BLOG TOUR - Kiss Me Not (Kiss Me #1) by Emma Hart #KissMeNot

BLOG TOUR

Kiss Me Not (Kiss Me #1) by Emma Hart

 Blurb:

What do you do when you’re the reigning kissing booth champion but the only person you want to kiss is your best friend’s brother?

Kiss Me Not, an all-new hilarious brother's best friend romance from New York Times bestselling author Emma Hart is available now!

Let me make this clear right here, right now: I, Halley Dawson, do not care that Preston Wright is kissing other women.

Not a lick. Not at all. Nuh-uh-freakin’-uh.

I do care that he’s doing it six feet away from me behind a gaudy velvet curtain—making him my competition in this year’s kissing contest.

Why do I care, you ask? Because I’ve had an unfortunate crush on the insufferable idiot since I was sixteen years old, but I also know it’s never going to happen.

He’s the Creek Falls bachelor to die for, and I’m the Creek Falls racoon lady who puts peanut butter sandwiches out for them every night.

I’m not going to let him break my four-year-long reign—no matter how many times he breaks the rules and slides the curtain across to do the one thing he’s not allowed to:

Kiss me.

Okay, I must admit that I didn't jump right in and loved this book. Actually, I opened it, read something about a kissing booth aaaand - closed it right away. It took me several tries and some time to get a feeling for the hero and the heroine and also for their age. 

Between the kissing booth and the way they acted and presented themselves, I was a bit lost, it felt a bit off. As I said, it took me several tries - and when I finally got into the story, I giggled and outright laughed my way straight through to the end. It was funny and quirky and I fell in love with the hero and the heroine. I loved their chemistry and, oh, well, I loved the whole story down to the last light-fingered racoon, the last peanut butter sandwich and the last kiss. And I'm pretty sure that you'll love it too....wanna bet?

 ★★★★

Excerpt

“I never answered your question.”

“What question?” I darted my eyes to the side.

“Just now. You asked me if I wanted to kiss you.”

I did, didn’t I? Right. “Oh,” was all I said.

Slowly, he moved his hand to my chin and gently lifted it. Still, I didn’t look at him, keeping my eyes firmly trained on the front of the tent, even though I was facing him.

“Halley.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to kiss you.”

My eyes darted to his.

“I thought that’d do it.” His lips twitched, and he lowered his head until I had to fight the urge to close my eyes in anticipation of the kiss that was coming.

I swallowed, my lips parting.

Preston moved closer.

And he kissed my cheek.

I jerked out of whatever trance I’d just been in. “What the hell?”

He jumped off the stage, grinning. “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to break the stalemate, won’t we?”

“Oh, hell no!” I jumped off, stalking him to his side of the stage. “You just stood there in front of me and told me you want to kiss me, then kiss my cheek? The hell was that?”

His eyebrows shot up, amusement flashing in his eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to kiss me, too.”

“Irrelevant,” I shot back. “But you’re a special kind of asshole to tell a girl you wanna kiss her and then not do it.” I turned around, then stopped. “You know what? When I beat you tomorrow, you can kiss my ass.”

“You’re way too mad about this.”

“I’m not mad!” My voice raised a few octaves. “I couldn’t care if you want to kiss me or not. I most certainly don’t want to kiss you.”

“Why are you shouting at me?”

“I’m not—” I was shouting at him. “Whatever,” I said in a normal voice. “Make sure you take that money to the bank. Tell Tish I sent you.”

I left him on his side of the curtain and went to get my purse. He could get fucked. After all that where I think I was so damn nervous I broke a sweat, he didn’t even kiss me.

I wasn’t lying with what I said.

He could kiss my ass.

I’d even wear my good panties and bend over for him.

 XOXOX 

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata #TheBestThing

 The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

This is Lenny's story...and it will also be the story of Grandpa Gus, 

who we also met in Luna and the Lie - curious? Read it!

Synopsis:

Some things are easily forgiven. Other things… not so much.                            

Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.
Done thinking about him.
Done worrying about him.
Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found.

Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.


Oh my god... I loved this book! I got it yesterday evening and finished it sometime this afternoon. Now I am tired, happy, devastated because this great book is over, out of handkerchiefs - and I'm still sniffling and grinning and I am happy because of this bittersweet ending that made me love all those fabulous people even more.

If you read and loved Luna...you will also love this book but you will find that it is very different. I mean, sure, Luna had to fight for her love and is also a total badass so that's the same but still, the whole vibe is completely different. A bit laid back, less drama, more about the interaction between our hero and our heroine than about the actions of those around them.

I also loved that we get a glimpse at their future together, and not just theirs but also the future of some others that are equally dear to me. 

Whereas Luna was set in the world of cars and body shops, The Best Thing is set in the world of sports, mostly MMA but others as well.
Lenny's life was turned upside down almost two years ago and nothing has been the same since then. Oh, don't worry, things turned out really well but still...it would have been nice if Jonah had been there when she needed him, right? I mean...just saying. But he wasn't. And even though he really blew all his chances ages ago, now he is here. And now he wants this one last chance...

This book made me laugh so much and it made me cry and...you know this feeling when you suddenly realize that your mouth feels stiff because you've been grinning so hard for so long now? Right. That's what happened to me. The pages couldn't turn fast enough, I flew through them and I loved every single one. If you haven't read Luna and the Lie, it's no problem even though this book relates to her every now and then because Luna is and will always be Lenny's best friend but both books are standalones and can be read as such.

An amazing book - and now I am waiting anxiously for the audiobook to be released, and in the meantime, I'll just read it again! And again. And...

 ★★★★★

 

Three Kings (Royal Conquest Saga #3) by Nikki Jefford #ThreeKings

 Three Kings by Nikki Jefford

Blurb 
 >>The jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping conclusion to the Royal Conquest Saga!<<

Life will never be the same for Melarue Heiris.

Two Fae princes vie for her affection, and her sister doesn't like it one bit. But this isn't Aerith's story. Sure, Mel might have gotten herself into a pickle, but she's got everything under control … kinda. Not. Next thing she knows, she's being threatened with marriage, gowns, and—worst of all—a crown. Ahem, Mel likes pointy things at the end of a hilt in her hand, NOT on her head!

Meanwhile, very pregnant and put out by her ongoing role at Dahlquist castle, Aerith is prepared to do whatever it takes to save her sister and leave Faerie for good. Liri has other ideas. Too bad the Fae-hole abandoned his kingdom. Aerith is in charge now, and if Liri doesn't return soon, she'll crown a new king.

The final battle between the two Elmray families is about to begin. It's a good thing Dahlquist has elves on its side.

Will the cost of winning be too great?


Like pineapple on pizza......and sweet as berries...

What a finale! Honestly, there was so much happening in this fast-paced, absolutely charming and imaginative conclusion to the Royal Conquest Saga, I don't really know where to start to describe it!

If you loved The Stolen Princess and The False Queen, you will also love, love, love this epic finale, where our heroine finds love where she least expects it, and where elves and Fae fall in love - and sometimes out of it. Oh, and if you haven't read the other two books, don't dare pick this one up yet, start at the beginning otherwise you'll regret it! There's so much going on, this series is a firework of fun, laughter, fighting, crowns, portals with the occasional badass elf thrown in as well...oh, and don't forget the tramp team and...yeah.
This is Mel's story- and it will be just as straight and easy as everything Mel does...kinda. Right?
So, go ahead, read it, it's so worth it!

👑👑👑👑👑 

Disdain: A Cinderella Retelling (Tales of Cinder Book 2) by M.J. Haag

  

  Disdain (Tales of Cinder Book 2) 

by 

M.J. Haag

A single blow shattered my life of glass. They shouldn’t have left me with the shards.

Eloise knows the name of her mother’s murderer, but she cannot speak it. A curse keeps her silent and locked in the tattered remains of her once charming life. Though magic holds her tongue, it doesn’t quell the smoldering spark of her anger or her need to learn the reason behind her mother’s death.

However, games of magic have dire consequences. Desperate to keep those she loves safe from the repercussions of her actions, Eloise must make a bold gamble with her safety that could win her everything or destroy her forever.

Two lives hang in the balance. For, if Cinder fails, Snow will fall, too.


Oh my....this story is not for the faint of heart... If you've read "Defiant", the first book in this series (which you totally should have done before you touched this one), you will already know that this is nothing like Disney's glitter and glamour but instead a captivating and intense and really dark retelling of Cinderella. Once again we are reminded of Snow as well, the pet name of our heroine's twin Kellen, so there might be another retelling at the horizon but first - Cinderella.

We left Eloise, our Cinder completely helpless in the hands of the enemy. No matter what happens, she is bound by more than loyalty and fear and the more I learned about the power of her adversaries, the more I (and Cinder as well) feared that she won't be able to keep up the fight. There were some parts that were really hard to read and I worried a lot, especially when the hunter is on the loose and everything seems rather hopeless because in order to protect those that she cares for, Eloise will have to ...well, can she give up the fight?

With Eloise fighting for her life and the life of those around her, there is also Kaven, the one guy who is always there, the one who always finds her. With her feelings slowly (very slowly, this book is definitely very light on the romance part though it still includes some scenes that include somewhat explicit sexual content) growing, Eloise's life becomes even more complicated and when the future of her country is at stake, well, she won't give up. No matter what happens. And no matter who dies...

★★★★

 

 

 

BLOG TOUR - Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart #ComingUpRoses

BLOG TOUR 

Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart

Everyone hates parts of their job.

Maybe it’s the paperwork. Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.

But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.

Except for Luke Bennet.

The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint.

When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him.

Almost.

He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.

Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.
Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.

"Love happens in moments" is the theme of the first of the new installations in the window of Longbourne, the flower shop that has been in the Bennets' family for generations. It's love that brings the family together again when the shop threatens to fail and it's love that sparks all of the changes that help secure the shop's future and well, there may be some other kind of love around as well, the more romantic kind of it. Love is at the heart of it all.

What I loved was the way the family stood together to help out, how everybody just pitched in in order to get things done, to save the shop. I loved the chemistry between our hero and our heroine and how they learned to work together and to overcome their not totally uncomplicated past. I mean, at least one of them has to overcome their past, the other one doesn't remember anything. Apart from that though, I just loved to see Luke grow as a person and fall in love and for him to be willing to work for the things (and the people) that mean something to him. 

There were many sweet and cute moments when Luke and Tess interact but it's also the whole family, the way they stand together, work together, Tess and her father and...wow. I really really enjoyed this sweet and wonderful book and can't wait for the next book in this series.

~4.5 stars~

BLOG TOUR - A Highlander walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham #AHighlanderWalksIntoABar

 

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*****

BLOG TOUR

A Highlander Walks Into A Bar by Laura Trentham

 Synopsis
 
The timeless romance, soaring passion—and gorgeous men—of Scotland comes to modern-day
America. And the rules of love will never be the same…
Isabel Buchanan is fiery, funny, and never at a loss for words. But she is struck speechless when her
mother returns from a trip to Scotland with a six-foot-tall, very handsome souvenir. Izzy’s mother is so
infatuated by the fellow that Izzy has to plan their annual Highland Games all by herself. Well, not
completely by herself. The Highlander’s strapping young nephew has come looking for his uncle…
Alasdair Blackmoor has never seen a place as friendly as this small Georgia town—or a girl as brilliant and beguiling as Izzy. Instead of saving his uncle, who seems to be having a lovely time, Alasdair decides he’d rather help Izzy with the Highland Games. Show her how to dance like a Highlander. Drink like a Highlander. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with a Highlander. But when the games are over, where do they go from here?

 
"A Highlander walks Into a Bar"  - Who could resist a book with such a title? Not me, that's for sure... But fortunately, the book had so much more to recommend it than just the title.

At the beginning, I was a bit irritated as my mind conjured up a rather gaudy image of Highland but within a couple of pages, I fell in love with Highland and its residents. Izzy and her mom are at the helm of it all and it's them who are responsible for the Highland Games taking place every year.
In the middle of it all are Izzy, our heroine and a certain Scotsman who came looking for his uncle, the unexpected "kind-of-souvenir" Izzy's mother brought back from her trip to Scotland. Alasdair just wants to protect his uncle because he fears that Izzy's mother is just out for his money and his position whereas Izzy wants to protect her mom because she is afraid that Gareth and Alasdair want to take advantage of her. Complicated, isn't it? You're right. Add the fact that neither Izzy nor her mom knows that Gareth is titled ... You get the gist, right?

Sure, some parts of the book are a bit predictable but I enjoyed the story nevertheless because I really liked the characters and the fast-paced and entertaining story on the whole. This is a nice and charming story that I'll love to read again.

★★★★

 

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EXCERPT

From A Highlander Walks into a Bar. Copyright © 2019
by Laura Trentham and reprinted with permission from
St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

Chapter One

“I brought home a surprise!” Rose Buchanan threw her arms out wide as if embracing the world. From the stories she told to the way she entered the room, Rose was exuberant and entertaining and enjoyed being the center of attention.

Isabel Buchanan, who was perfectly content on the fringes, pushed her wavy hair off her sticky forehead with hands that trembled from the nightmare drive through Atlanta to the airport to pick up her mom. Her mom’s trip to Scotland had doubled as both research and vacation. The jammed stop-and-go traffic had left Izzy flustered and already dreading their exit from the airport.
Rolling her stiff shoulders, Izzy stepped around the bumper of the car, popping the trunk open on the way. Her mom had a beautiful plaid scarf of greens and browns and blues tossed over her shoulder and what appeared to be new earrings. Either purchase might inspire her mother to gush, and she would expect reciprocal gushing from Izzy. Making an educated guess, Izzy asked, “Are those earrings your surprise?”
Without waiting for an answer, she hauled one of her mom’s giant wheeled suitcases closer and prepared to

2 laura trentham

heave it into the back. The sooner they got out of Atlanta, the sooner she could get back to work planning the Highland festival. Or she might pour an extra-large glass of wine and escape into a book. A guilty pleasure, considering how much she still had to get in order in three scant weeks.
“Allow me, please.” A bearded man who had been rolling cases to the curb stepped forward with a grin and an accent Izzy couldn’t place.
She checked her pockets and winced. No cash to tip the man, and no hope her mom had thought of something so inconsequential.
“Do you like them? They’re hammered silver.” Her mom flipped her bobbed matching silver hair to the side and displayed one earring with her fingers. “And as a matter of fact, I did buy them from a lovely shop in Edinburgh, but I brought something bigger home. Something
more exciting.”
“Your scarf? It’s lovely.” Izzy gave her mom limited attention while she watched the man load suitcase after suitcase into her trunk, fitting them together like a puzzle.
More luggage than her mom had left with. She waved to catch the man’s attention. “Hang on. That’s not all my mom’s stuff.”

For the first time, Izzy really looked at the man. He was close to her mom in age, and good-looking in a bear-like way with a gleaming white smile highlighted by a salt-and-pepper beard. His full head of hair was a shade darker, but graying heavily at the temples. The expression on the man’s face when he looked in her mom’s direction—a mix of adoration and amusement—cleared the fog of confusion.
Lord have mercy, her mother had brought back a six-foot, two-hundred-pound-plus souvenir from Scotland.

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