Fairest Of All Book Reviews

Asa Akira

Dirty Thirty: A Memoir

August 9, 2016

Blurb

Get Inside Asa Akira!

The world knows her as a porn star. . . but it’s her way with words that will touch you again and again. As she contemplates turning thirty years old while still being in the adult film trade, Asa Akira delves into her past, present, and future, exploring the events that brought her to where she is now and the surprising and insightful plans she has for her future. Asa’s perceptive, funny, and straightforward writings on love, sex, death, marriage and celebrity come together in this surprising book of essays that will have you laughing hysterically one minute and deep in reverent thought the next. Personally revealing as well as universal, Dirty Thirty marks the coming of age of a new literary star.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30825294-dirty-thirty

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1toweHW

B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/1PrfEMp

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aJSHHj

iBooks: http://apple.co/2aXUUSH

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ayZUe1

About Asa Akira

Find Asa Akira Online

Ruthless

A Lawless Novel

By Lexi Blake

Coming August 9, 2016

The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without…

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QjkKhu

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SoQIuG

iBooks: http://apple.co/1PQRzUn

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1WYrIcA

Google:  http://bit.ly/1WYrK4q

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1PNvrEg

Print: http://amzn.to/1myXVtV

Early Reviews

“Smart, savvy, clever, and always entertaining. That’s true of Riley Lawless, the hero in Ruthless, and likewise for his creator, Lexi Blake. Both are way ahead of the pack.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

“I love Lexi Blake. Read Ruthless and see why.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Lee Child

With Ruthless, Lexi Blake has set up shop on the intersection of Suspenseful and Sexy, and I never want to leave. ~ Laurelin Paige, New York Times bestselling author

Ruthless is full of suspense, hot sex, and swoon worthy characters — a must read!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst

Review

“Revenge is worth any price.”

The Lawless siblings have lived and breathed this idea for twenty years, and now that they’re in a position to get justice for their parents, they’ll be as ruthless…as underhanded…as lawless as possible in order to make those people pay who took their parents away from them.

Every move that Riley Lang (Lawless) has made has been about revenge. He became a lawyer…he changed his last name…he sought to seduce a woman – all in order to complete his duty to his parents and his siblings.

But what Riley doesn’t anticipate is how his mark…the pawn for the Lawless’ revenge is a woman he actually doesn’t want to go to war against because Ellie Stratton is nothing like her despicable deceased father. She’s someone who deserves someone who will battle with her and protect her from the deviousness of others, but his own deception prevents him from looking like anything more than the ruthless bastard he is.

Ellie Stratton has done everything she can to make herself a knowledgeable professional in this man’s world of business, but regardless of her credentials or her ability to run her father’s business smoothly, she’s still seen as inferior and when what was supposed to be a friendly buyout becomes more like survival of the fittest, Ellie doesn’t know who to trust, and with her father’s dying confession, there’s much more at stake than a company’s stock shares and the position of CEO.

Ruthless is an amazing first book in Lexi Blake’s new Lawless series. The storyline is full of suspense, secrets, and sex, which keeps readers guessing how the Lawless’ revenge plot will play out and what will happen when the tables turn in others’ direction. Even though the story is told in third person, readers are still able to truly understand who Riley and Ellie are at their core because Blake provides both of their perspectives and delves deep into why they do what they do and what their sizzling connection means to Riley’s plan and Ellie’s heart.

A complimentary copy was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

“Why did you do that?”

It was the first time she’d spoken without being prompted. “Do what?”

Her face flushed the sweetest pink. The color went all the way down that sexy V-neck. Her breasts flushed as well as her face, and it made his damn dick tighten. “Kiss me. Why did you kiss me like that?”

Oh, so many reasons, but he gave her the most compelling one. “I wanted to.”

The minute she’d opened the door and he’d seen her standing there looking anxious, he’d known how to calm her down. All he’d had to do was put his hands on her and some odd connection flared between the two of them. She hadn’t fought him. He could have gone on kissing her. He’d been the one to pull away.

It was like the minute he walked in, he was the only thing that existed for her. It made him feel ten feet tall, but it also made him want to please her.

It was an unsettling sensation.

Her hands came up, fingers on the sides of the table. “You know what I’m asking. You knew I wasn’t alone. Why did you pretend to be my boyfriend?”

It was easy to see she’d wanted him to wait for her at the restaurant so as to avoid him meeting her sister and ex. When she’d opened the door, he’d immediately known something was wrong. He’d gotten a glimpse of her sister and known Ellie had likely needed a hand. It had to be tough on a woman’s ego to lose even a pathetic excuse of a husband to a younger sister.

“You were alone with your sister who slept with your husband. Excuse me. Ex-husband.”

She shook her head. “At the time, we were definitely married. How did you know he was my ex-husband?”

“He took half your net wealth. I’m your lawyer. At this level, a good lawyer is less legal counsel and more war consultant. I can’t properly perform my duties if I don’t know everything about you, including the fact that you tend to have terrible taste in men.”

She frowned. “I haven’t had a ton of boyfriends. I’m not sure what my taste is.”

He really wanted to understand why she’d married that obvious prick. “What attracted you to him? Because from where I was standing, he looked like a dickwad desperate to be twenty-one again.”

She bit into her bottom lip, her eyes glancing away from him. “He wasn’t always like that. I actually met him when he was twenty-one. He was far more mature then.”

He liked her candor. “You were in college?”

“Last year of undergrad. We dated for two years and then it seemed like it was time to get married. We’d moved back here to Manhattan so I could take my place at StratCast. I thought he was going to go to grad school, but he decided on a different path.”

“What path was that?”

A single brow rose over her right eye. “You don’t know?”

Of course he knew. He knew everything. “Are you referring to your ex-husband’s penchant for swinging for the fences? When it comes to investments, that is.”

It was what he liked to call “idiots who funded ridiculous ideas.” They never wanted a simple profit out of their money. They wanted millions and really fucking fast. They swung for the grand slam when all they needed to do was get on base.

It took a true genius to take a single idea and make millions off it. Drew had.

Her shoulders straightened. “He wanted the easy solution. A get-rich-quick scheme. He wasn’t that way at first. At one point he was very intellectual. It’s what attracted me to him. He was curious about the world and liked to discuss everything from politics to social jus- tice to movies we saw. He changed. I didn’t. In some ways, I blame getting involved with me for what happened to him. He got around my father and real wealth and wanted some of his own. When I met him, he wanted to be a professor. He wanted to teach.”

At least he’d gotten her this far. She was talking. Now he needed to get those shoulders down from around her earlobes. For one moment, for that moment when he’d drawn her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, she’d relaxed against him, given over to him. Her body had softened and she’d leaned into him, and if he’d pressed her, he didn’t know what would have happened. She might have continued kissing him, forgetting all about the other people in the room. He could have cupped her breast, her ass. Put his hands anywhere he liked.

She hadn’t given a damn that they hadn’t been alone. All she’d cared about was him.

About The Author

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

Website: http://www.lexiblake.net/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lexi-Blake/e/B005JVSDJ0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1450204047&sr=8-2-ent

This Isn’t Over, Baby by K. Webster
War & Peace
Publication Date: August 30, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance

Preorder: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

They’d won the battle and I held up the white flag of defeat…
But the war wasn’t OVER.

I suffered the aching loss of what they had stolen from me.
OVER and OVER again, my heart broke.
The white Queen and the black King had taken OVER the game
and ruled for what seemed like eternity.

Until one day, eternity was finally OVER.

I was the dark knight who would rise again and conquer.
I was the man who would win OVER the most important piece on the board.

A slayer. A protector. A father.
A new king with the blackest of hearts.

And head OVER heels in love with…
The little princess who owned my twisted soul.

Sometimes the villains don’t just want their happy ending…
They demand it.

This isn’t OVER, baby.
This will never be OVER.

Warning:
This Isn’t Over, Baby is a dark romance. Strong sexual themes and violence which could trigger emotional distress are found in this story. This story is NOT for everyone.

About K. Webster

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We’re delighted to kick off the Legacy Falls cover reveal tour–a week where we’ll feature eight great stories as part of the Legacy Falls charitable anthology project.

Each author will donate a portion of their sales to the wounded or returning veteran charities of their choice.

Legacy Falls project summary

Families from Legacy Falls share a tradition of loss.

Lovers have said farewell at the Pleasant Street train station for seventy years.

Mothers have welcomed home their sons in the ticker tape return from war and loss.

After every war, every battle, Legacy Falls opens its arms and its hearts to the wounded warriors returning home.

These are their stories.

Beyond the Ghosts by Jody Pardo

Summary

More info on Home here.

About the Author

Jody Pardo was born and raised in New York City and is the only child of an English professor. After 9/11/2001 and a line-of-duty injury, she left her role as an EMT with FDNY-EMS for a quieter life. She pursued Bachelor’s degrees in Molecular Biosciences and English. Her love of books and introduction to the Indie book world led to many wonderful friendships, and the drive to write and publish was ignited. Jody loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in five states and

visited 48 out of 50 US states. Known for her goofy selfies and love for peanut butter, she is easily swayed to dares and shenanigans.

Now a resident of Oklahoma, Jody is an elementary school teacher and a single mom to her daughter, Ariel Elizabeth, and her cat, Bullet.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

 Release Date: August 29th
Series: PresLocke #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance M/M

Synopsis

“ACE LOCKE JETS OFF TO SIN CITY WITH MYSTERY MAN”

Sorry, ladies—and fellas—Hollywood’s hottest action star, Ace Locke, is officially off the market!

The man on Locke’s arm has been identified as Dylan Prescott, the sexy new “it” model currently featured in the latest Calvin Klein ads. Sources tell TNZ the men met on the set of Locke’s upcoming action film Insurrection 2, and that “they only have eyes for each other.”

This is the first public gay relationship for Locke, who came out a year ago, and there has been much speculation on who would finally be the one to catch his eye.

According to multiple eyewitnesses, Locke whisked Prescott away on his private jet for a romantic weekend at Syn, the most exclusive hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. After pictures recently surfaced of the new couple, affectionately named PresLocke, it appears from the possessive way Locke keeps his new beau close that things are heating up.

The world is watching #PresLocke, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on this budding relationship!

Ace and Dylan’s story continues in Book Two of the Bestselling PresLocke Series.

© 2016 Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

* * * * * * * * * 

“Separately, Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine are must-read authors. Together, they create pure magic!”

~Erika Wilde, New York Times Bestselling Author

* * * * * * * * *

Add to Goodreads

About the Authors

About Ella Frank

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR.  You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

***

Ella Frank Author Links

Ella Frank’s Newsletter – www.bit.ly/1hEYtgn
Ella Frank’s Bookbub – http://bit.ly/29d67dD
Website – www.ellafrank.com
Twitter – @EllaFrank2012
FB – www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31
FB Street Team – www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/ellafrank1/
Email: admin@ellafrank.com

***

Amazon Buy Links

PresLocke Series
Aced – http://amzn.to/29zhJug

Sunset Cove Series
Finley – http://amzn.to/1MshEaY
Devil’s Kiss – http://amzn.to/29kMlAF

Temptation Series
Try – http://amzn.to/1SndAIf
Take – http://amzn.to/1q8fxz9
Trust – http://amzn.to/1q8fymN

The Exquisite Series
Exquisite – http://amzn.to/22Dnwpm
Entice – http://amzn.to/1q8fNOI
Edible – http://amzn.to/1UQ73ta

Masters Among Monsters
Alasdair – http://amzn.to/1q8fRhs
Isadora – http://amzn.to/1RGmELp

Standalones
Blind Obsession – http://amzn.to/1UQ7544
Veiled Innocence – http://amzn.to/21MqYYZ

Co-Authored Books
Sex Addict – http://amzn.to/29jXd0n

Anthologies
F*cking Awkward Anthology – http://amzn.to/29nCbP2

ABOUT BROOKE BLAINE

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.

Brooke is a USA Today Bestselling Author and enjoys writing sassy contemporary romance, whether in the form of comedy, suspense, or erotica. The latter has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.

If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find – just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for years.

You can connect with Brooke here

★ http://www.brookeblaine.com/
★ Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrookeBlaine.Writer
★ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrookeBlaine1
★ Instagram: www.instagram.com/brookeblaine1/
★ Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1i2g15S
★ Brooke & Ella’s Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas

If you’d like to be the FIRST to know about a new release, sale, giveaway, or upcoming signings & events, make sure to join Brooke’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/brxPkP

Purchase Links:

ACED (PresLocke Series Book One)
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/29EAa1a
Universal Link: myBook.to/Acedebook

LICKED (L.A. Liaisons Book 1)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1q4C7bJ
Amazon International: myBook.to/Licked
*Exclusively on Kindle Unlimited*

HOOKER (L.A. Liaisons Book 2)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1QKpkSA
Amazon International: myBook.to/Hooker
*Exclusively on Kindle Unlimited*

FLASH POINT
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1q4Cl2q
Amazon International: myBook.to/FP
*Exclusively on Kindle Unlimited*

SEX ADDICT
Amazon US: amzn.to/29bJDhl
Amazon International: myBook.to/SexAddictebook
*Exclusively on Kindle Unlimited*

F*CKING AWKWARD
Amazon US: amzn.to/299qA27

Bad Judgment

By Meghan March

Release Day – August 22, 2016

He’s so arrogant.

She’s so self-righteous.

I can’t stand him.

I want her.

He’s a distraction I don’t need.

She’ll say yes eventually because I’m not giving up.

Justine Porter is stuck between a rock and a stripper pole. She lost her law school scholarship, which means she has two choices to keep her life on track: strip for her tuition or tutor the most distractingly sexy guy in her class—the one she’s been turning down for two years straight. It should be an easy choice, but tutoring Ryker Grant could derail her plans to graduate with honors faster than two-for-one night at the Déjà Vu. Then again, topless has never really been her color.

She could take the easy road, just this once . . . but the deal has enough loopholes to trip anyone up.

Who knew they taught bad judgment in law school?

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29968284-bad-judgment

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/bad-judgment/id1107827505?mt=11&at=1000lc6n

Excerpt

“Excuse me, Ms. Porter. Mr. Grant. Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

And we’ve officially been noticed by Turner. Justine’s cheeks turn red at the professor’s attention.

“Sorry, Professor Turner. I’ve been asking Ms. Porter out at least once a week for the last two years, and she’s still shooting me down. You’d think I’d give up, but I just can’t let it go.”

Justine’s face and ears flame even brighter red, and she slaps a hand over her face and lowers her gaze to the keyboard of her laptop.

“And do you think that announcing this is going to help your case any, Mr. Grant?”

“No, sir, but you asked if I had anything to share with the class.”

The middle-aged man seems like he would have been cool in his day, and I know it’s true when he doesn’t bust my balls any further.

“Fair enough, Mr. Grant, but save it for after class. I imagine you’re going to have a lot of apologizing to do, and perhaps some groveling.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Turner moves on to call on the next person on his list to recite the facts of the case, and I’m glad he didn’t bestow that little honor on me.

Justine grabs the Chewbacca Pez dispenser between us and pops a few yellow candies into her mouth. Her face is still bright red, and Turner’s right. I should probably apologize for humiliating her, but it’s not like anyone in this room doesn’t know I’ve been trying since the beginning of our first year. She’s the only one who pretends like it’s not happening—at least until that night after finals at the bar.

I haven’t been able to get the way her body curled into mine out of my head. I need to remind her how fucking good we could be together. If that kiss was anything to go by, when we get naked, we’ll be explosive.

One more chance. That’s all I need to convince her that we have a hell of a lot more to explore.

Class grinds on for what seems like an eternity until Turner dismisses us and everyone starts packing up their laptops and casebooks.

I know I’ve got one shot to get Justine to agree to talk to me—especially after I made my little announcement to the class.

Biding my time, I wait until she’s trying to pass behind me, and I stand so she runs directly into my chest. Thrown off-balance, she wobbles, and I wrap both hands around her hips to steady her.

“I got you.”

Her eyes narrow and her mouth curls into a scowl. “You did that on purpose.”

“Deliberately got in your way so I could get my hands on you again? Damn right, I did.”

I see a flash of confusion and then the anger takes precedence again.

But we both know it’s the truth. Getting my hands on her is exactly what I want. Her shirt rides up on the sides, and I sweep my fingers along her bare skin. Fuck, she’s soft. Which guarantees my dick isn’t.

“Let me go.”

Instead of a demand, Justine’s words sound breathless. I have to remind myself I’m standing in a classroom with a professor up front and students filing in and out. This isn’t the time or place for a hard-on.

“I’ve got some things I need to say to you, and you’re going to let me.”

Her brown eyes snap up to mine, surprise clear in them. “Why should I?”

“Because you’re nothing if not curious, and you want to know what I have to say.”

She steps backward, and I let my fingertips trail across her skin before they drop away. Justine adjusts the straps of her backpack on her shoulders and tucks Chewbacca into a side pocket.

“You know you want to hear the rare sound of me apologizing, don’t you?”

Justine purses her lips, and all I can think about is the dreams I had all weekend of her staring down at me from a stage while she danced and stripped. My own private show. I’m not going to admit how many times I jacked off to the mental picture. I need the real thing, and I won’t have another shot if she won’t even give me a chance to talk to her.

I don’t know what changes her mind, but she relaxes her posture and relents. “Fine. You’ve got five minutes. This better be good.”

About Meghan March 

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST

WAIT

A Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel

By A.L. Jackson

Release Day – August 23

Blurb

From NYT & USA Today bestselling author comes a new Bleeding Stars stand-alone novel…

She is his strength and he is her weakness. And this time he won’t let her go.

Edie Evans is gorgeous.

Sexy.

Kind.

She’s also the definition of off-limits.

But that didn’t stop me from sneaking into her room to comfort her at night.

But guys like me? We destroy everything, so it should have been no surprise when I destroyed us, too.

The night I sent her running, I thought I’d never see her again.

Until I saw her standing like a vision in the crowd.

Austin Stone is dangerous.

Alluring.

Tempting.

He broke my heart and I refused to give him the chance to do it again.

It’s been years since I’ve seen him, and now I can’t do anything but stare at the gorgeous, tattooed man playing onstage. I should run. I know I should. But like a fool, I run straight back to him.

Our desire is overpowering.
Our need unrelenting.

She is my hope.
He is my weakness.

We should have known a passion this intense would burn us right into the ground.

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/WaitGoodreads

Pre-Order on iBooks and get it a day early!

http://smarturl.it/waitibookspreorder

Be notified as soon as WAIT goes live everywhere August 23, 2016 http://bit.ly/NewsFromALJackson

Excerpt

“Edie…please…just…wait.”

I gripped the railing as if it might propel me forward. Instead, my footsteps faltered and slowed. I stood facing away, my back heaving as his consuming presence swarmed over me from behind.

“Please.” This time it was a whisper. A plea.

Sincere.

Slowly I turned.

Drawn.

He’d always been my weakness.

Austin stood at the end of the walkway, just outside the reach of the lights, his body obscured in shadows.

Even larger than I’d imagined when I’d first seen him up on stage.

So foreign.

So familiar.

My heart ached. Because I was looking at the boy who’d been my best friend. The one person who I’d thought would completely understand. One who wouldn’t judge or make it hurt more than it already did.

He’d been my safety.

My haven.

Until he’d dragged me right back into hell.

“Why are you here?” My words cracked. “H-h-how…how did you find me?”

I saw the shake of his head, and he took a single step forward, out of the shadows and into the glow of the single lamp attached high on the exterior wall that lit the way.

It hit him like a spotlight.

The boy was so beautiful.

It was a threatening kind of beauty, a whorl of mystery and pain, sharp lines and corded muscle.

It almost dropped me to my knees.

He fisted his hands at his sides. The question was strained, hard as it pressed from his mouth. “You believe in fate, Edie?”

Old grief I’d bottled for so long burst. It came out as some kind of maniacal cry. Incredulous. Oozing disbelief. “After everything that happened…that’s what you’re going to ask me?”

“Edie…I—”

“Do you have any idea how badly you hurt me?” I cut him off, my own hands fisting as I took a single step forward.  “The damage you caused? Careless words, Austin. So fucking careless, thrown out there without a single thought to the repercussions, without any consideration of how they would affect me. How they would change my life. You promised.” My brow twisted with the accusation. “And now you have the nerve to stand there and ask me if I believe in fate?”

I swallowed hard, shook my head. “You can go to straight to hell, Austin Stone.”

He laughed, but there was zero humor behind it. “Come on, Edie. You can do better than that, can’t you? Considering you know hell is where I’ve been all along, and you and I both know I deserve so much worse. And yeah…those words were reckless, but you know they weren’t heedless. You couldn’t expect me to just stand there. Not with him. Not with what he was saying. Implying. I couldn’t.” The last cracked on the emphasis.

I felt as if every cell in my body was being crushed. Squeezed so tight there was no chance but for everything to implode.

“And because you lost it, I lost it all. You. My home. My future.”

His big hands fisted. “I know. I…I fucked it up, Edie. Warned you, I always fuck it up.”

But what he failed to say was he’d promised he wouldn’t fuck it up with me.

I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or terrified when Jed suddenly rounded the corner. His sister, Blaire, was hot on his heels.

“Edie,” Jed gushed out in relief when he saw me. He came to a stop a few steps behind Austin.

As if he’d just stepped into the bristling intensity and it tripped up his feet.

The stand-off.

The war.

Austin standing there? I knew that’s exactly what this was going to be.

“What the hell is going on here?” Jed demanded. His voice twisted into a threat. He glared at the back of Austin’s head, worried eyes flicking to me, hardening when they snapped back to Austin.

Blaire tugged at his arm. “Jed…I told you to give her a minute. Sometimes you need to let people sort out their own issues.”

Jed just grunted and shrugged off her arm.

Refusing to budge.

Austin swung his head to look behind him. When he did, his face shifted to the side, all those hard, beautiful lines exposed in profile, his expression winding into a bitter sneer. “Nah, man. All’s good here. Just telling an old friend hi. Isn’t that right, Edie?”

Aggression curled between them.

Alive and raging.

Jed was a burly, beefy, hulk of a man, a full beard covering most of his face, his brown hair cut short at the sides and longer on top.

Had I ever imagined him and Austin going toe to toe, I would have put all my money on Jed.

Now I wasn’t so sure.

Jed lifted his chin, as if for the moment he was standing down, turning to me as his tone softened. “You okay, Edie?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Lie. Lie. Lie.

I was shaken to my core.

“I just want to go home.” It left me on a desperate breath.

Jed pushed around Austin and stalked my way. “All right, let’s get you out of here.”

As she passed by Austin, Blaire cast a searching glance in his direction, before her attention flickered over to me, a ton of worried questions moving across her expression.

Questions I didn’t know if I had the strength to answer.

With an arm wound around my shoulder, Jed spun me, breaking the spell Austin had me under, and tucked me into his side.

Protecting and shielding.

He began to lead me away, down the planks and toward his car waiting in the parking lot out front.

With each step we took, I could feel the heat of Austin’s stare. That burning intensity I wasn’t sure I could ever escape.

The hurt and hatred.

It was a hatred I couldn’t tell who it was directed at.

If it was aimed at him or me or the rest of the world that had threatened to choke the life out of us.

The world we were supposed to take on together.

Just as we started to round the corner, I paused because I just couldn’t stop myself, turned to look back at the man who stood there staring back at me.

Emotion gripped his expression just as tight as the clench of his fists.

Hard and tortured.

As if I was the one inflicting the pain.

I choked down the sorrow that rose like a cyclone, spinning and spinning, whipping up the old affection that longed for that soft, understanding boy to take me in his arms and sing in my ear.

Dangerous.

I searched inside myself for the shelter that secured my heart. The flimsy cover I wore that just barely kept me together. I forced myself to speak the words I knew would drive him away, as much of a lie as they were. “And for the record…no, Austin, I definitely don’t believe in fate.”

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‪#‎PNR‬‪ #‎SummerOfSin16‬‪ #LoseYourReligion‬

Blurb

Twenty-two years ago, I was cut from a cold, sodden womb, and cradled in the filth and poverty of Chicago’s concrete arms. Statistically, I wasn’t supposed to survive these streets past the age of eighteen.

Fate had a different plan.

I was bred for one purpose and one purpose only: to unleash death and destruction on my world.

My thoughts are power.

My words are weapons.

Evil created me then grace tried to save me. But first… they tried to kill me.
They call themselves the Se7en. They are sin and salvation, and everything we’ve feared from the beginning of time. And their leader is the deadliest of them all.

He doesn’t lose.

He doesn’t compromise.

And most importantly, he doesn’t distract himself with mortal weakness.

Not until me.

Kill one to save a million.

That’s what he told me when he took me as his prisoner.

Kill one to save a million.

That’s what he’s been trying to tell himself ever since he took me into his arms.

Review

In the realm of angels and demons, sinners and saints, humans and others, there’s one idea that they all can agree on: the Almighty wields his powers for the pure of heart and hopes to keep the goodness of free will intact while Lucifer works to bring darkness to the world by any means necessary, sacrificing anyone who gets in his way in order to cover the world with evil, filth, and sins.

Eden Harris was born to sin…born to be a vessel through which the devil exacts his devious plans, so for most of her life, she has felt unimportant, inconsequential, and worthless due to her mother’s mistreatment and the voice inside her head. She’s an outcast in the world of sinners because her thoughts and her words are weapons and as much as she doesn’t want to be seen as the troubled girl with a dark past, she can’t help but be due to who she is at her core…who Lucifer wants her to be and who Adriel helps her to be.

Eden is haunted by a repetitive nightmare that seems to signify what her purpose is, and its message torments her and further exploits the reality of why everyone would be better off without her. She doesn’t feel she’s worthy of forgiveness for her past actions or of love in the present because of the horrors she’s created and the ability she has to twist people’s minds and make them copulate to her every whim.

This self-contained hell Eden’s in is further emphasized and somewhat exploited when humans and demons alike come hunting for her – some to end her life and others to use her for her dark powers. But here’s where the question of good vs. bad and angels vs. demons becomes quite paradoxical because the ones who are meant to end her life, choose a different path, sending Eden in a world that is quite different than the one she’s used to and forcing her to recognize who she is and what she’s meant to do, and along the way, the Se7en who were sent to kill her find out that there’s more to Eden than her “calling,” which changes the entire dynamics of who these demon assassins are and what they hope to achieve through their redemptive sins.

Boy does S.L. Jennings know how to write paranormal romance! Ever since her Dark Light series finished, I’ve been waiting for her to construct a new world and create extraordinary characters who are rooted in myth and history as well as her own set of ideas. The Se7en is a dynamic and lethal group of demons who chose a different path after their falls from grace, and as they battle the sin of the world, they also fight against their true natures, hoping to get back in God’s favor and be restored to their past lives. But as much as they yearn for salvation, Eden’s situation and their plan for her definitely shakes up the structure of the group and leaves their leader, Legion, wanting things he hasn’t craved in centuries and making decisions and sacrifices that focus on one person instead of many.

I absolutely adored Born Sinner; S.L. Jennings does a tremendous job of showcasing each one of the Se7en as well as the other worldly beings who are called upon to help as well as hinder the group’s actions. Each demon on the team has his/her own set of beliefs and own backstory that has driven them to take on the sins of the world, and by coming together, they’ve pledged themselves to the cause and fight themselves as well as any others who don’t agree with their calling.

Nothing is black and white in this world of men and monsters, sinners and saviors, and the gray area allows for each decision and each action to be as complicated and deceptive as possible. Battle lines have definitely been drawn in the fight to not only save Eden’s soul but also to allow the Se7en a chance at returning to heaven, but even those situations are manipulated and questioned by those who pledged their lives and those who no longer have anything else to lose.

Eden and the Se7en’s story has only just begun and with the choices made by three of them at the end of the book, payback is coming and hell hath no fury like one pissed off demon!

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

5 Poison Apples

About the Author

S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter |Goodreads

Lisa Renee Jones

Hard Rules

Dirty Money #1

August 9, 2016

About Lisa Renee Jones

Find Lisa Renee Jones Online

We’re so thrilled to reveal the absolutely incredible cover of Tia Louise’s A PLAYER FOR A PRINCESS, which releases September 20th!

Find out more about it below, read a sneak peek, and enter to win an Amazon gift card!

A PLAYER FOR A PRINCESS

(Dirty Players Duet, #2)

Coming Sept. 20

Cover Design by Hang Lee

Blurb

From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, the game continues…

Zelda Wilder is on the run, this time from the ruthless assassins who’ve decided she knows too much to live.

“Playboy Prince” MacCallum Lockwood Tate isn’t about to let the beautiful player who stole his heart get away—if only he could decide whether he wants to save her or strangle her for her dangerous choices.

After tracking her down to a casino in St. Croix, Cal follows Zee back to Tortola where he intends to keep her safe. One problem: Zelda’s criminal liaisons are two steps ahead of her.

Lives are threatened, and all of the players’ skills are tested in this plot to capture a killer and save a princess.

Cinderella meets Ocean’s Eleven in this CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE DUET featuring secrets, lies, royal high jinks, scams and double-crosses; breathless, swooning lust, cocky princes, dominant alpha future-kings, and crafty courtiers, who are not always what they seem. 

★★★ PRE-ORDER TODAY! ★★★

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Chapter 1: Old Habits

~ Zelda Wilder ~

My heart is beating too fast. Glancing down, I see my hands tremble, and I take a few measured breaths to try and make them stop.

I’ve never been this anxious on a job, but everything has changed in the last six weeks. Looking over my shoulder has become a nonstop addiction it seems.

For the first time, I’m alone with Seth, just the two of us. Unknown hit men took out our longtime partner Helen, and we don’t even know how long ago it was. The radio report simply said her body was found in a bathtub in a cheap hotel in Miami. A plastic bag was over her head.

Clutching my black purse, again I look over my shoulder. Through the neon lights and arcade noises of the Divi casino in St. Croix, I see men in black blazers dotted among the gamblers. Men with curly earpieces in their ears, men with dark brows lowered over steely eyes, men sweeping the room for any signs of criminal activity.

I do another quick sweep, and I realize I’m looking for Ava. Stop that, Zee. My little sister is far away from this life, and it’s because I chose to distance us. I decided her safety is more important than keeping our family together.

The last time I saw her, she was wounded and pale, unconscious in a hospital bed. It tore at my heart to leave her, but at least I know she’s okay. Thanks to the Internet, I’ve been able to keep up with the “developing story” of the assassination attempt on the future king of Monagasco and the shooting of his fiancée, a.k.a., my sister. Rowan has taken Ava from the hospital to the palace, where she’s recuperating under the watchful eyes of his royal guards.

With a steady exhale, I release the nerves, reminding myself it’s for the best. She’s with the man who loves her, who promised to take care of her. If a crown prince can’t do that, I don’t stand a chance.

Still… it isn’t me.

I’m not watching out for her.

As the oldest, I’ve always had that job. I’ve taken care of us since our parents died, leaving us at the mercy of the foster system. I’ve protected her ever since that last asshole thought he’d try relieving his sexual frustrations on a little girl entrusted to his “care.” It was me who’d bashed him over the head with the lamp, grabbed her hand, and run us out of there.

We’d hidden all night in the pouring rain in a concrete culvert, and I came up with a plan to keep us out of that life for good. Passing the baton to someone else—even a future king—hits me harder than I thought it would. My throat aches at her absence, my chest heavy. Stay safe, Ava-bug.

Tonight is the first time I’ve ever entered a place like this without her. Ava is the only person I can count on in any situation. Every security guard in this room reminds me of how we’ve always been a team. If anything goes wrong, I grab her hand and we run, just like always. We stay alive.

Only, I made the deal that changed everything. I shook hands with the devil.

I could argue I didn’t have a choice. We were facing jail time, felony convictions in Florida for grand theft, and while I’d be willing to take my chances in jail, there’s no way in hell I’m letting Ava go to prison. So yeah. Agreeing to work with Reginald Winchester might make me a “bad guy,” but I’d do it again in heartbeat.

A heartbeat…

Squaring my shoulders, I slide a lock of jet-brown hair behind my ear and force confidence into my stride. I make my way through the glittering, noisy casino to my target—a shiny brass roulette wheel—and prepare to start the show.

The last time we worked this con in Miami, Helen had been waiting at the table when I got there. I can still hear her gravelly voice and see her “May Contain Alcohol” sweatshirt. Sadness followed closely by fear ricochets through my insides. Whoever killed her is looking for me.

We were on our way to Tortola to hide when Seth said we should stop in here and bank extra cash. As Americans, we don’t need passports in St. Croix, and we can catch a cheap ferry and slip away in the night to our ultimate destination.

Keeping off the radar is the goal—as always. We’ll pocket a few thousand and disappear unnoticed. At least that’s the plan.

“No more bets!” The dealer passes his hand over the wheel just as I arrive, and I quickly assess the table rules. Minimum ten dollar bet. Decent.

Opening my clutch, I remove two hundreds and pass them to the dealer. He quickly exchanges them for twenty pale blue chips. I’ll join the fray next spin.

Tonight the transmitter is hidden in my shoe as opposed to my cuff bracelet. I’m wearing a strappy black dress that stops mid-thigh, and my black heels show off my legs while hiding the device facilitating our winning streak.

I have to sit with my legs crossed and point my toe to activate it. One dainty point, one shiny silver ball drops right in the tray, predictable at ninety percent accuracy. So far the odds have been in our favor.

We’ll play until Seth gives me the signal they’re onto us. Then I’ll calmly cash out, walk away, and meet him at the pier on Grapetree Point. From there we’ll make the forty-mile cruise to Tortola.

An elegantly dressed woman shakes her head and gives me a bitter smile as I sit. “Don’t stay longer than three spins,” she grumbles.

I smile in response. “That’s the rule, isn’t it?”

“That’s the rule.” Her expression tells me she lost a lot tonight.

As a student of casinos, I know how steeply the odds in roulette are stacked in favor of the House—they’re the worst of any game. The longer you sit, the greater your chances of losing, times a million. If I were giving advice to a rookie, I’d say stick to blackjack. At least there you can use strategy and possibly win a little. Walking away is something I learned early on. You can never be afraid to walk away—even when you’re certain you’re lucky. Luck is the biggest liar of all.

I place half my chips on the black rectangle and watch as the wheel begins to spin. The dealer snakes his hand to the side and releases the ball. It flies around the shining wood with a sharp rasp. I need to lose this round. The job doesn’t start until Seth arrives, and I can’t win for longer than a few spins or it’ll look suspicious.

Another glance over my shoulder. He’s still not here. Casting my eyes down, I watch the wheel spinning, black-red, black-red, black-red, flashing brass.

“Have you been here long?” A man in an elegant suit steps into the space beside me and fishes out his wallet as we wait for the ball to drop.

“I just sat down,” I say without making eye contact. I’m not here to make friends.

He passes a crisp one hundred dollar bill to the dealer. “Then we have no way of knowing if it’s a good table.”

“Sorry,” I shake my head. “I play red or black.”

“Not much of a gambler?”

A glance, and I see he’s tall and thick with dark brown hair and a cocky expression like he already knows the answer to his question.

“No,” I say in a discouraging tone.

No, thank you. Even if I hadn’t left my heart in Monagasco, I never let romance interfere with a job. Well, almost never.

“Logan Thomas.” Mr. Persistent sticks a hand at me.

He waits, and I hesitate. Two first names.

“Regina Lampert,” I lie only barely touching his fingers.

“Regina,” he gives me a nod, but that twinkle of knowledge is in his eyes.

A knot forms in my throat. I don’t like this. The ball drops on black seventeen, and a lady at the other end of the table emits a little cheer.

“You won,” Logan’s voice ripples toward me.

The dealer adds more chips to my pile, and I’m ready to hop up and intercept Seth. A swirl of warmth at my side tells me I’m too late.

Giveaway

Tia Louise is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card. Just fill out the rafflecopter below!

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★★★ Missed Book #1? ★★★

Pick up THE PRINCE & THE PLAYER for FREE in Kindle Unlimited (ends 8/28)!!!

“Tons of laughs, sex, and suspense…THE PRINCE & THE PLAYER had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and blushing like crazy!” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads 

Let the games begin…

Runaway Zelda Wilder will do whatever it takes to secure a better life for her and her sister Ava.  Crown Prince Rowan Westringham Tate will do whatever it takes to preserve his small country.

When Zee is blackmailed into helping a vengeful statesman take down Rowan, she never expects she’ll be pulled into a web of lies and international intrigue–much less that she’ll find herself falling for Cal, Rowan’s “playboy” younger brother.

Ava’s no help, as she finds quiet walks in the moonlight discussing poetry and leadership with the brooding future king irresistible. Even more irresistible is kissing his luscious lips.

They’re in over their heads, and the more time passes, the more danger the sisters are in. Shots are fired, and it’s soon clear even a prince might not be able to rescue these players.

★ GET The Prince & The Player FREE in Kindle Unlimited (ends 8/28)! ★

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About Tia Louise

The “Queen of Hot Romance,” Tia Louise is the Award-Winning, International Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series.

From “Readers’ Choice” nominations, to USA Today “Happily Ever After” nods, to winning the 2015 “Favorite Erotica Author” and the 2014 “Lady Boner Award” (LOL!), nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories.

A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the USA with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations…

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