Fairest Of All Book Reviews

Title: Lost Prelude (Alexander & Maya, #1)

Author: Ella Maise

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Blurb

My name is Maya, and I’m not the same girl I was a month ago.

There is an emptiness I carry around in my chest now. A broken heart caused by grief.
There are also dark nights where I have trouble breathing as I feel the heavy weight of loss rushing through my veins, painful moments where I can remember my entire being scream in agony as I held onto my father’s cold, lifeless hand.

Then there is always a hero to every story, isn’t there? A hero who I despised from the moment he opened his mouth.

His name is Alexander. He is my inevitable I never expected to find. The one my broken heart leads me to. His existence, his touch, everything he did to make my pain bearable will leave a mark on me forever.

Yet, I know that when I’m gone, he’ll only remember me as a fading memory.

Excerpt

A knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts, and I hesitated.

Hearing another insistent knock just a few seconds later, I made sure my towel was secure around my body and went to answer the door.

As I peeked out from the small opening, I saw Alexander standing just a few inches away from me. Our eyes met, and my pulse quickened. As I was still dripping wet, the cold air coming from the hallway caused me to shiver. His eyes broke away from mine, taking in my body from head to toe.

I tried to cover my half-naked body behind the door, but it was pointless.

“What do you want?” I asked, annoyed that he was doing the silent thing and just staring.

I heard the elevators ping open down the hallway, and his attention shifted from me for a second.

Being done with the scrutinizing look he was giving me, I started to close the door on his face, but his hand stopped me from pushing it all the way. With his next forward move, I had to let go of the door and take a step back as he strode into my room.

Into me.

“What the hell—”

His hand shot out, and he gently grabbed me at the back of my neck and pulled my body toward him as his lips made contact with mine. He took another step into me, and I found my body plastered to his. Putting both of my hands on his chest, I tried to push him off, but he urged my lips apart with his, and his tongue sneaked into my mouth, forcing me to respond to his kiss. Because when he looked like he did, how could you not?

As my body slackened against him, his sudden kiss turned into something different, something more and unexpected. It was hard, yet still gentle and slow—something I wouldn’t expect from a jerk like him. He looked more like someone who would take what he wanted the way he wanted it. Not like that would have been a hardship, but still.

He splayed his warm hand at the small of my back and slowly pulled my lower body into his. I grabbed the lapels of his suit, pulling him down to me, leaning into the kiss as I melted around his body.

“What was that?” he whispered against my wet lips.

“What?” I muttered, dazed.

Before I could realize what I had done with whom, he groaned and gently pushed me back against the open door, his hand still protecting the back of my head. Caressing my lips with his tongue, he claimed my mouth in another drawn-out kiss.

A mind-numbing kiss.

A kiss that made me lose my judgment.

A throat cleared behind him, next to him, somewhere—and the moment was lost.

Guest Post from Author Ella Maise

My Playlist For Certain Scenes in Lost Prelude

There is one song in Lost Prelude that plays a heavy role in the book, which I will mention just in a sec, but there are also other songs I listened to as I was writing it. And somehow the music just fits into the story. Even if the words don’t exactly match with it, the feeling I get is simply perfect for certain scenes. And I wanted to shared them with you so if you decide to give Lost Prelude a chance, maybe you’ll add to the experience with these songs.

* Maurice Ravel – Pavane pour une infante défunte (Piano Solo)

This piece is seriously breathtaking, and it plays a huge role in the story. While I can’t pinpoint a specific scene for this one, I do mention it in the story. At least whenever Maya is listening to it. All I can say is, it is a special one for her father. If you’ve never listened to it, you are missing out.

* Until The Ribbon Breaks – One Way Or Another

I LOVE this song. I loved it before I even wrote Lost Prelude, and I definitely LOVE how it is the perfect song for the end scene. I’m sure if you read it, you’ll agree with me. It’s an awesome cover for the classic One Way Or Another. Everytime I listen to it I get goosebumps.

* Snowhill – Be My Baby

Did you hear this version? I know I keep saying the same thing over and over, but this one is beautiful too. And this one works great for the scene where Maya is with Alexander in his penthouse. And it’s from Alexander to Maya … I adore every word in this song.

* Sam Smith – Not in That Way

Okay, I have to admit that this one isn’t specifically for a scene, but it is an awesome song. And it kind of gives you an insight of how Maya is feeling.

About the Author

I’m an avid reader. Therefore, a big dreamer. I love nothing more than to escape real life to find those very few magical moments in a book. I love how it has the power of stealing your worries away, putting a smile on your face, and of course sometimes making you crush on fictional characters. I can’t even begin to describe how exciting it is to give life to new characters and fall for them. It’s definitely a different kind of addiction.

I’m still searching for my own happy ending. Until that happens, I’ll live vicariously through my own characters.

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Giveaway!

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In out, in out. I watch my cock sliding in and out of the club whore’s pussy. My gut tightens, not with desire in the lead up to my climax, but in disgust. I squeeze my eyes shut, praying the image isn’t burned into my retinas. I hate my fucking job…

When FBI Special Agent, Roman ‘Oak’ Drake, infiltrated the Zephyrs MC, he expected to find a lot of things – all of them illegal. What he didn’t expect to find was the beautiful brunette serving drinks behind the bar at Club Z.

Willa Burke spends her nights serving drinks at Club Z. It’s not the life she imagined for herself, but sometimes you don’t get a choice; you just have to do what you can to get by.

Outside of working for them, she’d never shown an interest in the Zephyrs.

Until she met Oak. The tall, wide, muscled man with skin the color of burned caramel and eyes a shade lighter than melted chocolate.

She wants him.

He wants her.

She’s good and clean.

He’s good and clean pretending to be bad and dirty for the sake of his career.

When Oak brings the Zephyrs to their knees, will it also mean the end for Willa and him? Or, will it strengthen their bond?

Undercover is a stand alone novel with a happy-ever-after.

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UK: bit.ly/UndercoverUK
AU: bit.ly/UndercoverAU
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B&N: bit.ly/UndercoverBN

Review

One thing I’ve learned from the multitude of stories I’ve read by Kasey Millstead is that she doesn’t add fluff to her stories. They’re fast paced, sexy stories that get right to the crux of the issue without a lot of dragged out conflict and skirting around the issues.

This is one of the reasons why I jump at the chance to read every new release by Millstead because I know I’m going to have a text that’s enjoyable to read due to its sassy heroine and alpha male hero as well as the complications she puts her characters through as well as the steamy encounters they have, and book one, Undercover, in her new Zephyrs MC series fits into that description perfectly.

Roman Drake, also known as Oak in his undercover role in the Zephyrs MC, is alpha to the core, and he exudes those traits even more when it comes to protect the woman he’s wanted to claim since laying eyes on her, Willa Burke. But his position in the club and his job have prevented him from taking what he wants…that is until a threat forces his hand and he soon learns that going against his better judgment has never felt so good. Willa may work for the club, but she wants no part in its dealings, but she can’t deny that a certain biker makes her panties wet and steals her breath every time he’s in the room…too bad he doesn’t know she exists at least that’s what he wants her to believe.

When Roman steps into protect Willa, their connection sizzles from the start and once he has her, there’s no way he’s letting her go. But he may not have a choice when his secrets are exposed and Willa’s left wondering if what they shared was ever really real.

Undercover is a quick read with action, steam, and conflict. Willa’s a kickass heroine who knows how to take care of herself and doesn’t back down when put in a corner, and Roman will do whatever it takes to get the job done and protect what’s his at all costs. It’s a great start to a new series from Kasey Millstead.

I hoping Willa’s brother’s story is next.

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

4 poison apples

About the Author

Kasey Millstead lives a quiet life in country New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their four young children. She enjoys baking, singing (ridiculously out of tune) & spending time with friends and family. Kasey has always harboured a deep love for reading and writing, and she is now lucky enough to be living her dream of being an Author.

For the first time ever three of Emily Snow’s standalone novels are together in one boxset —

The Singles.

For a limited time only, buy all three of Emily Snow’s SINGLES (Uncovered, Savor Us, & Wrecked) for $0.99.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKWZXHC

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VKWZXHC

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00VKWZXHC:

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iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-singles/id982238173?ls=1&mt=11

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Uncovered

Synopsis:

My name is Lizzie Connelly, and I have it all. The gorgeous apartment. The new job most women would rip out their own souls for—working for Margaret Emerson at Emerson & Taylor. I have one of those lives you’ve always dreamt about, the kind you only see on HBO. But, the thing is, that life is a lie. A façade.

It all started with one call. “Everything you know about your story—your father’s story—is a lie. It’s up to you to uncover everything.” One call, and I turned my world upside down to dig my way into Margaret’s life—the woman who I’d never laid eyes on until recently. My stepmother who took everything after my father died fourteen years ago.

The plan was simple—figure out what role she played in my father’s death and expose her to the world.

But here’s another thing: simplicity doesn’t exist, and my plans are flawed from the beginning because I never anticipated Oliver. Sexy, too smart for his own goddamn good, and infuriating, he’s the one person who could blow my plans to uncover Margaret. She’s his mother, and in another life, that would have made him my stepbrother.

I want to pretend that none of that matters, that I can simply finish what I came to do without sparing him a second glance and another thought.

Like I said, though, there’s no such thing as simplicity.

My real name is Gemma Emerson.

And this is my story.

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Savor You

Synopsis:

*Includes a bonus chapter from Devoured from Lucas Wolfe’s POV!*

Kylie Wolfe and bassist Wyatt McCrae have been bad for each other for the last several years, but it’s impossible for them to end their toxic push and pull. Not when their attraction is constantly fueled by lust and proximity—she’s her older brother’s Lucas’s assistant and Wyatt is his best friend and band mate.

So when Your Toxic Sequel makes a move to record a new album in Nashville, Kylie decides to make the latest break with Wyatt official by getting the hell out of town. She’ll spend a week in New Orleans. A week to immerse herself in the Mardi Gras scene. One week to not think about the last time she was in New Orleans, seven years ago with Wyatt. Seven days where she won’t have to see Wyatt every day just to fall ridiculously in love with him all over again—where, if she wants to, she can have a normal, no-strings attached fling that won’t end in heartbreak.

Too bad Wyatt ruins everything by showing up, as gorgeous and demanding and awful for her as ever.

Wyatt refuses to let Kylie give up on him. Not without reminding her why they both fell so far and hard in the first place. Not without making her savor the good memories and what could be their last chance with each other.

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Wrecked

Synopsis:

Ever since Lily died two years ago, Evie has been lost. She exists but doesn’t live, and she copes the only way she knows how: by wrecking things.

She exposes her dad’s affairs, ends things with her longtime boyfriend, and just last semester she destroyed her music scholarship. Desperate to break away from all the destruction she’s caused and start over, Evie reinvents herself at her new university.

But then Rhys, her new voice instructor, happens. He’s gorgeous, insanely talented and a part of the dark past she’s trying to overcome. Rhys’s brother is the reason why Evie’s life is such a mess right now, the reason why Lily, Evie’s sister, is dead. Even though Rhys is the last person Evie should ever want, for the first time in two years, wrecking things seems…right.

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Bad Advice (Coming in 2015)

Synopsis:

For Avery, relationship advice comes easy. Even if her own love life is in shambles, doling out her opinion is what she was born to do. When she scores her own advice column in a prominent Charlotte newspaper, Avery is ecstatic—that is until a snarky blogger, Amanda Truthslayer, pops up on a popular website that caters to the miserable. Amanda’s blog takes questions directly from Avery, spinning the sweet advice into a blunt cringe-worthy bitchfest. Realizing that the elusive Amanda’s in-your-face opinion might just ruin her brand, Avery has no other choice but to seek out the very sexy, very available, very cynical owner of the website and the Bradbury Enterprises gaming dynasty, Max Bradford.

From the moment she and Max cross paths, sparks fly. Avery believes in fairytales and he believes in … well, being an asshat. When he gives her the news that he can’t and won’t pull Amanda’s blog, Avery makes it her mission to turn the cynical, love-hating Max and his scathing blogger into believers of happily ever after. But inserting herself into Max’s life slowly begins to backfire. Because the more Amanda flips Avery’s advice, the more Avery realizes how skewed her own perception on relationships might be. And the more she’s around Max, the more impossible it is to resist him.

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Meet Ben and Lizzy 

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Blurb

Positive. With two little lines on a pregnancy test, everything in Lizzy Rollins’ ordinary life is about to change forever. And all because of one big mistake in Vegas with Ben Nicholson, the irresistibly sexy bass player for Stage Dive. So what if Ben’s the only man she’s ever met who can make her feel completely safe, cherished, and out of control with desire at the same time? Lizzy knows the gorgeous rock star isn’t looking for anything more permanent than a good time, no matter how much she wishes differently.

Ben knows Lizzy is off limits. Completely and utterly. She’s his best friend’s little sister now, and no matter how hot the chemistry is between them, no matter how sweet and sexy she is, he’s not going to go there. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he’s always had a weakness for out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay there. Now he and Lizzie are connected in the deepest way possible…but will it lead to a connection of the heart?

Excerpt

His laughter, it didn’t really sound the smallest bit amused. “Christ. You’re done here.”

“Ah, no. I’m actually not. Now see, this is where we have a problem.” I folded my arms. Then unfolded them because like fuck I’d look defensive. He was the one in the wrong, not me. “You’re not prepared to take me, or my feelings, seriously. What you want is to hide away in Mr. Too Cool for Commitment land and just play with my affections when it suits you. Okay, I’ve accepted that. But none of that means it’s okay for you to come in here and act like you’re the boss of me. None of it.”

“That so?” he asked, leaning down so that we were almost nose to nose.

“That’s so, baby.” I play-punched him in the shoulder, which it should be noted, I barely came up to. Okay, so maybe the alcohol on a mostly empty stomach had made me slightly/lots braver/sillier. “So why don’t you take your little caveman jealous tantrum bullshit somewhere else. See, I do this funny thing I like to refer to as whatever the fuck I want. Understand?”

He just stared.

“And as pretty as you are with your beard and your muscles, you are too damn tricky and . . . complicated and shit for me.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are. Are you finally seeing my point here?”

“You bet.”

“Excellent. So take your hotness elsewhere, kind sir. I want no part of it!” Huh. I had so told him. Drunken bravado was the best.

Stage Dive Series Reading Order

Lick (Book One)

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

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

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Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Hwdc78

iBooks: http://apple.co/1C6eRf6

Play (Book Two)

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

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

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

Kobo: http://bit.ly/19Mnylr

iBooks: http://apple.co/1CT8FKX

Lead (Book Three)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1G9pd0x

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

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1N35Jgb

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

iBooks: http://apple.co/1GNre0u

Deep (Book Four)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1In7cek

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1N8QEb1

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1CT657M

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

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

About the Author

Kylie is a long time fan of erotic love stories and B-grade horror films. She demands a happy ending and if blood and carnage occur along the way then all the better. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Kylie is represented by Amy Tannenbaum at the Jane Rotrosen Agency, New York.

Stalk Kylie Scott: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Win a SIGNED SET of the Stage Dive Series

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 Puck & Becca on April 7th!

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Blurb

First in the new Silver Valley series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reapers Motorcycle Club Novels.

Fourteen months. For fourteen months, Puck Redhouse sat in a cell and kept his mouth shut, protecting the Silver Bastards MC from their enemies. Then he was free and it was time for his reward–full membership in the club, along with a party to celebrate. That’s when he saw Becca Jones for the first time and set everything in motion. Before the night ended he’d violated his parole and stolen her away from everything she knew.

Five years. It was five years ago that Puck destroyed Becca and saved her all in one night. She’s been terrified of him ever since, but she’s even more terrified of the monsters he still protects her from… But Becca refuses to let fear control her. She’s living her life and moving forward, until she gets a phone call from the past she can’t ignore. She has to go back, and there’s only one man she can trust to go with her–the ex-con biker who rescued her once before.

Puck will help her again, but this time it’ll be on his terms. No more lies, no more tears, and no more holding back what he really wants…

Excerpt from Silver Bastard

“The Longnecks—they’re the MC my stepdad hung around with—they kept a lot of club whores around. Do the Silver Bastards do that, too?”

“Yup,” she replied. “It’s a free country and the brothers bring guests here all the time. Some of them stick around, some of them don’t. Some find they aren’t as welcome as they thought.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Boonie’s dick is the only one that matters to me,” she replied, her voice matter-of-fact. “As for the women, I care less about who they’re sleeping with than how they act the rest of the time. Like I said, fuck with the sisters and you won’t last. Bridget won’t be back if she keeps this shit up.”

“Old ladies didn’t get to make those decisions in the Long- necks.”

Darcy smiled sweetly. “We don’t get to make those decisions in the Silver Bastards, either. Yet the right decisions still magically happen. Nobody knows how, really. Guess it’s just all our good karma coming back to us.”

My mouth dropped. Darcy winked.

“You think those men don’t need us?” she asked. “Boonie likes sleeping next to me. Gets cold and lonely when all the old ladies take a girls’ weekend in Seattle. Would be even colder and lonelier if we didn’t come back, and one time we forgot to for nearly a week. Fortunately things worked out and we found our way home again. Now things tend to work out faster.”

My eyes went wide.

“You serious?”

“Do I look like a woman who will eat shit?”

Point taken.

“Let’s get this trash out. I’m sure Puck will be looking for you  soon, and I want to make sure all the girls meet you first. That boy’s crazy about you—it’s cute. Like a pit bull crushing on a kitten.”

About the Author

Joanna Wylde is a New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Reapers Motorcycle Club series. She currently lives in Idaho.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter |  Goodreads

“I have a proposition for you.” Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus’s mouth. It’s been years since Kacey’s seen her childhood friend Jake, but the minute Jake mentions his ill grandmother, Kacey is ready to do anything for the sweet old woman. And if that means pretending they’re engaged for her sake-so be it.

But Kacey wasn’t counting on Jake’s older brother Travis still being there. She calls him “Satan” for a reason: she’s never forgotten the way he teased and taunted her. Yet when they meet again, Travis’s gorgeous smile is a direct hit to her heart . . . and Kacey’s more confused than ever. As the days pass, only one thing starts to become alarmingly clear-she never should have accepted Jake’s deal . . .

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“You’re pregnant!” she shouted, nearly dropping her tea to the floor. “Oh my heavens! Oh dear me. Oh, Grandma’s going to be so delighted!”

“I’m not—” Kacey argued.

“She’s not telling anyone yet,” Travis interrupted with a devilish smirk. “You know, the media and all that.”

“Oh, oh, oh!” Bets scurried around the room until she finally stopped in front of a few shelves. “Oh honey, don’t you remember when you and Jake used to play house? And Travis…” Bets looked at Travis and pointed. “Didn’t you play with them? Because they needed an extra person to stand in for the…”

“Dog.” Kacey smiled at Travis and stifled a giggle. “He was our dog when we played house.”

“Oh, how nice.” Bets winked at Travis and returned to digging out scrapbooks. “I’m sure I have some pictures we can use for the wedding.”

Kacey, still trying to gain control of her panic, swallowed before asking, “Why do we need pictures?”

“You know.” Bets waved her hand in the air. “For the video montage! You have to have a video montage! They’re all the rage. You know, baby pictures, prom pictures, that sort of thing. Guests love it!”

“But what about Vegas?” Kacey asked in a hopeful voice.

“Posh.” Bets shook her head vigorously. “We’ll pay for the entire thing. And you’ll get married here, at Titus Abbey.”

“Swell,” Kacey mumbled, then glared in Travis’s direction. He was gone. She leaned across the sofa and noticed him in the kitchen opening a beer. Oh, nectar of the gods! Just when she needed something strong the most, and Jake’s family thought she was pregnant.

Oh God. She was going to have to be a closet drinker. She would have to sneak down to the kitchen just to snag some tequila to numb the guilt and pain. His parents were going to kill her, and they would hate her forever. Which meant she actually had to marry Jake and then turn a blind eye to his inability to keep his pecker in his pants. And then she’d start hoarding and buying cats in order to fill the void in her life.

The drinking would get worse. Jake would hate her, and in a final desperate attempt to regain her youth, she’d die on the table trying to get plastic surgery.

This. Could. Not. Happen!

“I, uh, I’m going to see what Travis is up to!” Kacey bolted from her chair and ran into the kitchen.

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

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

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WHERE SEA MEETS SKY

A new adult novel that perfectly captures the existential angst of your early twenties with raw wit, fresh insight, and true feeling from a critically adored USA TODAY bestselling author.

Joshua Miles has spent his early twenties spinning his wheels. Working dead-end jobs and living at home has left him exhausted and uninspired, with little energy to pursue his passion for graphic art. Until he meets Gemma Henare, a vivacious out-of-towner from New Zealand. What begins as a one-night stand soon becomes a turning point for Josh. He can’t get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It’s not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma’s name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between. Because, when love drags you somewhere, it might never let go—even when you know you have to say goodbye.

BUY NOW!

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Excerpt

There’s nothing but me and Gemma. It feels like we’re the only people left in the world. And it scares me, because she’s all I have to hold onto. I can’t be sure she won’t let go.

There’s no official camping at the lighthouse, so Gemma takes the bus off-roading, much like we did yesterday, and we come to a stop in a small valley in the middle of a field of cows. They all swivel their heads to stare at us with dark, inquisitive eyes. There’s a small house up on the hill but we can barely see it. Horses graze on the hill’s terraced grooves.

Beyond the hills, there’s nothing but ocean. I breathe in deep, feeling strangely nervous and shaky. I don’t think it’s just about being on the edge of nothing, though.

I think it’s that I’m on the edge of something.

We go to bed early, our alarms set for the early morning hour, pre-dawn. Even though the ocean looks to be about a ten-minute walk, I pack a bag with my camera, my phone, my sketchbook and the pastels.

I can’t get enough of her. Our love-making is slow and lazy but necessary. Being inside her feels like being home, it feels like being in love, it feels like everything sweet and beautiful and nice in the world. Every time I come in her I hope I’m making a home for myself, a place where I belong.

The alarm on my phone goes off way too early. In my sleepy stupor I nearly turn it off but Gemma is patting my arm, then punching my arm, telling me to get up. The world around us vibrates with the sound of mooing cows and I wonder how the hell I slept through them.

Even though the days are hot, the mornings by the ocean are cold, and I can barely get on my jeans and hoodie in time. Armed with the pack and flashlights, we jump out of the van. The air snaps at us as if we’re wind-blown flags.

Hundreds of cattle spread out in all directions, bound by the green hills to the south and the lighthouse to the north. I look east, to where the hills part and the sky is a paler shade of dawn. It seems to be growing lighter by the second, and our chances of catching the sunrise are dwindling.

We take off toward the light, cautiously creeping under barbed wire fences and avoiding the epic cow pies dotting the land. The cows, for the most part, seem to be ignoring us, but their piles of shit are like hidden landmines in the dim light. A meandering, narrow stream cuts across us and we have to head up into the terraced hills where wary horses eye us. I get the feeling that we’ve chosen the most difficult route to see the sunrise, and from our vantage point I can’t even see the lighthouse anymore.

Just as the sky seems to grow frighteningly light, we reach the crest of the hill and I nearly collapse, out of breath from the quick, steep hike. A lone filly bolts at the sight of us.

Below us lies an empty beach, laid out like a sheet of velvet. Aside from the occasional hoof print and driftwood, it looks totally undisturbed, like it has been waiting for us all this time. The South Pacific is spread out at the horizon’s feet, a royal blue tinged with saffron edges. The sun is not up yet. We still have time.

We run down the hill and I nearly eat shit, several times, my shoes slipping on the dew-slicked grass, until sand sinks beneath my feet. I grab Gemma’s hand and we run over to the water’s edge just as the sun peeks its glowing crown over the wavering line.

I look at her and smile. We made it. We’re standing on the easternmost point in the easternmost habitable country. We might even be the first people on this whole fucking earth to see this fiery sunrise. Only thousands of miles of rolling water lies between us and the southwest coast of Chile.

And yesterday.

Don’t miss Karina’s next book, RACING THE SUN, on sale July 28^th!

About the Author

Karina Halle is the New York Times bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky, The Pact,Love in English, and other wild and romantic reads. A former travel writer and music journalist, she lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails, and devours a lot of books.

Find Karina Online

Website: authorkarinahalle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karina-Halle/140649372629593

Twitter: @metalblonde

Instagram: @authorhalle

Title: Free Me

Series: The Found Duet Book One

Author: Laurelin Paige

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Summary 

Her story began long before she started working at The Sky Launch…

Screw fairytales. The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She’s content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub—Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn’t a happily ever after. She doesn’t believe in those anyway.

Then she meets J.C.

The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she’s not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it’s J.C. who’s there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated.

Gwen discovers there’s a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating—and terrifying. When she starts to feel something for J.C., she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don’t want to set him free.

BOOK ONE OF TWO. This series can be read alone or with the Fixed Trilogy.

Free Me Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20551480-free-me

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wfjYWp

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/free-me/id943207438?mt=11

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/free-me-laurelin-paige/1120870435?ean=2940149904143

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Laurelin_Paige_Free_Me_The_Found_Duet_1?id=pNpWBQAAQBAJ

Find Me Pre-Order Links (Releasing August 25, 2015)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23643129-find-me

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FZLGyk

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/find-me/id951266528?mt=11&uo=4

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Laurelin_Paige_Find_Me?id=Thi6BgAAQBAJ

Review

When readers met Gwen Anders in Book 3 of the Fixed series, we knew there was a story behind the woman who kept herself closed off; her face encased in a façade that she didn’t want to allow anyone past. There was a definite air of mystery surrounding her, which only intrigued me more, wanting to understand her demeanor and the reasons for the calm and cool act that could easily be perceived as a smokescreen for what was really going on behind her eyes. But, to be honest, I couldn’t anticipate all that made up Gwen’s back story and current life and the chains of her past that held her captive and afraid, preventing her from truly living.

Gwen’s life is extremely regimented. Control is important to her, which makes sense due to everything she experienced growing up in such a volatile environment. Her job at the nightclub Eighty Eighth Floor keeps her busy and allows her to stay in a weekly routine that works for her, but all of that gets shaken to the core when she meets J.C., and even though she tries to deny her attraction to him and keep her emotions in check, J.C. makes Gwen want to let go and give into her desires for a man who’s a complete mystery to her and only offers her an opportunity to be spontaneous. Gwen needs that kind of release desperately after a series of events nearly unhinges her, and when things heat up between them, their sexual relationship sizzles, and as their relationship grows into something much more than just a way to let go, J.C.’s secrets and Gwen’s past prove to be major obstacles in giving each other what they both seem to want, leaving them at an impasse and leaving readers with one hell of a cliff hanger at the end of book 1.

Laurelin Paige is one hell of a storyteller. Every book that I read by her draws me in from the start and holds me captive until she’s wrenched every emotion out of me. Her characters are extremely complex, and readers witness their transformations as their stories continue. Like Alayna, Gwen works hard to maintain her control and not allow her emotions to take over, which works for some time until her feelings for J.C. take over. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding who J.C. is and what he’s hiding, and even though I have speculations as to what’s going on with him, I don’t have it all figured out yet, so I need Find Me to get here, so J.C. can redeem himself and reclaim what’s been his from the beginning.

I listened to the audio version read by Tanya Eby for this review, and I have to say that she does a fantastic job expressing Gwen’s insecurities and internal freak outs. Eby narrates at a fairly quick pace, which works for who Gwen is and how her mind works. Externally, Gwen is put together and controlled, but internally, she’s a hot mess, and that’s easily ascertained through Eby’s voice inflections and the emotions she uses to express the events that occur in Free Me.

I can’t wait for Gwen and J.C.’s story to continue!

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

4.5 poison apples

About Laurelin

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine.

Laurelin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige

Laurelin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurelinpaige

Laurelin’s Website: http://laurelinpaige.com

Laurelin’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/z1ugH

Laurelin’s Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LaurelinPaige/

GIVEAWAY 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

We have been dying to share this Cover Reveal for K.A. Tucker’s CHASING RIVER with you all! CHASING RIVER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, and the third novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. CHASING RIVER is set to be released July 7, 2015!

If you haven’t had a chance to check out this series yet now is the time!

To celebrate, BURYING WATER is just $1.99 for the month of April!!

Those who purchase Burying Water will also get a taste of Chasing River – there’s an excerpt in the back of the book!

Grab BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN while you wait for CHASING RIVER!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | IndieBound | Books-a-Million

About CHASING RIVER

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

And don’t forget BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series…

BURYING WATER is just $1.99 for the month of April

About BURYING WATER

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

About BECOMING RAIN

Luke Boone doesn’t know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it-the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he’s finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it’s not exactly legal, Luke’s never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she’s one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she’s just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast’s most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she’ll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she’ll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she’ll even want to.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Apple | Blio | Books-a-Million | Google

About K.A. Tucker

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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