Release Day Blitz - Worth Every Risk by Terri E. Laine and A.M Hargrive

RELEASE BLITZ

Worth Every Risk

A Wilde Players Series Standalone Spin-off Novel
Authors: Terri E. Laine & A.M. Hargrove
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 29, 2018

BLURB

Andi
He was my best friend since we were little.
Even though he was off limits, as we grew up, he became my forever, my everything.
But I couldn’t let my selfish dreams hold him back.
They say that if you love someone, you should let them go.
I did.
He became the world’s greatest soccer player.
Money.
Fame.
Beautiful women.
He had it all.
One thing I never expected was for him to walk back into my life again.
Chase
She was perfect for me in every way.
Once we kissed that first time, there was no turning back.
But I made a mistake by letting her go.
My need for her has only grown.
After three long years, I’ve decided to get her back.
Only I’m too late.
Someone has taken my place.
I don’t know if I still love her or if I should hate her.
One thing is certain.
She is and always has been mine.

Curious? 

Then check it out! My review will follow!

 

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced #3) by Kerrelyn Sparks

   

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

Blurb: 

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide. Behold the Embraced…

Gwennore has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people. But when the kidnapping of a young girl thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers not only a place of power and magic, but also a haunted land, plagued by an ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart?
 

Oh my goodness, this book really surprised me! After having read another dragon book that intrigued me, this book caught my eye and I just had to read it. I must admit that I had never heard of Kerellyn Sparks before so I had no idea what to expect. Let's just say that when I finished reading this amazing book, I went straight to a retailer's page and checked out her other books, adding the one or the other to my wishlist and... so on.
Yes, it was that good.
I loved the characters, both strong and capable, working together, believing in each other and, well, falling in love with each other.  The storyline was unique and intriguing, keeping me glued to my reader, laughing out loud, giggling and gasping and feeling with our hero and our heroine.

When a dragon kidnaps a little girl, it's Gwen who follows her and stays with her even if that means to hitch a ride with a dragon. Her talent to find out what ails those around her might come in handy because their kidnapper's country is plagued by a mysterious illness ..... or might it really be a curse?
Working together with the very handsome and captivating General Silas Dravenko, Gwen realizes that her life and her heart are on the line and a race against time and other odds begins...

I loved this book and I am so looking forward to exploring her other books as well!

★★★★★

Release Day Blitz and review: The Consequence of Rejection by Rachel van Dyken

The Consequence of Rejection 

by 

Rachel van Dyken

Blurb:

You know the universe is trying to tell you something when you get struck by lightning, but only after getting hit on by the elderly, almost getting ran over by a semi, and running into the one who got away.
Why do they say it like that anyway?
Like I accidentally lost her when she was the one that got in the car with my best friend and left me.
The day after I proposed.
We were eighteen.
I wanted forever.
She didn't.
It's been ten years.
I tried to move on, tried to get married, had that same wedding crashed by my now best friend who says the only way for me to stop pissing off the universe, is to gain closure with the one woman I can't forget.
So I do it.
I embark on a journey down memory lane that not only lands me in prison but on the receiving end of a fist fight in front of the entire town, this naturally happens after drunken pool sex, climbing the same girls window, and getting threatened at gunpoint by her father.
To say the universe is trying to tell me something anything, is a giant understatement.
I just hope I survive the message.
And then, I hope I survive her--again.

PURCHASE LINKS – 99c for release day ONLY!

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Free in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt: 

 

Full breasts spilled over into a small black bikini that left nothing to the imagination, it barely covered nipple for that matter, and the bottoms? Well she had to keep adjusting them lets just say high school bathing suits ten years later look small. 

In the best way possible. 

Head held high she walked right by me to Max, grabbed a shot, took it, then sucked the lime he held out in front of her. 

I growled. 

Max winked at me. “Something wrong, man?”

I reached for the non existent gun at my side, which just made him grin harder as he kept handing out alcohol to parents of toddlers. 

Because thats the type of party it was. 

Almost everyone started talking about their kids, retirement, stock portfolios, vacation time, and babies. 

It was almost too depressing for words. 

I had all those things but what I’d always wanted. A family. Babies. 

Maddy. 

She shared a sideway’s glance with me. 

I reached for her, but she pulled away and ran full speed towards the pool and did a giant canon ball. 

People cheered. 

While I watched as wet cold water ran down her curvy body, my gaze was so tranfixed on her erect nipples I’m surprised nobody pulled me aside about my current situation of arousal. 

Cold water. Fast. 

I chased after her, jumped in. 

And felt the warm buzz of alcohol fill my veins just as I popped up and saw Max follow, balls first, in my face. 

I ducked just in time so I didn’t get a fist full of balls. 

The guy only laughed once we both popped up. 

I swam towards Maddy, and tugged her against me. “Stop running.”

“I’m not.” Her breath came out raspy. “I’m just…reliving old times, isn’t that what you wanted? So we could have closure?”

Why did it feel like she was turning the tables on me. 

“Yeah,” I said slowly, “But—“

Her kiss was swift. 

Hard. 

Fast, and oh so very punishing as I gaped into her mouth and pinned her against he side of the pool. 

Music filled the air out of nowhere from somewhere outside, it pounded into my ears the way I wanted to pound into her. 

I grinned against her mouth as she wrapped her legs around my waist. 

And then Reid cast a shadow over us and started pouring vodka over our heads. 

Maddy tilted her head back and opened her mouth while I leaned in and licked it off her chin. 

People cheered. 

“Guys!” Someone yelled. “Keep it down, someones going to call the cops!”

“Cops?” Max laughed loudly. “I am the law, bitches!” The music blared. “Plus, we already got our cop here.” He pointed while I took another shot. 

People cheered. 

And then Maddy squeezed her thighs. 

Yeah the cops were coming alright. 

Review

Believe me, this is not the second chance story that you expected. Okay, maybe you were expecting something like this because unlike me, you know the other books in this series and met this very special group of friends already. Otherwise you are in for lots of unexpected fun, lots of chaos and - did I mention the fun? Oh, and the romance, of course. Jason and Maddy are meant to be and even though I understood why Maddy left, ages ago, I was really happy to see those two find each other again.

Max, Jason's friend...well, he is definitely one of those acquired tastes, I was never sure whether I loved him of hated him. He has a very strange sense of humor and to tell the truth, if he was a friend of mine, he'd drive me mad. Well, that sentiment is shared by Jason, actually. Sometimes, rather often, I must admit, his strange ideas and his "advice" may even be considered as helpful. 

This is a story about first love and second chances, about small town life and its restrictions, about moving on when your whole life is gone. Your reason for living has left - did you fight for it?

This is also a story about the things that change and the things that stay just the way they are. Because they are good the way they are, you know?

I really enjoyed reading this wonderful story by Rachel Van Dyken. Not my first book by her and definitely my last either.

 

Look at this trailer for Glamour of Midnight by Casey Bond!

Do You Love Fairy Tales ?

Look, what's coming soon:

 

*When The Smoke Grows Thin*

The Beasts Come In.....

 

The Big Bad Wolf by Jus Accardo- blogtour #TheBigBadWolf

  The Big Bad Wolf by Jus Accardo

Blurb: 

Kensey Deaton comes from an elite werewolf lineage, but just because her family is royalty, doesn't mean she'll fall in line like some perfect little princess. She has plans and they don't include an arranged marriage!

Slade McAlister has his own family drama. His Alpha father happens to be the most reviled wolf on the eastern seaboard, and it's a stigma he can't escape. So when his neighbor Kensey--the girl of his dreams and his nightmares--proposes a solution to solve *both* of their problems, he sees an opportunity he can’t ignore.

Kensey and Slade aren't only from opposite sides of the tracks, they're from opposite sides of the war. But if they can sell their 'relationship', they might just make it out of this with their freedom.

You know, as long as all that fake PDA doesn't turn into more...


This is not the first and definitely not the last book by Jus Accardo that I've read. Once again I was drawn in by the imaginative and well written story that kept me turning the pages till somehow the last one was turned far too soon.

Being the daughter of an alpha is not eyactly a ride in the park but, let's be honest, being an alpha's son isn't exactly the stuff dreams are made of either. Okay, nightmares perhaps, especially when your father is the father of the McAlister pack, a bully and a low life.

When the pressure to mate gets too much and the prospects are pretty bad, Kensey and Slade agree to fake a relationship inorder to get their fathers off their backs. Needless to say that Kenseys father isn't really pleased by her choice of a potential mate and creates the one or the other obstacle. With their personal freedom at stake, those two have to work together, to convince everyone that this relationship is the real deal. Not an easy thing with everybody teaming up against them and a rival to deal with as well who pushes every button in order to get his way.
And sometimes, more often than not, it is not even your rival or those around you that are your worst enemy but yourself.....

Slade's father has worked hard at trying to turn his son into a copy of himself. Considering everything that went down and that he made him do, well, it might be understandable why Slade is torn and has a hard time accepting that maybe he isn't really a bad guy. Or a bad wolf. Whatever.
Kensey fights hard for her freedom but in the end - will that be enough?

★★★★

Demon Escape (Resurrection Chronicles #4) by M.J. Haag

 She did it again!

  Demon Escape by M.J. Haag

 Blurb:

 Eden Terry survived the first ring of hell only to end up in the second one.

With nothing but a trowel and her wits, she's determined to escape the work camp holding her prisoner. She dreams of finding a safe haven and living in the new, devastated world on her own.

However, surviving alone after she escapes proves more difficult than she ever imagines. While running from zombies and hellhounds, a new creature emerges. This one isn't after her blood. He wants much more.

Eden must decide who the real devils are between man and demon. Choosing wrong could cost her life; choosing correctly could lead her to the haven she's been searching for.


Okay, this book is amazing! I laughed so hard sometimes and I giggled and gasped and, once again, loved every single page of it! I loved reading about Mya and Drav in the other books (and I also loved to learn more about them as well) but Ghua and Eden are also a very sweet and entertaining couple.

 Drav was sweet and protective, Ghua is even more loving and also a fierce protector. Even though he is still a bit naive, he understands her well and respects her efforts to be independent and in charge of her own life while still keeping her safe.
Edens stubbornness and her fear of being hurt and robbed of her freedom, again, don't make things easy for them but Ghua wouldn't be fey if he would give up on her just because of some minor obstacles (no matter how big they may turn out to be...).

If you want to know how a book set in a world of destruction, where hellhounds and zombies walk around threatening the lives of everyone, can make you laugh out loud and giggle the whole book long and if, by chance you have a weakness for grey-skinned fey aka demons, well, this is the right book for you.
Truth to tell, I still haven't fully recovered from the other books in this series and still start to giggle whenever I see any bee-related books but this book made me even laugh more. I'm not sure if I'll ever fully recover from some of the scenes .... in a totally good way. ;-)

This book might be read as a standalone but it'll be much more fun if you read the others first.
And I can't wait to read more of these books....

★★★★★

 

 

Die Schlange von Essex von Sarah Perry

  Die Schlange von Essex von Sarah Perry

Inhalt:

London im Jahr 1893. Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes verlässt Cora Seaborne die Hauptstadt und reist gemeinsam mit ihrem Sohn Francis in den Küstenort Aldwinter. Als Naturwissenschaftlerin und Anhängerin der provokanten Thesen Charles Darwins gerät sie dort mit dem Vikar William Ransome aneinander. Beide sind in rein gar nichts einer Meinung, beide fühlen sich unaufhaltsam zum anderen hingezogen.
Anmutig und intelligent erzählt dieser Roman - noch vor allem anderen - von der Liebe und den unzähligen Verkleidungen, in denen sie uns gegenübertritt.

 

Puh, ich muss zugeben, irgendwie war ich mit etwas anderen Erwartungen an dieses Buch herangegangen. Anfangs begeisterten Sprache und Schreibstil mich noch und zogen mich in ihren Bann, dann konnten diese die Schwächen der Handlung leider auch nicht mehr ganz auffangen. Es gab durchaus interessante Passagen, wo ich mir Notizen machte und MotBilder hinterfragte, aber die eigentliche Handlung verlief zu wenig geradlinig, wobei auch gerade die Hauptcharaktere leider ein wenig blass blieben. Manches Mal erschienen mir die Nebenfiguren ausgefeilter als die Hauptpersonen.

Davon abgesehen hatte ich einerseits erwartet, dass die Liebesgeschichte präsenter sein würde. Diese gibt es zwar, aber man kann die Gefühle nicht immer ganz nachvollziehen und so richtig, hm, "Liebe in unzähligen Verkleidungen" trifft es hier recht gut, manches Mal ist sie mir ein wenig zu gut verkleidet und, ja, ich gebe es zu, auch zu wenig romantisch.
Hinzu kommt, dass ich auch eine größere Auseinandersetzung mit den Positionen der Kirche und der Wissenschaft erwartet hatte, stattdessen traf ich zwar durchaus auf einen Vikar, aber auch auf eine Witwe, die ihrem Hobby immer weniger nachgeht und der die Wissenschaft irgendwie dann doch nicht mehr so wirklich wichtig zu sein scheint.

Hinzu kommen noch ein vermutlich autistischer Sohn und eine schwerkranke, lebensmüde Ehefrau , sowie einige andere Personen mit ihren persönlichen Dramen und Problemen, so dass die Schlange und ihre Bedeutung manchmal etwas untergingen.
Als sehr unbefriedigend empfand ich jedoch letztlich das Ende des Buches, ansonsten wäre meine Bewertung vielleicht auch insgesamt etwas besser ausgefallen. So hatte ich das Gefühl, dass mir etwas fehlte, irgendein positiver Ausklang, etwas, dass das Ganze abrundet und für mich positiv erscheinen lässt.
Sprachlich gesehen mochte ich das Buch dennoch, aber insgesamt gehört es leider trotzdem nicht zu meinen Jahreshighlights. 

 ★★★

Schattenhauch von Tanja Bern

  

Schattenhauch by Tanja Bern

Inhalt:

Vor 30 Jahren löschte eine Katastrophe die moderne Welt nahezu aus. Die wenigen Überlebenden sind gezwungen, ein Leben wie in vergangener Zeit zu führen – naturverbunden und ohne technische Unterstützung.
Die siebzehnjährige Amelie ist behütet in einer von riesigen Festungswällen umgebenen Siedlung aufgewachsen.
Eines Tages wird ein Mädchen vermisst und Amelie wird gezwungen, hinter die Barriere zu gehen – in den undurchdringlichen Urwald, in dem unheimliche Schatten lauern. Begleitet wird sie von einem jungen Mann, den man einst am Rand der düsteren Wälder gefunden hat. Auf ihrem gefahrvollen Weg entdecken die Suchenden die Ruinen einer untergegangenen Stadt – und dort lauern namenlose Schrecken ...

"Schattenhauch" überzeugt durch eine gelungene Story in Verbindung mit gut skizzierten Charakteren und einem fesselnden Schreibstil. Dass es außerdem auch noch mit einigen Denkanstößen aufwartet, macht es nur noch runder.

Kaum angefangen, ist man sofort in der Geschichte drin und es fällt schwer, das Buch, bzw. den Reader wegzulegen.

Mit Derlyn und Amelie, zwei Jugendlichen, die durch die Umstände gezwungen sind, die sichere Welt ihres kleinen Dorfes zu verlassen und sich durch den Urwald zu schlagen, der nach einer großen Umweltkatastrophe vor etlichen Jahren das Land erobert hat, hat Tanja Bern zwei sehr sympathische und liebenswerte Protagonisten geschaffen, mit denen man sich gut identifizieren kann. Ihre Begegnungen mit den Schrecken des Urwalds und den Wesen, die durch die Umweltkatastrophe geschaffen wurden, halten den Leser in Atem.

Mir gefiel sehr, wie gekonnt hier ernste Inhalte und eine fantasievolle Geschichte miteinander verwoben wurden und ich habe die beiden Protagonisten sehr sehr gerne auf ihrer Suche begleitet.
Die lebendige und flüssige Schreibweise und die gut konstruierte Geschichte sorgen dafür, dass es ein rundum gelungenes Lesevergnügen ist, das ich guten Gewissens empfehlen kann!

★★★★

Savage Winds (Savage Times Book 1) by Michelle C. Reilly

   

 Still not well but getting there - and I had much time to read.... ;-)

Savage Winds by Michelle C. Reilly

Blurb: 

Ana Salvatore, a marine biologist, wants nothing more than to have an independent life free of her mobster family. While on an excursion in the Bermuda Triangle with her uncle, his boat explodes, and she wakes to find herself in the arms of gorgeous Captain Jacen Stirling on an ancient ship. It's like a fairytale, until he tells her the year is 1814.

Jacen is on a secret mission for General Andrew Jackson to infiltrate the infamous privateer Jean Lafitte’s encampment to determine his loyalties. When he discovers Ana while on his way to meet Lafitte, he can’t decide if she’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to him, or the best.

As the Battle of New Orleans draws nearer, can Jacen and Ana work together to help their country beat the invaders? Or will the British, the war, or the savage winds of time keep them apart?


I enjoyed reading this book even though I put I aside when I was halfway through because I felt as if it was a bit too drawn-out.

On the whole though, this is a charming and captivating story with interesting and very likeable characters.
I loved the storyline even though I was a bit irritated that nobody really seemed to mind that the heroine, Ana, was from the future. Sure, she thought about it sometimes but I never felt that she was really upset about it and our hero, Jacen, well, he took it in stride as well. Somehow this didn't feel very right.
If I met somebody from the future, I wouldn't stop asking stupid questions for ages and, okay, he is a man, so, sure, not ages and probably not even hours but even a man would be curious and would at least want to know more about the boats in the future, the weapons or whatever, right? And on the other hand, if I was blasted back into the past, I'd have quite a few questions as well and, considering what happened right before that explosion, I think I would have told Jacen or whoever was at hand, about it and about my time and ...you get the meaning, right?

So, not perfect and with some lengths but nevertheless I felt entertained and enjoyed reading it.

 ★★★

The Duke of Nothing (The 1797 Club #5) by Jess Michaels #TheDukeofNothing #Netgalley

 

  The Duke of Nothing  by Jess Michaels 

Blurb:
 
Baldwin Undercross, Duke of Sheffield, has a secret he's keeping from almost everyone he knows and loves. He is destitute, thanks to gambling by his late father and his own bad decisions. There is only one option now: marry for money, and do it soon. An opportunity presents itself when a rich American woman arrives in Society hunting for a title in trade for a huge dowry.

Helena Monroe is the companion to her entitled cousin, and she is miserable. But once she encounters Baldwin on a terrace, her time in England starts to look up. She quickly realizes he believes she is her cousin, and everything starts to fall apart.

Baldwin is now torn between a future that will save his family legacy and one with a woman he is growing increasingly attached to. Will he choose safety or passion, obligation or love?


What would you be willing to sacrifice for a chance at love?

Another wonderful book with very relatable and charming characters who make you root for their love from the very first moment on. You just know that they belong together and that they are good for each other. Consequently, though, you are just as upset as they are, when you realize that their love, this wonderful love that you can already feel and almost touch ...has no chance. Only a miracle could help...could it?

Helena came to England as a companion to her title-hunting cousin. Living under her uncle's rather heavy thumb has never been easy but when his demands clash with her own needs and her own dreams, will she be able to withstand his influence? Does she even have a chance at it, considering her circumstances?
Baldwin, Duke of Sheffield has one big secret, a secret that is so big that even he himself doesn't know everything about it. Facing the aftermath of one too many bad financial decisions and his father's gambling, Baldwin needs a ,lot of luck and perseverance in order to get his life sorted. This secret might just be the one thing that'll separate him from the woman he loves.... Will he be able to win her and to keep her against all odds?

All those loving couples whose fates were sealed...okay, okay, kidding, if you've read the last books in this series, you'll know that those couples had to work hard for their love and that they had to overcome many obstacles on their way to happiness. Again, all those loving couples, remind Baldwin what he will have to give up, that for him there won't be a chance at real happiness but fortunately life is smarter than that and perhaps even he will have a chance at the love of a lifetime.

I really loved Baldwin and Helena as a couple and I also loved to find out more about those couples that we met a couple of books back and see how they are and that they are still happy.
I really really enjoyed reading this book and I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, The Undercover Duke.

★★★★

 

 

Collision Point (Brute Force #1) by Lora Leigh - BLOGTOUR #CollisionPoint #NetGalley

  

 Blogtour

 Collision Point by Lora Leigh

 

Collision Point by Lora Leigh

Blurb: 

 Riordan “Rory” Malone is a force to be reckoned with. A member of the Brute Force Protection Agency and an operative working with the Elite Ops, Rory is the fiercest of warriors and protectors. Honed from the strong Irish stock of their grandfather and sharpened to a razor’s edge, Malone men live for one single purpose: to protect the women who own them, body and soul. From the moment he saw Amara Resnova, he knew she could be that woman.

But Amara, daughter of an alleged notorious crime lord, is a force in her own right. When she betrays her father, she’s finds herself in the arms of a man who is dangerous for her body and soul.

Can Rory keep Amara safe while protecting his own heart? Can Amara trust Rory not to break hers even as the danger mounts, threatening to take them and their passion to a breaking point?


This book might have fared better if I had realized that it was a spin-off of the Elite Ops series by this author. The first, well, quite many pages, I was just trying to find out what exactly happens and why  - and why it doesn't really make sense.
I can deal with the somewhat mystic parts but sometimes it felt as if there was just lots of steam. Enough at least that it might have fueled an engine full of action but somehow a lot happened without anything really happening.

When Rory comes back into Amara's life he just takes over and all others seem to somehow step back and let him. Amara is suffering from a memory loss after a traumatizing experience where Rory also almost lost his life. It took me a long time to understand who is who and what role they are playing in the book especially as Amara's father is very protective as well but negates the fact that somebody is after her despite several attempts on her life. Rory is working his way back into her be...uhm...life and her father is ...well.... okay with it. Or not.

Even though the story itself was good, it couldn't fully captivate me and I was sometimes a bit frustrated with this book. As I said, I think it might have been different if I had known the Elite Ops books, without that I was missing too much and tended to get lost.
If you know the Elite Ops series and love lots and lots of steamy scenes this book might be a good choice for you. On the whole, it was well written and had an interesting plot as well as interesting characters.

★★★


Sorry, I'm still sick that's why I'm not posting as often as I usually do...