Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor #9
Release Date: February 18th 2014
SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he’s back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she’s not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben – even though he has absolutely no idea what she’s done . . .
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
“You’re incredible, Ben, you know that? You’re an insensitive, first-class jerk, and–”
He leaned in. “And what?” he asked, voice dangerously low.
“And…” Stymied at her ridiculous and constant reaction to him, Aubrey put her hands to his chest to give him another shove, but somehow got her wires crossed and she fisted his shirt instead.
“Dare me,” he said softly.
Oh, how she hated how well he knew her. “I dare you to kiss me,” she whispered, and then to make sure he did, she put her mouth on his first…
New 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.
The Pairing by Katie Ashley
Series: The Proposition #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 18th 2014
A Companion Novel to The Proposition and The Proposal
After her former boyfriend left her pregnant and alone, Megan McKenzie swore off men. She spent the last eighteen months focused solely on her son, Mason, along with finishing nursing school at the top of her class. Although she’s not ready to complicate her life with a long-term relationship, a nice no-strings attached hook-up is just what she needs. At her godson, Noah’s, baptism, she finds the perfect candidate in the soft-spoken godfather, Pesh Nadeen. After all, the widower could use a good time too. But after drinking too much, the night doesn’t end the way she thought it would. Forced to leave Pesh’s house through a walk of shame, Megan hopes to never, ever see him again.
For Pesh Nadeen, the very sight of Megan sends him into an emotional tailspin. Since she reminds him too much of what he has lost, he wants to be out of her sight…at first. But the more he gets to know her, there’s something about the diminutive blonde that causes his protective side to go into overdrive, and he finds himself wanting more. When Megan is assigned to work in his ER to complete her nursing clinicals, he sees it as fate, but she’s having no part of it. She only wants a physical relationship while he wants far more.
What happens next is a sexy game of cat and mouse to see who will break first or if both of them will eventually get more than they ever bargained for.
I read The Proposition and The Proposal quite a while ago, but I remember being SO excited that Pesh was getting his own book–with Megan, Aidan’s very own niece! I had high expectations for this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Pesh and Megan’s romance is sweet, heartwarming, and so romantic–it was everything I expected it to be!
“I’d be anything and everything you wanted me to be, if you would give me the chance.”
Pesh. Pesh Pesh Pesh. He’s the old-fashioned, romantic kind of man you fall completely in love with and then marry. He is perfect boyfriend/husband material. Not often do I read about the good guy as opposed to a bad boy, but Pesh made me remember why I love good guys just as much as the bad boys, even if I don’t read about them as much. I. LOVE. PESH!
“I don’t want to play games with you at all, but you leave me no choice.” He lowered his head to kiss her again. “All I want is you,” he murmured.
Pesh and Megan meet at Noah’s baptism. Don’t remember Noah? He’s Emma and Aidan’s son!! Pesh and Megan are both Noah’s godparents, and immediately there’s a strong chemistry between them, though they are both wary of jumping into anything right away. Megan is wary because she’s a single mother–she had a son at a young age and taking care of him is her number one priority. Pesh is wary because he still very much loves his wife, who passed away a few years ago. And yet the two of them can’t stop thinking about each other after their first encounter, and they get another chance to see each other when Megan starts working at the same hospital Dr. Pesh Nadeen works.
And sparks fly. Like, holy hell do they fly!
All Megan wants Pesh for is sex and nothing else, but Pesh, this amazing, beautiful, kind, sweet man, wants Megan for more. And though he agrees on having only a sexual relationship, Pesh won’t give up on making Megan fall in love with him. And the ways Pesh makes Megan fall in love with him are both sweet and HOT! Like, wow, Pesh is a whole other animal in private. He’s a complete gentleman in public, but in bed…. *fans self* He’s so sexy and nothing at all like I thought he would be, and I loved it! I loved that just as Megan sees him as something more than just a typical good man, we get to see it too, and fall in love with him as well. Pesh has his flaws, even though it doesn’t seem like he would, but it doesn’t make him any less perfect to fall in love with.
“I love you so very much, Megan. There’s not another woman in the world I could love like I do you.”
Pesh is so. freaking. sweet! He is definitely swoon-worthy and I kind of wish he were real.
Mason, Megan’s son, is the cutest! I loved seeing Mason and Pesh together–it’s so heartwarming and beautiful to see them be almost like father and son. AH! And YES, we get to see tons more of Emma and Aidan, which I was so happy about! They still have a strong presence in this book, even as secondary characters, since their lives are so entwined with Megan’s and Pesh’s. I loved seeing more of Aidan and Emma and their son, but I have to say that Pesh and Megan held the spotlight the entire time for me. I adored their story and I loved seeing them fall in love with each other more and more every day. They’re both the kinds of people who deserve so much happiness, and they’re finally able to find it in each other.
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Excerpt
When Pesh pushed open the door, he couldn’t help the surprise that filled him. With her auburn hair pulled into a loose knot and her emerald eyes glittering with happiness, Emma Harrison Fitzgerald, stood before him with her six-month-old son balanced on her hip. “Hi. I hope I’m not interrupting you.”
A rush of pure love entered his chest at the sight of her. Six months ago he would have confused the feeling with amorous love, but now he knew the difference. He loved her only as a friend. “Hello to you, too. It’s so good to see you.” His brows furrowed as his mind wondered why she was here in the ER. “You’re okay, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly well. It’s just—”
Pesh’s gaze dropped to the strawberry-blond haired boy sucking voraciously on a pacifier. “Noah’s fine, isn’t he?”
Emma smiled. “He’s perfect.”
Pesh exhaled the anxious breath he’d been holding. “I’m glad to hear that. You both look well.”
“Thank you.” Emma surveyed him and frowned. “I wish I could say the same for you. What’s wrong?”
“Just a tough day.” Even with Emma’s expectant expression, he didn’t want to elaborate. Gazing down at his hands, he finally responded, “I held a man’s heart in my hands this afternoon.”
Emma’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath. “Oh my God…”
He shook his head with regret. “But no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t save him.”
She reached out to rub his arm. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Thank you,” he murmured. Since he was ready to change the subject before his emotions overcame him again, he motioned for her to have a seat. “So, what brings you here?”
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
His brows rose in surprise. “You do? Another flight for Aidan perhaps?”
Emma laughed. “No. I think it’ll be a long, long time before he ever gets in a small plane again.” As Noah began to squirm, she shifted him from her lap to her shoulder. He spit out his pacifier and started to fuss.
“Here. Let me,” Pesh suggested, bending over to take Noah into his arms. Noah’s surprised blue eyes met his, and then he smiled at Pesh. “Hello, little one. My, how you’ve grown since I saw you last.”
Noah cooed and reached for Pesh’s stethoscope. “You were saying?” he questioned Emma.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, considering you’re not Catholic, but I was wondering if you would be Noah’s godfather?”
Pesh couldn’t hold back his surprise, and his mouth dropped open in shock. “You’re serious?”
Emma nodded. “Since I’m not Catholic, I’m basically humoring Aidan’s father by having a baptism for Noah. You remember him?”
Pesh laughed. “How could I ever forget Mr. Fitzgerald, the matchmaker?”
Emma smiled. “That’s right. Well, you can understand how persistent he is.”
“Oh yes, I do.”
“We’re allowed one Catholic and one non-Catholic godparent. We’ve chosen Aidan’s niece as godmother, and then I wanted you.”
“But what about your good friend?”
“Connor?”
“Yes, him.”
Emma waved a dismissive hand. “Besides the fact that Connor is a non-practicing Baptist, he’s refused on the grounds he doesn’t want to have any moral or religious responsibility for Noah.” She grinned and shook her head. “While he and Casey were obvious choices, let’s just say they’re looking forward to corrupting Noah, rather than guiding him on a spiritual path.”
Pesh smiled. “I see.”
Emma’s auburn brows knitted together in worry. “I hope you’re not offended that I told you that. I don’t want you to think you were a second best choice. When I thought of someone to protect and guide Noah, you were one of the first people to pop into my mind.”
Pesh worked to free his stethoscope from Noah’s mouth. “And what does Aidan say about this?” He knew that although he and Aidan had come to some sort of friendship on the night of Noah’s birth, he couldn’t imagine, as possessive as Aidan was, that he would want a potential ex-flame of Emma’s having a major part in his son’s life.
“He’s fine with it,” Emma replied, as she toyed with the strap on her purse.
“Emma,” Pesh pressed.
She threw up her hands as she met his gaze. “Okay, so he wasn’t thrilled with the idea at first. It took some convincing on my part, but he’s totally onboard now.”
“As honored as I am, I would not cause contention between you two for anything in the world.”
“And you won’t. I promise.” Emma reached out and took his hand. Months ago, that touch would have electrified him from his head to his feet. Now it was nothing more than the caring touch of a friend. “In this day and age, it is so hard to find a truly honorable man. You have such a kind heart and a caring spirit. Coupled with your integrity, I couldn’t ask for a better person in my son’s life, and Aidan agreed.” She squeezed his hand. “Please say yes.”
Pesh brought his gaze from Emma’s intense one to Noah’s inquisitive one. How could he say no? He loved children, and he wanted nothing more than to have a house full of them one day. The fact that Emma thought so highly of him truly melted his heart. As he stared into Noah’s sweet face, he wanted to be a part of his life. “Emma, it would be a privilege.”
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
Before You Break by Christina Lee
Series: Between Breaths #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 18th 2014
A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…
A college baseball star isn’t supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them–something that makes him want to open up.
Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working a suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.
Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him–or to stop herself from falling too far…
“Hot, sweet, emotional, page-turner, awesome.” —New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy
“This is one New Adult you don’t want to miss.” —New York Times and USA Today bestselling author A. L. Jackson
“Steamy, honest, and full of heart.” —Roni Loren, national bestselling author
At the theater, we bought popcorn, Milk Duds, and large sodas. After we settled in our seats in the crowded room, I opened the box of chocolate caramel confections and dumped them in the large tub.
“Um,” Quinn said, scratching his chin.
“Sweet and salty—it’s a must-have for movie watching.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.” I picked up a Milk Dud, flanked it with two pieces of popcorn, and then brought it to his lips. “Here. I guarantee you’ll fall in love. You’ll never watch a movie without them again.”
“If you say so. . . .” He dragged the sweet and salty mixture into his mouth but kept my fingers enclosed between his lips. I held in a gasp while he ran his tongue over my thumb and then sucked on my forefinger before releasing my hand and chewing what remained.
“Agree,” he said around a mouthful of popcorn. “Wouldn’t want to be without them ever again.”
Quinn’s gaze latched on to mine. It felt like a bundle of feathers had been let loose in my stomach. “Guess you’ll have to come to every movie from now on. So I don’t forget.”
Speechless wasn’t even the word for what I felt in that moment. Dumbfounded might have been more like it, or maybe just struck stupid, because I couldn’t even move my lips to form any coherent words.
When the movie previews began, he turned toward the screen and reached for my fingers, interlacing our hands. Then he leaned close to my ear and said, “I expect you to feed me just like that the entire movie.”
–Three $10 Amazon Gift Cards
–Three hand-stamped silver necklaces from Tags-n-Stones (Christina’s jewelry business) with one of the following stamped on it (your choice): HEA, SWOON, or READ
–Three winners will receive any ebook of their choice or can gift any ebook of their choice
Title: Past Imperfect Author: Alison G. Bailey
Release Date: February 15, 2014 Series: Perfect #2 (full reading order below) Hosted byWordsmith Publicity
In Present Perfect, Brad Johnson was sexy, cocky, rich and a complete Smurff**ker. He could afford anything he wanted and could charm any girl he set his eyes on. Everything was laid out in front of him, all for the taking except the one thing he craved and needed. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his life. When he tries to change, will the people in his life let him move on from his past or will they constantly hold him to the life altering mistakes he’s made?
Mabry Darnell is intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, and sassy. Secrets from her past haunt the present causing her to question her actions in order to shield her heart and protect her life.
From the moment Brad and Mabry met, their connection was strong, intense, and electrifying. Both knew they had found the one person who could satisfy what the other ached for. When their pasts collide with their present, will it prevent them from having a future together or will love be strong enough to conquer their demons?
I had a feeling Brad from Present Perfect was going to get his own book, and I’m glad he did! He was a real douchebag in Present Perfect, but he makes a huge 180 after a tragic event and is a completely different person now. I was so excited to see how Alison G. Bailey would make me NOT hate Brad anymore, and wow, I so don’t hate Brad anymore. He’s sexy, he’s charming, he’s in love now, and he’s so, so sweet. His and Mabry’s story is gutting and heart-wrenching, and although I didn’t fall in love with it, it’s definitely worth reading for fans of the first book.
“I’m sorry, Mabry. If I had known you were going to be in my future, I would have been a better man in my past.”
Brad was an epic jerk in Present Perfect, and he continues to be throughout college, until one day his cruelness causes something terrible to happen, and makes him reevaluate the kind of person he is. And for the years since that tragic event to the present, he’s been trying to make up for everything bad he’s done–and though he knows he won’t be able to make up for everything, he’s still going to make sure he never reverts to how he was before ever again.
People have told her I’m a player, that I lie and cheat my way through life and use women. I used to be like that, but I’m not anymore. I’ve worked hard to make amends for the pain I’ve caused and move past the mistakes I’ve made. I wish others would stop trying to pigeonhole me to the past.
Right now, Brad is in love with Mabry, but she’s the one who’s putting the brakes on having a relationship. She wants to keep everything casual, but Brad wants more. It’s heartwarming to see Brad in such a different light–he’s much more mature, but he’s also still got his boyish, cocky personality in him too. But my heart went out to Brad, because what he really wants more than anything is for Mabry to admit she loves him. And OH MY GOSH! I had no idea how loving and sweet and HOT Brad can be! I melted quite a bit because of the things he says. Just–swoon! And seriously, Past Imperfect is one hot read.
“Do you think it’s possible to love someone before you’ve met them? Because I think I’ve loved you my entire life.”
“I do. I’ve been waiting for you my entire life.”
The book is told through both Brad and Mabry’s POVs, and they alternate between the present and the past. We’d have a scene from the present in one chapter and a scene from the past in the next, but to be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of this style. I was bouncing back and forth between the Brad from the past and the Brad in the present that I never really was able to love him. I liked him well enough, but I wasn’t able to fully immerse myself in his story. And I had a hard time liking Mabry as well. She’s had a hard life–her mother committed suicide, and her father checked out after this–but she seemed very weak to me. I wanted her to be stronger, to embrace her love for Brad, and while she does eventually do this, it took longer than I liked.
For fans of Present Perfect, you should read Brad’s story! I liked that we get to see hidden depths to Brad, and him in love is something you definitely shouldn’t miss. I was hoping I’d love the story more, but overall, Past Imperfect was a sweet, emotional romance I enjoyed reading.
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC. As a child she used her imagination to write additional scenes to TV shows and movies that she watched. She attended Winthrop University and graduating with a BA in Theater. While at Winthrop she began writing one act plays which she later produced. Throughout the years she continued writing and producing several one act plays, but then life got in the way and she hung up her pen for a while. On the advice of a friend, she started writing again. In January 2013, Alison sat down at her computer and began writing her first novel, Present Perfect.
Alison lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, Jef, and their two furry children (dogs). She’s addicted to Diet Pepsi and anything with sugar.
Welcome to today’s stop on the Rumor Has It blog tour! We have a lovely guest post from Elisabeth Grace, the author, about the pros and cons of dating a celebrity, and a great giveaway!
Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace
(Limelight #1)
Publication date: December 6, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
All publicity is good publicity, right? Unless you’re recent college grad Ellie Wagner and an embarrassing video of you and your boyfriend goes viral. Every man in your life abandons you, but who knew a one-minute clip of your latest doomed relationship would brand you a slut, prevent you from getting your perfect job, and force you to keep doing the one thing you swore you’d never do again…live with your mother.
But staying with mom and her latest boy-toy (is this husband number four or five?) until your life turns around might not be all bad. Especially when you fall – literally – at the feet of a sexy, green-eyed stranger who offers you freedom and a life of luxury on a gold-rimmed platter.
There’s only one little problem – the man of your dreams is none other than Mason Nash, the latest hip-hop star busting up the music charts. Fame and fortune are his calling cards and he’s vying to steal the show on a new reality TV series that will catapult him into mainstream stardom. Hello spotlight.
The man behind the famous persona is perfect for Ellie in every way, but can she overcome the ugly pitfalls that come with Mason’s celebrity status? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and the independent life she longs for? After all, fame and fortune aren’t always what they seem and not all publicity is good publicity…
I’m certainly no expert but like any girl I spent much of my pre-teen and teenager years day dreaming about dating whatever piece of celebrity man candy was big at the time. Back then it seemed like dating someone rich and famous would be one of the best things that could ever happen to a girl. Now that I’m older I’ve realized that it probably wouldn’t always be what it was cracked up to be.
As I see it, here are some of the pros & cons to dating a celebrity:
Pros
There’s a good chance you are going to get to meet other celebrities, which could be a lot of fun! Who wouldn’t want to go to a party and hang out with Leonardo Dicaprio or Taylor Swift?
You’re probably going to have access to a lot of places you wouldn’t have otherwise: backstage at concerts, on set at movie studios, invites to private parties, side stage at fashion shows, tickets to award shows. These are likely once in a lifetime opportunities so it’d be a blast to get to do them.
Well, if he’s a celebrity he’s probably rich so you’ll likely get some awesome dates and phenomenal presents
Cons
If it were me I’d always be worried that the person I was dating would think I was only doing it because they were a celebrity. I think I might be constantly trying to prove that I wasn’t, even if they weren’t questioning me.
It’d be hard to be with someone that other people were always pursuing. There’s a good chance this guy is going to be surrounded by other female celebrities, models and fans. You have to be a pretty confident woman to not ever succumb to jealousy under those circumstances.
Very often celebrities have to travel a lot. This makes it hard to see each other on a regular basis and build a relationship. Many celebrity couples have broken up as a result.
One word: Paparazzi. Not only would it be a major pain to be followed around by them but you’d inevitably end up in a magazine whether you want to or not. Best case scenario you didn’t just roll out of bed without any make-up.
All in all I’m not sure I’d ever really want to date a celebrity. For me I’m not sure the pros outweigh the cons. What about you? Would you like to date someone that spends their life in the limelight?
What do you think about dating a celebrity? Personally, I’d like to give it a try just once. (I’m talking to YOU, Joseph-Gordon Levitt!)
I have a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a HOT spot for alpha males! I currently live outside Toronto, Canada with my hubby, two small children and cat spawned by the devil. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share my love of reading and writing with others. Things I can tell you that sum me up…I’m a sugar and carb addict, self-professed Gandy Girl, a disaster in the kitchen, a LOVER of all music, I enjoy reality TV and I’m an early riser! When I have a moment to breath you can usually find me typing furiously on the keyboard to get my next story on paper, or curled up reading about someone else’s HEA. The second book in my Limelight series, Picture Perfect, is set to release at the end of March 2014.
New 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.
Booklovers For Life 