Sunday, May 31, 2015

Kiss the Bride

Kiss the Bride by Rachael Johns was a sweet story. Magdalena Davis is a single mom who was convinced to audition to sing with Jake Kohl, a country star, at Marietta's celebrity wedding. Well Jake likes Magdalena from the moment he sees her, and her voice blows him away. They get to know each other through rehearsals and start falling for each other. Mags has a secret tho, she's never told anyone who fathered her daughter. I have to say, I enjoyed seeing Jake and Mags fall for each other and them open up to each other. The story of how Mags got pregnant was one I predicted from the beginning, but I didn't mind that. I found myself reading through this story quickly because it was engaging and entertaining. This was a good addition to the Montana Born Brides series, and one I will most likely be revisiting in the future. I give it 4 stars overall. 


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It seems that wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta...

And that suits single mom, Magdalena Davis, just fine. It means the local gossips will stop hounding her about returning to town and the secret she’s kept for fifteen years. Home to make peace with her sick mother, the last thing Mags wants is to get involved in Marietta’s big celebrity wedding. But when her teenage daughter cajoles her into auditioning to sing with a local heartthrob, all her plans for flying under the radar zoom out of the window.

Country music singer, Jake Kohl, has lost his muse. He’s jaded from years of life in the fast lane and wants to settle in Marietta and lead a normal life. He reluctantly agrees to sing at the celebrity wedding, but what he doesn't expect is his co-singer to reignite his passion. But it’s not just the music she awakes in him. Magdalena makes Jake feel and want things he hasn’t for far too long, but there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Can Jake solve the mystery that is Magdalena and win her heart?

Friday, May 29, 2015

Dare to Run Scavenger Hunt

dare to run comps_final.indd

Today we are celebrating the release of the DARE TO RUN cover! DARE TO RUN is a gritty, super sexy, adult title coming out on February 2, 2016 from Jen McLaughlin and published by Penguin (NAL Signet). To celebrate, we are having a scavenger hunt! There are 8 clues scattered around groups of bloggers hosting this feature. All you have to do is find all 8 clues and figure out the scrambled word.

To make it easy for you, we will tell you where you can find Clue #1.

Just go to this article on DARE TO RUN, found at USA Today HEA!

In order to find the groups of bloggers posting, go to Jen McLaughlin's blog and she will have the lists so you can check out each group and find the remaining 7 clues.

 

For this site, the clue is listed below, along with the rafflecopter.

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DARE TO RUN Summary:

The New York times bestselling author of the Out of Line Novels takes readers to Boston where one gang of criminals knows how being bad can be so good…

She knows what he’s like on Boston’s mean streets. Now she’s going to find out if he’s got some heart.

Lucas Donahue is not ashamed of his criminal past, but after a brief stint in prison, he’s ready to go legit and live a normal life. The problem is, no one leaves the gang without permission—even if he is one of the boss’s top men. Plus someone’s placed a hit on him. And then there’s that feisty little bartender who’s going to cause him even more trouble.

Heidi Greene knows to keep her distance from a ladies’ man like Lucas—even if she can’t keep her eyes off him. When he rescues her from an attack in the alley outside her bar, she’s forced to stay by his side for safety. But the longer she spends time with him, the greater her chances are for getting hurt in more ways than one.

 

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

JenM
Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

FIND HER HERE:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Searching for Beautiful Release Day Blitz

SFB_BLITZ

Today we are celebrating the release of SEARCHING FOR BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Probst. This is the 3rd book in the Searching For series and it is published by Gallery Books. Check out the teaser and giveaway below for a chance to win a necklace and signed book.

  JennP_Searching forBeautiful

SEARCHING FOR BEAUTIFUL Synopsis:

The highly anticipated third novel in the Searching For series from Jennifer Probst, “one of the most exciting breakout novelists” (USA Today), featuring a runaway bride and the man who wants to be more than just her best friend...

Genevieve MacKenzie has her life completely under control. About to wed the charming Chief doctor at the local hospital, she’s an up-and-coming surgeon with everything she could ever want. Until an escape through the church window on the day of her wedding sends her life into a tailspin...and flings her right into her best friend’s arms. When Wolfe catches his best friend falling out a window on her wedding day, he doesn’t ask questions. He whisks her away, determined to watch over her and discover the truth behind her desperate escape. But when his feelings turn more than platonic, he realizes he may risk his most important relationship in order to protect his damaged heart, and the woman he loves. Can Genevieve and Wolfe’s friendship turn into something deeper—or is it already too late for true love?

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Jennifer Probst

Jennifer Probst - Bio: 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.

LINKS:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Finally His Bride

Finally His Bride is the fourth book in the Montana Born Brides book and I absolutely loved it. Mel and Luke made a great couple and had been friends for years before they finally got together. One thing that also made this story so great was it went on at the same time as the previous book in this series, so it filled in a couple of gaps that weren't explained in Bride by Mistake. I found myself rooting for Mel and Luke from the beginning and was happy with the way everything turned out. It gets a must read from me along with 4.5 stars. Note: I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta…

As the whole town goes crazy over the celebrity wedding event of the century, Melanie Richards decides she's tired of blending in. It's time go after what she wants. Her to do list:
Get a sexy dress
A little liquid courage
Lose that pesky virginity

Luke Shuller can’t believe his eyes when he walks into Grey’s and sees his best friend trying to pick up some drunk cowboy. Melanie wants to start hooking up? She can practice on him. At least he’ll keep her safe. And as a bonus, their pretend relationship will help him deal with a family crisis.

But when pretend gets real, Melanie can’t tell where the charade ends and reality begins. When the dust settles, will she get thrown back into the friend zone, or will she finally get the man of her dreams?


Saturday, May 23, 2015

Bride by Mistake

Bride by Mistake by Nicole Helm was a sweet story. Kaitlin has disliked Beckett all her life because she was attracted to him, but he didn't fit her idea of what she should want, so she did everything she could to push him away. Beckett was always the bad boy, so he has always felt like he wasn't good enough for anyone, especially Kaitlin. Well, one night together results in a lifetime tie and brings out old insecurities for Beckett. I have to say I enjoyed how real these characters were. Their lives were messy and their reactions were complex yet I could see myself or a friend reacting in a similar manner in their situation. I give this book 4.5 stars and definitely recommend this book. This is a great addition to the Montana Born Brides series and I look forward to more from both this series and this author. Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.



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Goodreads

Wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta…

And Kaitlin Shuller’s groom of her dreams is marrying someone else… her sister.

Worst day ever. Her heart is broken, and all her carefully laid plans destroyed. Enter Beckett Larson, her older brother’s best friend and a very good bad decision.

Beckett has spent his life trying to outrun his bad reputation, but everyone already thinks the worst of him, so when Kaitlin offers herself to him — virginity and all— he just can’t say no.

But one night together has permanent consequences, and this time Beckett knows he can’t outrun his bad boy reputation. He’s determined to make Kaitlin his bride… even if he has to seduce her down the aisle.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

His Blushing Bride

His Blushing Bride by Dani Collins was a great story. Piper was easy to relate to because she had something that she was self conscious about to the point where she felt completely undesirable. Her ex didn't help matters and I feel like most of us have had at least one of those. Bastian wasn't an alpha male and normally that would annoy me. In this case it worked perfectly. He was smart, kind and compassionate, but also very male. There were parts where I felt like I was melting because he treated Piper so well. This book is one that I will most definitely be reading again. I give this book 5 stars and can't wait for more from this series. Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

AmazonGoodreads

Wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta...

Piper Tierney is busy wrapping up the school year and planning the music for Marietta’s Wedding Of The Century. She does not need one of her parents’ backpacking hippies under foot. Except the guy they let stay in their house is so much more than the California couch-surfer he resembles. Before she knows it, she’s making time to make time, even though he’s only in town for a couple of weeks.

Taking a break from working on his doctorate in political science, Sebastian Bloom wants to reassure himself his sister isn’t making another mistake with her upcoming wedding to a Marietta rancher. He’s definitely not looking for a bride for himself. Marriage and family are a trap. But Piper is cute, funny, and wants to move on from her ex.

They agree to a no strings affair, but will they wind up tying the knot?

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Shattered Duty

 


Shattered Duty Excerpt
Copyright © 2015 Katie Reus

“If you think you’re going to put a hood over my head you’re out of your freaking mind,” Selene said quietly, her stance defensive as they stood next to Levi’s SUV.
The majority of the partygoers had decided to stay so most of the vehicles at Shah’s place were still there. He and Selene had avoided the guards as they used the beach, then a neighbor’s property, to make their way to the parked cars.
Before he could respond, she continued, her stilettos held tightly in her cuffed hands. “You’d better be prepared to fight me to the death, because you’re not putting that thing on me.”
In that moment Levi felt like the monster he knew he was slowly turning into every passing day. The blackness spreading across his insides was like a cancer and even though he knew it, he couldn’t stop it. It ate away at him day in and day out until he could barely look in the mirror. And he didn’t like the way Selene was looking at him now.
A person could bottle up rage and hate only so long before it started to kill him. Normally he shoved all that shit back down, but as Selene warily watched him, he felt a glimmer of the man he’d once been start to surface and guilt slammed into him.
He needed her hooded so she wouldn’t see where he was staying, but more than anger, there was a stark kind of fear in her pale blue eyes. It fled quickly but it had been unmistakable. For some reason the thought of making her feel vulnerable made him feel like shit. He had no idea how trained she was—though he knew she had to be a decent fighter to work for Wesley—and a fight with her wouldn’t be worth it, even if he did win in the end. He’d lose all semblance of trust between them. Not that he was even sure that they had any, but starting things that way after she’d agreed to take him to meet Tasev would be monumentally stupid—and guarantee that Wesley would come after him hard. Jaw tight, he yanked open the passenger door. “Get in,” he ordered.
“Only because you asked so nicely.” Her voice was saccharine sweet and her expression deadly as she slid in. When her long dress shifted, the right side splitting and revealing one of her long, toned, tan legs his entire body reacted, his cock flaring to life at just a peek of her damn skin.



 


Shattered Duty  Synopsis:
A new novel from the author of Bound to Danger who “has the amazing ability of pulling the reader onto the front lines of the action and drama.” (The Reading Café)
When his wife was murdered two years ago, Special Agent Levi Lazaro turned his back on everything he cared about. Ever since, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. Now he's finally uncovered the identities of those who killed his wife—and he's ready to destroy them at any cost. He won’t let anything stand in his way—not even a beautiful NSA agent on a mission of her own.
Special Agent Selene Wolfe prides herself on being the best. Her fearlessness and quick-thinking make her the perfect person to take down a deadly terrorist cell. But she needs Levi’s help, and the moment he shows up, Selene knows her objectivity—and her heart—are in trouble.
As the two strike an uneasy alliance, Levi finds himself tormented by his desire for Selene—a feeling he thought long dead. But when their mission takes an unexpected turn, he finds himself at a crossroads. Can he put aside his need for revenge to save the woman who’s reawakened his soul?

Katie Reus Bio:
Katie Reus is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.

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Love Laughter and Steamy Ever Afters release day launch

It’s release day for Love Laughter and Steamy Ever Afters!! I am so excited about this sexy boxy set from ten bestselling authors. Check out all the fantastic release day goodies, including several excerpts and a giveaway, now!! CORRECTED LLSEA Banner LLSEA_3DCoverFINAL7_EDIT2_rev4b (1) Ten Novels by Ten New York Times Bestselling Authors From the hot big city heroes that make us melt, to the sassy small town heroines that make us smile, this limited edition collection has something for everyone. Ten sexy and sweet full-length novels—a wide mix of fun, heart-tugging, addictively romantic love stories—each handpicked by an all-star gathering of ten of today’s most popular contemporary romance authors. -- Ten NYT Bestselling Authors -- Ten full-length, standalone novels (no cliffhangers) spanning 2,000+ pages -- Over 97% off retail for the individual books sold separately (a forty dollar savings!) -- Only available until June (So snag your copy today) THIS BOXED SET INCLUDES: BELLA ANDRE – Can’t Help Falling in Love (The Sullivans) MELISSA FOSTER – Seaside Dreams (Seaside Summers) LAUREN BLAKELY – Trophy Husband (Caught Up in Love) VIOLET DUKE – Love, Tussles, and Takedowns (Cactus Creek) SAWYER BENNETT – On the Rocks (The Last Call) CARLY PHILLIPS – Dare to Desire (Dare to Love) ERIN NICHOLAS – Out of Bounds (Boys of Fall) MELANIE SHAWN – Actually Love (Crossroads) JESSIE EVANS – Diamonds and Dust (Lonesome Point Texas) CRISTA MCHUGH – Falling for the Wingman (The Kelly Brothers) Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble Naked Muscular Man Covering with Box Isolated on White Exclusive Excerpts: CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE by Bella Andre   Gabe Sullivan’s captain, Todd, stepped into the room. “How’re you feeling, Gabe?” “Good, Captain.” He moved to sit up straighter on the bed and Todd shook his head. “You’re fine just like that. I know your skull must hurt like hell.” He nodded back to the doorway. “Are you ready to see Ms. Harris and her daughter, Summer?” No, he thought, he’d be better off never seeing those eyes again. He’d thought about Megan and her daughter one too many times for comfort. Not just because he was reviewing the rescue, trying to look for what he could have done differently, to have gotten them out faster and more safely—but because he hadn’t been able to forget her strength, how hard she’d fought to stay conscious, and what a fighter she’d been every single second of the harrowing journey from her burning apartment. Still, he understood that fire victims often felt compelled to say thank you to the men who had saved them. Especially in a case like this, where they’d just barely held death at bay. “Sure.” He began to nod, but a sharp shooting pain stopped him halfway into the movement. Catching his grimace, Todd said, “I’ll ask Megan and her daughter to come back later.” Her name fit her, Gabe had found himself thinking one too many times. Megan was pretty and strong all at the same time. It would be better to think of her as Ms. Harris. Although, he had to wonder, was there a husband? And if so, where had he been during the fire and why wasn’t he here with them now? “No,” he said, “it’ll be better if I see them now.” She’d say thank you, he’d tell her he was happy to see her and her daughter doing so well, and that would be that. No more being haunted by her eyes, by the surprising strength she’d shown him as she’d crawled on the floor of her apartment and down the stairs. A couple of minutes later, Todd walked back in with the mother and daughter. Ignoring the pain in his head, Gabe sat up higher and forced a smile on his face. And then, his eyes locked with Megan’s and his smile froze in place. My God, he found himself thinking before he could shove the thought away, she’s beautiful. The last time he’d seen her face it had been through a thick haze of dark smoke and the knowledge that one wrong move meant their lives were over. Her eyes were just as big and pretty, her limbs looked as lean and strong as they had when he’d been helping to move her along the floor, but now he could see the softness in her, the sweet curves of her breasts and hips in her T-shirt and jeans. He couldn’t stop staring at the startling green of her eyes, the silky dark hair falling across her shoulders, and the way her pretty young daughter was a carbon copy of her, the only difference their hair color, one dark, one light. She seemed just as stunned as he and for a long moment, the two of them just stared at each other in silence until her daughter ran over to him and threw her arms around him.   10911386_1537304839857622_4589355400571196992_o (1) LOVE, TUSSLES, AND TAKEDOWNS BY VIOLET DUKE   She felt his eyes on her before she saw him. Her body recognized the intensity of that stare as if it were hardwired to her directly. The guys were all but forgotten now. Hell, the whole room faded away like white noise as she watched Hudson climb into the ring. Lia enjoyed watching him move. There was nothing hurried about his motions; he always seemed relaxed and confident, efficient and ready. He wasn’t intimidating in that built-like-a-fridge way her friends who’d played football in college were. Rather, he was leaner. But infinitely harder. More etched out of wood than molded out of clay. As such, running into his chest was literally like running into a wall. A hard, sexy wall lined with bricks. “You’re killing me.” His voice simmered, soft and low, with a lazy smile curving his lips to show his words were more compliment than complaint. It took just one glance at the throbbing pulse in the muscular column of his neck for Lia to know he wasn’t nearly as unaffected as he sounded. Then all analysis of the man scattered when he went and peeled his shirt up over his head, sending those granite-etched muscles of his back rippling and expanding. His eyes tangled with hers as he toed off his shoes and immediately, Lia felt a surge of adrenaline override any female reaction she’d normally have to the sight. Because the man was doing something so much better than flirting. He was inviting her to play. No gloves. No strike pads. With a slow grin, she snagged her teeth around the Velcro bindings on her MMA gloves and started stripping off the boxing tape underneath as well. This was exactly the kind of sparring she’d been craving for weeks now.   DDteaserone (1) SSD IMAGE_Fall FFW2     Enter the fantastic giveaway now!!   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 18, 2015

Layton Series

I was given the privilege of reading all 3 books in the Layton series by Avery Flynn, and I have to say I absolutely loved all three books. Each book hooked me from the beginning and didn't let me go until I'd finished all of them. One thing that makes this series unique is when one book ends, it sets up the next book in the series and you want to keep reading to find out what happened. The next book starts before the previous one ended and they tie together beautifully. I found all of the men sexy and strong, and all of the women strong and stubborn. I don't think I can pick out a favorite story, but I do want the 4th Layton sibling to get his own story. Maybe now that these books have been republished, Avery Flynn will be able to write a fourth book. I highly recommend each book in this series and give all the books 4.5 stars.


Dangerous Kiss: When Claire Layton discovers a dead body in a Dumpster behind her restaurant, the killer demands she find the victim’s phone and flash drive or face fatal consequences. Her unlikely ally in the search is a cocky, muscle-bound private investigator Jake Warrick, who ticks her off almost as much as he turns her on…

Jake just wants to solve the case, but the impulsive and fiery Claire turns his plan upside down. Together they uncover a more complex crime than they’d ever imagined while things between them go from hot to downright combustible…

RT Book Reviews award-winning author Avery Flynn brings you her signature sexy blend of sass and action in the steamy Laytons series: Dangerous Kiss, Dangerous Flirt and Dangerous Tease!

The Layton series was first published in 2011 and 2012 and has been revised.


Dangerous Flirt: Dry Creek County Sheriff Hank Layton is the stuff of dreams. Steamy, nasty, delicious fantasies that leave Beth Martinez weak-kneed and desperately wanting the man she’s lusted after for years but can never have…

Hank can have any woman in town—except his little sister’s best friend. The more he chases, the faster she runs, but when someone starts threatening her, he’s determined to be the one man she turns to for help. Together they risk their lives unraveling a decades-old mystery while Beth fights to keep her heart and her own secrets…


Dangerous Tease: It's always the quiet ones…

Uptight history professor Sam Layton may have the abs of a movie action hero, but he stopped believing in the joy of adventure a long time ago. However, when a one-night stand with a tattooed bombshell leads to a treasure map for the long-buried Rebecca’s Bounty, the call to action is too strong to ignore.

All Las Vegas cocktail waitress Josie Winarsky wants to do is paint. But when she lands smack dab in the middle in a mob plot, she has to push aside her dreams to find a treasure and save her family from harm. With Sam at her side and a Vegas loan shark on her tail, she’s running to save her life and her heart…
 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

All Played Out Release Week Blitz

All Played Out RWB banner

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Cora Carmack's ALL PLAYED OUT! ALL PLAYED OUT is a New Adult Contemporary Romance and is the 3rd book in the Rusk University Series, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.

  All Played Out - cover  

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ALL PLAYED OUT Excerpt:

Dallas and Dylan toss the disk back and forth a few times, and I groan when Carson and Silas make no effort to intercept or knock down the pass. I’m pretty sure it’s a distraction, so I stick tight to Brookes, and I notice Ryan edging closer to me, too. He must have the same idea.
Next thing I know, Dallas has sent the disk soaring over our heads, and when I look, Nell is standing alone, completely unguarded in the end zone.
She’s holding her hands out and staring at the disk like it’s a missile instead of a piece of plastic. I take off toward her in case she misses it. I want to grab the disk and get it back into play as soon as I can.
As I sprint, the disk slips right through her grasping fingers and nails her in the chest. She gasps; no doubt the air was knocked out of her. The disk ricochets, and if I dive I might can manage to catch it, but I can’t quite drag my eyes away from her chest. Her tits are practically spilling out of the top of the tiny tank she’s wearing. I’d had a front-row seat earlier with my arm around her. Now she’s clutching at herself in pain, but all I can see are her smooth, delicate arms pressed against the curve of her breasts, pushing them even higher.
I should look away before something very unfortunate occurs in my baggy gym shorts, but now I’m picturing that shy girl loosening up beneath me. It’s too easy to take those wide eyes she gave me when I draped my arm around her and imagine them in the low light of my room, her head on my pillow and her legs spread wide.
She makes a soft whimpering noise, and now the rest of my senses join the fantasy, and I think of how she would feel, taste, sound. I wonder just how low I could get her inhibitions. Enough to say my name? To scream it?
“Damn,” I groan, and try to clear my head. “You all right?”
She looks up at me, still clutching at her chest, and pink spreads over her cheeks. She doesn’t say anything.
“Okay,” I say. “There is honestly no way to ask this without sounding like a pig, so I’m not even gonna try. And really, in these situations, I find you might as well go balls to the wall and throw it all out there. So … at the risk of getting slapped, how are your tits?” I think about offering to check them out for her, but I figure that’s probably taking it a step too far.
Her mouth presses into a firm straight line. “It wasn’t my ...” She trails off.
“Tits,” I finish for her. “You have them. You can say the word.”
“It hit me in the collarbone, not the breasts.”
Breasts. I raise an eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes.
I take a step forward and say, “Let me see.”
“Absolutely not.”
I take another step, until my shadow falls over her, and take hold of one wrist. “As you pointed out, you weren’t hit in the breasts. Just let me have a look. With the right strength and good wind, a disk can go as fast as twenty miles per hour. I’ve seen them break fingers and noses.”
“Dude, Torres!” Silas shouts behind me. “What are you waiting for? Grab the disk and let’s go!”
Hesitating, I ask, “You wanna take a break? Catch your breath and let me see it?”
She shakes her head stubbornly. “I don’t want the game to stop because of me.”
I turn around and shout back to Silas, “Nell and I are taking a break. You guys keep playing with eight.”
Taking her elbow, I pull her off the field toward the picnic tables. She protests, but only mildly, and she still has one hand pressed just above her cleavage. And looking down at her, I can see moisture clinging to long lashes at the corner of her eye.
I sit her down so that her back is to the field, and go down on one knee in front of her. She’s so small that it puts us eye level, and I say softly, “Move your hand.”
“It’s fine,” she says. “Just give me a couple seconds, and I’ll be fine.”
You don’t grow up with five sisters without learning that sometimes with women, words are pointless. I reach out and move her hand myself, pulling it away from her chest. The skin just below her collarbone is an angry red, and the disk scraped through a couple layers of skin. Not enough to bleed, but I bet it hurts. “Tell me how it feels. Still a sharp pain? Or more of an ache?”
Her eyebrows slant over her pretty brown eyes. “The pain was sharp and steady for approximately thirty seconds, but now it kind of stings.”
“Like a slap,” I say.
She gives a short laugh, her shoulders bouncing once before she stills in what I’m guessing is pain. “I can’t say I know what that feels like. Though I’m not surprised it’s a sensation you’re familiar with.”
I shrug. “I don’t believe in censoring my thoughts. Some people just aren’t as fond of freedom of speech as I am.”
She shakes her head, and I think she’s trying not to smile.
I reach up my left hand and as lightly as possible run my thumb over the red mark. She sucks in a breath and I ask, “Hurts to the touch?”
“Um.” She swallows and blinks a few times.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
I brush my thumb over her skin again, even lighter this time, wondering if the Frisbee could have hit hard enough to crack something. There’s already a purpling around the center that tells me it’s going to bruise pretty good.
She swallows, and my eyes are drawn to the graceful slope of her neck, up to a small chin and full lips. And it hits me then … why this girl caught my eye from the moment she walked toward our group, why I can’t drag my eyes or my hand away from her now.
She reminds me of Lina.
And the memory of the only girl I’ve ever loved packs a punch so hard that it’s my turn to raise a hand to my chest to soothe an all-too-familiar ache.
 
 About ALL PLAYED OUT: First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.
Straight A’s? CHECK.
On track to graduate early? CHECK.
Social life? …..yeah, about that….
With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay... Scratch that. She knows she hasn't had the full college experience). So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a "to do" list of normal college activities. Item #1? Hook up with a jock. Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it's impossible to get hurt... again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it. Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she's never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he's willing to take the chance when it's more than just a game. Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.  

And don’t miss the first two books in the Rusk University Series

All Lined Up

ALL LINED UP, Book 1

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All Broke Down

ALL BROKE DOWN, Book 2

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For more of what’s next in The Rusk University Series, go here!

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Add Book 4, ALL CLOSED OFF, to your Goodreads now!

  HeadshotAbout 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). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.        

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Adored Release Day Launch

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Lexi Blake's ADORED! ADORED is a Contemporary Erotic Romance novella in Lexi's Masters and Mercenaries Series! Check it out below and grab your copy today!!

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  ADORED Synopsis: A man who gave up on love Mitch Bradford is an intimidating man. In his professional life, he has a reputation for demolishing his opponents in the courtroom. At the exclusive BDSM club Sanctum, he prefers disciplining pretty submissives with no strings attached. In his line of work, there’s no time for a healthy relationship. After a few failed attempts, he knows he’s not good for any woman—especially not his best friend’s sister. A woman who always gets what she wants Laurel Daley knows what she wants, and her sights are set on Mitch. He’s smart and sexy, and it doesn’t matter that he’s a few years older and has a couple of bitter ex-wives. Watching him in action at work and at play, she knows he just needs a little polish to make some woman the perfect lover. She intends to be that woman, but first she has to show him how good it could be. A killer lurking in the shadows When an unexpected turn of events throws the two together, Mitch and Laurel are confronted with the perfect opportunity to explore their mutual desire. Night after night of being close breaks down Mitch’s defenses. The more he sees of Laurel, the more he knows he wants her. Unfortunately, someone else has their eyes on Laurel and they have murder in mind.   Adored Teaser 2   EXCERPT: “I take it you found out about me joining the trainee program at Sanctum.” “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t think it’s professional for the two of us to be at the same club together. I count on that club, Laurel. The few friends I have in life are there.” “All right. I’ll let them know I won’t be coming anymore.” She took a deep breath and there was a hollowness to her expression he despised. It was only there for a moment and then her face was a polite blank. “Do you need anything? Coffee? You skipped lunch. I could get you a sandwich.” “Just like that? You’ll leave it like that? I expected more of a fight out of you.” She shook her head. “I didn’t join to cause you harm or to take something away from you. I joined because I wanted to explore that side of myself. Since you’ve made it plain that my presence takes away from your enjoyment of something you need, I’ll leave.” How did she do this to him? She’d had him in knots since the moment he’d met her. “Could you give me a couple of minutes to catch up? I didn’t even know you were interested in the lifestyle.” Now her inner brat made an appearance, those pretty blue eyes rolling. “Of course you did, Mitchell. That’s a complete cop out and unworthy of you, counselor. If you’re going to defend yourself at least do it properly. You’ve known I was interested in D/s since the moment you hired me.” He had. He’d found books by Sanctum’s resident authors, Amber Rose and Dakota Cheyenne. Silly pen names for Serena Dean-Miles and Laurel’s sister-in-law, Bridget Daley. Bridget was the one who had sparked Laurel’s interest, though he’d rather thought it had all been a means to an end. “I thought it was really me you were interested in.”   Adored Teaser 3     Author PhotoAbout Lexi Blake: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. She began writing at a young age concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem.      

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