REVIEW: Pretty Pink Ribbons (Touch of Fate #2) By, K.L. Grayson

Can be read as a standalone novel
**Contains sensitive subject matters**

Dying . . .
Dead . . .
Deceased . . .

It doesn’t matter how many times I say it or how many different names I give it, it still means the same thing. One of these days I’ll be nothing but a passing memory, a familiar face in a forgotten photo. But there are three things I need before this life of mine ends . . .

I need to tell him I love him more than life itself.
I need to feel the strength of his arms wrapped around me just one more night.
Most of all, I need him to forgive me.

Eight years ago I broke the heart of the only man I’ve ever loved and today I’m moving home in hopes that he’ll let me put it back together. I’m not sure how many breaths I have left, but I’ll use each and every last one fighting for what I destroyed.

My name is Laney Jacobs and this is my journey. 

Review

When I read the synopsis to this book I was immediately hooked. I was desperate to read this one and I am so glad that I got this arc. I haven’t read the first book in the series but there wasn’t a reason to. This book and the one before it are stand alones but I will definitely picking up the first book. There was something special about this book and it was definitely a great read.

“I want nothing more than to dive inside and drown in his soul. Resurfacing is not an option because I need him more than I need his next breath.”

Laney was a great character in this story. She was brave, strong, fierce, and amazing. She was a fighter from day one. Even when she walked away from the love of her life she was still doing what she needed to do. She returned home to fight for the love she never wanted to give up in the first one. Laney came home to the one place that she knew where she could fight for her life. Her journey was tough and full of hard moments but she was able to be strong for her family and the people she cared about most. Laney was feisty and never gave up on Levi. She came home and fought for him.

“You’re not going anywhere, Lane. I won’t let you. I’ll hold onto you and I’ll never let go.”

Levi. *sigh* I fell in love so hard with this man. We met him in book one but because I didn’t read it this was the first time I met him. Levi is sweet, caring, kind, and completely swoon-worthy. Levi loves so fiercely that when he lost Laney he never really gave her up. He never really got over it. Laney leaving was also half his fault but I loved that he knew that. He knew he was being selfish but he couldn’t stop himself. There was something very real about Levi’s character. He had his moments of hard-headedness and he has his stubborn moments. I loved him through this entire book. He was the rock that Laney needed.

“I told you I was doing this with you, and I meant it. If you cry, I cry. If you break, I break.”

“If I die?” I whisper breathlessly.

“Then you’ll take me with you because you‘ve ruined me, Laney. I’m no good for anyone else because you own me. So if you go, I go.”

This story was definitely a special one. It took you in and completely consumed you until you finished. It was powerful, heartfelt, full of hope, and realistic. I don’t think that there is much that I would change about this book. It was a journey of love, friendship, and courage. There was also strength and forgiveness, it was about survival and living life to the fullest. Laney and Levi’s story was one that you can fall in love with. It was emotional and brought you to tears but there were moments that were so beautiful that you started to tear up anyway. The writing was flawless and it brought laughter and lightness to a story that could have been too heavy and emotional. K.C. Grayson has hooked me and now I need the other books, like yesterday.

“I’m in this, for better or worse. I want forever with you, Laney, and that forever started the second you drove back into town.”

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REVIEW: Stepbrother Master By, Ava Jackson

Three months.

Three months trapped on a ranch in remote Montana with my mom’s latest husband … and his dark, brooding son.

I shouldn’t care that my new stepbrother’s talent with ropes goes beyond lassoing stray cattle.

I shouldn’t care that his every look says he wants me … but he’s going to fight it to the bitter end.

I shouldn’t care that as the summer rolls on, my fascination overwhelms my better judgment and now I’m dying to call my stepbrother … Master.

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Review

This is Ava Jackson’s debut novel. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted from this book, other than I was hoping for some hot Dom action. I definitely got some of that but there was more than that. This was a story about finding love in a place that you shouldn’t. It’s about falling in love without caring about the fall out because you can’t help who you love. This story was fun and flirty but also sexy and definitely steamy. There was a lot more to this story then I thought.

“You’re all I see, Emma. Doesn’t matter if I’m looking at you or not. You’re everywhere. All the time. Under my skin. In my blood.”

Emma has just graduated from Stanford and now she is staying in Montana for three months while her mom enters into her mother’s fourth marriage. Emma wasn’t expecting to meet her new stepfather’s hot son. Emma is a city girl and reading about her experiencing what Montana has to offer. She was very caring and supportive of her mother even though she has gone through so many marriages. Emma was not who I expected her to be, she wasn’t a princess and the new sex life she was discovering didn’t scare her. I liked her for the most part.

“He was just…on another level. Sexy, masculine, in control, effortlessly confident. Even when he acted cold, it only made the rest of him hotter by contrast. And two nights ago I’d glimpsed what he was like when he let himself burn.”

Ford has been working hard to prove that he can run the ranch that his father has built. He went to college and now he has been back running the ranch and earning the respect that he deserves. With his personal life he has different tastes. He demands control in his subs as well as no steady relationship. He has his little black book of subs who know what he wants and that is how he likes it. Until his new almost stepsister comes to live on the ranch. He tries to be cold and distant but his body wants something completely different. Ford was a character that had many sides. He was a Dom that was able to be one without crossing the line to being a controlling asshole. He was caring a sweet when he wanted to be and only with Emma.

“Home. I was home. Emma’s whimpers and moans were the sounds I wanted to echo in my shower for the rest of my goddamn life.”

I really liked this story. There was forbidden love because they were stepsister and stepbrother. There was a steamy dominant Dom. And a heroine that didn’t want to make you rip your hair out. Emma wasn’t naive or innocent even though she didn’t know anything about being a sub. I loved their dynamic. Ford and Emma had instant chemistry as well as insta-lust. There was a lot of tension because they fought it so hard. There was a lot of moments that let you fall in love with both Ford and Emma. Ford was a Dom but he was the one that didn’t care about the consequences when it came to Emma.

“The tight clench of her inner muscles on my cock drove me over the edge, and I just let go- of everything but Emma. Because I was never letting go of Emma.”

Ava Jackson is definitely an author to watch. She created characters that you could relate to and fall in love with. They were funny and loveable. The story was steamy but there was an element of romance. There wasn’t much but there was some. It made the relationship a little hard to believe. Ava Jackson really focused more on the tension and the building of the characters than their romance or even their sex life. I am really excited to see what comes next in this series as well as from Ava Jackson.

“He pouted. Dear God, a Dom and all, and he fucking pouted.”

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RELEASE DAY: Stolen Donor By, Cee Smith

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~Hailey~

I did everything that was expected of me. I got good grades, went to a good college; I never even had a boyfriend, which for a normal girl of twenty-two was practically unheard of. My life was safe, predictable. That all changed when Dominic kidnapped me, robbing me of the cookie-cutter life I so carefully handcrafted. I was abducted and a new me was born.

~Dominic~

I spent so long uncovering secrets that it was becoming a bit of a specialty for me. After watching Hailey for twelve months I knew the secrets she held—the repressed temptation that called to men like me. Stealing her was easy, making her fall in love with me, even easier. It was the feeling she sparked in me that I had no control over. A feeling I never expected. But the one thing that threatened to unravel us both was my secret, the reason I took her in the first place.

Dominic and Hailey were two people from two different worlds, and some paths should never cross.

WARNING: This book contains situations that some may find offensive. Please read with caution if you are sensitive to dubious consent or graphic language.

Excerpt

His fingers kissed across my neck reminding me of the bruise I wore like a choker. I sat stock still while he circled my neck with his fingers. He disappeared behind my back, but his fingers still trailed, reminding me of his closeness.

"About what I said earlier…I think it’s time to start doling out some of these punishments you’re racking up. Wouldn’t you say? You seem to be in such good spirits now." His stiff words before were now slippery, alive with the sadistic touch that usually preceded my humiliation.

"I don’t know what I’ve done that warrants punishment."

"Yes you do. All you have to do is merely look at your clothes to know one of the—"

"—but I needed warmer clothes." My voice rose, bordering on hysterical. I needed to know what could happen if I didn’t wear the clothes. How far was Dominic willing to go? I saw how angry he could get, but I didn’t want to just be scared of a possibility.

"I hope it was worth it," he whispered in my ear, his orange musky scent draping across my shoulders like a shawl.

"Take it off, all of it. Since you don’t know how to follow direction, I’ll spell it out for you. I want every scrap of clothing that’s on you right now off your body and in my hands in two minutes. You won’t be wearing anything until your clothes are laid out for you tomorrow morning."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked as I pushed to get up.

"Would you rather I hit you? Surely I could beat the stubbornness out of you, but you seem to respond well to humiliation. It’s just the same to me." He shrugged his shoulders as if choosing between the two would be like deciding whether to have peas or carrots. I didn’t like his indifference to the idea of beating me. It revealed more about him than I had seen thus far.

He looked at his watch as if timing me, and I began stripping off my clothes—my shoes, my pants, my vest, my sweater. I left my undergarments last, secretly hoping that I could cling to these two scraps that did little to conceal, but when he looked at his watch again, I unclasped my bra and pulled my underwear down with hands that shook from the nerves as much as the cold air that whipped my skin in its brutality. With all of my clothes piled at my feet, I scooped them up and attempted to hand the load over to him. His arms stayed folded. It wasn’t enough that he had made me strip like this, but then the bastard had the nerve to refuse my clothes, only taking them once I had folded them neatly and placed them back in his arms.

My hands rose, barely covering myself as I gritted, "Happy now? I’m freezing."

"You’re to still come down for dinner like this, and I swear, if you come down with so much as a piece of lint on you, I’ll beat your bottom blue." He dipped down, his face closing the distance between us. As if I would actually kiss him after that! I turned my cheek, and he chuckled before pecking me lightly, dismissing me with a swat on my butt.

About Cee Smith

Cee Smith is a lover of the written word. Since first learning how to string a sentence together, she’s been putting pen to paper and hasn’t looked back. Though she’s no longer obsessed with blood and gore, the dark side still calls to her, often finding refuge in her current writings. Her addiction to reading is what finally inspired her to take a chance at publishing.

A California native, currently residing in North Carolina with her husband. She loves salacious stories, true love and forbidden romances—the more angst the better. Other than reading and writing, some of her other obsessions are peanut butter (don’t get her started), Michael Fassbender, and watching tv.

She loves talking about the creative process and what books she’s reading, so feel free to shoot her a line. Or if you just want to say hi that’s fine too. She swears she’ll respond.

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RELEASE DAY: Black River Pack Series Box Set By, Richelle Paige

Meet the Tate brothers... and the mates fate has in store for them.

~*~Crying Wolf~*~

Grace Shaw is on the run from her crazy ex-boyfriend who refuses to believe their relationship is over. He's a cop and is willing to use police resources to track her down. So Grace comes up with a plan and tricks his fellow brothers in blue into thinking he is crying wolf a couple of times when he's reported her missing. Little does she know she'll go running into the arms of a real wolf when she finally makes her escape for real.

She just wants to be left alone, but then she meets Hunter Tate - the alpha of the Black River Pack. Grace tries to hold Hunter at arm's length, but there's just no reasoning with an alpha male werewolf who insists she's his mate.

~*~Shoot for the Moon~*~

Eliza Reve knows that her ability to dream of future events sets her apart from others. Her gift became a curse when she wasn't able to save her mother or the alpha's son and she found herself exiled - a lone wolf. When she joins the Black River Pack, Eliza vows never to reveal her talent to anyone. Not even the man who has walked in her dreams for years.

Spencer Tate is her mate, but her visions have told her that he will renounce her. When he doesn't recognize her as his mate, she agrees to the no-strings-attached affair he offers because she thinks it's the most she can hope for. Although her heart breaks as she falls deeper in love with him, she wants to spend as many days with Spencer as possible before he kicks her out of his life.

When Spencer finally comes to his senses, he has his work cut out for him to convince Eliza that he wants her forever. When another she-wolf insists she's his mate instead, things get even more complicated. But Spencer isn't the alpha's second and enforcer because he isn't willing to fight for what's his, and he refuses to settle for anything less than Eliza as his marked and claimed mate.

~*~Thrown to the Wolves~*~

Annora Channing's entire world changes the moment she discovers she's a bear shifter. With mated wolves for parents, she should have been a wolf also. When the man she grew up thinking was her father realizes she isn't his daughter, he devises a plan to use her existence to his advantage in a way that will get her out from under his roof.

When her situation goes from bad to worse, Annora escapes but is badly injured in the process. Luckily, Elias Reve comes to her rescue while on his way to Wolf's Point and the daughter he lost years ago. With nowhere else to go and nobody to turn to, Annora joins him on his journey and ends up running smack-dab into the arms of her mate.

Parker Tate knows Annora is his the moment he lays eyes on her. When he manages to mate and mark her within hours of when they meet, he considers himself lucky. Then the trouble nipping at Annora's heels finds her and Parker realizes the path to claiming his mate won't be as easy as he thought - especially not with the bears involved.

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BOOK BLITZ: Looking for Love (Campus Crush #4) By, Ashelyn Drake

Looking for Love Synopsis

Mike Hannigan is looking for love in all the wrong places. Maybe that’s because having his heart torn to shreds by who he thought was the perfect girl left some emotional scarring. But that’s about to change.

Summer Patterson isn’t like anyone Mike’s dated before, and he can’t help but be intrigued by her. Now if only he could keep his foot out of his mouth long enough to win her over. But when a secret involving Summer brings Mike’s past crashing back to the present, he’ll need some backup from his best friend and wingwoman, Mindy, to sort out the mess.

Will Mike find love before he leaves Timberland College for good? 

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Excerpt

I’m not sure I even want to go to lunch anymore, but at 11:45 Mindy practically pushes me out the door, claiming she and Ben are going to FaceTime and giving me a very suggestive wink. Now I’m walking to a non-date with a girl I’ll probably never see naked. Why did I even get up this morning? Oh yeah, Mindy woke me up.

“Hey,” Summer says, coming from the other direction and arriving at the Student Union the same time I do. “Good timing.”

Yeah, we’re very in-snyc. How freakin’ cute and friendly. I smile and open the door for her. “After you.”

“Thank you. Such a gentleman,” she says.

The only thing that could be worse was if she thought I was gay. Oh God! Does she think I’m gay?

We walk in awkward silence to the food area. One of the servers is putting out personalized pizzas, and I spot a garlic and onion pie—my favorite. Maybe I should get it. It’s not like there’s any hope of making out with Summer after this non-date.

“Whatever you do, do not get the pizza,” Summer says, leaning into me and lowering her voice. “See that guy putting them out? That’s Steve. Let’s just say he isn’t the most sanitary of employees.”

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll be sure to avoid whatever food he touches in the future.” I bypass the pizza station and head for the cheese steaks. “You’re not a vegan or anything, are you?” I ask, reaching for a wrapped cheese steak.

“Definitely not,” she says, reaching for a bacon cheeseburger. “The redder the meat the better.” She winks at me. Not a suggestive wink, though. On her it comes off as cute, sweet even. Maybe I am gay.

“So, what do you like to drink? Other than coffee, that is.” She heads to the smoothie station. I’d love a strawberry-mango smoothie, but that’s not going to make me look any more masculine and heterosexual in her eyes—or mine—so I take two steps past her and pour myself a Coke from the soda fountain.

“I’m a caffeine junky. I blame Mindy.” And Fallon. I have to stop thinking about her.

“How long have you known Mindy?” Summer asks, raising her smoothie cup and licking the bit of pink slushy liquid that’s spilling over the rim.

Lord, help me. The things I’m imaging her chilled tongue doing to me. I shake my head, trying to focus on the conversation again. “Um, since freshman year. We’re seniors now.”

“Me too. I’m a senior, I mean.” She turns her cup and licks the other side. Damn! Is she trying to kill me? She has to know she’s doing this, right? “What are your plans for after graduation?”

My eyes are locked on her mouth. “I have an internship set up in tongue—in town.”

She giggles, which completely does me in. “Sorry. My mom tells me I’m still such a kid sometimes, doing things like licking my cup.”

There was nothing kid-like about the way she licked that cup. Not. At. All.

Ashelyn Drake Bio 

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She also writes speculative fiction under the name Kelly Hashway. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

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RELEASE DAY: Stifled (Summoned #2) By, Rainy Kaye

Today we're celebrating the release of STIFLED, book two in the SUMMONED series by USA Today Bestselling author, Rainy Kaye. A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him. In STIFLED, Dimitri trails an elusive jinn and finds himself in the middle of a community keeping dark secrets. The SUMMONED series is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

Scroll down to pick up your copy of STIFLED, get SUMMONED for free for a limited time, and enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Dimitri would like nothing more than to live a low-key life in Naples, Italy. His girlfriend, Syd, has other plans.

After three months of researching, she is positive she has found a jinn on a killing spree in San Diego, California. Since Syd gave Dimitri the one thing he thought was out of reach, he feels obligated to use his ill-gained talents for her cause.

A few hours back in the US proves that Dimitri and Syd didn't quite make the clean escape they had thought. As they trail the elusive jinn, someone else trails them. What should have been a simple trip to confirm once and for all if the jinn are living among humans, instead reveals a community keeping dark secrets.

Unfortunately for Dim, the only way out is in.

Get your copy here!

Haven't read book one yet? No problem! It's currently FREE on Amazon.

Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally.

Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker.

Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well.

When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets.

Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.

About Rainy Kaye

Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona.

She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake.

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REVIEW: Vincent (Made Men #2) By, Sarah Brianne

Vincent knows the glamorous side of the Mafia, being born a soldier.
Lake lives on the opposite side of the tracks, born the daughter of a soldier.
The light and dark side of him are at constant war, but he is letting his darkness reign.

She is trying to find peace, and she will soon be far enough away to find it.
Discovering that his boss owns her, showed him how little he knew her.
Knowing all about him only makes her want to hate him.

I’m a fu**ing made man.
I’m just fu**ing trailer trash.

Review

There is something about these crazy insane boys that I just can’t get enough of. Every time I see these boys and the crazier they are the more I love them. There is something so destructive but beautifully crazy that I can’t help but want more. I though Nero was insane but Vincent is even more dark and dangerous than he ever was.

Vincent is the player of the group. All of the made men love their woman. They have their fair share of their shots at them but Vincent is a whole different story. With his good looks and charm he can get pretty much any one he could want. Vincent doesn’t do girlfriends or relationships of any kind. There is only one girl that brings out that kind of crazy, Lake, his sister’s best friend. Lake brings out Vincent’s crazy like no one can.

Lake is another heroine that has a lot of things going on in her life. Much like the first book, Lake has been tormented but in a completely different way. Lake tries to hide what torments her and she does a pretty good job at it. The only person that can see what is happening is Vincent. He is also the only one that cares enough to make things better for her.

Lake and Vincent had a great dynamic between the two of them. Lake does something heroic but stupid and Vincent is there to have her back. Throughout the book he claims her in his own way. He is always making sure that she is taken care of and safe. He always puts Lake first and that is something she needs. Lake’s choices were not always the smartest but she was strong, determined, and loyal to a fault. She was always a challenge for Vincent, she didn’t cower or hide when Vincent went crazy. She stood up to him every chance she got.

This is definitely not a series you can take seriously. To enjoy this book as much as I did you have to go into knowing this story is unrealistic and a little over the top. But like I said in the beginning there was something so charming about the writing and the craziness that you fall in love with anyway. I can’t get enough of this series and I can’t wait for the next book. I need Lucca’s book! I can’t wait for more in this crazy addictive series.

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