Sneak Peek: Worth the Chance by Vi Keeland

Posted in Spotlight by Lacey

SNEAK PEEK into
WORTH THE CHANCE
BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR VI KEELAND

A New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance
Releasing February 17^th, 2014

Meet Liv Michaels
It may have been seven years, but I’d know him anywhere. Sure, he’s grown, filled out in all the right places, but his captivating blue eyes and cocky grin are exactly the way I remember. Even though I’d much rather forget.

Liv Michaels is almost there. She’s smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she’s dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love.

Meet Vince Stone
Women love a fighter, especially a good one. Lucky for me, I’m damn good. But there’s one woman that isn’t interested. Not again, anyway.

Vince ‘The Invincible’ Stone is every woman’s fantasy…strong, sexy, confident and completely in control. Growing up surrounded by chaos, he’s learned never to get too attached. Love will drag you down. He adores women, treats them well, puts their own needs before his own…for the night anyway. With the biggest fight of his life coming up, his focus should be on training.

When fate brings Vince & Liv back together again, there’s no denying the chemistry is still there. But can Vince erase the old scars their past left behind? Or will Liv hurt him instead?

Excerpt

Vinny slips on a pair of running shorts and reaches down to the floor, pulling up the panties I’m still searching for. “You looking for these?” He twirls my sad excuse for underwear around on his one finger with a devilish grin.

“Yes.” I reach out to grab them, but Vinny’s too quick. He folds them into one hand and hooks his arm around my waist, pulling me to him with the other.

“Stay. I’ll be back in less than two hours.”

“You want me to stay?”

Leaning down, his mouth close to my ear, he responds, “I want you in my bed waiting for me when I get back.”

His words are kind, and I appreciate him offering them to me, but it’s not necessary. I’m a big girl, he doesn’t need to coddle me after a night of passion. “It’s okay. It’s sweet of you to offer, but I have errands to run anyway.”

Vinny turns me to face him, tilting my face up to look into his eyes. “I don’t do sweet, Liv. I want you to stay because I’m selfish. I want back inside of you. I’m hard just thinking about the sound you make when you come for me. So fuck your errands and get back in bed and try to get some rest. Because you’re gonna need it.”

My lord. Maybe I should be offended at the harshness of his words, but I’m not. Instead they make me feel drunk with desire and I find myself staring back at him at a loss for words. Vinny grins, he must know he’s gotten to me.

“Okay?” He kisses me chastely on the lips.

“Okay,” I finally respond with a smile that lets him know he’s changed my mind.

Grabbing his keys off the dresser, Vinny opens the palm of his hand revealing black lace. I’d forgotten that he even still had my panties in his hand. “I’m keeping these.” With a devilish grin he shoves them into his pocket as he walks out.

Reading Order: MMA Fighter series

#1 ~ Worth the Fight: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Worth the Chance: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Worth Forgiving: Goodreads (Aug. 21, 2014)

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting New York Times & USA Today Best Selling smut author by night!

Facebook • Website • Twitter • Goodreads

23Jan2014

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Pieces for You by Genna Rulon

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

Click the banner to follow the tour!

Title: Pieces for You
Series: For You #2 (full reading order below)
Author: Genna Rulon
Genre: New Adult 18+
Publication Date: December 15, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

“The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune’s spite; revive from ashes and rise.” -Miguel de Cervantes

Samantha Whitney survived unimaginable tragedy only to discover she had been betrayed by a man who claimed to love her. Shattered, Sam spends months at a safe haven trying to piece herself back together. Ready or not, the time has come for her to return home.

As Sam struggles to resume a life that no longer feels familiar, she finds unwavering support in an unexpected, familiar face. Confronting Sam’s raw emotions and open wounds head-on, Griffin manages to take two steps forward for every step she retreats.

But when Sam is once again threatened, Griffin must decide how far he is willing to go to protect the woman he wants…knowing the cost of her safety is the risk of losing her.

Pieces For You is a captivating journey of survival, healing, and sacrifice—teeming with honesty, humor, unexpected twists, and love’s unsurpassed endurance.

*Though Pieces For You is a part of the For You Series, the book can be read as a stand alone.

Purchase Links
Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon UK

I really enjoyed Genna Rulon’s Only for You, and I was SO excited for Pieces for You, which is Samantha’s book, and it didn’t disappoint! The story was exceptionally well done, and I was really impressed with how the author chose to portray Sam after what horrifyingly happened to her at the end of the previous book. Pieces for You is similar to Only for You, with the heart-warming romance and the totally hot and sweet alpha male main character, but I liked book 2 even more because of how touching and emotional it is.

“You’ve been dealt one of the shittiest hands imaginable; most will never be challenged with a fraction of what you have. You are one of the few with the bravery to walk through the fire, let it burn you to ash, and rise again, changed but all the more beautiful for it.”

At the beginning of the book, Samantha is recovering from her brutal attack and rape. She’s a tough girl, but that attack broke her, and she has a hard time coming to terms with what happened. Reading her POV, going through her thoughts was heart-wrenching to read. However, slowly, but surely, Sam heals. It’s a long process, but one she’s able to get through and make it to the other side. I loved how even though Sam is broken, she’s also fierce and stubborn and her quirky self. She’s so easy to like, so easy to relate to, that I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. Sam is a fighter through and through, and even though she still has bumps along the way of her road to recovery, she doesn’t give up. She wants to recover; she can’t go back to normal, because she doesn’t even know what normal is for her anymore, but she wants to be able to overcome her fears, and I admired her for that.

What Sam never expected was to find Griffin along the road of her recovery. Sweet, sexy, supportive Griffin, who puts Sam first over everything, who has loved Sam from afar for so long. I was totally rooting for him in Only for You, because it’s obvious to everyone but Samantha how much Griffin really cares for her. Griffin was devastated when he learned of Sam’s attack, and vowed to do everything he could to make her life better. And he does, so much. He’s been waiting for her for so long, and no matter how long he has to wait for her, he will wait for her. And during this wait, he does everything to take care of Sam and to support her.

As the two of them spend more and more time together, Sam learns to trust again. It’s a painful path, not an easy one, but through Griffin, Sam is able to heal. Samantha is so strong and brave, and it was so heartwarming to read how Sam learns to trust Griffin, and even love him.

I had a wonderful time reading Pieces for You. It’s heart-wrenching and emotional, and it’s also sweet and moving. Samantha and Griffin’s story is heartfelt and touching, and I was smiling and laughing through most of the book. It’s an uplifting book, for sure, and one I won’t be forgetting soon.

4 hearts!

Reading Order: For You series

#1 ~ Only for You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Pieces for You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Temper for You: Goodreads (Sept. 24, 2014)

Genna Rulon is an up and coming contemporary romance author.

During her 15 years in the corporate world, Genna, inspired by her love of reading, fantasized about penning her own stories. Encouraged by her favorite authors, many of whom are indie writers and self-published, she committed to pursuing her aspirations of writing her own novels.

Genna was raised in Long Island, New York, where she still resides, surrounded by the most amazing family and friends. Married to a wonderful man, who patiently tolerates her ramblings about whichever book she is currently working on, even feigning interest relatively convincingly! Genna is blessed with two little boys who do their best to thwart mommy’s writing time with their hilarious antics and charming extrapolations.

Facebook • Twitter • Website • Goodreads • Pinterest • Tumblr

$100 Amazon Gift Card
2 SIGNED paperbacks of Pieces for You
2 SIGNED paperbacks of Only for You
10 signed bookmarks of Pieces for You & Only for You

a Rafflecopter giveaway

22Jan2014

Early Review: Kiss the Sky by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 6 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Kiss the Sky by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Calloway Sisters #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 22th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

This New Adult Standalone Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature ~~readers~~ audiences only.

People hope to touch the sky.
I dream of kissing it.

I fucking loved this book. I want to climb up some tall building and scream from the rooftops that I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK!! And yes, this is my very first, well-deserved, 6-heart rating of the year!

I literally finished Kiss the Sky the day after I got the ARC (which I may or may not have squealed over). It was non-stop reading for me after that–the book is quite long, but every page zips by so fast and I never wanted it to end. I’m so not the type to slow down a savor a book–I pretty much devoured Kiss the Sky! And holy hell, what a wild ride this book is. I already loved Connor and Rose from Lily and Lo’s books, but Krista and Becca Ritchie managed to make me fall even more in love with them, if that’s even possible! Seriously, I can’t even think of Connor without swooning and squealing over him. He’s perfection. And Rose? I have a total girl crush on her. These two characters could not be more perfect for each other, and I loved loved loved reading their story.

Rose and Connor are supporting characters in the Addicted series, but they finally get to take the spotlight in Kiss the Sky. I’ve never read a series where the secondary characters are so engrossing to read about, but Connor and Rose are just so… intense. They take up so much space in the Addicted series, if that makes sense. Even though they’re supporting characters, they have so much presence in the books, and now that they’re the main characters, everything about them intensifies. Rose and Connor are extraordinary people. It’s not just their brains, but to be honest, they’re really the smartest people I’ve ever read about. They’re intelligence is off the charts, and I have to admit, intelligence is such a turn-on for me. So, Connor? Yeah, I was swooning and sighing madly.

It’s really their hearts that endeared them the most to me. With Rose, we easily see how much she cares for and loves her little sisters. She is the backbone for her sisters, the one who holds up everyone and everything together. Yes, she’s bitchy, but she’s strong and confident and smart and assertive and ambitious. She’s the top-dog, a total alpha-female, and I loved her!

“I’d choose to die if it meant my sisters could live. You think it’s stupid, but sometimes love is worth every foolish choice you make.”

And I loved seeing the more vulnerable sides to Rose, the sides that she only shows to Connor, or at least that only Connor notices. The new reality show and her clothing line are taking a toll on Rose. At the beginning of the book, Rose hires some TV production people to film a reality TV show of her and her family and friends to boost her clothing line, which took a hit after Lily’s sex addiction was exposed to the public. And the man in charge of the reality show, Scott, is a slime-ball who wants to be the one to take Rose’s virginity. Ugh, I hated Scott. HATED him. Rose and Connor do too, since from day one, Scott makes life hell for the both of them. Scott is a horrible person, and the authors have created an incredible antagonist in him.

Connor knows that Scott wants Rose, and… Connor won’t let Scott take Rose away from him. Rose is his, completely and undeniably, just as he is hers. I loved reading more in depth about the relationship between Connor and Rose. From Lily and Lo’s POVs, we got that Rose and Connor are perfect matches and are meant for each other, but we don’t see the love between them, not really. But Kiss the Sky illuminates that love, a love that is full of fire and passion and need. Connor and Rose go head to head with each other all the time. I loved reading the hilarious banter between them, and most of all, I loved how they support and just get each other. They bring out not only the best, but the most out of each other.

He makes me believe that anything is possible. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone quite like Connor Cobalt.

Rose has been holding on to her V-card, and in Kiss the Sky, we see the growth and development of her newfound sexuality. And let me just say, Rose and Connor (AHHH CONNOR!! <3) are HOT HOT HOT HOOOOOT!!! God, I seriously needed to fan myself while reading. We know these two are already intense people, so it’s no surprise that they’re intense in bed as well. I’m literally grinning to myself right now as I remember how freaking hot the sex between Rose and Connor is. Heehee.

So you all know I fell even more in love with Connor in KTS, right? Besides the fact that he’s super-crazy-holy-hell-I-wish-this-man-was-real HOT, there’s so much depth to him that I was so happy to learn more about. He’s with Rose, but he’s incapable of love. He knows it, but Rose believes and hopes otherwise. Connor is a very critical, analytical man, and believing in love goes against every fiber of his being, and yet… he’s learned to care about Rose. About Lily and Lo and even Daisy. As for Ryke, well, Connor and Ryke don’t exactly get along (there’s tons of laugh-out-loud hilarious conversations/arguments between these two all the time), but Connor does grow fond of him eventually (hurray for the bromance between Connor/Lo/Ryke!).

I mouth, Don’t fuck with me. These five people mean more to me than words can express. I’ve never once felt like I had a real family.
But with them, I know I do.

The BEST part about reading Kiss the Sky (besides the sexy, sweet love between Connor and Rose) is learning about how Connor has a heart. He has a real, live, beating, caring heart. He’s not the same unfeeling, manipulative man we met from Addicted to You. Through Rose and her love for him, Connor recognizes in himself his own capacity for love. And oh gosh, oh gosh, I just can’t even handle the sweet words this man says!

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.”

SAH-WOON!!

Kiss the Sky is just the. best. I applaud Krista and Becca on the impeccable writing, and for creating Connor. (Connor is To. Die. For.) Be prepared for some serious laughs, some hot-as-hell sex, a LAP DANCE *grins* and a beautiful, heartwarming romance that will make you smile and laugh and cry. KTS has become one of my all-time favorite books ever, and I recommend everyone read it.

6 beautiful, incredible hearts for Kiss the Sky!

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

Even though Kiss the Sky is a standalone, I recommend reading the Addicted series beforehand, since Connor and Rose are introduced there first. Here is the complete order to read the Addicted series, including spinoffs!

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Subscribe to Blog via Email

22Jan2014

Release Event + Excerpt & Giveaway: Coming Home by Priscilla Glenn

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

Release Event
Coming home
by Priscilla Glenn

Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 21, 2014

Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won’t be taken advantage of again.

When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah’s carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.

But Danny has a secret…

One that could shake Leah’s already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she’s faced with an incredibly difficult decision–is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she’s always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome?

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble

Author’s Take on Danny DeLuca
By Priscilla Glenn

Danny DeLuca is “the perfect combination of cute, but sexy. Pretty, but rugged. Exuding a gentleness, but at the same time, radiating a raw sex appeal.” He’s described as tall with black hair, and eyes that are “shockingly blue” against the dark tone of his hair. And the cherry on top? A pair of dimples that make Leah feel like her veins are full of helium whenever they appear. When he’s not working underneath a car and cursing like a sailor, he’s taking care of Gram and apologizing for his friend’s crude behavior. He is a walking, talking, delicious dichotomy.

Danny is passionate about everything he does; he works hard, fights harder, and loves with his entire being. He can be moody and unpredictable at times, but he is extremely loyal to those he cares about and will do anything to protect them or make them happy, even if he suffers as a result. There are events in his life he’s still struggling to move on from, but despite his traumatic experiences, he has managed to maintain a level of sensitivity and kindness. (Although, you’d be remiss to mistake his kindness for weakness.)

Unknown fact about Danny: When I first wrote Coming Home, it was done in first-person point of view with Leah as the narrator. It wasn’t until I went back and gave it an overhaul that Danny’s point of view made an appearance, and holy hell, there was so much he wanted me to know about him. I totally fell for him while writing his perspective, which in turn gave me a deeper understanding of Leah.