Thursday, April 30, 2020

This is why I LOVE second chance romance: Review of The Summer of Us






The Summer of Us is NOW LIVE and available on Kindle Unlimited!

☀ABOUT THE SUMMER OF US☀

Can we let go of the past?

The Summer of Us is the new small-town, second- chance romance from NYT/USAT Bestselling Author Melanie Moreland.

She was the light in my dark life. The sunshine that warmed me and made me smile.
We had one summer. One perfect summer, until the day it ended.
Years later, she walked back into my life. Older. Sadder. More beautiful than ever.
How can I prove to her that summer was real?
How do I make her see that boy that loved her then, still loves her now?
How do we get back to the summer when we were us?

☀PURCHASE☀
FREE with Kindle Unlimited subscription
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TheSummerOfUs



☀REVIEW☀
To put it into words why Melanie is a 1-click author for me is in the diversity of tropes and themes in her catalog. She has something for everyone's tastes - romantic suspense, comedy, insta-love, single parent, etc. And now she adds second chance romance. 

For those who follow, next to insta-love, second-chance is my favorite theme. The chance for a do-over. Something that all of us have been in a position hoping for that kindness from the fates. 

In Part 1, the readers met Linc and Sunny. Wildly optimistic young love can conquer the roadblocks put in to place by Linc's father. Being in love doesn't conquer all in this case. We are then transported ten years when Linc begrudgingly comes home to close his father's estate. What he doesn't expect to find is the girl of his past, the one who touched his heart to be back in his hometown. 

Part 2 is their second chance. With life experiences and now walls rather than optimism guard their hearts, they embark on can they connect again. The readers are graced with decisions that the character grapples with in order to accept and love who they are as adults today. 

I love this story. It's one of my favorites of hers. Not only my favorite theme, but the emotion leaps off the page and has you rooting for this HEA. The story doesn't drag or burden with unnecessary angst. Just a connection that is frayed but not broken made whole again. I love that Ms Moreland doesn't have the characters fall back to instant relationship, but ask the hard questions of one another. Also - another perfect epilogue. 
☀EXCERPT☀


I pulled into the garage, wondering if Sunny was still asleep in my bed. Part of me hoped she was.

She worked too hard, and I wanted to spoil her today.

But entering the house, I had my answer. All I could smell was biscuits. I found Sunny, not in my bed, but in the kitchen, wearing one of my dress shirts, the tails hanging down to her knees, and a pair of my heavy socks. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, her face free from makeup, and she looked adorable.

She looked up as I came around the corner, her welcoming smile bright. I headed straight for her, catching her in my arms and lifting her off the ground. I crashed my mouth to hers and kissed her long, hard, and passionately. She plunged her hand into the hair at the nape of my neck, kissing me back with equal fervor. I eased back, dropping my face to her neck with a groan.

“You have no idea what seeing you in my kitchen is doing to me right now.”

She wrapped her legs around my waist, laughing low in her throat. “I think I can, um, feel your reaction.” She rubbed against me. “I think you’re happy to see me. Or your cell phone is in your pocket,” she deadpanned.

“Baby, my cell phone doesn’t take up that sort of real estate.”

She giggled, the sound lilting and strange in my house. I liked it. I was about to kiss her again when the timer on the oven went off and she pushed away.

“Cockblocked by biscuits,” I muttered and set her on her feet.



☀BIO☀

New York Times/Wall Street Journal/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of thirty-one-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.

Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at  flavia@bookcaseagency.com


FOLLOW MELANIE

Facebook Author Page http://bit.ly/MMAuthorFacebook
Melanie’s Minions (FB reader group) http://bit.ly/MMReaderGroupFB
Billionaire Book Boyfriend Club: http://bit.ly/BBBCGoodreads




Thursday, April 23, 2020

Review: Couldn't ask for a better ending- Heartless King by Maya Hughes

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AVAILABLE NOW!

Title: Heartless King
Series: Kings of Rittenhouse #5
Author: Maya Hughes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs
Release Date: April 23, 2020

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

 

★ ABOUT HEARTLESS KING ★

Two blue lines. That means not pregnant, right? Right? Oh, sh*t.
Five years ago, Colm Frost asked me to marry him and I ran. I ran from my painful past too raw and fresh to escape. He was the only one who looked at me like I wasn’t broken and made me believe it. He made me feel it.
Now, he’s the hot, angry, hockey player on the mend.
I’m the physiotherapist who’s supposed to get him back on his feet.
I don’t think our night together was what his doctor prescribed, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t dreamt of him every time I close my eyes. I woke up beside him with my body still singing from the way he fanned the flames of my desire, but I couldn’t stay.
His lips on my neck. His hands wrapped around my waist. His impressive...ahem, touch leaving me breathless.
One moment of wild inhibition and it’s come back to bite me in the butt. Kind of like he did that night.
But a baby? Our night was supposed to be a one time thing, closing a door on the future I couldn’t handle.
Will this new bump in the road be everything we needed to find our forever?
Heartless King is a standalone friends to enemies to lovers, accidental pregnancy romance that brings all the laugh out loud, angsty feels!

★MY REVIEW ★

Where do I start? 

First, raise your hands if you love a redeemable asshole. Be prepared to not be disappointed. I can't count the times I want to reach through my eReader to choke him. Colm went off the rails spectacularly. Before we get much further let's address the elephant in the stacks. 

Standalone or Series? Okay although the book focus is on the main characters, those parts of the journey that you gifted by the author as we get to the end, a reader should experience. Yep, I insist. Be prepared - binge on these hot hockey players and the women who are their perfect half. Okay back to heartless.

See Colm does have a heart. Maya Hughes takes her time letting the readers, his friends, his sister, and the heroine to breakthrough. Colm basically has reached the end of being the problem solver. But he takes a spectacular way to exit that role. However, as he exits, he doesn't come out unscathed. Nursing an injury and now a one-night stand he can't forget - the hero just has trouble finding his way back. Enter the heroine to help with that.

And a plus sign on a pregnancy stick. 

I couldn't have wished a better ending to the series. The story shows its more than just the family you are born with but the one you let in. Getting that connection with all the KoR players - their bromance - was awesome to read as it played out on the page. Once again, Ms. Hughes has gifted her readers with fabulous characters, witty and touching dialogue, and a brilliant love story. 

If you haven't started the KoR series, get on and binge! Its what I love in sports romance.
 

★ EXCERPT FROM HEARTLESS KING ★

The way she bit her bottom lip while sitting in the back of the taxi sent my heart thundering against my ribs, trying to make a quick escape out the window. She was going through all those thoughts blinking like big caution signs on a dark night saying “No, don’t do this. It’s irresponsible. Here are twenty seven reasons this is a bad idea.” I didn’t want to be a bad idea or a mistake in her mind. She sure as hell wasn’t one in mine.
Tugging her toward me, nearly sitting on my lap, I sealed her parted lips mid-gasp with a kiss. Threading my fingers through her hair, I let my tongue dance along her lips, before delving inside.
The taxi driver cleared her throat. Only then did I remove my hand from under her skirt, tracing the edges of her panty line with the tips of my fingers.
I released my hold on her.
Now, her pink cheeked glances and slightly mussed hair were a hallmark to how far away I’d pushed those thoughts out of her mind. That along with her fingers intertwined with mine. Her pulse drumming against my palm.
She had no trouble putting her hands all over me during one of our sessions, but could still be shy about us exploring one another's bodies. An exploration I wouldn’t be finished with until I’d committed each inch of her to memory and could discover which spots made her gasp, whimper and moan.
Her gaze kept darting to the tent in my pants.
”At this point, I’d think you’d be used to it.”
With a hasty cash tip to the driver, I hustled her out of the taxi.
We burst through the front door like a zombie hoard was following us through the streets.
With a mischievous grin over her shoulder, Imogen danced outside of my grasp.
Her laugh made me smile as she took off up the stairs, shedding clothes along the way. I gathered up each piece like the world's most tempting breadcrumbs.
A heel, then another.
Her soft black wrap.
The perfectly formed cups of her light gray bra hung on the railing at the top of the stairs.
I stood silently, trying to find her. She was a stripping Houdini.
Her dress, the one that fit her perfectly, in a heap on the floor.
My blood thrummed in my veins, pounding harder with each step. I’d been inside her less than an hour ago and already I was ravenous for her touch.
And that’s when I remembered. The bright blue, lacy fabric in my pocket.
She was totally naked.

GOODREADS LINK:

ALSO AVAILABLE IN KINGS OF RITTENHOUSE SERIES

And FREE to Read with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon Series PageUS: https://amzn.to/3bntcKR
CA: https://amzn.to/3bt3Pr8
UK: https://amzn.to/3eJRzoi

AUTHOR BIO

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! :-) I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.
I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe and traveling with my family.

AUTHOR LINKS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayahugheswrites/
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/maya-hughes
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mayahughes
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/mayahughes
 

Sunday, April 19, 2020

A different love story - Blog Tour - Favorite Hello Hardest Goodbye by ES Carter

Title: Favourite Hello. Hardest Goodbye.
Author: E.S. Carter
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: April 17, 2020



Ellis.
I feel him.
Before I even lay eyes on him, I sense him.
The air in the room seems charged, my awareness of him heightened, but he is a stranger to me.
Unfamiliar, yet familiar.
Unknown, yet known.
And something inside me says, "Hello, I've been waiting for you."
Macsen.
I see him.
I've seen him a hundred times before and I know this will not be the last, but each time I do, I feel it.
That invisible tether.
I remember everything.
I remember him.
His eyes lock with mine and then move away too quickly.
I am nothing more than a stranger, another face in the crowd.
While he is my favourite hello, and my hardest goodbye.

My Review




ES Carter has magic with words. She writes in this lyrical fashion that weaves around you and spins you somewhere else. And isn't that what we want our fiction to do? Provide us those few precious moments to escape. 

The story allows the reader to peer into a moment of time between Mac and Ell. We share in their discovery and connection. To appreciate this meeting of the souls, you may need to step back for a moment and allow the words to seep in. Ms Carter doesn't just hand over the journey. She expects you to feel this voyage and appreciate the possibilities these two souls have.

As I read, I experienced a myriad of emotions ranging from joy to tears. Because that's what true love brings. All the joy of the moment along with the painful parts. Life isn't perfect. But couldn't we all wish for what Masen and Ellis have. 

I seriously hate spoilers. And this book is magic and needs to be experienced. So rather than get into the story you get into how this love story made me feel. 

Yes, love story fiction not romance. If you are eager to find beautiful magic, buy this book. 

✩✩✩✩✩






“You’re in front of me, I can see you, but not only with my eyes. Your voice, the way you speak to me, I hear it, but not only with my ears. My body knows yours, Macs.” I rub a hand over my abdomen. "It knows you in here.” I tap my temple with my finger. “It knows you in here.” And finally, I place a palm on my chest over my heart. “And in here, in here it’s hollow, empty, waiting, always waiting.” “For what?” His words are a mere whisper of air. “For you.”





USA Today Bestselling Author, ES Carter, lives in Cardiff, South Wales—the home of castles, dragons, and folklore.
Her family joke that she was born with a book in her hand, and the urge to write stories soon followed.
At eleven, she won her school's literary prize. At ages fourteen to sixteen - her poetry phase after falling in love with Dylan Thomas and e.e. cummings - she had a few poems published, but life, love, and family overtook her dreams, and she was in her thirties when she began the scary journey of self-publishing.
Her debut and internationally best-selling series, 'Love by Numbers', are a set of interconnected stand-alone romances, all with varying themes of love. From second-chance to romantic comedy and M/M romance. These stories do not need to be read in order (apart from the opening duet Nineteen/Twenty One), in fact, she is often guilty of advising readers to start at the last book and work their way back through.
Contemporary romance is not the only genre she writes, her second series, 'The Red Order', is as dark and twisted as you can get, but there is beauty there too if you can open your eyes and look.
With many more stories bursting to be set free, she hopes you stay along for the ride.
She loves to connect with readers, so please feel free to friend/follow her on Facebook, IG, and Twitter or join her reader's group, E's Elite <3
Sign up for my newsletter and get a FREE short story: https://www.subscribepage.com/ESCarter
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Thursday, April 9, 2020

Robert and Landon will "Forever" have a piece of my heart!

Title: Forever
Author: Kindle Alexander
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: April 6, 2020

Forever, the continuation of the number 1 bestselling novel, Always is coming soon.
Dr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most—the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life.
For Tech Sergeant Landon Russo, determination isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life. Joining the US Air Force allows him to prove his worth, and he takes the values of integrity, service and excellence to heart in every decision he makes. Until on one fateful night, in celebration of a much-deserved promotion, a simple misstep sends his life flying into a tailspin.
As both men fight to regain control of their lives, they’ll soon discover fate rules. Will they ignore the signs and risk everything or will they take a chance and trust they're destined to be together...forever? 


“You think you know me?” The words and tone said something different than the playfulness dancing in Dr. Adams’s eyes as he lifted a single brow.
Yeah, in another place and time, that look would have been sexy as hell. Now though, wasn’t that time. “No, I don’t know you, not at all. I don’t even know people like you, so I don’t know how to guess. It’s why I have to ask.” 
“What does ‘people like me’ mean?” Dr. Adams asked, the fun tone vanished as his eyes narrowed and his brow dropped into a hard V. The intensity coming off the man kind of impressed Landon who lifted his good hand in a peace offering. 
“Don’t get defensive. I meant sophisticated, if that’s the right word?” 
Dr. Adams did another one of his sudden visual mood shifts and started laughing. Shit, this wasn’t working out well for Landon at all. The man had a wonderful laugh, even if it was directed at him, and his dick took notice, plumping underneath his hospital gown. 
“You mean stuffy,” Dr. Adams corrected, his face filled with amusement as he gave Landon a racy teasing look. 
“You’re messing with me on purpose, and I can’t really tell if you’re joking, so let me tell you something I haven’t said because I didn’t know if I should. When you’re contemplating your signs and their meaning to your life and whether you should open yourself to understanding this world is bigger than you thought, you need to know I stood as the honor guard on duty the night you stayed with your father while he sat by your dad’s casket.”
The air stood completely still. The confession caused Landon’s heart to drum steadily in his chest as he stared at the utter shock filling Dr. Adams’s face. He waited through the range of emotion until disbelief hit, and he narrowed his eyes, shifting toward Landon for a closer look. “That was you?”
He clearly didn’t believe him. 
“I volunteered to stay all night with you both.” Landon scrunched his face into his serious I’m-a-badass-sergeant expression then put a hand to his brow partially covering his face like the brim of his wheel cap would do. Recognition instantly filled those blue eyes. 
“I tried to find you to thank you. Did you get my email?” Dr. Adams asked, sitting back in astonishment, like Landon had given the best possible gift. He seemed sincerely appreciative, not in the least bit angry that Landon hadn’t mentioned this before now. 
“I did. The email was forwarded to me by my CO, but I didn’t do it for a thank-you. I’m not kidding when I say your father was a great man. I moved heaven and earth to get there. I owed Vice President Adams my respect to watch over him as an honor guard, but when I watched his husband, in person with my own eyes, grieve like he did, I realized true love was possible for guys like me.” Landon didn’t waver in speaking his truth, damn the consequences of confessing his belief in something so filled with romance and lacking in any solid reason.

MY REVIEW

No hiding here. I am a Kindle Alexander FanGirl. Always was and always will be one of those very special unique stories not only about love but a life long love. How could they top the expectations of Always? To be honest, they can't. Always is Kane and Avery's story. This is Robert and Landon's. Just like a child compared to the parents, Forever deserves to stand on its own for the merit of storytelling. 

And stand on its own it does. 

It had been several years since I read Always. Could I pick up Forever to read after time? If I never read Always, could you skip to Forever? Yes on both accounts. The storytelling in Forever takes you on a journey of remembrance without bogging down or slowing the pace. I will admit, seeing through Robert's eyes his journey of grief touched on in Always had me bawling like a baby. 

I know you should be shocked by my cold, black heart cracked - but it did. 

I loved that readers were not only gifted with another epic life long love story, but a personal growth arc of both characters. But the love that Landon and Robert shared leaped off the pages in every paragraph and every page. 

It's a brilliant, touching and perfect continuation for fans of book 1. You want to set aside time. Because you will not be available for housekeeping, cooking or conversation. The story is to be savored. 

My recommendation is to buy. Revisit this story every time your heart yearns for something so loving and so perfectly forever. 


Read a copy of Always NOW! 

Always by Kindle Alexander 
Always






Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It's always a surprise to see what's coming next!
I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it's true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women's hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life - I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations - regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal... I don't want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I'm going to tell you about Kindle.
I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I'll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died - weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn't have to be alone.
That time in my life was terrible. It's everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.
Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness - it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.
Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn't a time she wasn't there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It's its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn't be here today without her.
Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com
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