Top Ten Tuesday {20}: Authors I’m Thankful for in 2015

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lacey

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is a freebie Thanksgiving one so…

Top Ten Authors I’m Thankful for in 2015

In no particular order (click the covers to purchase):

November 9 Review

Colleen Hoover (November 9) ~ CoHo is without a doubt, my all-time favorite author, so of course she had to be included in this TTT! I liked her earlier release, Confess, but it was November 9 that totally stole the spotlight this year. It’s a phenomenal read from a phenomenal author! (PLUS, I got a copy SIGNED by her. AND NICK FREAKING BATEMAN!!!!!!!!)

Reviews: The Deal | The Mistake

Elle Kennedy (The Deal/The Mistake) ~ Elle Kennedy has written my all-time FAVORITE NA sports romance series (the Off-Campus series), and I’m forever thankful for her because her books sparked my love for sports romances. She knows how to do NA right, and I’m dying to get my hands on Dean’s book!

Review: Fuel the Fire

Krista & Becca Ritchie (Fuel the Fire/Long Way Down) ~ Krista & Becca Ritchie’s Addicted series is, hands-down, my top favorite NA series ever written. The writing is flawless, and it has the BEST cast of characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I still haven’t read Long Way Down yet (the final book), because I honestly just don’t want the series to end!

Reviews: Falling Away | Aflame

Penelope Douglas (Falling Away/Aflame, Corrupt, Misconduct) ~ I love love looove the Fall Away series, so I’m so thankful that Penelope had not one, but TWO books in that series out this year. And Aflame… it was everything I dreamed of and more. The perfect ending for Jared and Tate. And! Corrupt – just, WOW. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this twisted book that I loved (my review is coming soon!). Also, I know Misconduct isn’t out yet, but I had the pleasure of reading an early copy and it. is. amazing. It’s about a teacher who falls for her student’s single father. Who’s a total DILF. Obviously – it’s a must-read.

Reviews: The Friend Zone | The Game Plan

Kristen Callihan (The Friend Zone/The Game Plan) ~ Another NA sports romance author whose books I’m completely in love with! I first fell in love with the Game On series last year with The Hook Up, but the series has only gotten better and better since. Gray and Ethan are just… *swoons*

Reviews: Up in Smoke | Chase Me | Need Me | Make Me

Tessa Bailey (Risking it All, Need Me, Crashed Out) ~ Tessa!!! Bailey!!! Earlier this year, I went on a TB reading marathon (in which I read every single one of her books) and I’m completely obsessed now (especially with Bowen). Her alpha heroes are PERFECTION and can dirty talk like no other. I’m so freaking thankful that she pumps out book after book, because I never get tired of reading them. Aaand, she’s got one more release out in Dec., Crashed Out, which is just INCREDIBLE, and now my 2nd favorite book of Tessa’s (just under Risking it All). It’s an older woman/younger man read… and I’m telling you, it’s Tessa’s HOTTEST book yet.

Reviews: Attraction | Heat | Capture

Penny Reid (Elements of Chemistry: Attraction/Heat/Capture) ~ I’m ashamed that I hadn’t read Penny Reid earlier than this year. She amazed me with her EOC series – she has a gift at writing, and I’m so thankful to have discovered her books this year (finally)!

Reviews: Manwhore | Manwhore +1 | Ms. Manwhore

Katy Evans (Manwhore/Manwhore +1/Ms. Manwhore) ~ Y’all, I adore the Manwhore series. I’m so thankful that Katy Evans created Malcolm Saint, because I’m head over heels for him! The Manwhore series is one of the most romantic series I’ve read all year, and Katy Evans never ceases to amaze me with her incredible heroes.

Reviews: Beautiful Secret | Dark Wild Night

Christina Lauren (Beautiful Secret, Dark Wild Night) ~ Christina Lauren writes the best books EVER! They’re always so fun, sexy, and best of all, the characters feel so real. Every time I pick up a CLo book, I’m simply stunned by the brilliance and simplicity of their stories, so this writing duo is definitely one to be thankful for.

The Hotter You Burn Review

Gena Showalter (The Hotter You Burn) ~ Gena Showalter surprised me so hard with The Hotter You Burn. I’d only ever read her PNR books, but I thought I’d give this book a try, and I’m so glad I did. It’s funny, sexy, romantic, and an utter joy to read. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year, and I’m so thankful for Gena Showalter for writing it!

What authors are you thankful for this year?

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24Nov2015

Release Week Blitz + Author Interview & Giveaway: Steal Me by Lauren Layne

Posted in Exclusive, Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

Happy Release Day to Lauren Layne – Steal Me is live! Check out my Q&A with Lauren below, as well as my review and a fantastic giveaway!

Author Interview: Lauren Layne

What would readers be surprised to find out about you?

That I’m a total science fiction geek. Star Wars is my favorite movie of all time, although my husband has slowly converted me over to Star Trek, and I’m a big fan of that as well.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you start with an idea or a character? Do you know what’s going to happen from the beginning or do you figure it out as you write?

I almost always start with the idea or the general premise; rarely does the character come first. And I’m a planner. I’ve gotten looser with my planning as I write more books and get more comfortable with the flow of writing a book, but I generally have at least a pretty comprehensive list of scenes that need to get written before I type Chapter One.

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

I believe it was Nora Roberts who said, “I can fix a bad page, but I can’t fix a blank one.” I repeat that on almost a daily basis. I know that I just need to reach The End, no matter how messy the words might be. Once the words are there, they’re always fixable.

Is there one thing you have to have when writing?

Oh man. I’m going to be super literal here and say my laptop. I like music but don’t need it. And usually have my water bottle, but not always. Sometimes a notebook, sometimes not. I’m pretty bare bones and minimalist J

How did you choose the names of your characters?

The main characters I spend a bit of time going through name lists, trying to get the right vibe (and finding one that I haven’t used before, which is getting harder and harder). For minor characters, I use a “random name” generator on my web browser.

How has music played a role in your life and in your writing?

I make soundtracks for almost all of my books, there’s always one song that’s more vital than the rest. Name any of my books, and I can tell you which song I listened to on repeat while writing it!

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

Ha. I think I was born this way. For as long as I can remember, I was that kid that said I wanted to be an author when I grew up, and I always loved writing in school. Then college ended. I had no more writing to do for school, but I also didn’t think that writing could be a full-time career, so I entered the work force and put writing behind me as a hobby. What a mistake!! That all came back to bite me a few years later when the need to write was so strong that it was all I could think about. It took me a year or so to work up the courage, another year or so to stick with it, and then I decided to jump in with both feet. I quit my job, moved to New York, wrote about four books in two months like a mad woman, and got an agent/publisher.

What can you tell us about your couple, that we won’t find in the book?

Of all my books, Steal Me is the one that veered the most from my original outline. The original heroine was a feisty red-head named Kat who was the least suspect in a burglary case. I’m not sure why or when it changed, but by the time I’d finished Frisk Me (book one in the series), I knew that Anthony’s story and woman were entirely different than I’d originally planned.

Steal Me by Lauren Layne
Series: New York’s Finest #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 24th 2015
Publisher: Forever

IN HOT PURSUIT

Being a cop might be in Anthony Moretti’s blood, but protecting and serving the city of New York has always been more than just the family business. If that means his love life stays locked up, well then that’s just another sacrifice made in the line of duty. That is, until he sets eyes on the gorgeous new waitress at The Darby Diner and suddenly Anthony’s morning coffee is leaving him a whole lot more hot and bothered than usual.

Though waitressing at The Darby isn’t exactly Maggie Walker’s dream job, it pays the bills and gives her time to work on her novel. Now if only she could stop fantasizing about gorgeous Anthony Moretti every time he sits down at her table, she’d really be in great shape. But when he needs her help identifying a criminal threatening The Darby—and Maggie recognizes her ex-husband—she fears her fresh start might be a pipe dream. Faster than a New York minute, Maggie and Anthony find themselves in one perilous pursuit that only gets hotter with each and every rule-breaking kiss.

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

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

#1 ~ Frisk Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Steal Me: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Cuff Me: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (March 29, 2016)

A long-time romance reader, Lauren Layne thinks the only thing better than reading about happy endings is writing them. She now pursues a full-time career in Happily Ever After, a job she’s naturally suited for after marrying her high school sweetheart. A bit of a nomad, Lauren’s lived everywhere from Orange County to Manhattan, and currently lives in the Seattle-area. Her hobbies include coffee by day, wine by night, and lots of writing in between. She’s also a total website nerd and insists you check out laurenlayne.com!

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

5 copies of STEAL ME

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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23Nov2015

Audiobook Review: Consolation by Corinne Michaels

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Consolation by Corinne Michaels
Series: The Consolation Duet #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Length: 7 hours and 20 minutes
Narrated by: Andi Arndt & Sebastian York
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.
He wasn’t even on my radar.
He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

I’d had my eye on Corinne Michaels’ Consolation ever since it came out, and I’m so glad that I listened to the audiobook instead of reading it! I ADORE Sebastian York (I feel like everyone does, and rightfully so), so I was stoked to listen to his narration. While Andi Arndt’s narration wasn’t quite as good as Sebastian’s, their two voices definitely worked well for Natalie and Liam’s story. Consolation is the first in a two-part series, and it’s a heart-breaking yet romantic story I highly enjoyed listening to.

Natalie is living the perfect life – she has Aaron, a loving Navy SEAL husband, and a baby on the way, but a knock on the door changes everything and leaves her widowed, pregnant, and devastated. She’s left alone to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart, but she finds the strength to do so in order to take care of her baby, Aarabelle.

Liam Dempsey, also a SEAL, was Aaron’s best friend, and he knows that Aaron would have wanted Liam to help take care of Natalie in the case of his death. The last thing Liam expects is to actually fall for Natalie – the two of them spend so much time together that feelings start to grow from their friendship into something more, and that bond that forms in unlike any other, even different from the bond between Natalie and Aaron. The two of them struggle with their feelings, but the longing and love between them is sweet and pure, and as the two of them fall in love, they also help each other move on from their grief. Liam is also wonderful with both Natalie and Aarabelle, so he’s definitely a hero worth swooning for.

I really enjoyed listening to Consolation. Sebastian York’s voice is perfect as always, so I really wish there had been more chapters in Liam’s POV. The audiobook is largely narrated by Andi Arndt, whose voice, though a little monotonous, is easy to listen to. The book’s writing wasn’t anything special, so I didn’t connect with the characters or emotional scenes very much – it was the story and drama that interested me the most. And there is a LOT of drama, especially at the end. Consolation ends in a cliffhanger AND a plot twist (one that’s slightly predictable), but thankfully the second and final book is already out. If you’re thinking of getting the Consolation audiobook, I’d highly recommend it!

Reading Order: The Consolation Duet series

#1 ~ Consolation: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Conviction: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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23Nov2015

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Steal Me by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to follow the tour.

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Steal Me by Lauren Layne!
Check out my review for this fantastic book below, as well as a giveaway!

Steal Me by Lauren Layne
Series: New York’s Finest #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 24th 2015
Publisher: Forever

IN HOT PURSUIT

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

Is there any book Lauren Layne writes that I can’t love!? I honestly don’t think it’s possible. Every time I pick up a Lauren Layne book, I know I’m going to be entertained and satisfied. Her books are always so sweet and hilarious – and her New York’s Finest series is her funniest yet. I had high expectations after adoring the first book, Frisk Me, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Steal Me. And of course I ended up loving Steal Me just as much as, if not more than, Frisk Me. Steal Me had me laughing and swooning – if you love men in uniform (who doesn’t), this series is a must read.

He could be a cop…
…or a boyfriend.
Or was the operative word.
He couldn’t be both.

Captain Anthony Moretti’s job as a cop is his life. His family and the NYPD are his top priorities. He has no time for women, least of all Maggie Walker, a waitress who can’t do her job and annoys Anthony to no end. Anthony is usually an in-control kind of man – he’s quiet, authoritative, and a little moody… but around Maggie, he can’t stop himself from being a total jerk. He’s flustered and completely out of control around her, and he doesn’t like the way she makes him feel. The gorgeous waitress throws him off like no other.

Maggie Walker is an aspiring writer, and she’s made a fresh start in NY. She’s never truly known love in her abusive past, so she’s charmed by the Moretti family, who comes by every week to the diner she works at. Well, she’s charmed by all but Anthony, whose good looks fire her up and make her clumsy around him. But when she identifies a criminal as her ex-husband on a case Anthony is working on, the two of them are thrown together and the sparks between them fire up until eventually their chemistry can’t be ignored.

I had so much fun reading Maggie and Anthony’s story. It’s a little slow in the beginning, with Anthony reluctant to start anything with Maggie, but he can’t resist her. The two of them are so sweet together – she cracks his stubborn, uptight shell, and he supports her and her career like no one has before. Maggie shows Anthony that he’s capable of love and that he can have love in his life, but he just has to be willing to fight for it.

“You’re…”
She looked at him through hazy eyes. “Hmm.”
“Everything,” he said quietly.

Another thing I loved about Steal Me is the Moretti family. Everyone in this family is so freaking hilarious! The grandmother is probably my favorite of them all. She’s so inappropriate and blunt, I loved her. And it was great to see Ava and Luc again! The secondary characters add so much light-heartedness and giggles to the story.

Lauren Layne writes such wonderful contemporary romances. They are truly a joy to read – whenever I finish a book of hers, I’m left with a smile on my face. Each of the books in the New York’s Finest series is well-developed and you love the characters right from the start, no matter how much of a jerk they are (*cough* Anthony). If you liked the first book, you definitely need to read the second! I, for one, can’t WAIT to get my hands on Vincent and Jill’s story.

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

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

#1 ~ Frisk Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Steal Me: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Cuff Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Print Set of FRISK ME & STEAL ME
$5.00 Starbucks Gift Card and a Writers Gift Set

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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23Nov2015

Review: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
Series: Devil’s Night #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 17th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Erika

I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.

His name is Michael Crist.

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.

But I noticed him.

I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.

Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.

Because he’s finally noticed me.

Michael

Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.

My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.

Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.

In my city.

Unprotected.

The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.

We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.

This book. This. Freaking. Book. Corrupt fucked me up, no joke. This is Penelope Douglas, one of my all-time favorite authors, so I had ridiculously high expectations for this book – and she met every one of them and then some. Corrupt is seriously a mindfuck of a book – it’s dark, twisted, perverse… and I loved it. I seriously loved this book! The second I finished this book, I couldn’t stop saying WOW. My mind was blown.

“Own who you are,” he commanded. “And don’t apologize. Do you understand? Own it or it will own you.”

This is the kind of read that is best to go in completely blind. The twists and turns the author has in store for you in this book will leave you breathless – and aching for more. But if you need to know anything… know that PD has created a new cast of perverse characters that you can’t help but love: the Four Horsemen, otherwise known as Michael Crist, Kai Mori, Damon Torrance, and Will Grayson III. These four glorious, dark, vengeful men have it out for Rika Fane, and they’ll stop at nothing to take her down.

“I’m hungry, Rika,” he said, pressing his hard body into my back, his lips hovering over mine. ”I want everything they tell me I can’t have, and I see that hunger in you, too.”

The romance between Michael and Rika is… corrupt, to say the least. A normal boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love story they do not have. What they do have is intense, emotional, raw, and passionate. You can feel how much these two are meant to be together, and every time they are, they set the stage on fire. They have heaps of chemistry that leaps off the pages, and I honestly never wanted their story to end.

Corrupt is a fascinating beginning to the Devil’s Night series. It’s an insane, wild roller coaster of a ride that you never want to get off of. Lucky for us, this won’t be the end to this group of characters.

Reading Order: Devil’s Night series

#1 ~ Corrupt: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Hideaway: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Killswitch: Goodreads (Feb. 11, 2019)
#4 ~ Nightfall: Goodreads (release date TBA)

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Top Ten Tuesday {20}: Authors I’m Thankful for in 2015

Top Ten Authors I’m Thankful for in 2015

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Release Week Blitz + Author Interview & Giveaway: Steal Me by Lauren Layne

Author Interview: Lauren Layne

What would readers be surprised to find out about you?

Tell us about your writing process. Do you start with an idea or a character? Do you know what’s going to happen from the beginning or do you figure it out as you write?

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

Is there one thing you have to have when writing?

How did you choose the names of your characters?

How has music played a role in your life and in your writing?

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

What can you tell us about your couple, that we won’t find in the book?

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

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Audiobook Review: Consolation by Corinne Michaels

Reading Order: The Consolation Duet series

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Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Steal Me by Lauren Layne

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

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Review: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

Reading Order: Devil’s Night series

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Top Ten Authors I’m Thankful for in 2015

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Author Interview: Lauren Layne

­ What would readers be surprised to find out about you?

Tell us about your writing process. Do you start with an idea or a character? Do you know what’s going to happen from the beginning or do you figure it out as you write?

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

Is there one thing you have to have when writing?

How did you choose the names of your characters?

How has music played a role in your life and in your writing?

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

What can you tell us about your couple, that we won’t find in the book?

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

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Reading Order: The Consolation Duet series

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Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

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Reading Order: Devil’s Night series

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What would readers be surprised to find out about you?