Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Blog Tour with Review ~ A Little Too Late by Staci Hart ~ Jill Mac

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"A Little Too Late came right on time. Five stars!"-Brittainy C. Cherry, Amazon #1 Bestselling Author

A Little Too Late, an all-new romantic standalone from Staci Hart is available NOW!

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A Little Too Late by Staci Hart

Publishing Date: October 24th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

I wasn't supposed to fall in love with the nanny.
When my wife left, she took the illusion of happiness with her, and I've been caught in a free fall ever since. For nine long months, I've been fighting to figure out how to be a single dad, how to be alone.
For nine long months, I've been failing.
When Hannah walked through the door, I took my first breath since I'd found myself on my own. She slipped into our lives effortlessly, showing me what I've been missing all these years. Because Hannah made me smile when I thought I'd packed the notion of happiness away with my wedding album.
She was only supposed to be the nanny, but she's so much more.
The day my wife left should have been the worst day of my life, but it wasn't. It was when Hannah walked away, taking my heart with her.



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I am a HUGE fan of Staci Hart, and so when I saw A Little Too Late, I moved it up to my TBR right away.  The story of Hannah and Charlie was so refreshing.  Personally, when I see that a book is going to be about a nanny and her boss (the father of the kids) I automatically think “oh it’s going to be super taboo”.  This book was so unlike what I was thinking.  A little Too Late was written in such a classy, graceful way.  The relationship didn’t feel wrong.  There was also a part in the book where I thought I predicted what would ultimately happen, and I was really happy that I was wrong.  Though I feel like with every book, at a certain point you feel you know what is going to happen, I love being wrong.
Charlie and Hannah were different than any other couples I’ve read.  For one I feel like I don’t read enough single dad books.  Staci executed Charlie perfectly.  He struggled so much when his wife left him with no reasoning.  I felt for him.  I understood him.  And most importantly I rooted for him.  As a father, and as an individual.  I wanted him to have the happy ending he deserved, both in his love life, and as a father with his 2 kids. 

“I’d been alone far longer than I’d been single.” -Charlie

Sweet, kindhearted, tender, caring.  These are what come to mind when I try to describe Hannah.  Gosh, she was just AMAZING.  Seriously the NICEST, most genuine character I’ve ever read.  She comes from Holland and loved to bake. The way Charlie and Hannah’s story unfolds, it keeps the reader intrigued and turning the page.  It was a beautiful story of love, loss and most importantly, TRUST.  Learning to trust yourself, and a significant other.
If you love a good romance do yourself a favor and one click A Little Too Late.  You will not be disappointed!
Bravo Staci! A Little Too Late was such a great romance, and I’m so happy I read it.  I can’t wait to read the books you have in store for us fans.  You already know you have a forever fan in me!

❤ Jill Mac ❤


Excerpt:

CHARLIE The next morning, I was up and in my office before anyone was awake, attacking my work with newfound enthusiasm and a plan in mind. Because I wanted to feel like I’d felt the night before in the kitchen again, and there was only one way to get that back. Today, I would take a few breaks and be present. Today, I would change, work be damned. Today would mark the first real attempt. Because change wouldn’t happen on its own. I had to make it happen. And to make it happen, I would have to put boundaries in place, starting with my weekends. I checked the clock around eleven that morning and closed my laptop, pushing away from my desk and heading up the stairs in search of my children. When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I found them sitting at the table with their lunches. And when they saw me, their smiles validated my grand plans with unwavering certainty. “Hey, guys,” I said, smiling back as I walked over to them, ruffling Sammy’s hair when I passed him. “Hi, Daddy,” he said. Maven’s mouth was full, so she just waved, and Hannah smiled at me from the island where she was setting up a spread for sandwiches. I snagged a grape off Maven’s plate and popped it into my mouth. She handed me another, which I accepted. “Thanks, pumpkin.” “Are you done working?” Sammy asked hopefully. “’Fraid not, bud. But I thought I’d come have lunch with you. Is that okay?” “Yeah! Want a Nilla Wafer?” “Psh, obviously. And I thought we could play for a little bit before I have to get back to work. What do you say?” He nodded, grinning. “We can play trucks! You be the bulldozer and I’ll be the tractor and Maven can be the monster truck and Hannah can be the ambulance because she helps people.” “Perfect,” I said on a chuckle. A burst of color caught my eye. A vase on the windowsill behind the table held a spray of red and orange tulips. “Those are beautiful,” I said, gesturing to them. “Where did they come from?” “Oh, I picked them up this morning,” Hannah said with that ever-present smile. “Feeling homesick?” “Always a little. But I love having fresh flowers in the house, something bright and delicate and alive. Well, maybe not alive anymore, but it feels alive, doesn’t it?” “It does,” I said as I moved to her side. “Can I make you a sandwich?” Hannah asked. “Nah, I think I can manage, thanks. How’s it going this morning?” “It’s good. We went to the park this morning.” “I rode my bike!” Sammy crowed. “Did you? No bumps or scrapes?” “Nope!” “I’m impressed. Maybe next time I can come too,” I said, hoping it was something I could deliver as I reached into the bread bag for a stack. Hannah turned to the cupboard, returning with a plate for me. “Thank you.” She was still smiling, standing at my side, assembling her sandwich. It was so mundane, something completely and utterly boring, but like the weirdo that I was, I found myself watching her hands as she folded cold cuts. We worked around each other—not that it was complicated, but there was a sort of rhythm between us, a natural pace wherein I used what she wasn’t and finished just as she needed what I had. I wasn’t sure why I noticed it, but I did, and I appreciated the simple synchronicity of the moment, a breath where things were easy. I passed her the mustard as she handed me the ham. “So, I was thinking …” I paused. “Oh, were you?” She glanced over at me with a hint of mirth at the corners of her lips. “I know. I almost sprained something.” Hannah laughed gently. “If it’s okay, I think I’d like to try to handle bedtime tonight.” “Of course it’s okay; they’re your children.” That time, her laughter was sweet. “Do you … would you … do you think you could maybe …” She shifted to face me, her eyes full of encouragement. “Would you mind … helping me?” Hannah nodded, her smile opening up. “That’s what I’m here for. Just let me know what you’d like me to do.” I smiled back. “I’m sorry. I know it sounds stupid. I just … I haven’t done this much on my own, but I’d like to start.” Her eyes softened, caught by slanting light, lighting up with sunshine. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said simply. I didn’t speak. “There’s no right or wrong, and they don’t care about anything other than you being there. It’s simple enough; you only have to try.” “Is it really that easy?” “It really is. You’ll see.” She reached for my arm and gave it a squeeze that wasn’t meant to be anything but friendly but held something more, something in the pressure in her fingertips and the depths of her eyes. It was something I did my very best to ignore. But I felt the heat of those fingertips long after they were gone, even as we sat across the table from each other eating lunch, the tulips in the vase behind her bowing their long heads as the sunlight illuminated them, exposing what was hidden within their petals. 

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About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics. 

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Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Now Available ~ A Little Bit Like Love by Brooke Blaine

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A Little Bit Like Love, an all-new sexy STANDALONE MM romance from Brooke Blaine is available NOW!

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A Little Bit Like Love by Brooke Blaine

Publication Date: July 27th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance/MM Romance

What if you had everything in the world you wanted…except the man you’d left behind?
Jackson Davenport, the charismatic, strait-laced heir to the Davenport fortune, has a secret. One he’s been hiding since he graduated from South Haven all-boys academy—and that secret’s name is Lucas.
When a work trip takes Jackson back to his old stomping grounds, memories of the year he shared with Lucas come crashing to the surface. With growing pressure from his father to settle down and take over the family business, Jackson knows he’s on borrowed time, and sets out to find the free-spirited daredevil he once knew.
But Lucas isn’t the same man he was eight years ago.
One night. A shattered heart. And an endless parade of nameless faces. Lucas Sullivan is South Haven’s ultimate playboy, a reputation he’s honed since the only boy he ever loved left without a trace. To the world, he’s brash and confident, an in-demand artist who spends his days designing one-of-a-kind pieces and his nights as king of the downtown scene.
Many have tried and failed to get past the barrier he’s carefully constructed, but it’s the shy, studious boy he once coaxed out of his shell who still haunts him.
Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it was lust. Or maybe…it was a little bit like love.

Excerpt:

WITH THE NOTE from Principal Stewart crumpled in my fist, I stalked away from his office, away from the words I knew would haunt me forever. “I’m sorry, Jackson. Your father is quite…insistent you return to Connecticut immediately.” Immediately…immediately… With every echo of that word through my mind, my heart battered my chest, the ache to rip itself free of my body a plea I was helpless to honor. There was only one reason he would’ve demanded I leave South Haven before the end of classes next week. My father had been adamant I receive the best education his money afforded, choosing to ship me down to south Georgia to attend the most prestigious all-boys academy in the country. I’d done him proud, rising to the top of my class, and I’d been practicing my salutatorian speech for days. Skipping out on graduation and the pomp and circumstance and recognition that came with it? Out of the question. Which could only mean one thing. He knew. Somehow he knew. That was the only explanation for the letter in my hand, for the abrupt dismissal this late in the evening and this close to the end of the school year. My father hadn’t gotten to where he was by being stupid or blind, and I’d seriously underestimated how many eyes and ears had been watching me during my four years. Although it would’ve only been the whispers over the last few months that piqued his interest, only the last eight that he would’ve had any reason to give me a second thought. And that reason wasn’t a what—it was a who. The halls of the St. John’s dormitory were silent when I entered, all the students down at the mess hall for dinner, followed by the final bonfire of the year. So there wouldn’t be anyone around to see me sneak down the hall to where I knew I shouldn’t be going but couldn’t help myself. My feet seemed to move of their own accord, the countdown to my utter devastation causing me to pick up the pace. The private plane would arrive in a handful of hours, giving me just enough time to pack my things, but there was no way I could leave without a goodbye. Not going to happen. I wasn’t ready. I was supposed to have more time. As a cold sweat of panic seized me, I balled the letter tighter in my fist and chucked it into one of the trash bins as I passed. Screw my father. Screw the life he’d set out for me, the one I was destined to live and hate with every fiber of my being. I wanted to bottle up every one of his expectations and throw the blasted thing out at an angry sea to swallow up and tear apart instead. I wished it could be as easy as that. I’d been able to fool myself into a sense of freedom, but the cell door was about to smash shut on every dream I’d let myself have these past few months. His private dorm was at the end of the long hall, last one on the right, and I rapped on it twice fast, waited a moment, and then repeated the pattern that we used for each other. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and seeing the sole object of my daily and nightly thoughts standing there in front of me with a mixture of surprise and delight in his eyes made me think that coming here had been a mistake. It was only going to sink the dagger in farther. “Hey…I thought we were meeting la—” Lucas’s words cut off and the smile curling his lips fell as he got a good look at my face. “What’s wrong?” You should tell him. Tell him what’s going on and that it isn’t your fault. Look him in the eye when you tell him you can never see him again. A shooting pain tore through my chest as I realized what this goodbye actually meant. I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t be seeing him for the next couple of days or weeks. When I left South Haven’s campus in the early hours of the morning, I wouldn’t be seeing him again…ever. God, can I do this? Break his heart as well as mine? No…no, I couldn’t tell him. He’d look for me, find me, and there was no telling what my father would do if that happened. The letter had been my old man’s warning. Disobeying his orders would mean consequences neither of us were prepared for. “Jackson?” Lucas’s voice dropped low, and then he looked past me out into the deserted hall. When he didn’t see anyone to blame on my current state, he frowned and waited for an answer. The words didn’t come, though, so I stood there staring at him, taking a mental snapshot that I’d store away in a place no one could find and destroy. His black hair was casually tousled, and I knew him well enough to know he’d worried his hands through it, maybe wondering if I wouldn’t follow through on our plans tonight. He wore a simple grey t-shirt and low-slung jeans on his long and lean frame, and the swirl of black tattoos he’d recently inked on his tanned skin could be seen peeking around his right bicep before disappearing from view behind the thin material of his shirt. He was striking, both in looks and personality, and to say I hadn’t been expecting the force that was Lucas Sullivan when he’d transferred to the academy eight months ago was an understatement. Quite simply, I’d been lost to him the first time I laid eyes on him. Forcing myself to shake off my dread, I said, “I’m okay,” and tried to believe it for his sake. “Well, you look like hell.” He leaned against the doorway, one of those charming half-grins cocking up one side of his lips. “Hell on wheels, anyway. What’d you do, run all the way here?” Not too far off there. I didn’t even remember crossing campus to get to his dorm until I was in front of the building. When I didn’t laugh at his teasing, Lucas’s expression fell again and his brows pulled down, a crease forming between them as his eyes, the color of a stormy sky, gave me a thorough once-over, looking for the source of my pain. He was silent for a long moment, but he must’ve seen something he didn’t like, because he stiffened and his jaw clenched. Then he took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Tell me.” “Tell you what?” I asked. Lucas shook his head, his arms going over his chest. “I’m not helping you out here. If you came here for a reason, get out with it.” Did he know? He couldn’t. I’d only just found out myself, and… No. There was no way. “It’s…complicated.” “Complicated?” “Yes.” Lucas gave a humorless chuckle. “Jackson Davenport, I knew you were scared, but I never took you for a coward. If you don’t want to do this, you can man the hell up and tell me to my face.” “What are you… I’m not…” I ran my hand over my face, struggling to understand the conclusion he’d come to for why I was standing at his door. My lack of a poker face had put him on the defensive. He thought I was here to reject him. An idea so completely unfathomable to me that it made my stomach turn thinking about it. “Lucas…you’ve got this all wrong.” “Do I?” “Yes. I’m not here to—“ I almost said “end things with you,” but I didn’t want to lie to him. I never had and I never would. Instead, I said, “Fight with you. I don’t want to fight.” “Then why are you here, Jackson?” he asked, and my gaze fell to his lips. I’d tasted those lips only a few times, not nearly enough to quench a starving man’s hunger. All these months I’d wasted, warring with myself in my head, never letting myself have the thing I wanted most. And now I was down to a matter of hours. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. But it was all I had, and I wasn’t wasting another second. If I couldn’t tell Lucas how I felt about him, then I’d show him. Finally. Irrevocably. And starting now.

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About Brooke Blaine:

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas. She is the author of Flash Point, a romantic suspense standalone, as well as the co-author of the erotic series, A Desperate Man, with Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life, bless their hearts. Licked, a romantic comedy, will be released November 11th, 2015 and is the first in the L.A. Liaisons series. If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.

Ella Frank

Connect with Brooke:

Twitter- @BrookeBlaine1

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Cover Reveal ~ Down To You by Addison Kline



Title : Down To You 
Author: Addison Kline 
Genre: Romance 







Book 1 of the Love on Edge series

Holly Edgemont used to love celebrating Christmas, that is, until her whole world was turned upside down by an unexpected divorce from her college sweetheart Brant. This year, not only is she divorced, but the kids are going out of state with her ex Brant, leaving her utterly alone. Holly's party-girl friend Sloane tries to break her out of her frump by dragging her along to holiday parties where Holly meets cute and available Chris. But when Holly realizes that she still has feelings for Brant, she has a decision to make: Learn to trust her long time love who broke her heart, or move on for good. 

Brant Edgemont is a divorced father of three, and hopelessly in love with his ex-wife, Holly. He made the biggest mistake of his life walking out two years ago. Despite his pleas to reconnect, Holly still resists him. Is it too late to rekindle their love? Or will Holly move on for good, leaving Brant himself heartbroken and alone?

Down To You is not just a romantic love story. It is a story of familial love, friendship, betrayal, redemption, and the magic that can happen at Christmas time when friends and family join together.









Addison Kline is an award winning, best selling novelist who writes mystery,
psychological thrillers and romantic suspense novels. She lives in
Pennsylvania with her husband, their sons and two rambunctious dogs.
Addison has had a love affair with the written word since before she
entered school. Her grandmother taught her the glory of taking an
adventure in the pages of a book. When Addison isn’t writing, you can
find her reading, going for an adventure with her sons, or traveling
with her family.




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Friday, November 20, 2015

Release Day Blitz ~ Falling to Pieces by Leddy Harper


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How do you repair a broken life?
Home is a dark place of anguish and pain for seventeen-year-old Bree Jacobs, forced to endure emotional and physical torment daily at the hands of a violently unstable mother. Bree’s only escape is high school, particularly her history class taught by young, handsome, kind and caring Axel Taylor. Mr. Taylor becomes Bree’s dearest friend, a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on, and soon their shared affection grows into something greater. But by reaching out to protect her—to mend her breaks and soothe her wounds—Axel has crossed a dangerous line, resulting in two shattered lives instead of just one.
Six years later, they will meet again: Bree, still battling the demons that continue to possess her, and Axel, reduced to taking work as a substitute teacher wherever he can find it. Once again he will feel compelled to rescue her. But this time it will be different, because now the yearnings of a loving heart won’t be silenced by suspicious minds. And now there’s more than one life that desperately needs saving.
 
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Isaac, the kid in the back, sat for a moment, staring at me with narrowed eyes. “If my dad was beating me, and I couldn’t handle it myself, then yeah, I’d want someone to try to help. It’s called humanity.” His eyes held mine as if he could read me. As if the bruise on my face gave me away and he saw everything. “You’re saying you’d sit by and watch a friend get abused just because she asked you to? What if your friend dies while you do nothing? You’d just say, ‘oh well, nothing I could’ve done. She didn’t want help’?”
Luckily, at that moment, the bell rang. Everyone started to stand, yet no one said a word. I, however, couldn’t find the strength to leave my seat. “No homework tonight. See you back tomorrow morning,” Mr. Taylor said quietly from his podium.
The atmosphere in the room had become very heavy, and it seemed to affect everyone, including me. I blinked at the floor a few times before standing, becoming weak on my feet. I couldn’t shake the worry that I had just led my entire class to believe I was an abused child. I’d allowed my anger to get the best of me, and without thinking about how it would appear, how it would sound coming from the girl with the black eye, I decided to question people’s morals regarding child abuse. We were in high school, I’m sure rumors would spread before fourth period. By the end of the day, people would be talking about how my dad tied me up in the basement or how I had to eat dog food for dinner. Like I said, no one knew my life but me. But that would never stop people from talking.
Mr. Taylor blocked my exit from my row, but I didn’t care. I had bigger fish to fry. I had bigger things to worry about than what he had to say. “Please, Mr. Taylor, I can’t do this right now.” I couldn’t even look at him, my eyes trained on the open door on the other side of the room as I fought back the sting of tears born in embarrassment and anger.
“Come here after school, please. I’d like to talk to you about what happened.”
I shook my head and finally met his stare. “I can’t. I take the bus home, and I can’t be late. If you want to give me detention, just do it and get it over with.”
“No. I would like to talk to you. Come see me during lunch today since you can’t stay after school.”
“Lunch? When am I supposed to eat?”
“Bring it with you. You can eat in here while we talk.” He waited until I nodded before moving out of the way enough for me to get by. “Oh…and, Bree? That detention slip will be written if you don’t show up.”
Well, it seemed as though I had a lunch date with Axel Taylor.
 
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Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.
She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.
The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.
Author Links
 
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Carnage will rock your world!



Title: Carnage
Author: Lesley Jones
Genre: Erotica
Publication Date: February 14, 2014


I love him, from the instant I set eyes on him when I was just 11 years old I have loved him and nothing will ever change that, he owns me, he owns my heart and he owns my body and no matter how many lies are told, no matter how many people conspire to keep us apart, despite the fame and the distance, we will find a way.

“Georgia Rae, when we made love you used to cry”… He waits for me to sing my bit. I try to swallow down a sob but I just end up singing through it…

“I said I love you like the stars above, I’ll love you till I die”

Carnage, an edgy coming of age love story that breaks all the rules and transcends the decades. Georgia and Sean's story will stay with you long after you read the final word.

An emotional, smoking hot, gut wrenching read.


As I started reading Carnage (Book #1 The Story Of Us), my hopes were definitely high.  I'd discovered last December that Lesley Jones was one of my new favorite authors after reading her Saviour Series.  

This is not your typical Rock Star romance!  Lesley not only introduces us to the characters, but she allows us to grow up along with this family of musicians.  We get to follow them as they progress from teenage garage band right on through to world wide sensations.  But this isn't even the main focus of this beautiful story.  This is a story about first loves, forever loves, following your dreams, finding yourself, taking chances, remembering home, heartbreak and healing.

This book grabbed a hold of my heart from the first page.  I laughed, I cried, I loved...I was blown away emotionally!  I couldn't put this book down.  This is the book I couldn't wait to be released so I could tell everyone they needed to go one click it and send it right to the top of their To Be Read list!

This was most definitely a 5 star book for me; I'd give it 6 stars if I could!  I loved the characters, their dynamics, the twists and turns, the surprises and the love shared between family, lovers and friends.  Lesley, you did good, real good with Carnage; I can't wait for what's to come.  

Go ahead now, BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!                                                                     -MK








I am a born and raised Essex girl now living on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, just outside of Melbourne Australia, I moved here with my husband and three sons in 2006.

Not only do I love to write but I also love to read and can devour a book overnight if the story grabs me.

I love watching my sons play football and am very partial to a glass of wine, a nicely chilled Marlborough Sav Blanc being my favourite.




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