Blog Tour + Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid

The Player and the Pixie tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid!

The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid
Series: Rugby #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 12th 2016
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THE PIXIE
Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby.
As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble.

THE PLAYER
Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone.
His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamous player, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick.

THE PLAN
Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world—and Lucy’s big brother in particular—that this is the real deal?

Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

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I love L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid as individual writers, but I’d never had the pleasure of reading a collaboration of theirs until now. The Player and the Pixie is the second book in the Rugby series but can be read entirely as a standalone, which is what I did. I’m already looking forward to reading the first book, that’s how much I enjoyed this one. Sean and Lucy were an absolute delight to read – they were sweet, utterly endearing, and overall just so much fun to read about. If you love sports romances with realistic characters and a unique spin to them, I highly recommend The Player and the Pixie!

Sigh.
Why were the beautiful ones always such pricks, huh?

Sean Cassidy is the black sheep of his rugby team – everyone thinks he’s an unfeeling jerk, and he’s not about to prove them otherwise. Lucy is the younger brother of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, who is also Sean’s captain. She’s sweet and everything good… except for her compulsive problem/habit/coping mechanism of stealing small things from stores. These two couldn’t be more different, but I loved how contrasting they are. When they meet, they’re so wonderfully antagonistic – Sean hates Lucy because of her brother and Lucy hates Sean because of what he did to her brother. Still, they can’t help but be intrigued by each other, and after a failed blackmailed dinner date, Sean can’t help but want to get under Lucy’s skin as much as she’s under his.

Lucy Fitzpatrick was my drug of choice, and has quickly become a necessity. I had no desire to contemplate rehab.

Lucy and Sean are such well-developed characters. There’s so much more to them than meets the eye. I have to admit, I totally believed Sean to be the shallow, spoiled man everyone thought he was at first, but the authors did a wonderful job of opening him up in my eyes and making me see the hidden depth to him. Lucy herself is a unique character – I’m not sure I’ve ever read about a character who has the compulsive problem she does. The authors portrayed her hidden shame in an honest way that really made me feel for her. Both of these characters deal with a lot of insecurity and problems with self-acceptance, and I absolutely loved the growth of their characters and the way they become so much confident in themselves thanks to each other.

“The moment you walk into a room you brighten it, Lucy Fitzpatrick, and I for one feel like the luckiest bastard in the world for having known you.”

The Player and the Pixie is so, so sweet. I fell for Lucy and Sean and their slowly blooming romance. There were so many unexpected things I loved about the book – my favorite was how Sean had pretty much no skills in bed. Only L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid would make an incompetent hero funny and endearing – but don’t worry, Sean has an excellent teacher in Lucy and he more than makes up for his deficiencies soon enough. 😉 Overall, I highly enjoyed reading this book. It’s entertaining as hell and the characters are written spectacularly. It’s not your typical sports romance, and I loved that. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

4 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Now here’s an excerpt from The Player and the Pixie! ❤

excerpt button

*Sean*

I didn’t know what I was doing.

Requests, things I wanted, words I would never speak or allow myself to think were now uncontainable.

It’s the sex, I reiterated. Again. I’d used this explanation, now on repeat, as a simple justification for the complex cacophony of my mind.

“Be with you?” Her long, dark lashes fluttered, beating like distressed butterfly wings against warming pink cheeks.

I licked my lips, tasting her there. “Yes.”

She stared at me, confused. I was also confused. And oddly frightened.

Because it wasn’t the sex.

Several seconds ticked on as we studied each other in breathless silence. She found her voice before I did. “What does that—”

“Lucy?” Annie’s voice was paired with a soft knock on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”

I opened my mouth to whisper a clarification to the question Lucy hadn’t quite posed, because I was compelled to tell her it wasn’t the sex. We didn’t have to have sex. We could just . . . talk. Or play cards. Or touch. Or look at each other from across the room.

We could merely be together.

But she covered my mouth with her hand. Her features arrested with unmistakable panic.

“Yes. I’m fine! I just . . . started my period is all. Made a mess in my jeans, like a crime scene.” Lucy hollered in response then grimaced. She immediately mouthed I’m sorry to me. Her cheeks flushed red.

I lifted an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes, ducking her head with obvious embarrassment. I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh.

Issuing me a quelling look, Lucy released me and skittered out of the stall, whispering, “Stay here and count to three hundred.”

“Oh! Do you need anything?” Annie’s voice was less muffled and I surmised she’d opened the bathroom door.

“Ah, no. Have it all sorted now. Thank God Tom has these nice absorbent napkins instead of those troublesome hand driers. Although I feel like I’m wearing a nappy. They’re bad for the environment, so I should talk to him about replacing the napkins. Maybe make a few available for emergencies . . .”

Lucy’s anxiety-riddled chatter faded as the bathroom door clicked shut.

I released an audible exhale. My heart was beating as though it might leap from my chest. I needed to catch my breath. Neither had anything to do with being caught.

What the fuck were you doing?

It was the sex. She’s phenomenal in bed. You’ve never had that before. It was just sex.

I nodded, reiterating the logic of my justification for the uncharacteristic behavior. If I repeated it enough, perhaps I would believe it.

I didn’t count to three hundred as instructed. I counted to one hundred and twenty-three, then realized what I was doing.

“You’re mad, Sean,” I muttered, shaking myself and promptly leaving the ladies’ room. I checked the cufflinks on my dress shirt—a nervous habit—and strolled back to the table, eyeing the assortment of eejits gathered.

Reading Order: Rugby series

The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid  

#1 ~ The Hooker and the Hermit: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ The Player and the Pixie: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ The Cad and the Co-ed: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

about the authors button

L.H. CoswayL.H. Cosway 

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest

Penny ReidPenny Reid

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter • Newsletter

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Audio Tour + Review & Giveaway: Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.

Sincerely, Carter tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the audio tour for Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.!

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney Gracia Williams

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.
Series: Standalone
Audio Publication Date: December 1st 2016
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Just friends. We’re just friends. No, really. She’s just my best friend….

Arizona Turner has been my best friend since fourth grade, even when we hated each other. We’ve been there for one another through first kisses and first times, and we’ve been each other’s constant when good relationships turned bad. (We even went to colleges that were minutes away from each other.) Throughout the years, and despite what anyone says, we’ve never crossed the line. Never thought about it. Never wanted to…until one night changed everything. At least, it should’ve….

Just friends. We’re just friends. I’m only saying this until I figure out if she’s still just my best friend….

Buy Links:
Audible • Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

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I absolutely adore audiobooks, so when I heard Sincerely, Carter was going to be made into one, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I liked reading this friends-to-lovers book, and I enjoyed it even more listening to it as an audiobook. If you’re a fan of sweet and sexy friends-to-lovers romances, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

Arizona and Carter have been best friends since fourth grade, even when they hated each other – and they’ve never crossed the friendship line into something more. Everyone they know always questions whether or not they’re actually “just friends,” but Ari and Carter have honestly never thought about each other in THAT way… that is, until they do. One moment, they’re the best of friends, and the next, they can’t stop thinking about the other person, what they’re like naked… in bed. I love that it completely baffles them that they feel an intense attraction towards one another. Lines are crossed and hearts are on the line and they soon come to realize that the best thing that ever happened to them has been standing right in front of them all along.

I really enjoyed the narrators, Jennifer O’Donnell and Joseph Discher, for Ari and Carter. They voiced the sweetness of the story and the witty banter between the characters well, and I’d definitely listen to another of their narrations. The Sincerely, Carter audiobook is all-around a great listen – the story is adorably sweet and the narration was spot-on. It’s a heartwarming, humorous friends-to-lovers romance that fans of the trope are sure to enjoy.

4 hearts
lacey

about the author button

A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Claire Gracen) reach through your Kindle and slap them.

She is the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Reasonable Doubt,the Mid Life Love Series, the Jilted Bride Series, the My Last Resolution Series, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul.

When she’s not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop.

Website • Amazon Page • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Google+ • Newsletter

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Audiobook of Sincerely, Carter
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Blog Tour + Guest Post & Excerpt: Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down Tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey! We have a special guest post from Tessa today about how Thrown Down came about – and if you haven’t read the book yet, check out my review!

Guest Post: Tessa Bailey

How Thrown Down Came About

I’ve wanted to write a secret baby book for a long time, which probably will shock anyone who knows me, since I could whine about the hardships of parenting for hours. But still. The idea of a man finding out he has a child—and he has missed important milestones in that child’s life—is a sad concept, but how better to prove a hero’s strength of character than to have him bust his butt to make up for that absence? I knew Vaughn DeMatteo would be the man for the job. His life began the moment he met River and being away from her has wreaked havoc on his soul. When he finds out he left River a single mother, working two jobs to make ends meet, he sets out to win his family back—and he never wavers. I love him for that.

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
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He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon PaperbackB&N

Now here’s an excerpt from Thrown Down! ❤

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Forty-nine months and three days.

That was how long it had been since he’d seen her.

Vaughn swayed to the right, his shoulder slamming up against the wall. Then he kind of just hung there, counting forward and backward from one to ten. Not helping. Not helping. His stomach pitched at the sight of River walking through the drunks, like a nurse walking among the wounded on a battlefield. She could still knock his lights out on sight. Not that he’d doubted it for a second. But God, if it were possible, she’d grown even more beautiful over the last forty-nine months. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, a pencil stuck through the base, in a way he remembered well enough to make his throat go raw. In a short black skirt and fitted white T-shirt, River tried to look the part of indifferent barmaid, but didn’t pull it off.

Not by a stretch.

Eyes Vaughn knew were just a shade darker than cornflower blue flitted to each table, and her fingers tugged on the skirt’s hem self-consciously every time she approached a new one. When she fumbled with the notepad, recovering with a nervous laugh, a choked sound left Vaughn. “Riv,” he whispered.

She looked up so fast, he might as well have shouted. The sudden impact of having River’s focus on him after such an extended period of time without it released a rushing sound between his ears, blocking out the sad lounge act…and apparently someone asking if he needed a table. Because when Vaughn snapped back to reality, a man he towered over by at least a foot was in his face. Snapping his fingers.

“I wouldn’t…” Vaughn shook his head to clear it, experiencing a resurgence of anger, this time for having his attention diverted from where he needed it to be. On River.

“I wouldn’t advise snapping your fingers in my face again.”

“Why’s that, huh?”

A toss of blond hair snagged Vaughn’s gaze as his angelic ex-girlfriend zigzagged through the crowd, drawing more than just his notice. Ah no, quite the opposite. She was putting on an unwitting show for every man in the room, attracting lecherous looks by virtue of being her beautiful self, light in a dark tunnel, same way she’d always been.

Finger snapped in front of his face. Again. “This is my place and I asked you a question.”

“This is your place?” Vaughn asked. God, one hour back in Jersey and already his accent had thickened from water to oil. “You hired River Purcell to clean up tables?”

“That’s right.”

Vaughn plowed a fist into the underside of the man’s jaw, watching him fall backward onto the sticky concrete floor with detachment that slowly morphed into satisfaction. So much for calm, he thought, shaking out his right hand.

Reading Order: Made in Jersey series

Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

#1 ~ Crashed Out: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#1.5 ~ Rough Rhythm: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Thrown Down: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Worked Up: Goodreads (Aug. 2016)

about the author button

Tessa BaileyTessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads


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Blog Tour + Early Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken

The Matchmaker's Playbook tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken!

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Wingmen Inc. #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
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Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…

Buy Links:
Amazon USAmazon UK • Amazon CA • Amazon AU

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The Matchmaker’s Playbook is the perfect romantic comedy!!! It’s written entirely in the hero’s POV, and Ian’s narrative is absolutely HILARIOUS. Seriously, this book was so. much. fun!! If you’re up for something light-hearted that will have you giggling and cracking up, I highly recommend this book.

But when one can’t play . . . one teaches.
And I was more than just a football player.
I was the player.
Of sports.
And . . . of women.
The best of them all.
So who better to teach women how not to get played than an actual player?

Ian Hunter is a former football star turned matchmaker, co-owner of Wingmen, Inc., a service dedicated to helping out women, their love lives, and their dating skills. Ian is a total player – and what better way to win a player than with the help of one? The only rule Ian has as for his company is to never fall for one of his clients – but what happens when Blake Olsen bursts into his life and makes him unable to stop thinking about her?

For the first time in my life, I wanted a girl that wasn’t mine to have.
And it sucked.

When Blake requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., she seems like a nearly hopeless cause – she’s very tomboy-ish, always frumpy-looking, and definitely not at her full potential to win the heart of a childhood crush. But Ian has never failed a client before, and he’s not about to start now, not even when he gets to know her and wants to be in her company more and more. Soon enough, feelings start to be involved, but is Ian truly the right match for Blake, or is she meant for another?

I totally adored this book. Ian is totally sweet, sometimes an idiot, but overall so adorable and hilarious you can’t help but love him. Blake was perfect for him, never really falling for his typical lines for women, and making him work for her love and trust. And I loved the secondary characters of this book: Lex, the other co-owner and brainiac behind Wingmen, Inc., and Gabi, Ian’s childhood friend. After reading The Matchmaker’s Playbook, Lex and Gabi’s book has become a highly anticipated read – these two are enemies to the extreme, and I can’t wait to see them fall in love.

If you love to laugh, read this book. If you love romcoms, read this book. It’s such a fun, entertaining book – you won’t want to put it down!

4 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Now here’s an excerpt from The Matchmaker’s Playbook! ❤

excerpt button

Blake let out another pitiful groan. “I don’t think it fits.”

“They measured you. It fits. Just, tell me if it looks okay so we can go.” I checked my watch. “Gabi said dinner was at six, and it’s already a quarter till.”

“This is too much pressure.” Her voice was frantic. “I can’t do this. I mean, how do I know if it looks good? They’re boobs.”

I groaned. “Boobs always look good. Believe me.”

“Boobs are gross!”

Said no man ever. Even the gay ones.

One of the salesladies eyed me up and down. “Are you two okay?”

“Great,” I chirped. “Just having a very heated discussion about the beauty of breasts.” I dipped my chin to Blake’s chest. “What are you? A double D?”

Scowling, she marched off.

Thank God.

“Blake,” I hissed.

No answer.

I’d never had such a difficult client. If anything, they jumped when I told them to, asked how high, and then kept jumping until I was satisfied. Blake fought me at every turn.

“Open the door before I crawl underneath it. I’ll pick the bras, you can close your eyes if you want so you don’t have to watch me look at you, alright? My stomach literally just ate my liver. I need protein. Open. The. Door.”

The door slowly creaked open. Taking advantage of the small crack of air, I pushed it farther, then clicked it shut behind me and turned around.

Blake was facing me, hands on hips, face beet-red, body . . . freaking perfect. My tongue almost lolled out, like a dog.

Most girls starve themselves to have abs like that, which was disgusting. But her abs? They had muscle, actual muscle, but still appeared feminine.

She also had a nice tan, just enough to show that she spent time outside or maybe just had naturally darker skin.

My throat went completely dry as I continued to stare.

“Well?” Her voice was weak. “How awful do I look? On a scale of one to ten?”

I’d convinced her to buy some new workout clothes to replace her old ones. I knew I’d never get her to actually completely change her style. She liked workout clothes? Fine, at least buy the kind that fit and actually point to the correct gender. I tried to steer her away from the boyfriend sweats and sweatshirts, but she eventually wore me down, so I told her if she bought at least five new Pink outfits that had spandex in them, I’d let her get one pair of ugly slouchy sweats. You’d think I’d just given her a million dollars, from her reaction.

Currently, she was sporting a short pair of bright-blue yoga shorts.

And a black push-up sports bra that did wonders for her boobs.

And the world just in general.

Holy shit.

I gulped as I became more and more irritated with the fact that my body was reacting as if it had never seen a girl without her shirt on before. “Blake, it’s great.”

“You sound bored!”

I had to, damn it! What did she want me to do? Sound interested? Turned-on? Intrigued? Curious? I was all those things. I just tried to ignorethe insanity bouncing around in my head and blurted, “Your boobs look really good. Perky, happy, just . . . awesome.”

Did I just call her boobs “happy”?

“You think?” She stared down at her breasts, then grabbed them.

Holy shit, was she seriously feeling herself up? I braced my hand against the door and sucked in a breath.

“They still feel comfortable,” she said.

“Do they?” I managed to choke out while she continued bouncing them a bit in her hands. Dear Lord, did she know what she was doing? Waving a flag in front of a bull. My jeans suddenly tight in all the wrong areas, I tried to envision Lex naked, anything to get my dick to clue in to the word “client,” meaning I was in a no-play zone.

Another first.

It was because I was hungry.

And Marissa? Melissa? Hadn’t satisfied me. I’d gotten off, and made sure she did too, but the entire experience left me feeling empty, bored, and—if I was being completely honest? A bit depressed. Besides, her tits paled in comparison. I had to wonder what the hell I’d been doing all my life if this was the first time I was having such a strong reaction to boobs.

Something about Blake had me wondering if I’d been satisfied at all up until this point. And I had no idea what the hell was so confusing about her, and about the situation. I was unable to put my finger on it, and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt.

Hunger does weird things to guys.

“Yeah.” More bouncing, then turning and staring in the mirror. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her staring at her own boobs or touching them. “I’m just no good at this stuff. I didn’t grow up with a mom, and I hit puberty really early. The girls made fun of me, and the boys pointed.” Her shoulders slumped inward again.

Could we please go back to the bouncing? I was a fan of that Blake. The one that rolled up like an awkward armadillo? Not so much.

Reading Order: Wingmen Inc. series

#1 ~ The Matchmaker’s Playbook: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Matchmaker’s Replacement: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (July 26, 2016)

about the author button

Rachel Van DykenRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon Page

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Everything you need to have the perfect book boyfriend without leaving home!
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Blog Tour + Excerpt & Giveaway: Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis

Nobody but You tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis!
We have an early look with an excerpt and a fantastic giveaway for you on the blog!

Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis
Series: Cedar Ridge #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
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SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN . . .

When Jacob was injured in the war, it changed him for life. Now all he wants to do is come home to Cedar Ridge, settle in at his lakeside cabin and get some much-needed peace and quiet. But there’s no peace to be had when he finds a spitfire of a woman camping out on his property. Half the time he’s not sure whether he wants to spank her or kiss–or maybe both. He’s in a dark place and a dark mood, and here’s this wildly hot woman who is also funny and light and may be the balm be needs to soothe his aching soul.

Sophie Marren is pretty much penniless after leaving her abusive husband. She doesn’t have the money to pay rent or the slip fees for docking the boat where she’s been sleeping. She was getting along just perfectly until the good-looking, brooding, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy moves into the lake cabin that the slip belongs to. Sure he’s hot as the noon sun with those dark lens and even darker ‘tude, but god forbid she tie herself to another man who’s always telling her what to do. But the more she gets to know Jacob, the more she sees how willing he is to battle for her wounded heart…a battle she might just let him win.

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Now here’s an excerpt from Nobody But You! ❤

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She eyed the bench a long beat but did eventually sit, perching primly as far from him as she could get and yet still be close enough to grab the bottle.

Smart woman.

She took the Scotch and drank. Her eyes watered and she coughed as she handed it to him. With a sigh, she leaned back to study the night sky. Her bared throat was slim and creamy smooth. An unexpected temptation. Remembering the flash of pain and vulnerability she’d unwittingly revealed, and that for whatever reason he’d somehow added to it, he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

She glanced at him as if she’d never heard a man apologize before in her life. “For…breathing?” she asked. “Having a penis? What?”

“You were upset because you didn’t know I was a Kincaid.”

She sighed. “That was just me looking for a reason to be mad at you so I wouldn’t…”

She bit her lower lip, clearly not wanting to go on.

But now he had to know. “So you wouldn’t what?”

“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that I’m trying to make better choices.”

“Of which I wouldn’t be one.”

“It’s not necessarily your fault,” she said. “It’s that you’re a man.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“And I’m off men right now.”

“And on…women?” he asked with admittedly more than a little fascination.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m on no one, but thank you for proving my point on men.”

“I get that,” he said. “But being off men doesn’t seem to be making you very happy, or sound like a whole lot of fun.”

“Maybe I don’t need fun.”

He understood that. He’d felt the same way since Brett died. “What do you need?” he asked, honestly wanting to know more about her.

Instead of answering, she reached for the bottle. He waited until she met his gaze before letting go.

“Nothing,” she said a little too quickly. “Everything’s…perfect.”

“And your glass is half full,” he said. “So you’ve said.”

But he didn’t believe her. “How about a game?”

“I don’t play games.”

Now, that wasn’t exactly true. Whether she knew it or not, she’d been playing with his head since he’d first laid eyes on her. “Three truths and a lie,” he said.

She stared at him. “As in you tell me three truths and a lie, and I pick out the lie?”

“Yes.”

She considered this. “What do I get if I win?”

“What do you want?”

For the briefest of beats, her gaze dropped to his mouth.

Oh, hell yeah, he thought. Want me…

“My first boyfriend taught me that game,” she said.

“What did the winner get?”

“A kiss.”

Definitely still playing with his head… “Is that what you want, Sophie? A kiss?”

Again she stared at his mouth before dropping eye contact and wrapping that eye-stopping pink robe tighter around her body. “Do you?” she asked.

“Hell yes.”

Her gaze flew to his.

“Problem is,” he said conversationally, “if I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”

Her mouth literally fell open. The pulse at the base of her throat jumped. And she seemed to lose her words.

He went on. “But you should know, I don’t lose. That means you’ll have to tell me three truths and a lie.” And he’d hopefully get to know more about her.

She closed her mouth to bite her lower lip in what could’ve been indecision or excitement. Obviously he was hoping for the latter. “But hey, if you’re not sure you can handle losing, we can just forget about it,” he said.

The challenge lifted her chin and put sparks in her eyes. That’s it, babe. Show me what you’ve got.

“Bring it,” she said.

Reading Order: Cedar Ridge series

  

#1 ~ Second Chance Summer: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ My Kind of Wonderful: EbookPaperback • Hardcover • AudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ Nobody But You: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads (March 29, 2016)

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Jill ShalvisNew York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

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Five (5) winners will win the Cedar Ridge series by Jill Shalvis
Five (5) winners will win a copy of NOBODY BUT YOU by Jill Shalvis

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