Fairest Of All Book Reviews

RELEASE: April 21^st, 2015

It’s all fun and games…until someone’s heart is broken.

They’re not kids anymore, but Milo Caro is certain that Colton Mathews will only see her as his best friend’s little sister for the rest of their lives. After all, he made that clear the night before she left for college. But four years later, her brother is getting married and Colt’s the best man—and guess who is the best man’s last-minute date?

Milo vows to use the wedding to either claim the smoldering firefighter’s heart or douse this torch for good. When Max—her best friend from college, who may be carrying a torch of his own—crashes the party, they devise a plan to make Colt see what he’s missing. But after Colt catches on, he decides to cook up his own revenge.

Now it’s personal. Colt and Milo are at war, and between Max’s questionable acting methods, an unfortunate trip to jail, and a maniacal fiancée, what could possibly go right?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23381448-the-consequence-of-loving-colton

AMAZON: http://amzn.com/B00P9QJVSW

Review

The Consequence of Loving Colton is just what I needed in the midst of all the dark and angst riddled books I’ve been reading. It’s the perfect light read with a plethora of slapstick humor, crazy antics, outrageously comical characters, and a storyline that seems all over the place at times, which makes it perfect for this sweet romantic comedy and adds to the overall pleasing nature of this book.

The storylines of unrequited love…of pining away for your brother’s best friend…of friendship to love are all over the romance genre, which can make a lot of them feel cookie cutter and mundane, but a Rachel Van Dyken romantic comedy is anything but commonplace because she has the uncanny ability of creating characters who aren’t afraid to embarrass themselves in the name of love or any other reason for that matter. Her characters tend to get themselves into compromising situations by their blatant white lies and awkward handling of relationships, attempting to find a way to get what they want without actually admitting anything, which tends to blow up in their faces in every feasible way, and for Milo, the heroine in The Consequence of Loving Colton, that’s exactly what happens when she heads home for her brother’s wedding and sets a crazy plan in motion to get the object of her childhood crush – Colton – to finally admit they’re “meant to be.”

What transpires, though, is anything but straightforward. It actually turns into a circus, a Jerry Springer episode and an event where injuries, inappropriate acts, and complete chaos ensues, and while, in the end, it does seem like Milo and Colt will finally get their acts together, admit their feelings, and move forward, the steps to get there are wrought with moments of deception, devious acts, and miscommunication.

Colton has always been Milo’s dragon slayer, the one to rescue her and keep her safe, which is exactly what Milo wants for the rest of her life, and while Colt doesn’t have to kill any fire breathing animals, there’s a she-bitch, a horny grandmother, and a plethora of mishaps to save her from and between him and Milo’s best friend/pretend boyfriend, Max, everything will be as it should be regardless of the steps it takes to get there.

The Consequence of Loving Colton is highly entertaining with its larger than life antics and crazy mix of over the top characters, and it’s a great break from the heaviness of my current reads. I can only imagine what Rachel Van Dyken has in store for Max’s story!

A complimentary story was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4 poison apples

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prologue

Summer 2009

“I can’t believe you’re really going to college, Milo.” Colton’s teasing smile flashed right in front of me, rendering me temporarily blind. Man, he was beautiful. His normally dark-brown hair had shots of gold from the summer sun. Dimples peeked out from his mega-white smile and I was pretty confident that I saw a twinkle in his green eyes meant just for me. He’d been home for two months since graduation and was already off saving the world one fire at a time. I watched his full lips curve around the mouth of his Corona. He and my brother Jason had organized a going-away party for me. Apparently me getting accepted into NYU was a big deal: they’d even gone so far as to get a Star Wars–themed cake from Dairy Queen and a princess tiara that said “Pretty” across it. It was always their joke with me. I was a complete and total tomboy—I loved picking fights and getting muddy—yet still demanded they treat me like a princess.

With a sigh I leaned back on the picnic blanket and looked up at the stars. My crown fell to the side of my head, causing my hair to fall all over my face. The party had been over for a few hours, leaving me, Colt, and Jason. I should have been happy: after all, who does that for their little sister? What brother would even care? Furthermore, the fact that it had all been Colt’s idea, someone who wasn’t even family, was huge. But . . . maybe that’s the part that left me feeling empty. I might as well be family to Colton. I was the little sister he’d never had—and secretly, I’d always wanted to be so much more.

“Aw, you messed up your hair,” Colton teased, lifting the crown with the tip of his finger and giving me a sexy wink.

“Whatever shall I do?” I huffed.

“I’ll save you.” His voice was just above a whisper. “I’ve always wanted to save a princess.”

“You did.” My grin was huge. “You saved me a least a hundred times when we were little—slew the dragon at the top of the stairs and did it all without getting a scratch.”

“Messy job.” He let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “I don’t know how I made it to my twenty-first birthday without getting singed.”

“Donald didn’t breathe fire. He was a fireless dragon, remember?”

“Oh, right.” His eyes twinkled. “How is the old dragon anyway?”

I shrugged and chewed on my lower lip. “Haven’t been in the attic since you guys left for school. I’ve been busy.”

“Too busy to play?”

I rolled my eyes. “Too busy graduating to play, yeah.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Fun.” I snorted. “The last time I had fun was when we snuck into your parents’ pool and—” I clamped my mouth shut before the words could tumble out on their own. Crap. Crap. Crap.

“Skinny-dipped.” He finished my thought. “Yeah, that was a blast.”

“Hey, guys!” Jason called as he ran out of the house. “Dad needs me to grab Mom from work so I’ll be right back! Don’t do anything fun without me! I mean it!”

The loud roar from his truck drowned out our conversation for a brief second and then slowly dissipated as the vehicle barreled down the driveway.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Colton asked.

If his thoughts were along the line of finally getting him alone, away from my brother? “Absolutely.” I grinned as he grabbed my hand and helped me off the blanket.

“Come on. Let’s go have fun.”

Curious, I followed Colt as we ran through a few backyards and finally ended up at his house.

“What are we doing?” I asked in a hushed voice.

“Having fun.” I swear his grin made my heart almost stop. “Now strip, Milo, we don’t have all night and Jason’s going to be pissed he isn’t with us.”

Laughing, I took off my shirt and shorts—I’d spent years swimming with the guys in my sports bra and underwear, though as we got older it became weird, but only on my end. It felt strange to strip down to nothing, knowing that my feelings for Colton were very real whereas his were nonexistent. I mean, it was Colton. Sure, I had a crush on him, but he never, ever thought of me that way. Ever.

“Last one in’s a rotten—”

I didn’t hear him finish—but I did beat him into the water. His mom and stepdad’s pool was always my favorite place to swim. It had a little waterfall in the deep end that you could swim under that always made me think of fairy tales and the movies. Then again, that could be because every time I broke through the water it was Colton’s face I saw, and his smile that drew me. He was my own personal Prince Charming.

Laughing, Colton splashed around, then hauled himself out of the pool and did a cannonball right by my face. I was glad that it was dark—I must have been beet-red. Man, the guy was ripped.

“Wanna race?” he asked, out of breath.

“Wanna lose?” I countered.

“Never.”

“Um, it’s an everyday occurrence.” I swam over to the edge. “Ready, set—”

“—go!” He ran instead of swam and then dove under water.

Bastard! Arms burning, I tried to make it to the other end of the pool. I usually didn’t open my eyes under water, but this time I did to see where I was going.

His body was a blur in front of me. All I saw was hard-lined muscle.

I stopped right in front of him and jumped to the surface. “You cheated.”

“I like to call it winning.” He beamed triumphantly.

“Cheating.” My teeth ground together as I pushed against his chest. Laughing, he fell backward, pulling me with him. Our bodies ground together, heat against heat, skin against skin.

And suddenly sneaking away from Jason wasn’t funny anymore.

Neither of us was laughing.

His hands moved from my waist slowly up my body until they rested on my face. With a curse he pulled my head toward his. “We should . . .”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

Neither of us pulled away.

His lips brushed mine, just enough to make me strain toward him—I needed him like I needed air.

“Kids!” His stepdad’s voice rang through the night air. “You out here making noise?”

Colton pushed me away and I nearly hit my head on the waterfall rocks.

“Yeah, just . . . hanging out!” Colton called. “I’m with Jason’s sister.”

I froze. He’d never called me that before. He even said it in such a final way, as if that was all I would ever be. Period. My heart didn’t just sink . . . it shuddered, then combusted, as all the hopes I’d harbored since I was thirteen came to a crushing world-altering halt. My suspicions were finally confirmed. Out loud. On the day the boy I liked had thought enough to throw me a party.

The line had been drawn. And I might as well be on the other side of the universe.

That was the day I lost Colton Mathews—forever.

 Playlist 

https://open.spotify.com/user/1276888187/playlist/2uWUJ31HgsqNCucw055rm8

About Rachel Van Dyken

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

Links

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachVD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882127.Rachel_Van_Dyken?from_search=true

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Van-Dyken/e/B0054TW5AA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1407369649&sr=8-2-ent

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/8l7hP

Once with him was never enough.

I am the girl you dislike. The girl you snub at parties. I am the one who flirts with men and knows no boundaries. I am the one you whisper about. The one who has no rules. I am the one who takes and uses without any regret or excuses.

On the outside I am perfect. I have money, looks, and a personality that makes people stand up and take notice, but on the inside I am broken and hurting.

Then I met Cash Marshall.

He wasn’t what I needed, but I wanted him anyway. It was Cash’s carved, muscular body I thought about. It was his cool, confident touch I craved. I swore he would only be a one-night stand, another distraction to take away the pain.

But then our world changed.

Our story is not about love. Love is pretty and sweet and full of niceties. Those no longer exist. Our story is about finding each other again in a world gone crazy. It’s about surviving the impossible when war ravaged our land. It’s about saving each other from the darkness and finding out just how strong we could be.

And maybe, just maybe, along the way, we’ll find love…

Once and for all.

Amazon US – http://j.mp/1ynVakC
Amazon UK – http://j.mp/1JTnjkO
Amazon CA – http://j.mp/1yE7UU0
Amazon AU – http://j.mp/1yE80Lu
Amazon DE – http://j.mp/1GYFt6r
iTunes US – http://j.mp/1DkNKKL
iTunes UK – http://j.mp/1FVxotC
iTunes CA – http://j.mp/1yE8BNj
iTunes AU – http://j.mp/1Dw9t5r
iTunes DE – http://j.mp/1yF4noT
Kobo – http://j.mp/1IWvG1g
Google Play – http://j.mp/1yE9cyn

“He was my darkness and I was his light.

We couldn’t exist without each other.”

For me, life was simple. I went to school and studied. I spent time with my friends and stayed out of trouble. I didn’t drink or swear and I only dated gentlemen. I was the typical good girl with a bright future. My world seemed perfect.

But that was about to change.

Ryder Delaney was the one imperfection in my life. He was the bad boy, the black sheep, the one your mother always warned you about. He had only one hard-and-fast rule – Don’t fall in love.

But some rules were meant to be broken.

We were best friends, inseparable since childhood despite our differences. I knew the real man hiding behind the tattoos and bad attitude. He knew all my secrets and dreams. But he didn’t know there was one thing I wanted and couldn’t have…him.

But sometimes Fate has a way of intervening. Soon our world collapsed. War erupted. Darkness prevailed. Alone and on the run, our only goal was to survive and to ignore the feelings we had for each other. But love is powerful…

and so is the darkness.

AMAZON US BUY LINK

AMAZON UK BUY LINK

The epic conclusion of New York Times bestselling book Promise Me Darkness.

“I’m darkness, Maddie. Stay away from men like me. You’ll only get hurt.”

At one time my life was simple. Easy. But that was before the war. Now I was no longer an average college student. I was a survivor. A woman living in a ravaged world. My future was not bright and my life was far from perfect. The war had taken so much from me… but it wasn’t finished yet. It wanted more.

It wanted my heart. My soul. The one person I couldn’t live without.

It wanted Ryder Delaney. My best friend. The bad boy. The one person who could fight like no other and love me like no one else. He was the father of my baby. I watched him walk away one hot summer day and I prayed he would return. I needed him like I needed air to breathe and water to drink. Without him I was lost. A light without her darkness.

Until he returns, I’ll wait for him. And I believe he will return because love is powerful…

And so is the light calling him home.

AMAZON US BUY LINK

AMAZON UK BUY LINK

Paige Weaver is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Many hours of her childhood were spent getting lost between the pages of a book, disappearing into other worlds. That turned into a love for writing at a young age. She lives in Texas with her husband and two children.

Find out about future books and connect with her on:

Website: authorpaigeweaver.com

Follow her on Twitter: @AuthorPWeaver

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

Google+: PaigeWeaverAuthor

Title: Lukas (Ashes & Embers Series Book 3)

Author: Carian Cole

Credits:

Front Photography and Model: Joel Hicks

Back Photography: MHPhotography

Model: Marissa Hagood

Cover Design: Kari Ayasha of Cover to Cover Designs

I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find, and sometimes lose, the loves of their lives.

My first novel in the Ashes & Embers series, Storm, was published in September of 2014 and book 2, Vandal, will be published February 2015 with several more of this series planned throughout 2015.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.

Blurb

​Pre-Order Links

B&N http://bit.ly/1yBImY5

itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id986126256

kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-mistake-7

Synopsis

Love has existed since the beginning of time. For Ashlin Thomas, love was an illusion that she desperately wanted to make a reality.

Returning home to Savannah, after her aunt’s death, Ashlin must deal with the harsh realities life has dealt her.

As Ashlin begins sorting through her aunt’s personal effects, she stumbles upon a journal. Not just any journal, but the words of her great great great grandmother, Sophia.

Two love stories intertwine with each other as Ashlin reads the beautiful words, written over a hundred years ago.

The intense connection Ashlin feels with Sophia begins to allow her to find herself. Never thinking love was possible for her, Ashlin now sees it is within her grasp.

But, life is never perfect. Life is never fair.

When faced with the decision that could change Ashlin’s future … will she sacrifice one love for another, or will her predestined heart lead her home?

Amazon  http://amzn.to/1GlCUd0

iBooks  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/predestined-hearts/id975872246?mt=11

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/predestined-hearts-kelly-elliott/1121398621?ean=2940151731423

Kobo  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/predestined-heart

Historical

Brought To You by:

Excerpt from Third Debt by Pepper Winters

I MEANT WHAT I said before.

I meant it with every bone in my body.

Someone has to die.

I still stood by that conclusion. Only, I’d hoped it wouldn’t be me.

Too bad wishes never come true.

I’d always wondered what it would feel like. How I would react, knowing that I’d failed. I’d lain awake so many nights trying to imagine how I would behave when my father finally had enough. I’d scared myself shitless fearing I wouldn’t be strong enough, brave enough, to face the consequences I’d lived with all my life.

But none of that mattered now. I’d done what I swore never to do and revealed myself. My father knew there was no changing me—he would come for me.

But so fucking what?

She’s safe.

That was all I needed to focus on.

I’d done my utmost to be the perfect son, but I’d been fighting an unwinnable battle. No matter how much I wished I could be like them—I wasn’t. And it was pointless to keep fighting.

Not anymore.  I’m done.

More Jethro & Nila?  Yes Please!

IT’S LIVE!

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

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0

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

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1DglADL

Blurb

“She healed me. She broke me. I set her free. But we are in this together. We will end this together. The rules of this ancient game can’t be broken.”

Nila Weaver no longer recognises herself. She’s left her lover, her courage, and her promise. Two debts down. Too many to go.

Jethro Hawk no longer recognises himself. He’s embraced what he always ran from, and now faces punishment far greater than he feared.

It’s almost time. It’s demanding to be paid.

The Third Debt will be the ultimate test…

Series Reading Order

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) FREE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17UZImo

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Cl8rau

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

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1xIW5Vt

First Debt (Indebted #2)

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

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/15ijHdF

Second Debt (Indebted #3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1aOEW95

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1yqRa2R

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

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

Third Debt (Indebted #4)

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

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0

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

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

PREORDER Fourth Debt (Indebted #5) NOW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Dl6Lji

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

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

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

About the Author

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed

Synopsis

Review

“Love can be right without being right now. Love can be always without being ever.”

Since they were kids, it’s always been Everleigh White and Reid North. Their bond formed and solidified as they grew up together, and the more time they spent together, the more their feelings changed from friendship to love, but neither ever had the guts to put themselves out there to one another, and when everything got to be too much for Ever, feeling like her unrequited feelings were going to destroy her from the inside out, she took off without saying goodbye, leaving Reid alone with his son and football but not his best friend, the one person he needed more than anything and was ready to risk it all for.

Fast forward four years and Reid’s life has been more than a bit chaotic…with his football career, his son, Leo, and the anticipated release of his ex from jail, he doesn’t know how much more he can take. Ever reentering his life is not something he expected, and he doesn’t know how to feel about it because he’s still bitter and hurt by her abrupt exit from his life, but he also knows that he’s not going to let this golden opportunity to claim the girl who’s always been his get away.

But it seems like fate’s against Ever and Reid finally getting their chance to be together because the complications that arise due to outsiders’ craziness may be too much for them to endure, especially when the fear of flight and losing his son are concerns Reid can’t get away from.

Will Ever and Reid’s happiness and hope be intercepted before they even have time to profess their love to one another or will Reid figure out how to play it so he gets what he wants and protects those who mean the most to him?

What a crazy, fantastical way for Emma Hart to end her By His Game series. I’ve been waiting for Reid’s story, and I’m a sucker for friends to lovers’ stories, so this one was a win-win for me. Reid’s passion for Ever and his son resonates off of the pages and his dirty talking alpha male prowess will make any reader weak in the knees.

Intercepted is my favorite of the three books, and while I adored the other two couples in the series, Reid and Ever are my absolute favorite. They are both strong yet vulnerable characters who give as good as they get and don’t allow others to walk all over them. They’re each other’s end game and neither time nor distance could diminish their feelings for one another and that is clearly shown through how hard they work to be together, despite the miscommunications and remnant bitterness.

Leo definitely steals the show for me; his talks about cooties were incredibly sweet and humorous and his relationship with his dad and Ever gave him what he’s always wanted – a true family.

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

5 poison apples

 

Excerpt

Synopsis

Flynn & Aria Roberts have had plenty of ups and downs during their seven year marriage. Everyone warned them not to wed so young – that they’d be missing out on the key years when people grow from young adults to mature individuals.

The only thing holding them

together now is their

love for each other,

and even that is becoming questionable.

To save the marriage, and the family they’ve already started, Flynn and Aria come up with an unconventional solution to help them find what’s missing in their relationship.

The only problem is doing so involves rediscovering themselves completely, even if it requires them to be unfaithful.

Can a marriage survive

when vows are broken, or will chance encounters prove they’ve been missing out all-along?

Fulfill your

deepest Desires

Give in to

Temptation

GOODREADS: BINGE (a 7 YEAR ITCH novel)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25195246-binge

 

I hated the idea of spending the next hour with a therapist, bearing all of my concerns as if she could somehow relate enough to help me. What I loathed more was knowing that it was the first sunny day in two weeks, and the woman was relentless about closing the blinds during her sessions. It was as if she wanted her patients to be depressed so that they’d keep coming.

I’d gotten into a habit of nitpicking lately. I suppose it came from being so miserable. They say it loves company, misery that is, not that I was asking for friends to hang out with and compare notes on our failed experiences.

I peered down at my jeans and Chucks, feeling as if I should have cared more about my appearance, especially since this woman clearly went all out. It didn’t matter what the temperature was, Dr. Ellis was always in a skirt-suit. With her auburn hair full of curls, she sat with crossed legs and my file strewn over her lap. While the friendly doctor flicked her pen, pretending to listen to me, I stared effortlessly at the rapid speed it repelled. I wondered if it made little dots on the paper each time. Then I imagined it falling apart from being handled so roughly. I imagined the tiny spring shooting into her hair and becoming tangled the instant it made contact. Anything was better than admitting where I was and why I was there.

“How would you say your relationship with your husband has been in the past week?”

I rubbed my hands on the thighs of my jeans while proceeding to come up with a lie to make it seem as if we were making progress. “Fine, I guess. We haven’t killed each other.” I found my answer to be amusing, while she kept the same resting-bitch face.

“Since last week, how many times have you had intercourse?” She would ask me this. It was the reason I hated coming to these meetings. Every week she asked the same questions. I guess she assumed that one time I’d provide her with a different answer. This wasn’t going to be the epic appointment where I made progress, not after the week I’d had. Besides, who would want to know that I had frequent sex in bed alone, while imagining being tied up by a stranger, or blindfolded and seduced by someone who only set out to please me. Flynn was always there in my dreams, watching and envying what I wouldn’t let him have. It was like I was punishing him in my mind, while getting off to my little bullet vibrator in the bed we should be sharing together.

Flynn and I were supposed to be working on things. Instead, we were still in the same place as when we started this – headed for divorce.

“That would be a big fat zero.”

“I see,” she said while jotting down something. “Have either of you put forth an effort?”

I leaned forward, putting my elbows on my knees while rubbing my hands together. I suppose I should have held my posture like a proper lady, but my give-a-damn had been busted for years. “It’s kind of hard to try something when being in the same room together makes me want to strangle him, hypothetically of course. It’s also impossible when your husband sleeps on the couch, and trust me, you’d be the first to know if I was getting it from someone else, because I wouldn’t need to keep up this charade.”

“Charade? I would hardly call these sessions that. I’m here to get to the bottom of your problems and help you overcome them. You came to me for help. I know at times it seems worthless, but in order to change you’ll have to put forth an effort, which I’m not seeing from either of you. I’d hate for you to waste your time if this isn’t what you want, Aria.”

I hated the way this woman looked at me. She wasn’t fooling me with her professionalism. I knew she found Flynn attractive. She probably went home at night and turned on her vibrator to get off on pretending to fuck my husband, and apparently she wasn’t the only one. The older we got, the better looking he became. I wondered if she was waiting for me to admit we were through so she could make her move.

I grinded my teeth together to keep from spatting out something I’d regret later. Had we not promised each other that we’d try, I didn’t know where I’d be. With a daughter, it wasn’t feasible to go out and prey on single men for attention. Sure, I missed being touched. I longed to feel desired again, but I didn’t see it happening, so I kept my deepest thoughts buried where not even this doctor would be able to pry them out of me. If she only knew what I fantasized about when I was all alone she’d think I was a crazy voyeur nymphomaniac who didn’t deserve to be in a loving commitment to just one person. In my defense it wasn’t like I’d always dreamed of being with multiple partners, but when I had little experience aside from my husband, my curiosity got the best of me. Maybe if I didn’t feel like my body was scarred from stretch marks, I would be open to exploring different things with Flynn. I just felt ugly – ALL. THE. TIME. It was as if he was becoming more attractive while I was constantly aging. Why would he ever want to try to be turned on by me after seeing my vagina doubled in size during labor? I think he referred to it as the Cumberland Gap. And yes, that is exactly how he described it. “I want to feel beautiful about myself. I want to be appreciated. I want to know without a doubt that Flynn is making love to me and not imagining someone else. I want HIM to be the person who can fulfill my needs, leaving me feeling completely and utterly satisfied.” The last part wasn’t supposed to come out, but now I was becoming overemotional, letting my fears and frustrations dictate what flew out of my mouth.

“I think you’re not giving Flynn enough credit. It’s obvious your husband desires you. He’s said as much during our sessions. Perhaps your self-esteem struggles are keeping you from seeing that.”

Of course she’d blame me. If she only knew what it was like to see Flynn looking at other women, or to talk until I was blue in the face with no response from him. If she could prepare all of his meals only to have him refuse to come to the table to eat because he was watching something on television. If she could be on the end of the phone call when he was out with his friends instead of being at home with his daughter. Flynn was terrible with priorities. He came first in his mind, and we were just leftovers, hoping to have a millisecond of his precious time. They say marriage is a two-way commitment. What is it called when only one person gives one-hundred percent of their time and energy? That was my marriage. I gave, and he took. That was the gist of it. Flynn could construe his stories to this doctor as many times as he wanted, but the truth would never change.

The moment he left her office he went back to being a douche, a part time father, and a shitty excuse for a husband. “I agree that my body issues prevent me from feeling sexy enough to want to be intimate, but that’s not our only problem. Just because I’m not willing to seduce my husband, doesn’t mean I’m ready to throw in the towel.”

“Intimacy is an important factor in any marriage. I’m afraid if you’re unwilling to be physical with each other there’s nothing more I can do for you. It may sound absurd to someone in your situation, but you have to be willing to at least try to be with your husband. Part of being a marriage counselor is to help you get through this. I’ve met with both of you together, and now separately. While your husband shows empathy for your marriage, I get the sense that you no longer feel the same.”

If she only knew that he was full of shit when he met with her. Of course he’d lead her to believe he was this great guy who was suffering because his wife wouldn’t screw him. It only made me want to choke him more.

I played with my hands. This was our eighth session. Once a month we met with her separately. I was supposed to be making an effort, but it’s impossible when you don’t feel good enough about yourself. “It’s not that I don’t love Flynn. I do – that’s the only thing I’m sure of right now. We just can’t find a common ground. It’s hopeless. He doesn’t make me feel wanted, even when he’s trying to get laid. Why should I give in when I know it’s all an act. I want to feel needed. I want to see his eyes light up when I walk in the room. It’s the little things that are missing in our relationship. It’s like he’s gotten comfortable and forgotten that I also have desires. We’re not in this together anymore. I feel alone even when he’s near.”

She started aggressively writing something down on a separate pad of paper then ripped it, and reached across the wooden coffee table to hand it to me.

I looked down at it. “What’s this?” I half expected it to be the number of a furniture company where Flynn could purchase a new comfortable couch for his lazy ass to sleep better on. It was obvious she enjoyed his private sessions more than mine. All I did was complain about Flynn. It wasn’t getting me anywhere. My sessions were a joke. Flynn’s last two private appointments he’d come out acting all happy, as if he’d gotten head or possibly more. Ever since then, I’d been reluctant to even continue my sessions. At this point I couldn’t figure out what were misconceptions in my head, or actual reality. I was so messed up and didn’t know where to turn. Behind closed doors my husband was someone who never tried, yet when he spoke to other people everything was honky-dory. It made me resent him all the more.

Dr. Ellis’ reply wasn’t what I’d expected. It actually made me question if she’d been listening to me at all. “That is the address of a bed and breakfast near the beach. It’s run by a young couple. This time of year is pretty slow. If any part of you wants to save your marriage, I suggest you spend some one-on-one time together, out of your normal routine. You don’t have to go there, but go somewhere. Spend time communicating. The two of you need to get know one another again. You need to remember why you fell in love, and how to figure out how get it back. I can’t make the decision for you, or tell you what you should be feeling. I can only suggest a solution I think you’d both benefit from.”

“I’ve known him for years. In fact, I know him better than anyone,” I corrected her. I didn’t need a life lesson on Flynn. I also didn’t need to take a trip with him to get to know him better. What I needed was to go away alone and get my head on straight. What I wanted was to be desired by someone who didn’t ignore me on a daily basis.

She shook her head with a smirk across her face. It made me feel as if she were questioning my statement. The jealous side of me wanted to slap it right off. Then I had to rationalize about how I could be assuming things that weren’t even happening.

“That’s not what I’m referring to. Couples change. You can grow together, or in your case, because you were so young, apart. The only way to fix things is to start over, as if it were your first date.”

“What if I don’t want to date my husband?” I began to count how many times, while during a heated argument, I’d told Flynn if I had to do it all over again I’d never look in his direction.

“Just give my advice some thought. We’ll meet again next week, if you’re still interested in making this work. I have hopes that some quality time together could start repairing what’s been lost. You both need to relearn how to communicate with one another again. I know it seems tedious, but I can promise it’s not. You can never know too much about the person you’re married to. An open line of communication could do wonders for your self esteem issues as well.”

So what if I had problems with feeling beautiful. Didn’t every woman stand in the check-out line at the grocery and wish she could look like the model on the magazines? I was envious they could keep their figures after having children.

It wasn’t until I reached my car that I took in what Dr. Ellis suggested, and then I wondered if I was even willing to give it a go. If I had a choice, would I do it all over again? This question was something I thought I’d known the answer to, yet the idea of giving up on Flynn was painful. As much as I couldn’t stand how he was, a part of me assumed that without him I’d have nothing. Then there was the lingering fact that I still loved the man, even with all his flaws.

My drive home brought everything back into perspective. I started imagining our failures. Yes, we’d made a beautiful little girl, but was it worth it to stay together for her? I knew some couples did, though I couldn’t fathom it myself. I was at a point where I hated Flynn. My love for him still existed, but I despised the person he’d become; the one that popped open a beer after work every night leaving his dirty boots on and track mud all over the floor I’d just vacuumed. The same man who didn’t care about his actions or how they affected other people. The person who stopped caring about me and everything else that mattered, because he was too consumed in himself to notice.

Everyone told us we were fools. They said no two people should marry as young as we were; that it was doomed to fail, because we were kids ourselves. In so many ways I wished we would have listened. Had I known then what an up road battle into a clusterfuck of a life it would turn out to be, perhaps we could have saved a lot of people grief, and probably money.

It’s amazing how as little girls we dream of finding our Prince Charming and to live happily ever after.

It doesn’t take a genius to see the disappointment in my parent’s eyes when I call them upset, or even in some cases show up at their door with bags full of my things, swearing I’m done playing Flynn’s head games.

I suppose they’re used to the fighting since we’ve been doing it from day one. At seventeen I thought I was lucky. He wasn’t only handsome, but smart, and brave as well. Flynn Roberts was the good boy with the bad reputation. He was able to have any girl he wanted back then, and probably still could to this day. For all I know he could have been screwing around on me this whole time. Maybe that’s why we’ve never been able to really communicate. Maybe he hides behind a wall of secrets.

It’s easy to sit back and point fingers at someone else, rather than admit I’m the one at fault. I can’t help it. When that alarm goes off in the morning I cringe, not because he’s going to try and touch me, God forbid that happen, but rather that I know I’m going to have a repeat of the day before it.

He’ll expect me to help him out the door. If he’s sick I’ll have to call into his job, and nurse him back to health, because let’s face it, he’s a freaking child when he doesn’t feel good. Give him a runny nose and he can’t get out of bed. How pathetic is that? Is it all men, or just the one I’m married to?

I’ve asked my therapist- she claims that I’m nitpicking. To be honest I don’t even know if I care anymore. I look forward to the moment he leaves, and try to avoid him when he steps back in the door.

You’re probably wondering why we married, or how we got this way. I asked the same question each time he turns to walk away from me. I question what I saw in him back then. Apparently love is blind. I married a man who’s only ever put himself first. If he doesn’t get his way I’m a bitch, or a terrible wife. For seven years I’ve listened to this, and for those seven years, I’ve let it happen.

I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve cried myself to sleep at night, praying, pleading for God to help me. I asked why I couldn’t be a better person. Why couldn’t he love me more?

I honestly let him brainwash me into thinking I was the whole problem in our marriage. I felt as if I wasn’t what he wanted in a woman, and eventually a mother.

We had our first child when I turned nineteen. At the time he’d gone off to college, leaving me behind to live with his parents. He’d come home on weekends to his knocked up wife, which I honestly believed he’d hid from most all of his classmates.

At first his parents were in charge of our relationship. Since he’d gotten a scholarship, they weren’t going to allow him to give it up for me or a new baby. Yes, I’m dead serious. This really happened. My mom and dad wanted me to have an abortion, but I refused. They begged me to reconsider being with Flynn. They told me it would never work.

I ran away, well just to his parent’s home. When they found out about the pregnancy they questioned our relationship, and then pretty much forced us to marry. God forbid they have an illegitimate grandchild.

From the get-go, their animosity toward me was pretty well-known. Nothing I did was good enough for Flynn’s mother. She’d pick at the littlest of things, making sure to put me down until I felt incapable. She caused so many fights between us, especially when Flynn wasn’t home. I couldn’t even begin to count how many nights I called him at school, bawling my eyes and begging for some sort of resolution.

During my pregnancy I focused on our future, promising my unborn child a good life. It was evident how important it was to provide our child with a stable home. In order to do that, I needed to respect how a college education could give us that opportunity.

I’d like to say I tried my best to be patient and understanding, but as the months passed I saw Flynn less and less. He started staying on campus, attending parties, and doing other activities that didn’t involve me.

Not only was I jealous, but over-emotional as well. Combine the two of those together and I was a mess.

I’d call his phone until he either picked up or turned it off. He’d call me every name in the book, and I’d return the same language right back. Then, when I felt as if nothing could repair the damage, he’d show up. The makeup sex was always the best, and for a while I was content.

One night, on a Friday he wasn’t due to come home, I awoke from a terrible nightmare. It upset me so much that I knew I wouldn’t calm down unless I spoke to him to be sure he was okay.

When a female voice answered the phone, I felt like my whole future had ended. Being sick wasn’t even the half of it. In the background I could hear him talking, calling her baby, and asking who she was talking to. At the time I didn’t know he’d been drinking, though I also didn’t give him a chance to explain.

In a pair of pajamas, with a huge belly, I took his mother’s keys to her vehicle and drove to the college, determined to look him in the eyes and let him know we were over.

To this day I still don’t know what happened in that dorm room. After someone let me inside, I climbed the stairs and knocked on the door until he opened it. Sitting in a chair off to the side was a blonde female. She was in a bra and a pair of jeans. At first she looked at me like I was in the wrong place, but when Flynn acknowledged me she quickly exited the room.

That was the night that could have changed our future. Maybe I was wrong to give him an ultimatum. Perhaps I didn’t have a right to control his life, but I did it anyway. I made Flynn choose me over going to the university, because I knew I’d never trust him if he stayed. At the time I didn’t see it as being selfish. Now, seven years later, I feel as if it was the biggest mistake of my life. I almost wish he would have found the love of his life at that school, because it was quite clear it wasn’t me.

While sitting in front of our small ranch style home, I peered down at the address of the bed and breakfast the therapist had given me. Did I want to even bring it up to Flynn? Could the two of us be alone for a whole weekend without wanting to strangle one another? Did I want to know what it felt like to have him touch me without cringing? Was there any kind of sexual chemistry even left between us? Could Flynn ever learn how to please a woman first instead of being so damn selfish?

I hated even considering how bad it could turn out, but I was tired of living like this. I knew there was so much neither of us had ever experienced. We were naïve and curious, so much that we couldn’t find a happy medium. Was it so wrong to want to experience hot, unadulterated sex with someone who could appreciate me the way I was? I hated the idea of being with someone else. I didn’t want my family to break up, but this wasn’t healthy.

Before exiting my vehicle, I crumpled the small note and shoved it in my pocket. My marriage was over, and the sooner I came to grips with it the faster I could plan the divorce.

One wild night leads to heartache…

Tori Glen loves her new job as an image consultant for Thurston-Hughes Inc. The trouble is, she’s also in love with the three brothers who own it, Oliver, Rory, and Callum. They’re handsome, successful, aristocratic, and way out of this small-town Texas girl’s league. So she remains a loyal professional—until the night she finds a heartbroken Oliver desperate for someone to love. Tori knows she should resist…but it’s so tempting to give in.

And a desperate plan…

Callum and Rory have denied their desire for Tori, hoping she’ll heal their older brother, who was so brutalized by his late wife’s betrayal. But when Oliver cruelly turns Tori away in the harsh light of day, she tenders her resignation. Rory and Callum realize that to save their brother, they must embrace the unconventional sort of family they’ve always wanted—with Tori at its center. And it all starts with seducing her…

That could lead to happily ever after—or murder.

Isolated with the brothers at an elegant English country manor, they begin awakening Tori to the most sensual of pleasures. But consumed with regret, Oliver won’t be denied the chance to embrace the only woman worth the risk of loving again. What begins as a rivalry veers toward the future they’ve only dared to dream of. But a stranger is watching and waiting for a chance at revenge. Can the brothers come together to embrace the woman they love and defeat a killer?

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1px6a4n
iBooks: http://apple.co/1FJLVfb
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Gds3kN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xvRYmj
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1C4SvHj
Print: http://amzn.to/UAhT9R

Shayla Black and Lexi Blake’s Masters of Ménage series provides readers with a plethora of hot, domineering males and the feisty women they willingly share because their goal is to provide their woman with an overwhelming amount of love, sex, and passion – all of which will leave her wanting nothing but them for the rest of her life. Their Virgin Mistress is book 7 in the series, and it centers around three brothers who, at first, don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to the one woman they all desire – their publicist, Tori Glen. Like the previous texts in the series, Their Virgin Mistress offers readers a world full of seduction, intrigue, and drama, but the heart of the story is the quest of three men to prove to the woman that they love that they’re worth the risk regardless of doubts, fears, and public perception.

What woman could resist three brothers – all of whom bring such varying personalities to the relationship? Oliver, Rory, and Callum Thurston-Hughes are all alpha males who know their way around the female body and the words to use to make it malleable. Because Black and Blake vary the perspectives as their story is told, readers understand who these men are at their core and what they’re willing to give up and the effort they’re willing to put in to claim the woman who owns all three of them.

Oliver is the protector, but he’s tortured by his past and what he allowed a woman to do to him; Rory is the responsible one who sees his oldest brother struggling and wants to help him heal, and Callum is the dominant one who has been a manwhore for far too long and finds his ways changing for the right woman – Tori. Each of them separately is not enough to handle Tori’s tenacity, but together, they have the assets needed to dominant her inside the bedroom and “handle” her out of it.

But the Thurston-Hughes’ brothers have their work cut out for them with Tori and they seem to know going in that in order to tear down Tori’s walls, they’re going to need to “brand her with pleasure and chain her with affection.”

Loss is a concept Tori knows a lot about, and she’s erected walls to stay safe from feeling that domineering emotion. She prevents herself from truly loving anyone because if she gets too close…feels too much, she’ll never recover once they leave. Despite her best intentions to keep a safe distance from Oliver, Rory, and Callum, each of them owns her heart and not even a fake fiancé can prevent her desiring what she knows she can never have, which is all three of them. Tori is the ideal woman for each one of them, though…she’s beautiful, stubborn, intelligent, and knows how to take charge, and they’ll do anything to show her exactly how good they can all be together.

Their Virgin Mistress, for a lot of the text, is a tenuous journey for Tori and the Thurston-Hughes’ brothers because there are complicated internal/external circumstances forcing them to keep one another at a distance. Tori’s sister wants her to choose love over fear, but it’s not an easy choice to make given how much in her own head Tori is. But the brothers didn’t achieve their success in business without a lot of hard work, so they’re ready to do whatever they must to claim their bride – even if it means fighting dirty, which is exactly where their journey turns sensual, sexy, and downright climatic!

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

4.5 poison apples

“Rory, what are you doing?” she demanded.

He was supposed to be the reasonable one, but he’d proven that looks could be deceiving.

Rory kicked opened the door to the hallway. Kicked it open. Yeah, nobody noticed that and it certainly didn’t make her ovaries melt at all. Nope. She didn’t like this side of Rory. Well, no part of her except those softening pink bits and maybe her heart.

“I’m taking charge.” He strode down the hall. He didn’t pause or hesitate. When he walked past reporters, he didn’t bother to look their way. He was a man on a mission.

“Put me down! You can’t carry me off. I thought I was supposed to smile at the press and make my nip slip go away.” Though she’d actually planned to be long gone by now, Tori realized it was too early to leave.

“I don’t care about that. Your breast looked stunning. If it ends up on the front page, I’ll make a poster of it. I don’t care what other people think. I’m done with that and you need to be done with it, too.” He stopped when they passed a security station. The guards allowed them into the palace’s private family wing. One even grinned as he opened the door for them.

Once the door closed, they were alone in a grand foyer. The heavy portal blocked the sounds of the party. Now that her surroundings were quiet, she could practically hear her heart pounding.

Finally, Rory stopped, and she found herself on her feet again. Tori tried to catch her breath as he pressed closer and invaded her space. “This is too fast.”

His fingers brushed her jawline. He dipped his head low. “No. We’ve dragged this out for months. I won’t slow down. Now that I’ve made the decision, I can’t wait any longer.”

His mouth descended on hers in a slow slide. He clutched her hips, pulling her into the cradle of his muscular thighs. His lips took hold of hers, molding in a dominant glide. Her whole body went soft and she was grateful for his arms around her. They held her up when all she wanted to do was drop to her knees.

Rory was kissing her. Finally. Callum had mentioned topping her. She knew what BDSM meant to well-meaning Doms. It meant they cared about her. It meant they protected her and watched over her. She might be naïve, but that was what it meant to her sister and husbands. BDSM didn’t guarantee a happily ever after, but it should mean she got a say in whatever happened. If they were going to this much effort, surely she meant something to them.

Tentatively, she let her hands roam Rory’s shoulders and back as his tongue plunged inside her mouth. There was no questioning lick. He dominated, delving deep. His tongue slid along hers, luring and tempting Tori.

Every cell in her body seemed to soften, and she felt her pussy growing slick and wet. Heat burned through her flesh, and she slid her left leg against his to get closer. Rory answered with a groan, pressing her against the wall and pushing his erection against her. He felt so big, so hard. Tori writhed against him, trying desperately to rub herself against his cock and satisfy her growing ache.

His forehead pressed to hers as he took a long breath, trying to calm himself. “Keep doing that and I’ll prove to you I don’t mind risking a scandal. I’ll pull up this skirt and fuck you right here.”

She had to be the sensible one. “I don’t think this will work.”

“The sex will be divine. I already know it.”

Tori had no doubt of that. “I meant anything more.”

“We’ll make it work, sweetheart.” He brushed another kiss against her lips.

All the reasons it couldn’t work pressed on her. The Thurston-Hughes brothers were overwhelmingly possessive men. How could they share? They fought. Would they fight over her? She’d seen Callum’s anger at Oliver and she’d wondered… “Why were Oliver and Callum fighting the day the reporter came to the office?”

Even as she asked the question, her hands roved over Rory’s hard form. The woman inside her wasn’t sure she wanted the answer right now. That part of her craved what these brothers could give her. She might have been a virgin until Oliver, but she wasn’t stupid. He could offer her more. They all could, and she wanted to feel the pleasure she’d been denied her first time.

He kissed the line of her jaw, then his tongue found her pulse point, making her shiver with desire. “You, of course. You didn’t see the very nice punch I landed. We were fighting over you, but that’s not going to happen again. We’ve talked in detail. Now we’re a united front.”

For how long? If she only wanted a night, it didn’t matter…but deep down, Tori suspected she wanted far more.

Every cell in her body quaked as he kissed her neck. “Rory, I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You’ve always known.” He took a step back. “But I’m going to give you a choice. If you’re scared, walk back into that ballroom and I’ll consider the matter finished. I’ll talk to Callum and Oliver, and we’ll court you in a more proper fashion. We’ll be polite and escort you out and take turns like gentlemen. But if you walk into that room with me, there won’t be anything polite about the way we take you. I won’t be a gentleman. I’ll be a Dom. Your Dom, and you’ll know what it means to be utterly possessed by three men who can’t breathe without you. We’ll start preparing you because we’re going to take you in every way a man can take a woman. Think about this because you’re selecting the path we travel. Polite and proper? Or as wild as you can handle it? Do you want to know what it means to submit to men who love you?”

“Yes.” The word was out before she could think about it. It didn’t matter. Despite all the reasons she shouldn’t do this, she couldn’t walk away.

“Then come with me.” He grabbed her hand and strode down the hall.

Tori hurried after him, knowing nothing would be the same again.

AMAZON * iBOOKS * NOOK * KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY * SMASHWORDS * ALL ROMANCE * AMAZON UK

Masters of Ménage Series

Their Virgin’s Secret

Kindle * Kindle UK * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * All Romance * Smashwords

Their Virgin Concubine

Masters of Ménage, Book 3

Kindle * Kindle UK * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * All Romance * Smashwords

Their Virgin Princess

Masters of Ménage, Book 4

Kindle * Kindle UK * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * All Romance * Smashwords

Their Virgin Hostage

Masters of Ménage, Book 5

Kindle * Kindle UK * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * All Romance * Smashwords

Their Virgin Secretary

Masters of Ménage, Book 6

Kindle * Kindle UK * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * All Romance * Smashwords

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT SHAYLA BLACK

Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances produced via traditional, small press, independent, and audio publishing. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Shayla’s books have been translated in about a dozen languages. She has been nominated for career achievement in erotic romance by RT Bookclub, as well as twice nominated for Best Erotic Romance of the year. Additionally, she’s either won or been nominated for the Passionate Plume, the Holt Medallion, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards.

A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every new book.

Connect with me online:

Facebook I Twitter I Website I Newsletter I Goodreads

*******

ABOUT LEXI BLAKE

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 that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem. She also writes contemporary Western ménage as Sophie Oak.

Connect with Lexi online:

Facebook: Lexi Blake

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

Website: www.LexiBlake.net

Sign up for Lexi’s free newsletter here.