Read Your Writes Book Reviews: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

Review ~ A Touch of Chardonnay by Pamela Gibson

A Touch of Chardonnay (Love in Wine Country, #2)

by: Pamela Gibson

Series: Love in Wine Country

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 28, 2015

Source: Entangled Bliss via NetGalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Entangled | Goodreads

Cultural archeologist Lindsay Reynoso is in a small seaside town in California to evaluate an old mansion. When the home's owner shows up to “help” the evaluation along, Lindsay is furious. Especially as the owner is former bad-boy tennis star Christopher Brandt…her one-time fling and the father of Lindsay's son. Only he doesn't know it.

As far as Chris is concerned, the old mansion is tied to a past he's better off leaving behind. He'd rather bulldoze the thing and move on. If only his gorgeous consultant would let him. Even while fighting over the demolition, the chemistry that once brought them together is smoldering stronger than ever.

But honesty is very important to Chris, and Lindsay has an eight-year-old secret…

Feature & Giveaway ~ OPPOSING THE COWBOY by Margo Bond Collins

Review ~ MALIBU BETRAYALS by MK Meredith

Malibu Betrayals (Malibu Sights, #1)

by: MK Meredith

Series: Malibu Sights

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Source: Entangled Publishing via NetGalley

Can a Hollywood Hunk find real love? Find out in the latest from Select Contemporary...

Her chance to write a whole new ending...

Hollywood screenwriter Samantha Dekker spent the last year picking up the pieces after her husband's suicide. Along with grief, guilt, and tabloid hell, she's had to watch helplessly as the film industry slammed its doors in her face. Now Sam has the rarest of Hollywood opportunities - a second chance...working with the one man she swore never to see again.

Hunktastic A-lister Gage Cutler knows that Sam blamed him for his part in her husband's death. Still, Sam is the one woman he can never forget. All he wants is a second chance of his own - to prove he's not the player she remembers. And Malibu is the perfect backdrop to make a girl swoon.

Except they're not alone. Someone is watching Sam and Gage's steamy off-screen romance with the most dangerous of intentions...

Review ~ AN OBSESSION WITH VENGEANCE by Nancy Haviland

An Obsession with Vengeance (Wanted Men, #3)

by: Nancy Haviland

Series: Wanted Men

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 21, 2015

Source: Montlake Romance via NetGalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Maksim Kirov is a mobster who gets what he wants, both at his posh gentleman’s club in Hell’s Kitchen and in the bedroom. Sexy, dangerous, and obsessed with control, he’s risen through the ranks to become a highly respected leader in the tight-knit Tarasov crime syndicate. He rules with an iron fist…until he meets Sydney Martin.

The Australian-born Sydney is determined to refuse Maks’s advances, despite their electrifying chemistry. The owner of a neighboring nightclub, Sydney rules her own domain. But when a deal with a Mexican drug cartel goes terribly wrong, she has no choice but to turn to Maksim and the Tarasov organization for protection. Could giving in to their intense attraction be what saves both Maks and Sydney? Or will their all-consuming passion—and her shocking secret—destroy their lives?

In the hot and scandalous third installment of the Wanted Men series, lust and loyalty clash in New York’s mob underworld.

HOLD ME CLOSE by Shannyn Schroeder Guest Post & Giveaway

Hold Me Close (The O’Learys, #6)

by: Shannyn Schroeder

Series: The O’Learys

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 21, 2015

Source: Publisher ~ Kensington via NetGalley

Leave it to the O’Learys to make romance a family affair…

Maggie O’Leary is finally coming home to Chicago. After more than a year in Ireland, she’s ready to make a plan for her future. But first, she’ll have to confront the tragedy that scarred her so deeply. Asking for a job in the family bar is the first step, and it’s one her family isn’t entirely happy about. At least Shane Callahan, her best friend in the world, is behind her a hundred percent. He’s also a hundred percent more lovable than she remembered…

Shane is determined to keep Maggie safe, even if it means working three jobs and giving up sleep to be around during her shifts at the bar. But when Maggie boldly tells him she needs more than a loyal friend now, Shane knows a single night together won’t be possible. The idea of spirited Maggie in his bed is electrifying, but will she believe he wants to give her his heart, too?

Romantic Suspense Review ~ OUT OF CHARACTER by Diana Miller

Out of Character

by: Diana Miller

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Source: Kensington Lyrical Shine via NetGalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Goodreads

Stepping out of your comfort zone can be hazardous…

Denver, Colorado, ER doctor Jillian Rodgers has never done an impulsive thing in her life. But all that changes when she meets the man of her dreams on a ski vacation. Within twenty-four hours, they’ve spent a passionate night together and Jillian is convinced she’s halfway in love. After all, she figures the worst that can happen is she’ll go home with a broken heart…

But the man pretending to be an ordinary guy is far from it. In fact, he shouldn’t get anywhere near Jillian. Yet there’s something about her he can’t resist—and she’s perfect for his cover. Besides, he’s sure he isn’t endangering her.

Unfortunately, they’re both wrong.

When someone uses their chairlift for target practice, Jillian ends up wounded—and her dream man promptly disappears. Within days, her car explodes. Just when things can’t get any worse, she’s kidnapped at gunpoint. Soon Jillian’s running for her life and forced to depend on the man who deserted her, a man who claims he’s trying to protect her but whose story has more holes than a gauze bandage. A man Jillian once thought she loved, but now isn’t sure she should even trust.

Mystery/Thriller Review ~ THE REDEEMERS by Ace Atkins

The Redeemers (Quinn Colson Novel, #5)

by: Ace Atkins

Series: Quinn Colson

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: July 21, 2015

Source: Penguin/G.P. Putnam’s Sons via NetGalley

The electrifying new novel in New York Times–bestselling author Ace Atkins’s acclaimed series about the real Deep South.

He is only in his early thirties, but now Quinn Colson is jobless—voted out of office as sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, thanks to the machinations of county kingpin Johnny Stagg. He has offers, in bigger and better places, but before he goes, he’s got one more job to do—bring down Stagg’s criminal operations for good.

At least that’s the plan. But in the middle of the long, hot summer, a trio of criminals stage a bold, wall-smashing break-in at the home of a local lumber mill owner, making off with a million dollars in cash from his safe, which is curious, because the mill owner is wealthy—but not that wealthy. None of this has anything to do with Colson, but during the investigation, two men are killed, one of them the new sheriff. His friend, acting sheriff Lillie Virgil, and a dangerous former flame, Anna Lee Stevens, both ask him to step in, and reluctantly he does, only to discover that that safe contained more than just money—it held secrets.

Secrets that could either save Colson—or destroy him once and for all.

I found books on sale!!!!

Even the Score (Tall, Dark, and Texan, #1)

by: Kate Meader

Series: Tall, Dark, and Texan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 21, 2015

Source: Publisher ~ Entangled: Lovestruck

He'll make her an offer she can't refuse...

Actress Tess McKenzie is performing in the Tenth Circle of Showbiz Hell-dinner theater. All she really wants is to start a theater of her own. Then Tess receives an offer she can't refuse. She'll get her funding...if she pretends to be the fiancée to her nemesis, Texan property tycoon Hunter Dade. If she's going to pull this off, she'll need all the luck she can get.Break a leg, indeed.

On the verge of a big business deal, Hunter needs to hire a fiancée. He hasn't quite forgiven Tess for ruining his wedding, but when their chemistry goes from combative to straight-up lust, the "no sex" clause in their mutually beneficial arrangement is tested. Which is a serious problem, because if Tess isn't careful, she'll go from breaking a leg to breaking her heart...

New Releases for the week of July 20, 2015

Review ~ TROUBLE ON TAP by Avery Flynn

Trouble on Tap (Sweet Salvation Brewery, #3)

by: Avery Flynn

Series: Sweet Salvation Brewery

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 14, 2015

Source: Rock Star Lit PR via NetGalley

What fun is life without a little bit of trouble?

Retired supermodel and forever wild child Olivia Sweet is nothing but trouble. The youngest Sweet triplet is back in her hometown, but instead of a triumphant return it’s a parade of humiliations. She’s broke, homeless and dealing with the fallout from her scumbag ex-boyfriend publishing naked pictures of her to a revenge porn website.

Staid and stalwart veteran Mateo Garcia has seen more trouble than a man ever should in his lifetime. He’s gone from pretty boy Marine to a small town police chief with a chip on his shoulder and scars covering the left side of his face. Now his former lover, Olivia, is back in town and living next door.

When the two are forced to work together to fix up the crumbling veterans’ center, the sparks fly between the beauty and the man who sees himself as a beast. Not everyone is happy that Olivia is back home though and Mateo has to choose between the town who wants her gone and an uncertain future with a woman who he thinks could never love him…

Janel Gradowski's DOUGHNUTS & DEADLY SCHEMES Blog Tour & Guest Post

A Dark Lure

by: Loreth Anne White

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller

Release Date: July 1, 2015

Source: Montlake via NetGalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository | Goodreads

Twelve years ago, Sarah Baker was abducted by the Watt Lake Killer and sexually assaulted for months before managing to escape. The killer was caught, but Sarah lost everything: her marriage, her child, and the life she loved.

Struggling with PTSD, Sarah changes her name to Olivia West and finds sanctuary working on Broken Bar Ranch. But as her scars finally begin to heal, a cop involved with her horrific case remains convinced the Watt Lake Killer is still out there. He sets a lure for the murderer, and a fresh body is discovered. Now Olivia must face the impossible—could the butcher be back, this time to finish the job?

As a frigid winter isolates the ranch, only one person can help Olivia: Cole McDonough, a writer, adventurer, and ranch heir who stirs long-dormant feelings in her. But this time, Olivia’s determination to shut out her past may destroy more than her chance at love. It could cost her her life.

Skye Warren's LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE is on sale for #99cents

Guest Post with Christi Barth, author of BACK TO US (Shore Secrets, #3)

Back to Us (Shore Secrets, #3)

by: Christi Barth

Series: Shore Secrets

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 9, 2015

Source: Author

Ward Cantrell always went for the long shot. But that recklessness cost him his college scholarship and his chance to play pro ball, and—worst of all—it ended his relationship with the girl next door. Neither the town nor the girl has ever forgiven him. Now he's taking one last long shot by opening a boutique distillery on the family farm he inherited.

Piper Morrissey spent high school in Ward's shadow, but she's come into her own in the years since. Maintaining her spotless image, and that of her family's winery, is priority number one. Nobody knows that she still yearns for her golden-boy ex. Or at least they didn't—until Ward agrees to sell Piper the land she needs to start her precious port line. The caveat? She'll need to date him for one month.

Ward hopes a month is all it'll take to convince his former sweetheart that while he's changed, his love for her hasn't. But when the chance arises to thumb his nose at the town that turned its back on him, he can't afford not to reject Piper's offer. Will that make her reject him and his love—for good?

Friday, July 31, 2015

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Monday, July 27, 2015

Friday, July 24, 2015

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Monday, July 20, 2015

Friday, July 17, 2015

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Monday, July 13, 2015