Fairest Of All Book Reviews

Review

Excerpt

“I’ll deal with you when we get back to the house,” Bear snapped, his words loaded with so many different meanings I trembled with both fear and anticipation.

“You’re going to deal with me?” I asked. “How are you going to deal with me?” My attitude and confidence faded with each word until the last was merely a whisper.

“Yes, DEAL with you,” Bear warned, suddenly pausing to take in my appearance. Slowly, from top to bottom, like he’d only just realized I was standing there. His eyelids hung heavy over his sapphire blues as he licked my body with his eyes, drinking me in like he was thirsty.     

No, not thirsty.

Hungry.

When he licked his lips I could have sworn he was about to eat me alive.  I tingled all over.  The awareness of him in such close proximity after so long washed over me.  Angry or not, my body didn’t care.  I didn’t care.  I wanted to reach out and touch his face, reassure him that he had no reason to be angry, but part of me liked that I could draw that kind of reaction from him.  He came alive when he was pissed, and something inside me loved that he became this primal possessive beast out to remind me who it was I belonged to.   

Bear clenched his jaw and the muscles in his neck tensed and strained. He looked as if he were ready to either kill or fuck.  All I knew was that, one way or another, I was about to de devoured.  

I pressed my thighs together, trying to manage the pulsing between my legs, but the contact only ignited it further. Bear chuckled and glanced down to where my ankles were crossed. He closed the gap between us in two short strides, taking me off guard. I stumbled backward, tripping over a lose rock in the road. he reached out and roughly grabbed my arm before I could fall, pulling me flush into his hard chest. His warm skin radiated through my thin dress. I bit my lip, suppressing a moan. My legs grew weaker and weaker as he lowered his head, inching closer and closer, until I was sure his lips were going to meet mine, when without warning he released my arm and spun away. “Get in the fucking truck, Ti,” he called back to me.  

I stood there, unable to move, and trying to catch my breath while he headed over to King’s truck like that moment never passed between us. When he noticed I wasn’t behind him he growled and stalked back over to me. He grabbed me by the waist, his fingers digging into my skin.  He lifted me up, my short dress bunching up over my butt cheeks and slung me over his shoulder like I was a rolled up rug.

Wack.

He slapped my ass with his open palm. Hard. The bite of the smack stung where I was sure he’d left his mark. He tossed me into the truck with a caveman grunt and slammed the door behind me.

I was confused as all hell.  

I was so angry.

I was also elated.

I was in lust so hard that I was in physical pain.

I was really fucking angry.

I was head over heels in love.

Motherfucker

.

 

Bear & Thia’s epic finale releases on February 23rd!

PRE-ORDER SOULLESS NOW!

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Haven’t read this series yet?

Lawless

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About the Author

T.M. Frazier is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and young daughter. When she’s not writing she loves talking to her readers, country music, reading, and traveling. Her debut novel, The Dark Light of Day was published in September of 2013 and when she started writing it she intended for it to be a light beachy romance. Well…it has a beach in it!

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

 

Title: Hooker (L.A. Liaisons, #2)

Author: Brooke Blaine

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 9, 2016

Cover Design: By Hang Le

Synopsis

Whoever said singles were missing out by not finding true love and getting married before the age of thirty had never experienced the sheer pleasure of nightly romantic comedy viewings in their underwear while eating one of Licked’s famous Crazy Cat Lady sundaes. Because life just doesn’t get better than that.

At least, it doesn’t for Shayne Callahan. It didn’t take more than a handful of broken hearts after college to solidify that she was better at pairing up those around her than herself. As a matchmaker at the elite HLS—Hook, Line, & Sinker Matchmaking Company—in the City of Angels, she has a knack for finding the other halves of even the most eccentric clients:

Sugar daddy with a foot fetish? Gross, but no problem.
A severe case of nudophobia? Match made before lunch.

But even the most happily independent of women can find their best-laid plans screeching to a halt when they meet that guy. For Shayne, that guy comes in the form of boyishly handsome, suspender-lovin’, dimple-poppin’ Nate Ryan on a pantsless (we’ll get to that later) Metro ride.

Of course, relationships can never be easy. Before the destined lovers can ride off into the sunset, they must overcome a power-hungry and sexual-punning boss, a celebrity scandal and cover-up, and let’s not forget Shayne’s dreadful foot-in-mouth disease—with which there can never be a happily ever after.

Will fate throw Shayne a freakin’ bone? Or will she be destined to live out her life as sexy(ish), single(ish), and L.A.’s finest Hooker (upper)?

Book Trailer

About The Author

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.

She is the author of the international bestselling romantic comedy series, L.A. Liaisons (“Licked” and “Hooker), as well as Flash Point and The Desperate Man series. The latter, co-authored with Ella Frank, 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 ten years.

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Brooke’s Facebook Group | Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 

Licked (L.A. Liaisons, #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Title: Indigo Nights

Author: Louise Bay

Genre: Contemporary/ Erotic Romance

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Synopsis

The only thing better than cake is cake with a side of orgasms.

Dylan James has no expectations when it comes to relationships. He uses women for sex and they use him for his money and power. It’s quid pro quo and he’s good with that. It works.

Beth Harrison has been burned. She’s tired of the lies and the game playing that men bring and has buried herself in her passion—baking which keeps her out of the reach of heartbreak. As she begins her career as a TV baker, a new world opens up to her.

Dylan and Beth both know that casual sex is all about giving what you need to get what you want.

Except that sometimes you give more than you need to and get everything you ever wanted.

Purchase your copy today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Ibooks

Excerpt

Dylan

“I understood the dynamic between men and women. I got to sleep with hot women, and in exchange they got to fuck a rich guy in the hope that they’d become beneficiaries of my cash. I might be handsome, but I knew from bitter experience that if a richer guy came along, I’d be left in the taillights of the women I slept with. It just happened that now, there weren’t many richer men, which gave me a certain satisfaction. I’d made peace with the transactional nature of relationships between men and women and had no expectations. At some point in my past I’d thought that love was possible. Not anymore. It was all about giving to get.”

About The Author

USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels – the kind she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful and Hopeful and the novella series’ The Empire State Series, What the Lightning Sees and Calling Me. The novels and together each series are stand-alone although there are some overlapping characters.

Ruined by romantic mini-series of the eighties, Louise loves all things romantic. There’s not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.

Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn’t have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

Website |Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |Google + | Instagram | Pinterest

 

S. Moose is Revamping her Offbeat Series. Offbeat and Even Rhythm have a new LOOK!

She has teamed up with Sommer Stein at Perfect Pear Creative Covers to revamp her previous released series,

with some fresh new covers that just really seem to fit the series better!

Let us know what you think!

_______________________________

Offbeat New adult/Coming of age

Released: October 4, 2015

Synopsis

People think you can only love one person. That’s not true. There are two types of love; the forever kind and the always kind.

Forever love means you can’t live without that person. When you close your eyes the image you see is the two of you holding hands, sitting on the porch, and watching your grandchildren playing in the yard. You look over, smile, and whisper “we’ve lived a good life.”

Always love means you keep that person in your heart. They’ve done something for you to make you realize who you are. This person means so much to you and lives in your heart.

One night of truth.

One night of passion.

But all of that was taken in one night and I’m left alone.

I’m fighting to breathe and holding onto the tiniest shred of hope I have. It’s a losing battle and I’m not sure how much more I can take. Every day is a struggle. That night still haunts me and I see his face. It’s been two years and slowly I’m piecing my life back together.

Until one secret throws my life offbeat again.

I’m Bayleigh Murphy, and this is my story, my journey of forever and always.

Grab your copy today

Even Rhythm New adult/Coming of age

Released: December 15, 2015

Synopsis

Sometimes all that you can do is move on…

Even when you’re not ready.

Even when you’re forced into it.

After being thousands of miles apart, neither one can deny the love that is still in their hearts. But sometimes, people don’t see what’s right in front them, and refuse to fight for what they want, even when it’s worth fighting for.

When life-altering circumstances finally thrust them back together and the truth comes barreling forth, they are forced to confront the truth–a truth so shattering that it might just be the beginning of the end all over again.

Love can get rocky and uncertain–downright hard at times. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but a lesson we all have to learn in the end.

Can these two lost and grief-stricken souls find a way to smooth out the jagged edges and reach an easy, even rhythm?

Grab your copy today!

_______________________________

About the Author

S.Moose is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, living in Webster, NY with her family, friends, and shorkie, Charlie.

A 2011 St. John Fisher graduate, S.Moose loves to read and write. She enjoys getting lost in the fictional world and creating a place where readers can fall in love and swoon over the cute boys she brings to life. When she isn’t in her room in front of her computer or a book, she is with her family and friends being silly and enjoying life. She’s romantic at heart and loves anything with a happily ever after.

Connect with S. Moose today!

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GHOSTS by Jackie Keswick
The Power of Zero #2
Publication Date: February 10, 2016
Genres: Adult,Contemporary, LGBT, M/M, Novella, Romance, Suspense

Amazon • B&N • KOBO • iBooks • ARe • Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis

Jack Horwood doesn’t do families. Or Christmas. From the time his mother sold him to her pimp to the moment he walked out on the man he loved, Christmas has always been about change and painful choices. This year seems no different. Helping Daniel and Nico recover from their imprisonment and hunting down those responsible puts Jack in a frame of mind he doesn’t want to inflict on anyone. Least of all Gareth and the tentative relationship they’ve started to rebuild.

But Gareth, for whom Christmas is all about new beginnings, won’t let Jack take the easy way out. He makes him face his ghosts instead. Even when said ghosts invade their bedroom.

When Daniel’s parents are found, Jack is determined to settle the matter without involving Daniel at all. But fate decrees otherwise, and it’s Gareth who helps him finally understand that the strongest bonds are those forged together. Once he gets that, Jack can step up and make a decision designed to lay his ghosts to rest—for good.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE POWER OF ZERO SERIES…

JOB HUNT by Jackie Keswick
The Power of Zero #1
Publication Date: May 13, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, M/M, Romance, Suspense

 Amazon • Amazon PRINT • B&N • KOBO • iBooks • ARe • Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis

You don’t greet your new boss dressed like an underage rent boy. But when Jack Horwood—ace hacker and ex-MI6 operative—opens the door to Gareth Flynn, he’s too busy to worry over details like that. And anyway, his potential new boss is his former Commanding Officer – the same guy Jack has had a crush on since he was seventeen. So he should understand, right?

When he applied for the job in Nancarrow Mining’s corporate security division, Jack had hoped for peaceful days repelling cyber attacks. Maybe a bit of corporate espionage on the side. His plans didn’t include rescuing abused children, hunting pimps, or dealing with his overly protective and hot-as-hell boss, Gareth Flynn.

Walking away is not an option. Jack never takes the easy way out. More than that, meeting Gareth raises old ghosts that Jack needs to put to rest. Rescuing kids. Taking risks. Saving the day. Jack can do all that – but deciding what to do about his attraction to Gareth isn’t the sort of cloak-and-dagger game Jack plays well. Yet Gareth, strong and smart and always on hand when needed, might be Jack’s salvation.

ABOUT JACKIE KESWICK

Jackie Keswick was born behind the Iron Curtain with itchy feet, a bent for rocks and a recurrent dream of stepping off a bus in the middle of nowhere to go home. She’s worked in a hospital and as the only girl with 52 men on an oil rig, spent a winter in Moscow and a summer in Iceland and finally settled in the country of her dreams with her dream team: a husband, a cat, a tandem, a hammer and a laptop.

Jackie loves stories about unexpected reunions and second chances, and men who don’t follow the rules when those rules are stupid. She has a thing for green eyes and tight cyclist’s butts and is a great believer in making up soundtracks for everything, including her characters and the cat.

And she still hasn’t found the place where the bus stops.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Title: Feel, Sovereign Part Three

Author: BJ Harvey

Publication Date: February 10, 2016

Genre: Erotic Romance Serial

Blurb

I’m in love with two men. One came crashing into my life like a whirlwind, equal parts thrill and destruction. The other is like a calm sea, weathering the storm with me, offering me comfort and stability and promising to fight for me until the bitter end.

I have to make a decision. Who do I choose?

Barrett Matthews is a force to be reckoned with, and he has made it his mission to win me over.

Aiden Lawrence has had a piece of my heart from the very beginning and has never let me down.

Both men can make me happy; both men can keep me safe.

In the end, my heart will break whoever I choose.

My only hope is that I can survive the decision I make.

The third and final installment of the Sovereign romance serial series by USA Today Bestselling Author BJ Harvey.

**Must be read in order after Touch and Taste**

 

Touch, Sovereign Part One

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | iBooks | Kobo

It started on a plane, a first class connection that spilled over into a lustful date on a rooftop.

She’s very open, he’s intriguingly mysterious with wicked intentions, all of which she wants directed her way.

Can she trust that feeling of heady lust that leaves her aching for his touch, or is there more to it when it comes to Barrett “Bullseye” Matthews.

 

Taste, Sovereign Part Two

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | iBooks | Kobo

He came, he saw, he almost conquered, but she had the last laugh – or did she?

Back home in Seattle, Alyssa Jacobs – haunted by the thought of what could’ve been – buries herself in her work and finds herself realizing that she had what she wanted all along.

Then, as if right on cue, Barrett Matthews storms back into her life, muddling her mind and teasing her heart, determined to win her over.

Unable to trust him with anything other than her body, she vows to protect herself and what she has now discovered is her biggest vulnerability.

What happens when the tables are turned and the hunted becomes the hunter? And with deception and greed taking center stage, where will Alyssa turn in her time of need?

 

About B.J. Harvey

BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Bliss Series. She writes contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and romantic suspense.

An avid music fan, you will always find her with headphones on while writing, and the speakers blaring the rest of the time. She’s a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, and when she’s not writing – she’s reading.

BJ resides with her family in what she considers the best country in the world—New Zealand.

She describes her writing as a little swoon, a lot of heat, a bit of drama and a whole lot of love.

Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads | Instagram

Sign up for B.J.’s mailing list here

 

Giveaway!
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Fighting Solitude is Book Three in the On The Ropes Series by Aly Martinez and is Quarry’s highly anticipated story.

Now Available!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1HToXGM

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1OgAs7R

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1NU89lo

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Qu2XTZ

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

**Each book in the series can be read as a standalone**

Blurb

I was born a fighter. Abandoned by my parents, I spent my life forging my own path—one guided by my fists and paved with pain.

Untouchable in the ring, I destroyed everyone who faced me, but that’s where my victories ended. Outside the ropes, I repeatedly failed the few people who loved me. Including my best friend, Liv James—the one person I’d die to protect.

Even though I didn’t deserve her, Liv never stopped believing in me. Never gave up. Never let go. After all, she understood what I’d lost, because she’d lost it too.

Liv was everything to me, but she was never truly mine.

That was going to change.

I lost my first love, but I refused to lose my soulmate.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.

Fighting to be the man she deserves.

Fighting the solitude of our pasts.

Fighting for her.

 

Excerpt

Fighting Solitude

Prologue

“Mia!” I shouted.

It was worthless. She’d been deaf since the day I met her.

She’d never once heard my voice.

She’d never heard the deep rumble of my laugh when she was excited, signing so fast I could barely keep up.

She’d never heard my content sigh when she barged into the locker room after a fight—just her presence soothed the lingering madness brewing within me.

She’d never heard me whispering my deepest fears into her ear as she fell asleep on top of me.

She’d never heard the reverence in which I cried her name each and every time I took her body.

And she’d never once heard the ease in which the words I love you tumbled from my lips as I stared into her deep, jade green eyes.  

But as I screamed her name while watching her petite body seizing in the passenger seat beside me, I’d never needed her to hear me more.

“Mia. Oh God. I’ve got you, baby.”

She was still thrashing violently as I made my way around to her door, yanking it open while pleading with whatever god was willing to help.

When she stilled, a whole new level of silence filled the air around us. It wasn’t the absence of sound.

It was the absence of life.

“Mia, breathe!” I roared as her chest remained agonizingly still. “Help me!” I screamed at the closed emergency room doors, but no medical savior rushed out with the miracle I so desperately needed.

My hands shook wildly as I released her lifeless body from the seatbelt.

“I’ve got you, just hang on. Please just hang on, Mia,” I whispered lifting her into my arms and sprinting through the sliding doors. “I need a doctor! She’s not breathing!”

Nurses rushed towards me in slow motion as the seconds without air in her lungs passed at a terrifying speed.

Breathe.

A doctor appeared with a gurney and quickly took her from my arms.

The immediate loss was staggering.  

Hope became my only solace.

She needed help that I wasn’t capable of giving her, but that didn’t stop me from following close behind as they rolled her away. I was on the verge of self-destructing; letting her out of my sight wasn’t an option.

I stood motionless in the doorway while doctors and nurses swarmed around her. Their mouths moved frantically, but without my hearing aids I was worthless to make out the words their faint voices carried.

I never wore my hearing aids when I was with Mia. There was no point. She rarely spoke with her voice.

We’d spent four years building a relationship with our hands.

Those hands had told me animated stories that made me laugh until my face hurt from smiling.

They’d fought with me relentlessly, but always ended the night raking down my back in silent ecstasy.

Her fingers had fluidly signed I love you more times than I could ever count—or forget.

But as I felt the nurse attempting to physically remove me from the room, my eyes became fixated on her limp hand dangling off the side of the bed. It was the only sight more frightening than watching her flail mid-seizure.

It ripped the heart straight from my chest.

That hand was supposed to be full of life.

It was the very essence of Mia.

Pale.

White.

Still.

Oh God.

Sucking in a deep breath, I held it until the room began to spin.

It provided me no relief even as it forced me to my knees.

There would be no distraction from this.

I was going to lose her.

Yet another woman I couldn’t save.  

Review

Fighting Solitude was everything I hoped it would be and more. Readers have been able to watch Quarry Page grow up into the man he is while reading Till and Flint’s stories, and when we left Quarry at the end of Flint’s book dealing with a heart shattering experience, I didn’t know how things were going to play out for Quarry in his own book. I didn’t know if he was going to be able to channel his rage and grief or if he was going to allow it to consume and destroy him.

Since the beginning of Quarry’s life, he’s had to fight and fight he did…Every…Single…Day, and along the way, he found two people to fight along side of him, and even though he lost both of them – one when they were younger for a long period of time and one forever much too soon – he still kept fighting, battling out of the silence…out of his fears…out of the belief that he fails every woman he loves.

Liv James suffered a similar fate as a child until she went to live with her father. But the damage was already done, and Liv’s fear of silence and solitude made her feel weak and alone. But that all changed when she met Quarry Page and even though, unbeknownst to him, he broke her heart on several occasions, Liv always had Q’s back and refused to allow him to suffer anything on his own because she always believed that if it happens to him then it happens to her and she would watch his back even when he was breaking her heart.

Throughout the course of their 14 year friendship, Liv and Quarry experience every emotion possible but the one constant since the beginning is their love for one another…a love that protects Liv from the silence and gives Quarry the outlet he needs when the static inside his head gets to be too much. As long as Liv and Quarry have each other, they’ll never be completely alone because they are a part of one another…the solitude of their pasts connect them in an unbreakable way so even when they’re not together, they’re not too far away to understand that what they have is all they need to truly live!

I continue to be in awe of Aly Martinez’s stories; they are emotional, dramatic, and absolutely perfect in the lessons they teach and the message they give to readers. I adore the Page brothers and their significant others. None of them had it easy but they fought for their happiness every single day and they achieved it and I’m so glad Aly allowed us to experience it with them.

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

5 Poison Apples

Haven’t read this series yet?  

Fighting Silence (Book One) On the Ropes

ONLY $0.99

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B&N: http://bit.ly/FightingSilenceBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1A2cSnr

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1zbJT0u

Fighting Shadows (Book Two) On The Ropes

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1HE3kt8

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1CaD9rN

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

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

About the Author

Aly Martinez

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

GIVEAWAY

$50 (Winners Choice) Book Retailer Gift Card

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Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid
Publication Date:
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humor

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

From the USA Today Best Selling Author of ‘Truth or Beard’

There are three things you need to know about Fiona Archer… I would tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.

But I can tell you that Fiona’s husband—the always irrepressible and often cantankerous Greg Archer—is desperately in love with his wife. He aches for her when they are apart, and is insatiable when they are together. Yet as the years pass, Greg has begun to suspect that Fiona is a ninja. A ninja mom. A ninja wife. A ninja friend. After fourteen years of marriage, Greg is trying not to panic. Because Fiona’s talent for blending in is starting to resemble fading away.

However, when unexpected events mean Fiona must take center stage to keep her family safe, her response stuns everyone—Greg most of all. It seems like Greg’s wish has come true.

Except… not.

When all is said and done, can Greg handle this new version of his wife? Will his irrepressible cantankerousness push her away? Or can the couple find a way forward without either being forced to step back into the shadows?

This is a full length, 100k word novel, and is the 5th book in the Knitting in the City Series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone except book #1.5

Review

Every time I read a Penny Reid novel, I smile a little bigger, laugh a little louder, and revel in the intellectual way she writes her characters and her story lines. I’ve seen her say many times that Happily Ever Ninja is weird, but to me and many readers, it’s perfection because it’s what we’ve come to love about Penny’s stories and it’s filled with rich dialogue, multifaceted characters, and an adventure or two written like only Penny Reid can do.

Fiona is hands down my favorite Penny Reid heroine and that’s saying something because I love them all. It might be because I connect with her so much…sans the Ninja badass part;) She’s a wife, a mother, a friend, and a professional woman…all titles that she wears proudly and adores each role she has, but somewhere along the way of having all of those titles, she’s lost small pieces of herself…her personal identity, taking care of everyone else and not really having time to take care of herself and with Greg’s constant absence due to his job, her priority is never herself which is clearly a tenuous issue given her past and the things she had to deal with and perhaps still might.

Mr. Fiona/Greg may run some readers the wrong way with how he handles some things in the story, his constant absence, and his “handling” of Fiona at times. But to me, Greg stays true to who he’s always been…an opinionated, well spoken man whose views cannot usually be swayed because he feels passionately about many things. At times did I want to strangle him due to some of his choices and his inability to compromise, absolutely, but I also recognized that that is who Greg has been from the beginning…it’s that part of him that Fiona fell in love with all those years ago, and it’s the person she’s desperate to reconnect with now.

Readers could tell in the other books from the series that there was more to Fiona than she ever let known to her knitting group, so when the plot takes a turn that might be uncharacteristic of Reid’s other stories, I adored it because it added that other dimension to Fiona’s character that was there from the start and showcased how different she truly can be from her “normal” life in the city.

Happily Ever Ninja showcases the struggles of marriage compounded by two people who extremely stubborn, pragmatic, and intelligent. Fiona and Greg’s relationship will resonate with a lot of readers and the fact that Reid was able to write a story of a couple who have been married for 14 years and not compromise their relationship by adding the usual romantic angst speaks to the type of writer Reid is and how she refuses to stay inside a box to sell books. And the most amazing thing about that is that she still sells an immense amount of books.

Can’t wait for more from the nerdy goddess!

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

5 Poison Apples

Excerpt

I tucked my fingers under her chin and lifted her face to mine, stealing a kiss; true distress clawed at my chest, traveled like a spike down my spine. I didn’t want to guess, or entertain any possibilities. Inevitably, my mind always jumped to the worst possible conclusion whenever I saw her inexplicably sad (i.e. brain tumor).

Even so, I attempted to keep my tone level and calm. “What could be too important for the greeting card aisle? It’s the perfect place to tell me anything and everything. There’s likely a card we can buy afterward for the occasion.”

She huffed a laugh, laughed a bit more, and then began crying again.

Her laughter was a good sign, so I went with it.

“Let’s see . . .” I shuffled us both to the rack and plucked a greeting card from it. “You tell me if this one describes your situation.” I cleared my throat and began to read, “Dear Brother, Many blessings on your fortieth birthday. May your girlfriend bring home that hot girl she works with and suggest a three-way.”

Fiona began laughing in earnest, burying her face against my chest.

I returned the original card, walked us a few steps farther down the aisle, and selected another card at random. “Here’s another. Dear Friend, Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I am so lucky to have you in my life, especially after that time I hit you with my car and salted the earth around your house.

I cracked a smile as I grabbed another card. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

“Dear Co-worker, Get well soon. Sorry about the scorpions in your bed. And the leprosy. And the chlamydia.”

“Stop! I can’t- I can’t breathe.” Fiona gripped the front of my shirt as though she needed my solid frame to remain upright.

I took one more step and picked a new card. “Dear Dad, Happy Father’s Day. I know I’m not your favorite child, but I hope you will . . . you will . . .” I stopped reading because Fiona had stopped laughing.

In fact, she’d grown eerily still, though her fists remained anchored in my shirt. I don’t think she was even breathing.

“Fe?”

She released an audible exhale—as though bracing herself—and titled her head back. New tears shone in her eyes and she looked . . . emotional.

Not sad. Not worried or scared. Just emotional.

And I knew.

“I’m going to be a dad,” I said.

She nodded, her mouth wanting to smile but her eyes betraying the disordered chaos of her thoughts.

I had no idea what she was thinking.

I had no idea what I was thinking.

But I felt like I’d just been punched, slapped across the face. And it felt scary. And good.

I felt like I was the king of the universe, the luckiest man alive.

I felt panic, because I didn’t know how to be a dad, at least not the kind I wanted to be.

I felt a bizarre surge of pride, of accomplishment.

I felt a heady wave of possessiveness, for this woman I loved, for the child we’d made. I felt responsible.

But I did not feel burdened.

And I knew nothing would ever be the same.

About the Author

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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Fall in love with Maggie & Sven in Distraction by Aurora Rose Reynolds

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Blurb

Distraction: The great intensity, novelty, or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention.

Sven is a man who takes pride in his ability to separate himself from his emotions. He’s a man who knows who he is and where he’s going in life, a man who needs no one, because needing someone, anyone, is a weakness.

His past taught him love isn’t enough.  

Maggie wants the happily ever after, but has never picked the right men, or stuck around long enough, to build a forever. It’s always been easier to get out early, before emotions make things messy.

When Maggie wakes up naked in Sven’s bed, with no memory of the night before, these two must be honest about their feelings and face their fears, so they can build a future together.

Will love be enough for them to get their happy ending together, or will a threat from outside strike them down before they ever have a chance?

Review

I’ve been waiting to unfold the mystery of Sven since meeting him in the previous books. He seemed like an enigma, living life on his terms with no regard for anyone else but those he considered brothers. But everything changes when Maggie enters his club and needs answers in order to help her sister.

Sven and Maggie’s relationship occurred in warp speed under some intense and interesting situations, and while I’m all for things unfolding quickly because sometimes you just know…the progress of their relationship wasn’t shown as much as told, which prevented me from connecting to it and truly understanding where the feelings stemmed from, especially from Sven. But as the story continued and incidences went down, Sven and Maggie’s feelings shown through a bit more, helping me to see the reality of what they felt for each other.

A lot went down in Distraction which makes the title a perfect fit for Sven and Maggie’s story but all of the things that needed to be handled tore me away from what they were trying to build until the focus came back to Sven and Maggie. I know in the grand scheme of things everything that occurred was significant to what happened with Sven and Maggie, I just felt like the transitions between events and how they all worked together wasn’t as smooth as it could have been.

Regardless of the issues I had with the book, though, I still enjoyed reading it and I especially liked how the couples from the previous books in the series were a part of Sven and Maggie’s story, and I have to say all the little sections of the Epilogue were perfect!

The sneak peek I got of Justin’s story at the end of Distraction really has me intrigued because he’s probably more enigmatic than Sven is so I can’t wait to unravel who Justin truly is.

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

3.5/4 Poison Apples

Excerpt

“Fuck no,” I snap, loosening my tie. The last assistant I had ended up being a clusterfuck. The woman was pissed that I wouldn’t fuck her. I finally had to fire her ass when she brought another woman up to my office and proceeded to try and get me to join them on my couch when I walked in on them half naked. Work is work. Yes, I might invite women up to fuck, but never anyone I work with.

“It’s not like she’s your type,” he says, and I feel my jaw tick. “Besides, if she’s up here with you, she’ll stop harassing the women down there.” He nods toward where she’s sitting and my eyes follow the movement, seeing her talking to a girl who looks a little startled by whatever it is Maggie is telling her.

“It’s not happening. You guys need to keep her out of the club,” I tell him, turning away from the window.

“Just saying it would be a good way to keep an eye on her,” he gripes, patting my shoulder before leaving my office and closing the door behind him.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I turn away from the window and try to focus on all the shit I need to get done.

“Yeah,” I pick up my desk phone when it beeps and looking at the clock, seeing that an hour has passed since Teo left.

“Look out your window,” Zack says, and I spin my chair around and scan the floor, wondering what he wants me to see. Then I spot Maggie with a man’s head tucked under her arm as she leads him toward the front of the club, with Lane and Zack following closely behind them.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“That guy tried to put something in some chick’s drink, and Maggie saw him and went postal on his ass,” he explains almost proudly.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck do I pay you for?” I gripe.

“I saw the whole thing. I was getting ready to step in when she stood up on her barstool, jumped on the guy’s back, and then did some fucking ninja shit, wrapping her arm around the guy’s head and forcing him to his knees. She won’t let him go. She said she wants to ask him some questions.”

“I’m on my way down,” I say, slamming down the phone and jerking open the door to my office, taking the stairs two at a time. Reaching the front of the club, I see Zack holding the guy and Lane’s arms wrapped around Maggie’s waist, trying to drag her away. What the fuck is going on?” I roar, and all eyes come to me except Maggie’s, who takes the opportunity to grab the man’s ear and twist, making him drop hard to the ground on his knees.

“You think it’s funny to drug innocent women, you flaming turd bucket?” she yells, hitting the top of the guy’s bald head, and Zack chuckles along with Lane, but I don’t see one damn thing that’s funny about this shit.

“Maggie, let him go and come here,” I growl, and she raises her eyes to meet mine, looking startled.

“He—”

“I said get your ass over here now!” I yell, cutting her off and feeling the vein in my neck bulge as I point to the ground at my feet.

“Fine.” She pouts, letting the guy go, walking sullenly toward me as Zack pulls the man to his feet, taking him with him around the corner, with Lane following behind them with his phone to his ear. I’m sure they are going to have a talk and wait for the cops.

“Let’s go,” I say, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck, leading her through the club and up the stairs to my office. Sitting her in the chair in front of my desk, I walk over to the cabinets where I keep my personal bottle of scotch and pull out the cap. I then lift the bottle to my lips, taking a swig while trying to calm down.

“Alcohol isn’t good for you,” she informs me as I take a seat behind my desk.

“Do I look like I give a fuck about that?” I ask her, taking another swig.

“You might not care about what it can do to your body right now, but you may want to know that it lowers sperm count and stamina in the long run.”

“Jesus.” I shake my head and rub my eyes in aggravation.  

“Just saying it’s not good for you,” she mutters, dropping her eyes to her lap.

“What happened downstairs isn’t okay, Mags.”

“Maggie,” she corrects, still not looking at me.

“Whatever,” I drone, taking another swig. “You could have gotten hurt.”

“I have a black belt—”

“Look at me,” I demand, cutting her off and slamming the bottle down on the top of the desk, waiting for her eyes to meet mine. “You could have gotten hurt or worse. Do you understand that? He could have had a weapon on him.”

“You don’t understand,” she whispers as tears fill her eyes, but I harden myself against them, needing her to understand this isn’t a fucking movie. This is real life, and there are bad—really fucking bad—people in this world.

“You’re not allowed on the club floor anymore,” I state firmly.

“I’m going to find the guys who hurt my sister,” she states, and I see the determination in her eyes that make me proud and pissed at the same time.

“If you come, you come to my office, and if something happens down there”—I point to the club floor over my shoulder—“you’ll be the first to know.”

“Why would I come to your office? I need to be at the bar where I can see what’s going on.”

“You just got the job as my new assistant,” I tell her, watching her frown while wondering what the fuck I’m doing. This chick is a distraction I do not need right now, or ever for that matter.

“I already have a job,” she says as her frown grows deeper.

“Well, quit. You’re here every night, Mags, and you don’t leave ‘til the club closes at one. I can tell by the bags under your eyes that you’re exhausted.”

“Why would you want me to work here?” Now, isn’t that the million dollar question?

“Either take me up on my offer, or I’m going to have a restraining order placed against you and you won’t be allowed within a few hundred feet of the club.”  I shrug like it’s all the same to me.

“You know this is malarkey, right?” she stands and I take her in fully for the first time tonight. Her loose, sheer, black dress is cinched with a thin belt emphasizing the dip in her waist between her full hips and breasts. Her hair is down in a mass of messy waves, and her makeup is subtle but still draws attention to her eyes, which look even more golden now that she’s standing in front of me looking pissed off.

“I’m not messing around with you anymore either. You take me up on my deal, or I’ll call the police and have them escort you off the premises,” I tell her, ignoring the fact I’m getting hard just looking at her.

“This is total crap,” she mumbles, looking around before meeting my eyes again.

“Take it or leave it.”

“Jeez, can I have a second to think?” she cries, and I feel my lips twitch, so I rub my hand down over my mouth to hide it.

“Ten,” I state, watching her eyes narrow. “Nine…eight…seven…” I continue counting, watching as she looks at me like she’s ready to kill me. “Six,” I raise a brow. “Five…”

“Fine!” she yells when I open my mouth to finish my countdown.

“Thought so,” I say triumphantly.

“You’re such a…you’re such a bigasterd,” she growls.

“A what?” I ask, and I can’t help it, I laugh at that one.

“When do I start?” she asks, ignoring my question while red spreads across her cheeks and down her neck.

“Tomorrow. Be here at five, and I’ll show you around the club and tell you your responsibilities.”

Additional Books in the Underground Kings Series

Assumption (Book 1)

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Obligation (Book 2)

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About the Author

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

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