Read Your Writes Book Reviews: August 2014

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Review ~ TAKEN BY TUESDAY by Catherine Bybee

Judy Gardner: College graduate Judy stands ready to conquer the world…if she can get a job. Hoping to transition from aspiring architect to famous architect as quickly as possible, the dark-haired beauty moves to LA, staying in the home of her celebrity brother, Michael Wolfe. But it’s hard for Judy to focus on work when the sexy bodyguard she fell for last summer keeps showing up in her life and leaving her breathless.

Rick Evans: With his hard body, green eyes, and easy smile, Rick could have any woman he wants. But the Marine-turned-bodyguard only has eyes for Judy and her spitfire attitude. When a faceless villain attacks Judy, Rick will stop at nothing to protect the woman who opened his heart from the monster hunting her.

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway ~ STEALING HIS HEART by Diane Alberts

Shillings Agency employee Jake Forsythe is not happy to discover that the thief who he has to track down is none other than his ex-partner from his past. Now he’s forced to blackmail her into submission…or throw her in jail.

Tara Harris steals from the rich and corrupted, returning objects to their rightful owners one case at a time. When Jake shows up in her life, at first, she’s thrilled. But then when she finds out that she has to help the man she stole from or go to jail…it’s the choice between two evils.

These two can’t deny the burning passion between them, but when push comes to shove, they’ll have to lay their hearts and their lives on the line.

All kindergarten teacher Peyton Pearson wants is a nice, quiet life. Unfortunately, quiet isn't something she's had a lot of after tainted medicine turns her into a superhero. She's single, and saving the city from criminals—which is increasingly dangerous as the anti-superhero movement in St. Louis gains traction. Then there's her hot next door neighbor who makes her think super-dirty thoughts, and has no idea who she really is.

Police officer Dylan Wilson is trying to make the world safe by working to unmask all superheroes. When his sexy neighbor, Peyton, is evicted, Dylan offers her his spare room, unknowingly opening his home—and his heart—to the city's most reluctant superhero.

Can love survive when the masks come off?

Spotlight & Giveaway ~ KEEPING MR. RIGHT NOW by Robin Bielman

Keeping Mr. Right Now (Kisses in the Sand, #1)

by: Robin Bielman

Series: Kisses in the Sand

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 18, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Lovestruck

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A temporary agreement neither could keep…

Brainy, organized Sophie Birch is no beach bunny. In fact, she’s totally out of her element among the sun-bronzed crowd at a film festival in beautiful White Strand Cove. When a surf lesson introduces her to Zane Hollander, suddenly she's up close and personal with the world's sexiest surf star. But what can a great-looking, experienced athlete possibly see in a klutzy out-of-towner who’s never set foot in the ocean?

Zane Hollander's playboy reputation has never been a problem…until recently. Now his management team wants him on his best behavior to entice a meaningful new sponsor. Sophie Birch is the perfect girl to help reform his image. She's genuine and respected—and their relationship is purely fictional. But the more Sophie blooms under the beachy sun, the more Zane knows he'll just break her heart. Because nothing's more important to Zane than following the tide.

An interview & giveaway with Melissa Cutler, author of RISKY BUSINESS (Bomb Squad Series, #1)

Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of the Bomb Squad—an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. But the season’s biggest match-up isn’t on the ice as one of their own prepares to go head to head with his new boss…

Allison Whitely’s ex left her with a mountain of debt and Cloud Nine, a struggling boat rental business. With zero job skills, her only hope of getting back in the black lies in a brooding ex-soldier who has her seeing red…

Theo Lacroix’s teammates are counting on their star player to help them win an upcoming high profile hockey game. But when a sexy tornado of a woman sweeps into town and expects him to help her with Cloud Nine, Theo is tempted to skate away from it all.

Theo vowed to never again be someone’s knight in shining armor, but his feelings—and desire—for Allison are becoming harder to ignore. He longs to save her, but to win Allison’s love, he’ll have to throw out his old playbook and take the ultimate risk…playing from the heart.

Review ~ BETTING ON JULIA by Nina Croft

Small, blonde, bubbly, and with a penchant for all things pink, Julia Melville has always considered herself a nice girl – until she was attacked by a werewolf. Months later, and still in total denial, Julia spends the time between full moons fantasizing that her life is normal. And who could be better to help her with that than her new neighbor, handsome accountant, Sebastian Crane.

For two hundred years, Sebastian, a powerful warlock, has been possessed by a demon. Each day, his soul grows darker, and he knows that soon he will be beyond salvation. But the demon loves to gamble, and he’s made Bastian one final bet—get a good woman to say the words “I love you” and he’ll be free.

Julia wants a normal guy. Bastian needs a good woman. Maybe together they can find something far more valuable…redemption.

It’s rule breaker Emily Foster's birthday, and like everyone at The Jungle Room, she just wants to get some action. Unfortunately, she stumbles on the wrong kind, witnessing a mob hit. To protect her, she’s entered into the Witness Protection Program with by-the-book Special Agent Jake Ward as her chaperone.

When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have.

Jake's as hot as he is infuriating, and she can't help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake’s determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she’s determined to get into the right ones—his.

Review ~ DIRTY DEAL by Christine Bell

Professional matchmaker Serena Elliott spends her workdays helping clients find love. It’s the perfect gig. She gets to see the good part of the relationships...before things inevitably turn to crap. She leads her own love life the same way. Get in, and get out before things get too complicated. One date with sexy army doctor, Bryan Metcalf, won’t be enough to make her change her mind, no matter how hot it gets…

Bryan has had his share of crazy women and isn’t in the market for another relationship that ends by way of restraining order. When Serena Elliott gets into a bidding war for him at a charity bachelor auction, he’s a little worried. Turns out she’s just as anti-relationship as he is, and could be the solution to all his problems. If he can convince her to be his fake girlfriend, he just might be able to spend the rest of his leave in peace. Now if only he can stop thinking about that night on the beach…

But there are other forces at work that believe these two belong together, and they just might find out that happily ever afters do exist.

Maggie Sullivan is back in Wolfe Creek, determined to find out why her best friend vanished one fog-shrouded night a year ago. But it quickly becomes clear that if the folks in the secluded mountain town know what happened to her friend, they aren't talking.

Seasoned sheriff's deputy Koda Wolfe reluctantly agrees to help this beautiful woman, even as he tries to convince her to leave for her own good. Soon he's compelled to protect Maggie from herself, his family's ancient curse, and a killer who could strike again.

The nights heat up in more ways than one as Maggie and Koda begin a fiery relationship. But as they delve deeper into the disappearance, the eerie woods come alive with secrets bound to tear them apart. And someone is watching their every move.

Spotlight ~ HUMAN INTERACTION by Cheyenne Meadows

Shyanne, a widow with twin sons, is forced back into the realm of vampires, humans, and shifters when a college research project lands her in an exotic dancing club where she discovers a sexy shifter called Meat who sparks her interest in dating once more.

Shy juggles motherhood, taking college classes, dealing with her eccentric adoptive family, and work. She finds herself battling for Meat’s attention with a cover model shifter, while trying not to think about Meat’s nun fetish, and her hit and miss—emphasis on the miss—teleportation abilities.

Can they work out their differences and love one another for who they are? Or will they discover that humans and shifters really don’t mix, especially when life’s monkey wrenches keep getting in the way?

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway ~ TURN ON A DIME - KADE'S TURN by Tiffany Snow

It only takes a second, a fraction of a second, to forever change your life. That moment happened to me years ago. I did something you can’t take back, and I’d do it again. It’s a secret I’ll take to my grave—which is probably sooner rather than later—and that’s okay. I live with my choices.

Three things I’ve learned—bad things happen to good people, life isn’t fair, and the bad guy doesn’t get the girl. And I’m most definitely the bad guy.

I’ve always made my own decisions. I’ve never apologized for them, and I never will. Regret is an emotion I’ve never had to face.

Until now. Until her.

She once told me that what I did, killing people for a living, wasn’t good for my soul. I told her I was beyond saving. The truth is that I’m not worth saving. Not anymore.

But when I look in her eyes, I wish I was the man she deserves, the man she loves.

My brother.

Review ~ SPINKLES ON TOP by Kim Law

For Holly Marshall, there’s no such thing as a perfect match. That’s reflected in the unpredictable, fun clothing combos the aspiring artist wears around her hometown of Sugar Springs—and in her inability to fit in anywhere else. But when she sets out to prove to her family that she’s ready to grow up by settling down, could she have found her perfect mismatch in a play-by-the-book guy wearing a business suit?

High-powered attorney Zack Winston is a man who always gets what he wants. While Holly wouldn’t mind sampling what Zack so deliciously has to offer, she needs someone who plans to stick around—and Zack’s disdain of small towns suggests he won’t. But as the camaraderie of Sugar Springs begins to charm, and Zack’s brothers show what family is all about, he and Holly may just get the chance to have it all…if they’re brave enough to reach out and take it.

Review ~ THE MARRIAGE AGENDA by Sarah Ballance

There's a scandal brewing in Washington...

Knox Hamilton wants his father’s recently vacated Senate seat, but the only way his conservative constituents are going to vote for Knox is if he loses his playboy reputation. Which means Knox needs a wife. There’s only one woman with whom he's willing to share his life, but after the way he broke things off with her, will she give him another chance?

Chloe Lochlan's job is on the line. If she doesn't grab a big headline, she'll be ousted from her gig at the major newspaper where she works as a reporter. Knox's offer of marriage chills her to the bone. He already crushed her heart once and she has no intention of letting it happen again. But being with him gives her the kind of access to top tier social events rarely granted to media, access that could land her the story of a lifetime. When the truth she uncovers threatens to destroy the man she still loves, will she bury the story...or his career?

She wanted revenge. He wanted the only thing he couldn't have—her.

Image consultant Caroline Parker is willing to resort to corporate espionage to get revenge on Seattle tech billionaire CEO Joshua Martin. He may be king of the computing world now, but when they knew each other in high school, he was just the geeky friend of her younger brother she refused to date.

To successfully launch his new venture, Aeon Industries, Josh’s got to shake off his geek veneer and get into beast mode, and he needs her help to do it. Josh always thought the brass ring was his next big business coup, but once he sees Caroline again, he realizes that old desire to have her has never waned. Now he’s determined to make her his, no matter what the cost.

Caroline knows she can create a superstar from the geek, but she's got a deeper reason to sign on for the job. Helping Josh remake his image gives her an opportunity to get close to him--and get her hands on the plans for Aeon that could save her brother from a ruthless blackmailer. But as Josh's image makeover takes hold, and she starts to fall for her creation, she realizes too late that her venture into espionage could ruin more far more than Josh’s empire.

Review ~ KIDNAPPING THE BRAZILIAN TYCOON by Carmen Falcone

Passion was never in the bargain

Addison Reed lost her fiancé, but she’ll do whatever it takes to protect his legacy. When the gorgeous and arrogant landowner, Brazilian billionaire Bruno Duarte, who is thwarting her at every turn, refuses to meet with her, she puts her plan into action. He will listen to her.

Bruno’s plan was simple: return to Brazil and marry to fulfill his father’s dying wish. But when his engagement crumbles, and he’s then stranded with an idealistic woman hell-bent on saving a tribe of people on his land, he sees the perfect solution. If his feisty and passionate abductor agrees to a bogus marriage, he’ll relocate the tribe.

With the Brazilian heat rivaling the growing heat of their desire, will Bruno and Addison abandon their respective plans and give in to each other, or will their differences tear them apart?

New Release Spotlight ~ SCORNED by S.L. Scott

Falling in love is like swimming with sharks…

Sharona Blaire is only in Australia for a business audit, but she’s determined to make the most of her one free night. So when she spills her drink on a handsome stranger and they end up flirting, she does something completely out of character—she kisses him. But the prospect of taking it further totally freaks her out…almost as much as discovering the next morning that the man she’s auditing is the sexy, tanned stranger she left with zero explanation.

An audit during his crew’s most important expedition yet is a complication marine biologist Jeff Cruz doesn't need—especially when the auditor is the gorgeous, fascinating woman from the night before. Out at sea with nowhere to run, he’s forced to admit Sharona draws him in like a shark to blood. But Jeff's one passion is his job, and nothing—not even love—will get its hooks in him...

Pretending to be a couple may drive them crazy.

Feisty mechanic Betty Smith should have only one thing on her mind—catching the conman who swindled her mother. Not the sexy stranger who kissed her then completely disappeared.

Undercover FBI agent Joe Carter needs to focus on the bad guy who got away, not the gorgeous headstrong brunette who watches too many cop shows and keeps interfering in his case. Unfortunately, catching their prey before he skips town means working together.

But while entering the vintage car rally as a couple seemed like a good idea at the time, faking feelings for each other turns out to be the easiest part. Neither one can allow anything to get in their way, but staying away from each other is impossible. They both know, though, once their plan is complete, so is their time together.

Review ~ ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME by Cindi Madsen

What would you do for a second chance with your first crush?

Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?

Everything comes at a price…

When Australian Federal Agent Brandon Munro walked out on his wife without a word of explanation, he had no idea the price would be so high.

Alex Cavanaugh’s world fell apart the night Brandon told her their marriage was over. Devastated over his refusal to tell her why and unwilling to keep him by her side out of a sense of duty, she conceals from him her pregnancy.

Four years later, Alex has rebuilt her life and has found success as an Australian Federal Agent working in a High Tech Operations team hunting online predators. In conjunction with INTERPOL and the FBI, her team is in pursuit of a pedophile ring that has its origins in Belgium.

When Brandon transfers to her Unit, Alex’s life is thrown into turmoil once again. Pitted together in a race to uncover a global ring of online pedophiles, Alex and Brandon are forced to confront each other…and their past.

As the pressure mounts, Brandon struggles to deal with his guilt and reconnect with the woman he still loves. Alex lives on tenterhooks that Brandon may discover he has a son. Despite her sound reasons for keeping the child a secret, she fears he will never forgive her once he discovers the extent of her treachery.

While both struggle with guilt and forgiveness and the resurgence of love, they are unaware of the predator who stalks close to home…

Cozy Mystery Review ~ A BISCUIT, A CASKET by Liz Mugavero

The small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut, has wholeheartedly embraced Kristan "Stan" Connor's new business--preparing quality organic treats for dogs and cats. On a healthy diet, the animals may live longer. . .but one local farmer won't be so lucky. As Halloween approaches, Stan is asked to cater a doggie costume party hosted by the Happy Cow Dairy Farm. Part of a local co-op, Happy Cow specializes in organic dairy products, and farmers Hal and Emmalee Hoffman have started opening up the farm for parties, offering a "haunted" corn maze as an added attraction.

When Hal's lifeless body is found in the maze, the police at first suspect his wife, but Stan soon learns the dairy farmer had plenty of enemies--from bitter family members to shady business associates. If Stan can't extract a kernel of truth from the labyrinth of lies, she may be the next one to buy the farm. . .

Cover Reveal ~ NIGHTS WITH HIM and ONE NIGHT WITH HER by Lauren Blakely

I'm beyond excited about this cover reveal for Lauren Blakely's NIGHTS WITH HIM. Check out the cover, add NIGHTS WITH HIM to your TBR, then check out the special message from Lauren!! And that's not all-I have the cover for the free prequel novella, ONE NIGHT WITH HER, too! That's right! Two amazing covers to share with you today.

Review ~ TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD by Jamie Wesley

Two radio show hosts. One show. Who will come out on top?

In a moment of restlessness, Tate Grayson sold his multimillion-dollar company and spun his love of sports into a radio talk show. Life, and love, is too short to take seriously—a fact he enjoys rubbing in uptight radio host Noelle Butler’s face.

After the death of her parents, a tragedy she blamed on herself, Noelle vowed to live a controlled, focused life. Now a psychologist, she channels her need for connection into her radio show. But when the arrogant sportscaster next door tells listeners men shouldn’t get married, she’s all too happy to yank the silver spoon out of his overprivileged mouth.

Their heated on-air arguments are a hit, but when the station director forces them to do a joint show for two weeks, Tate and Noelle object. They can’t stand each other, despite the attraction sizzling beneath every interaction. But if they can’t pull the struggling radio station back from the brink, they’ll lose their jobs. Or worse, their hearts.

Alyssa Miller is tired of waiting for her next-door neighbor to see her as more than just his best friend. Ready to let off some steam, she heads to Las Vegas for a romance book convention where, if she's lucky, she’ll get down and dirty with one of the sexy cover models.

Dillon Alexander doesn’t do commitment—especially not where his best friend is concerned. She deserves a man who can give her the world, not damaged goods. But when he realizes Alyssa intends to have a one-night stand on her vacation, he hauls ass after her to make sure he’s the one to scratch her itch.

Neither of them expects their explosive chemistry to burn hotter than the lights on the strip, but with a little help from Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, a flamboyant matchmaker, and TSA, what happens in Vegas might not stay in Vegas…

Review ~ SLEEPING WITH THE BOSS by Marissa Clarke

Seducing the enemy has never been so tempting…

For the last five years, bookish Claire Williams has been living for the dying. Now that her stint as caretaker is over, she’s off to see the world. She needs quick cash first, so a temp job at Anderson Auctions seems perfect, especially with the unexpected benefits, including the hottest man she’s ever laid eyes—or hands—on.

Former Marine William Anderson has been burned one time too many. His military training makes him the perfect man to flush out the spy undercutting his family business, but no amount of training can prepare him for the kind of undercover work he’ll have to do when the sexy new temp is implicated. Desire lands them in bed…but duty may cost him his heart.

Spotlight & Giveaway ~ PERSONAL TARGET by Kay Thomas

August’s $229 Giveaway – Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

LOVE UNDER SIEGE

For two blissful years, Katie McCloud has been a mother to Dawn and wife to Dr. Alex Peters. But the violent unrest that brought them all together is once again erupting into their lives. Sent to Cuba to help care for hurricane survivors, Katie and Alex are thrust back into the thick of international espionage—this time, on opposite sides.

Katie thought she'd made peace with the secrets locked tight behind Alex's handsome, brooding facade. But faced with a new danger, those secrets threaten the very bond that holds them together. And Alex? He's finding out that what he holds most precious—Katie and tiny Dawn—is making him way too vulnerable. He's going to have to make a choice…before it's too late.

A SEXY STRANGER

Flirting with danger is reporter Grace Grainger’s modus operandi. But she’s learned the hard way not to grow attached to the soldiers she’s embedded with in Afghanistan. To escape from her pain and loneliness, she fantasizes about the hot night she spent with a gorgeous stranger three years before in D.C. Grace never thought she’d see him again—let alone need him to rescue her . . .

AN EXPLOSIVE NIGHT

Air Force Master Sergeant Josh Travers knows journalists are nothing but trouble. So when he has to risk his team’s lives to save some reporter who’s been separated from her patrol, he’s not happy—until he recognizes her stunning eyes and delicious curves. Josh has never wanted a woman like he wants Grace. He needs her—even in an Afghan cave with a sandstorm and enemy troops closing in. This might be the end for both of them—or one hell of a beginning.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Friday, August 29, 2014

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Monday, August 25, 2014

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Friday, August 22, 2014

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Monday, August 18, 2014

Friday, August 15, 2014

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Monday, August 11, 2014

Friday, August 8, 2014

Thursday, August 7, 2014