RELEASE DAY REVIEW: 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundle Nine

1001 Dark Nights is back with another fantastic bundle of novellas from a combination of well-known and possibly new-to-you authors. Check out my review of this Discovery Bundle...

1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundle #9, by Carrie Ann Ryan, Heather Graham, Jennifer Probst, Christopher Rice, Melanie Harlow and Lili Valente
Publish Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Everafter Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher and Inkslinger PR
Genre: various romance genres
To Buy: Amazon

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan Hailey Monroe knows the world isn’t always fair, but she’s picked herself up from the ashes before. Sloane Gordon lived through the worst kinds of hell yet the temptation next door sends him to another level. He’s kept his distance but when she comes to him with a proposition, he’ll do everything in his power to protect her.

BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham
When a family friend receives a message from the Blood Bayou killer—It's your turn to pay, blood on the bayou—he comes to Danni Cafferty for help. Cafferty and Quinn soon realize that a gruesome local history is being repeated. They find themselves in a fight to save not just a friend, but, perhaps, their very own lives.

SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst
Connor Dunkle knows what he wants in a woman, and it’s the three B’s. Beauty. Body. Boobs. Other women need not apply. Ella Blake is a single mom and a professor at the local Verily college. When sparks fly, neither of them are ready to face their true feelings, but will love teach them the ultimate lesson of all?

DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice
From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, comes a steamy, emotional tale of forbidden romance between a woman struggling to get her life on its feet and the gorgeous cowboy her father kept her from marrying years before.

SOME SORT OF HAPPY by Melanie Harlow
Skylar Nixon. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Ten years ago she was an impossible dream, and now she’s right here in front of me, offering everything I ever wanted. But happiness never lasts, not for someone like me. 
Sebastian Pryce. He’s the most complicated, frustrating, beautiful man I’ve ever met, and my body craves his with a hunger I’ve never known. My heart is his completely. Why won’t he let me in?

MAGNIFICENT BASTARD by Lili Valente
Face it, ladies: love sucks and then you cry…while your ex rides off into the sunset banging your best friend. But why let a break-up end in tears when it can end with sweet revenge? Enter Magnificent Bastard Consulting and me, chief executive bastard. With the help of my virtual assistant, I’ve built an empire giving broken-hearted women the vengeance they deserve, while keeping myself far from the front lines of the heart. Until my virtual assistant shows up on my real doorstep for the first time, begging for a Magnificent Bastard intervention of her own.

These 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundles are absolutely perfect for when you find yourself in a reading rut. You know the authors and genres you prefer, and you mostly stick to them because they're sure things. But, sometimes you just need to change things up a bit, maybe with a different sub-genre that you haven't read much of, or perhaps a different writing style or POV. 

There's always one author in these bundles that hooks me, and it's usually one I'm very familiar with. In this case, that hook was Hidden Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan. It's the only novella from her Montgomery Ink series I haven't read yet, and it was everything I expected it to be. It was sexy and had plenty of feels in not a lot of pages. Carrie Ann Ryan's novellas give you a glimpse at the relationships forming around the main Montgomery family, which helps flesh out the full-length novels. 

Of the remaining five authors, only Jennifer Probst was one I've read before, and I've read none in the Searching For series, which Searching For Mine is a part of. That is the great thing about these Discovery Bundle novellas - even if you've never read the series that they belong to, in nearly every case, it's not necessary. You can still appreciate the story and the featured characters without knowing the backstory of the other couples they come in contact with. 

One caveat to this is that all of these stories have already been published separately. If a novella - like Hidden Ink - is in the middle of a series, chances are, by the time you read it in the Discovery Bundle, the series has already moved on with at least one other novel. The Montgomery Ink series actually has two additional novels out now, so I already knew that Hailey and Sloane were a couple. For me, it doesn't diminish the impact of going back and reading their story anyway, but I know for some, it would. 

The 1001 Dark Nights series has a core group of authors that regularly contribute novellas to the collection. These authors were asked to nominate additional authors to be added as "discovery authors," and each of the five bundles that will be released in 2017 will feature two of them. In Bundle Nine, we get books by Melanie Harlow, author of Frenched, and Lili Valente, author of the Bought by the Billionaire series. 

And, truly, Some sort of Happy and Magnificent Bastard are not novellas, but rather full-length novels. These two take up the last 51% of the bundle, which was completely awesome. It gave me a better taste of these two new-to-me authors' writing styles, and I really liked what I read. I've already added several books by both authors to my TBR.

The 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundle Nine is a easy bet. It's less than six bucks, and for that you get two novels and four novellas. You seriously can't beat that. I encourage you to check out a bundle, and maybe slip a novella or two in between your regular full-length reads. You may just discover a new favorite!

About Carrie Ann Ryan:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

Learn more about Carrie Ann Ryan --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

About Heather Graham:
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham has always been an avid reader, from classics to sci-fi, mystery, horror, thriller, romance, and all kinds of non-fiction. She’s fairly certain that her mom’s deliciously crazy family–arriving in the US a bit before her birth from Ireland–gave her the love of storytelling. She started out in theater and commercials, but once her children began to arrive, she stayed home and gave writing a try. She’s incredibly grateful to be doing what she’s doing for a living. Heather belongs to MWA, RWA, Sisters in Crime, HWA, and ITW, and has the recipient of the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, a Silver Bullet for charitable works, and this year, she will receive the Thriller Master title from ITW. She has over 200 novels in print, and has been published in 22 languages.

Learn more about Heather Graham --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

About Jennifer Probst:
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon’s Best Books for 2012, and spent 26 weeks on the New York Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews.

She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team on her website.

Sign up for her newsletter for a chance to win a gift card each month and receive exclusive material and giveaways.

Learn more about Jennifer Probst --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

About Christopher Rice:
After publishing four New York Times bestselling thrillers by the age of 30 and being declared one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, award-winning writer Christopher Rice became the first author to make his erotic romance debut part of the 1,001 DARK NIGHTS series. THE FLAME: A Desire Exchange Novella kicked off a steamy new series set in New Orleans, featuring magical candles and a sexy new breed of supernatural beings, The Radiants, who are devoted to helping heroes and heroines realize their heart’s desire. THE FLAME earned accolades from some of the biggest names in erotic romance and was quickly followed up by THE SURRENDER GATE: A Desire Exchange Novel, available from Evil Eye Concepts as a Blue Box Special. Aside from authoring eight works of dark suspense, Christopher is also the co-host and executive producer of THE DINNER PARTY SHOW WITH CHRISTOPHER RICE & ERIC SHAW QUINN, all the episodes of which can be downloaded at TheDinnerPartyShow.com and from iTunes. Make sure you’re subscribed to The Dinner Party Show’s You Tube channel to receive their newest content in 2016.

Learn more about Christopher Rice --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

About Melanie Harlow:
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her heels high, her martini dry, and her history with the naughty bits left in. She’s the author of AFTER WE FALL, MAN CANDY, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series (contemporary romance), the FRENCHED series (contemporary romance) and the SPEAK EASY duet (historical romance). She writes from her home outside of Detroit, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and one insane rabbit.

Learn more about Melanie Harlow --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

About Lili Valente:
USA Today bestselling author Lili Valente writes both naughty things and funny things (that are also naughty). She has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.

These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.

Learn more about Lili Valente --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter

REVIEW: Shameless (Playboys in Love #1)

Shameless (Playboys in Love #1), by Gina Maxwell
Publish Date: May 30, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Scorched
Format: digital copy, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) People say I'm shameless. They're right.

I like my sex dirty. It takes a hell of a lot to tilt my moral compass, and I always follow when it's pointing at something I want. That goes double when it points straight at the one girl in all of Chicago who's not dying for a piece of me.

She's all I can think about, and that's a problem, because she wants nothing to do with me. But I've seen her deepest secrets, her darkest fantasies, and they match mine to a fucking T.

I want her. Bad.

Now I need to show her how good it can feel...to be shameless.

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes because it takes typical fantasies that most girls have and forms a (hopefully) realistic story around them. It enables readers to put themselves in place of the heroine (or hero) and relive these fantasies in their mind every time they open the book. Fantasies like the prince falling in love with the common girl, the billionaire falling in love with the pauper and... the hot stripper falling in love with his client - they're all ones we've had from time to time, and Gina Maxwell brings the last one to life in amazing ways.

Shameless tripped every one of my triggers. It had a quirky heroine in Jane. Even her name is different. Jane is smart, self-reliant, a workaholic and a closet sexual deviant. A private stripper show from Chance, a.k.a. "Romeo", allows Jane to explore her freaky side and feel okay about it. Even though he's a stranger, she finds safety in his presence, and that release starts to affect all other areas of her life. 

Shameless... What would it be like to let go like that? To not worry about what others might thing and just... be. 

Jane was the perfect blend of dorky, sexy, sassy and sweet. I loved how she was so silly at times, and the banter she enjoyed with Chance and with her BFF Addison made me laugh a lot. But, when Chance flipped his sexy switch, she changed. Her worries about her masters thesis, about her five extra pounds, about her sexual dry spell all fall away. He also switched from the romantic, sweet Romeo to alpha dominant Chance, and he was thrilled to finally meet a woman who matched him in every way that counted. 

This was my first Gina Maxwell experience, and what an incredible experience it was. I love her writing so much! Not only does she tell a really good story, but she does it with flair. I finished Shameless in one day. It was something I just couldn't put down until I reached the end of their story. 

Thankfully, there's a lot of hottie strippers at Playboys 4 Hire, which hopefully means a lot more fantasies to be fulfilled the only way Gina Maxwell knows how. 

IT'S MY FIFTH FIFTH BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY

It's the final day of my fifth blogoversary celebration. Don't be sad - if the fifth anniversary of my blog has been this awesome, just think what the sixth one will look like!

Enter my other Fifth Blogoversary giveaways too:

A signed copy of RETREAT by Jay Crownover (US only)
A set of Avon books (US only)
A book from The Book Depository (INT)
A set of Berkley Romance ARCs (US only)

DAY FIVE GIVEAWAY

For my final giveaway, I'm going to giveaway your choice of two books from The Book Depository, up to $20 (INT). This giveaway is international, so everybody can join in the fun!

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COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL: Sin With Me (Bad Habit #3)

I am so thrilled to reveal the cover and give you a first look at an excerpt from J.T. Geissinger's SIN WITH ME, which releases April 25th! 

Don't you love the cover? Find out more about SIN WITH ME below!

 About SIN WITH ME

The past she can’t remember. The secret he hides. And a love that’s worth risking it all.

After a devastating car crash stole both her family and her memory, Grace Stanton was left with no past and an uncertain future. Now Grace likes to keep things simple. No sleepovers, never date a guy more than a month, and never, ever fall in love. Which is exactly why Grace avoids Bad Habit’s lead guitarist, Brody Scott, at all costs. The green-eyed, sexy-as-hell musician has “trouble” tattooed all over him, and Grace isn’t taking any chances with her heart.

Brody knows he doesn’t deserve an amazing woman like Grace—her creamy skin, red hair, or that smart mouth that fuels his every fantasy—but there’s something between them that’s more than chemistry. Something real. He’ll just have to convince Grace that he’s worth the risk—and hide the secret that haunts his worst dreams. But when fate plays a cruel hand, Brody’s darkest sin suddenly threatens his last chance at redemption…and the life of the woman he loves.

Add SIN WITH ME to your Goodreads list here!

Preorder SIN WITH ME now!

Like fingers interlacing, several things slowly come together and fit into place.

“You could fall in love with me and not remember it?” I whisper.

She swallows and nods.

Dumbfounded, I stare at her. “Holy fuck.”

Looking miserable, she nods again. She tries to pull away but I don’t let her. I put my arms around her and squeeze.

She resists for what feels like forever, stiff and uncomfortable in my arms, but then slowly she gives in. She melts against me with a sigh, tucks her face into the space between my neck and shoulder, and winds her arms around my waist.

We stand like that for a while, not talking, feeling the chaotic beating of each other’s hearts. Her hair smells like sunshine. She’s soft and warm against me, lush and feminine. My dick is still wrestling for control with my brain, which is in a state of shock and is just sitting there lifelessly inside my skull like a big lump of cheese.

And suddenly I realize what a gift I’m being offered.

I can never right the wrongs of the past, no matter how desperately I might want to. But maybe those wrongs aren’t the end of the story. Maybe they’re only a new beginning.

If I’m going to do good by her, this is a fucking fantastic place to start.

My voice gruff, I say, “I’m in.”

She pulls away and looks at me, a little furrow between her brows. “What?”

“I said I’m in. Fuck it. If I can make you fall in love with me once, I can make you fall in love with me again and again. Every day if I have to.”

Grace blanches. “The Egosaurus rides again. I’m not in love with you!”

“But you will be,” I vow, looking at her dead-on. “Because I’m not gonna leave you any other choice.”

I plunge my hands into her hair, grip her head, pull her toward me, and fit my mouth against hers.

It’s like the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve and Christmas morning, all rolled into one.

Heat. Color. Noise. Fireworks behind my eyes. She moans into my mouth, digs her nails into my back, arches against me. I moan, too, fucking her luscious mouth with my tongue, one hand behind her neck and the other roaming all over her body, learning her shape, the dip of her waist, the full, tight curve of her ass.

It’s greedy.

It’s scorching.

It’s everything.

If there were a Guinness World Record for the most amazing, mind-blowing, cock-stiffening, heart-pounding, panty-melting, burn-down-the-house kiss, we’d win that motherfucker hands down.

We’re both breathing hard, desperate, mindless, lost. The kiss goes on and on, until I’m drunk on her. I’m flying. I’m melting. I’m—

Someone loudly clears his throat.

Stunned and reeling, Grace and I break apart.

Nico stands in the kitchen doorway with his hands on his hips, grinning like an idiot. “Hiya, kids,” he drawls. “What’re you two squirrels up to?”

Flushed and trembling, Grace lifts a hand to her lips. She lets out a short, astonished laugh and cuts her gaze to me.

I can’t talk either. My mouth can’t form any coherent words. I just stand there, dumb as a rock, my mind blank, my shorts tented, staring at Grace like I’ve spent my entire life up to this point living in a dark cave, surviving on worms and insects, and she just walked in with candles and flowers and a big fucking steak on a hot plate.

“Uhh . . .”

Nico bursts out laughing.

“I’ll just go see what Kat’s up to.” Grace’s voice is high and shaky. She bolts from the room.

“Just wanted to let you know a few people are starting to show up.” Nico glances at the front of my shorts and chuckles. “So, uh, you might want to pull yourself together, brother.”

Shaken to my core, I sag against the counter, gripping it hard for support, and let out a ragged breath. “Jesus. Is that what it’s like for you with Kat? That feeling like you’re . . .”

“Free-falling?” Nico supplies when I can’t find the right word. “High flying? Completely out of control?”

When I look up at him, he nods. “Yeah, brother. It is. At the beginning. And then it gets so much deeper and so much better, there aren’t any words for it at all.” His eyes—bright, cobalt-blue eyes that made him famous—pierce me. “But be careful. Because once you get on that speeding train, you can’t get off. Even if it jumps the tracks, crashes into a nuclear power plant, and burns the whole world to the ground.”

He gives me one long, last look and then turns around and leaves.

From somewhere very far off, I hear the sound of my demon laughing.

J.T. Geissinger is an award winning and best-selling author of dark, sexy romance. She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and was a finalist for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards. She lives in California with her husband, on whom all her heroes are based. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

IT'S MY FOURTH FIFTH BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY

It's five days of bloggy giveaway awesomeness, and this is day four.

I'm a huge romance reader. Contemporary romance books take up about 90% of all my books, so the folks at Berkley Romance are like my BFFs. They publish books by some of my favorite authors - some of which will be at Apollycon in March.

A signed copy of RETREAT by Jay Crownover (US only)
A set of Avon books (US only)
A book from The Book Depository (INT)

DAY FOUR GIVEAWAY

Samantha Young, Roni Loren and K. Bromberg will all be at Apollycon in Orlando on March 24, along with seventy other amazing authors! I have some ARCs on hand from these three authors that I'd like to give away: THE ONE REAL THING by Samantha Young, LOVING YOU EASY by Roni Loren and DOWN SHIFT by K. Bromberg (US Only). Good luck!

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Any Time and Any Place (Billionaire Builders #2)

 

I am loving this new series by Jennifer Probst. These billionaire builders have already won my heart. Check out my review, then check out these boys!

Any Time and Any Place (Billionaire Builders #2), by Jennifer Probst
Publish Date: January 24, 2017
Publisher: Gallery Books
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) When she was a teen, Raven Bella Stratton’s father was killed in a horrible car crash. The bigger shock was the discovery of a woman with him—Diana Pierce—and their two fully packed suitcases with airline tickets to Paris. Devastated by her father’s betrayal, Raven went to live with her aunt, never truly overcoming the traumatic event. When she discovers that the mysterious woman had a family with a husband and three boys, Raven vows to leave the memory of her father behind.

Until Dalton Pierce visits one night and suddenly her past challenges her future...

Leaving his life in California behind to run Pierce Construction with his two older brothers, Dalton Pierce has enjoyed returning home and studying his passion of woodworking. But when he visits the local bar with his brothers one evening, he’s immediately drawn to the smart-mouthed, badass, sexy bartender who sets his body on fire. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem as intrigued by him, and his multiple advances are met with rejection. When he offers to restore the bar back to its original glory, he begins to work with her on a daily basis, and falls harder. His plan of seduction slowly weaves a web around them both, until they are caught up in the spell. But Dalton doesn’t know the secret that can either destroy them both...or finally mend two broken hearts.

Jennifer Probst is full of awesome. Not only did she create this awesome family and community around the Pierce brothers, but she has even given fans little glimpses into characters from her past series. Her new Billionaire Builders series is such a delight - I am anticipating every new book that comes out. 

Dalton is the youngest Pierce brother. He's a master of woodworking and of women. He loves women a lot, but he doesn't believe in commitment. Luckily, he's such a likable guy that the girls don't even mind. But the one woman he can't get his mind off doesn't fall for his charms, only he has no idea why. 

Raven Hawthorn knows that Dalton's mom was the woman who was running away with her dad when their car crashed and they both died. She's hated the Pierce family ever since that night. She is now the successful owner of a bar and restaurant on the outskirts of town, and to her dismay, she finds she needs Dalton's special skills as a wood-whisperer to fix up the place in time for a magazine spread. 

I love Dalton's special brand of wooing. He is diligent. He pays attention. He is creative. And he is super sexy. Raven shouldn't feel bad for giving in to his charms. It was inevitable, really. No female on earth could've resisted Dalton Pierce when he focuses all his manliness on her like that. 

"I don't want to think about the future, or why we're wrong for each other. I just want to claim this moment and kiss you in the moonlight, because you're so fucking beautiful, my head hurts."

But, the past continues to be a barrier between them. For Raven, it's the guilt of falling in love with the man who ruined her family. For Dalton, it's the continued anger over his mother's abandonment. And they don't even realize that these things are causing them from moving forward with anything real. 

She'd been so intent on digging for information, she hadn't prepared for the emotion behind it. He was someone who understood what it felt like to lose a parent in an accident. Somehow, she'd kept her idea of him separate from any feelings, as if his accusations against her father had numbed him to the power of grief. She was just beginning to realize it was going to be harder than she thought to revisit the past.

The Billionaire Builders series is getting better with each book. I love how Jennifer Probst has taken these three estranged brothers and built a life for them. They are making connections with people and falling in love, and each new book builds upon those relationships. We got to see Cal and Morgan from book 1, and glimpses of Tristan's upcoming story. I can't wait to see what's up with him.

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

IT'S MY THIRD FIFTH BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY

I wouldn't be where I am now without all my awesome followers. Sadly, when I have hard copies of books, I usually can only afford to give those away to my fellow US peeps, because shipping costs are WHOA. But, my international followers deserve some love too, don't they?

So, this one's for you guys.

A signed copy of RETREAT by Jay Crownover (US only)
A set of Avon books (US only)

DAY THREE GIVEAWAY

My third fifth blogoversary giveaway is a book of your choice up to $10 from The Book Depository. Which means this giveaway is international!

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: King of Wall Street

King of Wall Street, by Louise Bay
Publish Date: August 24, 2016
Publisher: self-published
Format: audiobooks, purchased
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) I keep my two worlds separate. 

At work, I’m King of Wall Street. The heaviest hitters in Manhattan come to me to make money. They do whatever I say because I’m always right. I’m shrewd. Exacting. Some say ruthless.

At home, I’m a single dad trying to keep his fourteen year old daughter a kid for as long as possible. If my daughter does what I say, somewhere there’s a snowball surviving in hell. And nothing I say is ever right.

When Harper Jayne starts as a junior researcher at my firm, the barriers between my worlds begin to dissolve. She’s the most infuriating woman I’ve ever worked with.
I don’t like the way she bends over the photocopier—it makes my mouth water.
I hate the way she’s so eager to do a good job—it makes my dick twitch.

And I can’t stand the way she wears her hair up exposing her long neck. It makes me want to strip her naked, bend her over my desk and trail my tongue all over her body.
If my two worlds are going to collide, Harper Jayne will have to learn that I don't just rule the boardroom. I’m in charge of the bedroom, too.

The boss/employee trope never gets old for me. It's one of my favorites, not just because of the office shenanigans that inevitably happen, but because of the forbidden aspect of the relationship. It's always fun to see how they get by the rules that prevent them from being together. 

King of Wall Street is a perfect example of all the things I love about this trope. Max King is CEO of his company and the king of his castle. He rules at work, and at home, he's the boss of his 14-year-old daughter. So, the out-of-control feeling he gets when he sees Harper Jayne around the office is unnerving. 

That is the part that I love about this book. Max is obviously used to being in charge and maintaining control. This ultra-alpha male acts completely out of character around Harper. This leads to lots of dirty thoughts and even dirtier acts. And after every one, both he and Harper swear it's the last time. 

Famous last words. They don't want to want each other. Max is Harper's boss. Harper doesn't even particularly like Max since his attraction to her translated into irritation at the office. Add in the fact that Max is trying to keep his life with his daughter separate from his corporate persona, and it all equals a complicated mess for these two. 

Neither of them planned to delve any deeper than their crazy attraction to one another. But, screwing leads to talking, and soon they realize that there's more to each other than a pretty face. The chemistry between Max and Harper was high and the angst and drama was relatively low, all things considered.  

King of Wall Street is narrated by the amazing audiobook duo, Andy Arndt and Sebastian York. If you have never listened to a book narrated by these two, you should go fix that problem now. They are great individually, but when they team up, you just know the book is going to be amazing. 

I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series, Park Avenue Prince. If it's as good as King of Wall Street, I know I'll love it. 

IT'S MY SECOND FIFTH BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY

Let's keep this party going!

To celebrate the fact that it's been five years since Krista's Dust Jacket was born, I'm doing five days of giveaways.

Yesterday was day one, and I posted a giveaway for a signed copy of RETREAT by Jay Crownover. Today is day two - you ready for another giveaway?

DAY TWO GIVEAWAY

I was fortunate enough to become an Avon Addict this fall, and what a great experience it's been so far! The fine folks at Avon Books have provided some extra copies of some of their books for me to pass along to you. They're awesome like that. So, for day two of my blogoversary giveaway extravaganza, I'm giving away a copy of Jill Shelves' THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and Lenora Bell's HOW THE DUKE WAS WON (US only). Good luck!

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IT'S MY FIRST FIFTH BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY

Between Christmas and family birthdays and illnesses and SO MANY GOOD BOOKS RELEASING, I kinda lost track of time. See, January 2 was my 5th blogoversary, and it passed by without my noticing.

I know. Disgraceful. Allow me to make it up to you?

I've been doing this bloggy thing for five years now, which is pretty crazy. I've met so many amazing authors, made so many incredible friends and collected so many books. And to think back when I started this thing, I thought I'd give myself a month before I got tired of it and quit. HA!

Since I have been blogging for five years, let's have five days of giveaways. Yes?

DAY 1 GIVEAWAY

The first book I read in 2017 was a good one. RETREAT by Jay Crownover was sexy and suspenseful and an amazing beginning to what is sure to be a great new series from her. And I have a signed copy to give away to one person (US only). Enter below, and good luck!


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REVIEW: Phantom Kiss (Chicagoland Vampires #12.5)

Phantom Kiss (Chicagoland Vampires #12.5), by Chloe Neill
Publish Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Vampires generally aren’t afraid of things that go bump in the night, but Merit and Ethan are extra jumpy after a recent attack by a dark sorcerer. So when they learn that someone is messing with graves in Chicago’s cemeteries, stealing skulls and snatching souls, they fear that their powerful foe might be back for even more magical vengeance. 

But after a specter begins haunting Cadogan House—and targeting vampires—they realize that they're being taunted by an altogether different sort of monster. A ghoulish villain straight out of the Windy City’s urban legends is on the prowl—and he won’t stop until he’s killed again...

Phantom Kiss is the prelude to the final Chicagoland Vampires novel that Chloe Neill will write. I have to thank her for giving us this extra glimpse into Cadogan House life, because I think I'm already going through withdraw, and I haven't even read Blade Bound (Chicagoland Vampires #13) yet. Every little bit helps, and Phantom Kiss had a little bit of all the parts of this series that make it so awesome for me.

Of course there's a mystery to be solved. There always is, and Ethan and Merit are a well-oiled machine now. They are an impressive team, especially when they join efforts with the Ombuddies - Merit's BFF and witch Mallory, her sorcerer husband Catcher, the tech wiz and tiger shifter Jeff and the leader of the gang, Merit's grandfather. In Phantom Kiss, they also engage the services of necromancer Annabelle since there's a ghost hanging around who is particularly nasty.

In addition to a mini-mystery to solve and a good reason to get the Ombuddies together, there's wedding shenanigans afoot. Merit and Ethan are two months away from their wedding, and Phantom Kiss opens with them attending a bridal shower thrown for them by Merit's mother. Yes - it's as awkward as it sounds. And amusing. And sweet. The way Ethan loves Merit now is so amazing.

And just because Ethan and Merit have been together for awhile, it doesn't mean they've become complacent. They still are smoking hot in between the sheets when they can find a moment between saving Chicago and almost dying. Like, seriously. Hot.

Phantom Kiss was a quick read with so much paranormal goodness in it. And any time I get to spend with one of my most favorite paranormal couples ever is time well spent. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Adoring Ink (Montgomery Ink #6.5)

Any story I get from the Montgomery Ink gang is an awesome one, and Adoring Ink is no different. Check out my review!

Adoring Ink (Montgomery Ink #6.5), by Carrie Ann Ryan
Publish Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) The Montgomery Ink series continues with the most unlikely of romances between the one that got away and the man who can show her the world. 
Holly Rose fell in love with a Montgomery, but left him when he couldn’t love her back. She might have been the one to break the ties and ensure her ex’s happy ending, but now Holly’s afraid she’s missed out on more than a chance at forever. Though she’s always been the dependable good girl, she’s ready to take a leap of faith and embark on the journey of a lifetime.

Brody Deacon loves ink, women, fast cars, and living life like there’s no tomorrow. The thing is, he doesn’t know if he has a tomorrow at all. When he sees Holly, he’s not only intrigued, he also hears the warnings of danger in his head. She’s too sweet, too innocent, and way too special for him. But when Holly asks him to help her grab the bull by the horns, he can’t help but go all in.

As they explore Holly’s bucket list and their own desires, Brody will have to make sure he doesn’t fall too hard and too fast. Sometimes, people think happily ever afters don’t happen for everyone, and Brody will have to face his demons and tell Holly the truth of what it means to truly live life to the fullest…even when they’re both running out of time.

Holly is the sweet, introverted girl who gave it a go with Jake once upon a time, but because of his true feelings for Maya, they never went anywhere. But, I have a feeling that once you're adopted by the Montgomery clan, it's a permanent thing. And because both Jake and Maya are much better people than I am, Holly has remained a member of their clan. 

Even though it's been awhile since she's been with Jake, Holly has remained single. She's born witness to several Montgomeries finding the loves of their lives and living out their dreams. Who wouldn't want that for themselves? But, breaking out of her twin-set-shaped box is harder than she imagined. She needs help. And tattooed bad boy Brody Deacon is just the man. 

Brody is another Montgomery by proxy. He's become friends with the siblings through his frequent visits to Montgomery Ink. And now he's determined to help Holly get more in touch with her inner bad girl. 

The great thing about these Montgomery Ink novellas is that they give us a glimpse into the side characters that we come to love as much as the star siblings. It's true that the full length novels are about the Montgomery children, but as we get their stories, we also learn about the other people in their lives that are important to them. Carrie Ann Ryan paints them so brilliantly that we can't help but want to see all of them get their own HEAs too. 

Holly and Brody have been around for a few books now, but we haven't learned much about either of them. As they work through the bucket list they create together in order to get Holly feeling more alive, they first become good friends, and then much more than that. I loved how Brody seemed to know exactly what Holly needed and when she needed it. If she needed a nudge he gave it to her. If she didn't, he let her be. They were a great couple, and it was awesome to see them together like this and like the rest of their friends. 

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

Website: http://carrieannryan.com/
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REVIEW: Lit Fuse (Nashville's Finest #0.5)

Lit Fuse (Nashville's Finest #0.5), by Caisey Quinn
Publish Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) When Chase Fisk enrolled in the United States Army, it was mostly to escape a dead- end job working with his alcoholic father. The military provided him with a sense of belonging, and his brothers in arms became the family he never thought he’d have. He’s ready to embrace his promotion to Commanding Officer over a group of new explosive tech recruits—but he isn’t ready for her.

Vivian Brooks grew up in a military family and is unlike any woman Chase has ever met. The recently enlisted recruit is beautiful, tenacious, and as steady with her hands as any EOD technician he’s ever seen. She tempts him in every way possible, challenging him at all turns and taunting him with a body that haunts his waking moments and most of his sleeping ones. But as their forbidden romance could threaten their careers if it’s discovered, Vivian’s buried secrets threaten to destroy them both.

Holy. Smokes.

What an explosive beginning to this new series by Caisey Quinn. Seriously - it was ON FIRE. Okay. I'll stop. 

But, explosions definitely play a big part in Lit Fuse. Chase is a Corporal in the Army. He's an expert in bombs and explosives, and he's training a new class of recruits on how to not get blown up. Vivian is an Army brat who's all grown up and ready to make her own path. One steamy hook-up with a stranger, though, and she's questioning everything.

Chase Fisk could burn her alive and reduce her to ashes. He'd lit the fuse that night and now was a ticking time bomb waiting to detonate. Needing to explode. Soon. The blast wave could destroy them both, destroy their careers, their common sense. 

I can't even believe this was a novella. It didn't read like a novella. It didn't feel like one. Chase and Vivian's story was complicated and messy and had build-up and backstory and chemistry and sex. Lots of hot, hot sex. It was this delicious forbidden romance that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering if they were going to be found out. 

But, the craziest thing about Lit Fuse is that, you're thinking this whole time that the Chase and Vivian's story is going to be about one thing, and then at the very end, you realize that it's actually going to be about something completely different and totally unexpected. The cliffhanger ending will leave you breathless and wondering what in the heck is going on. And it will definitely leave you begging for the next book, which will be Chase and Vivian's full-length novel. 

If Lit Fuse is any indication of how Caisey Quinn's new series is going to go, it's sure to be completely amazing. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Big Shot (Book Boyfriend #1)

The awesome writing duo of Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde are at it again. BIG SHOT is out now, and it's a great start to their new Book Boyfriends series. Check out my review and find out why you need to meet Wes Sinclair TODAY.

Big Shot (Book Boyfriends #1), by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
Publish Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the authors and Social Butterfly PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Wes Sinclair is a notorious heart-breaker, a hot as sin bad boy with a panty-dropping smile no woman can resist. Except for his prim and proper adversary, Natalie Prescott, who seems immune to his flirtatious charms. While she's become a permanent fixture in his dirtiest, most scandalous fantasies, she wants nothing to do with him, or his seductive promises. Challenge accepted. His goal? To bring her to her knees, make her beg, and show her just how good being bad can be.

And it all started with a bet...

How many times in romance books have we seen bets blow up in the faces of those who make them? And, certainly, in this case, the bet definitely doesn't go as planned. However, in this case, the bet going awry was exactly what Wes and Natalie needed to catapult them from the friend zone and plant them squarely in lovers lane. 

Natalie and Wes are both realtors in a competitive luxury housing market. Natalie has made great strides as the new kid on the block. She's been busting her hump to try and convince her brother and Wes that they made a mistake when they decided not to hire her at their realty firm. Wes is still, however, one of the biggest fish in the sea, so when he challenges Natalie to a bet - first one to sell a high-priced luxury home wins - he knew her competitive nature wouldn't allow her to back down. 

The results of the bet put them in each other's immediate orbit. This is both a curse and a coup for Wes. He's lusted after Natalie for years, but as his BFF's little sister, she was always off the market to him. Now he gets to see her much more frequently, and it's not long before he can't help but give in to temptation. 

Really, Wes should've given himself a break. Because Natalie's had the same feelings as he for even longer. And she sees this as an opportunity to finally get Wes to notice her as more than Connor's little sister. And she pulls out all the stops. I really loved Natalie's character. She could've been all swoony and stupid when Wes started showing her extra affection. But, that's not her. She's driven and ambitious and smart. She approaches problems from a calculating angle and attacks them with vicious skill and wit. She goes after what she wants, even though she knows it may not work out for her in the end. 

Big Shot was a quick, light and easy read. There's not a ton of angst or drama. There's some super hot scenes between Wes and Natalie, which only made their chemistry even better. Big Shot is told in dual POV, so we get both Wes' and Natalie's perspective on their situation. I laughed a lot while reading this book, which always makes things even more fun. I also enjoyed getting to know all of Wes' friends and co-workers, who will, I presume, be the other book boyfriends in this series. We've only scratched the surface with most of them, and I'm dying to know more.

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels, including the Indie published, Dare to Love Series. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.

Connect with Carly Phillips:

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Erika Wilde (aka Janelle Denison) is the USA Today bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances for multiple print publishers.

Connect with Erika Wilde:

Sign up for Erika's Newsletter at: http://smarturl.it/ErikaWildeNewsletter
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Twitter: @erikawilde1
Erika's Website: www.erikawilde.com