Cocky Bastard by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland #CockyBastard

  Cocky Bastard by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

Blurb:

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.

A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.

I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.


Author's note - Cocky Bastard is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
 

Oh my....I laughed so hard ...readers beware! This is definitely not a book that you should read in public! Never ever! Okay, I also got really emotional and may have shed a tear or two - again: never ever read it in public! But - read it!
This book was so amazing, the first thing I did when I had turned the last page - I downloaded the next book in this series.

Yes, I was upset when Chance didn't give up because for a while I wasn't sure if he was just persistent and hurting her by it or if he would turn out to be the one. I was upset with him though at the beginning and I had a hard time to forgive him actually, but in the end, I could understand why he thought that he had to leave that way.
And I fell for Esmeralda ...or Pixie or... I don't know how much or how often that one made me laugh. Every time I think of him, I feel a big fat grin on my face.

No, I didn't always agree with Chance and his actions but I loved this book nonetheless. Now it's up to you to take a chance on it - it's funny and entertaining and sucked me in right from the start. Oh, just, well - if you should ever go on a road trip, don't forget to bring your goat....just saying. There's no real road trip without a goat, right?

★★★★★

First Earl I See Tonight (Debutante Diaries #1) by Anna Bennett

 First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett

Blurb: 

An heiress with a daring proposal. An earl who’s determined to resist her. And a love that just might be written in the stars…

Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage, but every passionate moment he spends with her tempts him to change his…


A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband…if only she can convince him that romance will play no part. But marrying in name only may prove difficult for Fiona. Gray can’t help but be dazzled by her genuine warmth. Yet as their feelings deepen, Fiona’s deadline looms. Will her secrets destroy them, or is true love their final destiny?



I enjoyed reading this story about Fiona, a warm-hearted and desperate heiress and Gray, the jilted, disillusioned and slightly frustrated Earl of Ravenport! Fiona has to fight to protect her sister from ruin and if that means proposing to some stranger, well, Fiona is willing to do almost about everything in order to protect those that she loves!

The problem is that such a business arrangement as the one they agreed upon may look very different if you spend time with someone as warm and lively as Fiona every day..is it a problem? Well, it might become one if there are other forces conspiring against them and when former lovers and blackmail join in the fun.

A warm and compassionate heroine and a hero who tries to hold himself back and fails, a mysterious blackmailer whose identity remains unknown almost to the end - and I never even guessed who it was. I took me as well as our hero and our heroine completely by surprise when we recognized the blackmailer because, well, ...
There were parts of the story that were a bit bumpy but on the whole, I really enjoyed this first book in Anna Bennett's new series. I loved the writing and the characters a lot and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

★★★★

BLOG TOUR: Tick Tock (EOD #1) by Jane Harvey-Berrick #TickTock

  Tick Tock (EOD #1) by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Blurb: 

Forget SEALS, Marines, Fighter Pilots - I have the most dangerous job in the world. And I love it.

James Spears is part of an elite group who lives and breathes danger. Where others run from it, he walks towards it, calm, focussed ice-cold. James is a top EOD operative.
Explosive…
Ordnance…
Disposal…

You’d call him a bomb disposal expert. Or crazy. A guy with a death wish. He’s heard it all before and he doesn’t give a shit. He’s the best.

They say he doesn’t have blood in his veins, he has ice. They say he has no nerves.
All that’s about to be tested.

Amira is recruited by the CIA to infiltrate a terrorist cell living in rural Pennsylvania. She’s the perfect plant, no one would ever suspect her. Because her brother was killed when a bomb was dropped on the Syrian hospital where he was working as a doctor. And now hate burns deeply inside her. She’s perfect.

That’s what they tell James when he’s told to train her to be the best damn bomb-maker there is. In a secret camp, deep in the woods, James teaches her everything he knows about building bombs. He’s not a praying man, but now he’s really hoping that he’s doing the right thing.

Can he trust her? Will she ever trust him? Who is playing who? And who will pay the ultimate price?

Codename: Hansel and Gretel


Oh my... This book shouldn't be read without a big supply of tissues at hand... As much as I loved this book, I also hated it (and the author a little bit as well for writing this story, nothing personal, sorry, just...this book...) and in the end, well, if the book hadn't been that intense and that amazing otherwise, I might have simply hated it. But I didn't. And I don't.
I loved the intense feelings, the love and the respect that all our main characters feel for each other, I feared with them, I feared for them, I was devastated, I cried and...well, I might have cried a bit more.

An intense story of love and hate, also of hope and loss and pain and violence. It is not an easy read, as it deals with all those intense feelings on the one hand but also due to the things that our heroes and especially our heroine experience.
I just hope that the next book in this series will present me with some kind of band-aid because right at the moment I'm still somewhat brokenhearted and, yes - furious as well whenever I think of this book and everything that happened.

 ★★★★★

Excerpt

♥♥♥ 

 

James

Where do I go from here?

The question had been running through my head for days—and now it was my last few hours with Amira.

We were at JFK, two among thousands in the vast, white terminal.

Amira and her family were flying back to San Diego within the hour, and I had a late flight to Heathrow.

Nothing had been resolved between us, and every time I’d tried to start the what next question, she’d shut me down.

A wiser man would have taken the hint, but life could be short, ending suddenly, brutally—and I knew what I wanted. I knew who I wanted.

And now I was down to my last thirty minutes to make use of my limited charms to persuade her to agree with me.

Her parents were clearly uncomfortable with my presence—I definitely hadn’t charmed them. They were grateful, but they didn’t want me around their daughter. They definitely wouldn’t want me for a son-in-law. But I had a plan…

I’d managed to persuade Amira to go for a coffee with me, leaving her family at their flight gate, and we were sitting in a Starbucks concession. Amira was drinking some frothy iced coffee crap, and I had something that was supposed to be English tea (but wasn’t).

As I reached out for my cup, wondering how to start, she caught my hand, exploring the web of scar tissue that crisscrossed my palm and wrist, interrupting the normal lines.

“So, I guess this is goodbye,” she said quietly, laying my hand back on the table.

“Only for now.”

She shook her head sadly.

“I don’t think so, and neither do you. Not really. You said it yourself—you live 6,000 miles away. This has to be goodbye.”

I studied my scarred hand, hoping I’d find the words to convince her that we had a chance.

“Well, I read the other day that they’ve got this crazy new invention called air travel. And email—it’s like writing a letter but without having to buy a stamp—wow, magic! You should try it. And I heard telephones work across the Atlantic, as well, but that could just be a rumour.”

She didn’t crack a smile and she wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“James, you and I don’t exist in the real world—we can’t. It’s a lovely dream, but it’s still just a dream.” She shook her head. “I was so naïve—Operation Hansel and Gretel—it seemed like being in a movie at first, or a fairy tale. I’m so stupid.”

Her words threw ice water over my hopes, but I wasn’t going to accept that as her last word. The game starts after you score. I’d had those words tattooed on my back for a reason—and it meant that I needed to up my game.

I wasn’t what you’d call a spiritual person, but I didn’t believe that we’d been through all this shit for nothing. I was sure of that.

“It doesn’t have to be a dream, Amira. We can make this work: you and me—us.”

She glanced up, startled, and shifted on the hard chair.

♥♥♥ 

Happy Baking glutenfrei: Von Brot bis Brownies von Franziska Schweiger

  

Happy baking glutenfrei

Inhalt: 

Don't worry, bake happy!

Glutenfreie Anleitungen zum Glücklichbacken: so verführerisch und kreativ wie noch nie!

Glutensensitiv und auf Kuchen verzichten? Das muss nicht sein! Denn auch glutenfrei kann man die herrlichsten Torten, Plätzchen, Brote und Kuchen aus dem Ofen zaubern. Vorausgesetzt, man hat Erfahrung mit glutenfreiem Backen - und die hat Franziska Schweiger, Autorin von Happy Baking glutenfrei, nun wirklich! Die junge Konditorin hat selbst Betroffene in der Familie und kennt sich bestens aus Getreidealternativen wie Reis, Hirse, Amarant, Buchweizen und Kastanien. Ihre glutenfreien Blaubeer-Minz-Muffins, Mandel-Orangen-Küsse oder Butternusskürbis-Brote sind so verführerisch, dass jeder ein Stück davon haben möchte - ganz gleich, ob er Gluten verträgt oder nicht. Denn süßer Genuss hängt nicht von der Mehlsorte ab, sondern von der Liebe und Fantasie, die beim Backen nun mal die wichtigsten Zutaten sind. Wenn Franzis glutenfreie Sachertorte oder ihr Kokos-Hefe-Gugelhupf auf der Kaffeetafel steht, ist schon nach dem ersten Bissen klar: Glutenfrei Backen ist ganz schön lecker!

Ich bin echt begeistert von diesem vielseitigen Backbuch, das ich mir mittlerweile nicht nur als Ebook, sondern auch als Printbuch gekauft habe, weil ich das für die Küche einfach besser finde. Da ich aber inzwischen schon viele Nackbücher habe, die sich mit dem glutenfreien Backen beschäftigen und bisher, ehrlich gesagt, kaum eins auch nur annähernd meinen Geschmack, bzw. noch wichtiger - den meiner Tochter traf, fand ich das Ebook erst einmal ausreichend.

Tja, das war wohl der Trick, denn dieses Buch gefällt der ganzen Familie. Bisher war es meist so, dass ich für uns etwas gebacken habe und für meine Tochter einen kleinen eigenen Kuchen oder so, weil, nun ja, muss nicht sein? Bei diesem Buch habe ich nun schon mehrere Rezepte ausprobiert und kann sagen, dass meine Tochter sich ranhalten muss, um auch was abzubekommen, weil es uns tatsächlich auch richtig gut schmeckt.

Ich habe inzwischen aus jeder Gruppe mindestens ein Rezept probiert, aus manchen auch schon mehrere und es hat bisher immer gut geschmeckt. Die Rezepte sind gut nachvollziehbar und verständlich aufgebaut, so dass man mit ein wenig Erfahrung keine Probleme damit hat, die Rezepte umzusetzen. Glutenfrei backen ist ja nun mal etwas anders als normales Backen, allein weil die Konsistenz oft eine ganz andere ist und man deutlich mehr Zutaten benötigt. Dafür sind heir die teige genau aufgeschlüsselt und es steht nicht nur da, dass man doch bitte einfach eine glutenfreie Mehlmischung nehmen sollte und dann passt es schon.
Glutenfreies Backen ist aufwendig und erst einmal muss man einige Zutaten besorgen, die aber letztlich doch immer wieder benötigt werden, so dass man zwar Platz braucht und es anfangs viel und teuer wirkt, sich aber auf Dauer (zumindest im Verhältnis zu gekauften, schmackhaften glutenfreien Produkten) doch wieder rentiert. Man merkt diesen Rezepten auf jeden Fall an, dass hier jemand backt und Rezepte entwirft, der selber betroffen ist und das auch selber essen muss.
Auch diese Rezepte werden nicht jedem schmecken, aber die Rezepte gelingen auf jeden Fall - und meine doch sehr kritische Familie mag sie. 

 ★★★★★

Hier geht es übrigens zur Leseprobe!

>>>>>> 

***

Recklessly Ever After by Heather Van Fleet #RecklesslyEverAfter

Recklessly Ever After by Heather Van Fleet

Blurb:


Gavin St. James

After the hell I've been through in the Marines--in life--there's nothing I crave more than routine, stability, peace. Until McKenna Brewer walks into my life.

She's impulsive, fiery, tempting as hell, and everything I don't need. But when she offers me a night of no-strings-attached passion, I can't resist.

When our night together has unexpected consequences, I can't help but think this might be the perfect opportunity to show McKenna just how much I want her.

The only problem? She doesn't do forevers. But forever is exactly what I need with her.

Reckless Hearts Series:
Reckless Hearts (Book 1)
The Right Kind of Reckless (Book 2)
Recklessly Ever After (Book 3)



I was waiting rather impatiently for the release of this book because I really loved the other books in this series about this trio of former marines who are living together to take care of little beaner, Collin's daughter Chloe since his girlfriend died.

Gavin is the last one of our guys who hasn't found love yet and he is the one who obviously needs help the most and he's also the one who makes it so hard for his friends to get closer, the one who cares so much for our little beaner but is scared to be left alone with her - well, let's just say that he has had a special place in my heart for some time now. And Mack...well, she was burned as well and has some major trust issues. These two are some hell of a package with all their insecurities and their problems and you can't help but feel for them, feel with them, encourage them to trust and not run away.

Gavin is the one hoping for forever but McKenna is the one girl who doesn't do forevers - except, well, there may be a little forever on its way that could just be the thing that convinces her to trust again.
I loved those two. I cried with Gavin and I cried with Mack, I laughed with them and I loved to see them together and I loved their chemistry - and most of all, I loved to see them find love and happiness!

 ★★★★★

Married in Vegas: In His Arms by Terri E. Laine #MarriedInVegas

  Married in Vegas: In His Arms by Terri E. Laine

Blurb: 

From USA Today's Bestselling Author, Terri E. Laine, comes a new standalone, fun and sexy contemporary romance.

My relationship with Cameron McCabe is complicated.

The NFL’s leading quarterback is the cute boy I grew up next door too. The cocky jerk—correction—hotter-than-sin jerk, can still charm the panties off any woman he wants with just a blink of his gorgeous green eyes.

He’s also my best friend’s older brother and totally off-limits. Or he’s supposed to be.

As my best friend’s wedding photos are finally finished and my bridesmaid’s duties over, the last thing I want to do is watch Cameron, #1 player in every sense of the word, flirt with all the single females at the wedding except me.

What do I do?

Try three, maybe four, okay, I lost count of the number of tequila shots I consumed.

So, it shouldn’t at all be a surprise when I wake up naked in a hotel room that’s not mine.

As alarming as that is, it doesn’t compare to finding myself handcuffed in bed to mister sexy pants himself.

Mature as I am, I chuck it off as a one-time mistake.

It is Vegas and you know what they say.

What happens here, stays here.

Or so I think.

Apparently, dirty talking Cameron McCabe isn’t done with me yet and I may not be done with him either.

Just this one weekend… or at least that’s what I tell myself.

I loved this sweet and tumultuous story about second (or maybe third and even fourth) chances. It is a short but sweet book about the dangers of...Tequila. Of course. And maybe also of being in love in Vegas and the realization that not everything that happens in Vegas really stays in Vegas. Some things follow you - or should I say that some guy might follow you? Well, Chrissy rather quickly catches up on that part...especially when it comes with some handcuffs and, well, other stuff of the more permanent nature.
There are turbulent times ahead of her and Cam but maybe there is also lots of love and fun around that will have you swoon and smile and chuckle and, yeah, swoon a bit more.

There's a lot chemistry and hurt feelings going on that make for rough times and less than stellar decisions but as Cam is not someone to give up on something good, Chrissy never really stood a chance of letting him go.
Short stories are always tricky because sometimes they tend to leave the reader dissatisfied and wanting for more but not in this case! Married in Vegas captivated and intrigued me and I loved to see it all play out! A wonderful, albeit short read, that I can definitely recommend.

★★★★

Out today! Tick Tock by Jane Harvey-Berrick