Blog Tour + ARC Review & Excerpt: Z by Larissa Ione

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Welcome to today’s stop on the Review & Excerpt Tour for Z by Larissa Ione!

Z by Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica #11.7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
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Zhubaal, fallen angel assistant to the Grim Reaper, has spent decades searching for the angel he loved and lost nearly a century ago. Not even her death can keep him from trying to find her, not when he knows she’s been given a second chance at life in a new body. But as time passes, he’s losing hope, and he wonders how much longer he can hold to the oath he swore to her so long ago…

As an emim, the wingless offspring of two fallen angels, Vex has always felt like a second-class citizen. But if she manages to secure a deal with the Grim Reaper — by any means necessary — she will have earned her place in the world. The only obstacle in the way of her plan is a sexy hardass called Z, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Soon it becomes clear that they have a powerful connection rooted in the past…but can any vow stand the test of time?

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback

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The Demonica series is one of my favorite PNR series ever. Larissa Ione writes every book in the series with the perfect amount of humor, action, intensity, and sexiness. Z isn’t my favorite of the series, but it’s an enjoyable read nonetheless. If you love the Demonica series, you’ll no doubt have fun with Zhubaal and Vex!

Zhubaal gave up his wings in order to follow the love of his life when she fell from Heaven. Laura died before he could save her, but her soul was reborn onto Earth, and for the past century, Z has been trying to look for her. He even took on the job from Hell (literally), becoming the Grim Reaper’s assistant so he’d be able to see if his love’s soul ever passed through Sheoul.

Vex is an emin, born from two fallen angels, which is unfortunate because both angels and fallen angels will stop at nothing to kill her. She has a special ability to capture loose souls into her body, and she’s been able to sell those souls in the black market, until the market crashes. Now, her only chance at making any money and surviving is to make a deal with Azagoth, the Grim Reaper. And it’s in Sheoul that she meets Z, who she has a mysterious connection with.

Vex had never believed in soul mates, but as her soul touched Zhubaal’s, she knew the truth.
They belonged together.

This book should’ve been the most romantic of the series – the hero stayed faithful his whole life to the woman he loved, and never stopped searching for her… but I found I never really could connect with either Zhubaal or Vex. Z frustrated me at times because of how much he wanted Vex to be his lost love, and it takes a while for him to accept Vex as she is. Still, other than these annoyances, I had a fun time reading Z. I just can’t NOT enjoy a Larissa Ione read! Her sense of humor and her characters always crack me up without fail. I’m glad we get the chance to read Z’s story – now I’m really hoping that we one about Jim Bob!

“You’re mine,” he rasped. “Finally, you’re mine.”

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Z! ❤

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“What’s your name? And what is your business with Azagoth?” Stepping closer, he lowered his voice and looked down at her from his extra foot of height. “And keep in mind that I’m his gatekeeper. You will tell me or you won’t get off this platform.”

She coyly fingered the plunging neckline of her top and batted her jewel-toned eyes. “I’m Vex, and I have a proposition for your boss.”

“I’m Zhubaal, and I need a little more than that.” He narrowed his eyes, refusing to be charmed or seduced. But damn, she really did have nice breasts. “What kind of proposition?”

For a long moment she stared up at him, her ruby lips pressed together in a stubborn line of silence. Just as he was about to send her back to whatever realm she’d come from, she gave up the seductress BS and held out her right arm.

“See these glyphs?” She traced the outline of one of five squiggly black circles with the tip of one amethyst-painted fingernail. “Touch one.”

“If this is a trick––”

“How stupid do you think I am?” she snapped. “If Azagoth is really the Grim Reaper, he’s one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Do you honestly think I’m here to piss him off by screwing with one of his griminions?”

Well, that was insulting. “I’m not a griminion,” he ground out. “Griminions are ugly little freaks who collect souls when a demon or evil human dies. I’m just your standard everyday minion.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know. I was being funny. You’re the Grim Reaper’s minion. Griminion.” She nudged him with her arm. “Come on. Touch me.”

Anxious to be rid of this obnoxious female, he gripped her wrist and pressed his fingers against two––or maybe three––of the circles.

He had no idea how many of the things he touched because the moment his skin came into contact with them, the powerful burn of sheer evil shot through him and knocked the breath from his lungs. Holy hell, what were those glyphs? Malevolence seared his skin and forced superheated blood to flow like lava through his veins as he released her and stumbled backward, his head spinning.

“They’re souls,” Vex said, her voice cutting through his agony. “That’s what you’re feeling. They attached themselves to me, and I think Azagoth might want to take them off my hands.”

Reading Order: Demonica series

  
  Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione
Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione Reaver by Larissa Ione Azagoth by Larissa Ione
Revenant by Larissa Ione Hades by Larisas Ione  

#1 ~ Pleasure Unbound: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ Desire Unchained: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Passioned Unleashed: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Ecstasy Unveiled: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#5 ~ Sin Undone: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#6 ~ Eternal Rider: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Immortal Rider: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Lethal Rider: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Rogue Rider: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Reaver: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10.5 ~ Azagoth: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#11 ~ Revenant: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#11.5 ~ Hades: My Review • EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#11.6 ~ Base Instincts: Ebook • PaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#11.7 ~ Z: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

about the author button

Larissa IoneLarissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Newsletter • Pinterest • Goodreads

Follow the Tour

April 27th
A Fortress of books – Review
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
Booklovers For Life – Review & Excerpt
Queens of the Darkside – Excerpt

April 28th
Milky Way of Books – Review
Extreme Bookaholics – Excerpt
Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Excerpt

April 29th
Collector of book boyfriends – Excerpt
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review
I Smell Sheep – Review
Oh My Shelves – Review

April 30th
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
Smokin’ Hot Reads Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Barbara Book Reviews – Excerpt

May 1st
Angelika blogja – Review
Sultry, Steamy Reading – Review & Excerpt
Deluged with Books Cafe – Review & Excerpt
Coffee-Books-Life Blog – Review & Excerpt

May 2nd
Bridget’s Book Bungalow – Review & Excerpt
That’s What I’m Talking About – Review
Books-n-Kisses – Review & Excerpt

May 3rd
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews – Excerpt
Diane’s Book Blog – Review
Alpha book club – Review & Excerpt

May 4th
The Romance Reviews – Review
Ashley Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Romancing the Readers – Review
KatyaRath – Review & Excerpt

May 5th
Hike2Forty and beyond – Review & Excerpt
KT Book Reviews – Excerpt
A Hopeless Romantic’s Booklandia – Review & Excerpt
SnoopyDoo’s Book Reviews – Excerpt

May 6th
Hart’s Romance Pulse – Excerpt
Book Lovin’ Mamas – Review & Excerpt
Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – Excerpt
Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt


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Release Event + Excerpt & Giveaway: The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert

The Wedding Pact release

Carrigan O’Malley has fallen in love with family enemy #1, James Halloran and he has absolutely no intention of letting her get away. THE WEDDING PACT is the second book in a smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys—wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets from New York Times Bestseller Katee Robert and Forever Romance.

The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert

The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert
Series: The O’Malleys #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.

Carrigan O’Malley has always known her arranged marriage would be more about power and prestige than passion. But after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James Halloran, she’s ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and his family are enemy number 1.

Hallorans vs. O’Malleys-that’s how it’s always been. James should be thinking more about how to expand his family’s empire instead of how silky Carrigan’s skin is against his and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he’ll be if he can’t get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the rest of their lives.

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Wedding Pact! ❤

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Satisfied that the bartender wouldn’t go telling tales, he made his way back to where Carrigan had picked a booth. Ignoring the empty side, he slid in next to her. “What’s going on?”

She didn’t look up. “What makes you think something’s going on?”

“How about because you won’t meet my eyes for the first time since we met? Or this…I don’t even know what to call this getup.” He tugged on the white fabric pooled on the booth seat between them.

Her green eyes flashed, a welcome show of anger. “There’s nothing wrong with the way I dress.”

“You’re right. This isn’t you. This is some scared virgin who’s looking for her white knight. If I’ve learned anything from our time together, it’s that you’d have no problem slaying dragons on your own.”

Her mouth formed a little O of surprise, but she recovered quickly enough. “You don’t know me.”

“Not nearly as well as I want to, no. But you don’t grow up the way we did without learning to read a person.” The bartender appeared with their drinks, and James waited for him to scurry away before he spoke again. “Talk to me. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“No one can help me.” She didn’t say it like it upset her—more like it was a truth of her life that she’d come to terms with years ago. It made his chest ache. Carrigan took a long drink of her martini. “I’m almost thirty.”

He blinked. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Biology, my dear Watson. How in God’s name can I pop out half a dozen kids if I’m past the age of safely being able to do so.”

There was so much wrong with what she just said that he didn’t know where to start. So James just went with the first thing he thought of. “Do you want kids?”

She froze with her drink halfway to her mouth and slowly set it back down. “You know, I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before.”

The raw pain in her voice made him want to comfort her, but that was one skill James had never learned. Maybe if his mother had lived…but there was no room in this world for what if and maybe. So he did the one thing that he knew how to do. The single thing guaranteed to distract her.

He kissed her.

Carrigan went rigid for half a second, but he waited, his lips on hers, and let her choose. That hesitation was all it took for her to melt, turning to fire in his arms. He wanted to haul her against him, to let this feeling consume him until none of the bullshit mattered anymore. Right now, in this moment, there was only her. They could be the last two people in the world for all he gave a fuck. Hell, part of him hoped they were. As her tongue stroked his, a small, treacherous thought wormed into his brain and took root.

With this woman by my side, I’d be content to let the rest of the world burn.

Reading Order: The O’Malleys series

The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert 

#1 ~ The Marriage Contract: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Wedding Pact: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (April 26, 2016)
#3 ~ An Indecent Proposal: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (Aug. 30, 2016)

about the author button

Katee RobertNew York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Instagram • Tumblr • Youtube

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Blog Tour + Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid

The Player and the Pixie tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid!

The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid
Series: Rugby #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 12th 2016
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THE PIXIE
Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby.
As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble.

THE PLAYER
Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone.
His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamous player, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick.

THE PLAN
Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world—and Lucy’s big brother in particular—that this is the real deal?

Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

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I love L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid as individual writers, but I’d never had the pleasure of reading a collaboration of theirs until now. The Player and the Pixie is the second book in the Rugby series but can be read entirely as a standalone, which is what I did. I’m already looking forward to reading the first book, that’s how much I enjoyed this one. Sean and Lucy were an absolute delight to read – they were sweet, utterly endearing, and overall just so much fun to read about. If you love sports romances with realistic characters and a unique spin to them, I highly recommend The Player and the Pixie!

Sigh.
Why were the beautiful ones always such pricks, huh?

Sean Cassidy is the black sheep of his rugby team – everyone thinks he’s an unfeeling jerk, and he’s not about to prove them otherwise. Lucy is the younger brother of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, who is also Sean’s captain. She’s sweet and everything good… except for her compulsive problem/habit/coping mechanism of stealing small things from stores. These two couldn’t be more different, but I loved how contrasting they are. When they meet, they’re so wonderfully antagonistic – Sean hates Lucy because of her brother and Lucy hates Sean because of what he did to her brother. Still, they can’t help but be intrigued by each other, and after a failed blackmailed dinner date, Sean can’t help but want to get under Lucy’s skin as much as she’s under his.

Lucy Fitzpatrick was my drug of choice, and has quickly become a necessity. I had no desire to contemplate rehab.

Lucy and Sean are such well-developed characters. There’s so much more to them than meets the eye. I have to admit, I totally believed Sean to be the shallow, spoiled man everyone thought he was at first, but the authors did a wonderful job of opening him up in my eyes and making me see the hidden depth to him. Lucy herself is a unique character – I’m not sure I’ve ever read about a character who has the compulsive problem she does. The authors portrayed her hidden shame in an honest way that really made me feel for her. Both of these characters deal with a lot of insecurity and problems with self-acceptance, and I absolutely loved the growth of their characters and the way they become so much confident in themselves thanks to each other.

“The moment you walk into a room you brighten it, Lucy Fitzpatrick, and I for one feel like the luckiest bastard in the world for having known you.”

The Player and the Pixie is so, so sweet. I fell for Lucy and Sean and their slowly blooming romance. There were so many unexpected things I loved about the book – my favorite was how Sean had pretty much no skills in bed. Only L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid would make an incompetent hero funny and endearing – but don’t worry, Sean has an excellent teacher in Lucy and he more than makes up for his deficiencies soon enough. 😉 Overall, I highly enjoyed reading this book. It’s entertaining as hell and the characters are written spectacularly. It’s not your typical sports romance, and I loved that. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Player and the Pixie! ❤

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*Sean*

I didn’t know what I was doing.

Requests, things I wanted, words I would never speak or allow myself to think were now uncontainable.

It’s the sex, I reiterated. Again. I’d used this explanation, now on repeat, as a simple justification for the complex cacophony of my mind.

“Be with you?” Her long, dark lashes fluttered, beating like distressed butterfly wings against warming pink cheeks.

I licked my lips, tasting her there. “Yes.”

She stared at me, confused. I was also confused. And oddly frightened.

Because it wasn’t the sex.

Several seconds ticked on as we studied each other in breathless silence. She found her voice before I did. “What does that—”

“Lucy?” Annie’s voice was paired with a soft knock on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”

I opened my mouth to whisper a clarification to the question Lucy hadn’t quite posed, because I was compelled to tell her it wasn’t the sex. We didn’t have to have sex. We could just . . . talk. Or play cards. Or touch. Or look at each other from across the room.

We could merely be together.

But she covered my mouth with her hand. Her features arrested with unmistakable panic.

“Yes. I’m fine! I just . . . started my period is all. Made a mess in my jeans, like a crime scene.” Lucy hollered in response then grimaced. She immediately mouthed I’m sorry to me. Her cheeks flushed red.

I lifted an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes, ducking her head with obvious embarrassment. I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh.

Issuing me a quelling look, Lucy released me and skittered out of the stall, whispering, “Stay here and count to three hundred.”

“Oh! Do you need anything?” Annie’s voice was less muffled and I surmised she’d opened the bathroom door.

“Ah, no. Have it all sorted now. Thank God Tom has these nice absorbent napkins instead of those troublesome hand driers. Although I feel like I’m wearing a nappy. They’re bad for the environment, so I should talk to him about replacing the napkins. Maybe make a few available for emergencies . . .”

Lucy’s anxiety-riddled chatter faded as the bathroom door clicked shut.

I released an audible exhale. My heart was beating as though it might leap from my chest. I needed to catch my breath. Neither had anything to do with being caught.

What the fuck were you doing?

It was the sex. She’s phenomenal in bed. You’ve never had that before. It was just sex.

I nodded, reiterating the logic of my justification for the uncharacteristic behavior. If I repeated it enough, perhaps I would believe it.

I didn’t count to three hundred as instructed. I counted to one hundred and twenty-three, then realized what I was doing.

“You’re mad, Sean,” I muttered, shaking myself and promptly leaving the ladies’ room. I checked the cufflinks on my dress shirt—a nervous habit—and strolled back to the table, eyeing the assortment of eejits gathered.

Reading Order: Rugby series

The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid  

#1 ~ The Hooker and the Hermit: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ The Player and the Pixie: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ The Cad and the Co-ed: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

about the authors button

L.H. CoswayL.H. Cosway 

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest

Penny ReidPenny Reid

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter • Newsletter

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Prize Pack (Signed Paperback Giveaway)

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Blog Tour + Guest Post & Excerpt: Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down Tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey! We have a special guest post from Tessa today about how Thrown Down came about – and if you haven’t read the book yet, check out my review!

Guest Post: Tessa Bailey

How Thrown Down Came About

I’ve wanted to write a secret baby book for a long time, which probably will shock anyone who knows me, since I could whine about the hardships of parenting for hours. But still. The idea of a man finding out he has a child—and he has missed important milestones in that child’s life—is a sad concept, but how better to prove a hero’s strength of character than to have him bust his butt to make up for that absence? I knew Vaughn DeMatteo would be the man for the job. His life began the moment he met River and being away from her has wreaked havoc on his soul. When he finds out he left River a single mother, working two jobs to make ends meet, he sets out to win his family back—and he never wavers. I love him for that.

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
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He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon PaperbackB&N

Now here’s an excerpt from Thrown Down! ❤

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Forty-nine months and three days.

That was how long it had been since he’d seen her.

Vaughn swayed to the right, his shoulder slamming up against the wall. Then he kind of just hung there, counting forward and backward from one to ten. Not helping. Not helping. His stomach pitched at the sight of River walking through the drunks, like a nurse walking among the wounded on a battlefield. She could still knock his lights out on sight. Not that he’d doubted it for a second. But God, if it were possible, she’d grown even more beautiful over the last forty-nine months. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, a pencil stuck through the base, in a way he remembered well enough to make his throat go raw. In a short black skirt and fitted white T-shirt, River tried to look the part of indifferent barmaid, but didn’t pull it off.

Not by a stretch.

Eyes Vaughn knew were just a shade darker than cornflower blue flitted to each table, and her fingers tugged on the skirt’s hem self-consciously every time she approached a new one. When she fumbled with the notepad, recovering with a nervous laugh, a choked sound left Vaughn. “Riv,” he whispered.

She looked up so fast, he might as well have shouted. The sudden impact of having River’s focus on him after such an extended period of time without it released a rushing sound between his ears, blocking out the sad lounge act…and apparently someone asking if he needed a table. Because when Vaughn snapped back to reality, a man he towered over by at least a foot was in his face. Snapping his fingers.

“I wouldn’t…” Vaughn shook his head to clear it, experiencing a resurgence of anger, this time for having his attention diverted from where he needed it to be. On River.

“I wouldn’t advise snapping your fingers in my face again.”

“Why’s that, huh?”

A toss of blond hair snagged Vaughn’s gaze as his angelic ex-girlfriend zigzagged through the crowd, drawing more than just his notice. Ah no, quite the opposite. She was putting on an unwitting show for every man in the room, attracting lecherous looks by virtue of being her beautiful self, light in a dark tunnel, same way she’d always been.

Finger snapped in front of his face. Again. “This is my place and I asked you a question.”

“This is your place?” Vaughn asked. God, one hour back in Jersey and already his accent had thickened from water to oil. “You hired River Purcell to clean up tables?”

“That’s right.”

Vaughn plowed a fist into the underside of the man’s jaw, watching him fall backward onto the sticky concrete floor with detachment that slowly morphed into satisfaction. So much for calm, he thought, shaking out his right hand.

Reading Order: Made in Jersey series

Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

#1 ~ Crashed Out: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#1.5 ~ Rough Rhythm: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Thrown Down: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Worked Up: Goodreads (Aug. 2016)

about the author button

Tessa BaileyTessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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Blog Tour + Early Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken

The Matchmaker's Playbook tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken!

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Wingmen Inc. #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
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Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…

Buy Links:
Amazon USAmazon UK • Amazon CA • Amazon AU

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The Matchmaker’s Playbook is the perfect romantic comedy!!! It’s written entirely in the hero’s POV, and Ian’s narrative is absolutely HILARIOUS. Seriously, this book was so. much. fun!! If you’re up for something light-hearted that will have you giggling and cracking up, I highly recommend this book.

But when one can’t play . . . one teaches.
And I was more than just a football player.
I was the player.
Of sports.
And . . . of women.
The best of them all.
So who better to teach women how not to get played than an actual player?

Ian Hunter is a former football star turned matchmaker, co-owner of Wingmen, Inc., a service dedicated to helping out women, their love lives, and their dating skills. Ian is a total player – and what better way to win a player than with the help of one? The only rule Ian has as for his company is to never fall for one of his clients – but what happens when Blake Olsen bursts into his life and makes him unable to stop thinking about her?

For the first time in my life, I wanted a girl that wasn’t mine to have.
And it sucked.

When Blake requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., she seems like a nearly hopeless cause – she’s very tomboy-ish, always frumpy-looking, and definitely not at her full potential to win the heart of a childhood crush. But Ian has never failed a client before, and he’s not about to start now, not even when he gets to know her and wants to be in her company more and more. Soon enough, feelings start to be involved, but is Ian truly the right match for Blake, or is she meant for another?

I totally adored this book. Ian is totally sweet, sometimes an idiot, but overall so adorable and hilarious you can’t help but love him. Blake was perfect for him, never really falling for his typical lines for women, and making him work for her love and trust. And I loved the secondary characters of this book: Lex, the other co-owner and brainiac behind Wingmen, Inc., and Gabi, Ian’s childhood friend. After reading The Matchmaker’s Playbook, Lex and Gabi’s book has become a highly anticipated read – these two are enemies to the extreme, and I can’t wait to see them fall in love.

If you love to laugh, read this book. If you love romcoms, read this book. It’s such a fun, entertaining book – you won’t want to put it down!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Matchmaker’s Playbook! ❤

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Blake let out another pitiful groan. “I don’t think it fits.”

“They measured you. It fits. Just, tell me if it looks okay so we can go.” I checked my watch. “Gabi said dinner was at six, and it’s already a quarter till.”

“This is too much pressure.” Her voice was frantic. “I can’t do this. I mean, how do I know if it looks good? They’re boobs.”

I groaned. “Boobs always look good. Believe me.”

“Boobs are gross!”

Said no man ever. Even the gay ones.

One of the salesladies eyed me up and down. “Are you two okay?”

“Great,” I chirped. “Just having a very heated discussion about the beauty of breasts.” I dipped my chin to Blake’s chest. “What are you? A double D?”

Scowling, she marched off.

Thank God.

“Blake,” I hissed.

No answer.

I’d never had such a difficult client. If anything, they jumped when I told them to, asked how high, and then kept jumping until I was satisfied. Blake fought me at every turn.

“Open the door before I crawl underneath it. I’ll pick the bras, you can close your eyes if you want so you don’t have to watch me look at you, alright? My stomach literally just ate my liver. I need protein. Open. The. Door.”

The door slowly creaked open. Taking advantage of the small crack of air, I pushed it farther, then clicked it shut behind me and turned around.

Blake was facing me, hands on hips, face beet-red, body . . . freaking perfect. My tongue almost lolled out, like a dog.

Most girls starve themselves to have abs like that, which was disgusting. But her abs? They had muscle, actual muscle, but still appeared feminine.

She also had a nice tan, just enough to show that she spent time outside or maybe just had naturally darker skin.

My throat went completely dry as I continued to stare.

“Well?” Her voice was weak. “How awful do I look? On a scale of one to ten?”

I’d convinced her to buy some new workout clothes to replace her old ones. I knew I’d never get her to actually completely change her style. She liked workout clothes? Fine, at least buy the kind that fit and actually point to the correct gender. I tried to steer her away from the boyfriend sweats and sweatshirts, but she eventually wore me down, so I told her if she bought at least five new Pink outfits that had spandex in them, I’d let her get one pair of ugly slouchy sweats. You’d think I’d just given her a million dollars, from her reaction.

Currently, she was sporting a short pair of bright-blue yoga shorts.

And a black push-up sports bra that did wonders for her boobs.

And the world just in general.

Holy shit.

I gulped as I became more and more irritated with the fact that my body was reacting as if it had never seen a girl without her shirt on before. “Blake, it’s great.”

“You sound bored!”

I had to, damn it! What did she want me to do? Sound interested? Turned-on? Intrigued? Curious? I was all those things. I just tried to ignorethe insanity bouncing around in my head and blurted, “Your boobs look really good. Perky, happy, just . . . awesome.”

Did I just call her boobs “happy”?

“You think?” She stared down at her breasts, then grabbed them.

Holy shit, was she seriously feeling herself up? I braced my hand against the door and sucked in a breath.

“They still feel comfortable,” she said.

“Do they?” I managed to choke out while she continued bouncing them a bit in her hands. Dear Lord, did she know what she was doing? Waving a flag in front of a bull. My jeans suddenly tight in all the wrong areas, I tried to envision Lex naked, anything to get my dick to clue in to the word “client,” meaning I was in a no-play zone.

Another first.

It was because I was hungry.

And Marissa? Melissa? Hadn’t satisfied me. I’d gotten off, and made sure she did too, but the entire experience left me feeling empty, bored, and—if I was being completely honest? A bit depressed. Besides, her tits paled in comparison. I had to wonder what the hell I’d been doing all my life if this was the first time I was having such a strong reaction to boobs.

Something about Blake had me wondering if I’d been satisfied at all up until this point. And I had no idea what the hell was so confusing about her, and about the situation. I was unable to put my finger on it, and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt.

Hunger does weird things to guys.

“Yeah.” More bouncing, then turning and staring in the mirror. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her staring at her own boobs or touching them. “I’m just no good at this stuff. I didn’t grow up with a mom, and I hit puberty really early. The girls made fun of me, and the boys pointed.” Her shoulders slumped inward again.

Could we please go back to the bouncing? I was a fan of that Blake. The one that rolled up like an awkward armadillo? Not so much.

Reading Order: Wingmen Inc. series

#1 ~ The Matchmaker’s Playbook: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Matchmaker’s Replacement: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (July 26, 2016)

about the author button

Rachel Van DykenRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon Page

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Book boyfriend in a box
Everything you need to have the perfect book boyfriend without leaving home!
Compliments of Wingman Inc.
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