Cinderella Busted
The Cinderella Romances #1 By: Petie McCarty Released December 16, 2015 Soul Mate Publishing
Cinderella's fairy tale moves to Jupiter Island, Florida where Lily Foster, owner of an eclectic landscape nursery, is mistaken for a wealthy socialite by billionaire resort developer Rhett Buchanan. Overdue for a little romance in her life, Lily is anxious for one fabulous date with her handsome prince, so she cultivates her inadvertent masquerade.
Rhett Buchanan has become jaded with the Palm Beach social scene, dominated by scheming women desperate for more money -- his money. Rhett falls hard when he meets Lily Foster. She is a breath of fresh air after the smog of gold diggers constantly surrounding him. For Rhett and Lily, it's love at first sight until her deception comes to light and pitches their relationship into a disastrous tailspin. Well-meaning friends are determined to intercede and resort to inept high jinks to reunite the estranged couple while a wicked ex-girlfriend plays dirty to keep the couple apart.
The front door of the quaint, shake-roofed office stood open when Rhett Buchanan drove into the parking area. Like he had time for this foolishness. Whoever heard of the CEO of a billion-dollar development firm approving a truckload of trees, even if they were species no other nursery could grow?
He peered through the windshield at the overhead sign. Evidently, a small-time nursery called Bloom & Grow had heard of such nonsense. He tugged his tie loose and rolled up the sleeves on his white dress shirt before angling out of his black SUV. At least a nice breeze was whipping off the Intracoastal Waterway. Rhett had argued with Garrett over lunch about doing this inspection alone. Apparently, this eccentric nursery insisted on a final inspection conducted only by the actual owner—no substitutes. Sounded more like an interview. He let out a resigned sigh. Garrett Tucker made Rhett’s new resort developments stand out like diamonds in the rough and accomplished the feat with specialty landscape materials. The man had a gift, but only Garrett could find an oddball place like this to buy trees. “Better just to get this over with,” he muttered and started up the stairs to the porch. At the threshold, he froze. His gaze slowly took in a pair of perfect slender legs, then inched up to a spectacular yellow sundress with a cleavage that made his mouth water. Damn. A flawless complexion, shoulder-length blond hair, and delicate features finished the marvelous package who appeared to be perusing some sort of plant brochure. At that moment, Rhett wished he owned this oddball nursery, so he could spend all day selling plants to the beauty in the yellow sundress. Wait a minute. Single women don’t buy plants. Married women buy plants. His eyes flashed to her left hand. No ring. Hmm. Things just got interesting. He cleared his throat. The beauty started and turned a pair of sapphires the color of the Gulf Stream in his direction. “Sorry,” he said, then smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” The beauty smiled back—a dazzling smile with perfect straight white teeth. His mouth went dry. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “I was daydreaming and didn’t hear you come in.” He nodded, started to reply, then didn’t. He just wanted to stare a while longer. Quickly realizing he’d look like an idiot if he did, he cleared his throat and began again. “Sorry, I’m being rude. My name is Rhett Buchanan.” She took the hand he extended. He felt a spark, and her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. If he hadn’t been staring at her eyes, he might have missed it. Had she felt the spark, too? “I’m Lily Foster.” “I’m, uh, h-here to inspect some plants. T-Trees actually. An order for BDC.” Great. He just stuttered like a bashful high-school boy. This from a man who bought and sold corporations over lunch. What the hell was wrong with him today? “I see.” She stared for a long moment, then glanced down. Good Lord, was he still holding her hand? “Sorry.” He let her go. She smiled again. “The sales manager will be right back.” “Are you here to inspect trees, too?” At least he didn’t stutter this time. He was getting his wind back. “No, I’m here to look over the new interiors line.” She held up the brochure. He nodded. He wanted to keep her talking. Her voice sounded sexy as hell. “Do you spend a lot of time here?” He glanced around the tidy office made cozy with a half-dozen plants and palms of some sort. “Not really.” He nodded again. He was getting real good at nodding. “Are you pretty good with landscaping?” She eyed him warily. “Yeah?” He dusted off what he hoped was his most charming smile. “Maybe you could help me with my inspection. It’s too many trees for me, and I could sure use some help.” “Well, Tammy will be there to answer any questions.” “Tammy?” “Tammy Waynette, the sales manager.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re kidding me, right?” “About what?” The sapphires looked wide and innocent. “The name—Waynette.” She laughed, a musical sound like delicate wind chimes. “I’m not kidding. Tammy says her mother loved the country western singer.” He grinned back, couldn’t help himself. “Poor girl.” “I don’t think she minds.” He nodded. Again. “Do you know if she went to the laydown yard? My assistant said the trees would be staged in the laydown yard. We could meet her there and get started.” Her eyebrows rose to twin peaks. “We?” “Yeah, well, Tammy’s here to sell trees, and I’m looking for an objective second opinion on what I should keep or exchange. I could sure use your help since you’re pretty good with landscaping and all.” Not that he had any intention of exchanging anything. He couldn’t tell a diseased tree from a healthy one, but he’d look at every single tree if it meant spending more time with Lily Foster. She hesitated. “I suppose I could tag along.” “Great! Shall we go?” Lily led Buchanan outside where they grabbed the customer golf cart parked in front of the office. Rhett climbed behind the wheel and headed for the center drive Lily indicated. The man was tall; she guessed at least four inches over six feet. Riding passenger gave her an excuse to stare at him and wonder how she’d gotten so lucky. To actually be dressed up on the day a gorgeous hunk came in to inspect trees? What were the odds? A successful hunk, too, since he owned his own corporation, and Tammy said the BDC order was a big one. Rhett Buchanan certainly didn’t fit her impression of a corporate CEO, powerfully built and handsome enough she had gone completely tongue-tied back in the office. She could get lost in those amazing green eyes. And that slow, sexy smile he’d given her had made her toes curl. Yikes! “You’re smiling,” he said. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing. I’m just enjoying a pretty day.” She would do much better out here in the nursery with plant material to talk about rather than forcing conversation in the office. For the first time in her life, she wished she had spent more time flirting with boys in high school like all the other girls. Instead, she had studied her heart out to get good grades and make Hank proud since she was all he had. Buchanan pulled the cart up at the laydown yard, but there was no sign of Tammy’s fiery-red curls among the rows of trees. An errant customer had probably waylaid her somewhere in the nursery. Lily and Buchanan got out and ambled over to the first row of trees, a dozen dwarf magnolias. The containers were well-chosen, some of their best product. Hands on his hips, he gazed at the trees and back at her, then raised his brows in question. “They’re perfectly matched, disease-free,” she said. “I thought so, too.” He winked. She felt her neck flush, and her gaze strayed to the dusting of dark hair on his tanned forearms. “Where are you going to use all this stock?” “A new condominium and shopping district in Boca. These trees are for Phase I, and I suspect Garrett will be ordering more.” “Garrett?” “He’s the vice-president of real estate development for our company, BDC. He’s also a frustrated landscape architect—that was his bachelor’s degree—but his subsequent MBA pushed him up the corporate ladder.” “You like him,” she said simply. His gaze sharpened. “I do. How did—” “The sound of your voice when you talk about him.” “Wow, beautiful and perceptive.” She felt her cheeks grow warm and glanced away. “Sorry,” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” “You didn’t.” A dark brow went up. “Okay, maybe a little.” Actually a whole lot. Rhett Buchanan seemed so confident, so sure of himself. She was out of her league, and she knew it, but she still wanted to play for just a little while longer. “Garrett and I were fraternity brothers in college,” Rhett was saying. “Been together ever since.” “Ah, I see. So who likes the plants, you or Garrett?” “Mostly Garrett, but I do appreciate their value. He’s convinced me that installing—and more importantly, maintaining—specialty landscapes can double the exterior value of architectural designs.” “Good for him! He’s right.” “Another plant lover,” he said, grinning. “Of course I am.” “You’re gorgeous when you smile,” he said suddenly. Okay, that had nothing to do with inspecting trees. Was Mr. Buchanan flirting with her? He’d complimented her twice in five minutes. She jerked her gaze away. She was heating up—all over. “I’ve embarrassed you again.” “You didn’t,” she assured him, lying through her teeth. “You just took me by surprise is all.” “I would think you hear that a lot,” he said softly. “Oh. No. I don’t.” He stepped closer, and she feared her cheeks and neck would turn bright pink. She quickly moved toward the next row of trees. The first six containers were perfectly manicured weeping mulberry trees. This Garrett guy sure knew his plant material. She guessed he had selected their best specimens. “What do you think?” she asked, gesturing toward the mulberries and staring straight ahead. Safer that way. “Gorgeous, like I said.” She glanced back. He wasn’t looking at the mulberries. He was staring at her. Her cheeks just had to be pink. Lord knew they felt hot enough. “You’re supposed to be inspecting trees,” she scolded with a smile. He laughed. “Oh yeah, that’s right.” By the time they made it through the third row of containers populated with an assortment of Helliconia and Callistemon, she grew more comfortable and even tried flirting back. They laughed and joked about the perfect places to plant the gnarly and exceedingly crooked Corylus, and Lily had the time of her life. Until the bottom dropped out about halfway down the fourth row at the gray Bismarchia palms. “Do you buy a lot of plants here?” Buchanan suddenly asked. Her head snapped up from examining a bent gray frond. She swallowed. “Buy?” “You must be one of the nursery’s best customers as well as you know the stock and know your way around here.” He gave her that slow, sexy smile again. “Are you buying landscaping for business or pleasure?” Oh good grief! He thinks I’m a customer.
Petie spent a large part of her career working as a biologist at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband, a spoiled-rotten English Springer spaniel addicted to pimento-stuffed green olives, and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in Angel to the Rescue. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
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LITTLE MATCHMAKERS
Maddie O'Rourke's orphaned half brother and half sister have arrived safely in Seattle—with a man they hope she'll wed! Though Michael Haggerty's not the escort she planned for, Maddie allows him to work off his passage by assisting in her bakery…and helping care for her siblings. But she'll never risk her newfound independence by marrying the strapping Irishman—or anyone else. In New York, Michael ran afoul of a notorious gang. Traveling west was a necessity, not a choice. The longshoreman grew fond of his young charges, and now he's quickly becoming partial to their beautiful sister, too. So when danger follows him, threatening Maddie and the children, he'll do anything to protect them—and the future he hopes to build.
Characters full of sass and wit, adventurous minds, and willing to go the distance to get what they dreamed of. This story is so full of positive thoughts, spunk, and people with the guts to go for it. What ever the it is they are looking for.
The early settlers in the Seattle area, Irish by heritage, and orphan siblings in a family matters, they work hard to build a new life away from New York and the dangers the city have, for the Irish in particular. Maddie didn't expect Michael, and was not prepared for the attraction she feels for him. But since Michael took care of her siblings through the trip to Seattle, she was giving him a place to live, until he found a place of his own. But trouble comes to the town, the Irish seems to be the target. As if it wasn't enough trouble with just surviving, with everything else Maddie and Michael had on their plate. The story is fast paced, the characters are a delight, the connection between Maddie and Michael adorable. They are there for each other, work well together as a team, always supporting each other in troubles and every day trials, as well as in triumph. They trust their faith to guide them, God protect them, and guide them in their path in life. A sweet, uplifting story about the troubles and life of the early settlers in the Seattle area ~ Four Spoons Books & Spoons Review & Excerpt with Tasty Book Tours: LINNY'S SWEET DREAM LIST by Susan Schild6/1/2016
Linny's Sweet Dream List
Willow Hill #1 By: Susan Schild Releasing January 5, 2016 Lyrical Press
Set in the off-beat Southern town of Willow Hill, North Carolina, Susan Schild’s moving and witty novel tells of one woman who loses everything—and finds more than she ever expected.
At thirty-eight, Linny Taylor is suddenly living a life she thought only happened to other, more careless people. Widowed for the second time, and broke, thanks to her cheating late husband, Linny has no house, no job, and no options except to go back home. There, in a trailer as run down as her self-esteem, Linny makes a list of things that might bring happiness. A porch swing. A job that nourishes her heart as well as her bank balance. Maybe even a date or two. At first, every goal seems beyond reach. But it’s hard for Linny to stay in the doldrums when a stray puppy is coercing her out of her shell—right into the path of a kind, compassionate vet. The quirky town is filled with friends and family, including Linny’s mother, Dottie, who knows more about heartache than her daughters ever guessed. And as Linny contemplates each item on her list, she begins to realize that the dreams most worth holding on to are measured not in worldly success, but in the sweetness of a life lived to the fullest.
Linny kept her nervousness at bay with a lawn-and-garden-care palooza. She could manage this man, she decided, sitting on the metal seat of the surprisingly peppy lawn tractor, zipping around the overgrown lawn in ever-smaller circles. She’d tell the whole truth about herself and, in the unlikely event that that didn’t scare him off, she’d insist that they start out as friends for a year or two. Later, if he underwent an extensive physical and his financial records checked out, they’d progress to a slow pace of dating. This was the power of positive thinking that her old friend, Indigo, preached about. She nodded her head to encourage herself.
But later, all Linny’s good intentions flew away when she opened the door to the beautiful cowboy. With a stubble of beard, faded Levis, and scuffed boots, Jack’s green eyes sparkled as he gave her a crooked grin. “Evening, Linny.” She drew in her breath sharply as she met his eyes and caught his scent—some heady mix of hay, horses, and Dial soap. Her attraction to him made her weak-kneed and apparently, mute. She opened her mouth and closed it again. She groaned to herself. This was not good. Drawing herself up taller, she sighed, and offered ungraciously, “You might as well come in.” Roy skidded around the corner, a pair of Linny’s rattiest underwear in his mouth, and launched himself at Jack. Gasping, she snatched the panties from the dog and stuffed them in the pocket of her shorts. Feeling her face flame, she mumbled, “His latest trick is stealing clothes from the laundry basket.” Jack grinned, and stooped to scratch the dog. Roy twisted in delight, and gazed at him adoringly. Linny shook her head, thinking of the similarities between herself and Roy. All it took was a little affection, and Jack was the puppy’s new best friend.”
An interesting look into a middle aged woman's life, her journey to find herself again, her place, and her happiness.
Linny had lost pretty much everything she could, her home, second husband, and now her job. The move to her mother's property, into a run down trailer seems to be the last drop in the bucket. She is down on herself, still recovering from the death of her first husband, and now losing the second one, just to find out what a loser he was, life is pretty rough for Linny. The story gets bumpy and honest with the raw feelings of a woman at the cross roads of her life. Where to go when there's nothing left? Who can you trust when the betrayals go so deep? With a great insight, humor, and wit, the author take the readers into the journey of Linny finding her dreams, getting to know her mother as a woman, and maybe even getting a one more chance at romance. Though even that chance isn't all bed of roses, with the 'devil-child step son'. The characters are lifelike, well built with depth and personality. They make mistakes like any of us would make, they love and protect their loved ones with everything they have, and fight for their rightful place in the world. A slice of life, that makes you smile, sigh, and appreciate the blessing in your own life ~ Four Spoons
Susan has a graduate degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has used her work background as a psychotherapist and a business consultant to add authenticity to her characters.
Susan is a wife, a stepmother, and a dog lover, Lab Mixes in particular. She and her family live in North Carolina where she is busy finishing up the third novel in the Willow Hill Series. Author Links Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads Books & Spoons Review & Excerpt with Tasty Book Tours SPECIAL FORCES SAVIOR by Janie Crouch5/1/2016
Special Forces Savior
Omega Sector: Critical Response #1 By: Janie Crouch Releasing January 1, 2016 Harlequin Intrigue
He has to shut down the terrorists or lose everything. Including the woman who's become a target.
Omega Sector: Critical Response agent Derek Waterman is hunting the architects of a lethal terrorist bombing. After weeks of chasing cold leads, he has finally found the evidence that could expose the perpetrators. But in order to take them down, he needs help from Dr. Molly Humphries, Omega's lead forensic scientist. Shy Molly works to retrieve the data--and overcome her debilitating crush on the sexy agent. Derek carefully suppresses his mutual smoldering attraction, sure that his dark past will drive Molly away if she knows. But when Molly is kidnapped, he will stop at nothing to save her. Even if a lethal enemy will do everything to keep him from doing so.
Pinned down behind his car with someone shooting at him from across the street was not how Omega Sector agent Derek Waterman had planned to spend his afternoon. He wasn’t exactly sure how he had planned to spend his afternoon, but this was definitely not it.
Derek slid closer to the ground as a bullet whizzed past his head and shattered the concrete behind him. Whoa. Too close. The saving grace in this situation was at least the entire block was empty of any innocent bystanders. No upstanding citizen had much reason to be in this section of West Philly. The less upstanding citizens had exited when Derek and his team had shown up, obviously law enforcement, and the shooting had started. “Uh, what exactly was the intel you got on this place again, Derek?” Jon Hatton asked from where he was also pinned down a few feet away. Although highly trained in weapons and combat as all Omega Sector's Critical Response agents were, Jon was primarily a behavior analyst in the Crisis Management Unit. “What’s the matter? You having problems remembering how to use your weapon, Jon? Too much analyzing, not enough action in your life?” Liam Goetz, the other team member, smacked his gum and grinned. As a member of Omega’s Hostage Rescue team, no one ever asked Liam if he remembered how to use a weapon. Liam had pretty much been born with one in his hand. “I’m just asking to see if there is any sort of plan here besides hide behind the car until the bad guys run out of ammo,” Jon responded. “Which, at the rate they’re shooting, should be sometime next week.” True, the number of shots being fired at them seemed to be dwindling. The people in the building obviously weren’t trying to kill Derek and his team, just keep them pinned. But damned if this entire situation wasn’t starting to piss Derek off. The empty apartment building across the street gave the enemy the tactical advantage. That advantage wasn’t something Derek, as the lead tactical team specialist of Omega's SWAT generally gave up. But the intel they’d received on this location had required an immediate response. Time for tactical analysis hadn’t been available. Thus, the taking cover behind their SUV as the bullets flew by their heads. Derek had moved in on this location so quickly because it had been the first substantial lead pertaining to a terrorist attack on Chicago two weeks earlier. A bombing that had killed or injured over five hundred people. None of the leads Omega had followed up on until now—and there had been hundreds of them—had provided any useful intel. Each location had been totally cold. Another bullet flew by. This location definitely wasn’t cold. “All right, to hell with this.” Derek looked over at Liam, “Jon and I will lay down cover-fire. You head around to the back of the building.” Liam was grinning like an idiot. He loved this sort of thing, danger be damned. “Now you’re talking.” Derek nodded. “Remember, we need them alive, if at all possible.” “Hey, it’s me!” Liam actually winked at them. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Derek rolled his eyes and heard Jon groan under his breath as Liam made his way down the line of abandoned cars parked on the street. Still using their SUV for as much cover as possible, Derek and Jon began firing their weapons toward the abandoned building, hoping to draw any return-fire back at them and away from Liam. But there were no shots at all coming at them from the house. Derek looked over at Jon. “Again.” Using the hood to brace his arm, Derek fired three shots at the house while Jon did the same from the rear of the vehicle. Still no return fire. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Liam make it across the street at the side of the building. No shots were fired at him either. The bad guys weren’t in the building anymore; they must be on the run. Whoever had been shooting at them just a few moments ago was Omega’s best lead in Chicago’s terrorist attack. They were the only lead. And now they were about to get away. “Move in, but be careful,” Derek said to Jon as they made their way forward, weapons still raised. Derek was reaching for the knob of the door, Jon covering him from a cross angle when they heard a rapid burst of gunfire from the back of the building where Liam had been heading. Both men backed out of the doorway and sprinted around the building without a word. Each of them knew that getting inside was secondary to helping Liam if he was under fire. As they rounded the building, Derek was relieved to see Liam unharmed, chasing a suspect farther down the road behind the apartment building. Derek and Jon continued running to catch up with them. Helping capture a known suspect was better than sticking around for what may or may not be in the house. “Stay with them,” Derek told Jon, then made a sharp turn. He would run down a parallel side street and try to cut off the runner. He forced more speed out of his legs. As he made a sharp turn around the next group of buildings, Derek saw the perp slowing down with Liam only a few yards behind him, Jon just beyond that. It was obvious Liam was going to catch the guy at any moment, and the perp knew it, too. He fired his weapon at the Omega agents behind his back in some haphazard fashion without even stopping his run, but the bullets didn’t come anywhere near either of them. Derek turned again and began running toward them. “Stop!” he called out to the man, and saw distress wash over his face. The man stopped running altogether, sliding to an awkward stop. “You’re under arrest,” Derek continued between breaths. “Place the gun on the ground and put your hands on your head.” The man turned around, frantically looking for another way out, but didn’t put his gun down. All the Omega agents gripped their weapons tighter. Nobody wanted to shoot this suspect, he was too important. But they would if necessary. Especially if he turned his weapon on them rather than where it currently lay in his hand pointing at the ground. “Put your weapon down,” Derek repeated. He nodded toward the ground with his forehead, as the man turned back in his direction. “Do you understand? All we want to do is ask you some questions.” That wasn’t entirely true, but Derek just wanted to get the man’s gun out of his hand. The man nodded and Derek eased his finger off the trigger just the slightest bit. But then, almost as if it was in slow motion, and before any of them could react, the guy brought his gun up to his own temple and fired. He crumpled to the ground, dead instantly. Derek’s curse was vile. Jon rushed up to the man and crouched down to take his pulse at the wrist, but Derek knew it was too late. Their best lead—their only lead—had just blown his brains out rather than be taken into custody. Review:
The story is addictive, and hard to put down once started. I got totally lost in it, I was there, with them, facing the danger, and fighting for their lives.
I love the characters, they are attractive and charming, yet realistic, original, likable, and relatable. They personalities comes across clearly, the teamwork, unity, camaraderie, is so appealing. I mean, who hasn't floundered like Molly does around Derek, a time or two? And the theatrics Jon and Liam does just make me laugh out loud. The action, danger and threat are constant. And it sneaks up on you, just when you think the characters are safe, something happens, and like a tsunami wave, it takes over, and your heartbeat fasten. And it keeps happening, again and again, amazing how the tension, intensity is kept up through the story, never a dull moment. Derek is so hot! He comes across as a man with a heart of gold, but with dark shadows in his soul because of the work he has done in the past. The guilt that rides him, does not allow his darkness mixed with the light he sees in Molly. But as he finally lets the shadow's of the past go, and surrenders himself to Molly, and her love, he turns into a caring, loving, tender man, with a strong sense of right and wrong, protective streak of an army of alpha males, and fantasies of his desires towards Molly, that a book-girl can only dream of. Molly's attraction to Derek, and the awkward moments they have in the lab because of it, are a legend in the Omega. But as Molly is put through the wringer, and her life has been in danger, she finds a new kind of inner strength, her spunk and sass is a delight, and her stubbornness a joy. They have so many moments together that made me sigh, and when Derek calls her his light, his everything.... *swoon* Their past is brought into the story as remembering, while captured, as Molly's happy and safe place to go while in danger, I really liked how it was done, and gave more depth to the relationship developing between them. I adore this story, and hanged on every word. The flow, the tension, intensity, the romance, the jesting between the team members, are all trademarks of the writing of Janie Crouch, and she does it well, book after book, with a fresh and original voice. I love how the scene is set up for the series to come, and the characters, team members introduced, I'm looking forward to the series to come, this will be a thrilling series. Another home run for the author ~ Five Spoons
Janie Crouch loves to read – almost exclusively romance – and has been doing so since middle school. She cut her teeth on Harlequin (Mills & Boon) Romances when she lived in Wales, UK as a preteen, then moved on to a passion for romantic suspense as an adult. Her favorite authors include: Linda Howard, Nora Roberts, and Elizabeth Lowell.
Janie recently relocated with her husband and four children to Germany (due to her husband's job as support for the U.S. Military), after living in Virginia for nearly 20 years. When she’s not listening to the voices in her head (and even when she is), she enjoys traveling, long-distance running, movie-watching, knitting and adventure (obstacle) racing. Janie completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2014. Most of all, she loves to laugh and smile and count her blessings. And her blessings are many. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Caught by You Love
Between the Bases #2 By: Jennifer Bernard Releasing December 29, 2015 Avon Impulse
Love comes out of left field in the second novel in USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Bernard's sexy baseball-themed series...
Months of alternately flirting and bickering with Kilby Catfish catcher Mike Solo just turned into the hottest kiss of Donna MacIntyre's life—and that's a major league complication. Any hint of scandal could keep her from getting her son back from her well-connected ex. Then Mike comes up with a game-changing idea: a marriage proposal that could help win her case—even as it jeopardizes her heart. Mike hasn't been able to get the gorgeous, gutsy redhead out of his fantasies. The least he can do is fix the mess he helped create. Yet their engagement is quickly becoming about a lot more than doing the right thing. Because after swearing he'd never risk love again, Mike has found a passion that puts all his emotions in play, and a woman he'll go to bat for again and again.
I adore Jennifer and Mike, the spirit they have, they connection between them, and the humor that cracked me up. They left a big smile on my face, all warm and fuzzy inside.
The characters have serious spunk, they are not perfect, they have their faults, and weaknesses. But both Mike and Jennifer have big, caring hearts, goals, and determination to get there. Together they are just hilarious, the dialog between them is brilliant with the banter and fun. The story is not all about flirting and baseball. There are some serious, painful issues as well. The abandonment Jennifer feels from her parents, the teenage pregnancy and the consequences of it, custody battles, and single parenthood are all issues that are nothing to laugh about, and were dealt with respect and dignity they deserve. The tale is built up from the life and romance between Mike and Jennifer, the drama of the small town, and baseball. I liked how there was time spent also on the baseball field, and the sports had some highlight as well. There's a lot happening in this story. All somehow twined together, as life in a small town often is. The story gave me several good laughs, and put a smile on my face with the wit and jest. But it also had moments where Mike's worry of his brother, or Jennifer's burning desire to be the best mom she can be, brought me to tears. With characters that you can't help but love, and a story that touches a wide range of feelings, the author has created a positively entertaining tale, a true page turner ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
Jennifer Bernard is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Books & Spoons Release Blast with Tasty Book Tours: HOLD ME UNTIL FOREVER by Christina Phillips4/1/2016
Hold Me Until Forever
Grayson Brothers #3 By: Christina Phillips Releasing January 4, 2016 Entangled Brazen
She's the only one he wants...and the one he can never have…
Ella Clark has been in love with Alex Grayson forever. She’s tired of being invisible—or worse, being treated like his kid sister. If she can just get him to drop his iron-fisted control for two seconds, she’ll prove she knows exactly how to blow his mind. Alex has been fighting his attraction to Ella since her should-have-been-innocent sweet sixteen kiss burned down his world. He's damaged, and there's no way he'll ever drag her into his screwed up life. Until she offers him something he's always craved—steamy, no-strings sex inside his exclusive BDSM club. Where she'll be safe from the darkness that haunts him. Except there's nothing safe about being with Ella, and the more she gives, the harder it is to let her go. If he stays, he risks everything, but how can he walk away from the only woman he's ever needed?
(Ella’s just told Alex that she’s leaving Grayson’s, and Alex has gone round to her apartment to try and talk her out of it…)
Guilt twisted through her again. Before he’d taken her into Grayson’s she’d been floundering, her self-confidence still in bad shape after her mom’s asshole boyfriend had cornered her when she’d been fourteen. Her succession of part-time and casual jobs was nothing to brag about, and the only constant in her life had been her volunteer work at the Wildlife Retreat. “I’m not leaving you in the shit. There’s plenty of time to find a replacement for me.” He gave her a smoldering look. Oh, for fuck’s sake… “No one could take your place.” If only he were talking about her as a woman and not his indispensable work colleague. “Hate to say it, but you’ll probably be surprised.” He didn’t immediately deny it, which stung more than it should. “You plan on staying in touch?” She couldn’t tell by his tone of voice whether he gave a damn one way or the other. So much for no one being able to take her place. Looked like he was already over it. Don’t you dare say it. Heat flooded through her, but the words spilled out anyhow. “I might come visit you in your club one night.” At least it wiped that infuriating, unreadable expression from his face. He stared at her as though she’d just grown a pair of horns. “I don’t think so.” It was the note of finality in his voice that really pissed her off—as if he thought she was joking and he didn’t find it funny. “Why not? I think I’d really get off on a night at your club.” Take that. If only she didn’t look so rough. It was hard trying to act like a sophisticated woman of the world when she was barefoot and Alex could’ve stepped off the cover of GQ. “Didn’t know you were into that scene.” “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Including the fact I sleep in one of your old shirts. At least he hadn’t recognized it. Then again, it was about three years old. He’d left it here when the brothers had helped her move in, and somehow she kept forgetting to give it back to him. Accidentally on purpose. “I would’ve known about this.” Was he laughing at her? He didn’t look as if he was, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Whatever. She wasn’t backing down. “I might not be hardcore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to experiment now and then.” “Define what you mean by ‘experimenting.’” He damn well was laughing at her. What’s the kinkiest thing I’ve read lately? “Ménages.” That’d shut him up. Or turn him on. “You enjoy having sex with two men at the same time?” She glared at him. “You find it so hard to believe that two men would want me?” “That’s not what I find hard to believe.” His quick-fire response took her breath away. Trust Alex to compliment and insult her in one easy comment. She cleared her throat, which kind of ruined the worldly aura she was going for, but it was better than choking on her own words. “So, does your club cater for that kind of thing?” What was she saying? She’d die if he called her bluff. He didn’t answer right away. His eyes were all dark and smoky and it was suddenly hard to breathe properly. He seemed to be considering her question, which sent prickles of alarmed excitement over her bare skin. “Excalibur caters for almost anything,” he said.
Christina Phillips is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in sunny Western Australia with her high school sweetheart and their family. She enjoys writing paranormal, historical and contemporary romance where the stories sizzle and the heroine brings her hero to his knees.
She’s addicted to good coffee, expensive chocolate and bad boy heroes. Christina is also owned by three gorgeous cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Broken Beat By: April Brookshire
Releasing January 27, 2015 Self Published You’ve heard the story before. A young woman moves to the big city, catches the eye of a rich and powerful man, and they live happily ever after. Unless they don’t. Vanessa has learned to live without her happily ever after. In fact, she no longer needs or wants it. Her heart may have been shattered by the loss of true love, but it’s made her a stronger person. Her fairytale dreams faded, making way for more practical aspirations. Keenan made a mistake when he brutally discarded Vanessa from his life. Ever since, he’s been in a hell of his own making. The life he’s led for the past several years isn’t one to be proud of and he doesn’t deserve to win Vanessa’s heart once again. Not that he’ll let anything stop him.
“Keenan wants to see you,” Darius said.
My hand tightened around the glass, at the same time it began to shake. Adding my other hand into the mix, I gripped it until the shaking lessened. “You’re not serious.” Staring at where some of the water had sloshed out onto my hand, I tried to ignore the rising panic. “He’s found out the truth,” Darius explained. My eyes rose to meet is all-too-serious ones. “How?” The word left my numb lips barely above a whisper. His head dropped to look down at his shoes, but I could still see his hesitant expression from where I sat several yards away. He rubbed a hand through his thick hair. “He asked me to leave any explanations to him.” My dread morphed into irritation. “That sounds like him. Always needing to have the final word.” The strain left his features at my comment. “So, what do you want me to tell him?” I stood, setting my glass down on the coffee table. The view of Manhattan outside became larger as I walked to the large penthouse windows. I stared down below at the tiny people walking on sidewalks and the toy cars moving down the street. Inside here, it seemed as if everything had come to a standstill. It was impossible to pinpoint any one feeling about the possibility of seeing Keenan again. A combination of anxiety, sadness and defiance mingled with something I refused to identify as anticipation. I imagined an awkward conversation between Keenan and myself. Rehashing our history wasn’t an event I’d enjoy. So he finally knew the truth and in his arrogance had decided it was time for closure. He’d always made all the decisions. Well, this time I’d be the one deciding the outcome. Seeing Keenan would benefit me in no way. It had taken time, but I’d moved on from the heartbreak of our disastrous ending. All evidence proved Keenan had also moved on. Any conversation between us would come too late. Not turning from the view, I told Darius, “Tell him it was another lifetime.”
April Brookshire is the author of the Beware of Bad Boy and Young Assassins series. She also co-authors the Dead Chaos series. She writes in the New Adult & Young Adult Romance and Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy genres.
April lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, where she raises her young son. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually reading, but also enjoys attending concerts and plays in the numerous venues of the city. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
The Cold Case Detectives series heats up with a sexy new hero in this story of revenge and desire.
A tough ex-SEAL turned private investigator, Lucas Curran vows that solving his sister's murder must come first. Even before his raging attraction to Rachel Delany, who might be a fresh lead in the four-year-old case. It's just that he can't trust the down-on-her-luck beauty. He's already been devastated once by a deceitful ex. Then there's Rachel's rap sheet…and her infuriating tendency to withhold the truth. But when Rachel's life goes up in flames, they're forced to rely on each other. Because Rachel is more than just Lucas's ticket to outsmarting a killer and serving up justice—she's his second chance at a burning love he never thought possible.
I really liked this suspense filled story.
There's so much happening in the story, so many different angles. Everytime I thought I had it all figured out, and knew what was what, a plot twist, and I was guessing again. That kept me glued to the story. The characters are edgy, they have secrets, and are skating on the line of good and bad. I really wasn't sure with Rachel, what her secrets were, and was she really that innocent at all. Luke is very oriented to find the truth behind his sister's murder, and not shy to use anything to find the answers and clues he needs. I wasn't sure at first, if they, Luke and Rachel, have a connection, or if he was just using her to the greater good. But the feelings grow, and the connection between them comes clear. Also, who is really behind everything that was happening, that was the other question in my mind, that wasn't' solved until the end. But the end is satisfying, and giving answers to my questions. Great suspense, a murder mystery that keeps you guessing and wondering all the way to the end ~ Four Spoons
DANGEROUS SECRETS
Back home in Serenity, Jamie Lynn Henderson's determined to prove her brother was framed for the town sheriff's hit-and-run death years ago. But as she encounters dead end after dead end, Jamie Lynn discovers someone will go to any lengths—even murder—to bury the evidence. Her only hope of staying alive long enough to uncover the truth is Shane Colton, the late lawman's wary son. Shane's world was shattered by one senseless act that he can't forgive. But somehow he is drawn to protect the lovely woman trying to free her brother from prison. If they don't work fast, Jamie Lynn's single-minded quest might lead them both into the killer's trap.
The constant danger and terror of the attacks, keeps the reader on their toes, but the great humor, that is spread all over the story, balances the intense menace, and brings light to the tale.
I enjoyed the characters, and their interaction in the story. They have a connection, Jamie and Shane especially are drawn to each other, despite the circumstances of their lives. Kyle, Shane's son, is a delight, and Useless, the dog, definitely steals some of the attention. The action and danger is constant, and the attacks becoming more and more frequent. The secrets and conspiracy theories of the old crime start to come to the light, and the badly handled investigation from before, suddenly gets new light, information no one in the town expected. Jamie and Shane work on the investigation, their banter is fun, and the attraction adorable. How fate is integrated into their lives, and into the story, is natural, and genuine, the way he, and his mom, share it with Jamie logical and practical. Enjoyable and fun story, I liked the suspense, characters, and the action in the tale. The romance came fast, but the connection between Shane and Jamie was legitimate and true ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
You can't live a lie forever
One magical summer—that was all it took for Alexis Foster to fall deeply in love with Daniel Chandler. And then she gave him up to keep Daniel from sacrificing his own dreams. But the passionate bond they shared is rekindled when Alex returns to her family's farm…with a powerful secret. Daniel is Ohio's youngest state senator, and his star is on the rise. He's also discovering a kindred spirit in Alex's seventeen-year-old daughter. Alex has to tell him the truth even though it risks his political future…and may cost her the two people she loves most.
Even with all the secrets and lies, the story has a harmonious tone, and is written with a kind and caring tone. No big drama, expect the real drama on the stage, people are respectful and civil towards each other. Refreshing.
All together the story has a very fifties kind of feeling. It's not 'dated', but I had the image in my head the whole time I was reading, about this small town America in 1950's. The story is well built, it goes between the past and the present, but the change is clearly marked. The story is told by several people's points of view, also by Martin, Alex's dad. There's also a sub story going with Martin and the neighbor Aurora, and their friendship. Daniel's relationship with his dying dad, Alex, and his new found daughter, are all well developed. The lies, secrets, and hurt from the past are dealt with, and his position in the public eye is not made the main focus. He really has his priorities in order. With family in focus, trust and loyalty in question, and old feelings from the past lighting up again, the story has some age old questions, that are dealt with dignity, and high morals, and with the old time era type of tune ~ Four Spoons |