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Thursday, July 9, 2020

Early Review: The Rivals by Vi Keeland

It’s hard to say anything was the "Best of the Year" in the year that most of us want to forget. The Rivals by Vi Keeland finally gives 2020 something we want to remember and cherish! The Rivals will release on 7.13.2020! Check out my spoiler-free review below. Read an excerpt here.


Vi Keeland Book Cover



BLURB

The feud between Weston Lockwood and me started at the altar.
Only neither of us attended the wedding, and the nuptials happened decades before either of us was born.
Our grandfathers had been best friends and business partners, at least up until my grandfather’s wedding day—when his bride-to-be blurted out she couldn’t marry him because she was also in love with Weston‘s grandfather. 
The two men spent years fighting over Grace Copeland, who also happened to be their third business partner.  But in the end, neither man could steal half of her heart away from the other.
Eventually, they all went their separate ways.  Our grandfathers married other women, and the two men became one of the biggest business rivals in history.
Our fathers continued the family tradition of feuding.  And then Weston and I did, too.
For the most part, we kept as much distance as possible.
Until the day the woman who started the feud died—and unexpectedly left one of the most valuable hotels in the world to our grandfathers to share.
Now I’m stuck in a hotel with the man I was born to hate, trying to unravel the mess our families inherited.
As usual, it didn’t take long for us to be at each other’s throats. 
Weston Lockwood was everything I hated: tall, smart, cocky, and too gorgeous for his own good.  We were fire and ice. 
But that shouldn’t be an issue. Our families were used to being at war. There was just one minor problem, though.   Every time Weston and I fought, we somehow wound up in bed.




PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon Live Release Alert: https://www.subscribepage.com/i6h3o5 or text BOOKS to 77948 (US only)

Spoiler-free review of The Rivals
The RivalsThe Rivals by Vi Keeland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Vi Keeland Romance

If you think this cover is hot wait until you read Vi Keeland’s sexiest book to date. I loved this story so much!!! Spoiler-free review to follow!

Update:
Pack your bags. You're going on a sexy trip to The Countess hotel, with Weston and Sophia. Holly hell, The Rivals, by Vi Keeland, is downright addictive and seductive! This book is unputdownable. The Rivals is everything that you want in a romance - a solid story, fantastic characters, combustible attraction, and flirty fun. The Rivals is Vi's sexist book to date. I love it when Vi spices things up, and spicy definitely works for Weston and Sophia. I think she took this one to ghost pepper habanero spice level! This rivals-to-lovers romance is dirty, sexy, perfection peppered with a little sweet fun. I can't give enough love to Vi's books. The Rivals is going on my best of 2020 romance book list. July 13th release.

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS
Vi Keeland picture

Sneak Peek: The Rivals by Vi Keeland

Are you excited about Vi Keeland’s upcoming release, The Rivals? Check out this SNEAK PEEK.  This romance book is going to heat up your summer reading list! 


Vi Keeland book

EXCERPT REVEAL
Title: The Rivals
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 13, 2020

BLURB

The feud between Weston Lockwood and me started at the altar.
Only neither of us attended the wedding, and the nuptials happened decades before either of us was born.
Our grandfathers had been best friends and business partners, at least up until my grandfather’s wedding day—when his bride-to-be blurted out she couldn’t marry him because she was also in love with Weston‘s grandfather. 
The two men spent years fighting over Grace Copeland, who also happened to be their third business partner.  But in the end, neither man could steal half of her heart away from the other.
Eventually, they all went their separate ways.  Our grandfathers married other women, and the two men became one of the biggest business rivals in history.
Our fathers continued the family tradition of feuding.  And then Weston and I did, too.
For the most part, we kept as much distance as possible.
Until the day the woman who started the feud died—and unexpectedly left one of the most valuable hotels in the world to our grandfathers to share.
Now I’m stuck in a hotel with the man I was born to hate, trying to unravel the mess our families inherited.
As usual, it didn’t take long for us to be at each other’s throats. 
Weston Lockwood was everything I hated: tall, smart, cocky, and too gorgeous for his own good.  We were fire and ice. 
But that shouldn’t be an issue. Our families were used to being at war. There was just one minor problem, though.   Every time Weston and I fought, we somehow wound up in bed.




PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon Live Release Alert: https://www.subscribepage.com/i6h3o5 or text BOOKS to 77948 (US only)


EXCERPT

Sophia

“What the hell?” I pressed the button on the elevator panel a second time. It illuminated, yet the car continued to sit there. So I jabbed my finger at it a third time. Finally, the doors started to glide closed. Just as they were about to shut completely, a shoe blocked them from closing. 
A wingtip shoe. 
Weston’s smiling face was there to greet me when the doors bounced open. 
My blood was near boiling. “So help me, Lockwood, if you try to get in this car, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you. I’m not in the mood anymore.” 
He entered the elevator anyway. “Come on, Fifi. What’s wrong? I’m just playing around. You’re taking things way too seriously.” 
I counted to ten in my head, but it didn’t help. Fuck it. He wanted to get a rise out of me? He was going to get one. The doors slid shut again, and I turned and backed him into a corner. Seeing my face, he at least had the decency to look a little nervous. 
“You wanna know what’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! My father thinks I’m inept because I don’t have an appendage dangling between my legs. The man I spent the last eighteen months with was cheating on me with one of my cousins. Again. I hate New York City. I despise the Lockwood family. And you think you can get away with anything you want just because you have a big dick.” I jabbed my finger into his chest and punctuated each staccato word with another stab.  
“I’m  
Tired.  
Of.  
Men.  
My father.  
Liam.  
You. 
Every single fucking one of you. So leave me the hell alone!” 
Frazzled, I turned back around and waited for the door to open, only to realize we hadn’t started to move yet. Great. Just fucking great. I jabbed the button a few more times, closed my eyes, and took deep, cleansing breaths as we started to move. Halfway through breath three, I felt the heat of Weston’s body behind me. He had to have moved closer. I continued to try to ignore him.  
But the fucker still smelled good.  
How the hell could that be? Whose cologne lasted for—what had it been now?—twelve hours? After the gauntlet run he’d sent me on across town this morning, I probably smelled like BO. It pissed me off that the asshole smelled...fucking delicious.  
He moved closer, and I felt his breath tickle my neck.  
“So,” he whispered in a gravelly voice. “You think my dick’s big.” 
I turned and scowled at him. While this morning he’d been clean-shaven, he now had a five o’clock shadow all along his chiseled jaw. It gave him a sinister look. The suit that hugged his broad shoulders probably cost more than Liam’s entire sweater wardrobe. Weston Lockwood was everything I hated in a man—wealthy, good looking, cocky, arrogant, and fearless. Liam would hate him. My father already hated him. And at the moment, those were actually Weston’s strong points.  
While I struggled with my body reacting to his scent and how much I liked the stubble on his face, Weston slowly reached out and put a hand on my hip. At first, I assumed he thought he needed to steady me, as he had when I’d wobbled in the bar. Had I wobbled again? I didn’t think I had. But I must’ve. 
Though when his hand glided from my hip around to my ass, there was no misunderstanding his intention. He was not trying to help me stay on my feet. In my head, my immediate reaction was to scream at him, but somehow my throat felt too clogged to speak.  
I made the mistake of looking up from his jaw into his blue eyes. Heat flickered, turning them almost gray, and his eyes dropped to my lips.  
No.  
Just no. 
This was not happening.  
Not again. 
My heart thundered in my chest, and the blood in my ears roared so loudly I almost didn’t hear the ding of the elevator announcing that we’d arrived at my floor. Thankfully it snapped me out of whatever moment of insanity I’d slipped into.  
“I…I need to go.” 
It took all of my focus to put one foot in front of the other, but I managed to walk down the hall and make it to my room.  
Though… 
I wasn’t alone. 


AUTHOR BIO
Vi Keeland Books

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Cover Reveal: The Devil's Crown by Monica James

Dark Romance Book

THE DEVIL’S CROWN 
PART ONE
Monica James 

I was feared.
Respected.
Worshiped.
But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?
My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place.
An orphanage is where I find sanctuary, but when she walks into my world and evokes a yearning I thought long dead, my demons are awakened and want what they can’t have—her. Sooner or later, I knew I’d need to feed the darkness inside me. 
Mayhem, power, and control course through my veins. I will use them to regain my crown, my throne, and then claim her, despite what solemn vows she might’ve made. 
I will break them…and her.

The Devil’s Crown-Part One
Series: All the Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off 
Genre: Dark Romance 
Cover Model: Philippe Leblond @philippe_lablond
Photographer: Ren Saliba @rensaliba
Cover Designer: Sommer Stein—Perfect Pear Creative Covers 

Release date: July 21st

Pre-order your copy NOW:
Add to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ycxadpu6

UK
Australia 
Canada
Bio
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life. 
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends. 

Monday, June 8, 2020

Let's have a summer fling...

SIX FREE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVELLAS FROM SEVEN BEST-SELLING AUTHORS!
Book Freebie

SUMMER IS HEATING UP! 
Six FREE standalone summer themed short stories!

FREE SUMMER FLING ANTHOLOGY   https://dl.bookfunnel.com/vdfm4oqhqx



For a Good Time Call by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward 
Ever see For a good time call scribbled on the bathroom wall of a bar?  Sure you have.  Ever wonder what would happen if you had a few too many drinks and actually called the number? Well now you don’t have to wonder anymore, because I’ll tell you… It blows up in your face when you suddenly realize who Mr. Good Time is. 

Eternal Sunshine by L.J. Shen 
Adam Mackay is my brother's best friend, turned Hollywood heartthrob, who is now my brand new, infuriating boss. 
Sounds complicated? You have no idea... 


Stay Right Here with Me by Willow Winters 
I can’t tell you how many mistakes I’ve made sitting in this very spot in this small town bar. Watching the iron doors swing closed as the broad-shouldered man who just walked in sits across from me, I already know he’s on that list of, “I shouldn’t have done that...”   

Damsel Dude in Distress by Helena Hunting 
I thought I was helping a damsel in distress. Turns out my damsel was actually a hot dude with some bad luck. It started with a broken down car and ended with a gross motel, an indoor campout and a set of Kama Sutra sheets. 

The Beach R.S. Grey 
I’m not supposed to be on vacation with my best friend’s older brother. I’ve wanted him for so long, and now we’re unexpectedly alone in a tropical paradise. Naturally, I packed a lot of bikinis, but I should have brought armor if I want to have any hope of surviving my week away with Noah Martin…or should I say, Dr. Martin. 

Lucky Shot by Sarina Bowen 
Rookie sports agent Bess Beringer gets a real education on the night of her first glitzy New York business dinner. But the things she learns have nothing to do with roster rules or contract negotiation. Luckily, rookie hockey player Mark "Tank" Tankiewicz is a pro-level teacher...   


COVER CREDIT:
Cover designer:  Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative

Book Review: The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott

The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott is LIVE and on my Best Romance Book List for 2020.  Check out my spoiler-free below.  You can download and read the ebook for FREE using Amazon's Kindle Unlimited.  This coming-of-age romance book is perfection. 

Try Kindle Unlimited for FREE for one month: https://amzn.to/3bJ1xEu

Emma Scott Books


At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys…

The Girl in the Love Song, book one in the Lost Boys, an interconnected coming-of-age series of standalones, from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, is live!


Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice. 

Until Violet. 

No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back. 

Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications. 

But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?

The Girl in the Love Song features two original songs written by Emma herself.

Review of The Girl in the Love Song
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
description

The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott rocked my heart and soul. All the stars for this coming-of-age -romance. Every character in the first book in the Lost Boys series was fantastic, and I can’t wait to read River, Holden, and Ronan’s and stories. Can I pre-order the next two standalones in this series? Here, take my money!

Download today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Try Kindle Unlimited for FREE for one month: https://amzn.to/3bJ1xEu
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

About Emma:
Author Emma Scott

Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and heroes with a heart of gold, you will enjoy her novels.


Connect with Emma:
Amazon author link: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ
Facebook: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottFB
Reader group: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottEntourage
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottBB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottIG
Twitter: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottTW
Stay up to date with Emma by joining her mailing list: 
 http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6 
Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Review + Giveaway: Fortuity by Jewel E. Ann

Fortuity, an all-new inspirational and moving standalone contemporary romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jewel E. Ann, is available now! Check out my spoiler-free review below. This new contemporary romance is going on my best of 2020 book list.  Fortuity can be read for FREE using Kindle Unlimited.  I have a signed paperback giveaway on my Instagram page @KindleCrack.  Visit here.

Try Kindle Unlimited for FREE for a month: https://amzn.to/3bJ1xEu



Forty-something Gracelyn Glock is living the dream.
No husband.
No retirement plan.
And since her self-imposed man-ban—no need to shave above her knees.

After a tragic accident, Gracelyn inherits her ten-year-old nephew. She signs a lease on a San Diego beach house and learns their neighbors for the summer are a sexy anatomy professor and his young daughter.

Professor Nathaniel Hunt has spent the last decade being a single dad . . . and not having sex.

So when he discovers Gracelyn has a peculiar outdoor stripping ritual, a million inappropriate thoughts fill his responsible mind.

When kisses are stolen, man-bans are broken, and summer comes to an end, will hearts stay in one piece and hope stay alive? Or will saying goodbye destroy everything?


Download your copy today or read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dphcJD
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/fortuity
Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3dphcJD
Add FORTUITY to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2XVKDyc

Review of Fortuity 
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
description

Professor Nathaniel Hunt meets Gracelyn Glock, and their lives fully intersect in Fortuity (Transcendence 3), which is a standalone romance that transcends the ages. Like Epoch, this story was epic. Nate and Gracelyn’s love story was fortuitous…it was meant to be.

I started to skim the Transcend Duet since I read and obsessed about it almost two years ago. Would I LOVE to see you read the Transcend duet before diving into Fortuity? Yes, because they are two of my favorite books, and you’ll get a deeper understanding of Nate’s complicated existence. This third installment has deeply interconnected elements, but can 100% enjoyed as a standalone.

I snapped at my family while reading this book (more than I usually due when I’m rudely interrupted with screaming). I said, “please let me read this book in peace. It’s about life, death, soulmates, second-chances, and it’s a bit serious, so I’m begging you to please stop screaming. I never beg you guys.” They actually listened! Someone in another dimension had my back. This slice of reading heaven was my fortuitous moment. Like Jewel’s other books, Fortuity took a piece of my heart and put it back together to reincarnate all the feels. It was meant to be.

This book is brilliant. You will find yourself shedding a tear or giggling on any given page. Go into this book blind and experience all the feels. It’s by Jewel E. Ann; you won’t be disappointed. One-click worthy.


Excerpt: 
“What took you two so long? Don’t worry, we saved you some cake.” Mr. Hans smiles from his recliner with Hunter on the sofa, her thumbs dancing along her phone screen. Gabe will get along well with her. 
“Cake, Morgan?” 
My steps falter when I hear Nate’s voice from the kitchen. 
Mr. Hans winks at me. “I invited Nate for cake too.” 
I nod slowly. “I see. Whose birthday is it?” 
“Life is a celebration. Cake needs no excuse.” 
So much for having some time to digest what Nate said to me and my flirty reaction to his kiss comment. I put on a neutral face and drag my timid ass into the kitchen.
“Cake, Gracelyn?” Nate glances up from the counter, a knife in one hand and a plate in his other hand. 
“Mmm … yes, Gracelyn. You want cake.” Morgan rolls her eyes back in her head as she slowly chews a bite, standing next to Nate. 
How am I supposed to look at him when I saw him barely an hour ago and he said he wanted to kiss me, and I returned the desire without the actual kiss? I guess we’re going to be two people who want to kiss but know that it will never happen. 
“Thank you.” I take the cake, giving Nate a two-second glance. It’s all I can give him without completely self-combusting into a pile of ashes. 
“Mr. Hans … this is so good.” Morgan traipses out of the kitchen. 
“It is good. I haven’t had cake in a long time.” I slowly lick the frosting from the fork. 
Nate glances at the floor, eyes narrowed, and hunches down. After a few seconds, I move around to his side of the island.
“Did you drop something?” 
Hunched like a baseball catcher, gaze still to the floor, he crooks a finger at me. 
I set my plate on the counter. “Did you lose a contact lens?” I squat next to him behind the counter. 
He lifts his gaze to meet my squinted eyes. The corner of his mouth bends just as his hand slides behind my head and his lips press to mine. 
 What the hell? 
My lungs freeze while my heart pauses and my mind explodes. There’s no tongue to this kiss, just hungry lips. It knocks me off balance, and I fall to my knees, resting my hands on his shoulders. 
Nate pulls back half an inch, letting his lips hover next to mine, the warmth of his breath covering my stunned mouth. “I’m not even sorry.” He shrugs. 
My mouth opens as if it wants to speak, but I have no idea what to say. 
“Dad …” 
Nate bolts up, leaving me on my knees. “Yes?” 
“Can Hunter use—” Morgan’s eyes narrow at me, my head barely peeking over the counter. “Gracelyn, what are you doing?” 
“I’m …” I give her a tight smile.
Nate says, “Picking up a few crumbs.” 
At the same time, I say, “Tying your dad’s shoe.” 
His explanation is much better. 
Morgan laughs. “Um … okay. You’re both acting weird.” 
I climb to my feet. 
“Can Hunter use what?” Nate asks. 
“Your bike so we can go for a bike ride.” 
“Are you going to stay around here?” 
Morgan nods. “Pinky swear. We won’t go too far.” 
“I’ll need to put the seat down for her.” 
“Yes! Thanks, Dad. I’ll go tell her.” Morgan runs out of the kitchen. 
Nate covers the cake with plastic wrap and nods to my plate with the half-eaten piece of cake. “Are you going to finish that?” 
Cake. He wants to talk about the cake? 
My head inches side to side. 
“Too good to let it go to waste.” He picks up the plate and finishes my cake. 
YOU KISSED ME! 
“By the way …” His gaze remains on the plate as he scoops up the last bite. “Morgan knows I know how to tie my own shoes.” 

About Jewel 
Author photo

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business. 

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing. 

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.


Connect with Jewel
Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her mailing list: 
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