BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Aced (Driven #5)

I read Driven, Fueled and Crashed all in a row a year ago. I could not get enough of Colton and Rylee, and when the story was over, of course I wanted more. Finally, K. Bromberg has given me - and scores of other fans - exactly that.

Aced (Driven #5), by K. Bromberg
Publish Date: January 11, 2016
Publisher: JKB Publishing LLC
Format: e-ARC, provided by Social Butterfly PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Rylee and Colton's ride continues...

One moment. Six years ago.

The night she made the world around me so much more than just a blur. Now it's the catalyst that threatens to tear us apart.

Our happily was supposed to be ever after. So why do I feel like it's slipping through my fingers?

How can one moment, when our world seemed so right, resurface and cause our perfect life to spiral out of control?

I can't lose her.

She's my checkered flag.

If I hadn't read Crashed and that fantastic epilogue, I would've been biting my nails a lot more while reading Aced. Because, holy crap. Colton and Rylee just could not catch a break. And, unfortunately, the bumps in their road to a "piece of peace" are larger than most people have to deal with. 

Rylee has found out she's pregnant, and after six years of marriage, everything seems completely perfect in hers and Colton's lives. That's when everything starts to fall apart. First is Colton's lack of confidence in his ability to be a good father. Next comes a media scandal that completely uproots both Rylee's and Colton's lives and has untold ripple effects. Finally comes the unexpected result of all this stress on Rylee's and Colton's first few months as parents. 

Colton, especially, has gone through a lot in his life. You can't come from where he came from and not have serious misgivings about bringing life into this world. So, I get it. I get why Colton was out of this world happy and utterly terrified all at the same time when Rylee became pregnant. Luckily, he has learned how to communicate far better than he used to, so he bounces things off Rylee, Becks, his father, and even the boys from The House when he needs advice. He has come so far. 

Rylee has always been the strong one, and in Aced, we see that not everyone is strong all the time. She weathers a lot, but there comes a point where she just can't take any more. Luckily, her support system is just as robust as Colton's. Haddie, Quin, her mother and mother-in-law all rally around her, with Colton always by her side, and help her when she needs it the most. 

But, the absolute best part is the love and trust and utter devotion that Colton and Rylee have for one another. Especially Colton. He always knows the right thing to say and do when Rylee needs reassurance or comforting. This man - he. Is. Amazing.

"I know you're disciplined and modest and hate coloring outside the lines, but that you do sometimes just for me. The fact that you do means the world to me. And more than anything, I love that you raced me even when I didn't have any wheels on the fucking track."

If you like angst, then you really need to read Aced. There isn't much levity, but when it comes, of course it comes during conversations between Colton and Becks. I love their friendship so much. 

And, if this series is new to you, then you really need to start it. Driven, Fueled and Crashed tell the story of Colton's and Rylee's road to relationship bliss. Aced starts six years later and fills in some blanks. All the other books that K. Bromberg has written in the Driven world - Slow Burn, Sweet Ache and Hard Beat - take place in the time period between Crashed and Aced. References are made to Tanner's and Quin's significant others, and of course, Haddie and Becks are still together, so everything is tied together nicely. 

Of course, I would never object to more Colton and Rylee, but it appears that, at least for now, their story is done. Now, perhaps someday in the future, we'll get to read more about the boys - Shane, Zander and Austin. I would definitely read those books. But, for now, I'm content learning how Colton and Rylee got to their happily ever after. 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.

On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat, Aced, and a short story titled UnRaveled. She is currently working on new projects and a few surprises for her readers.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.

Connect With Kristy --> Facebook • Twitter • Website • Goodreads

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COVER REVEAL, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Sinful Love (Sinful Nights #4)

The conclusion to Lauren Blakey's Sinful Nights series is, sadly, almost here. The good news is, this cover may be the best one yet. Michael is looking quite yummy. Don't miss the excerpt from Chapter 1 and definitely don't miss the giveaway of a signed copy of Sinful Love.

Sinful Love (Sinful Nights #4), by Lauren Blakely
Publish Date: March 28, 2016
Publisher: self-published
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Synopsis) Intense. Devoted. Protective.

Michael Sloan is all of the above, with a hard tough edge to boot. He's not the guy he used to be. Years ago, before all the shit went down, he was laidback, carefree, and even happy-go-lucky.

Life changed him. Hardened him.

There's one woman though who can break down his walls. Someone who knew him then. Who can reach inside to that heart he protects fiercely...because she's the only one he ever gave it to. When they collide, it's tender and savage, gentle and rough, and makes them both hungry for more of this electric, once-in-a-blue moon kind of sexual chemistry. But it's a battle of wills between Michael and the woman he loves, with words and emotions held close to the vest.

She doesn't believe she can ever move on from her own heartache, but when Michael makes her feel for the first time in years, it's both thrilling and scares the hell out of her, setting off all her flight instincts. He's determined not to lose her again, but he'll have to learn to let her in if he ever wants to fully heal from the past...

The problem is, she knows something about the night his family shattered. She has the missing puzzle piece...but neither one of them realizes it.

YET.

Chapter One

The letter smelled like her.

Like rain.

He ran his thumb over the corner of the paper, and closed his eyes briefly. Memories rose to the surface, feeling like hope and possibility.

Far too risky things when it came to her.

Michael shut them down, opened his eyes, and stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse on the Strip, trying to focus on the here and now, not the enticing lure of what if. Soon, the lights of Vegas would blink like a carnival unfolding below him, from the miniature Eiffel Tower, to the pyramid, to the blazing signs adorning The Cosmopolitan. Neon, glitz, and billboards ten stories high whispered of the best nights ever.

He had to stay fixed on the minute details of the present, not be seduced by the past, and how good it was. Or of how much he’d longed for a future with her.
But he wasn’t having the easiest time of that. From his vantage point, twenty stories above the concrete ribbon that beckoned millions of tourists, he brought the letter to his nose for one final inhale.

The scent of falling rain.

Try as he might, he gave in. A reel of sensory images rushed back to him in an instant from years ago, like the snap, snap, snap of old film. How many times had he kissed Annalise in the rain? Brushed her wild red hair off her cheeks, touched her soft skin? Listened to her laugh?

Countless. Just like the times he’d lingered on her over the years, even after that day in Marseilles ten years ago that had damn near slaughtered all his hope left in the world.

Carefully, he folded up the letter, slid it back into the tiny envelope postmarked from France, and stuffed it into his wallet, next to a crinkled, faded, threadbare note from his father that he’d carried with him through all the years. Her letter had arrived two weeks ago, and he’d read it a thousand times already. He could read it a thousand more times, but it wouldn’t change his answer. The same one he’d emailed back to her.

Yes.

It was always yes with her.

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and she has had nine books on the New York Times Bestseller list and eighteen on the USA Today Bestseller list. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire. She recently released BIG ROCK, a sexy standalone romantic comedy that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).

Learn more about Lauren --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Ride Steady (Chaos #3)

Ride Steady (Chaos #3), by Kristen Ashley
Publish Date: June 30, 2015
Publisher: Forever Romance
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) The ride of her life . . . 

Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .

In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . .

How do I begin to tell you how much I loved this book? Where do you start with something like that? You know, after I finished reading Own the Wind (Chaos #1), I thought there couldn't be anyone more amazing than Shy. Then I read Fire Inside (Chaos #2), and didn't think it could get any better than Hop. But, Joker... seriously. He. Is. The. Best. 

This is a classic story with a modern face. The misunderstood bad boy in school who liked the prom queen, but never got noticed by her finally gets his shot years later when both of them are in a different place in their lives. But, in this case, the bad boy is a bad ass biker and the prom queen has fallen so far from grace that she can't even recognize herself. 

When Carson "Joker" Steele ran into his high school crush, Carissa Teodoro, years after the last time he'd seen her, he was thrown for a loop. Despite the fact that she is now unattached, albeit with an 8-month old baby, Joker is stuck in the belief that she's too good for him, so despite her obvious interest in him, he rebuffs her again and again. 

While I don't think I've ever met a biker I liked more thank Joker, I can honestly say that I've never met an old lady that I liked more than Carissa. This poor woman has been kicked while she was down again and again and again. And yet, she sees something in Joker that she hasn't seen in awhile - honesty, kindness, and someone pure of heart. And she wants that. So badly. So, she goes after it. I was completely on team Carissa. 

Carissa doesn't recognize Joker at first as the boy she knew in high school. Which makes her instant acceptance of him and his brothers and his club and his lifestyle even more special. After she realizes who he is, it was like the final sign that these two were meant to be together all along. Carissa is given multiple chances to question Joker, to turn away from him when things get hard or complicated, and she never once makes the wrong choice. 

From the very beginning, I was captivated by Carissa's and Joker's star crossed lovers story. I couldn't wait for Carissa's horrible ex to get what was coming to him. I ate up the moments when Joker played "daddy" to Carissa's baby son. And the moments between Carissa and Joker were so completely perfect. I loved how Joker always seemed to know what Carissa needed from him, and he gave it to her. And vice versa. 

About the Audio Version

Once again Kate Russell did a phenomenal job narrating Ride Steady. She is the same narrator that did Fire Inside, and she was brilliant in that as well. She voiced Joker and Carissa and all the supporting characters with the best intensity and inflection. I am absolutely loving the audio versions of this series, and can't wait for the next one.