Prologue

Prologue – Megan

Holy shit.

What am I doing?

“Oh, God!  Right there… I’m coming… Don’t stop!”

Is that me screaming like that?

Holy shit.

I didn’t even know that noises like that could come out of my mouth!

“You like that?” he asks with his lips pressed against my neck – the vibrations shooting straight to my core.

I focus, my now alcohol free vision, on the man thrusting above me.  His dark hair is blending in with the shadows that are dancing around the room.  His face is a mask of ecstasy as he thrusts into my waiting body.  It’s a look of pure desire that I will never forget.

What the hell am I doing?

“You feel so good.  Your body so greedy for my cock.  You want it harder, darlin’?”

I moan shamelessly and feel my body get even wetter with his huskily whispered words.

Screw it – this feels way too good to stop now.

I reach down, dig my fingers in the firm globes of his ass, tip my head back and beg.  Beg with incoherent cries for him to take me harder.  To take everything he can.

**Two Hours Earlier**

“You look beauuuutiful,” I sing as Dani Reid – No, Dani Cage – walks over to sit next to me at one of the tables scattered around the backyard wedding.

She looks at me, her stunning green eyes bright with love and happiness.

“And you sound a little drunk, my friend,” she laughs.

I just smile at her, running my fingers through the lace on her wedding gown.  “This is soft.”

She just laughs and leans back and looks across the yard to where her new husband, Cohen, is standing by the dock talking to some of his friends.  This is another one of those moments when I’m reminded that this group doesn’t have a single unattractive person in it.  I take a second to look at all the well-built, good-looking men standing around him.  When my eyes meet Liam Beckett’s, I look away quickly.  For months now Liam has made no secret that he would love nothing more than my undivided attention.

“They’re all so unfairly hot.  No men should be that attractive,” I whisper in awe, gaining me another chuckle from Dani.  I blush when I realize that my thoughts aren’t staying in my head, where they belong.  When I look back over to where the group of men are standing, my eyes hit the familiar pair of deep brown ones again, eyes that always seem to know each and every time I’m looking their way.  I quickly look away, feeling that blush get even brighter.  I’m not ready to deal with him right now.  At least not when I’m this tipsy.

Picking up my wine glass, I take another healthy swallow as I do a quick scan, taking in all that is the Reid Family property.  They’ve done a beautiful job transforming the backyard of Dani’s family home for Cohen and Dani’s wedding.  I still can’t believe that Dani managed to pull off a surprise wedding without Cohen even catching the smallest hint of her plans.

“Are you sure you’re okay with Molly spending the night with my parents, Megs?  I know it’s hard for you to leave her overnight, but they just love your daughter to pieces.  And I know Owen loves having her around.”  Dani reaches out and takes the hand I had resting against the table while she speaks.

“Yup,” I smack and nod my head.

“You’re drunk,” she says, repeating her earlier observation.

“I’m not drunk, I’m tipsy.  There’s a huge difference there.  If I was drunk I wouldn’t be able to walk.  Watch!”

I jump up from my chair with a little more power than I mean and quickly stumble when the narrow heel of my five-inch shoes sinks into the soft grass beneath me.

“Whoa, there darlin’.”

I feel it, those words, every single syllable deep down in my gut.  Each rumbled word vibrating through my body creating a slow burn until they end with a sharp pulse between my legs. His arms locked at my elbows and my back solidly against his front – where my graceless stumble caused me to end up. I jerk my body tight and feel his laughter reverberate through my body once again.

I attempt to pull my arms from his loose but strong hold, only to give up when it becomes clear that he isn’t going to let go.  Shifting until my face is turned, he lets one arm go and helps me spin until I’m facing him, and moves his hands from my elbows to my hips.

“Hey,” he says with a smile, the dimple in his cheek popping out.

“Liam,” I sigh and then curse myself for not being able to hide my reaction to him.

His smile turns knowing and his eyes darken before dropping to my lips.

I gulp.

“You should be more careful, Megs.”

“It’s Megan,” I snap.

“I know, babe, you don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“Then why can’t you seem to actually remember it?” I squeak and try to pull my body away from his grip – and fail, again.

“Someone doesn’t sound drunk anymore.” I hear Dani speak but I don’t take my gaze off Liam.  “She does look it though.” She muses on a laugh, which finally gets my eyes to snap to hers.

“I’m fine!  I just had a few glasses of wine and I haven’t eaten much.  But, I most definitely am not drunk.  I think I would know if I was drunk.”

Okay, so that’s a lie.  I might not be drunk, but I am definitely slightly past tipsy.  Dealing with Liam – or rather my attraction to Liam – is hard enough for me on a good day, when I’m completely sober.  But with this amount of wine flowing through my body, I just can’t trust myself.

It’s taken everything I have to keep him, and his obvious interest, at bay for the last couple months.  When he’s around he goes out of his way to get me alone and lay it out.  He wants me.

“You look stunning when those shadows aren’t rolling around your shoulders,” Liam whispers, his lips press close enough to my ear that I can feel his words one by one against my skin.

I shiver, his words hitting me close to home, but the tone causing me to forget I should be pushing him away.  Especially when he’s talking about things that he has no business speaking about.

“I’m fine,” I stammer.

“Yeah, darlin’, I know you are.”

His eyes keep their hypnotizing hold on my own.  I hear Dani excuse herself.  I don’t turn to watch her disappear in the lingering crowd of party-goers that are still left milling around.  The music is still floating in the air around us.  As I look into his eyes everything around me feels like it’s…alive.  It’s a feeling that I’ve been missing for the last few years.  A feeling that only comes to visit when I’m with my daughter, or until recently, when Liam Beckett is in the same room.  It’s a feeling that, even though I shouldn’t, I feel guilty for allowing myself to enjoy.

Whether it’s the wine, the fact that Molly left a few hours ago with Dani’s parents, or the man standing in front of me, all I know is if I don’t hold on to this feeling for as long as I can right now, I’ll regret it for years to come.

“Megs,” he says on a sigh, his fingertips digging in and his eyes swirling with a rich hopefulness that turns those golden flecks you can normally see swimming in his brown eyes into a burning fire lighting his gaze.

Hungry eyes.

I don’t think.  If I had given myself just a second to process my next move, I’m sure I would have backed out of his hold and run as fast as I could to my car.  But, I didn’t think, so my next move was pure, one-hundred-percent Megan.  But not the Megan I’ve been for the last couple years since my husband died.  No, this Megan feels like I’ve finally dug myself out of those ashes I’ve been living in since my life burned up around me.   The cloak of depression that normally lingers loosely around my shoulders, dropping to my feet with the feel of Liam pressed tight.  I know this feeling won’t last, but I suddenly want to hold on to every second I can of this experience, until it leaves me.

I reach out and curl my fingers around his forearms.  My eyes growing wide when his brow lifts.  With a quick push I rock up and close the distance that is left between our mouths.  When my lips touch his, that feeling of being alive burns so bright every nerve in my body feels it, each inch of skin boiling and cooling so quickly it’s as if I can’t make up my mind if I want to be hot or cold.  My hairs stand on end, my skin pebbles – going cold before rushing heat fills my veins, and the very thump of my heart seems to skip a beat the second our lips touch.

One thing I know for sure.  I want this.  I want this and Liam’s going to give it to me.

He doesn’t pause.  His groan vibrating against my chest only lights the feeling that is firing through my skin.  My hands move from his forearms and I run my hands up his chest until both hands curl around his neck and I use the hold to pull my body even closer to his.

His hands move from my hips and he curls them around my bottom, pulling me tightly against his body.  When I feel the very obvious sign of his attraction, I moan deeply, and shiver when he answers with one of his own.

I can’t tell you how long this kiss lasts.  When his tongue moves to swipe against my lips, I open without reservation.  We continue, our tongues dancing together while each of our moans are swallowed by the other, until I have to pull away to gulp a breath of air before I pass out – however, the way I feel right now, passing out might very well be a possibility.

“This is finally happening,” he snarls in a tone that should scare me, but all it does is act as kerosene to our already uncontrollable fire of lust.

“It is,” I agree without question.

“Now,” he says.

“Okay,” I agree on a sigh and sway toward his hard body.

With the encouragement he needs, his hands finally leave my body.  He turns me, wraps one thick arm around my shoulder, and turns to walk toward the front of the house.

“We’re leaving?” I question lamely.

“Darlin’ I didn’t stutter.  This is happening,” he says, pausing when he reaches the side of the house and the shadows that will give us the privacy we need.  His body turns, moving me to stand before him once again.  “I need to know you’re with me, Megan.  I’ve wanted this since the day I met you, but I knew you weren’t ready for me.  I’ve been trying to keep my distance, just waiting for those clouds to leave your eyes.  If you don’t want me to take you back to my house, strip you naked and fuck you until you can’t walk for weeks, then say so now, because the second I have you I won’t be letting go.”

“Oh, boy,” I whisper.

“I prefer oh God, but I’ll make that the first item on my to-do list.”

“You’ll make what?”

“My to-do list, Megs.  The list of things I’ve wanted to do to you for months now.  Making you scream oh God will be number one, followed by my name, of course.”

“Oh, God,” I repeat, my mind swilling with the promise his words inflict.

“Yeah, you’re getting it.”

His mouth crashes down on mine for a hard but quick kiss before pulling back and giving me another one of those knee-melting smirks.  “Last chance, Megan,” he whispers while his hands are framing my heated face.

Whatever he sees in my eyes is enough, he gives me a light kiss, takes his hands from my face and curls one around my left hand and pulls me toward his truck.

Meet Liam & Megan in the newest stand alone  in the Hope Town Series by Harper Sloan!

Releasing: July 14th

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

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/1HKBNX7

Bleeding Love

(Stand alone)

I’ve loved once. I gave everything that I had to that love. Blindly believing that nothing could ever take that feeling away from me. Away from us. And when my little world of happiness was ripped from my fingers, I felt a loss that still haunts me to this day.

Now I use that lingering grief as a shield to keep my heart from loving again. It’s that fear that keeps me from letting anyone, except my daughter, get close enough to make it hurt. To make my heart bleed when I inevitably lose again.

Until the day I met Liam Beckett and everything I thought I had protected myself from was shoved back in my face.

He’s on a mission to prove to me that a love worth having is a love worth fighting for.

 

About the Author

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husband’s chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Rebecca Grace Allen
The Hierarchy of Needs
Releasing: July 7^th, 2015

Blurb

Jamie Matthews is stuck in a rut. After hitting a wall with her dream career, she’s back in her hometown, living a life as monotonous as swimming laps in the neighborhood pool.

Being surrounded by her perfect brothers is a painful reminder of her failure to launch. The last bonfire of the summer is an ideal way to let off steam, especially when she runs into Dean Trescott, the playboy friend she had one hot-as-hell night with back in high school.

Since the day Dean met Jamie, he’s loved her beauty, talent, and smile that lit up the whole damn block. But dating isn’t an option. She has a bright future ahead of her, and he refuses to chain her to his—helping run the family business that’s barely staying afloat.

A “what-happens-in-Vegas” weekend was supposed to get their craving for each other out of their systems. But neither counted on the past repeating itself, drawing them together in even hotter and dirtier ways and dangling the possibility they might both be able to get exactly what they need…

Warning: A friends-to-lovers twice over story that contains some hot ’n’ heavy kissing in the waves, hair pulling, and a man who knows how to use his hands. It may also feature a few practical jokes—only the fun kind, of course.

Buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LGwS9i

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hierarchy-of-needs-rebecca-grace-allen/1121694928?ean=9781619227873&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-W1PQs9y/1/c-_-10:1&r=1

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-hierarchy-of-needs/id982735883?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-hierarchy-of-needs

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rebecca_Grace_Allen_The_Hierarchy_of_Needs?id=WPLLBwAAQBAJ

Excerpt

“Who are we hanging out with tonight?”

Krissy’s question yanked Jamie back into the present.

“Just my friends,” she replied, hoping her blasé expression would mask the restless energy pumping through her. “Three guys I grew up with and have known forever.”

The soft hisses and sizzling pops of the bonfire guided her toward where Dean and her friends were sitting. They made a semi-circle by the lifeguard stand she’d spent the summer perched on, a plume of smoke between them spiraling up toward the sky.

Jamie gripped the peeling white wood and swung her body around it, throwing herself into a grand entrance.

“Hello, boys.”

Dean had the mouth of an open beer bottle by his lips, but paused when he saw her, his lips curling up into a smirk. His chin was masked by the day’s worth of stubble he always seemed to have. His crop of dirty blond hair was cut close on the sides but longer in the front, a few slightly mussed strands hanging down low over his eyes. Every inch of him said confident and relaxed, from his ever-present work boots to the swirling lines of ink that wound like ivy from his wrist to his neck.

He was sex incarnate, a wolf on the prowl in a black T-shirt and jeans.

“Jamie Matthews. My favorite girl.”

“Oh, I’m still your favorite, huh?”

She was no more his favorite than the last piece of ass he’d hooked up with, but she liked the nickname nonetheless. She also liked the way his gaze swooped from her face to her breasts and back up again. It was part of the game they played, one she wanted to lose herself in tonight.

He grinned. “Of course.”

“Good to know.” Jamie dropped to the sand by his side, kicked off her flip-flops and stretched out her legs. “I guess that means I’m entitled to your beer.”

She snagged his bottle from his fingertips and took a deep, icy swallow.

“Oh, go right ahead.” Dean’s voice oozed with sarcasm, but there was humor behind it. He nodded to Krissy.

About Rebecca Grace Allen

Rebecca Grace Allen writes kinky new adult and hot contemporary BDSM romance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, as well as a Master of Science in Elementary Education, both of which seemed like good ideas at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she’s returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish. – See more at: http://www.rebeccagraceallen.com/about#sthash.ngkVvJap.dpuf

Find Rebecca Online:

http://www.rebeccagraceallen.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8421545.Rebecca_Grace_Allen

https://www.facebook.com/rebey ccagraceallen

https://twitter.com/RGraceAllen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Contemporary Romance

Release: July 7, 2015

Goodreads

Blurb

Dr. Phoenix Reid isn’t who she seems…

Everyone knows a phoenix rises from the ashes. What they don’t talk about are the people she drags with her into the fire.

I thought one hot night with Max Hallowell was harmless. I never expected it would force me to face my past or bring back the man who swore he’d never let me go. Now Max wants to help me. Wants to save me. But if I let him, he’ll be destroyed. I can already smell the flames.

A woman with a secret past. A man determined to protect her. A dangerous passion that could cost them both everything.

—

Playing with Fire is the first in a new series of standalone novels featuring the New Hope characters Lexi Ryan fans have come to love. While you wait for Nix and Max’s story, explore Love Unbound, the collection of books set in Lexi’s New Hope world.

*Note: Each series can be read on its own, but for the chronology purists, the reading order is below.

 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1SQHNiN
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1LL5kh8
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1JoqlRf
iBooks: http://apple.co/1IifXJp
Nook: http://bit.ly/1fKdmMV
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1e8AkfJ
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1FLDOL0

Review

“You are not your past. You are bigger than your past and you are better than your past. Let it be part of who’ve you become, but don’t you dare let it define you.”

Intellectually, Nix understands not living her current life based on the events and scars of the past, but emotionally, Nix’s demons force her to make decisions that prevent her from truly living.

As her name indicates, Phoenix rises from the ashes and continues to live; she made it out of Camelot; she moved on after a broken engagement, and now she’s living her dream life with a great job and great friends. But she still battles with the scars of her past and now that  parts of her old life are mysteriously entering into her new one, she’s going to need someone to watch over and protect her, and it’s a good thing New Hope has one such white knight.

I’ve wanted Max to find his girl since Hanna chose Nate in the Here and Now series, and while I never really thought of him being with Nix, the way Lexi Ryan illustrates how much they connect and drive each other crazy with desire, I definitely could see them together.

Max hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to the opposite sex; his relationship with the mother of his little girl, Meredith, is much better than what it was before, but she used him as back up when the man she wanted didn’t want her and then his relationship with Hanna – one that started out under false pretenses – ends up breaking his heart when he falls in love with her and loses her to another man. Nix may not be in love with another man, but she’s an extremely private person who is struggling with deep and dark issues that she’s unwilling to discuss because she doesn’t want to lose another person by telling him the truth and she also doesn’t want to put him and his daughter in any danger due to her past invading her present.

But if there’s one thing that has always defined Maximillian Hallowell, it’s that he’s always there to help and save a damsel in distress if need be, and he sure as hell can rock the whole shining armor thing! Nix definitely doesn’t make it easy on him, though, but he refuses to back down, which is exactly what Nix needs even if she thinks otherwise.

Lexi Ryan does a great job of exposing Nix’s past in several flashbacks, which is important to gain a perspective on how horrific things actually were. As a reader, we’re able to understand why she’s choosing not to give into what she wants with Max because she truly does fear the repercussions. It amazes me how much of a facade Nix creates in her life in New Hope. No one can tell the fear that resides in her almost all of the time, and when she slowly starts to unravel, it allows her to see that she can’t do it all on her own anymore.

Max has always been the “good guy,” but in Playing With Fire, readers see a new side to him – a more mature, possessive side, and I loved witnessing him fight to protect what he considers his even if Nix is hellbent to not admit anything.

Playing With Fire is a steamy and suspenseful read that finally allows the white knight to claim his fair maiden and I’m so glad he was able to despite the fire they had to go through to get there.

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

4.5 poison apples

Lexi Ryan’s Novel Collection

Love Unbound: Splintered Hearts

Unbreak Me (Maggie’s story)

Stolen Wishes: A Wish I May Prequel Novella (Will and Cally’s prequel)

Wish I May (Will and Cally’s novel)

Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Splintered Hearts: The New Hope Trilogy

Love Unbound: Here and Now

Lost in Me (Hanna’s story begins)

Fall to You (Hanna’s story continues)
All for This (Hanna’s story concludes)

Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Here and Now: The Complete Series

Love Unbound: Reckless and Real

Something Wild (Liz and Sam’s story begins)

Something Reckless (Liz and Sam’s story continues)
Something Real (Liz and Sam’s story concludes)

 

Love Unbound: Mended Hearts

Playing with Fire (Nix’s story, coming July 7, 2015)

 

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics.

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Release Day: August 12th

Photography by: Sara Eirew

*** Mature Content; Strong Language; Strong Sexual Content***

“Life is like an easy little lick, a signature flourish of my drumsticks to make a song my own. Something I can do in my sleep. Effortless and smooth. No drama… until I met her.”

Cody Driscoll cruises through life with a constant, steady beat. Mechanic by day, he’s the drummer for the Bangin’ Mofos at the Copperline Bar by night. Tearing it up on the drums provides an outlet, a release that soothes the stress of the world around him.

But when the withdrawn and reticent Ilsa starts working at the Copperline, Cody catches a glimpse of something nobody else seems to see – a beautiful, tenuous heart. Someone to shelter and shield. Her loneliness strikes a chord that resonates through his soul, no matter how much she tries to push him away.

As her past comes to light, the promise of their love unravels. Cody realizes the extent of her tangled and tumultuous fear. Her secrets test his conscience, and he stumbles, unsure how to make sense of his stubborn honor in a world that isn’t always black and white.

The pulse of life can shift in the blink of an eye, and ugly fallout can bring a man to his knees. But can the lies that break him make him stronger?

 

 

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*** Mature Content; Strong Language; Sexual Content with m/f, m/f/m, and a taste of f/f/m***

“She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Pure class. Old money. I never stood a chance… until she broke up with her dickhead of a boyfriend and went off the rails.”

Brannon Forrester doesn’t expect much from life. He coasts through aimlessly. No real ties. Nothing to hold him back. Hanging out with his best friend, lead singer of a local bar band, he lives for pleasure, out of the spotlight but with all the excess of the band’s small-town fame. After all, why should he be good when the only woman he really wants will never give him the time of day?

Then, one night at an after party, Sophie Buchanan walks through the door. In an attempt to throw caution to the wind and dream out loud, she looks to him as a guide to the wild side. As someone who can show her all the excitement and recklessness her world has been missing. He plunges her into a reality of fervent passion… and heartbreaking betrayal.

Their roles have been set. He has only ever been a good time. She has only ever been a pretty face. It would be insane for them to fall in love. But when emotion complicates lust, can the caution of the mind suppress the will of the heart?

 

 

 

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*** Mature Content; Strong Language; Sexual Content with m/f, m/f/m, and exhibitionism/voyeurism***

“She is the forbidden fruit. The one girl I want and the one I can never have. Never mind that I saw her first. That I met her first. That I wanted her first.”

Denny Byrne is Dublin-born, but found his life and his music in the Rocky Mountains. He arrived in Montana on a student visa where he met the rest of his band, the Bangin’ Mofos… and where he met Felicity Williams.

She was so very tempting, but just young enough to be untouchable. Their brief encounter tortured him for months, only to leave him bereft when a friend swooped in to claim her. But a traitorous envy consumed him. A hunger that never faded. An overwhelming ache that caused Denny to pull away just when his friend needed him the most.

After four years of denial, ‘Fliss’ is once again before him. In a moment of weakness, she relies on him in a way he’s always coveted, but never expected. Hardened by tragedy and wary of his assistance, she forces his hand, causing Denny’s control to slip.

Contrition and conscience have kept them apart for far too long. But when a simple agreement is eclipsed by an undeniable yearning, can he let go of the past and finally seize what has always really been his to take?

 

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Sibylla Matilde grew up in the mountain valleys of Southwest Montana exploring the dusty Old West gold country on the back of a horse. She attended a two-room schoolhouse beginning in 1st grade & had the same teacher until she changed schools after 7th. Beginning at about age 12, Sibylla discovered historical romance, feeding off of work of Jude Deveraux & Lisa Kleypas. She loves a book that can make the reader run the gamut of emotions, from the sweet glow of new love to gut-wrenching heartache. She is a true romantic & always has stories floating around in her head, living in a fantasyland until she writes them down to free them.

Music is her emotional trigger. Growing up with a Wagnarian-loving mother, Sibylla was raised to treasure music that digs deep into the psyche, drawing out elation, sorrow, grief, desire. The soundtrack to her life includes many genres spanning centuries. She looooooooves Thirty Seconds to Mars (rather obsessively, actually… but, really, how can you NOT be crazy about this guy!? Jared Leto. Shhh. ) & pimps them out to all her friends through Spotify. She also delights in Met Opera HD broadcasts at her local movie theater & hopes (listening Met?) to someday see Diana Damrau reprise her role as Mozart’s Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte. Sibylla lives with her husband and hero who saved her from her own calamitous, young-adult self. He makes her laugh daily, even when things are tough. He’s proved to her that love really can heal a shattered soul. In 18 years, they have never had a fight, although argue regularly with their two teenage kids who have, unfortunately, inherited their father’s quick wit (unfortunate as it is a quick wit that Sibylla, herself, definitely does not possess – there is a reason she is a writer & not a stand-up comedian). They live a quiet life with their two weird little rescued Chiweenies. Wait… teenagers & little yap-dogs? OK, maybe not so quiet.

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Tara Sue Me
THE COLLAR
Releasing: July 7^th, 2015

Blurb

The New York Times bestselling author of The Submissive returns with a scintillating new tale about power, danger, and jaw-dropping passion….

Nathaniel and Abby are struggling to navigate the challenging waters of their own relationship, when they get a surprising phone call from their partners in play, Dena and Jeff, who are in need of a helping hand…

Seven years ago, blonde, beautiful lawyer Dena Jenkins was tired of her carefully controlled life. Desperate for something exhilarating to help her escape the pressures of her demanding job and her senator father, she joined a steamy, local BDSM club as a submissive. There she met brooding Dominant, Jeff. The attraction between them was undeniable, and, despite Dena’s doubts, they couldn’t stay away from each other.

Except, as the years have passed, their blazing connection has proven difficult to maintain. Dena and Jeff have a history they’d rather forget, but Dena can’t let go of the past, and Jeff is ready to move across the country to give her space. Now, to save their passion, they’ll have to rediscover what it means to trust each other—and give themselves to each other completely…

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ISC4Sl

B&N: http://bit.ly/13NGsEy

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FnPIy3

IBooks: http://apple.co/13NGGM9

BAM: http://bit.ly/1eflvbI

Excerpt

Chapter One

Present day

Jeff Parks knew it was taking all of Dena’s willpower not to look his way. And since he had once had that willpower bend to his command, he was well aware of the strength involved. On any other given night, he’d be using his own willpower not to stare, but in light of his recent decision—

“Have you been listening to anything I’ve said in the last five minutes?” his friend and fellow Dom, Daniel, asked.

Jeff looked back to the man standing at his side. It was late on a Thursday night and their local BDSM group meeting had just ended. No one was in a hurry to leave though. Everyone wanted to stay around and talk with Nathaniel and Abby. At the moment, Nathaniel stood beside Daniel, grinning. The guest Dominant had led a discussion about keeping D/s relationships from getting stale. Considering the two scenes Jeff had participated in a few months ago with the married couple, staleness wasn’t an issue between Nathaniel and Abby.

“Sorry. What?” Jeff asked Daniel.

“Nothing important. Just going over plans for the play party tomorrow night.”

“Your house at ten.”

“At least you remember that part,” Daniel said in his not-quite-teasing voice.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.” He might as well go ahead and tell Daniel everything. He’d find out  eventually  and the two of them had been friends for long enough that he deserved to hear the news from Jeff himself. “I’m moving.”

“You’re what?” Daniel asked in shock.

“Why?” Nathaniel asked at the same time.

Jeff’s gaze automatically found Dena again. She was talking with Abby and Julie. Daniel’s submissive must have said something funny, because Dena snorted with laughter, shaking her head. Her long blond hair swayed with the movement.

“Ah,” Daniel said.

“It’s not what you think.”

Release Party!

Tara Sue Me and Rebecca Grace Allen are having a release party scavenger hunt! Join them on July 7^th for a party of epic proportions – including some GREAT prizes!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Sue-Me-and-Rebecca-Grace-Allens-Release-Day-Scavenger-Hunt/1441291029513845

 

About Tara Sue Me

Tara Sue Me wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. It would be twenty years before she picked up her pen to write the second.

After completing several clean romances, she decided to try her hand at something spicier and started The Submissive. What began as a writing exercise quickly took on a life of its own and The Dominant and The Training soon followed. An avid reader of all types of fiction, she soon discovered she enjoyed writing a variety as well.

Tara lives in the Southeastern United States with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a cat.

Find Tara Online:

http://tarasueme.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5833418.Tara_Sue_Me

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https://twitter.com/tarasueme

https://www.pinterest.com/tarasueme/

 

 

Title: Chasing Each Other (Chasing, #2)

Author: J.D. Rivera

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: July 7, 2014

Synopsis

Brad

 

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Title: Memorized

Author: Alyne Roberts

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Synopsis

The boy who remembers everything.

I heard she is finally going home today. The brain is very powerful. Her mind is unable to handle the memories of what happened, so it blocked it out. As I watch her, I envy her. I wish I could forget, just wipe away all the ugly and the bad. I’m not as lucky as the pretty, lost girl.

I would gladly trade places with her. She has no idea how good forgetting can be.

The girl who forgot everything.

I’m going home today. There is nothing the hospital can do to help me remember the last three years. They say I was attacked, but I can’t help them find who it was. They say I’ll eventually regain my memories but, it takes time. What happens when you run out of time? Regaining my memory becomes a deadly game of life or death.

 

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Excerpt

Landon

I now have Willow against the brick wall. I put my hand on her shoulder to feel how tense she is. Lightly running my hand down her arm, I reach her fingers and loosen the neck of the violin from her grip. I set it to the ground gently and do the same to her bow in the opposite hand.

I lightly massage her palms and she gasps. I’m only inches from her body. Her lips are parted and her eyes are wide. I close the distance so my chest is flush against hers. I feel her everywhere we touch. She’s soft, warm, and giving me a buzz.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

I don’t answer. Instead, I run one hand up the inside of her arm. Goosebumps follow the two fingers I trail lightly over her skin. My hand curves over her shoulder just as her breathing quickens. I stare down at her eyes where the pupils are so large that the green has disappeared.

“Landon,” she whispers.

“Willow,” I tease back. My hand moves over her collarbone and wraps around the back of her neck.

She’s trapped in my hold. Pinned to the brick behind her, she hasn’t made a move to break free. Her eyelids get heavy and her look is hooded. When I lick my lips, she watches the movement. I love the way she looks right now. She’s in a trance, spellbound, and only looking at me. I lean forward, my stare narrowing on her pink lips.

For the first time, I’m imagining a future. Always so busy replaying the past, I never look forward. I’m picturing my mouth covering hers. I’m imagining what she would taste like and the sound she would make when I flicked my tongue against hers. When I see her swallow hard, I see myself kissing down the soft skin of her throat. I let myself play out a scenario where we keep going. I hear her moans, see her squeezing her thighs together. She pants and arches her body into mine.

“Landon. Don’t,” she breathes across my lips. “Please.”

About The Author

Alyne lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. Working full time in an office all day, she spends her nights reading, writing or watching an entire TV series in a night. She refuses to grow up and loves Disney movies and anything with owls. She couldn’t live without her coffee or her furry “children”.

Alyne wrote her first novel titled “Light to the Darkness” in 2014, followed by the Conflicted Encounters Series.

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She loves to connect with readers so feel free to stalk her!

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Review 

I’ve been waiting for Rainer’s story ever since readers met him in Pippa and Tyke’s story, and we learned about the bond he formed with Pippa in extremely hellish circumstances. He protected her; he fought for her, but since his escape, he’s been lost and wondering how to live again because his scars are not easy to heal, and when his past walks into his bar ready to reconnect, he doesn’t recognize her, almost destroying the connection that might be able to heal him and help him move on.

10 years ago, Rainer and Emalie were the most important people in each other’s lives; they started out as best friends and then fell in love only to have it destroyed and forgotten. Now that they live in the same town again, Emalie still wants the man she loves, but he can’t remember her due to his trauma and his heart belongs with Pippa now because what they went through tied them together in a way that can’t be broken.

Flawed Love is such a heartbreaking story on a number of levels. Rainer is a damaged and tortured man who doesn’t know how to reclaim his own life because it wasn’t his for quite a few years and that time broke him. Bella Jewel does a great job of illustrating how fractured Rainer is in body and mind as well as how torn in two he is over his past love and the woman, who even though she’s in love with someone else, still owns his heart.

I have to admit, I struggled with Rainer’s treatment of Emalie throughout the story. In my mind, I understand why he’s conflicted and why he just wants casual with her, but my heart ached for Emalie because she loves him with all of her heart and soul and each time he rejects their connection as being anything more than a fling or chooses to comfort Pippa over her, her pain and desperation resonate off of the pages, making me want to strangle Rainer.

I love that Bella gives readers Rainer and Emalie’s past as well as their present. It’s important to understand how much they meant to each other to comprehend the hold that Rainer has on her heart, and we get that through Emalie’s flashbacks and it ties nicely with the current situation because it offers evidence as to why Emalie can’t let go and will take anything she can get from Rainer.

The one thing I would have liked a bit more of is Rainer’s point of view. I understand he doesn’t have many memories of his past with Emalie, so it’s understandable that his perspective would be left out of that part of the story, but I really wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling as everything played out not only with Emalie but with Pippa as well. Gaining that insight perhaps might have made me less frustrated with him.

Regardless of wanting more from Rainer, I really enjoyed Flawed Love. A second chance, friends to lovers story is one of my favorite and Bella Jewel writes that genre well infusing it with passion, angst, and a happy ending.

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

4 poison apples