New Release – Page 298 – TBR Book Blog

Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Kiss My Crown ~ by ~ Alexis Noelle

Title: Kiss My Crown

Author: Alexis Noelle

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: November 7, 2016

My name is Kate and I’m a princess.

I had it all. Every little girl’s dream: Working as a princess in a theme park five days a week. Prince Charming and I really hit it off, until he hit every other princess in the park.

After beating him with his own sword I decided it was time to find a normal guy. I met one- or at least I thought I did.

Now the princesses are snubbing me and the princes won’t even look at me. Worse, I’m about to be demoted to a fairy, which is like being sent to the seventh level of hell.

What do you do when the fairy tale ends?

When happily ever after sucks ass?

“It’s a quick, fun, and sassy ride.” – Two Book Pushers

“Alexis Noelle hit it out of the humor park this time around!” – Renee Entress’s Blog

“OMG!!! This book was absolutely amazing!” – Hot Box Reviews

“I freakin’ loved this book! It was so refreshing to read a book filled with humor instead of one filled with a lot of angst and suspense!” – Stephanie’s Book Reports

Who doesn’t love a smart-ass, sarcastic princess? Well she plays a princess at a theme park where she has the dreamy boyfriend who plays Prince Charming and lives a magical life. Except she hates having to smile and act princessy all the time or and her dreamy Prince Charming? He’s banging every female in the theme park.

So Kate is through with her not so Prince Charming, and sends him packing. And ends up meeting a real charming man who doesn’t want to plug every female within a mile’s radius.

This is the start of a hysterical series and I love Kate’s attitude and sassiness!

4.5 stars!

Alexis Noelle lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband, and three kids. On top a writing career, she is a full-time student and a full-time mom. She loves spending time with her kids, although she has to hide the computer from them when she is writing! She love being active and being outdoors, especially if it involves any kind of shopping.

She has always been passionate about writing. She loves to read romance books and feels like being able to lose yourself in a book is one of the more exciting aspects. The books she loves to read and write will be ones that make you feel for the characters. Ashley believes that you should have an opinion on every character in a book whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something.She also believes that the most important critic is your reader, so she loves to hear from the readers. She want her fans to be open & talk to her about what they want for the characters in the story, and what they would like to see happen.

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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Acquisition The Complete Series ~ by ~ Celia Aaron

Acquisition: The Complete Series

Darkness lurks in the heart of the Louisiana elite, and only one will be able to rule them as Sovereign. Sinclair Vinemont will compete for the title, and has acquired Stella Rousseau for that very purpose. Breaking her is part of the game. Loving her is the most dangerous play of all.

“Depraved, sinister and complex plot! Off-the-charts sexual tension and situations! Raw, rough and angry sex! Excellent story-telling!” – SueBee, Top 10 Goodreads Reviewer

“Love and hate combine to make the most intoxicating elixir and I can’t wait for the final installment to get another fix…” – Agents of Romance

“You took all of my emotions and played them like puppets. You stretched me further than I thought I could go. You took me to the end of my tether and then pushed me over the edge.” – PopKitty Reviews

“I loved the characters and the twists and turns of the plot, I was gripped!!” – The Saucy Owl Book Reviews

“You are testing my patience, Stella.” He stopped and pushed me up against the wall. His eyes bored into me. “Don’t ask Farns questions like that. He can’t help you.”

“I can ask whatever the hell I want.” The cocktail of emotions roiling inside me had made me bold, even in the face of Vinemont’s wrath.

His gaze travelled over my face, down to my lips and then back to my eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

He gripped my hair and pulled my head to the side. His mouth was at my ear again, his Southern drawl whispering darkly to me. “I thought I made it clear that I own you now. You do as I say. If you don’t, I’ll make sure your father feels the brunt of your punishment.”

He stepped into me, pressing my back into the wall and crushing me painfully. I yelped at the sudden aggression. He clapped his free hand over my mouth. I hit ineffectually at his sides, his back. I even tried to knee him, but he took advantage of my efforts and pushed one of his large thighs between my legs and lifted so I was straddling him.

“Fuck.” It was a gravelly whisper.

My heart beat faster and faster, panic welling up inside and drowning out any other emotion. He was going to hurt me. Right here, right now in this sunny hallway.

He pulled my hair harder and harder until I thought he would rip it out. I stopped struggling.

“Better. Here’s how this is going to go, Stella. You are going to stop trying to make trouble. You are going to do as you’re told. This year will pass by much easier for you if you just follow my orders. You can fight me.” His lips moved down to my neck, a hairsbreadth from making contact. “And I’m not going to lie, I like it when you fight. It makes this easier for me. But you won’t like the results.”

This collection wasn’t something I normally read. And it definitely pushed a lot of my hard limits in reading. It was well-written, just the subject matter isn’t something I normally read – hence the 4 stars. Plus Stella is my boss’ name and that weirded me out a little, but that’s my own thing.

Stella is trying and willing to do ANYTHING to help her father avoid jail time. Sinclair is willing to test that to see just how far she will go to help her father. Stella’s determination is what starts her on a dark, depraved, journey through Louisiana’s social elite.

4 stars!

Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark. Thanks for reading.

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Book Blitz ~ Kon ~ by ~ Lisa Cardiff

Kon
Lisa Cardiff
(Trassato Crime Family #2)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: November 1st 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Once upon a time, I was the woman you envied. I had it all. A wonderful family. The perfect fiancé who also happened to be my best friend. Money and resources. The power and influence that came with sharing the Trassato name.

One night my fairytale became a nightmare, and I’ve been living in Hell ever since. A rival family killed my fiancé. My father succumbed to cancer. In the middle of it all, I bargained away my future to Konstantin Trincher, a member of the Russian mafia. It seemed like the perfect solution at the time—my brother’s girlfriend in exchange for me.

Only things weren’t that simple. I promised myself to Konstantin and my family promised me to Nico DeAngelo, the underboss of the Trassato Crime Family.

Konstantin and I form an alliance to unravel our bargain. The only problem? We didn’t expect to fall for each other in the process. Now I’m forced to choose between love and loyalty. One choice will break my heart and the other will break my family.

Goodreads / Amazon

Sequel to:

—

EXCERPT:

She embodied every fantasy I had when I was still a naïve farm boy living the simple life in Nebraska, and not a nasty criminal with a lengthy list of sins.

Exotic amber eyes that reminded me of sunshine. Long dark hair with the right amount of wave. Skin the color of golden honey. Curves that made my hands twitch with the urge to grab a handful. Lips the color of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. And like the forbidden fruit led to Adam and Eve’s ruin, I knew Carmela Trassato would be mine if I let down my guard around her.

“Mr. Trincher.” The measured burn of her stare scraped down my torso and back up again as she dragged her finger through the condensation on her water glass. She wasn’t touching me, yet I felt the swipe of her soft hands all the same. “Sorry I can’t say the same about you. You look like shit. Did you attempt to drown yourself in a fifth of vodka last night or is this a standard look for you?”

Leaning back, I folded my arms across my chest and offered her my trademarked grin. It started at one corner and leisurely spread to the other. “Is that any way to treat the love of your life and your future husband?”

She recoiled and her elbow caught the edge of the table. The cutlery rattled and the water glasses wobbled. She closed her eyes momentarily and hitched a breath. “Is that why you’re here? Did you finally decide to go through with this?”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?” She studied me, and beneath the layers of distrust I saw hope. I saw happiness. I saw excitement. My gut twisted with the need to be the prince charming for once in my godforsaken life. Unfortunately for her, circumstances had already cast me as the villain, and I didn’t think that would change any time in the near future.

Author Bio:

After spending years practicing law and a million other things, Lisa decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer and she must confess that inventing characters is so much more fun than writing contracts and legal briefs. A native of Colorado, she lives with her husband and three children in Denver.

Subscribe to my newsletter for giveaways and deleted scenes: http://eepurl.com/bQ7KQf

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Release Day Blitz ~ Boys, Toys – Oh My ~ by ~ A.M. Willard

Cover Design: Shari Ryan, MadHat Books

Now LIVE #99cents

Synopsis

*Warning this could cause strange looks for the laugh out loud moments… It could cause you to pee your pants… Most of all… It could cause you to escape from a long day.*

Charlie Evans is the kind of woman who turns crimson red when she hears the word penis, so just imagine what happens when she has to say it to a crowd of strangers.

Cooper Fields is all business, well, that is until Charlie the blushing beauty stumbles into his life.

Mixing business with pleasure is never a good idea, but their attraction is strong and neither can resist the urge to test the limits of a relationship.

A misunderstanding involving a stripper, a sex toy consultant, and a bachelor party is what it takes to give Charlie the confidence she needs, but it also causes Cooper to ask himself if he even knows her. Will this situation push Cooper away for good, or can they put the dildos behind them once and for all?

Find out now in author A.M. Willard’s romantic comedy where massage oils, suction cups, and training kits are invited along for a wet ride.

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About the Author

International Bestselling Author, A.M. Willard resides in Savannah, Georgia. She joined the Peach State many years ago after leaving the crystal blue waters and sugary white sand behind from the Panhandle of Florida. She’s also known for being a wife, mother, and caretaker for her farm animals. A.M. loves anything sassy, glittery, and is a sucker for the Hallmark Channel. That last one might be the reason she believes in soulmates or it could be because she married her high school sweetheart almost twenty years ago.

After releasing her first novella series back in 2014, A.M. set out on a new goal to bring her readers a broad range of romantic stories from her desk. This includes Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance, and from time to time some Sexy Romance.

A.M. is an active member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and has also had an article published in the Writer’s Monthly Review Magazine.

Connect with A.M. Willard

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Review ~ Just An Illusion – Side A ~ by ~ D. Kelly

Dee Kelly reached out and told me about this release and I am SO glad she did!!!! Although I hate her a little for the cliffhanger and making me wait! I don’t want to ruin this book for anyone going to read it (because you should read it) but I will give you some bits.

Amelia is familiar with rock royalty and the celebrity lifestyle and that doesn’t impress her and she doesn’t want to be involved in it. Her best friend Belle, is dragging her to the BAD concert (Mel has no idea who they are) and they’re heading backstage for a backstage interview with the band. Mel is attracted to the twin bandmates (Sawyer and Noah) but doesn’t care about their celebrity. And that immediately strikes the band and they want Amelia to be their autobiographer on their tour.

This is the start of the story of Amelia and BAD and everything surrounding them.

5 stars!!

Release Day Blitz ~ Home For the Howliday ~ by ~ Cassie Leigh

Title: Home for the Howliday

Series: An Ushers Run Pack Novella

Author: Cassie Leigh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: November 1, 2016

He may have given up fighting, but he’s in for the fight of his life…

Walking away from his wolf pack duties and woman he loved was the hardest thing Gunner Thoren ever did. But now, ten years later, the successful MMA fighter is giving up the cage, and reclaiming what’s always been his.

Before shifter witch Noelle Hiver could give Gunner her heart, he was gone. And now that he’s back, someone else is determined to claim her as his mate. Refusing to be marked by anyone other than the wolf she’s loved for past ten years, Noelle will do anything in her power to stay connected to Gunner. But the jealous wolf who wants her for his own won’t heel. Now it’s up to Gunner to protect the woman he’s always loved and finally give Noelle the best gift of the holiday season–his mark. Will the howlidays bring something for Noelle and Gunner this Christmas?

Chapter 1

The sultry croon of “Santa Baby” blaring through the crowded cabin might as well have been nails on a chalkboard to Gunner Thoren. The eggnog and holiday cookie smorgasbord only added to his irritation. For the hundredth time he questioned his motivation for coming back into the fold. He’d walked away from a good thing in Las Vegas, to return home to the wolf-pack town of Ushers Run, Iowa. “Eventually you all come home.” Gunner shook the pack-elder’s voice from his already crowded mind. He’d met with the old man along with the pack-leader, Ambrose. It was a lofty position for his best friend to ascend to in Gunner’s absence. Then Ambrose blindsided him with a compulsory invitation to attend the festivities this evening. It was intended for the younger members. Some crap about pack bonding.

Gunner just wanted to enjoy being in nature. It was the only part of being home that he looked forward to after a decade of self-imposed exile. The bright lights of Las Vegas lacked a forest for his wolf to run in. Wolves didn’t belong skulking through back alleys and desert landscapes. At least Ambrose picked a nice spot in the woods for the cabin he’d designed for the pack’s use. Too bad it was currently being overrun with someone’s bastardized idea of Christmas cheer.

From his spot in the corner, Gunner sneered at the garish holiday sweaters covered in ice skating reindeer and penguins decorating evergreen trees. The pack he was born to, or at least this generation of it, might be happy to prance around like drunken fools, but he wouldn’t be caught dead participating in such stupidity. His brother, Asher, loped toward him from across the room in the easy way that came with overstimulated youth. Battery-powered twinkle lights wrapped around the kid’s snowflake-covered sweater. It must have come out of their grandmother’s closet.

Asher grinned up at him. “You aren’t in party gear, bro!”

Gunner growled and hunkered down in his corner, unwilling to acknowledge the fool. This kid was why he gave up fighting and the title shot he had worked for years to achieve. Now he would run his family’s business—the local gym. With their father’s passing, his mother needed the help keeping it from going under and his kid brother from tearing down half the town with his idiocy. Less than two years until he graduated and Gunner could take off again. He was already counting down the days.

“Never fear,” Asher said, undaunted by Gunner’s stoicism. “I knew it would happen, so I brought an extra.”

Asher slapped his brother’s back and gave him an ineffective shove that left the kid rubbing the sting out of his hand. Gunner stood still as a mountain, which he was as a middleweight fighter. He fought at 185 pounds but walked around closer to 220 between fights.

“Nothing’s wrong with my sweater,” Gunner groused. He’d worn a normal sweater, a traditional Scandinavian pattern in grey and navy. A respectable sweater, not some castoff thrift store reject.

“You’re not getting into the spirit,” Asher said, his tone sullen and accusatory.

Feminine laughter that was equal parts wicked and ethereal rose above the chaotic jumble of voices and crappy Christmas pop-music. Gunner tuned out the useless prattle that continued to dump out of his brother’s mouth, searching for the owner of that laugh as if it was a homing beacon meant to draw him in.

“You’ve got enough for both of us.” Gunner answered his brother to stop the distracting noise. He searched the nameless faces. The laughter had stopped but he knew he hadn’t imagined its siren song.

That’s when Gunner saw her. The reason he left town in the first place—Noelle Hiver. She moved like a Nordic goddess come to life—a young and beautiful version of the Norns—as she stood in front of a tinsel-draped tree talking with her hands as if they were weaving a tapestry to illustrate her words. The multicolored lights that reflected off the metallic decorations shone on her like a rainbow spotlight.

The little vixen was a dangerous temptation. Her white sweater dress embroidered with silver poinsettias hugged her lithe curves in places he knew his eyes shouldn’t linger—but he couldn’t stop himself, just like before. No one should look at the pack-leader’s half-sister that way, not if he wanted to keep his eyes. His illicit gaze continued the treacherous journey north to wild platinum blonde hair that skimmed her slender shoulders. He wanted a closer look, perilous as it was. He needed to know if she still wore feathers braided in the riotous curls.

Noelle again laughed at something her companion said, a woman who didn’t exist as far as Gunner was concerned, and it rang like bells calling him home. She glanced his way and his heart nearly stopped. Those eyes, guarded aquamarine glaciers, bored into him from across the room and he was curious what the pack abomination had made of herself.

He’d never called her that, but nearly everyone they knew had. A half-breed shifter witch was not welcome among purebred werewolves, but her brother Ambrose, Gunner’s best friend, had changed that when he took over, hadn’t he? At least for this one pack he had. Gunner had never worried about any of that as she was just Noelle to him.

He closed his eyes against visions of the past that clawed to the surface of his mind and realized his brother was still talking. “Bro, hotties heading our way. It’s too late to fix you now.” This time when Asher shoved, Gunner moved as his eyes flew open. Just a step closer to her but it was as if he jumped a chasm.

Noelle sauntered toward him, her friend in tow. A sweet smile spread across her pouty pink lips. A knowing smile. Gunner steeled himself against its impact. He knew this would come when he made the choice to return home. He just wasn’t ready to see her tonight or for her to see him. But those lips brought a flash he’d give anything to forget, just to relieve the torture.

An image of her broke through, unbidden, from the past. That same smile as she sat waiting for him in the passenger seat of his Camaro on another winter night, reaching for something other than the gear shift, or at least not the one that belonged in his car.

“Gunner, fancy seeing you here.” Noelle’s silken voice pulled him out of the past.

“You’re brother’s invite clearly stated that I didn’t have a choice.”

Noelle smiled at the growl in his voice, clearly finding some kind of perverse pleasure in his words.

Asher glanced from Gunner to Noelle. “Dude, you know her?”

CASSIE LEIGH specializes in all things paranormal romance. She has been dreaming up stories since before she could write. It started with recording conversations for her dolls on a Fisher-Price tape recorder, moved on to an antique typewriter found at a garage sale, then an electric typewriter, and finally computers. In all that time, she never thought of herself as a writer. It was only a dream. It wasn’t until she picked up romance novels in her late twenties that she started to believe it was more than that and she had found where she belonged. With the help of her husband, she carves out time to write while raising five children, working full time and obsessing over her midcentury modern dream home.

Her goal as a writer is to transform the trials and tribulations of everyday life and turn it on its head using the paranormal world of spirits, vampires, and were-animals. The world can be a scary place, but she finds it a little more tolerable knowing that the supernatural things that go bump in the night have problems just like the rest of us.

Want more? You can connect with Cassie Leigh online.

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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Arrogant ~ by ~ Jenika Snow

Even a bad boy can wear a suit and tie…

Noah

All it took was one look at Harley to know I wanted her.

It wasn’t about the deliberate sexual dry spell I was going through either … the one I voluntarily participated in. No, there was something about her innocence and her vulnerability that had possessiveness running through my veins.

I wanted her as mine, and I’d have her. I’d show her that although I could be cruel to those who went up against me, when it came to her, I’d make the world bow down at her feet.

Harley

The intern position I had been offered was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it also came with working for a man who had the most notorious reputation in the city.

Noah Wright was anything but Mr. Right, especially not with his arrogant, unforgiving, and tyrannical attitude. He was wealthy and gorgeous, but he struck fear into people with just a look. They knew who held the power when he was in the room. So did I.

And I was now working for him and getting an up close and personal experience with his cold, hardened, and abrasive personality … and it turned me on.

But there was something else under the frigid demeanor he showed everyone, a slice of warmth he showed only me. I knew if Noah wanted me, he could easily have me, because putting up a fight was not what I planned on doing.

I wanted him, but I wouldn’t be just a conquest. I wouldn’t make this easy for him.

Warning: Love insta-everything in a book? Like over the top sugary goodness? Want your stories dripping with cocky and possessive alpha heroes who only want one woman? Get a fan and a cold glass of water ready, because this story will definitely heat you up.

Without thinking, this instinct and possessiveness moved through me. I lifted my hand and pushed the fall of her hair away from her shoulder. She sucked in a breath at the touch, but I liked that, loved that she was reacting. I wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything, wasn’t going to try and lie about any of it. Two months had passed, and I was ready to stake my claim, make her know I wanted her.

I could tell I affected her in more than one way, but whether she’d embrace that remained to be seen.

“Mr. Wright.” She whispered my name.

“You’ll call me Noah. I need you to call me that.”

I stared at her lips. I wasn’t the type of man that gave in to anyone or anything, but for Harley I’d gladly give her my entire world.

Insta-everything was going on with me where it concerned her, and I wasn’t about to ignore this, not when it was the first real thing I’d ever felt. I wasn’t going to pretend that this was a passing, superficial experience.

This was fucking real.

I saw the emotion flash across her face, the confusion, the war. She wanted me; I knew that by the way she acted toward me and by her body language. But she was trying to keep her composure, trying to keep this wall between us. I sensed that, felt it since I was trying to do that myself.

“I don’t think this is appropriate, Mr. Wright,” she said, but I kept my hand on her cheek and stroked my thumb along her jawline.

“Appropriate? Maybe not. But it feels pretty fucking right, Harley. It feels really damn good to me.”

“You’re my boss.” She tried to sound adamant, but I could hear the longing in her voice.

I didn’t stop touching her jawline. I wanted to touch more of her … all of her. She slipped her tongue out and ran it along the swell of her bottom lip. And I lost all semblance of the self-control I’d been holding on to. I lowered my head, moved slightly toward her, and knew if I allowed myself to kiss her, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

But I paused with our mouths only inches apart. “Tell me you want this, that you want me.” I stared right in her eyes. “We don’t have to fight this.”

She breathed hard, and the sweet scent of her breath, laced with cinnamon and sugar, moved along my mouth.

“I want you, and I know you want me, Harley. I can see it when you look at me, in the way you hold yourself in my presence.”

“We shouldn’t cross this line,” she whispered.

And that’s when I did what I’d wanted to do for the last two months.

I cupped the back of her head and placed my mouth right on hers. She gasped instantly, and I used that opportunity to lick at her lips before delving inside her mouth. I felt the moment she gave in, her resistance leaving and breaking away into desire. I pulled her closer, tilted my head to deepen the kiss, and groaned at how good she tasted. She must have had hot chocolate before coming into the office, because her flavor was incredible.

Harley panted against my mouth. I needed her so fucking badly. Her hair was loose around her face, and I gripped a chunk behind her head, pulled back, and broke the kiss. I immediately went to her throat and started sucking and licking at her soft, creamy skin.

“Oh. God,” she gasped, and I instantly went back to her mouth, delving my tongue inside.

A groan left me, my control right out the fucking window. All I could picture was tossing the shit off my desk and bending her over the glass and chrome.

Noah is a tough, hard, CEO and his company’s internship program is intense and stringent.

Harley has passed through the rigorous interviews to earn a coveted spot as one of Noah’s interns. Once Noah sees Harley, he knows he must have her and will do anything to have her. But he also doesn’t want to get involved with an employee.

Time passes and Noah is still fiercly attracted to Harley and Harley is to Noah, when she isn’t hating him for being a demanding boss.

Finally Noah can’t take it any more and must claim Harley, physically. She’s already been his but now he just needs to make her know it.

4.5 stars!

Jenika Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author that lives in the northwest with her husband and their two daughters. Before she started writing full-time she worked as a nurse.

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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Paid For ~ by ~ Alexa Riley

Mason foster goes through assistants like some people go through tissues. He’s sick and tired of having to replace them, so his best friend and business partner decides to help him out.

Kennedy Myers is here for a job and nothing else. But when the money is too good to be true, there’s nothing she won’t do to please her new boss. She’s bought and paid for, so who is she to say no? Especially when she likes it.

Warning: This dirty office romance is over-the-top filthy. If you want a possessive alpha with a bossy mouth, then do what you’re told and get this book! Seriously, though, if Mason asks, just say you bought it. He’s grumpy.

Chapter 1 *Kennedy*

I think I’m going to throw up. The single thought runs through my head, over and over. I take a deep breath, trying to get my nerves under control. Glancing around the giant room, I feel completely out of place. A woman in her late fifties sits typing away at a large desk, the clicks of her fingers hitting the keys the only sound in the big, empty lobby. I’m on the fiftieth floor of the Foster Building, trying to control my stomach as the lady ignores me and continues to work. Her silky gray hair is cut short to just below her ears and she’s wearing thick-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose. Everything about her is professional and says she belongs here. Her outfit is stylish in a way I could never put together, even if I had the money to do so. She’s classy and elegant and was surprisingly sweet to me when I checked in. She didn’t give me a snide look like the women downstairs had done.
I run one hand across my thighs in an attempt to brush away any pieces of fuzz on the too-tight gray skirt I have on. I’m still shocked I got myself into the thing. I got it in the ninth grade when I’d joined the debate team and needed to look professional. My stint at that size lasted about as long as my time on the team. The waist is starting to dig into my stomach, and I pray that the button in the back won’t pop.
I’m wearing simple black heels that I spent two hours practicing walking in yesterday. I found them in a discount bin in a shop down the street from my little studio apartment, along with a simple button-up white shirt. I feel so plain, even a little mousy. I was trying to look older, but I’m not sure I’m pulling it off.
I tried my hand at a little makeup and even took the time to put some curls into my hair. I’d tried to mimic a woman from a magazine I saw, but I’m not sure I got close to what I was trying to pull off.
What am I doing here? I shake my head at myself. I’m a horrible liar and I know it. The absolute worst at it. When I was seven, I broke a glass case my grandpa kept a signed football in. I’d confessed before he could even ask me what happened to it. Then when I was thirteen, my grandpa asked me how my day at school was, and out of my mouth came details of how Cody kissed me after school. I was so bad at lying. I couldn’t even fake it for a second. I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.
How I think I’ll ever pull this off, I have no idea. Because you have no other choice, I remind myself. I need this job. Correction, I more than need this job. I needed this job three weeks ago.
The little money I had left from selling my grandpa’s house is almost gone. I have no idea how I am going to make rent in my shitty little studio apartment. I might actually be happy to lose the place, though. Maybe I can find a local YMCA to stay at or something. My landlord is starting to really creep me out.
His apartment is right next to mine, and this morning he caught me as I was leaving, reminding me my rent was due three days ago. He also implied there are other ways to pay my rent. Ways that don’t involve money. It made my skin crawl. Mr. Kelly was easily sixty years old. He is always in pajama bottoms and a wife beater with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. And I am pretty sure the lady across the hall from me is paying her rent in the other ways he was talking about. I’d heard her earn her room on multiple occasions, and it made me shiver with disgust.
He was always a little too handsy. He finds new ways to put his hands on me all the time, and it’s becoming unsettling. I try to find ways to avoid him, but yesterday I’d come home to find him standing inside my home. He said he was checking on the water pipes, something about a leak, but my blood ran cold at how easily he accessed my home. How easily he could do it again. After he left, I shoved a chair under the door handle, but it gave me no comfort. I barely slept all night. I had no idea what I was going to do if I came up with the money to pay the rent, because I didn’t feel safe at all.
I’m just happy I still have a few more weeks until I need to make another payment to the nursing home my grandpa’s in. Knowing he has a place to be for a little longer gives me some relief, but not much. A sharp pain in my palm reminds me I’m squeezing my apartment keys too tight and they’re digging into my skin. I open my bag and drop them down inside.
Your name is Kennedy Myers. You went to University of Michigan, where you got a degree in liberal arts. You are twenty-two years old and have always dreamed of working for a company like Foster and Crate, I remind myself for the hundredth time. All lies, other than my name. Lies I made up to try and get this job.
I’m barely eighteen, almost didn’t graduate high school because of my attendance, and I had no freaking clue what Foster and Crate was until two days ago when I saw the job listing. It’s a job that pays more than I could dream of. Enough to keep my grandfather in the pricey nursing home he’s in. Not only that, but if I can keep the sham up, I can get us both health insurance in a few months’ time.
This has to work. I have no other options. This isn’t merely about me. It’s about the man who raised me since I was a little girl. A man who tried to give me everything he could until he started to forget who I was.
I knew I couldn’t take care of him anymore. He needed someone to be with him 24/7, and not only that, I was physically incapable of helping him at times—my grandfather is a big man, easily twice my size. I could, however, make sure he was somewhere safe where people were good to him. So far, I had done that, but the place was far from cheap, and I quickly burned through the money I’d gotten from selling the home he raised me in. I’m drowning in bills. Waiting tables and cleaning jobs simply aren’t cutting it anymore.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered other ways to make money. One of the girls in my building strips and says she could make over a thousand dollars some nights just off cash tips. I’d toyed with the idea. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t do to keep my grandfather happy.
The man had raised me since I was a little girl. I don’t remember my mother. My memories are crafted from the stories he told me about her. I never knew my father. My grandpa made it seem like he didn’t know who he was either.
It was always just the two of us, and I love him more than anything in the world. He is the only family I’ve ever known. I loved it when I’d lie down to bed at night and he’d tell me stories about grandma. He always lit up at the memory of her. I grew up thinking I wanted a love like that, but then all that was pushed to the back burner as his health started to decline.
Lately, whenever he is having a good day and starts talking about my mom and grandmother when I visit, I write down everything he says. I am scared that one day he’ll no longer remember the stories himself, and I want to be able to tell him those same stories.
I feel wetness hit my cheeks and I quickly wipe it away. Looking up, I see the woman behind the desk watching me. She gives me a sad smile, and I look away, not liking that I’ve been caught crying. Lovely. I’m sure that’s not going to help me get this job.
I stand up. I need to get myself under control.
“Bathroom?” I ask the woman.
“Down the hall, second door on the right,” she says.
I nod and make my way down the hall, almost running into a man coming out of an office.
“Sorry,” I whisper before moving around him and darting into the bathroom. I feel his eyes on me the whole way.
Get it together, Kennedy.

Kennedy is desperate for a job and is pretty determined to do anything to get it, including lying about how old she is. She has to earn money to pay for the nursing home for her grandfather and pay her rent so her skeezy landlord stops offering to let her “work” off her rent in other ways.

Mason has gone through a bazillion assistants because he’s very demanding and wants someone he doesn’t have to hand hold and just knows how to use their scheduling system. His partner does him a favor and hires him an assistant who will take care of “everything” ;-).

It’s a case of mistaken identity but with an insta-love, uber alpha-ness that I expect from the ladies behind Alexa Riley.

4.5 stars!

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Author Links

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Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Master Bits & Mercenary Bites ~ by ~ Lexi Blake & Suzanne M. Johnson

Top restaurant has become the hot spot in Dallas for elevated comfort food—and a side of spicy romance. Run by executive chef Sean Taggart, Top is the premiere fictional destination for gourmet food. Join creator, New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, and Southern food expert Suzanne Johnson as they guide you through the world of Masters and Mercenaries via the secret recipes behind the food served in Top.

But what would a gourmet meal be without some company? Spend an evening with your favorite characters from McKay-Taggart as they celebrate the special moments that make up their happily ever afters. Learn how to make Sean’s specialty dishes and Macon’s desserts while exploring the private lives of the characters who make up the world. From Charlie and Ian’s next demon spawn to a change in path for Simon and Chelsea, these are the times that bind us together, the moments that make us a family.

Good meals, good times, good friends.

Bon appétit!

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Ian went to grab the dog’s leash. Bud started up his pee-pee dance, his massive body twisting and turning as he ran after Ian. His big paws thudded against the brand new hardwood he would never have spent that god-awful amount of money on had he realized a dog would pee on it.

He looked back Charlie’s way. “You know there’s a whole forest out back for him to go in. He should be a free-range dog. Aren’t we taking away his dogness by putting him on a leash?”

Charlie frowned his way as she refilled Kenzie’s cup. “Yes, he’s the mighty wolf dog, Ian. I watched him run away from a bunny the other day.”

He grabbed the leash. “See, if he had to go out and hunt, he wouldn’t be such a shitty guard dog. Don’t even say it, you two. Say good words. Not Daddy words.”

Charlie put a hand to her belly. “I swear this one will come out giving the world the finger and cursing.”

Bud whined, running back and forth in front of the door. Ian sighed and attached the leash. He stepped outside and Bud took off, barking and jumping against the leash until he managed to drag Ian out onto the lawn where he immediately squatted in the middle of Charlie’s azaleas and started to take a crap.

Yep. This was his life. Watching the dog crap. He was so building a fence. “You know you were supposed to be a guard dog. You were supposed to be a raging, feral beast who would take out anything in your way.”

Sort of like Ian had been at one time.

He’d been the bane of intelligence agencies. He’d been Dr. Death, raining down justice and protecting America.

Now he was a dumbass with a mortgage, a dog who seemed to be a bit constipated, two tiny chaotic things, and another on the way. No one even let him kill people anymore.

It was a never-ending cycle of waking up in the morning and seeing their faces, taking care of them, going to work, coming home, and going to bed with his wife.

It was kind of fucking awesome.

Sure, his younger self would likely tell him he’d sold out and he was a pathetic version of himself, but his younger self had been stupid as shit. His younger self thought a great time was following a known terrorist around for three weeks so he could find the cell. His younger self had needed a freaking shower, some decent food, and a comfy bed.

And a dog who didn’t take his time with the poop.

“Come on, Bud. Pinch off, man. We’ve got shit to do today.” Well, he did anyway. He was sure Bud would have a full day of licking his private parts and waiting for the girls to drop food. Bud seemed forever optimistic that one of these days the girls or Charlie was going to drop a ham in front of him.

A butterfly landed on the bush next to Bud and that was when he went into protective mode. He barked, the deep sound threatening to anyone who didn’t know what a wuss he was, and he pulled hard at his leash.

Hard enough to make Ian stumble and damn near break his toe on the garden gnome Alex had left as a joke. Hard enough to send Ian crashing down to his knee, pain flaring and making him curse.

Bud twisted again and Ian tripped over the riding ladybug thing Kala liked to push around the yard. He landed flat on his back, looking up at the sky.

Taken down by a freaking ladybug. And his back was spasming. The pain flared through him and he could feel his lower back seizing like a motherfucker.

Bud suddenly blocked out the sky, his big doggie face staring down.

“Don’t you dare.”

It was too late. Bud licked his face and Ian realized he shouldn’t have gotten up that morning. Nope. He should have stayed in bed and then he would be warm and happy and not having his face licked by a gargantuan mass of body odor and a tongue that licked its own ass from time to time.

God, if he didn’t die from breaking his spine he was going to catch some dog disease and waste away. Right here. Because he wasn’t sure he could move. “Bud, I need you to go get Charlie. Go on. Run and get her.” He let the leash drop. Bud simply sat down beside him. “Go get Charlie, boy. I think she’s got a ham for you. Go on.”

Bud laid his big head down on Ian’s chest.

Now he had a sleeping mutt and a garden gnome that was practically up his ass. He could feel the pointy cap thing attempting to violate him.

“Ian? Ian, I need you.”

Thank god. His wife would laugh her ass off, but at least she would be able to maybe help him up.

“Ian, I think the baby’s coming.”

Yep. It was that kind of day.

2 Warnings:
1 – You need to read the Masters & Mercenaries series before you read this novella.
2 – Don’t read this while you’re hungry. Or skip over the recipes until you can cook them. 🙂
This is an awesome glimpse into our favorite M&M characters and their lives. It’s always nice to get a little after story check-in, especially in a series like this. You get a look at the couples and their individual stories and their friendships with the group.
A great novella with great recipes!
5 stars!

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Suzanne Johnson is family-trained, a south Georgia native who’s been cooking all of her life, creating not only some really unique food, but precious memories that re-occur every time she smells something simmering in the oven. In all of her books, Suzanne shows that making a delicious meal doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be made with love. So go ahead, don’t be bashful, dive right in. Who knows? You might just make a few memories of your own.

Release Day Blitz ~ Cold Justice Series Vol 2 ~ by ~ Toni Anderson

The second volume of NYT bestselling author Toni Anderson’s COLD JUSTICE series available now! Get your hands on books 4-6 in one boxset. And if you haven’t picked up the first boxset, find out more about it below! Romantic suspense lovers do not want to miss this intense and sexy series.

About COLD JUSTICE Series Box Set (Volume 2)

If you love “Powerful suspense and sizzling romance,” don’t miss Toni Anderson’s bestselling, award-winning Cold Justice Series (Books4-6).

INCLUDES: COLD FEAR, COLD IN THE SHADOWS, COLD HEARTED Plus an exclusive short story before COLD FEAR

About Book #4, COLD FEAR

2016 Daphne Du Maurier Award For Excellence In Mystery/Romantic Suspense finalist and Bookseller’s Best Award finalist.

When old evidence turns up on a fresh corpse, ASAC Lincoln Frazer is determined it won’t delay the execution of a convicted serial killer. But when more young women are brutally slain, it becomes clear—this new killer is intimately familiar with the old murders.

Former Army Captain Dr. Isadora Campbell helped her mother conceal a terrible crime. After her mother’s death, Izzy resigned her commission and returned to the Outer Banks to raise her rebellious teenage sister. But it doesn’t take long for Izzy to suspect that someone knows exactly what she did, all those years ago.

With pressure mounting to reopen the old case, Frazer will use any means possible to catch the killer. Thrust together during the investigation, he and Izzy find themselves reluctantly attracted to one another, and begin an affair. Meanwhile the killer is much closer than they think. Izzy’s confession of her secret drives Frazer away as he struggles with her deception. By the time he realizes he’s fallen in love with the stubborn woman, the killer has her. Now the race is on to save Izzy, and any chance of a future they might have together.

Get your hands on the second volume of the COLD JUSTICE series box set!

iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Have you grabbed the first volume in the Cold Justice series? Make sure to grab the first three books!

About COLD JUSTICE Series Box Set (Volume 1)

If you love Romantic Suspense don’t miss the first three books of Toni Anderson’s award-winning Cold Justice Series, available in one thrilling bundle!

INCLUDES: A COLD DARK PLACE, COLD PURSUIT, COLD LIGHT OF DAY Plus an exclusive epilogue to A COLD DARK PLACE

“Justice isn’t always black or white. Sometimes it’s cold and dark.”

About Book #1, A COLD DARK PLACE

(Winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award in Romantic Suspense. 2015 Holt Medallion Finalist).

Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn’t enjoy killing, but he’s damn good at it. He’s good at dodging the law, too—until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught.

FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there’s a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn’t justice. Is it?

When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves.

Get your hands on the first volume of the COLD JUSTICE series box set!

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play

About Toni Anderson

New York Times and USA Today international bestselling author, Toni Anderson, writes dark, gritty Romantic Suspense novels that have hit #1 in Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, the Top 10 in Amazon and Kobo stores, and the Top 50 in iBooks. Her novels have won many awards. A former Marine Biologist from Britain, she inexplicably ended up in the geographical center of North America, about as far from the ocean as it is possible to get. She now lives in the Canadian prairies with her Irish husband and two children and spends most of her time complaining about the weather.

Toni has no explanation for her oft-times dark imagination, and only hopes the romance makes up for it. She’s addicted to reading, dogs, tea, and chocolate.

If you want to know when Toni’s next book will be out, visit her website (http://www.toniandersonauthor.com) and sign up for her newsletter. If you want to read other fascinating stories about life in a city that, during winter, is sometimes colder than Mars, friend her on Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/toniannanderson).