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Monthly Archives: October 2015

Review: Major Misconduct by Kelly Jamieson (Aces Hockey #1)

October 30, 2015 Leave a comment

I’m excited to be part of Kelly Jamieson’s tour for her new hockey series, kicking off with the first book, Major Misconduct. Marc and Lovey (yes, that is her name. Took me a bit to get used to while reading) have great chemistry from their first meeting until the very end when Lovey makes a big gesture to prove to Marc that he is part of her heart.

Lovey has crashed on her brother’s couch, literally, as the book opens. She made the decision to move to Chicago to start a new business and well, she needs her big brother’s help until she finds a place to live. Sharing a space with Duncan (her brother) isn’t the problem. It’s sharing the space with his roommate, Marc, that is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Marc is responsibility personified. He is the team captain and wants to lead by example. He is also proving to be a major distraction for Lovey.
Marc is such a great guy. He may seem like a bit of a party-pooper but it is clear his teammates really respect him and the example he sets. Hockey is his career and he wants to be successful. It is really nice to read about a hockey hero who isn’t so much into partying and instant gratification with women. Marc has just gotten out of a two year relationship so he’s a bit at loose ends when he meets Lovey. The attraction is instantaneous but the team has a rule about dating each other’s sisters. It’s a no-no. So when Lovey and Marc start fooling around but hiding it behind Duncan’s back, well, it is clear that things can’t end well.

Kelly Jamieson kicks the Aces Hockey series off with a great couple. I loved the energy Marc and Lovey brought to each other. It really made their love story sexy (of course) but they complemented each other in the ways each most needed. Marc definitely needed a wee bit more fun in his life and Lovey needed someone to really believe in her and challenge her to be her best. Lovey is a great female character all on her own though, make no mistake. She’s only twenty-four so I felt like her “wanderlust” as her brother kind of frames it, was perfectly fine. Everyone is learning about themselves in their twenties, more power to Lovey for trying to find her passion.

Major Misconduct is a nice combination of sweet romance and spicy erotic love scenes. It’s the first book I’ve read by Kelly Jamieson but it won’t be my last. I’m excited to read about Duncan. Major Misconduct is available now! Read below for a fun excerpt and be sure to add it to your Goodreads account if you haven’t yet.

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MAJOR MISCONDUCT

Aces Hockey #1

Kelly Jamieson

Releasing Oct 13th, 2015

Loveswept

In Kelly Jamieson’s seductive new Chicago Aces romance—perfect for readers of Sawyer Bennett and Toni Aleo—a fun-loving free spirit tempts an uptight hockey star into opening himself up to love.

As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.

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Kelly Jamieson is the author of more than thirty contemporary romance novels. She’s a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.

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Marc chuckled all the way to the Land Rover dealership, annoying the hell out of his teammate and roommate.
“What the fuck is so amusing?” Army snarled.
“If she wasn’t your sister, I’d call you pussy-whipped.”
“Fuck off.”
Marc laughed outright. “Just never seen you so outclassed, dude.”
“Whatever.”
Marc smirked.
“What am I supposed to do?” Army demanded. “Turn her out onto the streets of Chicago?”
“Of course not. And she knew that.”
“She didn’t even tell me she was coming.” Duncan rubbed his forehead. “Christ. She quit her job. Just when she seemed to be settling down. Last I heard, she had a pretty serious boyfriend too. Guess that’s over.”
A boyfriend? Not fucking likely, the way she’d been looking at him. Marc shot Army a sideways glance as he drove. “She does this often?”
“Eh. She quits. She gets fired. She flits from one job to another like a fucking hummingbird. One boyfriend to another. This guy she was seeing actually lasted more than a few dates. Now all of a sudden she wants to move to Chicago. Jesus.”
“She’s young.”
“She’s not that young. She’s twenty-four. Only three years younger than us. She needs to settle down.”
Marc nodded. “Yeah, but think, man, we were on our own when we were teenagers, basically. We were playing and living in an adult world before we could even drink legally. Pro hockey makes you grow up fast.”
Army sighed. “Yeah. True. Heh. Especially you, Captain Codger.”
Marc rolled his eyes at the nickname. It didn’t bug him as much as it had at first. He knew the guys liked to jerk him around, but they did it with respect. And he’d earned the reputation of being serious and responsible, on the ice and off. That was him, and it was important to him to take his career and his responsibilities seriously.
Army shook his head. “I’ll let her stay for a while, but seriously, she’ll have to find her own place. Don’t worry.”
Marc shrugged. “I wasn’t worried.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Army’s little sister was smokin’ hot. At first Marc had thought his roommate had a hot chick visiting him and he’d been all Whoa, way to go, dude, but when he’d learned she was Army’s sister, he’d backpedaled fast. He couldn’t get out of there before she’d jumped up and rushed at him with a fucking dazzling smile, so goddamn gorgeous he couldn’t get his feet to move and could barely string two words together. Her smile was luminous, all white teeth and dimples and glowing face. Long, wavy red-gold hair gleamed in the sunlight and, fuck him, even though she’d been wearing clothes that covered her from chin to toes, her body was stellar—a soft blue sweater outlined high, firm tits and a small waist that curved into round hips. He couldn’t see her legs, but they were long, her snug black pants revealing slender thighs.
Shut it down, man.
She was Army’s sister and therefore waaaay the fuck off-limits.
And that was why he was maybe a little worried about her living with them. Just a smidgen worried. But hey. He was Captain Codger. He had no issues with self-control, self-discipline, or being responsible. He could easily ignore a hot babe living in the apartment with them. No problem. No problem at all.
Army’s phone pinged and he peered at the screen. “Great. An email from my mom warning me Lovey’s on her way. Thanks, Mom.” He shook his head as he tapped a reply. “She wants me to make sure Lovey’s okay in the big city. Jesus.”
Yeah, Lovey seemed like she was going to be okay.
They arrived at the dealership and while Army signed the paperwork, Marc wandered around looking at the vehicles, trying to ignore the attention from the staff, male and female. The receptionist approached him for an autograph.
“You’re my favorite player.” She let out a breathy laugh. “I watch all the games.”
“Yeah?” He obliged by scrawling his messy signature across the Land Rover pamphlet she held out, adding his jersey number beneath it. “You watch that last game against Philly?”
“Of course! You guys played great.”
He stuck his tongue into one cheek and nodded. “Thanks.” They’d sucked. They’d lost three-one, probably their worst game so far, another game added to their losing streak.
“D’you speak French?” Her eyes widened.
“Mais oui.” He grinned.
“That is soooo sexy.” She stared at him.
Câlisse. He resisted the urge to sigh and smiled instead. “Merci.”
“I love your accent.”
He wanted to frown. He barely had an accent. He’d been raised by a Francophone mother and Anglophone father, and although his education had been all in French growing up in Quebec, he spoke both languages fluently. Maybe there was a bit of an accent. Whatever.
“Hey, Armdog,” he called to his friend. “I’m gonna head out. Meet you at the Sin Bin?”
“Yeah. Be there soon.”

Pre-Order OFF LIMITS (Aces #2)

Releasing Nov 17th, 2015

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Review: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare

October 27, 2015 Leave a comment

The Billionaire Takes a Bride is a tiny bit Kardashian and a heck of a lot just a great love story. And don’t worry about the Kardashian comparison, Sebastian Cabral is definitely not happy with his family’s media empire. What he is happy about is his unexpected but totally pleasurable marriage to Chelsea Hall. She is gorgeous, flirty and fun. And he can make a platonic marriage work. Totally.

Chelsea has just lost her best friend to a better job opportunity in Austin, Texas. Now she has to conquer some of her own fears which is much easier said than done. A terrifying rape has left Chelsea with a lot of fears. She puts on a great, bubbly front, but there is a lot of unhappiness inside.

This story seems like it would be a disaster from start to finish but Chelsea and Sebastian really click together on the pages. Chelsea is a true fighter. She is heavily involved in a local roller derby league and she loves to kick butt. It is her outlet for her fears and it works great. I really liked how this book deals with Chelsea’s struggles. There were no easy answers, even at the very end. Her rape will forever effect her life and Sebastian realizes that. He is kind of a perfect man. He falls in love with Chelsea but definitely is willing to play by what makes her comfortable. I know it was a bit over the top, his graciousness in general, but he really was attuned to Chelsea and her needs and that makes him a pretty amazing character to me. It never felt like he was doing this in a pitiful way either. He respects Chelsea from the very first time they meet. His respect for her grows and their bedroom activities were a natural growth of that.

The Cabral Empire doesn’t make too much of a demand on the storyline overall, which I was thankful for. But it does play a role, especially in the conflict towards the end of the story. Sebastian makes a stand however and he sticks with it, all for the protection and happiness of Chelsea. I loved how Sebastian really catered to Chelsea and her needs overall in this book. He is a great guy in general, if a bit at loose ends in his life. He’s so wealthy he doesn’t have to work, not really. He has a passion but he’s always hidden it. Letting Chelsea see what it is takes faith on his part.

While I feel like Chelsea was the true stand-out character in this book, Sebastian does not sit idly by. He is sexy (in fact, the book in general is sexy as heck!), playful and kind. He is just the kind of man Chelsea deserves and I’m glad he pursued her, heart and soul.

The Billionaire Takes a Bride is the third book in the Billionaires and Bridesmaids series by Jessica Clare. It stands alone really nicely however so if you’re at all interested in discovering how compatible Chelsea and Sebastian are, do not be afraid to dive in. It’s well worth it! I became hooked on their romance and I’m so glad to see such deserving characters meet and fall in love, even if it was slightly unconventional all around. Another salaciously satisfying romance from Jessica Clare!

Other reviews:

Fiction Vixen reviews The Billionaire Takes a Bride

The Reading Cafe reviews The Billionaire Takes a Bride

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Cover reveal: The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan

October 23, 2015 Leave a comment

IT. IS. HERE.

The cover for Kristen Callihan’s upcoming book, The Game Plan, book three in the Game On series. This is Dex’s book, FINALLY. FINALLY. So… here it is. Stare at it in all it’s glory.

A beard-related dare and one hot-as-hell kiss changes everything.

NFL center Ethan Dexter’s focus has always been on playing football and little else. Except when it comes to one particular woman. The lovely Fiona Mackenzie might not care about his fame, but she’s also never looked at him as anything more than one of her brother-in-law’s best friend. That ends now.

Fi doesn’t know what to make of Dex. The bearded, tattooed, mountain of man-muscle looks more like a biker than a football player. Rumor has it he’s a virgin, but she finds that hard to believe. Because from the moment he decides to turn his quiet intensity on her she’s left weak at the knees and aching to see his famous control fully unleashed.

Dex is looking for a forever girl, but they live vastly different lives in separate cities. Fi ought to guard her heart and walk away. But Dex has upped his game and is using all his considerable charm to convince Fi he’s her forever man.

Game On.

Preorder The Game Plan:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OFq8LU
iBooks: http://apple.co/1GQdm5a

You can find Kristen Callihan all over the internet so if you haven’t read anything by her yet, now is the time. I have a feeling that this book will still stand alone pretty well.

Kristen Callihan’s website

Kristen Callihan on Facebook

Kristen Callihan on Twitter

The Game Plan on Goodreads

Release Day: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare

October 20, 2015 1 Comment

I think my love for Jessica Clare has been well documented. She’s been one of my favorite erotic romance writers for quite awhile now. Her books are just always fast-paced romances with great men and really amazing women. I always race through her books and I’m left wanting more. I’m really excited today to tell you all about Jessica Clare’s newest release, The Billionaire Takes a Bride.

A lie turns to love in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Taming of the Billionaire.

Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn’t love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order.

By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she’s still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn’t want to be alone. And she really, really doesn’t want to date.

So when their mutual friends’ upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle.

But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected….

I will have a full review later this week but suffice it to say that Chelsea is a kick-butt woman who is ready to take on the world but struggles to tackle her own pain. She is vulnerable and sassy and I rooted for her every moment of the story. And Sebastian is pretty darn great himself, though I will say, Chelsea steals the show in this book. Read on for an excerpt and check out the buy links!

Holy. Fuck.

This . . . could be a problem. Sebastian kept rubbing his mouth as his driver took him home that night. After the kiss, they’d agreed to get together again tomorrow to hash out a few more details and help her pack up her apartment. Then, they had returned to the party, where Chelsea had clung to his side, her hands wrapped around his arm.

It was pretty clear she’d felt absolutely nothing in their kiss. The delighted look she’d given him and the way she’d hopped up like she’d gotten a reprieve from prison? That told him everything he needed to know.

Unfortunately for him . . . he hadn’t felt “nothing.” He’d felt quite a bit, actually. The moment her full lips had brushed over his, he’d felt electrified. And then she’d glazed her tongue over his mouth.

And his cock had become instantly alert.

Sure, he was a guy. He was going to get erect when a gorgeous woman kissed him. When she pressed her body up against his and slowly, sensually tongued his mouth, he’d felt a massive jolt go through his system despite telling himself they were just friends.

But now he couldn’t stop thinking about . . . what if they weren’t just friends? What if they had a marriage with some benefits on the side? What if they crawled into bed together and had hot, nasty sex . . . with no strings attached? Just for fun? He imagined Chelsea’s plump lips curving around his cock and clenched the door handle.

It was clear she wanted this as friends only, though. He shook the thought out of his head.

Marriage of convenience. No more. No less. It was what he needed, and even he admitted that sex just fucked things up. If he wanted an example, he just had to look at Lisa.

As the driver dropped him off in front of his building, his phone buzzed with an incoming text. He flicked his fingers over the screen even as he walked inside, nodding at the doorman.

Interested? Check out the links below to purchase your own copy.

Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Kobo All Romance eBooks

Review: Last Hope by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

October 1, 2015 1 Comment

Last Hope is here! This is a romance book I have been anticipating ever since I finished book number three, Last Kiss. The Hitman series is one of my go-to stories for high octane romance. There’s a cinematic quality to these books that I just really love. The heroes are larger than life and the heroines are more than ready to meet them head-on. Fortunately, this excitement continues in Last Hope.

Rafe Mendoza has been watching Ava from afar. He needs to see what she is carrying around for the criminals who are determined to make a lot of money. Ava will do anything to protect her best friend, Rose, and if that means getting involved with some criminals, well she will do it. Though in the back of her mind, she fears she won’t be getting out of this situation alive. Rafe needs that information in order to get one of his men to safety. Before they know it, Ava and Rafe are trapped on a plane together and that plane is crashing down into the jungle. A bad, dangerous situation has just become a whole lot worse, to put it mildly. The normal dangers you would expect in the jungle (animals, the heat) are exacerbated because there is someone out there hunting Ava and Rafe too. Someone determined not to have them come out alive.

This is a very fast-paced story. It’s just one of those romance books that is pure entertainment from start to finish. And, it’s a story with sex appeal too. Rafe is a virgin. Ava is very attracted to him and well, the feeling is quite mutual as Ava notices every time Rafe gets an erection. He’s walking around the jungle erect the entire time basically. But they survive the best they can. Ava is a hand model but she is definitely not afraid to help Rafe. I appreciated that she dived right in to the situation because she realized quickly that she would have to help if they wanted to make it out alive. That means that Ava eats snake, she swims in some very dangerous waters, and she doesn’t complain about the situation. She just wants to make it out alive.

The chemistry between these two is excellent. Smoldering and very dramatic because Rafe is determined to not give in to his desires. Rafe has a big penis. It’s huge apparently. Godzilla big according to the book. It’s mentioned a lot (A LOT) so believe me, you won’t easily forget the size of his dick. (This is my one small quibble with this book. I felt like the mentions of how big Rafe is was over done. We know. Ava knows. Let’s move on.) While they are physically attracted to each other, they are also learning a lot about each other as they survive in the jungle. Rafe is a protector. Ava is a survivor. They admire each other greatly and I felt like they developed a genuine liking for each other. There was a friendship developing simultaneously with the romance, which is something I appreciate in my romance stories. I like to know that the characters genuinely like each other and want to be around each other even when it’s not sexytimes.

The criminal element of this story is a bit like an over exaggerated villain from an action movie. It never quite felt truly villainous, at least not until near the end when the bad situation came to a head. Rafe is the kind of man you can depend on even when the bullets start flying. The one element of this book I initially missed was seeing the guy mercenaries be guys with each other, joking around and being sarcastic. Rafe is a bit different from the previous men in this series because his reasons for being a mercenary are definitely very personal. He has family to protect, a family he has made himself. He just never thought he could have the entire package, a woman who loves him and wants to be with him. Sure, he definitely has an unconventional “occupation” but he is fierce and loyal and deserving of love. Ava definitely proved to be the woman for him.

If you enjoyed the previous books in the series, Last Hope will surely be the right book for you. And if you’re new to the series, you can actually jump in very easily to the series with this book. Rafe and Ava definitely have a standalone story that will get you hooked very easily on this series.

Last Hope is available now and it’s a book to keep on your radar. This series continues to be inventive and different, at least for me. It’s got an anti-hero at its center but Rafe proves to be anything but “anti” and Ava is a great foil for him. They clicked and it made me happy to see them connect. Thrilling doesn’t even begin to do justice to the romance that Ava and Rafe share. If you’re interested in purchasing Last Hope, check out the links below!

ARC provided by publisher for review purposes.