Moon Madness
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: He strode around the boulder where he had stashed his clothes earlier and tossed her his shirt. She caught it, surprise flashing across her face. Then she narrowed her gaze. “You had clothes all of this time and never said anything?” He shrugged as he slipped on his jeans. “What can I say? I was enjoying the view. And why get dressed if we’re just going to shift again? However, since we’re going to fight, it might be easier if you’re not distracted.” She rolled her eyes and snorted. But she did slip on his T-shirt. She was tall, but not quite as tall as he was, so the garment covered her to about to mid-thigh, and he mourned the loss of seeing her naked. Yeah, it was commonplace to see a lot of skin as shifters, and it was courtesy not to notice, but Sloane affected him like no other, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Well, he knew what his body wanted to do about it, but he was in control of his cock, not the other way around. Usually. Sloane narrowed her eyes, crouched in a fighting stance, and began circling, her body low and ready. She had no idea what, or who, she was up against. She still thought he was the desk-jockey shifter who couldn’t control his wolf. This was going to be fun. Or it might kill him. It could really go either way. He watched her, carefully sidestepping in the circle to counter her as she studied him, partially crouched, her hands in front of her. Sloane was patient, a strong and competent fighter, but she had one flaw. She could be swayed by emotion, which made her vulnerable. Then again, emotion made everyone vulnerable, didn’t it? So, he let a slow smile stretch across his face and his gaze travel over her shirt to her bare legs. “That shirt never looked so good.” A low growl erupted from Sloane’s throat, and sparks flashed in her eyes, but she remained calm, just watching him for her way in. She reached out with her hand then kicked her leg to the back of his knee to take him down, but he jumped back in time. “Not bad, Wyman. A little slow but you’ll get there. Eventually.” He smirked and swiped a hand out, his claws slicing the shirt in four precise cuts right over her torso, down to the hem. The breeze fluttered the edges of the shirt, and she glared at him, her anger rising. She lunged wildly, and he made a half-turn then grabbed her arm and twisted her off-balance, pulling her close to his body. He leaned into her ear, nipping lightly. “Gotcha.” He quickly released her and stepped back. She whirled around, her eyes wild, her teeth bared, frustration evident. He grinned. “This is so much better than sparring with Hugh. I’ll have to come back here more often.” Again, her leg kicked out, catching him behind the knee, but instead of going down, he grabbed her leg and flipped her. He followed her down onto the soft earth, pinning her in place. Her wide eyes stared up at him, and then he did the one thing he’d been wanting to do since he’d seen her two weeks prior. He kissed her. Sloane froze under him, her body stiff and tense, her lips cool and unresponsive, but then they softened, and she opened her mouth, responding to his kiss with as much passion as she had in the previous fight. His tongue tangled with hers while his hand roamed under the shirt that barely covered her, riding up to expose her skin to him. He caressed the side of one of her breasts, his thumb stroking over her nipple until it beaded under his touch, and she arched into his body as if silently begging for more. Her hands clutched his back, claws pricking his skin, not to push away but to pull him closer, and she lightly scored him down his back, marking him for anyone to see later. Her leg wrapped around his waist, her heel digging into his lower back, bringing his denim-covered erection into full contact with the heat of her center. A howl in the distance broke their concentration, and he lifted his head, listening to gauge the distance. A second howl answered, a bit closer, and Sloane shoved Benedict off of her, scrambling to her feet and gathering the shreds of the shirt around her. “That can never happen again.” Her words were angry, vehement, but her breath sawed in and out as her chest heaved, belying her own reaction to the kiss. He took a step forward even as she stepped backward. “Sloane, you can keep running, but you clearly need stress relief, if nothing else.” She pointed at him then at herself. “This is never going to happen again. You and I have to work together, and sex just muddies everything up.” He shrugged. “It also gives new meaning to close cover. No one can guard me better than from my own bed.” She growled and threw her hands up, forgetting about the sad state of her shirt. “I also might be the one to kill you in your sleep.”
GIVEAWAY! Red
-- EXCERPT: Beau Not even the noise-canceling headphones could drown out his shout. My fingers paused in flying over the keyboard but resumed when nothing else followed. A moment later, he yelled again. I glanced up out of the blue-toned bubble the monitors always surrounded me with. He was not a peaceful sleeper. I normally ignored him, but tonight I couldn’t. Tonight he was annoying me more than usual. Shoving back one side of the headphones, I listened anew. “No,” he wailed, and something twisted in my gut. I tossed the headphones onto my desk, moving out from behind my setup, adjusting the beanie I wore as I strode toward the bedroom. Pushing open the door without knocking, I folded my arms over my chest in the doorway. “Hey,” I called. He seemed too big for the bed as he thrashed around, breathing heavily and muttering too low for me to understand. Sighing, I stepped into the dark room out of the light spilling in from the living room. His forehead was damp with a sheen of sweat, his messy dark hair matted in it. “Wake up,” I intoned, still staring down. His body stilled for a brief moment, making me think I’d managed to wake him. “I’m trying to work,” I bitched, turning away. A keening sound filled the room, followed by a broken sob. Footsteps faltering, I turned back, realizing he was still trapped wherever he was. The pain etched in his features made my chest tight, and a sudden need to comfort had me leaning over him. “Daeshim,” I called. His face softened just a bit, and it made something inside me ease. “Daeshim.” I called out to him again, this time reaching out to tap his cheek. He moved so fast I didn’t even realize what was happening until I was on my back, pinned beneath him. The mattress was soft, but maybe it only felt that way because the body pinning me in place was rock hard. “What the hell are you doing?” I grunted, trying to shove him off. His eyes snapped open, but there was no one home. An uneasy feeling wormed around inside me, my fight-or-flight response coming in hot. I shoved at his shoulders again, watching his face contort in menace. Daeshim was basically a gangster. A criminal and an asshole. He was also my roommate. I’d never been scared of him. But as his hands shot out, locking around my neck to squeeze, fear bloomed. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but all that came out was a strangled sound. Panic assaulted me, bursting over everything else and making me feel like I was fighting even though all my physical movements stopped. Get it together! A voice demanded inside me, effectively stopping the absolute control of the panic. Grunting, I twisted under him, but his weight pushed me harder into the bed. Wheezing and eyes bulging, I grappled at his arms, digging my nails into them, trying to pry away his hands. The set of his mouth was grim, and his eyes glittered with that creepy, empty, nobody’s-home look. “Dae—” I wheezed, twisting and slapping his arm. “Daeshim.” He blinked, and I was able to drag in some air before he started strangling me anew. He was in there. I just have to-- The thought cut off as spots started to swim before my eyes. It was do or die. Literally. Letting my body go lax under his, I put every last bit of effort into the fist I clenched at my side. Then, just before this asshole overpowered me, I launched a right hook into the side of his head.
GIVEAWAY! Love and Tequila Make Her Crazy
-- EXCERPT: Shaking the memories from my mind, I pull three shot glasses onto the bar. I need a reset after that little moment. I mix three of my favorite shot—chocolate cake—and place three lemons on the edges. “Bottoms up,” I say to my two friends and go to hand them each one. Before I can grab them, fingers circle the tiny glass, and my eyes remain on the ink on the forearm which belongs to the hand. “Don’t mind if I do,” the voice I know better than my own says. Squeezing my eyes shut, I whisper to Shawn, “Please tell me there isn’t really a man with blue eyes standing in front of us.” The voice interrupts my conversation with Shawn. “Oh, chocolate cake. Shoulda known, Cookie. You always needed your chocolate.” I open my eyes and glare at him. Nate Fucking Pearson. God, why does he have to be so damn good-looking? If I were the type of girl to go weak in the knees, now would be the moment for that. But I don’t have the capacity to indulge in moments like this. He’d stolen that ability from me. Behind me, Hailey laughs. “Did he just call you Cookie? Oh dude, that’s not going to end well for you.” I feel Shawn inching away from me, and I grab his hand, pulling him close. There is no way I can make it through this conversation without other people around. I can’t be trusted alone with this man. Even after all these years. He’s a man. When did that happen? Last time I saw him he was still a boy. I mean, I’d been twenty-seven and thought we were grown-ups, but the man before me is different. He’s hardened. The scruff on his face is light but it makes him seem older. Sexier. Fuck. And the lines around his eyes. They’re new. There was a time when he couldn’t get a pimple without me knowing. I knew every inch of that face. But not anymore. The years we’ve been away from each other are written all over his face. I wonder what he thinks of how I look. Dammit, Amelia, no you don’t. You don’t wonder anything about him because he’s nothing to you. Nate chuckles as he puts the shot glass back down and looks up at Hailey. “I’d call her my wife, but she’d probably throw something at me. So, Cookie sounds safer, right, wifey?” My chin stiffens, and my knees begin to betray me. Not now, I tell my inferior body parts. Keep it together. The hardest words to mutter burn my tongue on the way out. “That’s ex-wifey to you.”
GIVEAWAY! Love Blooms at Mermaids Point Bestselling author Alex Nelson is slowly coming apart at the seams after a failed marriage and an abrupt change in career leave him at a crossroads in life. When an unexpected opportunity arises to escape to the idyllic village of Mermaids Point, he’s hot on the heels of his brother, Tom, who has recently moved there. Buying a rundown bookshop might be just his latest harebrained scheme, but Alex has never been one to do things by halves. After spending her early years caring for her mother, Ivy Fisher is finally ready to start living her own life. But when the impossibly charming, impossibly good-looking Alex Nelson swoops in and snatches her dream out from under her nose, it really is the last straw. Forced by circumstances to spend more time with him, Ivy finally gets a peak of the real man beneath the confident exterior, and she likes what she sees. But just when things are starting to come together for them, Ivy is reminded why men can never be trusted. Is Alex who he says he is, or is he using Mermaids Point as nothing more than research fodder for his next bestseller? Purchase Link Publication Date: 16th of March 2022 Publisher: Boldwood Books My thoughts: A new gorgeous instalment in Sarah Bennett's much beloved Merpaid Point series! If you're already a fan of the series you'll be delighted with Ivy Fisher and Alex Nelson's story. If you haven't read the previous book and are wondering if this one can be read as a standalone, yes, absolutely. Sarah provides a very helpful list of characters and family connections to make you feel welcome to this lovely seaside community. As usual there is plenty of drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. First of all, I absolutely adored the cover- it is so sweet and optimistic, bit of a warm hug we all need from time to time! The beginning of the book was very emotional- Ivy has just lost her mother and the community rallies behind her to help her through the funeral day. Among the people who are there for her is Alex, although grief-struck Ivy may not always know what to think or feel at his trying time. Both Alex and Ivy have set their sights on bying the town bookshop. Don't worry, things work out perfectly well and we see the beginning of a great partnership, which leads to so much more after the necessary twists and turns! It is difficult not to root for these two characters. Ivy hasn't had the easiest life and her estranged father is going to throw a couple more spanners in the works. Can you blame her for having some trust issues? Alex's bestseller is based on his heartfelt semi-fictional account of his own bitter divorce story. We get to know both Ivy and Alex's personalities and motivations in depth. There are other well-written secondary characters as well- both new and recurring. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful slow-burn romance in a charming setting and would love nothing better than to return to Mermaids Point in Sarah's next book! Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Author Bio –
Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas. The first book in her new Mermaids Point trilogy for Boldwood was published in Spring 2021. Social Media Links – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SarahBennettAuthor/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Sarahlou_writes Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sarahlbennettauthor/ Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SarahBennettnews Highland Games
Only 99c for a limited time! -- ♥♥♥ Praise for Highland Games ♥♥♥
★★★★★ ‘This book is bloody brilliant. It’s snortingly funny, honest, page turning and downright fabulous. As soon as the book starts you know you are in a safe pair of hands. The writing is tender and intelligent and moves quickly to engaging and provoking. I was hooked. Zoe, Rory and all the characters are one hundred percent believable. The plot itself is a hoot and at no point is Zoe the helpless victim waiting to be rescued, no matter how many screw-ups she gets herself into. Even when she does have to be rescued, she turns it to her own advantage. Highland Games has smoking sex scenes, and I mean the pages were on fire, but they are also fun. Evie Alexander writes sex like it’s fun and joyous and bouncy. Imagine two otters having the time of their lives in a bowl of trifle. If this isn’t the best rom com of the year then I don’t know what is.’ Liz Hurley, author of The Hiverton Sisters series
The Monster and the Doll
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Constantines swarmed the place, billowing through the masses with their beautiful, blonde bullshit. Vivian, Keaton, and Tinsley herself were prancing around as though they were on a film set, but not nearly so much as Caroline. The matriarch was dressed up like an ice queen in a diamanté mask, smiling at everyone she passed. It wasn’t Caroline who caught my attention. No. It was the much younger woman in gold. She was beautiful, but there were plenty of beautiful women. There was something else about her. She was twice as alive as anyone else. Vibrant. Animated. Full of feeling, which is something I severely lacked. She owned the room without even trying. Elaine Constantine. She wore a Venetian mask that covered so much of her face I could barely make out her features, but that didn’t matter. I didn’t need to see her face. The visible parts of her were enough to drive me wild. Hair like silk and gold. I wanted my fingers in it—why? No explanation came to mind. I wanted to run my thumb over the soft pout of her lips while she watched me with eyes so big and blue they reminded me of a song. Me. A song. It was ludicrous, but that didn’t make it any less true. I watched her from guest to guest, swigging back the fizz and laughing at each one like they were the most hilarious person she’d ever met. Her laugh was sexy and flirty, with enough husky lower notes to make me hard beneath my tux. I wasn’t in the business of deep emotions. Didn’t allow them. Abhorred them. But the woman made me feel something. A pressure in my chest. A sharp curiosity. I wanted more than the usual pain and tears. I wanted more. I couldn’t stop looking at her. The gold silk of her ballgown was a perfect fit on a perfect body. Sloping curves in a delicious hourglass—a gorgeous pedestal of glamor to highlight the elegance of her slender neck. Oh, how I’d love to feel her pulse there as I fucked her how she liked it. As I showed her how she liked it. Rough. Because, of course, in my head, Elaine Constantine was not well-mannered or well-bred. If she was to be my wife, she would learn to love kink. I’d make sure of that. Her blonde curls were held up in twists that glittered with diamonds. Her fingers were perfectly manicured and glittering to match, sparkling under the chandelier lights every time she reached out a hand for some nobody to kiss it. Lust had my cock throbbing. Lust—and something else. I wanted to take her body. Slowly. Deeply. Painfully.
GIVEAWAY! Dear Isobel
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: I wonder whether Isobel would be sympathetic to me if it were anyone else I had fallen in love with. Either way, I feel a need to say to her, however far she runs or wherever she runs to, it will always be the same. Even across the sea, even in her own safe homeland, someone somewhere is sleeping with their friend’s husband, or their wife’s friend. She can’t hide from this. It is strange how I am still so shocked to hear of every other story. As the friend I used to be to her, before I wanted to take her husband for my own, I want to warn her: Dear Isobel, Even over there in your homeland, in America, Land of the Free, you are not safe from cheats and liars. They are in every corner of the world. Even there, even where you feel safe on your home ground, there will be men who ‘take up’ with their wife’s friend, and break hearts, and make promises and break them as quickly. For when one promise is kept, another is broken. I want to warn her also that, if, as she seems to want to hear and Charles seems to want to say, it all meant nothing to him at all, then, Dear Isobel, dear, dear Isobel, surely, if it meant nothing, he will do it again. I believe it is better to risk everything for someone who means everything than to risk everything for nothing—for a mistake. I became my best friend’s biggest mistake, for which he has said he is sorry, but sorry, by that point, is just another empty promise. Dear Isobel, If he could hold me in his arms and tell me how much he loved you; if he could kiss me; and tell me how much he loved you; if he could take me in his arms after a weekend away with you, kiss me, hold me, touch me, and tell me his weekend with you has shown him how much he still loved you, then why, oh why was he holding me in his arms? It is not impossible to want it all.
GIVEAWAY! Hot Girl Summer
-- EXCERPT: Gently, he places a hand on the small of my back, guiding me into a small space in front of him. I want to lean into the warmth of his palm, to step back just a little to feel him behind me. “Better?” I close my eyes to savour his touch before turning around to thank him. “No worries.” Dimples indent his cheeks as he returns the smile, and I spin back around. I’m dizzy, and my heart is racing. I can’t decide if it’s a delayed side effect of the alcohol, or a Danny side effect, but I could easily get used to this feeling. The only downside is that his proximity resurfaces every ache I’d tried to bury when he was up on that stage. My only hope to avoid going completely overboard with want for Danny Pearce is to focus on the music; the beams of light oscillating between us and the stage; the sensation in my body as the bass ripples through the floor and diffuses at my feet. I try to focus on anything but the ghost of his breath in my hair, teasing trails down my neck. I lose balance, swaying with no rhythm as his body heat radiates onto mine, and I hope to God this feeling goes both ways. If not, I might die. Monty addresses the crowd, snapping me out of my stupor. Much like Ollie had done previously, he relays anecdotes and speaks about his music, although his demeanour errs on the side of cockiness over confidence. He introduces his band, thanks the audience, and shares more self-indulgence, but there is no denying his talent. The band continue their upbeat energy over the next few songs, and the crowd rambunctiously bounce along to hit after hit. But I can’t ignore the all-consuming pulsing and throbbing taking over my entire body, especially when there’s no way of avoiding Danny’s addictive Riviera scent. Without a glance behind, I finally gather the courage to test the waters. I’ve never made the first move with anyone before, and I like it that way. I’m terrified, but if there was ever a time to take agency over my life, facing the fear of rejection in favour of something better, fighting the voices in my head that tell me I’m not good enough, this is it. If I don’t try, I won’t know.
GIVEAWAY! Savage Bloodline: A Limited Edition Mafia Collection
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SNEAK PEEKS: Be protected by Carmine DeLuca I grasped her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I will always protect you, Celeste, even at the expense of my own life.” “Why would you risk your life for me, Carmine?” I interlaced the fingers of our joined hands when Agnello entered traffic heading towards the freeway. “You don’t even know me.” “Because you are mine and always have been.” “How can you say something like that? We haven’t even known each other long.” “I’m not a man who has a way with words, Celeste, but I know what I feel.” I placed her palm over my heart so she could feel the beat against her skin. “I feel it here. It scares me shitless, but I can’t change it. It’s there and it will never leave.” Her eyes softened. “Carmine…” -- Say hello to Giovanni DeLuca The way Giovanni is looking at me right now has me wanting to squirm, but I hold my head up and put my shoulders back because sexy doesn’t squirm. “So, you’re the boyfriend I’ve heard almost nothing about?” Giovanni is talking to Smith but looking at me with a death glare. Smith chuckles good naturedly, “My Egypt likes to keep her business private, so I’m not surprised she doesn’t talk much about me.” I smile at Smith like he’s the best boyfriend ever when I really want to burst out laughing at how thick Smith is laying it on. If Giovanni knew anything about my best friend, he would be able to tell he’s full of shit. “Hmmm.” Giovanni scowls, and I know that our little charade is working. I can’t believe the twins were actually right! Giovanni can’t hide that he’s pissed, which isn’t like him at all. Giovanni DeLuca is attracted to me! I have to calm myself down because I don’t know for sure if he’s pissed because of Smith. But, I need to stick to the plan, and maybe it will force Giovanni to admit to wanting me. I know he doesn’t do relationships, and I’m not naïve enough to think that a leopard can change its spots, but I don’t want a relationship. At least that’s what I have to tell myself not to be disappointed. “I see you finally decided to show up.” Carly’s snide voice breaks into the conversation. “I didn’t realize you were watching the clock for my appearance tonight,” I say in an equally condescending tone. I’m not at work, and even if I were, this bitch would never be any boss of mine. She better keep her slick comments to herself tonight, or she’ll find out that I’m not as subdued as she thinks I am. “We had an issue earlier with the caterer and you were nowhere to be found.” Carly grabs onto Giovanni’s arm like she’s the lady of the manor, and this is her party. “There wasn’t an issue. I spoke to Susan already.” I dismiss her words. Carly is trying to make me look incompetent, but she should know by now she can’t. She’s been trying to sabotage me since I started working at G.C.D. “Didn’t you say you wanted a drink, babe?” Smith caresses my arm, and I smirk at him. “I sure did. Well, I can’t say it was a pleasure…” I smile sweetly at Carly before turning to Giovanni, “Mario will be here at eleven.” Giovanni nods, but his face is blank as his dark eyes watch me closely. “It was nice to meet you, Giovanni,” Smith says with a crooked grin. “That’s Mr. DeLuca to you, Smith,” Giovanni responds like the asshole he is. Smith chuckles, “Actually, it is Doctor Rogers. You all have a good night.” When we’re out of earshot of Giovanni and Carly, I let out the belly laugh I’ve been holding in. Smith was the perfect guy to help me. GIVEAWAY! I Will Find You Three sisters…One terrible secret Ashleigh: A creative, free spirit and loyal. But Ash is tormented by her demons and a past that refuses to be laid to rest. Jessica: Perfect wife and loving mother. But although Jessica might seem to have it all, she lives a secret life built on lies. Grace: An outsider, always looking in, Grace has never known the love of her sisters and her resentment can make her do bad things. When Ashleigh goes missing, Jessica and Grace do all they can to find their eldest sister. But the longer Ashleigh is missing, the more secrets and lies these women are hiding threaten to tear this family apart. Can they find Ashleigh before it’s too late or is it sometimes safer to stay hidden? Publication Date: 15th of March, 2022 Publisher: Boldwood Books Purchase Link My thoughts: This is the first time I've read a thriller written by this talented duo and what a fast-paced, gripping book it proved to be! If you like reading about complex family dynamics and sibling relationships, I Will find You will be right up your street. When Ashleigh, a creative, artistic soul who has been relying on alcohol and drugs to deal with her past, goes missing, her sister Jessica will do anything to find her. But nobody is perfect and that includes Jessica who, despite all appearances has her own share of secrets that go long way back. Add their half-sister Grace, a love child of Ashleigh and Jessica's father's affair, who is resentful and envious of the love and affection her half-sisters had. There are twists and shocking revelations that will keep you guessing until the very end, which I didn't see coming at all. The pace was great and it was easy to follow the story, despite its complex structure. I would definitely love to read more from these authors! Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Author Bio – Amanda Rigby is the nom de plume of the writing partnership between Amanda Ashby and Sally Rigby. Both authors live in New Zealand, have been friends for eighteen years, and agree about everything (except musicals). They decided to collaborate on a psychological thriller which they then entered into a competition, run by Boldwood, which they won! Social Media Links Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Amanda-Rigby-111632041134381 Twitter https://twitter.com/AmandaRigbyNZ Instagram https://instagram.com/sally.rigby.author Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AmandaRigbyNews Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amanda-rigby |
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