Release Day Blitz—Staying in Vegas (Vegas Morelli #1) by Sam Mariano

Title: Staying in Vegas

Series: Vegas Morelli Trilogy Book 1

Author: Sam Mariano

Genre: Mafia Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2018 Cover Designer: Covers by Combs

When I met Rafe Morelli, he didn’t look like the biggest mistake I’d ever make; he seemed closer to the crime family version of Prince Charming. Charismatic, beautiful, and attentive—with an intoxicating air of power—Rafe was the stuff of my darkest fantasies.

It should have been a simple fling, no-strings-attached. My hot weekend with the sexy, dominant Vegas boss—a harmless memory to replay once I returned to my quiet, predictable life.

One tiny hitch in that plan: a panty-melting memory isn’t all he left behind. Now the stakes have changed, and I’m faced with a potentially life-altering decision. Do I stay away and enjoy my status as the only woman in known history who has played in the Morelli flames without getting burned, or do I risk stepping back into the fire?

BOOK 1 OF 3 IN THE VEGAS MORELLI TRILOGY

Review:

“Only the ruthless make it here. You want sweet tempers and brotherly love? Join a church, not the Morelli family.”

This is a Morelli book, meaning you’ve got to go into it with an open-mind—I can’t stress that enough. Their stories are not only unconventional but fucked up. I say that in the best way possible considering I loved Mateo and Mia’s story like it was crack...and I was the junkie that needed my next fix. Which reminds me, read Mia and Mateo’s story first. One thing I went batshit crazy for in the series was none other than Rafe, the hero of Staying in Vegas. Where Mateo was ruthless in a calculating way—Rafe is more charismatic, with an easy smile that could charm the pants off a nun. 

“I came here because I met a handsome prince at an enchanted castle, but it turns out he was just a frog in a nice suit.”

Laurel and Rafe met in the Morelli Family series—it’s the whole reason it’s better to have read those books first that way you aren’t spoiled. They had an amazing weekend together but Laurel is back (in Vegas, no less) with a life-changing decision she must make that Rafe wants no part of. That’s where we are introduced to Sin—Rafe’s enforcer. He’s broody, sexy as hell, and he ends up becoming a character that I’ve grown to love; he’s one that I want to know more about. Obviously, he’s a key player in the game. 

“You like men who play by their own rules; nothing wrong with that. You’ve certainly come to the right place, kitten.”

The way the story ended has me itching for the next book! Laurel is feisty yet submissive. It’s no wonder she’s the object of affection for not one, but two men. How in the world did she get herself into this mess? Her life could be so simple. But Laurel just had to mess with a Morelli. I look forward to seeing how everything turns out. Bring on the angst and fucked up plot lines!

*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Sam Mariano loves to write edgy, twisty romantic reads with complicated characters you’re left thinking about long after you turn the last page. Her favorite thing about indie publishing is the ability to play by your own rules! If she isn’t reading one of the thousands of books on her to-read list, writing her next book, or playing with her adorable daughter… actually, that’s about all she has time for these days.

HOSTED BY:

Review—The Secrets to Southern Charm (Book 2, Peachtree Bluffs) By Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication: April 3, 2018

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads

Blurb:

Leaving fans “practically [begging] for a sequel” (Bookpage), critically acclaimed author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with the second novel in her beloved Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family.

After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve.

Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light.

But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all.

Harvey’s signature warmth and wit make this a charming and poignant story of first loves, missed opportunities, and second chances and proves that she is "the next major voice in Southern fiction” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author). 

Review-

The Secrets to Southern Charm was both heartwarming and charming—with characters that wedge their way into your hearts making you feel all the feels. This is the second book in the Peachteee Bluff series featuring a generation of independent and strong women that face hardships that test their faith, love, and personal growth. 

We get the story of Sloane—a mother of two, and a wonderful husband whose in the military. She gets word that he’s MIA, causing her to fall into a deep depression. It’s up to her sisters and mother to help her get through such
dark times. 

We also get a second POV from Sloane’s mother, Ansley—one who is also going through her own things as well. I found the book one that I could read out by the pool relaxing. It showed the power of family and what it means. Overall, I think readers who like character driven stories, with emotional storylines, will love this one. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Buy the book:

Amazon

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the author of Dear Carolina. She blogs at Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life and loves connecting with readers at kristywoodonsharvey.com. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's school of journalism and holds a Master's in English from East Carolina University. She is a regular contributor for The Salisbury Post, Domino magazine and Houzz. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three-year-old son.

Release Date Blitz Giveaway—Ditched by RC Boldt

Title: Ditched

Author: RC Boldt

Genre: Contemporary/Sports Romance

Release Date: April 3, 2018

Blurb

He’s playing for the heart she’s had sidelined for years.

IVY HAYES

Dating can be a rocky journey. Once the new shine wears off, you may end up with a case of buyer’s remorse.

That’s where I come in. I set the backdrop and coach you
 through the breakup.

Don't want overblown drama, hard feelings, or a drink tossed in your face? Then I'm your fairy godmother, child.

BECKET JONES

As an NFL quarterback, endorsement ads and the media pandering after me are all part of the game.

Ivy Hayes is the first woman who doesn't care about my money and the notoriety that goes along with it.

But I'm a long-term guy, and she operates strictly in the now. Which means I need to bring my A-game.

Otherwise, I’ll end up getting ditched.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Ditched Review-

Beckett Jones. Meeting Beckett in He Loves Me...Knot, I immediately fell in love with the fun-loving best friend to Emma Jane and the sexy quarterback for the Jaguars. Of course, there was no question that I would read his book because...Beckett. 

In Ditched, we get the story of Ivy and Beckett, as they struggle to deal with newfound feelings of possible love. The moment Beckett meets Ivy, everything changes—he wants her, plain and simple. Ivy, on the other-hand, wants nothing to do with relationships. Never has and never will. Beckett makes it very hard for her to stand her ground. Who can blame her?

I found Ivy to be cynical and unlikeable at first but she quickly gained my heart. There’s a reason for why she is the way she is—isn’t there always a reason? The more she and Beckett hang out, the more difficult she finds it to drop him. After all, she doesn’t believe in love for herself and doesn’t think it’s in cards for her. 

I enjoyed watching Beckett bring his A-game to win Ivy’s heart. I also deeply enjoyed seeing Knox and Emma Jane! I really do love them. Overall, if you’re in need a of sexy sports romance with lovely characters, this is for you!

*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY

Author Bio

RC Boldt currently lives on the southeastern coast of North Carolina, enjoys long walks on the beach, running, reading, people watching, and singing karaoke. If you're in the mood for some killer homemade mojitos, can't recall the lyrics to a particular 80's song, or just need to hang around a nonconformist who will do almost anything for a laugh, she's your girl.

Author Links

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

GOODREADS

INSTAGRAM

AMAZON
BOOKBUB

Blog Tour Review—Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Her name is Sarah. She's blonde, blue-eyed, and Jewish in 1939 Germany. And her act of resistance is about to change the world.
After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's part of the secret resistance against the Third Reich, and he needs Sarah to hide in plain sight at a school for the daughters of top Nazi brass, posing as one of them. If she can befriend the daughter of a key scientist and get invited to her house, she might be able to steal the blueprints to a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. Nothing could prepare Sarah for her cutthroat schoolmates, and soon she finds herself in a battle for survival unlike any she'd ever imagined. But anyone who underestimates this innocent-seeming girl does so at their peril. She may look sweet, but she's the Nazis' worst nightmare.

Review:

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

I’ve got to admit—that was a brutal read. By that, I mean that there were things that happened in the story that had me cringing; but I was so fascinated by it all, that I couldn’t look away. Sarah, is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jew—who just so happens to run into a man that changes her life. She goes from being on the run, to becoming a spy at a prestigious boarding school for national socialist’s daughters. 

The beginning was a bit slow for my tastes. I didn’t feel like anything really started happening until Sarah does start going to the school. It’s there that she encounters girls that gives mean girls a whole new definition. The trials and bullying that Sarah had to deal with were crazy. There’s no other word I could describe it with. Orphan Monster Spy was CRAZY. So why couldn’t I stop reading?

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic read that showed us a us a great point of view during the World War ll era—even it was fictional. I think Killeen was able to bring Sarah’s story to life in a profound and sensitive way. She also made me love the story simply because I loved her determination. If you’re looking for a book with a strong female lead and a story so compelling you feel as if you’re part of the book, then this is for you. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Amazon UK


AUTHOR BIO:

Matt Killeen was born in Birmingham, in the UK, back when trousers were wide and everything was brown. Early instruction in his craft included being told that a drawing of a Cylon exploding isn't writing and copying-out your mother's payslip isn't an essay "about my family." Several alternative
 careers beckoned, some involving laser guns and guitars, before he finally returned to words and attempted to make a living as an advertising copywriter and largely ignored music and sports journalist. He now writes for the world's best loved toy company, as it wasn't possible to be an X-wing pilot. Married to his Nuyorican soul mate, he is parent to both an unfeasibly clever teenager and a toddler who is challenging his father's anti-establishment credentials by repeatedly writing on the walls. He accidently moved to the countryside in 2016.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE

3/12 – Crossroad Reviews – Review

3/13 – Twinning for Books – Q&A 

3/14 – Live To Read – Review

3/15 – Spinatale Reviews – Review + Creative Picture

3/16 – Bookworm Banter – Review 

WEEK TWO

3/19 – The Young Folks – Playlist

3/20 – Cracking the Cover – Review

3/21 – Bookish Connoisseur – Review

3/22 – Bookfoolery – Review

3/23 – Four Violet Reviews – Review

WEEK THREE

3/26 – Katy’s Library Blog – Creative Instagram Photo

3/27 – Adventures in YA Publishing – Q&A 

3/28 – The Heart of a Book Blogger – Book Aesthetics

3/29 – Forever Young Adult – Review

3/30 – Bookablereads – Review

WEEK FOUR

4/2 – The Lovely Books – Review

4/3 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Review

4/4 – Once Upon a Twilight – Review + Fav Quotes

4/5 – Books Coffee and Repeat – Spotify Playlist 

4/6 – Book Reporter – Review

Review—The Window by Amelia Brunskill

Publisher: Delacorte 

Published: April 3, 2018

Genre: Mystery

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 3 Stars

GOODREADS

BLURB-

Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside--it's hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess's life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn't add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it's a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn't the only one with secrets. 

REVIEW-

I enjoyed The Window for the fact that it had twins. I don’t know what it is about stories with that feature twin storylines that has me so intrigued, but I know I always have to read them when I see one available. This is the story about Jess and the tragic death of her twin sister, Anna. Jess doesn’t think her death is all what it seems. 

This is a story where it seems like anyone and everyone could be the culprit involved in Anna’s death. But how could that be? Especially when Anna hadn’t been very truthful and kept a bunch of secrets. 

I like this book, it kept me turning the pages wondering what would happen next. But it was a little slow at times causing me to put the book down. I’ll admit that the big reveal in the end was a little anticlimactic and predictable. Overall, I thought this was a good mystery novel with multidimensional characters and I look forward to reading more from the author. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy from Amazon 

Buy from Amazon UK

About the Author:

Amelia Brunskill was born in Melbourne, Australia, but she grew up mostly in Washington state where she picked a lot of blackberries, read a lot of books, and failed to properly appreciate the epic beauty of the mountains and the Pacific ocean.

She earned her bachelors degrees in psychology and art from the University of Washington and her master in information studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She now lives in Chicago, where she eats as much Thai food as possible and works as a librarian.

The Window is her debut novel. 

Blog Tour Excerpt + Giveaway—Escort by Skye Warren

Title: Escort
Author: Skye Warren
Series: Standalone Title
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Mar 20 2018
Edition/Formats: 1st Edition ~ eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
There is no shame in pleasure. And no love in business.

I have a blind date tonight, and I know with 100% certainty that I'm getting lucky. There shouldn't be any surprises, not for one as jaded as me, but when I walk into the penthouse suite of L'Etoile, everything changes.

1) For one thing, Bea is heartstoppingly gorgeous. Pale green eyes and endless freckles. Curves I want to spend all night exploring, as if her body was made for me.

2) Her innocence makes me want to use my entire inventory of bedroom tricks on her and then invent a few more.

3) Except that... she’s a virgin.

I can initiate her into the world of desire without letting her get attached, can't I? A few hours of tutoring, and at the end of the night a small fortune will be deposited into my bank account.

Yes, you read that right. There are many words for what I do. After all, mine is the oldest profession. I'm an escort, which means this date is nothing more than a mutually enjoyable transaction.

But once I realize one night with her won’t be enough, I’m the one who's screwed.

Excerpt:

Hello,” I call, stepping into the suite.

There’s a thump from the bedroom. A woman pops her head around the corner, all frizzy hair and wild eyes and plump pink lips. She wears a black dress with a startling high neck, lace on top, the kind that a matron would wear—but her skin is perfectly smooth, her eyes wide. This is a young woman. Younger than myself, her clothes an anachronism. Her expression? Pure relief. “Oh thank God.”

She sounds so sincere that I have visions of an orgasm emergency. A deficiency so intense she had to dial a twenty-four-hour line to have it fixed. There’s something undeniably hot about the idea of a woman in dire straits and me the only one who can help.

“Hugo Bellmont,” I tell her, providing a small bow. “At your service.”

And then I give her the smile. Not the megawatt one that I used downstairs. I give her the slow, suggestive one, that lets her know every dirty thing that I’m thinking.

It isn’t fake. It doesn’t need to be. Not with her whispery curls that I’d love to feel in my fist. Not with the pale freckles across her nose that I’d love to track all the way down her body.

Her eyes are an interesting pale green. I want to look in them while I go down on her.

Every single dirty thought is in the smallest smile.

Except she disappears back into the bedroom. “In here!”

How unusual. I’ve never met a woman as hurried about her sexual requirements. She sounds worried, almost frantic, and I haven’t even been here sixty seconds.

I follow her, feeling for the first time in years out of my depth. It’s a nice feeling, a pleasant simmer in my veins. My steps feel lighter across the plush carpet.

At the threshold I barely have time to register the strange furniture. It’s large and antique. Expensive but mismatched. As if they crammed an estate sale into one room.

The woman is bent over a large dresser, her ass perfectly plump. I could fill my hands with her. Could press my new erection against the crease. Except it isn’t a sexy pose.

Instead she seems to be looking behind the dresser.

“It’s okay,” she’s saying, breathless. “Come out, sweetie. You can do it.”

Based on the sweet tone of her voice and the cat dish I spotted on way inside, I already know what I’m going to see when I peek over the top of the dresser. Sure enough there’s a fluffy cat with bright yellow eyes peering up at me.

I don’t have much experience with cats. They were one level up from rodents where I grew up, useful for catching rats and underfoot in dark alleys.

However, my experience with pussies of a different sort translates just fine, because I can see exactly what’s happened to the poor girl. She’s backed herself all the way into a corner, made her body so small she can’t possibly come out.

No matter how nicely her owner coaxes her, it won’t work. It can’t possibly. Something like this isn’t solved with words; it’s solved with a confident, calming touch.

I straighten enough to pull off my jacket. “If you’ll allow me.”

Blog Tour Spotlight ft Giveaway—Beneath by Maureen A. Miller

Title: Beneath

Author: Maureen A. Miller 

Release Date: March 26, 2018

Publisher: Self-published 

Genres: YA 

Page Count: 340

Format: Print and digital 

Synopsis: 

An overnight fishing trip on the Atlantic Ocean…

It was Stella Gullaksen’s final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend, Jill, and Jill's family aboard the STARKISSED, Stella wakes to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.

As the waves haul her under Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern.

With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay Stella and her best friend's brother, Colin, search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto–survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.

Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea?

On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.

Goodreads → http://bit.ly/2nJv350

Buy Now: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon → http://amzn.to/2GOsLKy

B&N → http://bit.ly/2E5nO2B

iTunes → https://apple.co/2EG6IHK

Kobo → http://bit.ly/2BrKQ0Q

BENEATH Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Maureen A. Miller

She was going to vomit.

Stella Gullaksen looped her arm through the tuna tower ladder. The LED spotlights cut through the storm, revealing a pool of seawater on the cockpit floor of the sport fishing boat. The brine was creeping up to her calves now. Across from her, Col, her best friend’s brother, wrapped a rope around his arm like a boa constrictor. Dark hair was pasted to his forehead and his eyes were lost in the night, but the bright red coil in his free hand was visible enough. He nodded at her and tossed it.

Stella clawed at the darkness, squinting against the blinding fusion of rain and saltwater. The rope unraveled, winding through the water, eluding her grappling hand. Finally, she latched onto it and read his encouraging nod to secure it around herself. Trembling fingers attempted the task, but another black wave smashed into the hull, cascading against her hip and nearly tossing her over. She clung to the aluminum rigging.

This was to have been a weekend fishing jaunt, a last respite before her freshman year in college. Stella’s best friend, Jill Wexler, was also a freshman at the same college. They met each other as freshmen in high school when Stella moved to Monmouth County from Pennsylvania. They were polar opposites in personality, but somehow it worked, and they had been attached at the hip since. 

Jill’s parents owned the STARKISSED, a 32’ Topaz Express saltwater fishing boat. It was a tight squeeze to fit Donald and Anne Wexler, their eighteen-year-old daughter, Jill, their twenty-year-old son, Colin, along with Stella. It was only for a night, though. It took too long to reach the New Jersey underwater canyons, where yellowfin tuna fishing was at its best. They had to spend the night out at sea and were due back into port late tomorrow evening.

Inside the cockpit, she saw Don Wexler hunched over the steering wheel, smacking the radar display. His curses were loud enough to carry over the maelstrom.

“I checked with the Coast Guard. I checked the satellite. The weather was clear!”

The defense seemed lame given their current predicament. Did it matter what the weather report claimed? They were over a hundred miles off the coast of New Jersey in the center of a mean tropical storm. The fact that it was the middle of the night was just a cruel bonus.

Stella cast a frantic look at the cabin hatch now submerged under several inches of water. Jill was down there, along with her mother. Only a few moments ago Stella had been with them. When the storm struck, her stomach was the first to protest. She rushed up to the cockpit in search of air, and instead, emerged into chaos.

About Maureen A. Miller:

USA TODAY bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing. 

Maureen’s first novel, WIDOW'S TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE website. 

Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult Science Fiction market with the popular BEYOND Series. To her it was still Romantic Suspense…just on another planet!

Follow Maureen: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Instagram

a Rafflecopter giveaway