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Rough Edges
-- EXCERPT: I wish I had a booty call on speed dial. Amanda hummed, her bright pink lips shining in the low light, and her crystal blue eyes narrowed. “Want to go out and find a big dick to satisfy your craving?” Emily gasped and dramatically fluttered her thick black lashes, but I burst out laughing. My best friend knew me inside and out. It had been years since I had any satisfying manly action. “I would even take a small, skillful one.” I giggled. “Or we could go shopping for something where I can choose the size.” Amanda snorted. “Last time we went shopping, you bought a toy that made your pussy itch for weeks.” “I’m cursed,” I breathed. “You’re not cursed. One-night stands don’t agree with you; you need more. Someone you’ll see often, who can learn every intricate instruction of your body,” Emily said with a finger raised. “Instruction of my body?” I gritted my teeth. “You make it sound like I’m a complicated spaceship that needs an engineer to operate.” “You are,” Amanda stated. “Fuck you, Mandy.” “I would if I wasn’t married.” She laughed. I snorted. Amanda and Nicole had had an on-and-off relationship since college. They had tied the knot after a decade of breaking up and reconciling. It was a joyous occasion to witness Amanda finally committing to Nicole after years of being scared to get married. “Do you think I’m that complicated?” The question slipped out of my mouth before I sealed my lips. Silence answered me, and damn it be, for shame rose in my gut. I missed having a man the most during those times, my horny times. Since my husband’s death, I hadn’t found a man who brought me to climax. Not a single one. Even though I was open and communicative in the bedroom, I seemed to lack something… or had too much of it? I didn’t see myself as hard to please, but maybe I was wrong. “Babe, it’s not like that,” Amanda responded, but I didn’t believe her. Shame poured over me like acid rain, and I choked back a sob. I was complicated. “Want to go out somewhere new and exciting?” Emily suggested, her radiant smile coating my discomfort with sweetness. “I heard about a place in Albany called The Sultry Lounge where one might stumble across a DTF gentleman,” Amanda added. I sighed and weaved my fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp. I’ll have to go to his place, though. “Okay. Let’s find me some spice for tonight!” I blurted. Looking at myself in the tiny mirror of my compact, I brushed my hair, put on some glossy lipstick, added a touch of mascara, and smiled. I might be as complicated as a spaceship, but I was a damn fine one. A flirty kiss to my reflection later, we were on our way to The Sultry Lounge. 
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Review #All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath #Regency Romance @St.Martin's Griffin28/5/2024
From the Blurb: A new Regency romp of a series, about governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges, clashes with the children's uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Henry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire an emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos. Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely… Georgina and Henry continue to butt heads over their differences, but over time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable, and all is indeed fair in love and war. Publication Date: May 28, 2024 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin ISBN 9781250896070, 125089607X Purchase  My thoughts: I'm a big fan of Virginia Heath and her Regency romcoms, including The Merriwell Sisters trilogy, and I always look forward to her new releases. All's Fair in Love and War was definitely worth the wait! I had to put all my chores on hold as I just couldn't put the book down. The plot appeared quite straightforward (a young bachelor in a desperate need for someone to help him cope with his three incredibly unruly (but secretly adorable!) nephews and nieces meets a charmingly outspoken, feisty young governess, sparks fly, and after lots of banter and a reasonable amount of time they realise their first impressions weren't exactly right and this wonderful attraction isn't something to fear and resist, but quite the opposite. Sounds simple, and yet, the story and the characters felt refreshingly original, entertaining, and relatable. If you are a parent/grandparent/uncle/aunt or a childcarerer, you will recognise the familiar dilemma and precarious balance of stimulating children's creativity and curiosity and ensuring they have a safe routine. Georgie, our female protagonist, is a wonderful teacher, committed to learning what her little charges are interested in and bringing the best in them. She clearly loves her job and isn't afraid of any challenge. Captain Harry Kincaid seems to be her opposite (of course, we see pretty soon how deceptive this strict facade is). Harry's desire to lead an orderly life stems from his difficult childhood and is a sign of being a responsible and loving person. You can't help falling in love with these two main characters and rooting for them. Strangely enough, for once, I could easily envisage the protagonists making different choices and never becoming a couple. Their lives would have been full of Miss Prentice's four D (duty, decorum, diligence, and discretion) and maybe they would have even been content, but happy? They obviously needed each other for that! You can probably tell I had such a great time with the book- 5 stars from me, for sure! If you are looking for a happy, joyful, entertaining read, don't miss this first instalment in Virginia Heath's new series Miss Prentice's proteges. Looking forward to reading the next one! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 
Chosen by the Fae King
-- EXCERPT: “I have nothing else to offer,” I told him. “That’s not true. In fact, I know what I want and only you have it.” Nox shifted closer, his arm behind me now. Not touching, but close. I didn’t move. Could hardly breathe. “If you don’t want my mouth on her body, then I’ll have it on yours instead.” Muscles I didn’t know I had clenched between my legs. Butterflies flew around in my belly. My body was betraying me in the worst of ways. “Just your mouth?” I checked. Shit. Was I actually entertaining his smarmy request? “Unless you ask for more.” “And just kissing? On my mouth?” The tilt of his lips was a wicked, wicked thing. “Again, unless you ask for more.” “Fine,” I agreed, closing my eyes. “Get it over with.” “I have to say, this is a first for me,” Nox mused. “Same.” “You’ve not bargained for mouth-only kisses?” he jested. My eyes popped open. “No. I’ve never had to bargain with my body to get something I want.” Nox stilled, something feral stared out at me from deep within his eyes, a beast coming to life in his psyche. It called to the wildness inside me, the untamed voice I’d always kept buried deep. Uh oh. “Spread your legs, Aeryn.” His pitch fell so low I felt it vibrate across my skin. Alarm bells went off in my mind. “But—” “I agreed not to go beyond a kiss. Now spread your fucking legs.” Tentatively I pulled my knees wider. The skirt of the dress shifted, fabric dropping between my legs like it was making room for the king. Nox lowered to the floor, kneeling between my legs. Bending his face to just inches above the juncture of my thighs, he inhaled deeply. Goosebumps broke out across my skin. A low rumble echoed from his chest as his spine straightened, his face closing in on mine. The king’s hands landed on the back of the couch, on either side of my head. Unable to look away, I watched his mouth descend. Soft and oh so gentle, his lips brushed mine. Electricity sparked between our flesh. I gasped and his tongue probed carefully. My abdominals tightened, breasts turned heavy. Then he was gone. Confused, I looked up and found him twenty feet across the room. Nox waved a dismissive hand. “Go,” he ordered, “and pray I’m in a forgiving mood when next we meet.” I sat there in stunned silence, face burning. “Sofiya is safe from me. Now get out.” I stared at him for a long moment before standing and stalking from the room. 
GIVEAWAY! -- Happy Publication Day to A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi! From the blurb: Full of humor and compassion, a profound exploration of sisterhood, healing, and the ineffable beauty of life from France‘s most beloved contemporary novelist Laughter, tears, the transformative power of love, unexpected revelations, and striking natural beauty: these are the ingredients that combine to make best-selling author Virginie Grimaldi’s American debut the feel-good read of 2024. Grimaldi is among France’s top ten contemporary authors and her uplifting, unputdownable literary novels have quickly garnered her millions of adoring fans. This, her American debut, is among her most delicately wrought and emotionally compelling novels to date. Emma and Agathe are sisters. They were thick as thieves when they were young but have always been as different as can be. Agathe, the younger sister, is disorderly, chaotic, and fiery. Five years older, Emma has always been the more mature sister, the defender, the protector, the worrier. Their relationship as adults is scarred by a tragedy that transformed their happy, ordinary childhoods into something much more complex and challenging. For a long time, Emma hasn’t wanted to be involved in Agathe’s life. But then they must return together to the Basque Country, to the house of their adored grandmother, to empty out her home and in the process to reconcile, to remember, and to pour out what is in their hearts. The story alternates between Agathe and Emma’s childhood and their present day, with everything in between, and readers see them as young girls, teenagers, young women, mothers, wives, partners, individuals, sisters. This is a story that encompasses whole lives, complex lives, women’s lives, asking all the while how the scars of the past can be healed and what, in the end, is a good life. 
One Weekend in Venice
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: have you ever seen us be romantic?” “No. Of course not.” “Then why do you believe Jasper’s going to propose?” And—more to the point—why wasn’t Jasper busy shooting down this stupid rumor too? Levi raised his arm before saying, “Because you’re single. Desperate.” Nobody had asked for the answer to be crowdsourced. “That’s not—what? How do I give off desperate vibes?” “You don’t.” Hudson awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Aside from I know you’re thirty.” “Yes, but it isn’t 1930. God, Hudson, pull your head out of your chauvinistic, patriarchal ass.” “And you made a promise. You two never go back on your word.” Well. It was nice to be appreciated. Cady did take great pride in her reliability. It wasn’t sexy or exciting, but it kept their career moving in the right direction. It also meant that she was the go-to friend to fix any and everything. Enough was enough. Jasper was a few steps ahead of her, making his way over the low, narrow stones of an arched bridge. All while he mimed a sword slicing through the air. She took the steps two at a time to catch up. She tried, anyway. The anorexically thin bootie heel slid between the cobblestones. That rolled her ankle. Cady plummeted sideways. As her body slid through nothingness, she remembered Jasper’s whole point about visiting this bridge. No freaking guard rails. Then the breath whooshed out of her as a strong arm banded her to a chest that might as well belong to a gargoyle as it was so hard. Instinctively, her hands clasped behind Jasper’s neck. “Bella signorina,” he murmured. “You’ve got to be more careful.” He triumphed over gravity and brought her upright—but only for a second. As soon as both of her feet were planted, he tipped her the other way into a deep, right-outta-the-movies dip, bracing the small of her back against his thigh. Jasper kissed her. Cady gasped, and his mouth stole the breath as it settled over hers. It felt…intentional. Unlike last time, they were both sober. No excuse to fall back on. Nothing to prove. And yet… The kiss kept going. They both sank into it. As if they were lovers who’d reunited after being parted for years. His tongue took the lead in swirling and tasting and thrusting. She distinctly felt everywhere they touched. The soft edge of his hair against her thumbs. One breast against his rock-hard pec. The distinct bulge in his pants along her ribs. That was for…because of her? Cady’s eyes flew open. She immediately met Jasper’s unwavering stare and the heat in them that almost threw off sparks. No mistake. He definitely knew who he was kissing. And yet… The kiss still kept going. It got wetter. Hotter. Deeper. More passionate. All her nerve endings were on high alert to the heat of the May morning. The strength of Jasper’s thigh against her ass. A strong scent of the sea from the tidal saltwater of the lagoon with a chaser of gasoline from all the boats. Mostly, though, she smelled Jasper. The lemon, sage, and mossy cologne he’d worn for as long as she’d known him. And she tasted the sweetness of the strawberry crostata they’d chased with espresso before leaving the hotel. And…she felt desire—strip your clothes off at the front door levels of desire—roaring through her. This wasn’t a casual kiss to be laughed off. Cady wanted all of him. Naked. Over her. All of Jasper. All of her best friend. Oh, shit. Her best friend. She was making out and on the verge of dry humping her best friend. In broad daylight. That had to fall under “Things That Labeled You an Ugly American.” A bad tourist. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Pity Parade
-- EXCERPT: I sit down on the deck and take my shoes off. The warm boards feel wonderful on my bare feet. I can visualize myself drinking my morning coffee here every day at sunrise and sitting out and enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the day. If I weren’t so desperate to get out of doing another show with Tom, I’d forget everything to do with men and simply enjoy the summer for myself. I’m suddenly eager to put my feet into the water, so I stand up and walk down to the end of the pier. Within moments, I’m lost in my reverie and I don’t hear anyone approach before a deeply masculine voice announces, “Hi there, you must be my neighbor.” I spin around so quickly I almost tip over. Oh. My. Heavens. I’m staring at the glorious-looking Heath Fox. My mouth suddenly goes so dry I can barely ask, “You’re my neighbor?” His green eyes pop open in recognition as he answers, “Trina Rockwell. Imagine meeting you here.” Heath and I met at a charity event last year. He was one of the bachelors being auctioned off for the cause—childhood diabetes. One look at him kicked my libido into overdrive and I bid more on him than the next three men received combined—for charity, of course. “What are you doing here?” I ask this as though inquiring why he’s sunbathing on the moon or why he has fourteen toes on each foot. “I’m taking the summer off to enjoy myself. How about you?” “Me? Oh … um … same.” Heath’s and my charity date went spectacularly well, or so I thought, until he kissed me goodnight. After that, he assured me in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone. I was offended to the extreme. It’s not like I thought I was buying a relationship with the man, but to end the night by giving me the kiss off—literally—was a bit much. “Dating anyone?” he wants to know. “I’m not exactly sure why would you care?” Yeah, I’m still mad, but better keep it passive-aggressive. I’m not a shrew or anything. He shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I thought I might have heard from you again after our evening out, but I didn’t.” “You thought you’d hear from me?” “I thought we had a nice time,” he says. “Then maybe you should have called.” So I could tell him to take a long walk off a short pier. “According to the paperwork we signed for the auction, I wasn’t allowed to make first contact after our date. They didn’t want any of the ladies to feel unsafe.” I don’t remember reading that, but it sounds plausible. “Huh.” I mean, what else can I say? Oh wait, I know. “You made it perfectly clear you weren’t looking for a relationship. I can’t imagine you thought I was clueless enough not to take the hint.” “I wasn’t looking for a relationship,” he confirms. Then with a smirk that nearly melts my butter, he adds, “Nothing long lasting, anyway.” 
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Blitz #The Closed Tunnel by Anthony Harold #Science Fiction #Suspense @Xpresso Book Tours24/5/2024
The Closed Tunnel
Goodreads / Website / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- EXCERPT: Chapter 51. Messages to Die For Professor Ron Jefferson Bursting through the front door, Ron immediately bolted it from the inside and pushed against it with all his weight. He felt as if he was being pursued. It seemed to him that they would be here in a minute to take him to a distant underground grave and separate him from his son for years. With the frenzy of a mad scientist, he tore himself away from the door and dashed up the stairs. Desperately searching through a stack of papers on the desk, he sought that particular notebook. He distinctly remembered placing it on the edge of the desk . . . No, it must be in the top drawer . . . No, dammit, where is it? The thought that people from the Consortium might have already rifled through his papers and taken the precious notebook shot through his head. Oh, here it is, on the coffee table by the chair. I must keep a cool head. I’m still in control. In a flurry of movement, Jefferson swept the papers from the table, snatched up the notebook, frantically flipped through its filled pages, tore them out, and secreted them in a hidden pocket. Then, ripping out a blank sheet, he scribbled down crucial information in a hurried, nearly frantic script, struggling to maintain his composure. Time was of the essence, and he feared they might arrive at any moment. This made Ron cast anxious glances at the locked office door after every few lines. “They don’t even need a key, do they? They don’t even need a damn key . . .” he mumbled, startled by his deteriorating mental state. After filling both sides of the sheet, he hastily folded it several times and concealed it in a spot that strangers would overlook. Still, its intended recipient would undoubtedly uncover—inside the double bottom of the dracaena plant pot. They won’t find the letter. They just can’t. It must not fall into the wrong hands. Jefferson paced the room for a minute, uncertain what to hold onto. Then his eyes landed on a picture of his son on the table. The boy was smiling, hugging their favorite dog. “Rover . . .” Jefferson whispered. He opened the adjacent break room and found a golden retriever sleeping peacefully in the middle of a large bed. The dog perked up and bounded toward his master, then jumped with his front paws on his chest. As Ron stroked Rover’s back, a new plan crystallized in his mind. He decided not to take the priceless notes with him but to hide them in the house, just as he had hidden his letter, in an even more secure location. Here, in the favorite soundproof room of his ever-barking dog. “Soundproof . . .” That word triggered a chain of thoughts. He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, muttering, “I still have some time.” His eyes gleamed with frenzied determination. A knock on the door made him wince. “Professor Jefferson, do you require assistance with your packing? Your capsule departs in an hour. We must hurry.” Ron locked Rover inside the break room so he wouldn’t witness his beloved master leaving. With three heavy steps, Jefferson reached his office door, slowed down . . . and opened it, fully aware that he would never be back to his cozy house again. 
GIVEAWAY! --
The Winchester Codex
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: When he surfaced from the Tube, he realised with a jolt of panic that no-one had given him directions to the museum entrance. Or he’d forgotten to print out the email. Find phone, he thought grappling for his mobile in his rucksack. Find email. The arrangement was for two interviews, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, plus he was to be wheeled out for some guest appearances among the exhibits. The traffic as ever was dense and impatient. How could anyone think straight in all this noise and busy-ness? Already he felt a headache coming on. He stood with a crowd of people waiting to cross at the lights. Curious stares surrounded him as they always did. Yeah I’m a dragon. There’s still some left. So get over it. Exhibition Road. The right place at least. A queue already? That was gratifying. A young child with a pink parasol and gum boots patterned with yellow ducks stared at him, apparently unpeturbed by the sight of a live dragon wandering down Exhibition Road. The child called out ‘Hey Dinosaur. Are you lost?’ Kind of. ‘Ssshhh! Gracie’ the young woman with the child looked embarrassed. ‘Sorry… so sorry…’ ‘Not at all. It’s a common confusion.’ ‘About being lost. Or about being a dinosaur?’ ‘Both.’
GIVEAWAY! --
My Enemy’s Boyfriend
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: “What the hell are you wearing?” “Huh?” He glanced down at himself, then added, “Oh. Yeah. I had my six-month evaluation at work this evening. Didn’t get a chance to change out of the monkey suit before I had to leave home again.” I wanted to ask him why he’d had to leave home so unexpectedly in the first place, but… He was wearing a suit. Unable to get past that, I backed myself into the nearest wall and stared, basically forced to gawk unashamedly. “Suit,” I whimpered, no longer operating with brain cells but supercharged by hormones alone. He sent me an amused squint as he slipped his hand down his tie and stepped close. “Yes, I’m in a suit,” he answered before he grinned suddenly and winked at me. “And I look good in it, too, don’t I? But, uh…” He motioned his finger around me. “Why are you hovering against the wall like that?” I shuddered, and all my self-discipline crumbled. “To keep myself from doing…this.” Reaching out, I grabbed his tie and yanked him forward with it, intent to crush his mouth against mine. But the man had super reflexes. “Whoa. Hey!” he cautioned, slamming his palm against the wall near my face to brace himself from getting tugged all the way in. Our noses were about five inches apart as he grinned and shook his head. “Down, girl. I thought you were an all-looky, no-touchy kind of stalker.” “What in God’s name made you think that?” I demanded, scowling slightly as I tugged experimentally on his tie, only to find his resistance firm and unwavering. “I never agreed to that.” “It’s part of this unspoken thing between us,” he argued, looking amused as his attention strayed down to my mouth. I scowled. “There’s no unspoken thing between us.” His gaze shot back up to mine, and when his eyebrows crinkled in a really? kind of way, I started to melt. “Sure there is,” he murmured in a silken, hot voice that made my freaking ovaries start to sizzle. And those eyebrows… Oh God, he was using them on me, and it was the most amazing thing in the world. I begged him with my stare, pleaded with him to change his mind and just kiss me already. In return, his features softened. His head swayed toward me, loosening to the pull between us. He was giving in to the idea, I could see it on his face. So I whispered… 
GIVEAWAY! --
So Hectic
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GIVEAWAY! -- |
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