Showing posts with label xpresso tours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xpresso tours. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Counsellor (Acquisition #1) by Celia Aaron




Counsellor (Acquisition #1) by Celia Aaron
Publication date: September 28th 2015
Purchase Link:  Amazon
Genres: Erotica, Romance
In the heart of Louisiana, the most powerful people in the South live behind elegant gates, mossy trees, and pleasant masks. Once every ten years, the pretense falls away and a tournament is held to determine who will rule them. The Acquisition is a crucible for the Southern nobility, a love letter written to a time when barbarism was enshrined as law.

Now, Sinclair Vinemont is in the running to claim the prize. There is only one way to win, and he has the key to do it — Stella Rousseau, his Acquisition. To save her father, Stella has agreed to become Sinclair’s slave for one year. Though she is at the mercy of the cold, treacherous Vinemont, Stella will not go willingly into darkness.

As Sinclair and Stella battle against each other and the clock, only one thing is certain: The Acquisition always ends in blood.


My Thoughts:
“I’ve never been a good man. My darkness is neither restrained nor buried. It lives right at the surface. The only thing that hides it is my mask.”

Oh wow! That was absolutely dark, twisted and quite disturbing at times! Counsellor by Celia Aaron was exactly what I needed to shock my reading palette! This is the first novel in what I believe is a three book series, and I can tell you now, I have no intention of putting this down. On to book two!! I must see how this dark tale continues!

When Stella Rousseau decides to take Sinclair Vinemont’s offer of being his Acquisition for a year in exchange for her father’s release from a hefty prison sentence, she has no idea what she’s bargained for in this dangerous agreement. Living in the deep south, the Vinemont’s are among several powerful families in Louisiana that take part in a tournament held every ten years, where slavery and sadism are the basis of the game and losing is not an option. When Stella becomes Sin’s Acquisition, she’s immersed in a barbaric game that could cost her more than she ever thought to sacrifice.

Despite the pain and danger Sin puts Stella through, she never gives up hope that she will make it through the year she agreed to be a part of his sick game. It was heartbreaking to witness her being degraded and tortured in order to protect her father. I knew from the beginning that Stella was going to begin to fall for her captor, Sin, and as much as I don’t want it to happen I can see the appeal in this dark and hard-edged character.

"To want the touch of the devil was nothing short of a mortal sin."

Sinclair is nothing short of lethal, handsome, and absolutely motivated by the traditions of his ruling faction that has been a part of his history for over 150 years. There is plenty of darkness in him that guides every move he makes, but when he has brief moments of vulnerability you see the man he prefers to be.

Overall, I found myself captivated by this twisted tale. I wanted to know more about the Acquisition, as well as Sin’s parents who are mysteriously out of the picture but not out of the story. Celia Aaron does a great job at giving me just enough details to whet my appetite and have me scrambling for the second book. I am hooked!
4 Suns

Author Bio:
Hi, I'm Celia. Nice to meet you. Can you keep a secret?

I write smut. Gritty, dirty, delicious smut. This is a secret we can share. I'll do the writing. You do the reading. We have to keep our relationship quiet because I have a highly respectable day job. At night, I become markedly less respectable, as you will see.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my stories. And remember, it's our secret.

Sign up for my newsletter at aaronerotica.com to get information on new releases. (I would never spam you or sell your info, just send you book news and goodies sometimes). ;)

You can find me on:
Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Website
Be sure to enter this tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Mean Streak by Sandra Brown


Brandie and I (Rachel) are thrilled to be part of the Blog Tour for Mean Streak by Sandra Brown because we loved the story! For a complete tour schedule with stops that includes interviews and excerpts, click HERE. As part of our stop we have our reviews and a giveaway of SIGNED copies of Mean Streak, plus swag!


Publication Date: August 14th 2014 by Grand Central 
Genre: Adult, Suspense, Romance
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

About the book:

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name. She's determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can't turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law.

As her husband's deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer.

Rachel's Thoughts:
If you’re a fan of a well-plotted mystery, one with twists and turns look no further, Sandra Brown is the author for you. Since reading Mean Streak I’ve gone back and read several of Ms. Brown’s backlist, all wonderful and twisty, but Mean Streak continues to be my favorite story of the lot.  The mystery is just part of the appeal.  The highlight for me was the romance, of course! Oh-so-steamy and intense!

While training for a marathon on a deserted hiking trail, Dr. Emory Charboneau hits her head and is knocked out, and then wakes up in an unfamiliar cabin with no recollection of how she got there. There is a mysterious, and less than forthcoming stranger caring for her, but it’s unclear whether he’s dangerous or not or whether he’ll let her go once she’s well enough to leave.  He’s ruggedly handsome, ruff around the edges, and he stirs up both excitement and fear in Emory.

I think Mean Streak is best enjoyed by reading as little as possible about the plot beforehand.  There are exciting twists and turns and spoiling any of those would ruin the fun. Some made me gasp in surprise!  Each chapter ending was like a mini-cliffhanger making it painful to put the book down at any point, or for any length of time. I will tell you that I adored the romance! It was lusty, and it made my heart race! 

“But here’s a warning, Doc. You give me another opportunity to put my hands on you, and I’m going to put them all over you. Got it? I’m not going to imagine you naked, I’m gonna see you naked. Offer yourself up again, and I’ll ignore every reason why I shouldn’t fuck you.”

Oh, my!

I’m a long-time reader of mysteries and I was surprised when I found out who was behind it all. I should’ve seen it, but I didn’t.  Mean Streak was a well-crafted, thrilling mystery with a romance that made me a little weak in the knees!  A definite recommend!

5 Suns






Brandie's Thoughts:
It has been years since I picked up a Sandra Brown book, and I don't remember them being so full of mystery and suspense. But was I in for a treat when I started reading this one! I was immediately pulled into the story and had a hard time putting it down. It's fast-paced and suspenseful, with some romantic and sexy elements thrown in. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.In order to be surprised about all of the mysteries that unfold throughout the book, I think you need to start reading without knowing too much about it. The synopsis does a great job of giving you an idea, without giving away the goods. I don't want to do a full length review and ruin the story for anyone, so I'll just say that it's a fantastic romantic suspense that I couldn't put down. And I love when I don't figure out the twist before the end! If you get the chance to read this one, I highly recommend it!

5 Suns




About the author:
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including DEADLINE(2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), & HELLO, DARKNESS (2003).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.”

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Connect with Sandra Brown:



5 winners will each get a SIGNED personalized copy of MEAN STREAK in Trade Paperback and swag + a dozen buttercream cookies from Cheryl's.



Thursday, August 29, 2013

Promo Blitz: Ruin by C.J. Scott



Ruin by C.J. Scott
(A Summer in Winter Novel 1)
Publication date: August 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Amazon / B&N

Synopsis:Kate Bell isn’t perfect. Not even close. The things she got up to in college would cause her parents to fall off their pedestals in shock. Home for the summer vacation, Kate settles in for a long, boring break in the tiny backwater of Winter with folks who still treat her like she’s twelve.
Then Ben Parker arrives and suddenly Winter gets interesting. He’s hot, mysterious and good with his hands. Kate falls for him instantly, but her cop father warns her to stay away. But how can she stay away from someone as compelling as Ben? Someone who thinks she’s perfect just the way she is?
When Ben’s secrets catch up to him, not only is Kate’s heart in danger of being broken, but Ben’s entire future could be ruined.


Excerpt from Ruin:
He gave me a sad smile. "I'm not a monk, Kate. If you kiss me...I can't stop there."
His words probably had the opposite effect to what he wanted. It spurred me on, because now I knew he was on the brink of giving in. On the brink of falling into the abyss with me.
I touched his face. His jaw was rough from his stubble. A small muscle pulsed against my fingers.
"Kate, please," he whispered. But he didn't pull away. Didn't stop me getting closer.
I stroked his lower lip with my thumb, and he groaned deep in his chest.
"Ben," I murmured.
He brushed my hair off my shoulder. His fingers caressed my neck, sending tiny tingles racing down my spine. My heart hammered against my ribs to the tune of kiss me, kiss me, kiss me. I wanted this man. Wanted to know him intimately.
My head told me it was impossible that I could feel this way after such a short time, but my heart was ignoring it, lost in a mad, chaotic rhythm of its own.
Ben's hand cupped my hip, his other pressed against my back. It was all the encouragement I needed. I closed the final small gap between us until I was crushed against his body. It was hard and ridged, warm.
Our lips met in a kiss that turned my legs to jelly. My knees buckled, but Ben's arms circled my waist. He held me there, firm yet gentle, like I was something precious. I felt dizzy and weightless. The world spun one way and I the other, out of control. I didn't care. It was exactly what I wanted to feel. Exactly how I'd always imagined a kiss should feel.
Yet I wanted more. The kiss filled me with longing that clawed at my heart. It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.
***To read the extended version of this scene and discover what Ben has tattooed on his shoulder, check out C.J.'s website http://www.cjscottbooks.com


AUTHOR BIO
C.J. loves reading stories that take her away to another world. If she’s in the middle of an amazing book, she’ll keep reading while cooking or cleaning (when she can be bothered doing either).

She likes interesting artwork but can’t paint, sketch or make anything more complicated than a snowman from plasticine. She enjoys beautiful gardens but hates gardening. She also hates housework, cooking (see above) and writing about herself.

C.J. loves connecting with readers. The best place to interact with her and other fans is via her Facebook page. That’s where she posts teasers and other stuff from her books.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook






Thursday, August 1, 2013

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater


Today on Waves of Fiction we are participating in the blog tour for Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater hosted by Xpresso Tours.

Pretty When She Dies (Pretty When She Dies, #1)
Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater
Published on November 24, 2008 by Createspace
About the book
Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.

But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

My Thoughts:
Pretty When She Dies is not your everyday ordinary vampire story.  This book is filled with dark, gruesome, and might I say some very sexy moments.  I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into when I started this, but I am happy to say that it was an enjoyable read.

The story starts off with a huge BANG!  Amaliya wakes up in her own grave with no recollection of what happened to her.  Going on instinct alone she finds herself slowly walking back to her dorm room.  Things get stranger and stranger when she feels a weird pull towards a frat house.  What she discovers is a very interesting party and well what happens next is not what I expected at all. The story takes off from there and we learn that Amaliya is a vampire and has the worst luck ever.  She runs into so many awful people that when she finally meets Cian she isn't sure if she will survive being a vampire.  Cian takes her in and does the only thing he can, he teaches her how to survive and in the process of this he finds his long sleeping dark side awakening again.  These two are like gasoline and fire to each other.  With one match they will ignite, but with so many other obstacles in the way their story may be the shortest one in vampire history.

I really enjoy the originality of this story.  It wasn't a cookie cutter cutsie story.  There were some very gruesome scenes that made my jaw drop and *fans self* the steamy scenes were beyond hawt.  Amaliya was a little hard for me to connect with at the end of the story, but overall I did enjoy her character.  She wasn't trying to drive a wedge between anybody and she wasn't trying to steal things that weren't hers.  She simply just wanted to live the best way she could.  I give her a lot of credit for her actions early on because it showed strength and respect for herself.

Cian was amazing!  I loved his character and I couldn't wait for him to let his dark side out. He felt so restrained in the beginning but when he finally came together with Amaliya WOW is all I can say.  I am so excited to read more about him.

Overall this was an enjoyable book.  There were a few bumps along the way for me that dropped my rating a bit, but they are all probably just me.  Some of it was the writing style and some of it was the overall descriptions.  I sometimes felt like there was too much filler and I wanted the author to just get down to it.  For the most part though this was a fun read that I am very much looking forward to continuing on with the series.

3 Suns




About the Author
Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com. 
  
Other Books in This Series:
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

As part of the tour we are excited to share this tour wide giveaway with our readers!  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter.
Good Luck! 
Us/Canada Residents Only