up the cascade of his quintet.Show-off.
“I want to see. Show me,” Carly urged.
Yeah, Carly’s a chip off the old block. She’s all about challenging me, and I’m all about rising to the challenge.
The stick-thin guy with the beret raised his chin. “Have at it, man.”
With clockwork precision, he let the balls fall out of orbit and into his palm. Next, the Rubik’s Cubes. Then the beanbag. He stepped closer, handed me the objects, and flashed a crooked, put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is grin.
Game on.
Packs of runners jogged along, cyclists wheeled over the black asphalt, and rollerbladers whizzed by on the concrete. With my feet parked hip’s width apart, I stood at the edge of the grass getting a feel for the items, weighing them, and then one, two, three, four, five, I whisked each one up into the air in a high oval arc. Round and round, in a perfect five-ball cascade.
Carly clapped, then demanded more. “Yes, now close your eyes!”
I groaned. What was I thinking? Juggling with eyes closed is fucking hard. But I could pull it off for a couple seconds. My special skill. I obliged my niece’s request, pulling off a few quick blind ovals. Five seconds later, after I’d shown off that particular party trick, I opened my eyes.
And I saw a vision from my past.
A blond beauty, with long legs, a lovely round ass, and a high ponytail swishing back and forth across her shoulders. She ran along the path in tiny orange let-me-peel-them-off-with-my-teeth-pretty-please running shorts. And that face. Dear Lord, the stunning face of an angel. High cheekbones. Deep brown eyes that saw me like no one ever had. Those red lips, shaped like a bow. Fuck me, the things she could do with those lips. The things I taught her to do with that sinful mouth.
Delaney sure as hell knew how to use it, and I don’t just mean in the bedroom. We used to talk about anything and everything when we were together in college. Days with her. Nights with her. Best time of my life. That woman was full of spark. Full of fire. So damn passionate. And look at her now.
Jesus Christ.
It had to be illegal to be that smoking hot.


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About Lauren Blakely:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy-five times, and she's sold more than 1.5 million books. In February she'll release THE HOT ONE, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter




Wednesday, February 22, 2017

COVER REVEAL ~ MISTER MONEY BAGS by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

 

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Authors Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward have teamed up once again to bring you another chance meeting, another Cocky Bastard who will charm his way into your heart on April 10th, 2017.

  IMG_5273
Photographer: Maurizio Montani
Model: Richeli Murari
Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a. designs
     

IMG_5273I met Bianca in an elevator.

She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.

The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.

She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.

Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.

So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.

I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.

I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.

I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.

I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.

And she was falling for two men.

Only, both men were me.

And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.

Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.

All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

 

Add to Goodreads

Read the First Chapter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/h8c4d2_MMB

 

PRE-ORDER

iBooks exclusive ebook pre-order | Amazon paperback

**No Amazon ebook preorder. Will go live on Amazon on release day. **

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

  MisterMoneybagsBookCover5x8_BW_264           Author photoVi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.   Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram       Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.   Connect with Penelope Ward Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram   Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward: Cocky Bastard Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LfN3fc iTunes: http://apple.co/1PffE2J B&N: http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UxCSUO Stuck-Up Suit Amazon: http://amzn.to/1S3LnpZ iBooks: http://apple.co/1Qbwy57 B&N: http://bit.ly/29vrQhV Kobo: http:// bit.ly/1RJdUif Playboy Pilot Amazon: http://amzn.to/2d5I5rS iBooks: http://apple.co/1Wb06Cf Nook: bit.ly/2caXPEK Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cJDXO1

Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward:

Cocky Bastard

Stuck-Up Suit
Kobo: http:// bit.ly/1RJdUif

Playboy Pilot

Other books from Vi Keeland:

Standalone novels

Egomaniac

Bossman
The Baller

Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

First Thing I See


Life on Stage series (2 standalone books)
Beat

Throb

MMA Fighter series (3 standalone books)
Worth the Fight

Worth the Chance

Worth Forgiving

The Cole Series (2 book serial)
Belong to You

Made for You


Other books from Penelope Ward:

Mack Daddy:

RoomHate

Stepbrother Dearest

Neighbor Dearest

Sins of Sevin

Jake Undone (Jake #1)

My Skylar

Jake Understood (Jake #2)

Gemini