Review Blitz~ Gillian Jones, Fighting Weight

March 19, 2018 Cait 3 Comments

We all have that voice inside our heads.

The one that speaks to us incessantly. That voice we trust to make the right decisions, to keep us on a positive path, even when others try to bring us down.

But what happens when that voice changes?
When it’s no longer a voice of reason, a voice of comfort giving us a pep talk when we need one?

What happens when that inner voice turns into a bully?

You’re fat.
Don’t you dare eat that.
You’ll never be as pretty as her.
You’ll never be as good as them.
You’re lazy. You’re stupid.
You are disgusting.
You. Are. Nothing.

What happens when that inner voice makes your body take its side?
Binge.
Purge.
Binge
Purge.

And what happens when the bully starts to win?

If your name is Alina Cassidy, then you fight like hell.

Wife, mother, proud Canadian. Shoe addict, red wine connoisseur, lover of laughter and the friendships that cause it. I’m a sucker for those epic romances that steal my breath and leave me always wanting more. Gillian’s Website. Gillian’s Facebook

“My bully and I were first introduced in October. I had just turned thirteen the week before.”

I’m not sure I have the right words for this novel. It was intense, romantic, supportive, and so accurately depicted the struggles of living with an internal bully. From the very first line I was captivated and drawn in.

Fighting Weight is the story of Alina Cassidy’s struggle with an eating disorder; specifically with bulimia. This is Alina’s struggle with relationships; romantic, friendship, and familial relationships. This is her struggle with her own body image, and the effects her eating disorder had on her life. This is the story of her fighting for her life. And it was the most beautiful work I have read in a long time.

I’m sitting here struggling to write this review because this is a book that you have to read for yourself. I can’t explain the emotions I had reading this, I can’t tell you how elegantly and accurately Gillian Jones depicts living with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. I cannot explain to you how wonderful this novel is.

The writing in this novel was so amazing, I almost feel bad for the editor to have to have read this and gone through the emotional roller coaster this novel is more than once. The flow of the novel is perfect. And the dual POV to show how Alina thinks as well as how Slater thinks is captivating.

Gillian beautifully explains the use of therapy, both group and individual, as well as having amazing support systems at home and in life. She is able to show the change in attitudes towards therapy without writing a novel that is thousands of pages long.

It took me a long time to be able to write this review, and honestly I’m still struggling with it. It left me in a book hangover, and had my emotions all over the place. Gillian describes the ugliness of eating disorders as well as the way life is while dealing with one for the rest of your life. The juxtaposition between Alina’s before and after are so clear it really helps to take the novel just one more step. In truth the only way to describe Fighting Weight was inspirational. Since I’ve read this novel, I’ve been searching for what to read next. After reading such a dynamic book, I’m not sure anything can come close to this.

This was my first Gillian Jones book and I cannot wait to find more. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I 100% would. How do you give a novel only 5 stars when an author makes you cry both for the characters in the novel, but also yourself? I’ve never had an eating disorder, but I have my own voice in my head, my own bully, telling me what I can and cannot do or accomplish, telling me how I look, belittling and demeaning everything I do. I never struggled with the binge and purge cycle but the way Gillian weaves the story, by the end, I felt like I had gone through Alina’s journey with her. It was magical.

Book Review, romance

Have you meet the Hogan brothers?

March 18, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

Well you should! K.L. Donn is one of the authors writing in the Kindle Happily Ever Alpha World for Aurora Rose Reynolds. I was lucky enough to win a free copy of the book through the group on Facebook. (Links to K.L. Donn below where you can become a member of her group as well!) The book was released in May of 2017, so I’m late finding Donn, but better late than never!

blurb
“Stupid.”
One word that could ruin a person.
One word that can change a life.
One word that can destroy a mind.
Soph
Sophia Bennett heard it all her life. Smart, sweet, and shy, she hesitated to voice her ideas and opinions in fear of hearing that dreaded word, “Don’t be stupid, Sophia.”
She became introverted, quiet.
Talking to people became a struggle she fought to control. She turned into a woman she never thought she’d be.
Seen but never heard.
Appearance became everything.

Nox
Rough around the edges Lennox Hogan is knee dip in shit – literally. Building a garden for his mother with his younger brothers, when the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen stops by to visit their mother for their weekly book chat.
A fake smile and sad eyes draw him in.
Her intoxicating innocence has him obsessed with the need to know everything about her.
An unknown threat has them questioning everything about her life.
Lennox soon makes it his mission to convince her to give him One Chance, but will she after her world crumbles before her?
author

Krystal is a proud Canadian girl, hailing from Sherwood Park, Alberta. She has a strong dislike for the winter, and a love for spring. Married to her husband Steve, for 13 years, they have 4 beautiful read headed spawns ranging in ages 5-12. She has a strong love of coffee, sarcasm, and wine. (Not necessarily in that order either.)
She has been a published author for over 2 years now. With 9 full length novels (1 unpublished) and a dozen novellas with 3 published, 3 waiting to go into edits, 2 being rebranded, and 1 being extended into a novel.
Krystal loves to write about instalove between couples looking for love. She has a passion for contemporary romance and springs into menage as often as she can.
Currently, she is working on 2 new series, the Adair Empire (with the first 3 books already written). The Adair’s are a whole lot darker, dirtier, and grittier than what her readers are used to, but boy has she had a ton of fun writing them.
The What Happens When series will begin with Anonymous Bride on Oct 19 and continue with untraditional love stories. Bringing you all the good feels, a ton of love, and maybe – if you’re lucky 😉 a surprise baby or two!
With the exception of Anonymous Bride, you’ll be able to find all her books on all platforms!You can find KL in any of these places! She loves to hear from readers all over the world!!
Contact her in any of these places:
Facebook — Friend — Reader Group — Twitter — Instagram — Email

Or stay up to date with all her latest releases here:
Amazon — Newsletter — Website — Bookbub — D2D Release

This was my first K.L. Donn book, and what a way to start. I’m always a sucker for families like the Hogans. The crazy mom who wants the best for her sons, and will do whatever necessary to get that; whether they know what she’s doing or whether they like what she’s doing is another story. The brothers who are really close with each other, who all love their mom even though she’s crazy and scares the beejeeses out of them. The brothers that were raised to treat a woman right, by both their mother and their father. And the brothers that welcome their other brother’s woman with open arms. They joke, laugh, and tease each other, but they are always there for one another.

“I want to be so embedded in you that every time you move, every breath you take, you’ll think of me. I want you as consumed with thoughts of me as I am of you.” – Lennox Hogan

And Sophia needs that kind of family. Her mother is emotionally and verbally abusive to her, always cutting her down with what Soph believes to be true. She throws her father’s recent absence in Sophia’s face, throws her average grades into her face, and makes sure Sophia can’t go out and make friends on her own. Every chance Rebecca gets, she uses to make Sophia miserable. My heart hurts for the abuse Sophia suffered at her hands.

“I want you every bit as much. I just don’t know how to show it.” -Sophia Bennett

This is an insta-love story. Nox has been told by his father that when he meets the one woman he is supposed to be with, he will know. His palms will sweat and when he goes to talk to her, he will probably say something stupid. Nox doesn’t really act stupid when they first meet, he’s not mean or rude to her, but he does make her uncomfortable which is not what he wants. Sophia has her own reaction to Nox, but she doesn’t recognize it like Nox does. She’s never really felt loved in her house so it’s harder for her to recognize what she’s feeling. (And Rebecca wanting Lennox for herself does not help the situation.) Through out the journey of self-discovery and love there are stalkers, attempted murders, and so much more. It is an action packed novel that left me craving the next in the series.

I gave this book 4 stars on Amazon and Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book, and the little snippets of foreshadowing really left me wanting to read the next books in the series (which I will do once I finish this review lol). I just wish there was more depth with the abuse. I know how much being told constantly that you are stupid, with seeming evidence to support this, can break you down until you believe it, but it just felt flat at times. And there were little bits of Sophia fighting back but I just wish there were so much more! This does not take away from the novel, but really shows how embedded I was in this novel. I crave more!

Freebie, Reading List, romance

Friday Freebies!

March 16, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

What better way to end the week with some awesome free books? Check these out:

Reasonable Doubt (Reasonable Doubt #1) by Whitney G
My cock has an appetite.
A huge and very particular appetite: Blonde, curvy, and preferably not a fucking liar… (Although, that’s a story for another day.)
As a high profile lawyer, I don’t have time to waste on relationships, so I fulfill my needs by anonymously chatting and sleeping with women I meet online.
My rules are simple: One dinner. One night. No repeats.
This is only casual sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.
At least it was , until “Alyssa”…
She was supposed to be a 27 year old lawyer, a book hoarder, and completely unattractive. She was supposed to be someone I shared law advice with late at night, someone I could trust with details of my weekly escapades.
But then she came into my firm for an interview—a college-intern interview, and everything fucking changed…
Goodreads: 4.12
Amazon: 4.6

Everly (Striking Back #1) by S.M. Shade
The first time I met Mason Reed, we were standing naked in a bank, surrounded by guns.
That should have been a warning.
An MMA champion, trainer, and philanthropist, but not a man who gives up easily, Mason is trouble dipped in ink and covered in muscle.
Growing up in foster care, I’m well aware that relationships are temporary, and I do my best to avoid them. After a sheet clenching one night stand, I’m happy to move on, but Mason pursues me relentlessly. Sweet, caring, protective, and at times, a bossy control freak, this persistent man has climbed inside my heart, and I can’t seem to shake him.
After saving me from a life threatening situation, he’s also won something much harder to obtain. My trust. But does he deserve it? Is his true face the one he shows the world? Or is his charitable, loving manner only a thin veneer?
This book contains sexual situations and is intended for ages 18 and older.
This book has a ton of triggers so read cautiously. It is an amazing book and series but deals with dark themes and topics.
Goodreads: 3.93
Amazon: 4.2

Your Irresistible Love (The Bennett Family Book 1) by Layla Hagen
Sebastian Bennett is a determined man. It’s the secret behind the business empire he built from scratch. Under his rule, Bennett Enterprises dominates the jewelry industry. Despite being ruthless in his work, family comes first for him, and he’d do anything for his parents and eight siblings—even if they drive him crazy sometimes. . . like when they keep nagging him to get married already.
Sebastian doesn’t believe in love, until he brings in external marketing consultant Ava to oversee the next collection launch. She’s beautiful, funny, and just as stubborn as he is. Not only is he obsessed with her delicious curves, but he also finds himself willing to do anything to make her smile.
He’s determined to have Ava, even if she’s completely off limits.
Ava Lindt has one job to do at Bennett Enterprises: make the next collection launch unforgettable. Daydreaming about the hot CEO is definitely not on her to-do list. Neither is doing said CEO. The consultancy she works for has a strict policy—no fraternizing with clients. She won’t risk her job. Besides, Ava knows better than to trust men with her heart.
But their sizzling chemistry spirals into a deep connection that takes both of them by surprise. Sebastian blows through her defenses one sweet kiss and sinful touch at a time. When Ava’s time as a consultant in his company comes to an end, will Sebastian fight for the woman he loves or will he end up losing her?
Goodreads: 4.41
Amazon: 4.6

Telling Lies (A Sam Mason Mystery Book 1) by L.A. Dobbs
The small police force of White Rock, New Hampshire, is still reeling from the death of Officer Tyler Richardson when they are called to the scene of the accidental drowning of an out-of-town camper.
But Chief Sam Mason and Sergeant Jody Harris soon discover the drowning was no accident. Someone murdered Lynn Palmer and staged the scene to make it look that way.
With a pool of suspects who aren’t telling the truth and a corrupt mayor who wants the case solved yesterday, Sam and Jo follow a puzzling trail of clues with a surprise ending. And when a stray dog points them in the right direction, Sam discovers the killer is closer than he thought.
Just when Sam and Jo think they can rest after having solved Lynn’s murder, a shocking discovery proves that sometimes even those you trust can be telling lies.
Goodreads: 3.92
Amazon: 4.2

The MacKinnion’s Bride (The Highland Brides Book 1) by Tanya Anne Crosby
Descended of the legendary sons of MacAlpin, Iain MacKinnon refuses to bow to the English. When his young son is captured by a minion of the English king, the fierce Scottish chieftain vows to stop at nothing to secure the lad’s return. Retaliating in kind, he captures the daughter of his enemy, planning to bargain with the devil.
FitzSimon’s daughter has lived her entire life in the shadow of the man she called father–yet never would she have imagined he would forsake his only daughter. Even as Page blames her captor for welching on a contract with her father, she suspects the truth. But the shadows hold secrets … now only the love of her reluctant champion can save the MacKinnon’s Bride.
Goodreads: 3.85
Amazon: 4.3

The Debt Collector (A Jack Winchester Thriller #1) by Jon Mills
Jack Winchester was a notorious hitman for a ruthless New Jersey crime family until a job went wrong, and he wound up serving time. Four years later, Jack is free and he wants out of the game, but his boss won’t let him go. Forced to take on one last job to make amends for what landed him in prison, he travels to the small town of Rockland Cove, Maine. There, he not only discovers that the target and money have disappeared; he finds himself falling for a damaged woman, and befriending an unruly son left behind. Under mounting pressure from his boss and local police–as well as the ghosts of his past–he must unravel the mystery and decide where his loyalties lie…before it’s too late.

Goodreads: 4.08
Amazon: 4.3

Scenes from the Hallway (Knitting in the City #6.5) by Penny Reid
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
From the USA TODAY Bestselling romantic comedy series, ‘Scenes from the Hallway,’ Knitting in the City #6.5.
You know who I am.
I swear too much, I crack too many jokes, and I got a thing for Kat Tanner; a messy thing, a distracting thing, a getting-in-the-way-of-everything thing; a thing that makes being in the same room with the woman torture. Sometimes it’s the good kind. Mostly, it’s not.
What you don’t know is how it all started. You don’t know how we met, you might not know what happened in Vegas (or the morning after), and you definitely don’t know what happened after that.
You want to know the story before the story? Well… here you go.
But be careful what you ask for. As I’ve discovered the hard way, you might not like it.
‘Scenes from the Hallway’ is a companion short prequel/short story (11k words) for ‘Marriage of Inconvenience,’ and includes the first 3 chapters of the soon to be released novel! (‘Marriage of Inconvenience’ releases March 6, 2018.)
WARNING: This short story contains a lot of cussing. Do not download or read if you dislike curse words in novels.
Goodreads: 4.49
Amazon: 4.7

Craving (Steel Brothers Saga #1) by Helen Hardt
After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend’s ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn’t expect to be attracted to her friend’s reticent brother, but when the gorgeous cowboy kisses her, all bets are off.
Talon Steel is broken. Having never fully healed from a horrific childhood trauma, he simply exists, taking from women what is offered and giving nothing in return…until Jade Roberts catapults into his life. She is beautiful, sweet, and giving, and his desire for her becomes a craving he fears he’ll never be able to satisfy.
Passion sizzles between the two lovers…but long-buried secrets haunt them both and may eventually tear them apart.
Goodreads: 4.05
Amazon: 4.2

Misadventures of a Virgin (Misadventures #1) by Meredith Wild
***MISADVENTURES ARE STANDALONE ROMANCES THAT CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER***
It’s been years since June Bell shared a stolen moment with her girlhood crush, Kase McCasker. It’s been just as long since Kase’s father nixed the sale of the McCasker farm to expand the grounds of the Bell’s grand hotel. Now that Kase is back home for good, June might be the only person who can persuade him to reconsider the abandoned plan. But how can she face him again after he left her without a word?
Four years ago, unexpected news shook the foundation of Kase McCasker’s world. Escaping Falls Edge for college was the perfect excuse to chase his demons and bury his pain. Now, with a degree in hand and a void he can’t fill, he’s back in the little mountain town he thought he’d never call home again. Searching for purpose, he’s determined to put down roots and take over the struggling farm that’s been in his family for generations.
Time and distance haven’t taken the edge off his preoccupation with June, the spitfire daughter of his father’s rival. He hasn’t forgotten their time together and all the things they did and didn’t do. One look at her has him reconsidering the future and making a dangerous deal to win her over. Is a chance at her heart worth risking everything else?
Goodreads: 4.12
Amazon: 4.5

Born, Darkly (Darkly, Madly Duet #1) by Trisha Wolfe
He challenged her sanity.
She shattered his reality.
They dared each other…to the brink of madness.
A dark and twisted maze awaits criminal psychologist London Noble when she falls for her patient, convicted serial killer, Grayson Pierce Sullivan. As she unravels the traps, her sanity tested with each game, she’s forced to acknowledge the true evil in the world around her.
Goodreads: 4.34
Amazon: 4.8

Have you ready any of these books? Let me know what you thought of them!
Happy Fri-yay!!

Reading List, romance

New Releases This Month!

March 15, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

Keep an eye out for these books releasing soon!

His Big Mountain Axe by Madison Faye
Beast. Monster. Outlaw. I’ve been called a lot of things, but let me promise you, a knight in shining armor ain’t f*ckin’ one of them.
But when the man I’m supposed to kill lays a hand on her – the firecracker cocktail waitress with the soft lips and the sweet curves that make my pine tree grow – there’s no way I’m not stepping in.
Beautiful, blonde, tempting as hell. She’s got a body that was made for me to claim, and legs that were born to spread around my bike. Or my waist.
But I’m a man with a mission – a blood vendetta that has to be paid. Mixing it up with Larkin is a bad idea at best. At worst, it might get us killed. But once I feel that sweet little body of hers pressed against mine with my chopper rumbling between her legs, I know there ain’t a chance in hell I’m letting her go.
I’m not here to save her. I’m here to take her – over my bike and across my bed.
Pretty little Larkin is about to get a taste of how a real man claims his woman.
Because up on my mountain, I carry a big axe.
…And I know how to use it.

Release Date: March 19, 2018. No reviews yet! Goodreads.
Fast Burn (Body Armor #4) by Lori Foster
For the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules…
The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.
Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?
Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.63 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Fighting Weight by Gillian Jones
We all have that voice inside our heads.
The one that speaks to us incessantly. That voice we trust to make the right decisions, to keep us on a positive path, even when others try to bring us down.
But what happens when that voice changes?
When it’s no longer a voice of reason, a voice of comfort giving us a pep talk when we need one?
What happens when that inner voice turns into a bully?
You’re fat.
Don’t you dare eat that.
You’ll never be as pretty as her.
You’ll never be as good as them.
You’re lazy. You’re stupid.
You are disgusting.
You. Are. Nothing.
What happens when that inner voice makes your body take its side?
Binge.
Purge.
Binge
Purge.
And what happens when the bully starts to win?
If your name is Alina Cassidy, then you fight like hell.
Release Date: March 19th, 2018. 4.9 Stars on Goodreads (I reviewed it is as well!). Amazon.
Hard Wood (The Ash Brothers) by Jenika Snow
The Dirty Bits from Carina Press give you what you want, when you want it. Designed to be read in an hour or two, these sex-filled microromances are guaranteed to pack a punch and deliver a happily-ever-after.
A new supersexy insta-love novella from USA TODAY bestselling author Jenika Snow that has a gruff lumberjack yelling T-I-M-B-E-R for the woman he’s been waiting for.
The Ash Brothers—they know how to handle their wood.
I’m a hard man. A loner. Or so town gossip says. After having my heart sent through the chipper, I’ve kept to myself. I prefer the quiet of the woods to the ramblings of clingy women who think they can tame a wild mountain man.
Until Mia. Now she’s all I think about.
I should have stayed away. She’s too sweet for a brute like me, but I can’t stop wanting her, picturing her sated in my sheets.
Mia knows just what kind of wood I’m working with. She’s the soft to my hard, the sugar to my bitter bark.
And I love seeing her walk on the wild side.This book is approximately 15,000 words.

Release Date: March 19th, 2018. 4.07 stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
Come A Little Closer by Kim Karr
I haven’t always been this bad…
Up until recently, I was the kind of girl who wore white cotton panties and bent at the knees rather than the waist.
Pomp and circumstance changed all that.
Jaxson Cassidy was my first taste of bad, and I liked it more than I should have. Just not in the way I was meant to. I couldn’t help myself though. I found him irresistible. That sexy grin, those skilled fingers, and that dirty, dirty mouth were a lethal combination.
I wasn’t supposed to want him. I wasn’t supposed to let him put his hands on me. I wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things…but I did.
He wants to keep me close.
I should push him away.
He says he can help me.
I’m not so sure.
For some reason, he thinks there’s good left in me.
What if he’s wrong?
Everyone knows a good boy can’t turn a bad girl around.
Everyone knows it’s always the other way.
Everyone…except him.
Release Date: March 28th, 2018. 4.69 Stars on Goodreads.
The Dark Professor (The Therian Chronicles #1) by Candy Crum
He was told that war would find him… Now, it has.Decades ago, Luca fled Russia and the Therian Court by order of the queen–his mother. In an attempt to save his life, not only from the price on his head delivered by the vampire queen, but also to keep his own father from destroying him, the queen has forced Luca to the other side of the world. There, the dragon guardians (called Watchers) are low, and the vampire armies are small.
Now, over sixty years later, Luca has built a life for himself, but he stays private as a way to ensure he is never found.
Unfortunately for him, his fate was sealed the moment he met a particular human.
Now, the war has found him, and his life is not the only one he must save…
Release Date: March 16th, 2018. Not rated yet on Amazon or Goodreads.
Fearless (Rosewood Bay #1) by Carly Phillips
Fall in love with the Wards…
Mechanic and garage owner, Kane Harmon is used to the wealthy beautiful women visiting his beach town. He doesn’t get involved because he knows most females would merely be slumming for the summer.
Except Halley Ward isn’t just passing through. She lives a solitary life in a bungalow on the beach. A woman tormented by her past, distant from her wealthy family, different from Kane’s usual fare of town girls who know his M.O.- Don’t expect more than he’s willing to give.
Kane rescues Halley and her broken down car from the side of the road and instantly he’s hooked. She says she’s not interested in him. He knows she lies. And he makes it his mission to bring her back to life, to return her emotionally to her family. To show her the colors around her were as vibrant as the ones she puts on her canvas.
Until past meets present and threatens all the progress they’ve made. Then it’s Halley’s turn to step up and stand up for the relationship and life she’s finally coming to believe she eserves.
A Standalone Novel
Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.57 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
Luther: 2 Truths and a Lie (Adair Empire #2) by K.L. Donn

2 Truths
I was ready to die
He saved meAnd a lie
Rock bottom is your breaking point
Or is it?
Release Date: March 20th, 2018. No Ratings on Goodreads or Amazon yet.
With This Man (This Man #4) by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Life is good for Jesse ‘The Lord’ Ward. Perfect, actually. He still has the charm, he’s in great shape, and he still reduces his wife, Ava, to a pool of desire with a mere look. He’s in full control, just how he likes it.
But Jesse’s perfect world falls apart when a terrible accident lands Ava in hospital with a life-threatening head injury. Devastated and angry, he feels like his entire existence hangs in the balance. He cannot survive without this woman’s love. So when she finally comes around, his shaking world begins to level out. But his nightmare doesn’t end there. It’s only just begun. Because his wife can’t remember the last sixteen years of her life. That’s all of him. All of their time together. He is a stranger to her.
Now Jesse must do whatever it takes to find her memories . . . and help her fall madly, passionately in love with him all over again.
Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.58 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell
Wanted: Governess for duke’s unruly children
Edgar Rochester, Duke of Banksford, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in England, but when it comes to raising twins alone, he knows he needs help. The only problem is the children have chased away half the governesses in London. Until the clever, bold, and far-too-enticing Miss Mari Perkins arrives.
Lost: One heart to an arrogant duke
Mari knows how to wrap even the most rebellious children around her finger. But their demanding, wickedly handsome father? He won’t be quite so easy to control. And there’s something else she can’t seem to command. Her heart. The foolish thing beats so wildly every time the duke is near.
Found: A forbidden passion neither can deny
As his employee, Mari is strictly off-limits. But what if she’s the one breaking all his rules? In the game of governess versus duke, how can Edgar maintain his defenses when the only thing he wants to do is let the tempting beauty win?
Release Date: March 27th, 2018. 3.92 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.

Book Review, romance

Wallflowers: Three of a Kind (Wallflowers #1) by C.P. Smith Review

March 15, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

WARNING: Author believes in soul mates and insta-love. Proceed with caution if you’re not a romantic at heart.
“Romance and poetry, ivy, lichens, and wallflowers, need ruin to make them grow.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

They say money is the root of all evil, but sometimes, evil lurks in the most unlikely places.

Calla Lily Armstrong spent her whole life shielding her heart. Now she’s ready to break down her walls and see what’s hiding on the other side. With the help of her new friends, Poppy Gentry and Sienna Miller, the three band together to find their happily ever after. One Wallflower at a time.

Former Atlanta Homicide Detective, Devin Hawthorne, moved to Savannah for a change of pace and a fresh start as a Private Investigator. He finds it right under his nose in the form of a Southern beauty who drives him to distraction, and deadly secrets that threaten her very life.

Rated mature for language and sexual content.

CP Smith writes humorous, ooey-gooey romantic suspense with OTT alphas, insta-love, and LOTS of dead bodies! She believes books should be about escape rather than reality. Ms. Smith writes what she likes to read and leaves the rest to those with better imaginations. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and five children. You can follow her on Facebook.

CP Smith did such an amazing job with this novel. I truly enjoyed the antics of the Wallflowers, and I really liked watching the men in the novel try to keep up with them. Although Calla is a self-proclaimed Wallflower, she is not weak. Calla, a.k.a Cali, lost her parents and brother when she was very young, so tried to keep herself away from everyone to protect herself, and protect those she could possibly love. She doesn’t see the beauty she innately has, and it draws Devin in like a moth to a flame. She puts herself in some uncomfortable positions to help others, she reads a lot of historical romance novels, and she makes sure she backs her friends up when they need her. I would love to have a friend like Calla in my life.

Not only does es-Atlanta cop Devin have to come to terms with the insta-love he feels for Calla, and the surging of protective alpha in his veins for a woman that loves to make his job difficult, he has to deal with a missing woman, two murders, and someone trying to hurt Cali. And the plot continues to thicken as the novel continues. I’m not sure how it works in real life, but it seemed to play out like a TV show with trying to connect the dots. And HELLO PLOT TWIST at the end! That was a complete shocker, and it just made the novel that much better.

The one thing I wish was done differently was to have a better distinction between Calla and Devin’s point of view. The novel starts off with Cali covertly watching *cough*stalking*cough* Devin, and it’s written in first person. Devin’s point of view is written in third-person. Although this was a clever way to do it, it definitely made it a tad bit confusing when there wasn’t a real line break, just an extra space in between the paragraphs. This was just a personal preference though. Once I got into the book more, it was easier to keep up.

C.P had me hooked from the first time Calla saw Devin, and then reading how Devin felt when he saw Calla, and I just could not put this novel down. I can’t wait to read Until Susan for the Happily Ever Alpha Kindle Worlds!

Book Review

Back to Her by Dani Wyatt Review

March 14, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

blurb

38598834 Going to prison and taking the fall was my gift to Mia. How was I to know her father would disappear with her and I would lose her forever? After serving my five years I’m finally out, but bars or no bars, I’m still in hell.

I never believed in miracles until today. Because I’ve found her. All plush softness, sorrowful eyes and lips that call to be kissed. She’s right here in the same place I’d met her all those years ago when she was too young. Before I could touch her.

There is no force on heaven or earth that will take her from me again. No force that will keep my hands off her now. I will take her. I will do as I please with her because she is mine. Now and forever. God help us both.

Author’s Note: Take five years waiting for her to be legal. Then another five locked up in prison and you’ve got one powder keg of alpha naughtiness waiting to explode. This love at the speed of light novella will warm your heart and your nether regions. All you expect…safe, smutty, swoony and happily ever after.

author

From the bio of Dani Wyatt on Goodreads:
Since I was a little girl, I’ve made up stories. I would lay in my bed at night and before I knew what a trope was, I would make up these trope filled stories. Boy sees girl, boys falls for girl, boy saves girl….happily ever after. As I got older, the stories turned steamier and more intricate, but the basics never changed.

Now, my books are still full of romance but the naughty bits are naughtier, my hero’s are obsessed alpha types and my heroines are quirky, real women who come in all shapes and sizes.

So, sit back, banish the real world and get lost in some over the top romance with a heaping helping of hot. xoxoxo

Amazon:
Dani Wyatt used to feel bad about having such dirty thoughts. Luckily, one day she decided to starting writing them down. Her uber alpha heros have a wicked possessive streak and an insatiable libido. Her heroines are intelligent, quirky and worry about having too much muffin top. With her books, you can count on a heaping helping of HOT and always a happily ever after.

When she’s not writing (which is not often) she is probably laughing about some irony (like A-1 Steak Sauce is vegan), riding her horse, wondering why The Walking Dead can’t have a new episode every night, or looking cross-eyed at some piece of technology sent to ruin her day.

Friend her on Facebook here.

review

3-stars

I’ve read quite a few Dani Wyatt books, and I’ve always loved her OTT Alphas, but Walker just didn’t do it for me like some of Dani’s other alphas. The book started out strong, but eventually Walker and Mia just bothered me.

First, I don’t know what the heck Walker did to make money. When he first got out of prison he said he still had a lot of money, but that he needed more. But then later he doesn’t have enough money to help Mia and her Nana? And then there’s Mia, who has been kept inside her whole life by her father and no longer wants to be trapped hoping a man could take care of her. Admirable, but the first thing she does is lie to Walker and meet with a creep. A creep she didn’t like before her father disappeared with her. There was also a lot of unexplained things in the book, and it made parts of it feel rushed. Then there seemed to be unnecessary drama, that was resolved very quickly.

I still gave this book three stars because Dani always delivers on at least two things: the quality of writing, and super steamy love scenes. While the flow of the novel wasn’t my favorite, I can’t complain about her style of writing. While Walker wasn’t my favorite alpha that Dani has created, he is still Over The Top and completely in love with Mia. He knows what he wants, and waiting ten years to get it doesn’t stop him.

This is a short, insta-love story available free on Kindle Unlimited. Goodreads.

Reading List

Books to Get You Out of a Book Slump

March 14, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

We’ve all been there… you read an AWESOME, amazing book and then everything you try to read after it just can’t compare… and you’re stuck wanting to read a book, sometimes by authors you know you like, or wanting to read anything but you just can’t. Here are 10 books I try to read to get me back into my book flow.

Becoming a Vincent (Wild Ones #1) by C.M. Owens
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Setting: Tomahawk, WA.
I found C.M. Owens earlier this year and MAN can this woman write. Everything from paranormal, to romantic comedies, she is amazing. The Wild Ones Series is like nothing I’ve read before. The antics the Wild Ones pull in Tomahawk make me want to find this place and move there. This is the story of Layla Vincent, Benson Nolans, and beards. Yes, I’m serious, beards. Benson and Layla have been friends for three years. While both feel a certain way for the other, neither is willing to take the risk of losing their friendship, until one night everything changes. Fireworks, crazy brothers pranks, and a water cannon fight ensues. This book is pure hilarity from the Wild Ones Rules at the beginning of each chapter to the challenges the community has. If you’re looking for a pick me up: this series is for you. More books are coming in this series, so keep a look out!
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
When You Dare (Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor #1) by Lori Foster
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Romance
Setting: Kentucky
This definitely has some triggers and the whole series is based off of darker themes. Although I highly recommend this book and the series, please read the description first. Dare Macintosh meets Molly Alexander in the most unusual setting: she was kidnapped by the same sex traffickers that kidnapped his best friend’s little sister. Dare tracked them down and rescued Alani, and the other women that were held there, but Molly didn’t look like the usual suspect. She was beaten and starved. So why was she kidnapped? Dare finds himself helping and protecting Molly. And doing something he was never supposed to do, especially not with a client: fall in love.
Dare and Molly’s story is filled with suspense, crazy people, and love. It is a story with angst, action and adventure, and love that will blow you away. If you’re looking for a dark romance: this is the book for you. Lori Foster always writes amazing novels, but this is my favorite series of hers, and the first book I ever read from her.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
A Gentle Feuding by Johanna Lindsey
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Scotland
Do you remember the first romance novel you read? The one that had *sex* in it? In high school, I read a lot of YA, and a lot of YA romance, but A Gentle Feuding was my first historical romance novel that started my downhill slide into addiction. It is the typical grudge match, starting with a misunderstanding, with some plaid and lots of manly Scottish men in their kilts. It is the story of Sheena, the jewel of the Fergusson tower, and Jamie MacKinnion, a violent man feared by all, and their love blossoming under years of clan duty dictating they hate each other.
Because this was the first historical novel I read, I go back to it often when I need to re-read a book and get me out of a slump. Each time, I fall in love with Sheena and Jamie all over again. Each time, I yell at them both for being stubborn. And each time, I fall back down the rabbit hole that is the romance genre. *enter girlie sigh here*
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Property of Drex (Death Chasers #1) by C.M. Owens
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Halo, Texas
This is the second C.M. book on the list because it’s one of my favorites of hers. It’s a motorcycle club book, which ensures there’s death, drugs, guns, and some serious daddy issues. This book ends on a cliff hanger, but the second in the series doesn’t. The first two in the series follow Evie Marks and Drex Caine. Evie’s family is struggling financially since her father’s death so she does the only thing she can think to do, sell herself. She ends up with Drex Caine and the Death Dealers, and she is there permanently. The others don’t trust her, she doesn’t trust her feelings, and there’s dissent within the club. Evie struggles coming to terms with the fact that she loves life in the club, and Drex struggles with someone who once wanted to be a math teacher wanting to stay in the club. This book is inherently darker in it’s nature, but if you’re into the darker themed books, this one is so worth it. The first is even free on Amazon and B&N so download your copy.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Born of Night (The League/Nemesis Rising #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Setting: 3000 years in the future.
This was the first sci-fi book I ever read. I was working at a convenience store as a cashier, and a woman I was ringing up had this book with her and recommended it to me. Sherrilyn Kenyon has the amazing ability to interweave her stories together, creating multiple timelines and intricate stories. This is the first in the series, and it blows my mind every time I read it. Every. Time. This is the love story of ex-assassin Nykrian Quiakides and ballerina Kiara Zamir. It is the love story of how they find each other, and how they save each other (although Nyk would argue that Kiara saved him not the other way around.) I never thought I would be into the sci-fi thing, and in many ways I’m still not a big fan, but the universe Sherrilyn creates, and the languages she makes, are stunning. I have read the entire series three times (I think) and I always pre-order the books when they come out. The characters are dynamic, and you end up falling in love with characters you swore you would always hate. It’s truly stunning. Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1) by Julia Quinn
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: London, England, 1813.
This is the first in the Bridgerton series, and it is one that always warms my heart. Daphne and Simon struggle so much, and not in the typical “I’m a Duke/Duchess and cannot marry you because you’re beneath my station” way. Julia Quinn weaves a story filled with heartache, laughter, and a love that I want for myself. Daphne is an almost-on-the-shelf lady looking for a good husband, and hopefully a love match that her parents had. Simon is a duke looking to avoid marriage at all costs. Daphne is also the little sister of Simon’s best friend.
Daphne and Simon’s love story starts with friendship, a fake courtship, and grows into love. I picked this book up at the library one day, and ever since, when I want to read a historical romance, I go to this book if I have nothing else. It is definitely one of my favorites.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Chicago, IL.
This is the love story of Phoebe Somerville and Dan Calebow. I don’t know if I can count how many times I have re-read this book. Phoebe is a Marilyn Monroe-type blonde bombshell who uses her good looks to make people think she’s an idiot. (Spoiler: she’s not). Dan Calebow is the coach for the Chicago Stars, a fictitious football team that Phoebe has just inherited from her dead father. Dan’s not happy, Phoebe’s not happy. The two struggle to find a balance, both professionally and personally.
This novel has everything I love: football, women who are in power and ROCK it, men who find intelligence and women in power sexy, and romance. This is a mostly fun novel to read. There are some dark themes in it, which led to Phoebe’s act of the dumb blonde, but it is not so much that it weighs the book down. If you’re looking for some fun with football, you need to check this out.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Setting: St. Louis, MO.
If you’re looking for a traditional romance, move along. This is a 25 (26th coming this summer) book series that covers everything from vampire hunting, zombie animator, were-animals, polyamory, and lots and lots of death. There’s also some old school monsters/gods/goddesses in there too. Seriously, it’s a lot. It begins with Anita Blake and her single minded dislike for vampires (with very good reason) and being the Vampire Hunter with the most legal kills in her name, and her coming to terms with love. Love with many, many people. And what love means when it comes to working with the police department. It is one of the most original series I have ever read, and it’s always fun to re-read Guilty Pleasures to see how far Anita has come since she started out 10 years earlier. There’s lots of bloodshed, lots of sex, and lots of paranormal crap explained. Laurell weaves an intricate web, creating an entire world that I so want to live in.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Fallen Crest High (Fallen Crest #1) by Tijan
Genre: YA/Contemporary Romance
Setting: Fallen Crest, CA (it’s not a real place but Tijan has confirmed it’s somewhere in Cali).
This series starts with Sam, Mason and Logan all in high school, but as the series continues you see them go to college. Sam’s mom divorces her dad and moves in with Mason and Logan’s father. Both parents put their children through hell, and Sam doesn’t deal with her mother well. Mason and Logan take Sam under their wing, protecting her from her mother and from the other school girls that are infuriated that Sam is living with the Kade brothers (because obviously their star football players and very popular), and that she starts dating Mason (the un-dateable of the two brothers.)
I actually found this series while reading a different book, read the first chapter on Amazon for free, and was hooked. Mason, even in high school, is super protective of Sam and I adore it. Sam finding her way in life as more and more curve balls are thrown at her, while falling in love and gaining a brother, is dramatic, suspenseful, and everything I need when I want a darker, high school novel. Tijan always delivers the emotional punches to the gut in the absolute best way possible.
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
#Nerd (Hashtag #1) by Cambria Herbert
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Maryland
This is your typical nerd girl/popular boy love story. Rimmel and Romeo seem like complete opposites, and they really are, but their love story is one of my favorites. Rimmel is the A+ scholarship student, hiding behind her baggy clothes and big glasses, afraid to make friends; and Romeo is the alpha Quaterback that’s looking to make a name for himself in the NFL. He is popular on campus, and is loved everywhere he goes. The growth of Rimmel and Romeo as individuals and as a couple, both coming to love and accept each other’s faults, is beautiful. When I need a good pick me up, I read this.
It does have some darker themes, with crazy psycho stalkers and dealing with the death of Rim’s mother, but for the most part, it’s not a scary read. And the flow of the novel is perfect. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited so download it now!
Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

romance

Books Releasing Today

March 13, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

Take a look at these romance novels that were released today.

The Hook-Up Experiment by Emma Hart
1.Hate-screw my high school nemesis.
2.Remember to hate him.
3.Prove my brother wrong.
It should be easy.
It isn’t.

As the owner of Pick-A-D*ck, New Orleans’ premier hook-up website, my job is simple. Connect two people for a no-strings, no-expectations hook-up. The plus for my clients is that I’m the one who gets to sift through the d*ck pics—except this time, they’re required.

My problem? My brother, co-owner of Pick-A-D*ck’s sister dating site, doesn’t believe it’s possible to hook up with someone three times and not fall in love.
I disagree. I know it’s possible.

And my disagreement is exactly how I end up reconnected with my high school nemesis, Elliott Sloane. The guy who asked me to junior prom and then stood me up. Who egged my car when I rejected him, and convinced my senior homecoming date to ghost me.

It should be easy to hate-screw him. If only he was still that person, instead of a hot-as-hell single dad, working as a builder to make ends’ meet, fighting for custody of his daughter.

Three hook-ups.
One outcome.
Right?

**This book is a standalone, but is the first in the series. In the same world as the Upside to Being Single.
Add it to your TBR.

Taking It Slow (Doing Bad Things #3) by Jordan Marie
A bottle of tequila
10 lime wedges
1 sexy blonde
Add in a crazy Vegas weekend

Lick and Swallow.

What do you get? A recipe for disaster.

Titan

Last night I got married.
I think.
I’m not exactly sure.
I was drunk off my ass, so it’s not exactly crystal clear.
But, I woke up with a ring on my finger, a marriage certificate, and a sneaking suspicion I had a wild wedding night.
Oh, and a bride who is long gone.

Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay here. Sometimes it takes off running.
But a runaway bride is the least of my problems.

Now I’m chasing after my runaway bride with divorce on my mind.
What could go wrong?
Besides everything.

**This is book 3 in the series, but is self-contained and can be read as a standalone.
HEA inside and absolutely no cheating of any kind.

The first book in the series is FREE! Get it here now.
Add Taking It Slow to your TBR.

Nailed (Worked Up #2) by Cora Brent
A scorching ‘enemies to lovers’ office romance proves hazardous in this new stand-alone from NYT and USA Today bestselling author Cora Brent.

The good news: Audrey Gordon has just received a dream assignment managing one of the city’s largest construction projects.
The bad news: She’ll be teamed up with cocky office rival and former lover Jason Roma.
Audrey’s got a lot to prove to herself and to her overachieving family. She’s certainly not going to let arrogant Jason Roma get in the way of her success, despite the fact that he never passes up an opportunity to get under her skin. Audrey swears she’ll keep Jason at arm’s length no matter how fast her pulse races whenever he walks into the room.
However, Jason seems to have his own ideas about what Audrey needs. He’s determined to win another chance with her and prove that he’s not the callous jerk she thinks he is.
But when a personal tragedy shakes Audrey to her core, will she push Jason away forever?
Or will she learn a few lessons about love and finally let him into her heart?

Both books in the Worked Up series are free to read with Kindle Unlimited. Add Nailed to your TBR!

Dearest Ivie (Novella set in the Black Dagger World) by J.R. Ward
In an exclusive ebook novella set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward tells the story of a fiery couple . . . doomed by an undeniable passion.

Features a special preview of J. R. Ward’s upcoming Black Dagger Brotherhood novel, The Thief!

The last place Ivie expects to be approached by a devastatingly handsome male is in a crowded, smoky cigar bar rarely frequented by vampires—yet here he stands. Silas is flirtatious, gallant, and, above all, mysterious. Ivie is anything but. A nurse at the healer’s clinic and the daughter of a biker, Ivie is accustomed to speaking her mind. So she does. Since aristocrats rarely pick up females of her class, Ivie asks Silas just what kind of game he thinks he’s playing.

Despite her guarded exterior, Ivie surrenders to the fierce desire she feels for Silas. And yet, just as their courtship is heating up, he reveals that it cannot last, for he is bound to return to the Old Country. Their bond only deepens as they make the most of their precious time together. But when she learns the truth, Ivie must find a saving grace—before all is lost. . . .

Check out the other 14 (yes FOURTEEN) books in the series! Add Dearest Ivie to your TBR!

INK: A love Story on 7th and Main by Elizabeth Hunter
It’s everything but business as usual.

Emmie Elliot hadn’t expected to come back to Metlin, California. She definitely didn’t expect to stay. She returned to her childhood home with a mission: Sell the building that housed her grandmother’s book store and move on with her life.

But life doesn’t always go according to plan.

To reopen her grandmother’s book shop, Emmie will need a hook. She’ll need a strategy. She’ll need an… Ox?

Miles Oxford doesn’t have much interest in quiet bookstore owners. He’s a tattoo artist without a space to work, and the last thing he wants is to get involved with anyone after his last disaster of a relationship. Work and pleasure don’t mix for Ox, but since he doesn’t have any interest in the cute girl with the bold business proposal, he should be safe from any awkward complications, right?

She sells ink. He tattoos it. Unusual? Yes. But a book shop/tattoo studio might be the ticket for both Emmie and Ox to find success on their own terms. As long as they keep their attention focused on business.

Just on business.

Add INK to your TBR!

Are there any books you’re looking forward to releasing?

Freebie

10 Freebies You Need To Have

March 12, 2018 Cait 1 Comment

On my Facebook page I’ve been sharing books that are showing up free on Amazon. So lets take a look at all the goodies that are available for free today… (in no specific order).

Tough Love by Skye Warren

A prequel about the sacrifices we make for love…

I sneak out of my room every night. My father’s guards don’t see me.

No one sees me, except him.

He’s the son of a foot soldier. My father is his boss. The boss. I shouldn’t even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn’t kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won’t stop me from being with him.

Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.

Amazon: 4.3 Stars
Goodreads: 3.82 Stars

2. Forever and Ever Box Set Books 1-3 by E.L. Todd

I’m in love with Skye Preston.

The Skye Preston.

The daughter of the wealthiest businessman in the world, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Her looks don’t compare to her golden heart. And her heart doesn’t compare to that big brain of hers.

But I could never tell her.

Because we’ve been best friends for twenty years.

She has a jerk for a boyfriend, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. The rest of the gang can’t stand him either. But I’m not the kind of guy to intervene. I respect her too much to pull a stunt like that.

But then I spot her at a party, too drunk to even walk. The men are eyeing her like easy prey so I take her home. But when we get there Skye is different. She looks at me differently. She touches me differently.

And she wants me differently.

Amazon: 3.9 Stars
Goodreads: 4.21 Stars

3. One Call Away by Emily Goodwin

Chase Henson doesn’t play by the rules. He doesn’t let himself get attached, doesn’t stay in one place long enough to call anywhere home. So when he returns to the small town of Summer Hill for the first time in years, the last thing he expects to find is a reason to stay.

Sierra Belmont is lost. Devastated after a sudden tragedy that left her heart broken in a million pieces, Sierra is just barely getting by. Burying herself in work at Summer Hill’s only bookstore, all she wants to do is make it through another day.

And then Chase walks through the doors of The Book Bag, claiming he’s just there to buy a book. Rumors that he’s dangerous fly through the town, but Sierra isn’t afraid of him. He might be the last person she should be with, but he’s the only one who understands the depth of her pain. For the first time, Chase stands still, fighting the desperation to mend Sierra’s broken heart.

Always running, the past has never had a chance to catch up to Chase. But there’s a first time for everything.

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.34 Stars

4. The Cowboy and the Kid by Anne Mcallister

Having a father is a big responsibility.
And finding him a wife is a challenge eight-year-old Becky Jones takes seriously. Ex-rodeo cowboy Taggart Jones is adamant. No marriage. Been there. Done that.

Not even if Becky’s dream candidate is her beautiful, blonde teacher, Felicity Albright, who knows about barrettes, patching up scrapes, and hates carrots as much as his daughter. Taggart’s still not interested. Much.

What’s a daughter to do? Becky’s nothing if not ingenious, and she’s determined to convince a stubborn Taggart and a bemused Felicity that they really have met their match.

The Tanner Brother series
Book 1: Cowboys Don’t Cry
Book 2: Cowboys Don’t Quit
Book 3: Cowboys Don’t Stay
Book 4: The Cowboy and the Kid
Book 5: Cowboy Pride

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.32 Stars

5. Dropout by Jamie Schlosser

JIMMY
Over the past year, I’ve been called a lot of things. Slacker. Troublemaker. Party animal.
I thought I was on top of the world. Turns out, I was pretty close to rock bottom.
Now I have a new title: college dropout.
Talk about a reality check.
But I’ve got a chance to redeem myself. One summer to turn things around. Two months to prove I’m not a complete f*ck-up.
It’s time to change.
I want to get back to being one of the good guys.

MACKENNA
I have everything I need to live out my dream of being a reclusive songwriter—my guitar, my notebook, and blissful silence.
At least, I did until Jimmy moved in next door.
With tattoos, piercings, and mischievous green eyes, he’s got bad news written all over him. And last time I got with a bad boy, it ended horribly.
Jimmy makes me feel things I shouldn’t feel. Want things I shouldn’t want. He’s a hazard to my carefully laid plans.
But he’s only here for two months.
I can resist him…right?

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.4 Stars

6. Property of Drex #1 by C.M. Owens

EVE

What’s the most selfless thing you’ve ever done? What price tag would you put on the ability to save the ones you love?

They say the worst decisions are made by the desperate or the fools.

I was desperate enough to make a foolish decision to save my family. The cost? Me.

They may be a motorcycle club, but in all honesty they’re really an elite unit of criminals who just happen to drive motorcycles. They’re a business. An organization. A fully functioning army…

What I’ve learned? They work in the gray area; life and death is real; and everyone wants everyone dead. Okay, so maybe that’s dramatic… No. No it’s not. It’s legit.

I prepared for the worst, fully anticipating hating my new life. Turns out, I finally found out where I belonged. Oh, and I discovered I’m a little twisted or crazy. Maybe both.

Drex Caine, the man without a conscience, didn’t ruin me the way I thought he would. Instead, he made me feel like I was living instead of just waiting to live. And I can never go back to the way things used to be.

*Graphic Language
*Sexual Content
*Dual POV
Please note: Book 1 does end on a cliffhanger, but book 2 has the conclusion and will be released March 28, 2016. After book 2, the rest of the series can be read as stand-alone novels without cliffhangers and will have different main characters featured.

Amazon: 4.6 Stars
Goodreads: 4.28 Stars

C.M. Owens actually has quite a few novels for free. (Always the first one though because she’s a tease!) Blood’s Fury (Deadly Beauties #1), Hooked on the Game (Sterling Shore #1), Daughter of Aphrodite (Daughter Trilogy #1), The Devil’s Artwork (Faders Trilogy #1), Treasured Secrets (Coveted Saga #1).

7. The Gamble by Kristen Ashley

Love is the greatest gamble of all…

Nina Sheridan desperately needs a timeout vacation. With a fiancé who can’t even remember how she takes her coffee, Nina wants some distance to rethink her engagement. Flying halfway around the world from England to a mountain town in Colorado should do the trick. But when she finds a gorgeous man at her rental cabin, Nina’s cold, lonely adventure suddenly heats up.

The owner of the house, Holden “Max” Maxwell is surprised by the beautiful woman who turns up at his door. But when Nina becomes ill, Max spends days nursing her back to health. A private man with a broken heart, Max finds himself drawn to the strong-willed woman. Soon it becomes impossible for Nina and Max to deny their growing attraction to one another. Yet even as these two wounded lovebirds think about taking a chance on a relationship, a dangerous secret from Max’s past emerges-and threatens to end their love for good.

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.29 Stars

8. Emphatic (Soul Serenade #1) by Kaylee Ryan

There comes a point in your life where you have to say enough is enough.

I wasted my college years on a guy who played with my head, played with my heart. I was blinded by the fairytale, the one that didn’t exist.

The day I gave up on the idea of happily ever after, my focus became me. Moving forward and establishing my career.

Until one day…

I didn’t expect him. My new boss, a six foot two, inked rock god. I believed I was working for the record label, I was wrong.

It’s impossible for me to keep my distance, believe me I’ve tried. He’s not who I expected him to be. He’s so much more he’s… Emphatic

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.18 Stars

9. Bad Idea by Nicole French

Bad boy meets good girl. Sparks fly. Stars cross. And a bad idea is born.

From the start, I knew we were all wrong. For people like her, New York is a city of dreams, but for me, it’s a maze of burdens. Now my chance is here to leave and become more than the criminal everyone sees. There’s no reason to stay except…

The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen…

The most kissable lips I’ve ever known…

Now I have to break both our hearts to escape this concrete jungle. She might be the girl of my dreams, but I was always a bad idea.

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.27 Stars

10. Black Ink by N.M. Catalano

Alexander Black
Ruthless. Powerful. Dangerous. Intoxicating. Twisted. A prick.
There is nothing or no one beyond his reach anywhere in the world.
He uses any means to get what he wants.

He wants Gemma Trudeau. For two reasons, first, to find out if she helped her husband steal three million dollars from him. The second, he wants to do very bad, very twisted things to her.

He always gets what he wants.

Gemma Trudeau
Her life was destroyed. She’s alone, homeless with no money.
A brilliant successful lawyer, she must now beg to work for the one man who suffered as much as she did from her husband’s illegal schemes, the only one who can help her get her life back. What she didn’t know was he would rock her world.

Alexander Black has Gemma right where he wants her. The heat between them rages, leaving them in an constant aching burn.

A stranger breaks into her house and she’s terrorized. He has one purpose, to take her, bind her, force her into a night of raging passion, leaving her stunned, confused, and very, very satisfied. He promises he’ll be back. She can’t wait.

The Capo di Tutti Capi has offered her protection. But at what price?

Someone is stalking her. The mob who wants to own her? The faceless man who seduces her in the dark blindfolded? Or the one man who should hate her, Alexander Black?

Who can Gemma trust?

First book in the BLACK INK Series. A bit dark, a bit edgy, and a whole lot of heat. It does have a bit of a cliffhanger.
**18+ adult audience, very strong sexual content.**

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.43 Stars

Reading List

St. Patrick’s Day Reads

March 12, 2018 Cait Leave a comment

Looking for a short, St. Paddy’s day romance? Look no further!

Alexa Riley — Charmed

Every day Charlie goes to sketch a beautiful building that’s been under construction. She’s drawn to it for some reason, and it makes her paints come alive. On the day the painting is to be finished, the St. Patrick’s Day parade is in town. But a run-in between her tray of paints and a big grouchy beast in a suit has her fleeing for safety.

Warren has never wanted someone the way he wants her. One chance encounter has got him searching every inch of the city for her. She can hide, but not for long. He’ll make her his, no matter what.

Warning: This St. Patrick’s Day quickie is adorably fun and over the top. Grab your shamrocks and cozy up with this sweet treat.

Goodreads Rating: 4.16 Stars
Amazon Rating: 4.6 Stars
Release date: March 12, 2018 (HAPPY RELEASE DAY ALEXA!!)

Add to your TBR!

Mia Ford — Second Chance on St. Patrick’s Day

He seduced me, used me, and broke my heart.
And now…
He’s back!
My brain says ‘no.’
But my heart screams ‘yes.’
Who wins amongst the two is a different story altogether!
Well, let’s just say, Conner McGee is a HARD man to forget.
I had no idea that a one night stand would lead to this.
Our lives are full of lies, secrets, and seduction.
He stole my heart long before I found the truth.
Maybe I did not see it coming.
Maybe that’s why it hurts so bad.
Maybe that’s why they say timing and love never go together.

Goodreads Rating: 4.56 Stars
Amazon Rating: 4.7 Stars
Release Date: March 5, 2018

Add it to your TBR!

Juliana Conners — Sold on St. Patrick’s Day

I’m plucking her Shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day.

Jade is 19 years old, with curves more luscious than the rolling green hills of Ireland.
I guess it’s the luck of the Irish that I get to claim her as my own.
But that’s because she was unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
While she was studying in Ireland, she may have witnessed my dad—a notorious Irish gangster—commit a crime.
He sends me to Boston to find out what she knows and deal with it if necessary.

The job is supposed to be easy:
Get in, get out, move on— everything I’m used to doing without a hitch.

The set-up makes this job even easier and it comes with a perk:
She’ll willingly sell herself to me at an auction, without knowing why I’m there.
I’ll purchase her body— and win her trust— at any price.

Dominating her is a treat as sweet as sin.
When I find out she’s a virgin, that’s the cherry on top.
A cherry I get to pop!

But this job is about to have a major f*cking hitch.
Both of us enjoy what I do to break her spirit and earn her trust, a little more than we should.

After I buy her body, will she steal my heart?

*Sold on St. Patrick’s Day is a standalone romance novella with no cliffhanger and no cheating. It features a dominant billionaire bad boy alpha male, a feisty BBW and a HEA. This story is a super steamy treat sure to set your Kindle on fire. For a limited time this edition comes with three bonus books, which include the entire Bradford Brothers Military/ Secret Baby Bad Boy Series: Jensen, Harlow and Ramsey.

Goodreads Rating: 3.65 Stars
Amazon Rating: 4.3 Stars
Release Date: March 13, 2017

Add it to your TBR!

Chance Carter — First Time Lucky

Ladies, take it from me, if you have any sense, do not fall for an Irish guy.
Especially a fiery-tempered, muscular, tattooed, bad boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks without a father.
That’s Shane.

My Shane.
At least, I hope he becomes mine.

When we were in high school I know he liked me. He was going to ask me to prom. We were destined to be together.
And then everything went wrong.
This town was never kind to outsiders, and an Irish fighter like Shane never stood a chance against the creeps who run things around here.
They weren’t about to let him make off with me.

So they almost killed him.

They dropped him at a bus station with a one-way ticket across the country, and I thought I’d never see him again.
Now he’s back, and there’s going to be trouble. Three years in the military has turned him into a dangerous weapon. And he’s going to unleash on St. Patrick’s Day and reclaim the woman he was always supposed to have.

The woman who’s heart has always been his.
The woman who saved her first time for him.
Me.

Goodreads Rating: 4.39 Stars
Amazon Rating: 4.8 Stars
Release Date: March 2, 2018

Add it to your TBR!

Lucky Charm: A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Billionaire Fake Fiance Romance by Eva Luxe

She needs a fake fiance and I’m just the guy to play the part.

I moved from Ireland to New York City to pursue a career in acting.
My family has a lot of money, but I want to make it on my own.
One day I’m at Starbucks, minding my own business, studying for an audition.
Suddenly a beautiful, curvy stranger heads straight to my table.
Her ex cheated on her with her best friend, she says.
And they’ve both just entered the coffee shop!
Please pretend to be my boyfriend so I don’t seem so pathetic, she asks.
Well, I’m an actor, aren’t I?
So, how can I resist the pleading request from those pretty hazel eyes that match her name?
I’ll do her one better – I pretend to be her fiance.
Soon, we’re caught in a game of one up-manship with her snotty ex friend.
Like all my acting gigs, I play this one very well.
It turns out that Hazel brings me luck – and I do the same for her.
But this is all just pretend, right?
We’re not really going to get married on St. Patrick’s Day like we keep telling everyone, are we?

Maybe I’m playing the role a bit too well, because I find myself believing it’s real.

Lucky Charm is a full length standalone novel with no cheating and no cliffhangers, but with a very happy St. Patrick’s Day and ever after, and a whole bunch of Irish flavored steam.

Goodreads rating: 3.97 Stars
Amazon Rating: 4.7 Stars
Release Date: March 12th, 2018.

Add it to your TBR!

My Goodreads Shelf

Let me know what your favorite St. Patrick’s Day Read is!

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Cait's Creatures

Monthly Archives: March 2018

Review Blitz~ Gillian Jones, Fighting Weight

Have you meet the Hogan brothers?

“I want to be so embedded in you that every time you move, every breath you take, you’ll think of me. I want you as consumed with thoughts of me as I am of you.” – Lennox Hogan

“I want you every bit as much. I just don’t know how to show it.” -Sophia Bennett

Friday Freebies!

New Releases This Month!

Wallflowers: Three of a Kind (Wallflowers #1) by C.P. Smith Review

Back to Her by Dani Wyatt Review

Books to Get You Out of a Book Slump

Books Releasing Today

10 Freebies You Need To Have

St. Patrick’s Day Reads

Let your imagination run wild