Tag Archives: romantic

The Beauty and the Beefcake by Pippa Grant Review

newarcbannerblurbbeautyandthebeefcakeThere are two kinds of women in the world – those I can bang, and those I can’t.
My teammate’s sister?
She’s a can’t.
I moved in with her to protect her from a nasty ex, not to be the next guy in line.
She’s the brains.
I’m the brawn.
She’s the fruit.
I’m the sausage.
She talks too much.
I don’t talk at all, if I don’t have to.
Should be easy to resist her.
But every minute I spend with Felicity is another minute she gets under my skin. She makes me feel like something more than a dumb puckhead with a big Zamboni pony. And it’s getting harder to remember why I need to keep my hands to myself.

Beauty and the Beefcake is a vegan-friendly standalone romantic comedy featuring a hockey player whose vocabulary is the only thing smaller than a hockey puck, a book smart but aimless ventriloquist with too many voices in her head, a dilapidated old house that may or may not be haunted, and no cheating or cliffhangers.

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author31542912_356914224798647_7691225132127223808_o (1)Pippa Grant is a stay-at-home mom and housewife who loves to escape into sexy, funny stories way more than she likes perpetually cleaning toothpaste out of sinks and off toilet handles. When she’s not reading, writing, sleeping, or trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, she’s fantasizing about chocolate chip cookies.

 

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At first glance, this book is filled with possibly psychotic women who talk to themselves and empty headed hockey players that may or may not have stolen a monkey. But it is so much more than that. Ok, yes it is filled with craziness that sometimes had my head spinning trying to catch up with what was going on. Between Felicity the ventriloquist who doesn’t like the quiet so vents when she’s nervous or to fill the silence, and Ares the grunting hockey player that tries to keep everyone out by letting them think he’s an idiot, I was caught up in the world that Pippa Grant created.

Ares Berger had my heart from the first “moo” he said to confuse people. He walked in with a hurt ankle, and all he wanted to do was get back onto the ice. His teammate, Felicity’s brother, asked him to watch his sister. So he puts Felicity firmly in the “can’t touch” category even if he wants to. But all he knows is hockey and how to keep people out of his heart. So as much as his heart and his head are screaming that Felicity is his, he does his best to keep her far away from his monkey. *wink wink*

Felicity has sworn off guys because she has a tendency to choose the worst men. And then her brother, the goalie for the hockey team Ares plays on, sends them thousands of cookies with dicks on them. Yes, this was actually in the book. Do you see why I was cracking up the whole time? In between working to becoming a PT, venting at a comedy club on the weekends occasionally, and dealing with Gammy’s ghost, her mind and her heart are going a little crazy with Ares Berger living with her. And the more she gets to know him, the more she wants to know his monkey.

Felicity and Ares have more in common than they originally believe. And with Felicity feeling the need to fill the silence, she becomes attuned to Ares’ thoughts. With a grunt, she can tell what he wants to say. It becomes dangerous to both of their libidos and their hearts. Felicity starts to understand the silence, but she also sees Ares for more than the grunting oaf who says random things to throw people off. And Ares begins to see Felicity, and understand she has no idea what she’s doing with her life, despite having a high IQ and four degrees.

I loved these two so much. I’m not sure if it was because of the craziness or despite it, but I loved so much of this book. As my first Pippa Grant book, it was certainly a good one! I was smiling and laughing the whole time! Even when Gammy’s ghost freaked me out. The only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars, was because sometimes the venting confused the hell out of me. But that’s totally me and my head not being able to keep up sometimes, with the voices and names.

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Smoldering Heart, the Fleming boys are back!

blurbsmoldering heartHigh-risk. Something that Madison had been avoiding for the last five years. After the loss of her fiancé years ago she had vowed that dating would never enter her life again.

Being single was safe. No danger. Zero. She had her shop and her dad’s firefighting buddies to take care of to occupy her time. It was enough…most days.

Then he barged in bringing danger with him in more ways than one. Green eyes with a body that fueled fantasies. And oh — that dirty mouth. He would burn her if she let him. All she had to do was resist his looks and the flames he was igniting. Simple, right?

High-risk. Something Owen Fleming had always loved. Bounty Hunter by trade, occasional bodyguard. As long as he kept bad things from happening to good people he was in.

Being single was a choice. He didn’t have time for love with his occupation. The job wore on him more days than not, and he craved a change. It was enough…for now.

Then he met her. It only took one powerful moment. She ignited something in him and made him burn. And now he was on the hunt to possess her while protecting her from the danger he’d brought into her life. She would be his one way or another. Simple, right?

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Jennifer Vester is a romance author whose ambition is to entertain readers with off-beat female characters and the over-the-top alpha men that love them.

Her books revolve around romantic suspense with a little something for every reader. Always an HEA….(but look out for those twists!) It’s romance suspense after all.

The Lakefield series deals with some very serious subjects at times.

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Oh man I love the Fleming brothers. Have you read the Lakefield series yet? If so, you’ve met Brock, Noah and Owen in Chase, and if you’ve read my review, then you know I love Brock(he’s mine!). After I was traumatized and was recovering from a book hangover from Damage, Jennifer kindly pointed me towards Owen’s book (I also maybe wanted to petition her for the Fleming brothers stories but she was already starting them).

Smoldering Heart is a novella filled with insta-love, self realization, healing, and crazy families. Maddie is still recovering from the loss of her fiance. She’s not mourning his loss per-se, she’s just not sure she can ever love someone the way she loved Jason. Owen has become complacent in his career, which has led to mistakes made. One of those mistakes led to Madison, and a new career path. The moment he sees Madison, his world shifts.

Owen, in true Fleming fashion, goes overboard with trying to get Maddie to realize they would be perfect together. They have ups and downs, which lead to both of them coming to terms with the other, while also compromising on certain things. Owen still tags Madison with the Fleming Family Tracker, which ends up saving her life, so she can’t really be mad when she finds out about it.

In true Jennifer Vester fashion there are some major plot twists, which I loved. We also get to see a softer side to Owen, when he writes letters to Madison to apologize for (some) of his mess-ups. Rachael, Madison’s crazy sister, also adds some humor to the situation because she’s a she-devil, and since Noah wants her tagged too I think she is his love for the next book (which would be SO awesome seeing him try to manage her in his orderly world).

As always, Jennifer kept me smiling from the very first page. There was just enough darkness and heaviness to counteract the ridiculous encounters scattered throughout the book. This was also written in dual-POV, and I loved reading through Owen’s eyes. It brought new depth to the book that I hadn’t seen from her yet. She’s left me anxiously awaiting the next Fleming brother’s book, but also wishing I could meet the Fleming parents that raised three crazy protective brothers.

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Even if it Breaks Me

**Please note, I suck at taking pictures so I definitely did NOT take the picture above. None of the pictures I have used, or will use, are mine. This one was from Dominique herself!**

arc review 1blurbevenifitbreaksmeAt fourteen years old, I loved him.
Hard.
So hard it hurt.
I loved him, but love isn’t what it was.
It was a game, a lie. And I would never be the same.
I fell in love with a liar, and when the truth was uncovered, he left my heart shattered and never looked back.
So I didn’t either. I moved on, went to college, and I lived my life without him, pushing thoughts of him away whenever they tried to break through the bubble I had created for myself.
I was twenty-four when he came back into my life, a month before I was set to marry someone else, someone who had pieced together the broken parts he had left behind.
I shouldn’t have agreed to meet with him, but I did. I had to.
My heart broke all over again.
My head and heart were officially at war.
I had a choice to make, and it should have been easy, but it wasn’t. Because whatever choice I made, head or heart, I knew it would break me.author16646808

Dominique Laura started off writing under the pen name Rosie C. but grew brave enough to transition to her real name (well, close enough to it). She loves to read and write whenever possible. She’s an advocate for love and happily ever afters, and she’s snarky and sarcastic. She lives in sunny Southern California with her dog, who she’s slightly obsessed with.

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SHE DID IT AGAIN. Dominique Laura gave me another novel that had me in tears. This was emotional in a different way, because it’s the story of your first love. She gave me another YA/Contemporary Romance that I connected with on a level I didn’t know I could, since my first love, I thought, wasn’t like Jade’s. My first love was different because it didn’t last years, like Jade’s did. Mine was short (three months!), tumultuous, and definitely didn’t carry over to college. Hell, looking back, I don’t even know if it was love. But throughout the rest of high school, he definitely impacted my life. I’d get the call or text every few months, trying to be friends, and have to learn all over again he was a grade-A jerk.

I think our first love always holds a special place in our hearts. It’s the one I think teaches you the most about what you want in life. It’s the one that hurts the most. It’s the one you thought would last forever, even if your head (and everyone around you) told you it wouldn’t last. There’s manipulation, tears, fights, and happiness.

Going into this, especially with the prologue, I thought for sure I’d root for Jade’s first love. I mean, who doesn’t like to read about the guy you fell in love with, fought to be with, coming back into the girl’s life and they end up together? I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, much like Jade had, with her relationship with Dylan. What was going to be the thing that pushed her towards Tian?

But God, this was so much better. Because it was real.

Dominique eloquently and perfectly describes the falling in love so young, thinking it is going to be your everything, allowing someone to hurt and manipulate you into forgiving them, ignoring the signs they aren’t who you think they are, and the hurt that follows when you have to choose yourself over someone else. Someone you thought you loved. Someone you thought loved you. She describes the hardships of falling in love with someone new.

Dominique: Keep writing your amazing stories. They are beautiful, and you have a true gift! I will gladly have tissues and ice cream ready for every tale you weave, as long as you continue to do it.
Everyone else: GET THIS BOOK! And when it releases, look in the back for true lessons readers learned from their first love. (Which I will be getting just to read those stories).
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5star

~ Release Blitz ~ Until More by S. Van Horne

Until More by S.Van Horne

Part of Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Happily Ever After Kindle World

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: April 3rd, 2018

Cover Design: SK Designs

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At twenty-two, Crystal Kopas didn’t know where her life was heading. Ghost writing romance stories for well-known authors isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when she couldn’t forget the one man who rocked her world. After moving to Hawaii, she thought she was finally getting her life on track. That is—until he showed up.

At twenty-five, Detective Vigo Conti decided it was time to take a vacation with his baby sister. After a grueling case that took everything out of him, he packed up Maddison and hit the beaches of Hawaii, praying to get his mind off the one woman who seemed to steal his heart when she disappeared after only one night together. He was finally starting to relax and enjoy his time with Mads uninterrupted. That is—until he sees her.

Without warning, disaster strikes and Conti vows he will do everything to get his family back. Because sometimes finding that special BOOM makes one cross lines never imagined.

Will Conti be able to save his family before it is too late?

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This was my first dive into the Happily Ever Alpha world and it started with a huge boom. Seriously, S. Van Horne fit her characters into the Mayson world almost seamlessly, while staying true to her writing style. Horne was able to keep her voice in the story, while grabbing the essence of the characters from Aurora Rose Reynolds’ imagination. We got to see Conti and Crystal finally get together and we got to see snippets into Kai and Myla’s HEA (plus some bonus scenes with some other characters sneaking in! But I won’t ruin that for ya.) It was truly amazing.

Crystal and Conti are from S. Van Horne’s More series and have been running around each other for a year. A year! They met each other at a bar, had some wild, crazy, intense, monkey sex, and then Crystal snuck out avoiding Conti. Because Crystal didn’t want to clear up the misunderstanding, she made it worse throwing his words back in his face. She didn’t know what those words meant though.

So fast forward a year, to Crystal moving to Hawaii to feel closer to her parents, and Conti going on vacation with his autistic sister (and what’s hotter than a man who takes responsibility without hesitation for his siblings?!) and misunderstandings are cleared up. And I don’t think I’ve heard better advice, “C, pride is like a glass plate.” (I’ll let you read to find out the rest of that statement.)

Not only do Crystal, Conti, and Mads fit in perfectly in Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Mayson world, but they fit perfectly with each other. They were meant for each other. This is the story of insta-love, with the characters not quite believing in insta-love. They know they’ve wasted enough time not being together, but they fight to make sure they are in love.

S. Van Horne had me impatiently reading this book (which means I’ll have to do a re-read because I’m sure I missed something). From the prologue, to the last line, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I smiled, I laughed, I bit my lip, I bit my nails in anticipation. There aren’t many tense scenes, and it’s mostly a story about the love the two share, so it makes sense that the tense scenes weren’t too intense. I just wish it lasted a little bit longer. It seemed rushed.

But talk about epilogues, because these were seriously my favorite. I had tears (of joy) in my eyes at the end. And multiple epilogues!What’s better than multiples?! Nothing I tell you! Nothing!

So amazing job, and four stars for you Ms. Horne! I cannot WAIT to read the others in the series.

 

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S. Van Horne was born and raised in the small town of Belton, Missouri, which is a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. She’s from a very large family and is the oldest of six. Growing up, she didn’t have the easiest life. She learned quickly that family means everything, even if it’s the type that you get to pick for yourself.

She met the love of her life at the early age of twenty and was married just after nine months of meeting him. Shortly after marriage, her husband rejoined the U.S. Navy and they moved from Kansas City and started their journey together. Currently they have two amazing children, a boy and a girl, and are still enjoying the Navy life.

She spends her days being a wife, mom, reading books, writing her latest novel, watching her beloved Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals, watching movies, hanging out with family and friends and having girls’ day at least once a month.

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What color is my aura?

arc review 1blurbwidowersauraLiving in a world full of colors, Sofia Brazier escapes a career gone south as a juvenile probationary officer in New Orleans. After moving to the small town of St. Fleur, Sofia opens a photography business in hopes of ridding her life of all the dark auras surrounding the damaged souls she once tried helping. Her comfortable new life is upended when widower, and ex-security-forces-turned-handyman hunk, Noah Tyler enters the local pub.

Noah attempts to avoid the voluptuous beauty who has captivated his every thought. That is, until his daughter vandalizes Sofia’s building and effectively seals their fate. After cutting his daughter a break, Sofia begins tearing down the walls he built after his wife’s death.

Just when life finally seems worth living for Noah, Sofia finds herself the victim of a string of crimes. Can he protect Sofia when he failed to protect his own wife?

Warning: Due to the nature of the explicit sex scenes this book is intended for a Mature Audience.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 Stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.54 Stars

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AJ Renee is the author behind the St. Fleur series, Beauty Unmasked, Winter’s Surprise, Surviving Paris, and Finding Love at the Falls…. She’s a military wife and mother to three young girls. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology while working at the library.

She loves to write steamy romance with suspense and a happily ever after. When she isn’t writing or interacting with her readers, you can find her spending time with her family or reading. AJ enjoys traveling, researching family history, and all things New Orleans.

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Widower’s Aura is the first in the St. Fleur series (with the fourth book being released in March of 2018). It is a slow burn, so if you’re looking for quick instant-love, this isn’t the book for you, but I still recommend this book. If you like Mariana Zapata, you’ll like A.J. Renee. There is an instant connection between Sofia and Noah, but they both have some serious baggage.

Sofia worked with delinquent children in hopes she could help them and their situations. After a really scary and traumatizing experience, she leaves and starts her own business in St. Fleur, far enough from her old life to get away from the trauma, but close enough to stay around family. Although you don’t find out what happened until almost the end of the book, trust me, you want to know what happens.

Noah is an ex-cop for the Army, and was deployed when his wife ran out to grab milk, and was murdered. Noah leaves the army and, two years after her death, moves with his daughter, Lexi, to St. Fleur. Although he can never really get out of “cop” mode, he helps his friend with his construction business. Noah tries to ignore Sofia, and his reaction at the sight of her, but Lexi makes that impossible. She defaces, albeit with a beautiful mural, the side of Sofia’s building, which brings these two together.

When they finally get together, it is explosive. Noah is the alpha male that I love. He is possessive of “his” girls. He is wary of getting into a relationship, but Lexi makes it clear: she likes Sofia so go date her. Through the trials and tribulations, Sofia and Noah come together and fall in love in a beautiful way.

I gave this book 4 stars because I really enjoyed reading this (and I also have a thing for single dads…). The story is beautiful, and has some supernatural elements (Sofia can see aura’s; which I probably should have guessed from the title but I was not expecting it! That confused me when I first read it hah!) One of my biggest issues with the book, and it’s not really an issue as more of a pet peeve, I don’t know how old they are! It’s totally possible I missed it somewhere, but I didn’t read about how old Sofia or Noah were! Although it’s not super important, it helps me gain a better picture of who these characters are.

I really loved reading their love story and can’t wait to read more! (I’m also crossing my fingers that Lexi will get a story…)

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4star

A Lion is Called “the King of Beasts” for a Reason… and it’s LEO.

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untilleo.jpgHaving been burned in the past, Leo wasn’t sure he believed in the boom. Not even seeing the happily married Mayson couples had him convinced…until he met Carrie and felt it for himself.

Carrie wasn’t looking for love when she crashed into the hot cop, but that’s exactly what she found. Then his past reared its ugly head, and she found a strength she didn’t know she had…until Leo.

 

 

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rochellepaigeI absolutely adore reading – always have and always will. My friends growing up used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.

I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author. I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.

When I told my mom that my new year’s resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me “About time!”

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Guys, I’m a big blubbering mess right now. Until Leo is part of the Happily Ever Alpha Kindle Worlds Crossover, along with 15 other authors. When I heard Leo was going to get a story I was jumping up and down, literally. From the moment Aurora Rose Reynolds originally had him freaking out about his cheating ex, I’ve wanted his story. And now I have it and I’m never giving it back. I’ve said it once, and I’ll keep repeating it because it’s true: single parent books get me. Every. Single. Time. This wasn’t my first Rochelle Paige book (it was my second-still writing the review for her Blythe College series) but I know for sure, it will not be my last.

Leo was introduced in the Until series in Nico’s book, and this is his story. He is a cop who meets Carrie at a daddy-daughter class to help teach father’s how to do their daughter’s hair. Carrie is the teacher for the class, and the minute Leo sees her, he believes in the boom. Until then, he had always thought the Mayson’s were full of it when they talked about it. Carrie immediately falls in love with both Leo and Lynn (who’s ovaries don’t explode when they see hot guys with kids? I mean seriously.)

They move fast, and he takes a few pages from the Mayson brothers, but Carrie seems to move along with it just fine. Their love is fast, but so utterly amazing. I’m a blubbering mess because I am in absolute love with Leo and Carrie. And it’s even cuter because Carrie’s father met her step mother when her step mother taught her father how to do Carrie’s hair. I’m sure there’s a literary term for this somewhere, but I’m sleep deprived since I stayed up all night to read this book.

I absolutely devoured this, and I’m giving it 5 bright, shining stars because it deserves it. And there’s only one epilogue (can I petition for another one?) but it made my heart so happy to read. Carrie’s love for Lynn and Leo is so pure and amazing, and Leo loves Carrie HARD. And he goes so alpha so quickly, I got goosebumps. God, I love this book.

This book, and the rest in the series, release April 3rd… TOMORROW SO GET YOUR KINDLES READY!

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5star

Until Kayla, CC Monroe

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until kaylaKayla Mackey
I was ready to run from my loss and find something to make me breathe again.
I didn’t know it could happen. Until Jase.
Jase Riding
I felt desolate and alone when I lost the best part of me. I didn’t know where I would find someone to mend the broken parts in me. That was… Until Kayla.
We met, and with a brief hello and a hushed profanity, we were hooked.
I swear we heard thunder when our eyes met.
Boom. And our lives were changed forever.

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22687879_379655212464978_1373405913340945735_n.jpgAuthor CC Monroe is from the hottest city in the world, Phoenix, Arizona. She spends her days working in fashion and her nights with her face in her laptop telling the stories of the voices in her mind. She left Arizona a few years back and now lives in the beautiful snow state of Utah, where she married her true love!

When she isn’t writing or working, she is making people laugh with her mad sense of humor and tip of the tongue one liners.

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For some reason, single dad/mom novels are my favorites. There’s something about a dad opening himself up to love, and about a woman opening her heart to kids that aren’t her own that just get to me. And vice versa.

This was my first CC Monroe novel, though I do have a copy of Loving Ben Cooper. I haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet due to all the new releases- but since Sadie and Kate make their appearance in Kayla’s book, I’m going to have to crack that one open!

Until Kayla is the story of Kayla Mackey moving from Portland to Tennessee for school, two years after her parents pass away. Jace Riding is a single father who lost his wife three years earlier. He and his little girl, Avery, live in Tennessee and Jace is looking for someone to share his life with. Not actively, since dating with a daughter is difficult, but he does miss sharing his life with someone. But how could anyone take the place of Lainey?

Kayla is trying to move on, but the death of her parents hit her hard. but she’s hoping the move to Tennessee will help her feel closer to her parents. While unpacking her things, she meets Harlen and Harmony (from Until Harmony! Yay!). Did I mention Harlen and Jace grew up together? (BOOM!-yes I did that)

I really love the instant connection these two have. The kind that makes of them stupid for a minute… or two. And Kayla tries to deny her feelings for a hot minute. Jace ain’t havin’ that. One of my favorite things is that Jace curses a lot. I have the mouth of truck driver and I think Jace drops the f-bomb every five minutes (love it!). And he takes care of Kayla the best way possible. I also love the fact that Jace’s reactions feel real! I don’t want to give it away– so I won’t– but CC Monroe captures reality in her characters.

And can we talk about how she captures Harlen and Harmony? I do love the growly bastard.

5 Stars for this amazing read!

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5star

Caught in the Act — Michelle Minikin

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Two callers a day.
Ten callers a week.
Over four-hundred in a year.
…and one has the power to change his life.

Liam Hardt, radio personality for an award-winning hits station in San Diego, is known for his sexy voice and pretty face. But also, for the increasingly popular segment, Caught In The Act—where he helps people corner their cheating significant others.

It’s all fun and games though until one call—one caller—hits him in inexplicable ways.

“This is incredibly forward, and…probably a lot crazy…”

When Kensley Cole calls into the show, it’s because she’s finished. She’s through with Mark’s frequent trips, his inability to care for their daughters, and with what she’s sure has been a dead relationship for the last four years. But with the help of Caught, she gets more than Mark’s mistress’s name—she gets an earful of all that was wrong with her.

She doesn’t expect to fall so quickly for the man with the dog.
The very man who had a front-row seat to the nasty things her ex shared with San Diego.

But Liam is everything Mark never was—for both her and her babies.
Still, having lived with Mark for eight years, she knows he won’t go down without a fight. She can’t very well ask Liam to sign up for that.

Too late—he’s already caught up in her.

Caught in the Act is a complete standalone in the Unexpected series. There is zero crossover with the next book, Homewrecker.

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HOLY CRAPOLA GUYS. This was SO good! Liam and Kensley were so real I was so in love from the first page!

Liam is a radio personality that has a segment called “Caught in the Act” that exposes cheating spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends/partners. One morning, he gets a call from a woman, Kensley, who suspects her boyfriend of eight years and father to her two children and one unborn child, is cheating on her. Spoiler: He’s cheating. Liam is hooked from the first sound of her voice. That first phone call. But Kensley literally just ended a relationship, and Liam technically shouldn’t even be asking her out. But he does.

He’s shot down.

Kensley has known for a long time things weren’t working out with her boyfriend, Mark. Eight years, two kids and one on the way, and he didn’t want to marry her, took long “work” trips, and barely paid any attention to their daughters. She’s suspected the cheating for a long time, but didn’t know what to do. Once it’s confirmed he’s cheating, she leaves him (yay! Go Kensley!). Now a single mom, she has to find work willing to give her time off once she has the baby, and she has to find child care.

And she has to deal with Liam.

By complete accident they run into each other. Some cyber stalking happens, on both ends of course, and Liam pushes his way into Kensley, London, and Sawyer’s life. What I love about Liam, is that he knew going in there were kids involved, so first worms his way into Sawyer and London’s heart. Kensley is wary, obviously, but the connection between these two is off the charts crazy. Liam and Kensley are both instantly attracted to each other, instantly have a connection, are instantly hooked, but Kensley, after four years of disappointments from Mark, is rightfully wary.

This is a love story. But not just between Liam and Kens. This is the story of Liam and Sawyer; of London and Liam; this is the story of Liam and Kens as a family unit, learning how to do things with more feet running around and more support around the house. This is the story of Kens loving herself again and learning to trust Liam with her heart, and the hearts of her children.

No doubt, you will fall in love with this family, just like I did. This book had me near tears with the sweetness, had me smiling like a goofball, cracking up laughing, and made me so mad at Mark it wasn’t even funny. This had everything you could possibly want in a novel.

I’m obsessed. This book was a no brainer for me- 5 stars all around.

By the way, when you’re finished reading, go to Michelle Minikin’s Facebook because she has two extra epilogues that I read and they were so freaking sweet it’s not even funny.

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5star

 

 

Until Nox, Happily Ever Alpha Review

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28698542_1984195591846450_4268691140309543124_oNot all heroes are good guys.

With a body count on his soul and blood on his hands, Killian Nox lived in the gray. Ruthlessly single-minded, if he wanted something, it was his. And when it came to the gorgeous lass with a fiery attitude, he didn’t just want her.

He needed her.

With southern-bred manners and a snark all her own, Augusta ‘Gus’ Allan was a connoisseur of cheap wine, delicious Mexican food, and good TV. Unfortunately, her taste in men wasn’t as well-developed. When her knight in shining armor turned out to be a douche in tinfoil, Gus never expected her real hero to be a sexy-accented, tattooed beast of a man.

But he was exactly who she needed.

Gus had no clue how comforting a monster in the dark could be…

Until Nox.

Warning: Recommended for readers 18+ due to awesome things like adult content and language… wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

This Happily Ever Alpha Kindle World novella is a crossover of The Hyde Series and Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Until Series. It features glimpses of familiar faces from Hyde and Seek, Best Kase Scenario, and Until November. However, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Goodreads.

author

Layla Frost has always been a rebel. A true badass.

Growing up, Layla used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.

Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably.

In between reading and writing, Layla spends her free time rocking out (at concerts, on the couch, in the car… Anywhere is a stage if you get into it enough), watching TV (the nerdier the better!), and being a foodie. Though she lives in NY (the state, not the city), she’s an avid Red Sox fan.

Social links
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— Twitter and Instagram: @LaylaFWrites — Email: laylafrostwrites@gmail.com

review
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I forgive Layla for being a Red Sox fan simply because this book was amazing. This was my third dive into the Happily Ever Alpha world and they just keep getting better. I haven’t read most of the authors involved in this Kindle Worlds crossover, but I have read Layla and she does not disappoint with this. I was obsessively and unapologetically checking my email to see if I received an ARC for this.

This is the story of Killian Nox and Augusta Allan. Gus finds her sorta boyfriend cheating on her and needs a place to stay, and Nox graciously lets her stay in his apartment while he’s out of town. Nox’s Scottish/Irish accent are panty-melting hot, and he does what he can to stay away from her. It lasts a week. In that week, Gus watches Nox’s house and his dog, and makes a mess. She is inexplicably drawn to the “beast” from the moment they meet but she doesn’t know why.

I loved this book for many reasons. One, we get to see snippets of the Mayson clan, and get to see Nico when he thinks the boom is bullshit *awweee*. Also, we get to see the Hyde clan again, with Piper being Piper and Harlow running circles around Kase. Get to see the guys come together and gossip, dishing out advice since they know relationships now.

One of my favorite things is Nox himself. He’s an enigma I’m still trying to figure out, though I’m not sure I will. He is not a good guy, and doesn’t pretend to be, but he’s not a bad guy either. In fact, I Gus says he’s “Batman levels of gray” and I think that’s the perfect description. Gus doesn’t try to change him, she accepts him (after some explaining) and they work well together.

And Gus, she admits she’s petty. I’m pretty sure she’s the character I’ve connected with most in a book. Between the pettiness, messiness, and the crazy leggings, I think Gus is my spirit animal. She is so petty, she went to MIT just to prove someone wrong, and that’s seriously someone I need in my life.

Before I keep talking about this book, because I’m 100% sure I could talk about it all night, I’m going to leave it here saying this book was AMAZING!! 5 Stars! This book releases April 3rd as part of the Happily Ever Alpha Kindle Worlds, so mark your calendars!

5star

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The OG Couple is HERE!

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blurb

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Coming April 3rd from Kindle Worlds and the world of NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Aurora Rose Reynolds. See how the Mayson clan began. You’ve read their sons’ stories, now it’s James and Susan’s turn. Experience the boom all over again in this action-packed novella of insta-love and suspense from Author CP Smith.

Add it to your Goodreads!

 

author

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.

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review

That even after all these years together, I still wanted him like he wanted me.
Mind.
Body.
And Soul.”

Ok, I seriously loved this book. I’ve always wanted Susan and James’ story, since Susan told November about James asking her out everyday for two months, and about James being a playboy. But Susan Mayson is a big fat liar! In the best way possible of course. And I absolutely LOVE how CP stayed true to her writing style, true to her own voice, while effortlessly creating a story on characters she didn’t create. Susan and James are from Aurora Rose Reynolds, but CP kept their essence with her voice. It was AMAZING!!

The way the novel opens, with Susan in the present after shopping with November, with her thinking about her age and the laugh/scowl lines on her face, and showing some insecurity with the way she looks now, was perfect. I was absolutely captivated. And when they flashback, to when Susan and James first met, I was laughing, crying, and biting my lip in anticipation. What James and Susan went through just to be together, was both terrifying and so sweet at the same time. They fought to be together, and lord I’m glad they did.

CP Smith put her one liners throughout the novel that had me giggling, and thanking god I was in my house and not in public where people could see me grinning at my phone like a weirdo. I kept highlighting different quotes in the book, both parts that had me cracking up and parts that had me going awwweeee. And I love that it’s a running joke between the two that they dated for two months, or that James harassed her for two months, before they got together. Because she’s a “good girl”. And we can also blame James for Asher having all girls because “Cause God knows if he gives me grandaughters, I’ll end up killin’ someone…” and we know how that turned out! (Does anyone else picture Asher with gray hair when reading Until July because I sure did).

I give this 5 stars because I couldn’t find anything wrong with it. CP Smith stayed true to her writing style, with dual POVs and depth to the plot that goes beyond just one thing (multiple issues, crazy people, comedy to lighten the tension, with just enough tension to keep you hooked without being anxious) and I feel she truly did right by Susan and James. I think this would be the hardest couple to capture because they are the Matriarch and Patriarch of the Mayson crew, the first boom you read about, they are the ones who protect the new comers when they have no one else to protect them. Their love was the example for Asher, Trevor, Cash and Nico.

This was my second dive into the Happily Ever Alpha Kindle World, and I can’t WAIT for the release of all the books!

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5star