Release Week Blitz + Top 5 List & Giveaway: The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon

The Billionaire Bachelor Blitz

Happy Release Day to Jessica Lemmon – The Billionaire Bachelor is live!

Please welcome Jessica Lemmon here on the blog today with her top 5 list for billionaire boyfriend perks! 😉

Top 5 Billionaire Boyfriend Perks

I’m so excited to be here! Since my new series, the Billionaire Bad Boys starts with THE BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR, I’ve been tasked with giving you a TOP 5 list of the best Billionaire Boyfriend Perks. I think I can handle that…

Let’s begin.

#5 ~ Like fancy restaurants? Never pay for dinner again with your billionaire boyfriend. My billionaire hero Reese Crane takes Merina Van Heusen to the finest meals in town, including their first date an all-aphrodisiac restaurant. *Yum*

#4 ~ Need to get away? Your billionaire boyfriend owns a jet, a limo, and a hotel building, or in Reese Crane’s case, owns Crane Hotels, a hotel chain.

#3 ~ If you’re into gifts, you can expect some good ones. A diamond ring came standard in The Billionaire Bachelor since Reese proposed a marriage of convenience…

#2 ~ No need to worry about your living arrangements, since your new fiancé will move you into his mansion. Did I mention the house manager who prepares your meals and the house staff who cleans your room?

#1 ~ Late nights are something he’s accustomed to. You can count on your billionaire boyfriend to keep you up… and I don’t mean because he’s talking shop. 😉

The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Billionaire Bad Boys #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
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Indecent Proposal

Manwhore. That’s what the board of directors-and the tabloids-thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn’t care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing-and no one-will keep him from his life’s legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that’s exactly what he’ll give them.

Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents’ funky boutique hotel back-even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It’s a simple business contract-six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband . . .

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleBAMiTunes • KoboGoogle Play • IndieBound

Reading Order: Billionaire Bad Boys series

  

#1 ~ The Billionaire Bachelor: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads (Jun. 28, 2016)
#2 ~ The Billionaire Next Door: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads (Oct. 25, 2016)
#3 ~ The Bastard Billionaire: EbookPaperbackGoodreads (Feb. 28, 2017)

about the author button

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest • Goodreads

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Ten (10) mass market copies of THE BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR by Jessica Lemmon

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Spotlight + Excerpts: Crossing the Line series by Tessa Bailey

I’m so excited to share with you all some excerpts from Tessa Bailey’s fantastic Crossing the Line series! The 4th and final book, Raw Redemption, will be releasing soon so make sure to catch up on the series!

Risking It All by Tessa Bailey
Series: Crossing the Line #1 (full reading order below)
Release Date: January 27th 2015
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She’s gone rogue.

Seraphina Newsom isn’t looking for vengeance…she wants justice. Three years ago, Sera’s brother was ruthlessly gunned down by one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous mob kingpins. The investigation has stalled out, deemed “too dangerous” by the police commissioner. So to track down the evidence she needs to take down her brother’s killer, Sera turns in her hospital scrubs, joins the NYPD, and goes undercover. Unsanctioned. Alone.

He’ll live to keep her safe.

With his father behind bars, Bowen Driscol has reluctantly taken over his family’s sprawling South Brooklyn crime operation. New York’s finest have other plans. By threatening the safety of his sister, they “convince” Bowen to extricate a rogue cop who’s in over her head. But when he meets Sera and feels that deep, damning shiver of desire course through him, Bowen knows there’s only one way to keep her safe without blowing either of their covers…by claiming her as his own.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Risking It All! ❤

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“Listen to me, if I wanted to fuck you, I’d end anyone or anything who got in my way. Nothing would stop me. Not a locked door. Not some lowlife. Nothing.”

“If?” she repeated, embarrassment cooling her desire. “You don’t want to?”

His laughter was harsh. “Want to? Want to?” One of his hands loosened its grip to drop down and grasp the bulge in his pants. “I didn’t even know it was possible to ache this bad. It hurts to breathe, baby.”

The heat came rushing back in full force. “Then I don’t understand.”

“I can’t. We can’t.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “See, I’m wondering if keeping my hands off you will buy my way out of hell. God knows I’ll have experienced the worst hell has to offer already. You think he’ll make me go through it twice?”

The suffering in his voice lacerated her. There was so much more going on here than sexual frustration, although there was definitely a healthy dose of that. He seemed to think there would be consequences for getting physical with her. But that didn’t make any sense. Since when does a man who rules streets with fear care about consequences for anything? This man took what he wanted and damn the outcome. Right?

Without thinking, she took the hand he’d dropped and brushed a stray piece of hair off his forehead. His body went liquid, melting against her for long moments while she held her breath. “Aren’t there other ways to buy yourself out of hell?”

“Not for me.”

Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey
Series: Crossing the Line #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: June 23rd 2015
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Never start a fire you can’t control…

Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he’s spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin’s crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he’s now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team-all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair-Connor’s notorious iron control slips.

Erin “she’s getting away” O’Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that’s it. When she’s forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier’s eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Up in Smoke! ❤

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Connor broke away, allowing them both to suck in oxygen. “Stay. I’m sorry. Stay.” He bent his knees to bring them eye to eye. His spoke of torture, but he was trying to hide it. “Look at me. I can handle this. I want you here. Don’t leave.”

“I don’t know if I can handle it,” she whispered.

His heavy breaths ceased. “What do you mean?”

She drew out a lighter from her back pocket and ignited the flame. It cleared her head a little, allowing her to search for the right words. Words that wouldn’t sound crazy. “I like touching you. It makes me feel really…good. And there isn’t a whole lot that makes me feel good, you know?” Her throat closed up. “I wish you could touch me, too. I don’t think I can stay here knowing I’m hurting you by making myself feel good…and I don’t think I can stop touching you. It feels like a must.”

A flare of panic flashed across his face. “I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. You just caught me off guard.” He massaged his forehead with four fingers. “Did I scare you? Is that why you’re really leaving?”

“No.” She shook her head. “No.”

“Okay. Jesus. Okay.” He was silent a moment, but gears were turning behind his eyes. “You need to touch me and I need you to stay. Let’s give each other what we need. All right?”

Why was this so damn confusing? She’d only met this man yesterday and they were already tangled up in her web of fucked-up issues. He should want to be clear of her, shouldn’t he? No one else had ever bothered with her this long before. “Why? Why do you need me to stay? I—”

“I won’t rest,” he growled. “I’ll think about you somewhere, scared like you were last night, and I’ll go fucking crazy.”

Her heart lurched, dislodging her pride. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. If the only reason you want me here is to play nursemaid to the crazy girl, that’s not going to work for me.”

“You know there’s more to it. You know.” He visibly centered himself with a deep breath, appearing to debate with himself. “I’ve got my own skeletons, Erin. They don’t rattle so much when you’re around. Your touching me…it makes me hot. But it soothes elsewhere.”

She knew her expression was pathetically hopeful, but couldn’t find a single shit to give. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he repeated. “I’m not going to lie, Erin. Yes, I want to sleep with you like hell. But only if it’s healthy. Would you trust me enough to go slow? A little at a time?”

Her pulse hammered out of control. “You touching me?”

Connor watched her closely. “When you’re ready. Not before. Never before.”

This is where she should climb down the fire escape and vamoose toward the street. A weight pressed down on her rib cage, making it difficult to draw a breath. It felt like the point of no return. But Connor’s eyes grounded her.

Safe. He’s safe.

“Okay, baby. Slow.”

His body drained of tension. “Thank you.” He leaned in and brushed their lips together, gently, reverently. “First, we talk.”

Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey

Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey
Series: Crossing the Line #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: January 25th 2016
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Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all…

Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.

Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.

But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Boiling Point! ❤

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“Drop the gun.” He issued the order through clenched teeth. “I find the idea of hurting you distasteful.”

She twisted her body, an attempt to regain control of the Beretta. “I can’t believe you don’t have the decency to put your dick away before charging at me.”

Call him sick, call him whatever you liked, he liked Polly talking about his dick in any capacity. Look at it. Want it. “I’m the furthest thing from decent.”

“No shit.” They were breathing heavily, inches from each other’s mouths. And hell if the swollen bastard between his thighs didn’t react favorably to having her close, even though she might have come there to murder him in cold blood. Pity, his cock didn’t deal in semantics.

“One last chance, Banks. Drop the gun or I’ll take it away from you.”

She pretended to think about it. “See, I’m not really in the mood to cry uncle.”

“Are you in the mood to cry Austin? Now that could be interesting.” She attempted to jerk the Beretta away again, giving him no choice but to dig his thumb into the pressure point on her wrist, releasing her grip automatically. “There now.” Keeping his attention trained on Polly, he placed the gun out of her reach on an overhead shelf. “That wasn’t so difficult, was—”

Her freed fist drilled him in the stomach. A grunt burst past his lips, but masculine pride kept him standing upright. Well, masculine pride and another fist flying in his direction, this time at his head. He shot a hand out to intercept the punch, using the grip to drag Polly off the sink and twist her arm behind her back.

“Aiming for this moneymaker face, sweet?” He clucked his tongue. “Now that’s just cruel.”

“Let me go,” she demanded, her voice vibrating with anger. Although he detected more embarrassment than anything else. He’d never seen her anything but confident. Ready for a challenge. It didn’t sit well that he’d scored her pride, so he let go of her arm. He had questions that needed answering, though, so as soon as he refastened his pants—not an easy feat when his cock still stood at attention—Austin pressed her body back against the sink, blocking both avenues of escape with his arms.

“How did you find my address? I’ve made it impossible.”

Some of her confidence returned in the form of a chin lift. Jesus, he would’ve liked to see that chin pointed toward the ceiling as she wailed for more tongue. “You should know by now that nothing is impossible for me.” Intelligence glimmered in her eyes. “I know you asked Derek to pay you by money order. I tracked the last several serial numbers to four different check-cashing places in the neighborhood.” Her shrug appeared grudging. “That was smart, not using the same place consistently. But I was able to pinpoint your general location down to a three-block radius, nonetheless. This building is the only one not run by a professional management company, and the most likely to rent without a proper credit check and accept cash deposits.”

It took an effort, but Austin managed to hide the chest-expanding awe she’d inspired. “And my apartment number? How did you manage to glean that information, my hot little sleuth?”

“I’m not your anything, Shaw.” She narrowed her gaze. “And your buzzer has the name I.M. TheTits on it.”

Raw Redemption by Tessa Bailey
Series: Crossing the Line #4 (full reading order below)
Release Date: June 13th 2016
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Loving her might cost him everything…

Disgraced cop Henrik Vance is having a shit year. Banished to a derelict undercover squad, he’s been tasked with hunting down the daughter of Chicago’s most dangerous criminal. His obsession with saving the beautiful girl destroyed his career. And this time, it might cost his life.

Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.

His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Raw Redemption! ❤

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Henrik’s sigh blew her hair back like a stiff gust of wind. “While I’m with you, Ailish, I’m working. There are lines I can’t cross.”

Even knowing it was a little evil, nothing could suppress the pop of excitement in her belly. She was alone with a man—a gorgeous man—who wanted her. But had to keep his hands off. It was a tease’s paradise, and they were both screwed. Or not screwed, depending on your point of view.  “We can’t sleep together.”

“No.” He dropped his needful gaze to her breasts again. “We can’t.”

She executed her best nonchalant shoulder shrug. “Oh.”

“You’re smiling again.”

Ailish couldn’t stifle her chuckle. Man oh man, she really liked this big ol’ man, and they’d only just met. He deserved a fair warning about what he was getting himself into. “Henrik, you should probably put as much distance between you and me as possible. I really like that you want me. And I probably won’t be able to help trying to keep it that way.” She drew a lazy circle on his abdomen with her index finger, watching in awe as the ridged muscle shuddered under her touch. “For instance, I’d love to tell you I’m wearing cheap white panties and you can see clear through them in the right light.”

His body did this kind of heave, right at Ailish, flattening her backside against the sink. Their mouths were suddenly so close, she could feel his hot puffs of breath on her lips, feel his chest lifting and falling where it met her breasts. “I don’t like hearing that you’ve talked to other men that way.”

“I haven’t,” she whispered. “I don’t. I usually just—”

“I do not want to know.”

Henrik made a subtle move, just a downward roll of his hips that dragged his erection over the crotch of her leggings. But it wasn’t really subtle at all because he stopped right over her clit and nudged forward. She nearly jumped out of her skin, it was so unexpected, her body’s deluge of need so extreme. “H’oh boy.

His mouth sifted through the hair covering her ear. “Tease me as much as you want. Just don’t try to send me packing again. Are we clear?”

“I told you I don’t like being ordered around.”

He rasped the stubble of his jaw against her neck. “You’d love the way I do it.”

Reading Order: Crossing the Line series

Riskier Business by Tessa Bailey Risking it All by Tessa Bailey
Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey

#0.5 ~ Riskier Business: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Risking it All: EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Up in Smoke: My Review • EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Boiling Point: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Raw Redemption: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (June 13, 2016)

about the author button

Tessa BaileyThank you for your interest in my books! I’m Tessa and I live in the crazy, loud, overcrowded borough of Brooklyn, New York. I love it here. This city is a constant source of inspiration, which is why I’ve decided to set my most recent books in the Line of Duty Series here.

I moved to New York when I was eighteen, the day after I graduated high school. Threw my suitcase in the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier and drove across the country to find my adventure. I’m still finding it, little by little. Thank you for being a part of it.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads


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Release Week Blitz + ARC Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn

Unbreak My Heart Blitz

Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn is here! This book completely wrecked me in the best way – I highly, highly recommend this for those who love emotional books!

Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn
Series: Fostering Love #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 7th 2016
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What do you do when your soul mate marries your best friend?

If you’re Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane’s in the military and away for long periods helps-but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.

After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel’s death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.

Shane’s been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too – for sleeping with his wife’s best friend and liking it . . . liking her. Kate’s ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.

Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate’s only choice is to fight for the future she deserves – with or without Shane. . .

Buy Links:
Amazon EbookAmazon Paperback • Audible • B&N
BAM • Google Play • iBooks • Indiebound • Kobo • Powell’s

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HOLY FREAKING GOD!!!!!

Oh my god. OMGGG. This book. This freaking book!!! I honestly can’t believe I love Unbreak My Heart as much as I do… but holy god, this book wrecked me. It’s been so long since a book made me ugly cry – I rarely ever cry for books, much less ugly cry – but Nicole Jacquelyn just broke my heart with this story. I knew going into Unbreak My Heart that it would be an angst-fest – I’m a big fan of angst myself, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle the kind of story the blurb suggested, but when my blogger friends loved it and told me to give it a try, I did – and it was totally. worth. it. I loved this book so, SO much. I’ve already reread it a few times, and I’m blown away every time. Unbreak My Heart is already one of my favorite books of the year – this heart-wrenching, gripping, unputdownable book is a must read!

Loving your best friend’s husband… it’s just not supposed to happen, right? But Kate Evans has been in love with Rachel’s husband Shane for years, even before they ever met and married. Kate and Shane were childhood friends… until he threw her away for Rachel. And heads up, that’s not even the most hurtful thing he’ll do to her in the book. Over the past ten years, Kate has been there every step of the way for Rachel, never feeling bitter or angry towards to woman married to the man she loved – Kate has the heart and soul of a saint. She takes care of Rachel’s children when Shane is away on duty, treats and loves them like her own, which is why when tragedy strikes and a pregnant Rachel is killed in a car accident, it’s Kate who’s there to take care of the children and newborn child.

One year later and Kate has practically given up her life for Rachel and Shane’s children, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Sage, Keller, Gavin, and Gunner are her new life and love now… and Shane is just as separate from her life as he ever was, despite being home more for the children. But one night of drunkenness and temptation changes everything – and not necessarily for the better. To say Shane is cold, brutal, and even cruel is an understatement – he is the ultimate asshole towards Kate, but Kate takes it for the children. She’s not about to let anything Shane says or does keep her away from them, and for that I admired her. But I HATED Shane. Absolutely loathed him. This widowed Shane is so selfish, immature, and cruel – I honestly didn’t believe that I would ever end up liking him. Time and again, he treats Kate badly, only to regret it yet act cold and distant. My heart ached for Kate and what she goes through… my gut churned and tears would well up in my eyes for all the hurt in this book.

I’d pushed her aside for so long that there was no foundation to build on. Just a mess of shattered pieces that I’d crushed with a sledgehammer every time she’d grown closer than I was comfortable with.

But then – I don’t even know how Nicole Jacquelyn did it – the moment Shane realized he fucked up the best thing to ever happen to him… I started sobbing buckets and LOVING the book. The culmination of all the emotions got to me, and I was sucked even more into the book that I thought was possible. Did I love Shane? No… but I didn’t hate him anymore either. The way he’s desperate and begging for another chance, a thousand chances, to make it right with the woman who’s always been meant for him – holy god, did I cry for him, for them. The character development in Kate and especially Shane blew me away, and I couldn’t believe that I was sympathizing with such a hurtful man, but I was. I was rooting for their HEA like crazy, aching for them to have the happiness they both deserved.

It had always been Kate. My hands shook as the truth seeped into my pores. It had been her since I was just a stupid kid.

I don’t even have the words to describe the tumultuous emotions the author wrung out of me while reading this. It was an experience, to say the least, and one everyone has to try. If you’re scared to read this book like I was, trust me, it will so be worth it in the end. I ended up smiling through my tears, my heart wrecked from Shane and Kate’s story. It takes a while to get there, but you’ll believe in these two characters and their romance by the end of the novel. If you love angst – READ THIS BOOK. Just have a little patience with it (and Shane). ❤

5 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Unbreak My Heart! ❤

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I don’t remember the drive to the hospital or even where I parked that afternoon. I can’t recall what the nurse looked like as she searched for Rachel’s name in their computer system or the walk toward the room where I waited for someone to speak to me.

The first thing I remember clearly is the white-haired doctor’s kind face as he sat down across from me, and the young chaplain’s small smile as he chose the chair to my left. Their words became a litany that I would hear in my dreams for years.

My Rachel was gone, but her son was alive and in the NICU.

“Is there anyone you’d like for us to call? Any family or friends that you’d like to be here?”

The question jolted me out of the fog that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker around me. Dear God.

“I’ll make the calls,” I answered, looking blankly at the wall. “Can I have some privacy please?”

“Of course. I’ll be right outside if you need me,” the chaplain answered, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’ll take you up to the NICU when you’re ready.”

The room was silent after they left, and I fought the urge to scream at the top of my lungs just to hear it echo around me. I understood then why people hired mourners to wail at funerals. Sometimes the lack of sound is more painful than the anguished noise of a heart breaking.

My hands shook as I pulled my phone out of my front pocket and rested it on the table in front of me.

It only took a moment before the sound of ringing filled the room, and I rested my head in my hands as I stared at the name across the screen.

“Hello? Kate? What’s wrong?”

“Shane—” I said quietly, my voice hitching.

“What? Why are you calling me?” His voice was confused, but I could hear a small thread of panic in the urgency of his words.

“I need you to come to Tri-City Hospital,” I answered, tears rolling down my face and landing on the glass screen of my phone, distorting the letters and numbers.

“Who?” His voice was frantic, and I could hear him moving around, his breathing heavy.

“Rachel was in an accident.” I sobbed, covering my face to try and muffle the noise.

“No,” he argued desperately, as I heard two car doors shut almost simultaneously. “Is she okay?”

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

“Kate! Is she okay?” He screamed at me, his anguished voice filling the room as I’d wanted mine to just minutes before.

“No,” I answered through gritted teeth, feeling snot running down my upper lip as I heard him make a noise deep in his throat. “She’s gone.”

He didn’t say a word, and less than a second later, the connection was broken.

I rubbed at my forehead, trying to convince myself that it was all just a nightmare. Where was I supposed to be? What was I supposed to do now? My best friend in the entire world was there in that hospital, but not really. I couldn’t bear to see her. I couldn’t help her. Where the fuck was I supposed to go?”

I made my way to the NICU as quickly as I could, and within minutes, I was holding my new nephew in my arms. The nurses told me that he’d passed all of his tests with flying colors, and I was in awe as I sat down in a rocking chair, cradling him to my chest.

“You sure got a shitty beginning, little man,” I murmured against his fuzzy scalp, rocking back and forth gently. “I’m so sorry, buddy. You’re probably missing your mama and that warm bubble you’ve been in for so long. I can’t help you there.”

I sniffled, closing my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. My whole body ached, and even though I had that little boy in my arms, the whole day seemed like some sort of surreal dream, foggy in some parts and crystal clear in others. I wanted to hop up and take his sleeping, little form to Rachel, to tease her about the weird Mohawk thing he was sporting and make joking comments about how men always seem to sleep through the hard parts of life. I wanted to see her smile proudly at the sturdy boy she’d produced and grumble that I was hogging him.

I wanted everything to be different.

I hummed softly with my eyes closed for a long time, holding the baby close to me. It was quiet where we sat, nothing breaking up the stillness of the room until I heard someone open the door.

“There he is,” the nurse murmured from the doorway.

My eyes popped open to see Shane’s ravaged face just feet from me. He looked like he was barely holding on. I swallowed hard as his red rimmed eyes took in his son carefully before rising to meet mine.

“Is he okay?” he asked thickly, searching my face. I’d never seen him so frightened.

“He’s perfect,” I answered, my voice throbbing with emotion. “The nurses said he’s a rock star.”

He nodded twice, reaching up to cover his mouth with his hand, but before he could say another word, he was stumbling and falling to his knees with an almost inaudible sob.

Reading Order: Fostering Love series

 

#1 ~ Unbreak My Heart: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Change of Heart: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Nicole JacquelynWhen Nicole Jacquelyn was eight and people asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told them she wanted to be a mom. When she was 12, her answer changed to author. Her dreams stayed constant. First, she became a mom, and then during her senior year of college—with one daughter in first grade and the other in preschool—she sat down and wrote a story.

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Ten (10) trade paperback copies of UNBREAK MY HEART

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Launch Day Blitz + ARC Review & Excerpt: Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

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Happy Release Day to Elizabeth Hoyt – Duke of Sin is live!
I seriously loved this book – check out my review plus an excerpt below!

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: Maiden Lane #10 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 31st 2016
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A MAN OF SIN

Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

A WOMAN OF HONOR

Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery’s household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.

A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH

Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can’t resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .

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“This is who I am, Séraphine. Naked, with blade and blood. I am vengeance. I am hate. I am sin personified. Never mistake me for the hero of this tale, for I am not and shall never be. I am the villain.”

Y’all, I freaking loved this book. LOVED!!! It’s only the second book I’ve read by Elizabeth Hoyt, but o.m.g. – it’s for sure my favorite so far. Duke of Sin is wicked, funny, sexy, complex… It made me grin, sigh, laugh, giggle – it’s an incredible read with even better characters. If you’re a fan of the series, then you most likely know who Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is but I went into this book without really know the devious acts Val committed. Either way, you’re going to love him. He’s the PERFECT anti-hero! If you love historical romances and wicked villains for heroes, then you need to READ. THIS. BOOK.

Bridget Crumb is the housekeeper for the Duke of Montgomery, and she does a damn good job of it. But she’s got an ulterior motive, which is to find the thing her employer is blackmailing her mother with. Val is the king of blackmail. The more blackmail he has, the more powerful he is, and he uses that power for scheming and wicked intentions. He’s not a good man… but he’s not entirely bad either. Which is why when Val catches Bridget in the act of stealing from him, he’s more intrigued by her than anything. He’s finally found his intellectual match, and he’s going to make sure she stays by his side so he can pursue something more carnal with her.

Bridget is honestly the perfect counterpart to Val. Where Val doesn’t differentiate right from wrong and seeks pleasure in all things, Bridget is prim and proper and doesn’t give a hoot about who Val is or what he does. She’s the only one who doesn’t fall to his feet in lust or fear – though she certainly feels the chemistry between them. She’s good at masking her feelings, but Val is determined to get under her skin like she’s done to him, and when he succeeds, well – things heat up like crazy. The way the lust and romance develop and intertwine left me breathless – Elizabeth Hoyt nailed this aspect of the book perfectly!

He was sin itself and if she was a sinner for a little while, she’d pay the price gladly.

Admittedly, Duke of Sin took me a little while to get into because I just didn’t KNOW how to feel about Val. He’s just so strange, with so many layers and dynamics to him. But in the end, I loved him, and Bridget. The way they couldn’t resist each other and slowly fell for one another… it’s beautifully romantic and wicked sexy. I can’t recommend this book enough! This is definitely a new favorite historical romance of mine.

He sighed. She was such a wonderful woman. He could’ve spent his entire life searching the world and never found her. Who would’ve thought such a marvel was right under his nose in his own house?

I did get a little annoyed at all the POV changes to the Duke of Kyle, but I guess I can’t complain, because now I’m excited for his book next! I really should start the series from the beginning and catch myself up – I love Elizabeth Hoyt’s writing, and I’m loving the series as I read more and more. Thankfully, each book can be read as a standalone, but I’m still planning on reading the Maiden Lane series in its entirety!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Duke of Sin! ❤

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“I was told you had need of me, Your Grace,” she reminded him, folding her hands at her waist to hide the trembling that had begun again. She’d been in demand before this position. Duchesses and lionesses of society had wanted her.

“So practical,” he mused, tilting his golden head back to gaze, presumably, at the gaudy sky-blue velvet canopy of his bed. She’d always thought it rather vulgar, actually. “I suppose that would be considered a good thing in a housekeeper.”

“It’s generally considered so, Your Grace.”

“And yet, I find it somewhat…”—he raised his naked arm straight up above his head and twirled his hand as he thought—“irksome.”

“I am sorry, Your Grace,” Bridget said as pleasantly as she could, which, sadly, was not very.

“Oh, don’t be,” the duke murmured silkily. “One can’t help one’s nature, no matter how irritating it is to others.”

His azure eyes suddenly dropped to pin her, hard and merciless, and she lost her breath as she fell into his predator’s stare. It was like looking into the eyes of something inhuman, almost otherworldly. Her chest ached as she stared at him, the air still locked within her, but at the same time the place between her legs ached as well.

Then she inhaled, filling her lungs with sweet air, as he watched her still, his eyes half-lidded, and she felt an odd exhilaration, as if a gauntlet had been thrown down. As if they were adversaries, equal on the field.

Which was completely ridiculous.

Possibly she shouldn’t have indulged in that third cup of tea this morning.

“I wonder whom you work for, Mrs. Crumb?” he whispered.

“Why, for you, Your Grace,” she replied, holding his gaze.

He snorted.

She felt a bead of perspiration trail down her spine.

He strode, nude, to his desk, and, bending over it, afforded her a quite scandalous view of his muscular bottom. He seemed to have a dark mark of some kind on the left cheek. Good God, it looked like a tattoo. What—? “Why, Mrs. Crumb,” he drawled, and she snapped her gaze belatedly up to find that he’d turned back to her—damn it! “Were you ogling my arse?”

She opened her mouth and then wasn’t sure, exactly, what to say. Was he about to dismiss her or not? “I…I—”

“Ye-es?” He took one long stride toward her.

She was suddenly, overwhelmingly aware of what she’d until now successfully ignored: He. Was. Nude.

His shoulders were wide, his chest highlighted by pale-pink nipples drawn tight, with but a few curling golden hairs between. His torso narrowed in a perfect V to a slim waist and a shallow belly button. A thin line of slightly darker hair led to his genitals.

During his supposed absence Bridget had had plenty of time to study the life-size nude portrait of the duke hanging next to his bed. She’d long thought the dimensions of his manhood exaggerated.

They were not.

She hastily glanced up to find him standing far too close to her, a wicked smile playing about his mouth.

“Oh, Mrs. Crumb, such a look,” he murmured, his voice a deep purr, his bare chest brushing against her snowy white apron. “Why, I don’t know whether to guard my bollocks…”—his gaze dropped to her mouth—“or to kiss you.”

Reading Order: Maiden Lane series

   
   
  

#1 ~ Wicked Intentions: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ Notorious Pleasures: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ Scandalous Desires: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#4 ~ Thief of Shadows: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#5 ~ Lord of Darkness: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#6 ~ Duke of Midnight: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#7 ~ Darling Beast: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#8 ~ Dearest Rogue: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#9 ~ Sweetest Scoundrel: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Duke of Sin: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#10.5 ~ Once Upon a Moonlit Night: My Review • EbookGoodreads
#11 ~ Duke of Pleasure: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (Nov. 29, 2016)
#11.5 ~ Once Upon a Christmas Eve: EbookGoodreads (Dec. 6, 2016)
#12 ~ Duke of Desire: Goodreads (out 2017)

about the author button

Elizabeth HoytElizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing “mesmerizing.” She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

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Spotlight + Guest Post & Giveaway: Missed Connections by Tamara Mataya

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We’re spotlighting Tamara Mataya and her upcoming release, Missed Connections, on the blog today!
Check out a guest post from the author and a fantastic giveaway below!

Guest Post: Tamara Mataya

My Writing Process

Oh, I’m pretty sure my writing process is the same as any other writer’s. I wake up and drink a chalice of tears and sacrifice a goat to…oh dear, that’s not right…I love goats.

Let’s try this again.

I don’t have a particular time that works best for writing. Whether I’m inspired by the story itself and can’t wait to finish, or motivated by a deadline (and my agent or editor can’t wait for me to finish) I write whenever I have a spare minute.

Last year I went to New Orleans with my two best friends from middle school—my first foray into America and not a bad choice as vacations go. I hadn’t had a proper vacation in about twenty years. Unfortunately, I also had a book due. I wrote on the plane, in the hotel when my friends were out sightseeing. I scribbled paragraphs between dancing at a reggae night on sheets hastily torn from a notebook and stuffed into my purse before heading to Frenchman Street.

When it comes to writing, I’m not fussy as to where or how it happens. When I’m away from my laptop, I scrawl ideas and sections down on tiny notebooks I carry with me, the printing indecipherable enough to pass as a doctor’s.

I used to be what’s called a ‘pantser,’ meaning I made the story up as I went along. Sometimes I’d have a destination or a few things in mind, but they were more like ‘I’m traveling to New York from LA and need to get there in a week.’ HOW I get there is an act of flying by the seat of my pants.

BUT now I’d consider myself a plotser—someone who is a hybrid pantser/plotter. This change was mostly due to my agent, Nicole Resciniti, and I’m still a little salty about how she was right about it being faster. Sometimes an agent or editor doesn’t need to read the whole book before knowing if it’s something they want. They’ll read a section of your writing, and then check out the little beastie most of us authors have mixed feelings toward: the Synopsis. A synopsis sums up the book in a couple pages and gives EVERYTHING away. If the agent or editor likes it, they may want you to finish writing the book and send it to them.

But before you can send out that cheeky little synopsis, you need to write it. And to write it, you need to figure out everything that happens in the book. Selling books on proposal necessitated plotting. And, to be fair, it does speed things along. Whereas before I may have wondered where I’d go from a certain place, now it’s all mapped out for me. I can change things along the way and my chapter outlines tend to be laughably short compared to other authors’ (e.g. Chapter 5: Sex). I know some writers who will write the equivalent of a novella as an outline which I couldn’t do. My brain dusts its hands off when I finish the outline as though to say, ‘Good job, we’ve figured out everything that needs to happen so we don’t need to write the book anymore! DONE!’ Writing more than my couple pages is enough for me!

I don’t think I have any peculiarities when it comes to writing. I can’t listen to new music (as in music I haven’t heard a lot) when writing because I tend to get distracted and focus on the song instead of my book. I do make playlists for each of my books and I listen to them on repeat while writing. Music is such an important thing to me—I’m also a musician—that hearing those songs can help get me in the mood to write even if I’m not “inspired” at that moment. Sometimes when I hear the songs it’s like a trip back to that particular novel and takes me right back to where I was when I wrote it. I’ll even save certain songs I love only for while writing—just so that certain feeling it gives me doesn’t wear out from too many plays!

I tend to make a lot of cups of tea…and forget all about them. I prefer to eat things I can eat quickly with one hand while at the computer. I spend a lot of time explaining to my dog that no, he doesn’t need to go for a walk right this second when I’m on deadline and need to finish this chapter…and indeed, that’s an argument I lose more often than not because he starts making these whale noises and it makes me laugh and then I’ve lost my train of thought.

Missed Connections by Tamara Mataya
Series: Summer Love #1
Publication Date: June 7th 2016
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Missed Connection: I saw you standing there, and I was struck by your eyes. Gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as your smile.

Thanks to her job at a crazy New Age spa, what should have been a sizzling NYC summer is being hijacked by demanding hippie bosses. To unwind, Sarah spends her nights cruising Missed Connections, dreaming of finding an uber-romantic entry all about her. Of course, the moment she finds that Missed Connection, real life comes crashing down around her in a night of unbridled passion with someone completely different: totally off-limits Jack.

Best. Hookup. Ever.

Gorgeous and wealthy, hot as sin, Jack can give Sarah everything she needs—except an emotional connection. That she gets from her Missed Connection, the romantic stranger who never fails to make her swoon. But there’s only so much of Sarah to go around. Torn between the bad boy she can’t keep and the sensitive stranger who bares his soul online, her heart and body are soon in two very different relationships…or are they?

Buy Links:
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Tamara Mataya is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a librarian, and a musician with synesthesia. Armed with a name tag and a thin veneer of credibility, she takes great delight in recommending books and shushing people. She puts the ‘she’ in TWSS and the B in LGBTQIA+.

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3 copies of MISSED CONNECTIONS by Tamara Mataya

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