Blog Tour + ARC Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Showmance by L.H. Cosway

Showmance Tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for King of Hearts by L.H. Cosway!

Showmance by L.H. Cosway
Series: Standalone
Release Date: May 16th 2016
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Damon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.

As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.

Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

Buy Links:
Amazon • Amazon UK • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Smashwords

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I freaking adore L.H. Cosway’s books!! She’s got such a unique, quirky style of writing that I’ve missed. Honestly, all of her stories are unique and all her characters are special. Showmance is definitely another winner from her – it’s a fantastic theater romance that was so sweet and easy to read. Damon and Rose totally melted my heart as I read their story. If you love romances that feature celebrities or the theater, I highly recommend Showmance!

Rose Taylor is a dancer and a choreographer assistant – but even though she dances incredibly well, she shies away from the spotlight because of her stage fright. So she’s content to stay backstage for the latest musical she’s in, Moulin Rouge, and she’s also made a promise to herself to stay away from actors after being badly burned by one in the last show she was in. But her promise goes awry when the famous former child star, Damon Atwood, returns to acting as one of the main characters in Moulin Rouge. He’s all grown up now – he’s sexy, quiet, irresistible, and to top it off, he has a gorgeous singing voice. How is a girl to stay away from him, especially when it seems he’s grown an interest in her?

“Enlightenment is often found in the most unexpected places,” she replied, lifting the cup to her mouth again with a teasing smile.
My eyes traced the curve of her lips and the feminine line of her jaw, and I thought, If I could find myself anywhere, it would be inside you, Rose Taylor.

Damon Atwood has been living the quiet, solitary life after he left Hollywood, so now that he’s thrust back into the limelight, he’s a little awkward and stilted about being back in urban life. The only time he feels calm and like himself is when he’s with Rose, a beautiful, sweet, adorable dancer he can’t stop thinking about. He and Rose form a friendship of sorts, even though it’s layered with attraction. But when other people start hounding in on them – Damon’s co-star wants him, Rose’s ex wants her back – will the two of them finally go after what they want?

This is probably the sexiest book I’ve read from L.H. Cosway so far. The chemistry between Rose and Damon is FABULOUS. I could seriously feel it every time they were together. L.H. Cosway did a wonderful job with the build-up of anticipation between these two characters – I was dying for Damon and Rose to get together! And when they finally did… swoon. Damon is one sweet talker (though he can be dirty too) ;).

One of my favorite things about Showmance is the fact that it’s in dual POV. I LOVED that we get inside both Rose and Damon’s heads! We can see how the attraction is on both sides and how they wanted each other so much. Their romance is seriously just all the swoons – I couldn’t get enough of them! Showmance is another fantastic read from one of my favorite authors – it’s got a wonderful cast of characters, a heart-warming romance, and the theater aspect is on point! I simply adored this book.

Home wasn’t a geographical location on the map anymore, it wasn’t a place set by four walls and a roof. Home now was a much more intangible, yet solid thing.
She was my home.
My beautiful, sweet, and forever enchanting Rose.

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Showmance! ❤

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After a moment I leaned in, my shoulder brushing hers as I spoke low, “And what book would you have me narrate?”

She paused to consider her answer, tapping her lower lip with her middle finger. “Hmm, if only Elizabeth Gaskell had written North and South from the male point of view. You’d make a fantastic Mr Thornton.”

I effected a brooding frown. “That’s how you see me? All moody and tortured?”

She eyed me, seeming surprised that I knew who Mr Thornton was. “Maybe add shy to that list. You’ve barely spoken a word to me all week.”

I rubbed at my jaw and looked across the studio to where Iggy stood with Jacob, both men talking, their eyes on us. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Seeming to notice my self-consciousness, she nudged me with her elbow. “Did you know you sound like Sean Bean? I could listen to him recite the phone book,” she said on a sigh. Did that mean she could listen to me recite the phone book, too? For a second her blue eyes widened, like she just realised what she’d said. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.

“Do you remember earlier when I was singing my part of the song for the first time?”

Rose nodded and took another gulp of water. My attention wandered to the delicate curve of her throat as she swallowed and then back up to her bright eyes. My brow furrowed. It was becoming disconcerting how closely I watched her sometimes.

“Everybody got weird for a second, just…staring at me. What was that about?”

She turned her body to look me dead in the eye. “You have no idea, have you?

“No idea of what?”

“Of how good you are. When you sing, I swear, even the straight guys in the cast get stiffys.”

I sputtered a laugh, surprised by her unexpected bluntness. “You’re lying.”

“And you’re oblivious, Damon. You’re a fantastic actor and an amazing singer. It’s hard for people not to go all googly-eyed when you perform. I guess that’s why you’re a star.” She shrugged like it was simple.

“I haven’t been a star for a very long time, and even then it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be,” I said. What I really wanted to say was, do you get a stiffy when I sing? Or, uh, the female equivalent.

Do you get wet when I sing, Rose?

The question filled my head with images. In my mind she was spread wide and naked on my bed, begging, pleading… My gaze wandered from her curious expression to her exposed shoulder. Her oversized T-shirt was hanging off again, revealing a tight tank top beneath. The rise and fall of her breathing led my attention to her breasts, which were round and full, but frustratingly hidden beneath the bagginess of the top.

about the author button

L.H. CoswayL.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 favourite 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 • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon Page

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1st Prize:
Signed copy of Showmance
$25 Amazon giftcard
L.H. Cosway tote bag
L.H. Cosway notebook
Showmance pocket mirror & signed swag.

2nd Prize:
Signed copy of Showmance
$10 Amazon giftcard & signed swag.

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May New Release Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the May New Release Giveaway Hop, hosted by It Starts at Midnight!

For my stop, one winner will receive their choice of ANY May release under $20 (to be sent from Amazon or The Book Depository – so this giveaway is open internationally!)

Here are some of my May highlights:
(Click the covers to purchase)

   
   
   
   

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Any May release from Amazon or The Book Depository under $20 (open INTL)

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Release Blitz + ARC Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle

The Ending I Want release

The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle is now live!

The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 10th 2016
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Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst.
After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family.
Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life.

Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands.
No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything.
She’s going to join her family.
It’s her decision.
What she longs for.
The ending she wants.

She just has a list of things to do before she goes.
First, go to England.
Second, kiss a stranger…

Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things.
To change her.
To change the ending she wanted.

What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Writing The Ending I Want has been a cathartic and exhausting process for me, but I have loved every second of writing it. I relate to this story more than any of the stories that I’ve written before. Maybe that’s because there’s a piece of me in this book. And not in Taylor having a brain tumor, because fortunately I’ve never had to endure anything like that. But for me, it was the need to feel free from something that has crippled me for many years, just like Taylor is crippled by her own pain. Taylor wanted to die to be free. I never wanted to die, but I did want to be free, in a way that’s hard to explain. But now, after years of feeling trapped by my demons, things that have held me back in life, I’ve found a way to get the freedom I needed. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m working better now than I ever did before – just saying this cryptic stuff out loud is a big step for me. So, writing Taylor in the way I did was a big deal for me. I really hope that you love this story, and see strength in Taylor’s choices rather than weakness.

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Ever since I read The Storm series, I’ve been a big fan of Samantha Towle’s. I get super excited for every one of her releases, so when I heard about The Ending I Want (and saw the gorgeous cover), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! While I didn’t completely love it, it’s certainly an emotional, if frustrating, read. While I can’t say there was anything particularly unique about the story or characters, if you’re a long-time fan of the author, you just might love this book!

Taylor Shaw knows she’s dying. She had a brain tumor once at sixteen, and she knows it’s back again at twenty-two. But rather than sit passively waiting to die, she’s made somewhat of a bucket list that she’s determined to complete before the end. On her flight to London, she encounters the gorgeous Liam Hunter, with whom she completes the first item on her list: kiss a stranger. Turns out the chemistry between them gets hotter than ever after that kiss, and even though she knows she shouldn’t, she allows Liam to sweep her away on a whirlwind romance and adventure… all the while keeping her terminal illness a secret from him.

I really wanted to love this book… but it only ended up an okay read. I liked some parts, but others frustrated me. I skimmed some of the steamy scenes because they were getting to be too much. The romance… well, I didn’t really FEEL the connection between Liam and Taylor. The lust is strong between them, but the love takes a little while to understand. Their whole trip takes less than two weeks, which meant it takes about a week for them to fall in love, which was a little too unbelievable to me. Still, I did enjoy the sweet, tender moments between them, and Liam is certainly an alpha hero. I liked that he was willing to do anything and everything for Taylor, and with his wealth, he certainly could. The Ending I Want might not be my favorite Samantha Towle read, but I’m still a big fan of hers and I look forward to more books from her!

3 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Ending I Want! ❤

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Go to England. Kiss a stranger. Have lots of sex,” his deep voice rumbles out the words I wrote.

He glances at me over his shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face.

I don’t even bother with trying to get the list back now. What’s the point? He’s already seen it.

Bastard.

I fall back into my seat, my face feeling like a blowtorch went at it. “You’re an asshole,” I mutter.

He turns to face me, my list in his hand but still held out of my reach. “Aw, don’t be like that, Taylor, from Boston. I was just curious to read it.”

I’m pretty sure he’s going for contrite, but he’s failing miserably.

I glare at him. I’m going for death-by-laser stare.

It doesn’t work because he gives me a panty-dropping smile. I’d like to say I’m unaffected, but I’m not; however, I don’t let him know that.

“Curious? I don’t think so. An effing thief? Yes.”

He laughs. “I’m sorry. But you don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s a good list.” He looks back to my list. “Have sex with a stranger,” he continues on reading. “Have sex with a stranger outdoors. You do know I can help you with all of these, right?” He lifts a brow at me.

I give him the middle finger.

He laughs again and looks back to the list. Then, he stops laughing and stares at me with what can only be described as complete horror. “You’ve never had oral sex?”

Fuck.

Why the hell did I put that on my list?

about the author button

Samantha TowleNew York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM, TROUBLE, REVVED and REVIVED.

She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.
A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.

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Two winners will receive a signed paperback of THE ENDING I WANT
One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card
(open international)

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Release Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

Happy release day to Amy Harmon – The Bird and the Sword is live!

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 11th 2016
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Swallow, daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heaven or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would sell his soul and lose his son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a little bird?

Buy Links:
Amazon • iTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from The Bird and the Sword! ❤

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He waited for me to continue, but I was holding myself tightly, refusing to think at all, so I wouldn’t share more than I wanted to.

“They would have killed us. All of us. You saved so many.”

“I killed so many.” My voice snapped back at him, lashing out like a snake. He left his bed and came toward me. I turned and braced myself for his touch, but he stopped before he reached me.

Yes. You did. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” His tone was frank. Admiring. I wanted to scream. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

“I am not a sword.”

“What?” he asked, surprise coloring the word.

“I am not a sword!”

I squeezed my eyes shut against the hot tears that rose immediately. I didn’t want to share any of this with him. But my thoughts were unruly, and he was listening intently.

“I am not a weapon. I don’t want to be a weapon!”

“You are what you are. I am what I am. It matters little what we want.”

“I am not a weapon.” The words were a cry, mournful and resistant. I felt him draw closer, but still he didn’t touch me, and for that I was grateful. If he touched me I would break down.

“I never wanted to be king. But it is what I am. It matters little what we want,” he repeated. I turned and stared up into his face, filled with an anguish that wouldn’t abate.

“You’re wrong. It is the thing that matters most.”

“Why?” he murmured, his eyes intense.

“Because without desire, there is only duty.” My lips trembled, and I bit down on them, bidding them to be still.

He pressed a thumb against my mouth, freeing my lower lip from the grip of my teeth. “Do you desire me?”

I jerked, resisting the coiled need that suddenly sprang from my belly and filled my chest. His eyes flared and his breath caught, and I wondered what I’d given away. I could only guess. I stepped around him, but he caught me up, lifting me off the ground, one arm beneath my hips, one braced around my back. He walked back to the thick furs where he slept and laid me down on them.

“This is not my duty. Or my desire.”

“It is both,” he responded, his arrogance setting my teeth on edge.

about the author button

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street JournalUSA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in twelve countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written ten novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Bird and The Sword will be released in the spring of 2016. She will release From Sand and Ash in October of 2016, via Lake Union Publishing.

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$100 Amazon Gift Card

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Book Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: For the One by Brenna Aubrey

For the One blitz

Happy Release Day to Brenna Aubrey – For the One is finally here!

For the One by Brenna Aubrey
Series: Gaming the System #5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 10th 2016
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He’s got everything but game….

William Drake is an artistic genius with a photographic memory and the intensity to master practically any task. Oh, and he owns a chunk of a billion-dollar gaming company. A twenty-six year-old guy with his wealth, talent, and good looks shouldn’t have problems winning over women. Except he does. To be exact—and detail-obsessed William is always exact—he’s got problems with Jenna Kovac, the troubled beauty who has his heart working overtime and his tongue tied in knots.

And she can’t afford to lose.

Jenna Kovac is a survivor. When war ripped her world apart, she lost her family, her homeland, and her one true love. She’s made a new life for herself in the US, but she’s learned that nothing is permanent, and some nights it’s not even safe to dream. When a scumbag sells her future out from under her, suddenly the only man who can get it back is William Drake, geeky—but scorching-hot—social disaster. William must learn to stay cool under pressure for the all-important duel he’s about to fight. Unless she can teach him to loosen up, she’ll lose everything.Again.

But Jenna’s got a few things to learn from this irresistibly enigmatic man. As they spend time together, they’re soon exchanging long, slow kisses—and painful secrets. There’s so much more to William.

Something that might be worth taking one more risk…

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • KoboGoogle Play

Now here’s an excerpt from For the One! ❤

excerpt button

“What the hell was that? Why did you storm off?”

“Because I didn’t want to say anything rude, and you made me angry.”

“Because I asked you to look me in the eye?”

“Yes.”

“Well, maybe I’m just tired of you looking everywhere but my eyes.”

He blinked. “It’s difficult.”

“Why?”

He shook his head. “Because when I’m looking in your eyes, I’m too distracted to hear what you are saying. It’s intense.”

“What’s intense? I mean, I know I’m beautiful, but…” I joked in an effort to lighten the mood.

“Yes. You are beautiful. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

I sucked in a breath. Wow. He’d said it in a matter-of-fact tone as if stating that the sky was undeniably blue. There was no art to the words, no obvious attempt at flattery. Why was my throat closing up like this?

“I was joking.” I laughed self-consciously. “I’m not really that full of myself.”

“I don’t know what that means. But you shouldn’t joke about being beautiful. It’s not a joke.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and waited.

I felt both uncomfortable and pleased at the same time. My cheeks were flaming hot and—ironically—I couldn’t meet his gaze even if he wanted me to.

“I didn’t realize,” I suddenly blurted, my voice trembling with regret.

“What?”

“That it was so hard for you to look in my eyes. I thought that was a myth. I don’t spend a lot of time around autistic people.”

“It’s hard to look in anyone’s eyes, but easier if I know the person.” I was flooded with relief that he seemed okay discussing this. “Mostly it keeps me from focusing on what is being said. It also makes me feel like I’m violating that person’s privacy.”

“By looking in their eyes?”

“Like I’m seeing things that I shouldn’t see.” He shakes his head. “I get tired of having to explain it to people. And you aren’t going to get it so—”

“The eyes are the windows to the soul,” I interrupted quietly.

“Eyes are not windows.”

“It’s a metaphor, Wil. It means that a person’s eyes can show what’s going on with them beneath the surface. So maybe you’re feeling like a Peeping Tom?”

He was quiet for a long time, shifting from one leg to the other. “Yeah, so maybe if I make eye contact with you as long as you want, you’ll let me peep through your window.”

I opened my mouth, about to lodge a protest, when I saw the smile on his face. He was rather pleased with himself and his joke. “Ha ha. Then again, you do stare at my boobs enough.”

“I like your breasts.” His eyes darted to my chest, causing my nipples to tighten under my t-shirt.

I folded my arms to cover my unconscious reaction and laughed. “I can tell.”

“And your butt. And your legs. And—”

“All right, all right. I get the picture. Let’s get in your car,” I said with an exasperated sigh. Typical man.

Reading Order: Gaming the System series

At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey At Any Turn by Brenna Aubrey At Any Moment by Brenna Aubrey
For the Win by Brenna Aubrey 

#1 ~ At Any Price: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ At Any Turn: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ At Any Moment: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#4 ~ For the Win: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ For the One: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads

about the author button

Brenna AubreyBrenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting.

She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, a bird and some fish.

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Signed paperbacks of the complete 5 books Gaming the System series

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