EARLY REVIEW: Crashed Out (Made in Jersey #1)

Crashed Out (Made in Jersey #1), by Tessa Bailey
Publish Date: December 7, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Jasmine Taveras is the reason Sarge Purcell grabbed his six-string and bailed the hell out of New Jersey four years ago. She's the fuel for every song he's ever written-each one laced with bitter, hard-edged, hungry lust. Now, with his hugely successful band is on temporary hiatus, Sarge is determined to prove to Jasmine that this "kid" turned into every inch the man she's always needed...

Men are slim pickings for a single factory girl in Hook, New Jersey...until tall, broad-shouldered hotness walks-or rather storms-into Jasmine's life. Sarge's return shouldn't affect her this way. He's her best friend's much younger kid brother, and the kind of rough, gritty, sexiness Jasmine has no right to taste for herself. Even if he lets her.

But lust is a blinding, insatiable force. And when it crashes, it will take both Sarge and Jasmine down with it...

Finally a book about a hot cougar. And, of course, it came from the mind of Tessa Bailey. 

Jasmine is just weeks away from turning 30 when her BFF's rock star brother swoops back into town after being gone for years. But, he's different from the quiet brooding teenager he was when she last saw him. He's bolder. More world-wise. More intense. And when he sets his sights on her, Jasmine finds it difficult to deny him, despite what her head tells her. 

For his part, Sarge is determined to finally get what he has always wanted - Jasmine Taveras. He was always too young, too inexperienced and too afraid to go after her before. But, after his band has toured non-stop for four years, he has seen and done enough to want to settle a bit. Preferably with the woman he has wanted to see him as more than a kid brother for a long time. 

It seems that in most books, you have an older experienced man showing a younger girl the ropes. I love so much that it's reversed somewhat in Crashed Out. Jasmine is definitely older than Sarge - seven years older. She used to babysit him, for crying out loud. But, Sarge has always seen Jasmine as more than just his babysitter. And, now after four years of valuable experience - of all types - he's ready to show her that he's more than just a kid. 

That's a pretty tall order for Jasmine though. In addition to Sarge being her best friend's kid brother, he's also seen as the pride of their small, blue collar town. Sarge is the boy who got out and made something of himself. And, despite Jasmine wanting to do the same, she's spent all her life working in the factory like everyone else. Sarge might make her panties melt with just a glance, but the more she gets to know the man he's become, the more she feels like she can't bring him down like that. 

Another woman with a huge martyr complex - *sigh*. On one hand I can appreciate Jasmine's point of view. I wouldn't want to be the reason someone successful decide to put an end to his career and stay behind in a dead end town. I'd be afraid that person would eventually resent me. And that would suck a lot. 

But, Sarge proves again and again that Jasmine is it for him. She's his home, and if that means staying in town indefinitely, then he's willing to do that. It might not be a bad thing, after all, since he realizes that his relationship with his sister and his young niece needs some repairing as well. It's hard to maintain relationships like that when you're gone for four years. And, now that his band is taking a break, and Sarge is back where he grew up, he's taking stock of the things in his life that matter to him. And, he's coming up short. 

I loved how Sarge absolutely refused to take no for an answer. He could see that Jasmine wasn't opposed to the idea of him, so he kept pushing her and pushing her. He took her way outside her comfort zone, and every time she mentioned their age difference or his rock star status as reasons why they couldn't be together, he blew them away with a ton of hot sex and meaningful moments. He was determined to show Jasmine that he could be everything to her, even though she was determined to keep him at arm's length. 

The door is opened for book 2, focusing on River, Sarge's sister, and the glimpse I saw is so intriguing. There's definitely a story there that needs told, and I can't wait to read it. But, Sarge's and Jasmine's story was a fantastic way to kick off this brand new series from Tessa Bailey. 

DOUBLE COVER REVEAL: Inspire (Muse #1) and Inflict (Muse #2)

I am absolutely thrilled to bring you the dual cover reveal for Cora Carmack’s Muse Series! INSPIRE and INFLICT are New Adult Paranormal Romance novels and are book 1 and 2 in the Muse Series. INFLICT is due to be released in January 2016! These beautiful covers were designed by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design. Be sure to grab your copy of INSPIRE today!

 

Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback

INSPIRE (Book 1):

Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too.  

 

 And check out the gorgeous cover for INFLICT, coming January 2016!

   

About INFLICT (Book 2):

Wilder Bell made a dangerous bargain... For a chance at love, he gave up his life. History knew Kalliope as an ancient Greek muse, but to Wilder, she was simply the woman he wanted to fall asleep with every night and wake up next to every morning. He made a deal with Hades, but the only thing the Lord of the Underworld deals in is death. Now Wilder is wasting away in a cold and wretched afterlife, waiting for Kalli to come for him. She will come. He has to believe that. Because the alternative is worse than death. Kalliope lived her entire existence knowing that she was both a blessing and a curse to anyone she encountered. Wilder was no different. She loved him, and she got him killed. Now to get him back, she’ll have to face a scheming god, a perilous task, and death itself. But before it’s done, the Underworld will take more from her than she ever thought possible. To be made whole, all must first be lost.  

 

About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working retail), fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). Raised in a small Texas town, she now lives in New York City and spends her time writing, traveling, and marathoning various television shows on Netflix. In her books, you can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face it . . . awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook **Newsletter **Author Goodreads**

INSPIRE Goodreads ** INFLICT Goodreads

 

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Wolf Bait (Wolf Cover #1)

WOLF BAIT was such a great, sexy book with some twists and tugs at your heart. I can't wait for you to read it. And, really, there isn't anything stopping you since it's on sale today for only $0.99! Read on for my review, plus check out an excerpt from Wolf Bait.

Wolf Bait (Wolf Cove #1), by Nina West
Publish Date: November 16, 2015
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) When life turns to hell, most people talk about running away. Abbi Mitchell actually does it. Determined to escape her humiliating heartbreak and her overbearing mother, Abbi takes a summer job at a resort in Alaska. It's supposed to be four months of snow-capped mountains, peaceful wilderness, and figuring out if she should wait for her lifelong sweetheart to come back, as he has promised he'll do.

Instead, it's Henry Wolf.

Owner of the luxury hotel chain, Henry Wolf is cool and composed, successful with everything he touches, and undeniably beautiful. And for some reason Abbi can't fathom, he wants her—the farm girl from small town, USA with no corporate experience—as his personal assistant.

Abbi scrambles to meet his professional demands while she battles her growing attraction to him. Physical feelings she shouldn't have because he's her boss, because she's way out of her league with him, and because they'll never be reciprocated.

Until they are.

Will Abbi be able to let go of herself—her values, her dreams, and her inhibitions—to give him all that he's demanding of her?

Debut author Nina West will put your emotions through their paces and make your heart skip a beat in her new novel WOLF BAIT. Set in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness at an oasis destination hotel, you will meet Abbi and Henry – two very different people who have been broken by others in their lives and are desperate to break out of the mold in which they’ve been shoved their entire lives.

After being painfully and callously dumped by her fiancé, Abbi accepts a job thousands of miles away from her small-town home in Pennsylvania. She thinks that getting away to somewhere where no one knows who she is is exactly what her battered ego and heart need. She can gain some life experience and remake herself into a confident woman before returning home to face her ex and her overbearing family.

Abbi was not prepared for Henry Wolf.

Henry is rich, gorgeous, powerful and very intimidating. After an unexpected meeting, Henry hires Abbi as his personal assistant. He’s drawn to her innocence and goodness. She’s drawn to him for exactly the opposite reasons.

My heart hurt for Abbi. For pretty much the entire book. She escapes to Alaska to avoid a horrific situation at home – a boy she loves who, when it comes down to it, just decides she’s not good enough for him. She thinks her relationship with Henry will be different. That she can keep herself apart from her emotions and just allow Henry the opportunity to teach her all the things she wants to know. Except, feelings are never apart from the physical, and Abbi soon learns that she's not exactly what Henry wants either.

But, she just might be what he needs. 

Wolf Bait has the best combination for a great romance read - a woman on a mission, a man with an agenda and sexy times that will make your toes curl. Oh yes - this is a hot book. Scorching, light your panties on fire HOT. The awesome thing is, it's paired with substance and secrets and it will keep you guessing. My light stayed on well past my bedtime because there was just no way I was putting this one down until I finished the last word.

Things aren't decided for Henry and Abbi at the end of Wolf Bait. In fact, the revelation of some of Henry's secrets puts their relationship very much at risk. I promise you will want the next book in this series, like, NOW. But, that anticipation is part of the fun, right?

“How do I get over him?” My voice is almost pleading.

“By spending the next four months fucking someone in every position imaginable.”

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of it, more than once. But it was always from a place of pain and rejection, a place I knew would drive me to have regrets down the road. “I don’t want just ‘somebody.’” Right now, the way my body’s responding to him, I want the lumberjack.

I trace the back of his neck with my fingertips. His arms are so strong, his body is so tight, his face so striking. Every fiber of my body is in tune with his, my skin prickling with the thought of these hands touching my bare skin. What would it be like to be naked with someone so big and masculine?

I twirl the little curly wisps of hair within my shaky but unusually bold fingers. “Have you ever been with a virgin?”

He inhales with a light hiss. “Not for a long time.”

“Why not?”

“I prefer women over little girls.”

I swallow against the burn of that rebuff. He’s calling me a little girl. “So inexperience bothers you?”

“It’s never appealed to me.” A wicked smirk touches his lips. “Though you wouldn’t be inexperienced for long.”

A flush races through my entire body almost instantly, the heat building between my legs at the way he talks, as if sex is a real possibility between us. Pressing my lips together to try and hide my nervous grin, I reach up to run my fingers through his beard again. What would that feel like against my skin if he kissed me? I’ve never kissed a man with a beard. I’ve never kissed anyone but Jed. “I’ll bet if you shaved your face, you’d be even more beautiful.” His jaw tenses as I caress the edge of his jaw slowly, imagining what he looks like beneath.

“Maybe I don’t want to be more beautiful.”

“You know what I mean, Lumberjack.” I rest my head against his broad frame again, burrowing my face further into his thick neck because it feels so nice and warm in there. I notice one of the buttons on his shirt has popped open. I reach for it, intent on fixing it for him, and accidently tug another one open in the process. “Oops. Sorry.” My fingertip skates across hot exposed skin as I try to fix it one-handed. Oh my God. This guy’s chest. I understand what “rock hard” means now. His skin is smooth, with a faint line of hair trailing down the middle. “Are you staying here, in the village?”

“Sure.”

“Which cabin?”

“Why?”

“Because maybe I want to find you tomorrow?”

“You won’t.”

“How do you know?”

A cocky grin flashes. “Because if you remember any part of tonight, you’ll be avoiding me for the rest of the summer.”

I scowl into his neck. “You think you have me all figured out. What if I just want to say hi?”

“I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“Fine.” My lips have been skating across his skin while I talk. Now I run my tongue along them, because it’s the closest I can get without actually licking him. “You taste salty.”

A shaky breath escapes him and he speeds up.

Did I just turn on the lumberjack? Jed used to breathe like that when I sucked on his earlobe. My ego sure could use the boost right now. “What if I wanted to find you for other things?” Man, alcohol makes me brave.

Nina West lives in the city but spends her summers in the wilderness with her husband. She loves having a steaming cup of cocoa in one hand and a steamy story full of angst in the other. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter!

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