Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Books That Need More Attention Blog Hop Giveaway

Today, Waves of Fiction is excited to join Stuck In Books Blog Hop for Books That Need More Attention.

I'd like to spotlight a few novels that have been keeping my attention this year that are in the chick-lit, woman's fiction, smart girl books category. I'd like to see this genre make a comeback now that paranormal and erotic novels have had plenty of limelight in the past few years. 

The books I've truly enjoyed are the following:
For our stop we're giving away a US$10 Amazon Gift Card OR $10 Book Depository Shopping Spree for our international visitors. Simply follow us through GFC and Bloglovin' and fill out the Rafflecopter below!
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Release Day Blitz: Bigger Than the Sky by Harper Bentley

Title: Bigger Than the Sky (Serenity Point #1)
Author: Harper Bentley
Release Date: Sept 30, 2014
Find on
Goodreads
Five years ago, I left my fiancĂ©, hotter than hot Navy SEAL Kade Kelly, at the altar. 
No, I’m not an idiot.
Yes, I had my reasons. 
Now I’ve made a new life for myself working at a large firm in Richmond and I’ve left the past behind. Or so I thought.
Upon returning to my hometown of Serenity Point, Virginia, to take care of some business, I find that Kade’s now home for good and he’s none too happy about my being here. 
Two months. That’s all I’m staying then I’m out of here. Unless I believe the town’s pink-haired psychic’s prediction. Or embrace the sense of belonging I feel at being back home. Or give in to the emotions stirring inside when Kade's attention is suddenly on me. 
He scares the crap out of me. 
He thrills me. 
He used to tell me our love was bigger than the sky.
I always knew ours was a once-in-a-lifetime love. So how can he be so sure it can happen again?
Insert buy links here

I’m hearing that submarine warning horn in my ears. You know the one. It goes A-ooooo-ga! And that shit’s going off in my head over and over. I think it means the sub’s diving, as in, it’s going down. And that’s my warning right now because likely, I’m going down.
I clutch the sides of my dress and think, I can’t do this!
But that’s not how today’s supposed to go, is it?
What I’m supposed to do is go inside that church, take my bouquet (which is fabulous, by the way) from Cassie, my maid of honor, and walk down the aisle to my handsome fiancĂ© who’s waiting for me in front of the altar.
But now I stand at the bottom of the church steps and suddenly can’t catch my breath. Papaw takes my hand and I smile at him weakly as he helps me up the first step and the horn suddenly stops.
Well. That’s weird. Maybe I can do this.
Second step. Hm. Better. Feeling Papaw’s hand in mine is comforting. All right. I think I’ve got this now. Piece of cake.
Third step. Oh, no. I start sweating. I can’t be sweating right now, damn it! It’s so unladylike! And I’ll get those crusty, yellowy stains on my dress from my armpits! Gross!
Fourth step. Shit! I can’t breathe. The panic has a grip on me and no matter what I do to try to calm myself and get it to let me go—closing my eyes, focusing on my breathing, picturing myself getting a full-body massage from some cute guy named Sven—it seems to dig its claws in tighter. Mayday!
On Deck. A-ooooo-ga! A-ooooo-ga! Ack! I’m going down! I gulp for air trying to fill my lungs but nothing helps. I look at Papaw but I guess my lack of air is making me hallucinate because it’s not him holding my hand and smiling at me but Viper from the movie Top Gun. What the hell?
Soooo I’m hoping you’ve noticed the Navy theme here? That’s because a Navy SEAL is waiting inside to marry me but all this stuff going on right now is messing with my head.
Let me give you the low down on the situation. Or is it the down low? Ugh. I’m so not hip. Wait. Do people still say hip anymore? God. See what living with grandparents does to a girl? I’m twenty-five and I talk like I’m twice my age. Jeez. But back to what I was trying to tell you.
My guy and I have been together since I was a sophomore and he was a senior in high school. But he’s now been enlisted in the Navy for nine years, most of it spent training to be then going on missions as a SEAL, and in all that time I’ve seen him maybe a total, a total, of a little over a year. In nine years! I’m not kidding. Since I’m a CPA I’ll figure that out for you. Out of nine years, he’s been gone almost ninety percent of the time. Can you see the face I’m making at that right now?
Anyway, now’s such a fantastic time to be figuring that out, huh?
I’m not a needy or clingy person. I mean, obviously, right? If I were, I would never have even considered marrying him, but now the alarms are going off in my head because suddenly I don’t know if I can do this. How can you make a life with someone when you only get to see them for just over one month out of the year? Like I said, I don’t have to have a man around all the time, but those statistics are just crazy.
I know you’re wondering why I even let it get this far without doing the math and here’s the answer: I don’t know! Thought you were gonna get a better answer, didn’t you? Well, if I don’t know it, I damned sure can’t tell it to you!
But maybe the answer is that I love him. I really do. Honestly. So now I’m thinking that maybe the idea of being married was what pushed me forward. Or maybe I just got caught up in planning it all—picking out the dress, the bouquet, all that fun stuff—and it kept me distracted for a while. But now that I’m here and about to walk through these doors and down the aisle to become his wife, with the numbers stacked so hugely against me, I don’t think I can.
I look up at Papaw and shake my head. He frowns in confusion but when he sees the tears in my eyes, he knows. He nods and lets my hand go. “Go to him, honey. Tell him.”
But I can’t. I can’t face him after all this.
And the only thing I know to do is run.
So that’s what I do.

Harper Bentley has taught high school English for 22 years. Although she’s managed to maintain her sanity regardless of her career choice, jumping into the world of publishing her own books goes to show that she might be closer to the ledge than was previously thought.
After traveling the nation in her younger years as a military brat, having lived in Alaska, Washington State and California, she now resides in Oklahoma with her teenage daughter, two dogs and one cat, happily writing stories that she hopes her readers will enjoy.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Blog Tour & Review: A Perfect Dilemma by Zoe Dawson


A Perfect Secret Series, #3
New Adult Contemporary Romance and Mystery
Released September 2014


About the book:


The one secret she can't stand to keep is the one she can't afford to tell.

The perfect little rich girl, River Pearl Sutton has always done what her family expected of her. She’d become the perfect little beauty queen, the perfect child model and now her global success locks her into a life she never really chose.

Coming home for the summer to prepare for the Founder’s Day Festival, a celebration of her lauded ancestor, she is tasked by her father to write a speech to be delivered at the end of the party.

Returning to Hope Parish brings her back into close proximity with sweet-talking, skirt-chasing Braxton Outlaw, the boy who always seemed immune to her charms in high school. But now he looks at her with those challenging blue eyes, both intimidating and seductive at the same time. Using research of her family lineage and his as way to get close to this bad boy, they fall into a hot, torrid affair.She stumbles across a terrible secret that could bring to ruin not only her reputation, but the reputation and standing of her family. But when her infatuation with Brax grows into something that she can’t live without, she must decide what to do. Keep the secret and lose Brax or destroy her family and lose them.

It’s an awful, heartrending perfect dilemma.  


My Thoughts:
I’ve enjoyed the Perfect Secret Series by Zoe Dawson.  Those gorgeous Outlaw Brothers and their angsty romances have captured my heart.  I’ve been eager to get my hands on the last Outlaw Brother’s story, Braxton and River Pearl’s romance.  They’ve had some interactions in the previous books that made me curious about what was going on with them. Definitely some magnetism and drama! 

River Pearl Sutton is like the Princess of Suttontowne being a direct descendant of the town’s founder and daughter to its wealthy family.  As a beauty queen and a successful model, River Pearl seems to have the world at her feet, but looks can be deceiving.  She didn’t choose her career or decide to enter in beauty pageants. That was all her mother’s desires and River finds it very unfulfilling.  What’s worse is that the only man who has truly captured her interest wants nothing to do with her.  Braxton Outlaw rebuffs every one of her attempts at flirting and yet she knows he attracted.  They always end up fighting or with River Pearl in tears. 

River Pearl resolves to get to the bottom of Brax’s refusals, her last summer home, by including him in her research for the Founder’s Day speech she must write. The Outlaws and Sutton’s have a shared history. The Outlaws have a shameful one that has caused pain and ridicule for the Outlaw family whereas the Sutton’s come off as heroes.  During River Pearl’s research she finds all may not be as it seems and her family may have a much darker role in events that led to the Outlaws fall.

Brax Outlaw is a “skirt-chaser, sweet-talker, heartbreaker”.  He has hookups but no relationships because he’d never subject a woman to pain his mother went through being an Outlaw in Suttontowne.  He’s had a mad crush on River Pearl for ages, not that he’d ever let her know.  She’s the shinning Princess of Suttontowne and he has no intention of tarnishing her crown. But when River Pearl pushes and pushes this final summer, he can’t help his weakening resolve. 

Like I said in the outset, I’ve been a fan of this series.  These sweet talking Southern boys had me swooning from the start.  I enjoyed this installment and it did have some of the things I liked about the first books: the sassy dialogue, steamy chemistry, and some suspense and danger.  However, I had some issues as well.  The inner reservations and musings from Brax (mostly Brax, but also from River Pearl) were repetitive and frustrating.  I think this installment would’ve benefited by a little more editing.  Also, Brax’s reason for keeping River Pearl at arm’s length didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

In spite of my issues I was smiling by the conclusion and happy with how things turned out for the Outlaw family; even if one mystery was a sad revelation for their mother and the boys. 

3 Suns





The Perfect Secret Series: 
(click on cover for Goodreads link)

A Perfect Mess (A Perfect Secret  Series, #1) A Perfect Mistake (A Perfect Secret Series, #2) A Perfect Dilemma (A Perfect Secret Series, #3)

About the Author:

Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.

Connect with Zoe Dawson:


 Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Newsletter


Click HERE for list of participating blogs.

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Upcoming Release: Becoming Calder by Mia Sheridan

Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love) by Mia Sheridan
Expected publication: October 5th 2014
New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
There is a place in modern day America with no electricity, no plumbing, and no modern conveniences. In this place, there is no room for dreams, no space for self-expression, and no tolerance for ambition.

In this place, there is a boy with the body of a God and the heart of a warrior. He is strong and faithful and serves his family honorably. But he dares to dream of more.

In this place, there is a girl with the face of an angel and a heart full of courage. To her family, she is the vision of obedient perfection. But she dares to want that which she has been told can never be hers.


Becoming Calder is the story of good versus evil, fear versus bravery, and the truth that the light of love has always found its way into even the darkest of places... From the beginning of time, to the end of the world.


THIS IS THE FIRST PART IN A TWO-PART SIGN OF LOVE SERIES INSPIRED BY AQUARIUS. THE SECOND PART, FINDING EDEN, WILL RELEASE SIMULTANEOUSLY. 

My Thoughts
“…something inside me felt like it had shifted, too, because I had dreams as well. In that moment, right there and then, I admitted to myself that I longed for more for my life and maybe those dreams were beautiful, too…”
First off a huge thank you to Mia Sheridan for allowing me to have a sneak-peak into her upcoming two-part novel Becoming Calder. I recently experienced the magic of her writing when I read Archer's Voice, and I immediately fell in love with her story-telling. To say Sheridan has mastered the skill of a slow building romance is an understatement. It’s truly impossible not to feel a connection with her characters as Sheridan weaves emotional elements and plot driven drama in a subtle yet powerful way. Well done!

Before I jumped into Becoming Calder, I was struggling with what to read next. As any avid reader, the disappointment of a readers slump is always a tough hole to climb out of. I kept searching Goodreads for something different… something deep. When I stumbled upon this book, for some reason it screamed give me a try!! Clearly, I was on to something. Becoming Calder is unique, powerful and stand-alone in its class!

First and foremost, when I say that Becoming Calder is truly unique, I have to emphasize that it definitely stands apart from the current cookie-cutter, tortured soul, undeniable love novels out there saturating the market. This story is far from rinse and repeat and to keep an open mind when reading Calder and Eden’s story is the key to unlocking the magic of their journey.

Their story begins in Acadia, which means “Place of Plenty,” where the people in this community follow their religious leader Hector without question. One day he brings Eden to their home, who according to the prophecy will be the bride who stands by his side when he and his people will be welcomed by the gods to the “Fields of Elysium,” the most glorious paradise within the heavens, which will happen when the great flood comes to claim them. What we soon realize is that Eden is just a child and her immersion into this religious cult is confusing and daunting. As time passes, she finds herself connecting with Calder Raynes, the Water Bearer, who was raised in this community and believes in Hector’s prophecy and their way of life. However soon Eden and Calder begin to fall in love, which will not only upset the prophecy, but also destroy this community’s belief system.

Overall, I have to say that I was absolutely intrigued by this novel. Reading about a love story that begins in what is clearly a religious cult was fascinating. The entire time I was reading Calder and Eden’s story, I sensed their innocence and naivetĂ© of their beliefs. As they began to fall in love over the years and soon started questioning their belief system, I felt myself rooting them on and hoping they would break free of the fanatical community where they were raised. I sensed their longing for something more than what Acadia offered them, and I felt myself hoping they would take a risk and explore life outside of their secluded community.

As the novel progressed with its slow building love and never over the top drama, I never lost sight of the impending doom I was sure would come if and when these two characters decided to take hold of what they wanted. This story was a true journey about love, self-discovery and defining more for yourself than what society measured out for you. Calder and Eden’s story was believable and beautiful! The ending left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to see how their story unfolds in Finding Eden. Beautiful story that’s filled with emotional power!
5 Suns


Author: Mia Sheridan Social Media Links

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Review: Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey


Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey
Publication Date: September 29th by Entangled Brazen
Purchase Links: Amazon | Kobo

About the book:

A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

Her mind rejects his world. But her body knows its master.

Journalist Caroline Preston arrives at Serve, New York City’s hottest BDSM club, with one goal—to hate it. If her brother wasn’t trying to turn the family’s respectable financial magazine into a publication that features “lifestyle” pieces for the wealthy and adventurous, she wouldn’t even be there, trying to write an article about a world she doesn’t understand. But then she sees him.

Jonah Briggs doesn’t leave his post for just anyone. As the owner of the club, his sole purpose is to ensure that his clientele get everything they need, but when he sees Caroline, his only thought is what he wants—to dominate the sexy little reporter and give the most exquisite pleasure she’s ever experienced.

Caroline has no intention of entering that particular lion’s den—not with her family’s reputation at stake—no matter how dark, sexy, and complex the lion in question may be. But with every encounter, she craves more, and with every slide of his lips, she realizes Jonah might just be the man to break down all her defenses…if she’ll let him.

My Thoughts:
Reading the description for Owned by Fate you’d expect for it to be a fiery hot romance, and it was, but I didn’t expect some of the tender and heartbreaking emotions I felt.  A steamy romance is always welcome but I appreciate it when an author makes me feel for the characters, and makes it more than just sex.  Tessa Bailey pulled that off brilliantly here.

Caroline must write an opinion piece on Serve, a successful bar/BDSM club that caters to a lifestyle she looks down on with every fiber of her being.  But her brother convinced her to write the article to help her family’s floundering magazine and business. As part of her research, Caroline visits the club expecting to be disgusted but instead she’s intrigued and a bit overcome.  She meets Jonah, the Serve’s owner, and her attraction to this forbidden man is overpowering.  He convinces her to go against her better judgment and find out exactly what happens upstairs in the exclusive part of the club.

Jonah has no idea Caroline is there to write an article on his club, he just knows that the minute he spied her on the club’s security feed upstairs he had to come down and meet her. It’s immediately apparent that Caroline’s there with the intention of hating everything about the lifestyle he embraces, but he senses her conflicted feelings.  As much as Caroline wants to despise his club, Jonah can tell she’s a little thrilled by what she’s labeled as deviant.

Caroline was so judgmental through much of this story, and even though I was frustrated a few times with her, the flashes of guilt and honesty made me more tolerant.  I could see the gradual shift in her opinions as she got to see “the man” Jonah instead of just her preconceived ideas. Through it all Caroline had sympathy others feelings, especially Jonah, and so it was easy to like her.   

I completely adored Jonah. He wasn’t your typical “dominant” you’d find in a BDSM novel.  Yes, he liked to dominate in the bedroom behind closed doors, but that was hardly the main feature of his personality.  He was sweet, and caring with a vulnerable side.  Jonah is intensely attracted to Caroline, she has a pull on him like no other, but at the back of his mind is the fact that she wants him in spite of herself. Caroline makes it clear that she takes no pleasure in the fact that she’s drawn to him and his lifestyle, and this hurts him, makes him feel less for his tendencies. 

There were sexy times that had me squirming in my seat. Tessa Bailey knows how to write scenes that could light your panties on fire! 

“If I sit across from you much longer, I’m going to pull you astride my lap and kiss your superbly formed mouth until you soak straight through my pants.—“It wouldn’t take long, sweetheart.  I can do amazing things with my tongue.”

I enjoyed the steam, but I loved witnessing Jonah gradually burrow his way into Caroline’s heart and mind, even more.  I don’t think there’s a female out there that could resist his pull. 

Owned by Fate was a sizzling romance with a strong emotional pull to make you root for Caroline and Jonah’s HEA!  Another win by Tessa Bailey! 

4 Suns



Connect with Tessa Bailey:

  Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Street Team




Friday, September 26, 2014

Review: At Peace by Kristen Ashley


At Peace (The 'Burg #2) by Kristen Ashley
Publication Date: May 2nd 2011
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

Violet Winters once had it all but lost it when her husband was murdered by a criminal madman. During a cold winter night Violet has to leave her warm bed to tell her neighbor to turn the music down. And that’s when she meets sinister, scarred, scarily attractive security specialist, Joe Callahan.

She wants to deny it, but Violet can’t beat back the hunger she feels for Joe so she gives in again and again. Feeling it himself, Joe feeds Vi’s hunger, breaking his own rules to keep her in his bed.

Even though Violet had only one man in her life, she’s sure Joe is giving her the signals and Vi decides she’s ready to take a second chance at life and, maybe, love. But Violet doesn’t know the dark secrets in Joe’s past, secrets so soul-wrenching, they’ve drained him dry. With nothing left to give, Joe’s determined to live his life alone and he breaks Violet’s heart.

Crushed by Joe’s betrayal, Violet comes to terms with the fact that, no matter what signals he gave, Joe was not theirs to win. But Violet’s husband’s murderer is obsessed with her and heartbreak again haunts the door of the Winters home. When it does Joe is forced to face the knowledge that he can’t fight Violet’s pull, she’s under his skin and filled him full to bursting.

Joe needs to win her back and put his life on the line to keep Violet safe. But, having had it all once, can Violet endure losing Joe?

My Thoughts:
I’ve been going through a pretty bad book slump so I chose a Kristen Ashley read hoping it would bring me out.  She hasn’t disappointed me yet and At Peace was just what I needed!  Romance, family bonds, friendships, danger and suspense, all wrapped up in one sweeping tale!

Violet and her teenage daughters moved away from moved away from Chicago to the ‘Burg in Indiana after her husband was murdered, two years prior. She moved to get away from his murderer, a powerful mobster, when it became apparent he’s set his sights on Violet.  He’s obsessed with her, sending gifts and messages.  This is how she meets, Joe Callahan, her neighbor, and he does not make the best first impression.

Violet may think Joe’s somewhat of a jerk, but he’s tall, dark and handsome, and entirely magnetic. She had resolved to keep her distance, but she gets a bit drunk out with a friend, and ends the night with him in a mind blowing passionate encounter!  They can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, and Joe’s sweeter than she had counted on, sending mixed signals, and so Violet thinks they could have something special.  Unfortunately, this is the part where Joe turns into a jerk and ruins things. 

Violet and Joe had a couple starts and stops, and the last one rips her heart out. Violet ends up trying to move on by dating a town cop, Mike, a super nice guy, but not Joe.  It’s hard to make space in your heart when you’re hung up on someone else, and I really felt bad for Mike because Violet strings him along. I wanted to smack both Violet and Joe at different times because of their stupidity, but I had to give each of them a pass because there were reasons behind this fumbling.  No worries, these two finally wake up and Joe turns out to be a complete sweetheart:

“You’re mine, the girls are mine. I’m stakin’ my claim with you right now and, you force it, I’ll do it with him too.”

“First fuckin’ time you smiled at me in my bed, that’s when it happened.  You’re under my skin. I like you there, buddy, and you like me there too.”

One of the BEST things about Kristen Ashley books is the couple time! You always get quality, swoon-worthy, heart-melting couple time!  Joe and Violet were no exception.  And that’s not even including the amazing epilogue. *sigh*

KA always surrounds her couples with amazing multilayered secondary characters, first and foremost were Violet’s daughters, Kate and Keira.  They were very affected by Joe.  Kate and Keira had their own separate relationship with him, and I was moved at how important they all came to be to each other. I was fully invested in Kate and Keira’s romances, teenage drama, and rooted for their happiness. I loved the relationship portrayed between Violet and her girls, too. The push and pull that goes on between mothers and daughters was very realistic, and I could easily relate!  February and Colt, the couple from the last book, factored heavily into the story as friends and support for Joe, Violet and the girls. It was a treat to see their HEA going strong!

The situation with Violet’s lunatic stalker comes to a violent and thrilling conclusion and I was on the edge of my seat in a few spots! Joe really showed himself to be a badass and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the safety of his girls.


KA’s unique and captivating storytelling finally cured me from my reading slump and I can’t tell you how relieved I was.  It truly sucked picking up stories that just did nothing for me! Now I just need to find the time to pick up the next in the series, Golden Trail.

4 Suns






About the Author: Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up.  And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.


Connect with Kristen Ashley:

Release Launch: A Perfect Dilemma by Zoe Dawson




A Perfect Secret Series, #3
New Adult Contemporary Romance and Mystery
Released September 22, 2014



About the book:

The one secret she can't stand to keep is the one she can't afford to tell.

The perfect little rich girl, River Pearl Sutton has always done what her family expected of her. She’d become the perfect little beauty queen, the perfect child model and now her global success locks her into a life she never really chose.

Coming home for the summer to prepare for the Founder’s Day Festival, a celebration of her lauded ancestor, she is tasked by her father to write a speech to be delivered at the end of the party.
Returning to Hope Parish brings her back into close proximity with sweet-talking, skirt-chasing Braxton Outlaw, the boy who always seemed immune to her charms in high school. But now he looks at her with those challenging blue eyes, both intimidating and seductive at the same time. Using research of her family lineage and his as way to get close to this bad boy, they fall into a hot, torrid affair.

She stumbles across a terrible secret that could bring to ruin not only her reputation, but the reputation and standing of her family. But when her infatuation with Brax grows into something that she can’t live without, she must decide what to do. Keep the secret and lose Brax or destroy her family and lose them.

It’s an awful, heartrending perfect dilemma.



The author is giving away (1) $25 Gift Card! To enter, visit her Facebook page HERE.




About the Author:

Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.




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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Review: Unlit Star by Lindy Zart

Unlit Star by Lindy Zart
Published August 20th 2014
We are not guaranteed anything, not even this life.

Rivers Young is the popular guy untouchable by reality. He is like a star—bright, consuming, otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall, and he is no different.

He falls far and he falls hard.

Delilah Bana is the outcast enshrouded in all of life's ironies. Alone, in the dark, like dusk as it falls on the world. When Rivers hits the ground, she is the night that catches him. In the darkness, they meld into something beautiful that shines like the sun.

Only, the greater the star is, the shorter its lifespan.

My Thoughts
Rivers Young was at the top of his high school class. He was a star athlete and commanded the crowd with his presence. Delilah Bana couldn't have been lower on the totem pole if she tried, which in a way you can say she did. She never conformed to the norm and her style was always a bit on the odd and colorful side. However, as life sometimes dictates high school notoriety never lasts and popularity and good fortune sometimes burns out.

After Rivers falls into a deep hole of depression caused by a boating accident that leaves him scarred and unable to benefit from the sports scholarship he earned to a top college, Delilah the class pariah takes a job for his mother and soon finds herself falling for the once full-of-life Rivers.

There were several parts of the novel that I absolutely enjoyed. I always appreciate a good self-revelation that comes with character growth and I think Rivers portrayed that in spades. I loved his character! I feel he had every right to wallow his self-pity because when he reveals what truly upset him most about the accident (view spoiler), I would be broken too!

However, there was an aspect of the story I seemed to have struggled with a bit. I felt like I never truly came to know Delilah. She was so many things to different people… To Rivers's mother she was compassionate and funny. To her own mother she was distant and cold at times. To Rivers she was suddenly head over heals and a bit erratic. I often like the multi-layered characters but with Delilah I felt lost.

Unlit Star was a good story and despite the ending, which I could have gone either way with, I think the author really showed she can captivate an audience. Nicely done!
3.5 Suns

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cover Reveal: Filthy Beautiful Lust by Kendall Ryan

Release Date : NOVEMBER 10, 2014
From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Kendall Ryan, comes the third book in the Filthy Beautiful Lies series.

Pace Drake loves sex. He knows where get it, what to say, what to do, and he makes no apologies for satisfying his needs. But when he meets single mom, Kylie Sloan, he's enthralled by her, and begins to question his standard operating procedure. After all, there's no chase, no mystery when banging a woman in a nightclub bathroom. Kylie's depth and determination make the sloppy, drunken hookups that fill his weekends seem empty and shallow. She's the opposite of the desperate, clingy women he's used to. She doesn’t want or need anyone to take care of her and that only makes him want to care for her more.

Kylie's trust in men has vanished. The last guy she was with played ding-dong-ditch-it with her uterus and left her with a baby to raise. Now her infant son is the only man she has time for, even if she misses sex and intimacy more than she'd ever admit. Opening her heart up to a younger man who's best known for no-strings-attached sex and his casual lifestyle is probably the worst idea she's ever had. But Pace wants to prove to her there are still a few good guys left, and watching the sweet way he interacts with her baby makes her want to try…but she can really trust that his days of hitting it and quitting it are in his past?


Filthy Beautiful Lust is the third book in the Filthy Beautiful Lies series, however it can be read as a standalone novel (no cliffhanger). To understand the full growth and development of the characters, it is recommended that you begin with book 1, Filthy Beautiful Lies.


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EXCERPT


Pace

I take a sip of the liquor and immediately decide drinking is a bad idea. I'm already on edge and frustrated. The alcohol will only make me obsess more. Abandoning the glass, I sit down in a leather chair across from Colton and let out a heavy sigh. "Tell me about Kylie."
His gaze narrows. "Fuck no. You and Kylie?" He shakes his head, rising to his feet. "No. Abso-fucking-lutely not. If this is what you came here to talk about, you can leave now." He points to the door, his expression unwavering.
Goddamn. "You're no fun." Changing my mind, I stride over to the cabinet, pluck up the glass and down the rest of the drink. It burns like a mother fucker on the way down, but it'll do the trick, numbing whatever this weird sensation is inside my chest.
"I'm serious, Pace. She's a good girl. She doesn't need to get tangled up in your…ways…"
"My ways?" Now I'm getting pissed. He's saying I'm not good enough for her.
"Hit it and quit it. Pump and dump. Whatever you want to call it, it's not happening. Not with Kylie."
"I know that, asshole. I wanted to take her out – like legitimately take her out to dinner. Enjoy her company."
He frowns at me again, that crease in his forehead deepening. "You're telling me you don't want to fuck her?"
"Don't be a dumbfuck. Of course I want to. But I'm just saying that I wouldn’t hit it once and never call her again."
"What would you do, then? Move in? Marry her? Raise her son?" he challenges.
"I haven’t thought that fucking far ahead. Christ." Now I'm suddenly pacing the floor of his office and I have no idea why. This entire exchange is stressing me out. I came here hoping to get her number, and instead I'm getting grilled like a steak. He's pulling the older brother card on me like he does so often. The dick.
"And that's exactly why I don't want you messing around with her. You don't have a plan. Kylie needs a man with a plan. Not one with an agenda that only includes getting his crank yanked."

I sink down into the chair, hating this concerned older brother act.


Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break.
She's a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss. She lives in Minneapolis with her adorable husband and two baby sons, and enjoys hiking, being active, and reading.
Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com  for the latest book news, and fun extras

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Bedding the Billionaire Series by Virna DePaul


New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Author Virna DePaul brings her readers the love story they’ve been waiting for! The third book in the brilliant Bedding the Bachelors series, BEDDING THE BILLIONAIRE is out now!  Our favorite characters, Lucy and Jamie are finally getting their romance and you do not want to miss a second of it!

 Bedding the Billionaire by Virna DePaul
Bedding the Bachelors #3
September 1st, 2014
Free-spirited Lucy Conrad enjoys her friends but keeps others at a distance, especially her affluent and judgmental family…and the billionaire she once dated, Jamie Whitcomb. Despite their explosive chemistry, experience has proven she’ll never fit into his world.

Charismatic Jamie enjoys work, women, and wealth. When duty demands he take over running the family business, he jumps in full-throttle; his only regret is Lucy’s refusal to take the ride with him.

Then tragedy strikes and Lucy realizes that in order to gain custody of her orphaned niece, she must prove she can fit back into the high-society world she once rejected. The solution? Accept Jamie’s make-believe marriage proposal, and be seen as the type of mother her niece deserves. Respectable. Controlled. Willing to play the game.

With her faux-fiancĂ© by her side, Lucy exchanges dirty martinis and leather for champagne and silk. But when the passion between Lucy and Jamie only grows greater, they have to make a choice: back away from each other and not get hurt…or risk everything for the kind of love money can’t buy.

Purchase:
Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1w1RcZj
Kobo http://bit.ly/1qkxtDl

Excerpt
One night. No strings attached.”
Wait—what had he just said? Was he seriously offering a one-night stand? Offering to give her his entire body—complete with penetration—for a night, and one night only? But he’d held off before, so why now? Had her actions on stage finally convinced him that she’d never fit into his life? Could it have been that easy?
She stared at him in shock but before she could respond, the house lights went out, plunging the theater into complete darkness, and it was too late. Way too late.
The music started and strobe lights started flashing around the space above the seats. Even with Jamie’s shocking words bouncing around in her head, Lucy gasped at the spectacle happening around her. Smoke and mirrors, she reminded herself. Magic was about illusion…misdirection…mystery. The answers were there, just shrouded in optical illusions and brilliant tricks. But she didn’t care about the logic of the moment. No…the magic was in the mystery. Every time a strobe light went off, it illuminated a different woman, suspended directly over the audience. Each woman was writhing, dancing, seemingly flying without ropes or hoops or any other means of holding them in the air.
And their bodies… The women appeared to be wearing nothing but glimmering, shimmering paint in various sensual colors. Lucy gasped when a strobe light illuminated a woman suspended directly in front of her and Jamie. The light flashed again, and the woman maneuvered her body in a way that brought her close enough that either Lucy or Jamie could have reached out and touched her.
For several minutes, the female bodies above them twisted and swayed in mind-boggling, breathtaking positions. At some point, Lucy realized she was breathing hard and that she’d somehow put her hand on Jamie’s knee.
She automatically tried to jerk her hand away.
But before she could, Jamie covered her hand with his.
One night. No strings attached.
His offer was a temptation she couldn’t put from her mind.
It felt so good to be touching him again. He was warm and strong and God she was getting goose bumps all over just thinking about his hand touching other parts of her body…
He rubbed small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, sending jolts of electricity all the way up her arm and down her spine. The show was enthralling, but doubly so when combined with Jamie’s touch.
 He turned his hand over, so his palm was facing up, and before she knew what was happening, she was caressing it with feather light touches of her thumb and fingers. She had the overwhelming urge to pick up his hand and kiss it, to run her tongue along his lifeline…
Instead, she caressed his hand the way she wanted to caress the rest of him. His entire body tensed when she traced between his fingers and she could tell by the way he shifted in his seat that he was as turned on as she was.
She couldn’t stop her mind from replacing the acrobatics of the dancers in the show with those of hers and Jamie’s bodies, bending and twisting and writhing as they kissed and touched one another.
Her breaths quickened and she felt so hot she knew her whole face had to be fire engine red. The more he stroked her palm, and the more forcefully he did it, the hotter she got.
Lucy’s world became focused on Jamie. They were in public but also very much alone.
In the dark.
Surrounded by eroticism. Artistry. Poetry.
Magic.


About Virna
Virna DePaul is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of steamy, suspenseful fiction.  Whether it’s vampires, a Para-Ops team, hot cops or swoon-worthy identical twin brothers, her stories center around complex individuals willing to overcome incredible odds for love.  

Bedding The Wrong Brother is a #1 Bestselling Contemporary Romance and USA Today Bestseller, and is followed by Bedding The Bad Boy. Her PNR series with Random House includes Turned and Awakened. She loves to hear from readers at  www.virnadepaul.com