REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: The World's Worst Boyfriend (Bad Boyfriend #1)

Erika Kelly kicks off a brand new series about four brothers who are rich, talented, athletic and total idiots when it comes to love. Check out my review and an excerpt from THE WORLD'S WORST BOYFRIEND.

The World's Worst Boyfriend (Bad Boyfriend #1), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: April 3, 2018
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Six years ago Fin Bowie made a decision that cost him the love of his life. Now his ex is coming back to town for her brother’s wedding, and he can finally make things right. Except, right before the event, a text he sent goes viral. Overnight, he becomes an international meme. And it’s hard to win your woman back when the whole world’s calling you The World’s Worst Boyfriend.

The last thing on Calliope Bell’s mind is getting back with Fin. Not when her life’s just gone sideways, forcing her to spend the summer in her hometown. She can’t be away from the New York art world this long, so she comes up with the idea to turn the hottest pop culture event of the moment into a museum exhibition.


The two have every intention of avoiding each other—until the county judge sentences Fin to community service…helping her exploit the meme he's trying to make go away.

Quite awhile ago, Erika teased me on Twitter, telling me that she was working on a new series about four brothers who would knock my socks off. 

She was right.

The World's Worst Boyfriend kicks off her new Bad Boyfriend series, and it does, indeed, provide a good introduction to the Bowie brothers, each of whom are beautiful, athletic, and totally stupid when it comes to women and priorities. But, it's not their fault. They were raised by their loving father who doted on them and provided for their every need and want with his billions of dollars. He taught them the importance of family. Apparently, youngest brother Fin took that lesson a bit too far. 

Because many years earlier, he proved to the love of his young life that she would never come first. His priority has always been and will always be to his brothers. And, she couldn't live with that (rightfully so). So, Callie left him - and not only him. To escape the devastating hurt she felt, she left her town, her family, her friends - everything that was tied to him - behind as she pursued her own dreams. 

Now, Callie is back in town for her brother's wedding and forced to see Fin for the first time in more than six years. But, before Fin arrives, a text to a friend goes viral, the meaning is interpreted all wrong, and Fin becomes a living breathing embodiment of douchebag exes everywhere. 

Both Callie and Fin have to learn how to embrace things you can't change and move on from them in healthy ways. That's something they haven't been able to do. In her effort to escape her heartbreak, she cut herself off from everyone who loved her. She transformed herself into someone she's not. It took her longer than it should have for her to realize how much she cost herself by doing that. But, she did eventually figure it out and set out to make amends. I loved the growth I saw in her and appreciated how difficult it must've been. 

Fin can't change how the meme snowballed or how it might affect his career. He also can't change the bad choices he made. But, he is determined from the very beginning to do better now. Especially since he never stopped loving Callie. But this man is clueless. He might say and feel totally devoted to Callie this time around, but it's impossible to change 25 years of conditioning overnight. His first instinct is to be with his brothers, and Fin has to learn the hard way that he can't do that and be with Callie the way she needs at the same time. It's about balance, and that's something Fin has always struggled with. And, as a result, as much as I loved Fin, I struggled with my desire to yell at him to stop being a dumbass. 

None of the remaining Bowie brothers seems to be much better at organizing priorities correctly - particularly in regards to the bomb that's dropped at the end of this book, which will undoubtedly lead us into the next book and the next brother's story. Can't wait to see what's in store for these boys next.

“Guess what, Callie? Love isn’t safe. It’s messed up and crazy and it hurts like hell. But why would you want anything less than what we had? Jesus, what we had—it was more than love. It was…Dammit. Why do I have to explain this to you? I’m empty without you, and no other woman, no friend or brother—no one can take your place. You’re part of me. And I’m sorry but I’m not buying that you’ve moved on. We screwed up, and we got lost, but I will be damned if I accept that you’d rather have some boring, bland relationship than me.” He reached for her, pulling her hard against him, gaze focused on her mouth.

Slowly, he leaned in, overwhelming her with his masculine scent. He pressed a soft, gentle kiss that sent an alarming rush of desire through her body. A lick of his tongue across her lips had her mouth opening to him, welcoming him, and then it happened.

Fin kissed her. Kissed her the way he always had—hungry, desperate, a barely contained expression of carnal need.

He kept his hands to himself, their mouths the only point of connection. His kiss tasted sweet like love, hot like passion, like everything beautiful in the world grew out of this, the tender intimacy of two souls finally, finally rejoining.

The moment she reached for him, restless for the press of his hard body against hers, he tore his mouth away. “You wanna settle for less than that?”

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Mine For The Week (Wild Love #2)

Mine For the Week (Wild Love #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: October 3, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) From the award-winning author of MINE FOR NOW comes the next sizzling story in her Wild Love series, about a chance meeting that changes the course of two people’s lives.

As the top collegiate shortstop in the country, Ryan O’Donnell’s life is about discipline. But a growing restlessness causes him to bail on his baseball team over spring break to join his buddies at a singles resort. He just needs one week to escape his life, and then he’ll get back on track. But moments after arriving he meets HER, and the world as he knows it changes irrevocably. It should only be a hookup—that’s what spring break’s all about—but one taste of this sexy, vibrant woman isn’t enough. He has to have her. Even if it’s only for a week.

Sophie Valentine—yes, that Valentine—just found out her siblings want to sell off Crazy Hearts—the Peeps of the Valentine’s Day world. Upset, she takes off with her friends on their spring break vacation. She only wanted an escape—she never imagined meeting HIM. But he’s about to start a Major League Baseball career, and she’s launching a fight for her family legacy. They have no future. It’s just…she’s never felt this way for anyone before.

Are they really going to walk away from this kind of connection…this passion?

I feel like I've been waiting forever for the second book in Erika Kelly's Wild Love series, and I'm so glad it's finally here. Ryan was the strong, silent type in book 1, so it was great to get a glimpse inside his head to see why. 

Ryan and Sophie found each other at the perfect moment in their lives. They were both under extreme amounts of pressure and needed a break from it badly. Sophie's siblings are pressuring her to sell off a part of her family's company, and she can't bring herself to agree with that decision. Ryan is on the cusp of baseball greatness and he's just not sure if it's absolutely what he wants to do with the next 10 years of his life, despite being strongly encouraged to stay the course by everyone in his life.

These two meet while on spring break in a tropical location and sparks fly. But, it's a bad time for a new relationship for both of them, and neither of them are the casual hook-up type. Despite that, they have a hard time staying away from each other. And Ryan and Sophie have great chemistry when their lives weren't invading their vacation time, so I was all for them giving in to their baser urges. 

Unlike in most books, these two were prone to talk a lot. There was a lot of communicating going on - at times, it almost felt like too much. Or, rather, I think my problem was with the fact that their conversations were repeated several times with several people. Sophie calls her older sister three or four times, and every single time Sophie tells her she doesn't want to sell part of their family's company. Her sister proceeds to treat Sophie like crap while blaming it on being tired because of just having a baby. Nothing gets resolved.

Sophie repeatedly tells Ryan he has to stop bottling up his thoughts and feelings. He needs to stop being so agreeable and do what he wants. Believe me - it was good advice, even though every time she told him, he humored her for a while, and then blew her off. And Ryan has several convos with both his dad and his coach where they ask him to come home, and he tells them no. Ryan didn't seem to know what he wanted, but he kept calling them to tell them as much.

The times when Ryan and Sophie weren't talking were some of my favorites. They really were great together. And when they weren't internalizing all their troubles or being angry at each other (well, Sophie was mad at Ryan a lot - he was mad at himself a lot), their banter was snarky and cute.

Despite the repetitive dialog, I really did like this book a lot. It was great getting to know where Ryan was coming from and how the situation with his mother and father affected him. It was a completely different experience from his sister, whom we met in book 1. Incidentally, it was also awesome to catch up with her and Dylan at the end of the book. I'm really looking forward to reading Brandon's book next. 

“What’re you thinking about?” she asked.

His attention remained focused on the road. “I’m not.”

“You’re not thinking?”

“Nope.”

“Who doesn’t think? You’re driving along, but you’re not thinking?”

“Nope. I’m just enjoying being with you.”

Warmth flooded her. She looked away from him, letting it spread through her, thick and sweet as caramel. He’d seemed at peace when they’d first started out and she’d told him about the island, the superstitions. She’d even told him about her conversation with her sister. He’d gotten angry at Abby’s attitude, and she’d appreciated his support.

Up ahead she noticed a stand of trees. “Here we go. It’s getting more wooded. We’re close.” She read the information she’d printed out. “Pretty soon we’re going to see a big rock with some graffiti on it, and then we enter a forest.” She leaned into him, their arms brushing, as she reached for the control panel.

“What’re you doing?”

“Resetting the odometer.” She looked for the button. “The path’s exactly two point four miles from the rock.”

He batted her hand away, leaned forward, and hit the button.

“Awesome. I can’t wait.” She gestured to his lap. “You can go in your shorts.”

“That’s okay.”

“Oh, you have to go in. The water has magical properties.”

“So you said.”

“You don’t believe in it?”

He shrugged. “I believe telling people water has magical properties is a great way to get tourists to come out here and spend money. Do they sell it in bottles in roadside kiosks?”

“Well, hello to the itty bitty cynic who lives inside you. Does he come out often? I don’t think I’ve met him before.”

He slowly leveled her a look that said he wasn’t amused.

So she met his with one of her own. “This isn’t a tourist attraction. The islanders actually believe in it.”

“And a tourist guide book told you that?”

“I didn’t buy a tourist guide book.”

“You learned it from an islander?”

“I got it from the Internet.”

And then that serious face blew wide open with laughter. “Okay then.” And that right there was the man she’d fallen for.

And, yep, no doubt about it. She’d fallen for this complicated, moody, sexy man. “You can fester in your cynicism. I choose to believe in magical properties.”

“And what do you hope to get from the magic?”

She quickly turned away from him. “I don’t know.”

“Wait, did you just blush? Are you…embarrassed?”

“Just drive the freaking car. I’m not embarrassed.”

He took his foot off the accelerator, shifting gears. “Not until you tell me what you want the magic for.”

She shoved his thigh. “God, Ryan. I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I want to meet the man of my dreams and drive off into the sunset in a convertible. I want to find my passion and earn a living out of it. What does anyone want?”

And from his very intense expression she had a strong feeling he wanted her.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

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COVER REVEAL: Mine For The Week (Wild Love #2)

FINALLY, Erika Kelly is giving us more from the O'Donnell siblings and her Wild Love series. MINE FOR THE WEEK (Wild Love #2) will be out this fall, and today you get to see the cover and an excerpt!

Mine For The Week (Wild Love #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: October 3, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | iBooks

(Synopsis) As the top collegiate shortstop in the country, Ryan O’Donnell’s life is about discipline. But a growing restlessness causes him to bail on his baseball team over spring break to join his buddies at a singles resort. He just needs one week to escape his life, and then he’ll get back on track. But moments after arriving he meets HER, and the world as he knows it changes irrevocably. It should only be a hookup—that’s what spring break’s all about—but one taste of this sexy, vibrant woman isn’t enough. He has to have her. Even if it’s only for a week.

Sophie Valentine—yes, that Valentine—just found out her siblings want to sell off Crazy Hearts—the Peeps of the Valentine’s Day world. Upset, she takes off with her friends on their spring break vacation. She only wanted an escape—she never imagined meeting HIM. But he’s about to start a Major League Baseball career, and she’s launching a fight for her family legacy. They have no future. It’s just…she’s never felt this way for anyone before.

Are they really going to walk away from this kind of connection…this passion?

Sophie reached for the key in the ignition.

“Move over,” Ryan said.

“Excuse me?”

Tearing off his sunglasses, he stuck his face into the Jeep, forcing her to lean back. “Move over. I’m getting in.”

Struck by all that masculinity, the scent of sun-warmed cotton, soap from his shower, and whatever shampoo he’d used, it took her a moment to answer. He was a formidable presence, and the energy rolling off him overwhelmed her. “You can teach me how to use a stick shift from the passenger seat.”

“I’m not going to teach you. I’m driving you.”

“You can’t drive me to the other side of the island.”

“Wanna bet?” he said.

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to get twenty minutes down the road, stall out, and then what? You’ll be stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere by yourself.”

His intense gaze unnerved her. Stirred up all kinds of inappropriate feelings.“Why are you staring at my mouth?”

His jaw clamped shut. “Because I freaking love your mouth. I can’t stop kissing it, remember?”

Heat rushed up her neck, burning her cheeks. “Yes, I remember. That was very rude of you to bring it up.”

His arms reached over his head, hands clutching the roll-over bar of the Jeep. “Move over, Soph.”

“This isn’t a good idea.”

“It’s happening.”

“I’m not coming back until tomorrow.”

His nostrils flared, but he remained silent.

“And you don’t want to see the volcano.”

“Not really.”

“I’m not missing the waterfall with magical properties.” She gave him a meaningful look.

“No.” His lips twitched. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

When she didn’t budge, he finally looked her right in the eyes and gave her the most searing look she’d ever seen. The heat, the intensity, ignited a flurry of explosions in her chest. Holding her gaze, he said, “I think you know I’m going with you.”

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: More Than a Feeling (Rock Star Romance #4)

It's time for more Rock Star Romance from Erika Kelly! Check out my review and an excerpt from MORE THAN A FEELING, then enter the giveaway!

More Than a Feeling (Rock Star Romance #4), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: EK Publishing LLC
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) When Cooper Hood left Snowberry, Montana ten years ago, he swore he’d never go back to the town that painted him with the same brush as his addict mother. But right in the middle of his band’s national tour he gets a call to come home: his mom’s got a whopper of a secret to reveal.

Daisy Charbonneau’s in trouble. The talent she hired for her resort’s annual Huckleberry Festival’s just bailed on her, and she’s desperate to find a replacement act. Luck turns her way when she discovers her high school crush is back in town—and he happens to be a rock star.

As they work together, a crush deepens into so much more—but who falls in love in two weeks?

Especially when Cooper’s never coming back to town, and Daisy’s never going to leave it.

More Than a Feeling put quite an exclamation point on this awesome series surrounding the members of the rock band Blue Fire. It was all the things I love in a good romance book - a bunch of hunky mountain men, a spunky heroine who kicks ass and takes names, hot sex and a sign-inducing HEA, and it's all rolled up in a fantastic second-chance romance story. 

Cooper is the last man standing in Blue Fire - the only one still unattached. And his lack of a significant other and a family has left him feeling lonely and unwanted. During a two-week break, he has an opportunity to feel useful by finding the group a new opening act. Unfortunately, his dead-beat mother interrupts his plans by asking him to come see her in the town he grew up in and swore he'd never return to again. 

Meanwhile, Daisy is trying to save her business venture and her friend Ethan's ranch thanks to the hometown mayor being a total douche canoe. She needs a big act to headline a local festival and bring tourists in to the ranch so that investors back their resort plans. When Cooper rolls into town, it's like the heavens opened up and angels sang. Not only does he play guitar for a big rock band, but he's the boy that got away for her. 

Daisy's and Cooper's story was everything a second-chance love story should be. And, I guess it's not exactly a second-chance love story since Daisy and Cooper never actually dated in high school. They ran in different circles, but they each secretly pined for the other. For years. But, then Cooper left and Daisy stayed and that was that. These two were absolutely adorable in this book. They are each confident on their own, but when it came to the other person, they were shy and unsure and nervous. I loved it. 

But, there's a lot more going on in this book than Daisy and Cooper finally trying to find a way to be together despite their very different lifestyles, jobs and plans. Cooper has to finally face the demons from his past. He doesn't know who his father is, and when he finds out, it completely upends his whole world. Cooper grew up poor and neglected. He's now the hometown hero. It's hard for him to separate the two personas in his head, and it's hard for him to accept that he's come a long way. It takes a lot of soul-searching and some help from Daisy to show him how to be okay with his life, both in the past and in the present. 

We see the other band members and how they're doing throughout the book. But, as this is the last book in this series, the epilogue ties everything up in a perfect bow. It was so incredible, it brought tears to my eyes. I'm sorry to see this series go, but it was an awesome ride to get to this point. 

Closing her eyes, Daisy bit into the crunchy drizzle, her teeth sinking through the buttery rich goodness of the bread. Oh, dear God. Her mom made the world’s best cinnamon rolls. With a sigh, she looked up to find someone heading toward her on the path.

Of course her childhood crush would show up the moment she’d stuffed her mouth full of pastry. Leaning against the hood of her car, Daisy chewed quickly—which sucked because, basically, time should stand still while savoring her mom’s desserts.

But Cooper wasn’t looking at her. Scowling at his phone, he stopped on the path, fingers furiously typing. Was he dealing with his mom?

Or maybe a girlfriend. Instantly her skin tightened, and her heart thudded. If Cooper had a girlfriend…God. Last night she’d gone on and on about how much he’d meant to her.

She looked away, mortification crashing through her system.

First, she’d bumped into him wearing waders and a fishing hat, and then she’d forced him to go out with her. Awesome.

He couldn’t have been clearer that he didn’t want to spend the day with her, but she’d gone and made an offer she knew he couldn’t turn down. Not if he wanted to get his mom’s house built and get himself back on tour.

Feeling a little sick to her stomach, she licked the sticky drizzle off her fingers and shoved the treat back into the bag.

As he paused on the path, thumbs working over the phone’s keypad, she took in his powerful physique. A white T-shirt strained across broad shoulders, hugging his thickly rounded biceps, and worn blue jeans cupped his hard, muscular thighs.

The colorful ink covering his body made him look like a total badass. She’d noticed a strange symbol on his inner wrist and a cartoon image on his forearm of a pin-up girl holding a barbell, a sexy slash of red for her lips.

The man he’d grown into made her soul wake up, and God, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d felt this kind of fluttery attraction for a guy.

As if he felt someone watching him, he looked up sharply and found her. The worry lines eased. But he didn’t smile. “Hey.”

She pushed off her car. “You ready?” Forced or not, her plan was good for both of them. She was sticking to it.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Mine For Now (Wild Love #1)

Erika Kelly is one of my favorite romance authors - her stories have this perfect combination of steam and substance. MINE FOR NOW is definitely one you can't miss. Check out my review & an excerpt from the book.

Mine For Now (Wild Love #1), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: EK Publishing
Format: ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) She’s had enough drama in her life. 

Nicole O’Donnell is more than ready for the fresh start college offers. After a lifetime of trying to help her alcoholic mom and ex-boyfriend get sober, she’s finally learned her lesson: people don’t change. They certainly don’t change for her.

He can never leave his drama behind.

Thanks to his mom’s substance abuse issues, Dylan McCaffrey’s persona non grata in his hometown of Gun Powder, Colorado. So when he scores a free ride to the top university in the country, he’s determined to make something of this fresh start. But his mom has always relied on him, and she’s not handling his absence well at all. If he can just keep up his grades, pay her bills, and come home every break, he might be able to pull off this opportunity.

True love won’t be denied.

No matter how determined they are to steer clear of each other, their combustible connection explodes, especially when Nicole offers Dylan the one thing he can’t bear—hope. Once he has a taste of it—and the irresistible force of her—there’s no going back.

But when he falls too deeply, when he loses sight of his priorities, he might just lose it all.

Some of you may be familiar with Erika Kelly because of her Rock Star Romance series. It's how I discovered this author and fell in love with her writing and characters. Mine For Now was a little different from what I've come to expect from Erika. Make no mistake - the heat and the heart are most definitely still there. I was just unprepared for how many times my heart broke for both of the main characters - how many times I was brought to tears because of their situations. Turns out, Erika Kelly is a master at bringing out some serious feels. 

Nicole O'Donnell is an absolutely incredible heroine. She is unbelievably strong and determined and loyal. She went through some horrible times when living with her alcoholic mother and dating an alcoholic boyfriend. She's decided she's done with that and is ready to focus on herself and her future. Rock on, Nicole! She didn't want the distraction of a boyfriend, but seriously. How could she resist Dylan McCaffrey, the boy who lives across the hall? 

Dylan is also strong, determined and loyal, but unlike Nicole, he's being pulled in so many different directions because he hasn't yet reached the place where he makes himself his number one priority. He's a protector and a caretaker, so he feels the need to put his own desires to the side in order to make sure those he loves are well cared for. It's extra hard when his mother is a raging alcoholic and his ex is a manipulative witch. Nicole is everything he wants for his future, but his past keeps sucking him back, and Dylan has no idea how to break free of the cycle.

Nicole has the gift of experience. She already has broken the cycle, and as she gets to know Dylan she sees what his perceived obligation to his mother is doing to him. She knows what it's doing to her - it's preventing her from being with Dylan wholly and completely. And he is what she wants more than anything. So she tries and tries and tries to help him. But, the overarching theme of Mine For Now is that in order for help to come to you, you have to be ready to receive it freely. Dylan is poised in a place in his life to have everything he's ever wanted. But, he has to take it. 

"Every single one of us is in the exact same place - the starting point. And you get to build from here. You get to decide what and who you become. This is the one time in your life when you can finally break free of all the labels. Dylan, you can be whatever you want. Starting now."

Dylan broke my heart over and over again. This poor boy is on the cusp of everything. He's 18, a freshman in college on a full ride scholarship, free from his white trash neighborhood, and has met the girl of his dreams. I waffled back and forth constantly between wanting to shake some sense into him and wanting to tackle hug him. He has all these things going for him, and yet, he constantly allows his past and the toxic people in his life to get in the way. And in doing so, he hurts Nicole. Seriously, this book killed me in all the best ways. 

Even though this book is technically new adult, as our main characters are only 18, it is crazy hot. The sexual tension simmers for awhile between Dylan and Nicole, and when it finally explodes, it's so, so satisfying. 

Mine For Now was an incredible start to this new series, and I can't wait to read more. 

Every time he closed his eyes he saw her. He saw her in his bed, those long eyelashes fanning in perfect arcs on her creamy skin. Or on his lap, straddling him, her face taut with sexual tension. Or, worse, he imagined her on her back, hair spread all over the pillow, breasts bouncing as he slammed into her. Jesus, he ached just thinking about it.

He had to stop this. He had better control over his emotions than this—how else would he have survived this long?

What was happening to him? That first night, when he’d brought her into his bed—he’d felt it then. This connection, this bond. He hadn’t even known her—but he’d felt her. Inside, he’d felt her. When had she become essential to him?

Oh, shit. That was bad. Very bad. No one could ever be essential to him.

What she’d said tonight—about recreating Gun Powder. He had done that.

He’d hated his life back home. The town itself was beautiful, but it was filled with his big, extended family—family that wanted nothing to do with him. They’d given him a choice—him or his mom. Of course, he’d chosen his mom. But that had narrowed his social life to the guys who weren’t going anywhere.

Or maybe he’d chosen those guys because he thought they’d understand his life a little better.

And, yeah, he guessed he had done the same thing here.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about what James had said about what he wanted deep down. He’d never been allowed to think about what he wanted. For him, it was about survival. Nothing else.

And yet, he had worked his ass off to get into a top school. Why? Like James said, if he planned on going back to Gun Powder, why bother with the expense and hassle of Wilmington?

Hope rose in him, a force so strong he couldn’t ignore it. He came here because he wanted more. Nicole.

He did have something deep down. And that something was a someone.

Holy shit. Adrenaline crashed his system.

Nicole was his deep down. She was his home, his heart.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Take Me Home Tonight (Rock Star Romance #3)

ACK - this series! I think every book gets better and better. I loved Calix and Mimi in TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT. I can't wait for you to read it. Check out my review and the excerpt. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Take Me Home Tonight (Rock Star Romance #3), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Calix Bourbon might seem like a free spirit, but that’s all a front. In reality he’s just trying to keep his fractured family together while working as a session musician. When Blue Fire hires him to replace their keyboardist, Calix is determined to make the most of the opportunity—but he can’t help being distracted by the band’s sexy personal chef. 

Mimi’s temporary gig is great, but she has her heart set on auditioning for a televised cooking show. There’s just one problem: she only has a week to acquire the skills necessary to survive the competition. Luckily, the band’s new keyboard player can teach her exactly what she needs, in the kitchen and in the bedroom...

I have loved all of Erika Kelly's books in the Rock Star Romance series. Honestly, rockers are my absolute favorite of the bad boys. There's something awesome about the marriage of the creative, musical side of these men with the hard, embattled side. This is never more clear than it is here with Calix Bourbon.

Calix has such a huge heart. His family is his world, even minus one key member. He would do anything for them, including give up the lifestyle he obviously loves. He's been the band's stand-in keyboard player for awhile, but because he needs to stay near his family, he refuses to fully integrate with the other band members. 

Mimi's last ditch effort to make her father proud is to win a televised cooking competition. She seeks out Calix's help when it becomes clear that he and his mother know their way around a kitchen. Mimi and Calix have so much in common. Like Calix, Mimi gives and gives and gives of herself, just wanting others around her to be happy. But, when is it her time to go first and be special? 

As much as I adored Calix, his back and forth with Mimi frustrated the hell out of me. He obviously wanted to be with her. Their chemistry was so good, and they enjoyed each other's company so much. Calix loved how sweet she was with his family and how well she got along with the band members. She really was his dream girl. He would get together with her, have a fabulous time, and then come home and feel guilty for enjoying himself. This went on over and over and over again, and poor Mimi's heart took a beating because of it. One thing is for sure though - the hot and cold romance between Calix and Mimi kept me turning the pages well into the wee hours of the morning. 

I loved Mimi and Calix together, but I really just wanted Mimi to put her foot down, you know? I wanted her to give Calix the wake-up call that he so desperately needed. It's just not in her nature to be that way with someone - especially someone that you love. I also wanted her to put her foot down with her father. He was sweet to her until he decided he didn't like something she was doing. And, then he treated her pretty horribly, which broke her heart. And mine! Mimi very much needed to stand up for herself and stop being a doormat to the dominant men in her life. 

The glimpses of the other band members in Take Me Home Tonight were awesome. I love how all these guys take care of each other, and by extension, their women. Even though Calix wasn't an official member of the band, that extended to him and Mimi anyway. There are still a few more band members who have to tell their stories. I've fallen so in love with these characters that I never want this series to end. 

He didn’t see Mimi but figured she’d be watching Chopped or doing research on her computer. Whatever. He wasn’t about to look for her upstairs, so he’d just head outside. Walk down to the beach, while the guys ate breakfast.

The moment he turned, he saw her.

On the covered porch, the early morning sun tipped its light onto her, turning her russet hair a fiery mix of golds, reds, and light browns. She usually wore her hair straight and sleek. This morning it tumbled around her in a bounty of curls.

Huddled over the table, she focused on her project. Wearing a long-sleeve T-shirt and pajama pants, face free of make-up, she looked like an ethereal creature, and it made him want things he couldn’t have.

The sound of his boots on the hardwood floor should’ve snagged her attention, but her intense concentration never broke.

Leaning against the doorway, he watched her use tweezers to carefully place a tiny yellow petal in a pulpy mess of crap covering a screen. The frame of the screen was set over a pan of more of the pulpy stuff immersed in water. Around the room drying racks held sheets of paper the size of notecards. He leaned further in to get a better look and discovered she’d made scenes out of the delicate and colorful petals.

“This is beautiful.” His voice cracked the silence, and she jolted.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

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Enter Erika Kelly's I Want You To Want Me Song Naming Contest

I am so excited to bring you the Song Naming Contest for I WANT YOU TO WANT ME by Erika Kelly! I Want You To Want Me is the 2nd full-length novel in the Rock Star Romance Series by Erika Kelly, which is such an awesome series! Check out my reviews for You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1) and I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2). Now go check out this awesome contest below and order your copy today!

I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon ** iBooks ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo

(Synopsis) Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.

Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.

Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?

 

Check out this amazing song naming contest!

Listen to the song: http://www.podsnack.com/9578A6DBDC9/avtpetkc    

To enter the contest:

1. Read the song lyrics and/or listen to the song via the link above.

2. Go to Krista's Dust Jacket's Facebook page.

3. Comment on the Song Naming Contest post with your suggestion for the best name to go with the lyrics and your e-mail address.

4. Vote by "Liking" your favorite song name by January 9.

The entry with the most likes will receive a tote bag full of Rock Star Romance swag and move on to round 2 in the contest on January 13. The top 5 from round 2 will go on to the final round of voting on Erika Kelly's website and social media sites!

Don’t miss the first novel in The Rock Star Romance Series!

YOU REALLY GOT ME

Preorder Book 3 in the Rock Star Romance Series today!

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Learn more about Erika --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

 

COVER REVEAL & EXCERPT: Take Me Home Tonight (Rock Star Romance #3)

I am so excited to show you the cover of Erika Kelly's third book in her Rock Star Romance series, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT. It is SO. AWESOME. And this series is super cool too. I'm excited to see what is in store for band newbie Calix Bourbon. And, judging by the excerpt below, it's going to be hot. But first... the cover.

Take Me Home Tonight (Rock Star Romance #3), by Erika Kelly

Publish Date: April 2016
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
(Synposis) Calix Bourbon might seem like a free spirit, but that’s all a front. In reality he’s just trying to keep his fractured family together while working as a session musician. When Blue Fire hires him to replace their keyboardist, Calix is determined to make the most of the opportunity—but he can’t help being distracted by the band’s sexy personal chef.

Mimi’s temporary gig is great, but she has her heart set on auditioning for a televised cooking show. There’s just one problem: she only has a week to acquire the skills necessary to survive the competition. Luckily, the band’s new keyboard player can teach her exactly what she needs, in the kitchen and in the bedroom... 

Mimi Romano is a contestant on a TV cooking show, and Calix, the new keyboard player for Blue Fire, is helping her learn how to cook. He’s come with her to give her support and now, after successfully making it through the first competition, they’re headed back to her apartment.

Calix wasn’t sure why he was boarding the elevator in her steel and glass high rise, but he’d come this far. He might as well get her to her apartment.

The moment the doors closed, she leaned against the wall, and a slow bloom of satisfaction spread across her pretty features. “I did it,” she said quietly. “I freaking did it.”

Somehow standing so close to her in this dimly lit box made him forget all his reasons to stay away from her. He wanted her. Plain and simple. There was something irresistible about this girl. He caught her hand in his, brought it to his mouth, and kissed her open palm. “You did. You were fantastic.”

“You helped me.”

“Don’t think they’ll be using offal.”

“Not that.” She touched his arm, like she needed him to understand. “I meant by being there. In the audience. Every time I started to freak out I looked at you, and your bad-ass energy picked me up. Every single time. I needed that.” She held his gaze. “You made me feel like I could do it.”

“You could. You did.”

She didn’t look tired anymore. Her features softened, her lips parted. A crazy energy spun through him, throwing out images—those sultry eyes looking up at him, her mouth wrapped around his cock. He could picture it so vividly, his fingers touching her lips as she sucked him deep, and an explosion of erotic sensation detonated in his chest.

The car landed, and the doors opened. Mimi took one step forward and winced.

He stopped her. “You okay?”

“Just a blister.”

She’d had enough. So had he.

He scooped her off her feet and stepped off the elevator. Lowering his nose into her sweetly scented hair, he breathed her in. Need rocked through him, and he held her more tightly to his chest.

“Calix.” But she didn’t pack any fight in her tone.

He carried her down the hallway. “Which one?”

Instead of answering, she tucked her face into his neck and clasped her arms around him. “Thank you.” Her breath was warm on his skin, and her fingers curled in his hair.

Something hot and alive moved through him. “Gonna run out of carpet in a minute.”

“Is it terrible to say I don’t care? I think I want to stay like this forever. You feel so good, and I’m so tired.”

“Come on, sweet pants.”

“Fine.” Big, dramatic sigh. “622. See that crystal chandelier?” She didn’t even lift her head. “My door’s closest to it.”

“Key.”

She started to pull away from him, but the loss of her touch made him tighten his grip. When he didn’t let go, she lifted her head to look at him.

They’d never been this close. Close enough to see the pale nick of a scar right at her cheek bone, that expressive mouth, and the question in her eyes. Need burned through him, sending electrical impulses down his spine and through his dick. He needed her bare, warm skin against his. Needed the wet heat of her mouth, the slick tangle of her tongue. He needed…oh, fuck him.

His mouth settled over hers, and sparks fired in his blood. Her body turned toward him, fingers gripping the back of his shirt. The hunger took over, and he swept his tongue across her lips, licking inside her mouth.

With a sharp intake of breath, she was kissing him back. And, holy hell, this wasn’t some gentle exploration. This was mouth-fucking.

She clutched the back of his neck, her tongue stroking his, and raw desire streaked though him, setting him on fire.

Keeping his arm firmly around her waist, he set her down. But if she thought he was letting her go—not a chance. He just repositioned her so he could lift her against the wall and spread those legs around his hips. Nothing could stop his body from pressing into her and taking that mouth he’d fantasized about for months.

Her tits, her hands, the way she writhed against him, made him frenzied. “Jesus, Mimi.” And then she was making noises, hot, hungry purrs deep in her throat. He ground his cock against her. Heat blistered through him.

“God.” The back of her head hit the wall, and she fought to pull her legs out of his grip.

It took him a moment to shift gears, but he slowly lowered her to the floor. She looked as shaken as he felt. His knees barely supported him, so he braced both arms against the wall to hold himself up.

He needed a moment to cool down.

Jesus, he’d never had a kiss like that.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life—she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

https://www.facebook.com/erikakellybooks

https://twitter.com/ErikaKellyBooks

http://www.erikakellybooks.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7568925.Erika_Kelly

   

REVIEW: I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2)

I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.

Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.

Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?

Derek Valencia was my favorite side character from You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1), so I was so excited to see he was getting his book next. What was great about this book is that Derek's relationship with Violet was only one of the key relationships in his life that is explored, and all of them were fascinating. Anything involving Derek would be. 

Derek has always been the heart of Blue Fire, in addition to its bass player. He was the business manager and the publicist before they could afford to hire professional ones. He mother henned the other guys in the band and always tried to keep them on the straight and narrow in the face of all their new-found fame. But, not even Derek could prepare them all adequately for that. Which is where Violet comes in. 

She's a minder - someone who insinuates herself into someone's life so as to keep him or her or them away from the bad things and substitute them for good. Needless to say, her presence in the band's life isn't very welcome at first. But, the thing about Violet is, she is used to it. In her line of work, she gets berated a lot. And, Violet is well suited to her job since emotion isn't something she was brought up with, so it's not something she engages in. She can approach her job stoically and distantly. Violet doesn't think she's capable of love. 

Honestly, Violet frustrated the hell out of me. What she went through as a kid was awful - being abandoned and growing up in foster care. So, I can understand why it might be harder for her to trust others and to give her heart away. Even Derek saw that about her, which was why he was infinitely patient with her. Once Derek got to know her, he saw so many things about her that he liked. She is beautiful and smart and compassionate and giving. But, she doesn't let anything about herself that is real out, and Derek becomes determined to help her do that. 

But, Violet has talked herself into a box, and she absolutely refuses to think outside of it. No matter how many times Derek or Emmie or her friends Francesca and Mimi tell her that she IS capable of feeling the full scope of emotions - including love - she refuses to believe them. Even after Derek shows her time and time again what love is, she refuses to see it. And, even after Derek begs her to take a chance on him and on their relationship, she refuses to do it. And, it was all I could do to keep from throwing my book across the room. 

Derek is a complex guy. He's fighting an uphill battle with Violet, but he also has this terrible relationship with his father to deal with too. His dad is a former famous jazz musician that is looking to ride his kid's coattails for an additional 15 minutes of fame. To do that, his dad blasts him in the press, shows up at events to antagonize and embarrass him, and is constantly putting down his talent and his choices. Derek has been looked over his entire life by the people who are supposed to love him, and my heart broke for both the little boy he was and the good man he grew into. Derek's relationship with his dad is interesting and complicated and so sad. 

But, Derek's relationship with his band mates is incredible. They are the family Derek and Emmie should have had growing up, but didn't. Slater, Cooper, Pete, Ben and Derek are super tight, and I loved their banter and joking with one another. When one of them has a hard time, the others rally around him. And, when tough love has to be shown, it's done with no pleasure or delight. 

The best thing about this series is the focus on the music and the music industry. A lot of rock band series focus mostly on the coupling of the band members with a song here and a concert there thrown in for show. The Rock Star Romance series puts so much more of a spotlight on the things that make the music business go round, and I absolutely love it. It makes these books shine and stand out among the others. 

I Want You To Want Me is written in dual POV. Because Slater is in the band and Emmie is Derek's sister, and they're all on tour together, there is a lot of time spent with the couple from book 1. Despite Violet's frigidity and lack of trust in Derek's and her relationship, the sexy times are hot and plentiful. And that cover - So. Gorgeous. I can't wait to see who the next guy will be to find love. Will it be goofy guitarist Cooper? Or maybe the adorable drummer Ben. And, I'm thinking that Mimi would be perfect for either of them. Either way, I'll read it, because these books so far have been a sure thing.