Releasing Now: I Want (Enamorado #2) by Ella Fox

Title: I Want
Series: Enamorado #2
Author: Ella Fox
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 8, 2017

 

Blurb
Billionaire
businessman Alejandro Cruz detests the dating process and is perfectly content
to stay single. But that all changes the moment the quirky house sitter from
next door falls into his arms, and his immediate instinct is to hold on tight
and never let go. California girl Kaya Porter has a “just say no”
approach to dating. No matter how sexy and irresistible Alejandro is, she vows
not to fall for him. Alejandro has other plans. This sexy Spaniard knows what
he wants, and there’s nothing he won’t do to make Kaya realize that they belong
together. Will Alejandro get the girl or will he be left wanting more than Kaya
is willing to give?
I Want is book two
of the Enamorado (In Love) series. Each book will feature one of the Cruz
brothers and can be read as a standalone.

Purchase Links

99c for Release Day ONLY!!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Available at other retailers soon

 

Excerpt

“Climb gates around here often?” he asked, no censure in his voice. I realized he spoke English as fluently as he spoke Spanish.He was clad in navy basketball shorts, a pair of Nike running shoes and he was just sweaty enough for me to realize he’d likely been working out. I swear I was hypnotized by all of his exposed skin, so much so that I could just about remember my own name at that moment. I’d have blamed the fall for my dazed and confused frame of mind but that wasn’t it at all. It was purely because of him—the sexy Spanish-speaking god who’d saved me from certain harm. My eyes trailed along his muscular but lean body hungrily as I catalogued just how ridiculously gorgeous he was. I was hypnotized by his six-pack and the set of V-cut muscles I had an insane urge to trail my fingers over.

I’d have kept right on staring had he not cleared his throat. I cringed as I came back to reality and realized he’d asked a question I hadn’t retained.

“Um, huh?” I asked, perfectly clueless.

“I was asking if you’re a professional gate climber,” he said huskily.

“No, I—”

“She’s really fine after a fall from that height?” the officer asked as he came through the gate.

“She never hit the ground,” my savior said, “since I caught her.”

The cop looked almost as impressed as I felt. I’d have heaped praised onto the stranger who saved me had I not remembered that I needed to be focused on a more pressing concern.

“So now that I’m on this side I really need to get my—”

The officer pinned me with a look that left no doubt that he was in charge. “Miss, please remain silent while I work out what’s going on here.”

I pursed my lips and tried to contain my annoyance. I knew he was just doing his job but all I cared about was finding Elvis.

The officer turned back to the Spanish model—I naturally assumed he modeled because he looked like he belonged in sensual looking black and white ads for men’s cologne. You know the kind of ads I’m talking about, right? There’s always a sexy guy giving you the let’s have all the sex look with a set of eyes that are clearly attempting to hypnotize you into buying something.

He was at least six feet tall and had a head full of thick, dark hair. His face was perfectly proportioned from forehead to chin, and I could find nothing that didn’t appear to be symmetrical. He had a ridiculously sexy closely trimmed beard that I wanted to trace with my fingers and his jaw was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I turned crimson when my eyes trailed up and met his and I realized he was observing me—which meant he knew I’d been staring at him. Again.

I bit my lip and tried not to blush as I blinked like an idiot. I was relieved to have a reason to look to the police officer when he cleared his throat to get our attention. “Are you the one who called about the disturbance down the side of the house?” he asked.

I couldn’t resist the urge to let my eyes wander back to the Spanish god. I knew just enough Spanish to determine that if his looks were rated on the salsa scale he’d be called el más caliente.

His eyes were on me as he answered the cop. “My brother called, yes.”

“What’s your name, sir?”

“Alejandro Cruz.”

Even his name was sexy. My skin felt hot and prickly under his gaze. Anxious for a reprieve, I looked back to the officer.

The cop nodded as he took note of it on his pad. “And your brother’s name?”

“Rafael Cruz.”

“And you?” the cop asked with a head nod toward me.

“Kaya Porter.”

“Can you spell that?”

“K-a-y-a,” I answered.

“That’s a weird name,” the officer said as he wrote it down.

I wasn’t sure if he was being rude or not so I shrugged and said nothing. Alejandro growled something under his breath that I couldn’t understand. A shiver went down my back at the way the words rolled off his tongue. His Spanish accent fascinated me. I’d never been one to care one way or the other about a man’s voice, but his did things to me. I wondered if audio erotica was a thing. If it were, I would pay a subscription fee to hear him talk all day.

“So were you trying to escape or get in?” the officer asked, ruining my good fantasy about an Alejandro Cruz dirty talk subscription service.

“I was trying to get in,” I answered stiffly, annoyed that the officer had already forgotten everything I’d said, “I told you—”

“No, no, she is not the disturbance,” Alejandro interjected. “My brother thought someone was trying to steal God only knows what from the exterior of the house. He was asleep and heard something outside his bedroom window and panicked. He shouldn’t have called the police—it’s animal control that we need. Some dickhead bird went through the trash that my brother forgot to secure and he’s been leading him on one hell of a chase around the yard.”

My eyes narrowed and my hands went to my hips as I stared down the model. “Don’t talk about my little buddy like that,” I snapped.

 

 

Also Available

99c for a limited time
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / iBOOKS

Author Bio
Ella Fox is the USA Today Bestselling Author of The Hart
Family Series, Consequences of Deception, The Catch Series and The Renegade
Series. When she’s not writing, Ella indulges the gypsy in her blood and
travels the country. Ella loves reading, movies, music, buying make-up, reading
Tmz, Twitter and pedicures… not necessarily in that order. She has a wild sense
of humor and loves to laugh. Her favorite thing in the world is hanging out
with her family and watching comedy movies.

Releasing Now: We Own Tonight by Corinne Michaels

 

 

From New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Corinne Michaels, comes a sexy new STANDALONE romance novel.

WE OWN TONIGHT is available now!

 

I’m not a one-night stand kind of woman. I’m especially not the woman who has a few drinks at a concert and ends up in bed with my childhood celebrity crush, Eli Walsh.

However, that’s exactly where I find myself.

What’s a girl to do after a drunken mistake? Run. I grab my clothes and get away from the powerful, irresistible, and best-sex-of-my-life superstar as fast as I can. His gorgeous green eyes, rock-hard body, and cocky smile have no place in my world. My life is complicated enough.

Someone forgot to tell him that.

Eli is relentless. Pushing his way into my heart, wearing me down, proving he’s nothing like I assumed, and everything I need. But when my world shatters to pieces, he holds the broken bits together. Unwillingly, I fall desperately in love with him.

He made me think we’d have forever . . . I should’ve listened when he said we could only own tonight.

 

WOT_Teaser 8_7

 

PURCHASE NOW!

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Amazon Paperback  Amazon

 

WOT_Teaser1

 

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels is the author of nine romance novels. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

 

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Amazon Author Page | Corinne Michaels Facebook Group

 

 

Review Post: Wild Thing by Liberty Laine

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HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO LIBERTY LAINE!

WILD THING IS LIVE ON AMAZON!

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Wild Thing by Liberty Laine
Standalone Romantic Comedy Novella
I’ve waited my whole life to catch her. They call her a criminal. A con-woman. A thief and too wild for her own good. But me? I just call her mine. –Officer Nathan Trent.
He’s one of the good guys. Honorable. Reliable. I’ve loved him since we were kids. But there’s no way I’ll let my wild ways tarnish his squeaky clean reputation. No matter how badly I wish he was mine. –Tillie Coletrain
Warning: This novella is chock full of sexy times, ridiculous shenanigans, and surprise weddings. You’re welcome.
WTJHR
ADD TO YOUR TBR ON GOODREADS!
PURCHASE FOR 99CENTS OR READ FOR FREE WITH KU!
Read book one, Jail House Rock, for FREE for a limited time only!
WILD THING TEASER NATE 2WILD THING TEASER NATEBeautiful young woman with pin-up make-up and hairstyle posing in studio.
Have you read book one, JAIL HOUSE ROCK?
Grab your copy for FREE today!

*****5 Fun and fantastic stars*****

Wild Thing was a quick, satisfying, and all kinds of fiery and fun read that I loved every word of! From start to finish this book this book had me blushing, had me smiling like crazy, and had me laughing out loud with these characters and the antics they get into. Liberty Laine once again created a story I could not put down, and one that gave me such a fun and enjoyable read with the best amount of spice a girl could ask for!

After having loved every fantastic word of Jail House Rock by this author, I had no doubt that I would love this story just as much. While you don’t have to necessarily read Jail House Rock to read this book, I would definitely recommend that story because it’s all kinds of fantastic, and plus you won’t want to miss Millie and Jake’s story too. Those two are to die for in the best possible way. Plus reading that book will have you even more in love with this series, and will have you so ready for more with all of the distinctive and wonderful characters that make up this world.

Wild Thing follows Tillie, Millie’s twin sister, who everyone thinks is a criminal and is always up to no good. The events of this story follow her and Officer Nathan Trent as he does everything in his power to show Tillie that she’s his, all while she’s trying not to dirty him and his good guy reputation up. What I loved about this story was that it really allowed these characters to show who they truly were, to fight for what they really wanted even when the other person didn’t make it so easy, all while they had some of the most memorable moments and antics together. Wild Thing had the perfect amount of romance, swoonworthy moments, as well as so many moments that practically had me crying I was laughing so hard.

This book was over the top, sassy, fun, and full of fire and heart in the best possible way, and I truly can’t say enough good things about it! I loved Tillie and Nate so much. I loved their hearts, I loved getting to see and experience the real them, I loved that they had so much connection and feeling between them, and I just loved how they pushed each other’s buttons in a way that no one else could. If you are looking for a quick, well written, and highly enjoyable read that will give you the laughs, the feels, and some serious heat, then run yourself to this book this very second!!!

Liberty Laine rocked it once again, and I for one can’t wait for more of their writing, their characters, and their stories! (Cough Hannah’s book cough cough!) This series is so fun, so darn good to read, and just so enjoyable, and I am telling you you will love it! It will make you laugh, melt in the best way, and just love what you’re reading, and trust me when I say it doesn’t get better than that!

MEET LIBERTY LAINE:
Liberty Laine is a writing duo made up of two smart-mouthed best friends who have a passion for romance and reading. They can usually be found together at their local Mexican restaurant with a margarita in one hand and a chip covered in cheese dip in the other. They spend their days being desperate housewives, blogging about books, and using all of their willpower not to eat all the cake and donuts.
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Review Post: Rebel (The Renegades #3) by Rebecca Yarros

 

We are so excited to be sharing Rebecca Yarros’s REBEL with you today! REBEL is the third standalone in the Renegades series and is out now–hurry and grab your copy today!

 

About REBEL

She’s Penna Carstairs.

The Renegade they call Rebel.

FMX-treme Magazine’s sexiest female athlete of the year.

There’s no rule in extreme sports she hasn’t broken,

No gender barrier she hasn’t demolished.

 

She’s the woman I met in a bar in Vegas.

The woman I illegally BASE jumped for.

The woman I spent one insane, incredible night with.

But now I’m screwed.

Or rather…not screwed.

 

Because the woman I can’t get out of my head is the one woman I can never touch again.

I’m Dr. Cruz Delgado—the youngest professor on this campus,

And Penelope Carstairs just walked into my class.

 

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

*****5 Unforgettably Amazing Stars*****

Rebel by Rebecca Yarros was one of the most passionate, electrifying, adrenaline pumping, and all-consuming reads I have EVER read! I LOVED this book. I loved it like I love chocolate and coffee, and if you know me, then you know that’s saying something. This book owned me mind, body and soul from start to finish. It owned my feels, my emotions, and practically every breath I had as it gave me every ounce of what Penelope and Cruz shared. From their first unforgettable meeting, to every heart stopping moment in between that and when they realize the situation they’ve found themselves in, to every emotional and all-feeling moment they share as they explore what’s between them. Every word of this book owned me, wowed me, and blew me away.

Rebecca Yarros once again threw me right into the thick of it with these characters in a way that felt wholly authentic, in a way that let me experience all of the enrapturing thrills they were, and in a way that invested me 100% in every bit of feeling they were sharing and building together. From start to finish she had me living and experiencing every one of her magnificent words, and it honestly made for the most breathtaking of reading experiences. From the very first page of this book I was swept up into the magic and spark bursting out of these characters, and I could not get enough of it. The Renegades is one of my all-time favorite series, so being back in this world with what Rebecca Yarros so fantastically creates was everything.

Rebel is the third book in this series, and while you could read it without reading the others, I highly recommend reading these books in order. These characters, their thrills and stunts, and the unforgettable shenanigans they get into will have you swooning, shocked, and loving every single moment you get with them along the way. Trust me. This series is ahhhmazing. It is full of twists and turns, so much passion, so much emotion, and a set of friends who are more like family, who would do whatever it takes for each other and for the ones they love.

Each and every book in this series has given me a different story to love. You had Pax and Leah, then Rachel and Landon, and last but certainly not least is Penna and Cruz. What I have loved about this series is that while each book has given me a unique story, all of these characters fit together, all of their stories have an edge and intensity to them, and all of them push the boundaries both literally and figuratively with what is and isn’t allowed. Rebel was the final book in this series, and I can’t say enough how fitting of an ending this book was for the Renegades. It was them, through and through. It had everything I have come to love about this series, and it just amplified that love tenfold. It made me even more invested in this world and its characters, and the way Rebecca Yarros so seamlessly brought it all to life is something I will never forget.

Even as I sit here writing this review, I just keep reliving all that Rebecca Yarros gave me in Rebel. She gave me a story of forbidden love that pushed the boundaries in every way possible, that was intense as all get out, and yet in the same breath was so easy to believe in and fight for with all that I had. She gave me a story about what it’s like to find that one person who truly gets you, who allows you to become the best you you can be, and who helps you reach your highest potential. She gave me a story that had the perfect level of romance, swoon worthy moments, adrenaline pumping thrills and stunts, all with the charm and distinctive dynamics of all of these characters. She gave me a story that was memorable in every way, a story that gripped my heart from the very first page, a story that wowed me at every turn, and in the end, a story that I know I will never forget.

I have wanted to get my hands on this book ever since I met Penelope in the first book in this series. She is such a strong female character with some serious fire, and I knew that her book would be one that would keep me on my toes. Boy was I right about that. From the very first page of this story Penna’s charm, humor, and fire burst off the pages, and the more I read, the more I saw the real her. The more I got her. The more I saw Penelope, not Penna, and the more I understood exactly what things were like for her. While Penelope is probably one of the strongest female characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading, I loved that this book gave me her vulnerable side. It let me see her in some very raw moments, in moments where she struggled with herself, with her family, and with the feelings she was developing towards Cruz. Getting those raw and honest moments with her, and getting to be with her as she came into her own, as she became the woman she wanted to be, and as that fire within her reignited once again was exceptional. It was real, it was inspiring, and it was Penelope through every word…and that is something I know I will never forget.

Cruz’s character was one that melted my heart from the very start. He just had this way about him that made my heart go all fluttery. Whether it was the protective nature that exuded out of him, his genuine nature that melted my heart, or the words that came out of that mans mouth that were true and honest and just so heartfelt, I loved everything about his character. I loved how he just went with the craziness and intensity that was the Renegades and Penelope, I loved that he fought so hard to find the balance between what he was comfortable with and what Penelope was comfortable with. I loved that he was a man of honor, a man trying to do the right thing and to do right by Penelope, and I loved that he felt with all that he had. Sure he fought against what was building between them, but when push came to shove and things became so very real, he wasn’t afraid to do what needed to be done or to feel what he so desperately wanted to.

Cruz was the swooniest male character, and I swear there were so many times when reading this book when I just wanted to jump into the book and profess my love for him and all that he and Penelope shred. What those two share is bursting with fire and intensity and a forbidden nature that takes it to the next level, but both Penelope and Cruz aren’t afraid to raise that bar. What those two share and what they give you in this book will bring you to your knees at points, will have you blushing at others, will have you swooning and melting and just basking in it all, and will have you feeling every ounce of feeling they share for one another. They push and they pull, they fight and they make up, they give and they get, and in the end, all of that build and builds and builds some more until you’re left with one of the most mesmerizing and enrapturing love stories you’ll ever experience.

Through every twist and turn and up and down this book throws at these two, they face it head on, and you will love every amazing moment you get with them as they fight for themselves, each other, and what they share together. And trust me when I say that you will be so wholly invested in them and everything they share. I think it’s humanly impossible not to believe in these two and what they share together. Sure it might not be allowed, it might push the boundaries a bit, and it might push these two further than they ever thought they’d go, but through every word you will be right there with them living it, loving it, and experiencing every breath of it, and it honestly doesn’t get better than that.

What starts off as fun and forays into the forbidden soon becomes so much more in this book. It’s one wild and crazy and heart pumping ride, but through it all Penelope and Cruz will see you through, and in the end, what you get with them will blow your heart and all of your feels away.

As sad as I am to know that this series is over, I could not have asked for a better ending. It was perfect. It was real, it was fitting, and it had me on the edge of my seat until the very end, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the Renegades. It was wild and crazy and bursting with the best kind of emotion from start to finish, and that was them. It was Pax, Leah, Rachel, Landon, Penelope and Cruz. It was their family, their friendships, their loves. It was their highs and lows, it was all of their intense and thrill seeking stunts, and in the end it was them. It was their hearts, their feelings, and every ounce of fight it took them to get to where they all were. When I reached that last of this book I did so with a smile on my face, a few tears brimming my eyes, and heart that was so full for these characters and where they all ended up.

This series exemplified what it means to fight with all you have for the love and life you want. It was all about putting it all out there, giving it all you’ve got, and showing up when it really matters. Rebel was the perfect ending to this amazing series, and I truly could not have asked for more. This book was romance and intensity and love at its finest, and getting what I did with these characters through every page of this book and this series is something I will never forget.

Love is worth the risk. Taking a chance and a leap of faith is worth the risk. Giving into the world of feeling you share with someone is worth the risk. Falling is worth the risk….because with all of that, you fall and then you fly and then you truly have it all. The Renegades Series by Rebecca Yarros delivered 3 unique love stories that give you all of that and more, and I truly can’t say enough how much I loved every word of these books! Rebecca Yarro’s writing and storytelling are in a league of their own, and I am telling you, if you give these books and this series a chance, you will not be sorry!!

 

 

EXCERPT

“Oh God, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

That.” He pointed toward my mouth. “Everything I told you in Vegas is still true. You’re still gorgeous, still sexy as hell, still everything that draws me in like a damned magnet, but you’re also everything I can’t have. Don’t you get that? When you pull shit like that on the dance floor, you successfully drive me batshit crazy, watching you in some guy’s arms.” A small laugh escaped him. “Like that kid has any idea what to do with you if he actually managed to catch you.”

“And you do?”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t challenge me like that.”

The tension stretched between us for a quiet moment until I broke the silence. “I didn’t kiss him.”

“I’m well aware, because if you had, I’m not sure if I could have let him walk out of here, and that’s dangerous, Penelope. You are dangerous to me.”

“I’m sorry,” I said truthfully. “Logically, I know nothing can happen between us. I get it. But I see you, and all I can think about is the way you kissed me in Vegas. The way you touched me. I can’t just erase those memories, Cruz. Like I said, somehow you make me do stupid things.”

“You? I make you do stupid things?” he nearly yelled, and I was thankful for the loud, driving beat of the music beyond the office doors. “Woman, I got into a strange car for you. Illegally BASE jumped off a Ferris wheel to stay close to you. Went to jail for you, and I make you do stupid things?”

He stalked forward, his movements smooth like a predator, and a low hum filled my stomach, growing stronger with every step he took.

“I let you stay in my class. Stupid. I look for every reason to run into you, while simultaneously praying you’ll stay far away because I need this job. Stupid. I take one look at you in that fucking dress, and I’m so hard I’m afraid I can’t hide it in a room full of students. Stupid. I can’t stop thinking about the way you taste, the way you open up under me, the way your nails left little half-moons in my shoulders when I found how wet you were for me.”

If he got his hands anywhere near me, he’d find out I was just as wet now. God, his words were the biggest turn-on I’d ever experienced. Next to his abs. Or his arms. Or his mouth. Crap, the man was one giant sex package begging to be unwrapped.

“Cruz,” I whispered as he cupped my face with one hand, his thumb rubbing over my lower lip, while he caged me against the desk with the other.

My tongue licked across the tip of his finger, unable to help myself.

“God, Penelope. You could cost me everything, and yet I’m still in here with you. And this might be the worst choice of all.”

His mouth met mine in a kiss that sent my senses reeling. His tongue swept in, claiming every curve he might have missed last time, until it felt like my mouth belonged to him.

 

 

DON’T MISS THE OTHER RENEGADES BOOKS!

 

WILDER

I’m Paxton Wilder.

Motocross phenom & adrenaline junkie.

I have more tattoos than scars.

And I’ve never seen a stunt I couldn’t pull off—

Or a girl I can’t get off.

Until she walks in.

 

My new tutor is sexy, smart, more stubborn than I am, and one hundred percent off limits.

That’s right—the only rule this semester is Don’t Touch the Tutor.

For the first time in my life, I want someone I can’t have.

She’s the girl who obeys every rule.

I’m the guy who breaks them.

Our biggest risk is falling for each other,

But I live for risk…

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

 

NOVA

The only heart he wants is the one he already broke…

He’s Landon Rhodes.

The Renegade they call Nova.

Sinfully gorgeous, broody, tatted-up, professional snowboarder.

Four-time X Games medalist—

Full-time heartbreaker.

They say a girl broke him once—

That’s why he’s so reckless, so driven, so careless with his conquests.

But I’m that girl.

They can call me his curse all they want.

He and I both know the truth—

He’s the one who destroyed me,

And I’m not the sucker who will let that happen again.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

 

About REBECCA YARROS

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, chocolate, and Paleo. She is the author of the Flight & Glory, Renegades, and Legacy series. She loves military heroes, and has been blissfully married to hers for fifteen years.

When she’s not writing, she’s tying hockey skates for her four sons, sneaking in some guitar time, or watching brat-pack movies with her two daughters. She lives in Colorado with the hottest Apache pilot ever, their rambunctious gaggle of kids, an English bulldog who is more stubborn than sweet, and a tortoise who might be faster than the bulldog. They recently adopted their youngest daughter from the foster system, and Rebecca is passionate about helping others do the same.

 

Connect with Rebecca!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

Releasing Now: Rebel (Renegades #3) by Rebecca Yarros

 

We are so excited to be sharing Rebecca Yarros’s REBEL with you today! REBEL is the third standalone in the Renegades series and is out now–hurry and grab your copy today!

 

About REBEL

She’s Penna Carstairs.

The Renegade they call Rebel.

FMX-treme Magazine’s sexiest female athlete of the year.

There’s no rule in extreme sports she hasn’t broken,

No gender barrier she hasn’t demolished.

 

She’s the woman I met in a bar in Vegas.

The woman I illegally BASE jumped for.

The woman I spent one insane, incredible night with.

But now I’m screwed.

Or rather…not screwed.

 

Because the woman I can’t get out of my head is the one woman I can never touch again.

I’m Dr. Cruz Delgado—the youngest professor on this campus,

And Penelope Carstairs just walked into my class.

 

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

 

EXCERPT

“Welcome to Latin American History.”

At that deep, lightly accented voice, my pen fell to the paper, as useless as my brain.

“This class will also serve as your Study At Sea seminar, which means I have the joy of getting to know each of you very well over the next three months since you’ll be writing a thirty-page thesis for me.”

The class groaned, and I slowly dragged my eyes from the paper, past the neck of the red-haired boy in front of me, to the man who stood at the head of our class, casually leaning against his desk. I took in the way his pants hugged his hips, the contrast of his rolled white button-down against his tanned skin, and the loose green tie at his throat. My gaze caught on his lips, the strong line of his nose and cheekbones, to the melty chocolate eyes that were focused on the other side of the room as he addressed the students there. His hair looked like he’d run his hands through it more than a few times, and his teeth flashed white when he grinned, those panty-dissolving dimples appearing.

My heart stopped beating and my breath froze in my lungs, as if the slightest motion would make him disappear. A rush of heat flushed my skin, and the knot in my chest loosened, unraveling as surely as my body had the last time I’d seen him.

“So let’s get started, shall we? I just flew in from the States today, but I’ll be sure to learn all of your names by the end of the week. Now if you’ll let me have this moment, I’ve been waiting eight years to say it— My name is Dr. Delgado.”

Two thoughts slammed into me simultaneously.

One—Delgado. At least now I knew his last name.

Two—Holy. Fucking. Shit. Cruz was my professor.

 

 

DON’T MISS THE OTHER RENEGADES BOOKS!

 

WILDER

I’m Paxton Wilder.

Motocross phenom & adrenaline junkie.

I have more tattoos than scars.

And I’ve never seen a stunt I couldn’t pull off—

Or a girl I can’t get off.

Until she walks in.

 

My new tutor is sexy, smart, more stubborn than I am, and one hundred percent off limits.

That’s right—the only rule this semester is Don’t Touch the Tutor.

For the first time in my life, I want someone I can’t have.

She’s the girl who obeys every rule.

I’m the guy who breaks them.

Our biggest risk is falling for each other,

But I live for risk…

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NOVA

The only heart he wants is the one he already broke…

He’s Landon Rhodes.

The Renegade they call Nova.

Sinfully gorgeous, broody, tatted-up, professional snowboarder.

Four-time X Games medalist—

Full-time heartbreaker.

They say a girl broke him once—

That’s why he’s so reckless, so driven, so careless with his conquests.

But I’m that girl.

They can call me his curse all they want.

He and I both know the truth—

He’s the one who destroyed me,

And I’m not the sucker who will let that happen again.

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About REBECCA YARROS

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, chocolate, and Paleo. She is the author of the Flight & Glory, Renegades, and Legacy series. She loves military heroes, and has been blissfully married to hers for fifteen years.

When she’s not writing, she’s tying hockey skates for her four sons, sneaking in some guitar time, or watching brat-pack movies with her two daughters. She lives in Colorado with the hottest Apache pilot ever, their rambunctious gaggle of kids, an English bulldog who is more stubborn than sweet, and a tortoise who might be faster than the bulldog. They recently adopted their youngest daughter from the foster system, and Rebecca is passionate about helping others do the same.

 

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Blog Tour: Love in the Friend Zone by Molly E. Lee

LOVE IN THE FRIEND ZONE by Molly E. Lee is live!  

 

LOVE IN THE FREIND ZONE
YA Contemporary Romance
 
DOWNLOAD HERE:
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How can she hook up the boy of her dreams with the girl of his?
The only thing worse than not being able to tell your best friend you’re head over heels in love with him? Having to smile and nod when he enlists your help to ensnare the girl of his dreams.
Braylen didn’t even want to go to Lennon Pryor’s epic graduation-night party, but when Fynn begs her to be his “wingwoman,” she can’t deny him. Talking up her BFF—how he’s magic behind a camera, with a killer sense of humor, and eyelashes that frame the most gorgeous blue eyes in the history of forever—is easy. Supporting his efforts to woo someone so completely wrong for him? Not so much.
Fynn knows that grad night is his last shot to find true love before leaving for college. And thanks to Bray, he gets his chance with the beautiful Katy Evans. But over the course of the coolest party of their high school careers, he starts to see that perhaps what he really wants has been in front of him all along. Bray’s been his best friend since kindergarten, though, and he’d rather have her in his life as a friend than not at all.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her debut novel EDGE OF CHAOS, and as a fourth year mentor at Pitch Wars – a program which connects promising writers to established authors in the community. Molly writes New Adult and Young Adult Contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

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Releasing Now: Love in the Friend Zone by Molly E. Lee

LOVE IN THE FRIEND ZONE by Molly E. Lee is live! Check out the excerpt below!

LOVE IN THE FREIND ZONE
YA Contemporary Romance
 
DOWNLOAD HERE:
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2wPOZX5
How can she hook up the boy of her dreams with the girl of his?
The only thing worse than not being able to tell your best friend you’re head over heels in love with him? Having to smile and nod when he enlists your help to ensnare the girl of his dreams.
Braylen didn’t even want to go to Lennon Pryor’s epic graduation-night party, but when Fynn begs her to be his “wingwoman,” she can’t deny him. Talking up her BFF—how he’s magic behind a camera, with a killer sense of humor, and eyelashes that frame the most gorgeous blue eyes in the history of forever—is easy. Supporting his efforts to woo someone so completely wrong for him? Not so much.
Fynn knows that grad night is his last shot to find true love before leaving for college. And thanks to Bray, he gets his chance with the beautiful Katy Evans. But over the course of the coolest party of their high school careers, he starts to see that perhaps what he really wants has been in front of him all along. Bray’s been his best friend since kindergarten, though, and he’d rather have her in his life as a friend than not at all.
 
His eyes found mine before looking around the room. “It went by fast, didn’t it?”
I nodded, recalling the first day we’d walked into this room freshman year. Fynn had held the door open for me, more out of habit than an attempt to be a gentleman, and had announced to the seniors that I was their new editor-in-chief. Of course, I hadn’t earned the position yet, but I had by the end of the year—which quickly made him the star photographer.
Not that being my best friend made it happen—the boy had a knack for capturing the most stunning images imaginable—but we’d been friends since kindergarten; there was no way I wasn’t giving him all the prime stories to cover.
An easy grin shaped my lips as I thought all the way back to the first day I’d met him. Don Trainer—who would always be the school bully—had stolen my favorite red crayon and snapped it in half, laughing the way only evil maniacs could as I cried my eyes out. Fynn had shoved him so hard his butt hit the activity mat with a thud loud enough to stop my tears. He then took my broken pieces of crayon to the teacher and asked for tape. He returned it to me, a thick bandage of scotch tape around its middle. We’d been inseparable since.
“What are you smiling at?” he asked, nudging me with his elbow. The move shot a thrill of warmth through my chest.
I blinked a few times, mentally cursing the rapidly approaching graduation ceremony forcing my mind to overrun with memories. “Just thinking about how you’ve always been the Prince Charming sort.”

 

 

 

About the Author:

Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her debut novel EDGE OF CHAOS, and as a fourth year mentor at Pitch Wars – a program which connects promising writers to established authors in the community. Molly writes New Adult and Young Adult Contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.
Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Review Post: The Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas

THE FORBIDDEN by Jodi Ellen Malpas

(August 8, 2017; Forever trade paperback original; $15.99)

A new story of dangerous temptations from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man trilogy. 
Annie has never experienced the ‘spark’ with a guy – the kind of instant chemistry that steals your breath and blindsides you completely. Until a night out with friends brings her face to face with the wickedly sexy and mysterious Jack. It’s not just a spark that ignites between them. It’s an explosion. Jack promises to consume Annie, and he fully delivers on that promise.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of their one night together, Annie slips out of their hotel room. She is certain that a man who’s had such a powerful impact on her and who could bend her to his will so easily, must be dangerous. But she’s already in too deep. And Jack isn’t only dangerous. He is forbidden.

“Every kiss, every sexy scene, every word between this pair owned a piece of my soul.  I could read this book a hundred times and still react as if it was the first time.  The Protector is a top 2016 fave for me.” –Audrey Carlan, #1 bestselling author of The Calendar Girl series

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***** 5 Amazingly Forbidden Stars *****

Jodi Ellen Malpas continues to be an author that completely consumes me within every single book she writes. She is one of my absolute favorite authors, and her books continue to wow me and blow me away with all that they have. The way her writing pulls me into it all, the way she brings this unforgettable intensity to every word, and the way she weaves so much emotion and fire and power to what she so beautifully crafts is just part of what has made her books some of my all-time favorites.

I think it’s pretty much impossible for this author to write a book that I won’t love. She just has a way of writing and storytelling that is enthralling, breathtaking, and bursting with a love story that takes ahold of me with all that it has. Jodi Ellen Malpas knows how to write a mesmerizing love story through and through, one that will own you, your heart, and your very mind, and one that will have you so beyond in every word of what she so phenomenally creates.

The Forbidden was no different. This book captured me in from the very first page, pulled me right into the thick of it with its characters, and had me completely engrossed in the intensity and spark of it all. This story definitely pushes the boundaries, but does it in a way that is real, honest, heart wrenching and truly unforgettable. The moment I finished this story, I just wanted to start it all over again to experience more time with these characters because that’s how much I loved this book.

Jodi Ellen Malpas once again blew me away with what she gave me in this book. The Forbidden was bursting with her exceptional writing, her dynamic characters that completely seared themselves to my heart, and a story that had me living and breathing and feeling every word from start to finish. This book was incredible, so well-paced, and had my heart in every single word, and that is just part of what made me love it so much.

What I loved about The Forbidden:

  • A love story that pushes the boundaries. From the moment I read the blurb for The Forbidden, I knew that this story would be one I would not soon forget. The blurb had me all kinds of ready to figure out why Jack was forbidden, how he would meet Annie, and what would transpire between them. Jodi Ellen Malpas completely lets you understand every part of what makes Annie and Jack’s relationship forbidden. She lets you see and experience where it all begins, how they fight against it, how it pushes them both further and further over that edge, and how it all keeps building and building through every amazing word. The way she so thoughtfully creates that in this book is just part of what makes this story so intense and unforgettable, and it is what had me needing to know what would happen next and how everything would work out. The Forbidden gives a story that will push your mind and heart and morals and boundaries a bit, but it does it in the most exceptional way that truly allows you to understand and feel every part of these characters and what they share. No matter what you might feel about the forbidden nature of the relationship between Jack and Annie, you will feel a lot, and that will give you the most incredible reading experience as this story unfolds. Trust. Me.
  • All those flying sparks. When I tell you that the connection between Jack and Annie is intense, I mean it is one of the most intense, fieriest, and passionate connections I have read between two characters. The sparks and pull between Annie and Jack is magnetic, so strong, and it burns every single second that those two are together. From the very first moment they meet it fires off the page, and even after the forbidden nature of their relationship is revealed, that connection and those sparks are still right there at the surface. Every new moment with Annie and Jack deepens what they share, their fight against it all, and what it’s making them feel. The way that you experience all of that fire and spark with them will have you burning for those two, what it all means, and how it continues to build and intensify. It was that spark that pulled my heart to them and that allowed me to root for them, it showed me why they fought against the pull they shared so hard, yet at the same time couldn’t help but feel what they did, and in the end it was what made this book so incredible to read.
  • Annie’s journey. Annie was a character that I found to be very real and relatable. She is a young woman in her late twenties doing all she could to make her dreams a reality. She doesn’t have any time for a relationship, but all of that changes when she meets Jack. After a night of passion that she knows she’ll never forget she soon starts to think that she might have just met someone she wants to know more of. The only problem is that she soon finds out he is forbidden, and she isn’t supposed to have him. What ensues in this book is Annie’s own emotional and personal journey to discovering what is right, what is wrong, what she feels, what she pretends she doesn’t feel, and what she really and truly wants. This book and its events push Annie to her limits. They make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, her morals and ethics, and it makes her fight with all that she has against her desires and heart. The more this story unfolds, the more Annie discovers that her fight might not be as strong as she thought it was. Getting to be there with her as she dove heart first into the web of the forbidden was everything, and I loved every second I got to spend with her real and relatable character.
  • Jack’s heartfelt determination. Jack was a character that stole my heart from the very first moment I met him in this book. He was a character that was alluring, that was tempting through every single breath, and that had me questioning my own thoughts and feelings with what was right and wrong. That man just melted my heart, and getting to experience the effect he had on Annie, the effect she had on him, and what was transpiring between them as they waded through their feelings was amazing. What I loved about Jack was that through it all he was a man that I knew had a heart of gold. He was a man who was going to fight for Annie, fight for what they felt, and who was going to fight for what they could share together with all that he had. I loved feeling every ounce of that determination with Jack, and that just pulled my heart to him again and again. The way that Jodi Ellen Malpas gave me so much with his character even though I wasn’t actually in his head made me fall for that man something fierce, allowed me to understand the struggle he felt, as well as the effect he was having on Annie, and in the end it was what made me love him so so much.
  • All the feels and struggle. The Forbidden not only packs a story of romance and forbidden and spark, it also packs a story that finds the perfect balance of feels and struggle. This story pushes these characters to their limits, and puts them through so much. It makes them struggle with their minds and hearts and even some outside forces. It brings up discussions they aren’t prepared for, it tears them in two, and it pushes everything they think they know about themselves. Jodi Ellen Malpas did the most exceptional job weaving in those feelings, those breathtaking emotions, and all of that external and internal struggle these characters go through in this book. She let me feel it all with them, and that put me in every amazing word of this story. At times that hurt my heart for what these characters went through, at others it soared with them as they felt what it did, and through it all it had me consumed with every emotion and feeling they went through as this story came to be. I was that level of emotion and feeling, along with that struggle that really put me in what I was reading, and what had me needing for things to work out for these two because of what I got with them.
  • Twist and turns, oh my, oh my. Let me tell you that this story is chalk full of events that will literally steal your breath, and have you turning the pages of this book like crazy to figure out what will happen next for Jack and Annie. The way Jodi Ellen Malpas intricately places the twists and turns of this story, the way she allows to you feel the effects of those twists with these characters, and the way that she makes those moments completely heart stopping was phenomenal. That was just another thing pulling me in more to everything I was experiencing in this story, and it was those twists and turns that had me unable to put this book down for anything. The way those twists and turns add to the story and what these characters share pulled every part of my heart and mind into what I was reading with them, and I loved that. It made this story full of adrenaline pumping moments, so much heart and emotion, everything Jack and Annie shared, and through it all it had me so encapsulated in every unforgettable word.

The Forbidden was another outstanding story by Jodi Ellen Malpas. This story definitely pushed my heart and all of my emotions to the edge, but it did it in the most intense and all-feeling way that I know I won’t soon forget. Everything I got with Annie and Jack as they wove their way through the web of their forbidden feelings was real, raw, so incredibly intense, and so packed with the most breathtaking emotion that gave me it all.

This story and its characters were exceptionally developed and crafted, had me feeling so much through every word, and in the end they gave me a reading experience that was the perfect amount of romance, fire and spark, emotion, and shocking twists and turns that had me encapsulated within it all.

Jodi Ellen Malpas created the most phenomenal story and characters in The Forbidden. She created a book I could not put down, and she created a love story that struck me to the core of my heart. This book wowed me, it consumed me, and it pulled me in a million different directions with its characters, and I can’t say enough how truly incredible it was to read and experience.

The Forbidden is a story that will make you think and feel and question from page one to the very end. It will push your heart and your emotions and your mind through every word, it will give you Annie and Jack and the forbidden web their relationship weaves, and in the end it will give you one helluva love story that I promise you won’t soon forget.

“Thank you for your help,” I say quietly, studying him, definitely detecting that he’s deep in thought. Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask. I need to get back into my apartment without engaging with him, which could prove tricky when he’s blocking the doorway and looking like he has no intention of shifting to let me in.

“Annie,” he breathes. “I’m struggling so badly.”

“I’m not doing this.” I swallow, pushing my way past him. He grabs me by the top of my arm and holds me in place. “Let me go, Jack.”

“I’ve already told you I can’t do that. Annie, I’m drowning here. I’m going out of my mind, and the more time I spend with you the fucking worse it’s getting. Listening to you, talking to you, sharing a passion with you that goes way beyond the amazing time we had in bed together.”

“You have to forget!” I yell, knowing anger is the only way forward. Be angry with him. Let it dominate me and rule me, because the alternative scares me to fucking death.

He pushes me into the hall and slams the door behind us, forcing me to back up. “No,” he says, straight and even. “No,” he repeats, moving one more step forward, except this time I don’t retreat. Because I can’t. Because he has me locked in place with those grey eyes, and now they’re back to their full glory. Sparkling, even if it’s with anger. He reaches for his shirt and starts unbuttoning it before shrugging it off and throwing it to the floor, revealing the chest that’s haunting me.

I quickly look down at the pile of material, my mind reeling. His chest. His perfect damn chest. “What are you doing?”

“I have no fucking idea.” He reaches for me and slides a hand around my neck, pulling me to him. Our chests meet, and my determination to repel him vanishes under our connection. Wrongs turn into rights. Conflict turns into craving.

“I can’t get you out of my head, Annie.” His forehead meets mine, his palm massaging away the tightness in my neck muscles, softening me up until I relax in his hold. “I want you all over again, and I can’t even find the will to worry about how much more that’ll make me want you.” He breathes down on me. “I’ve played that night on repeat. I’ve dreamed of holding you in my arms again. I’ve craved the sound of your voice, the feel of your touch, the softness of your lips on mine. I know I shouldn’t want you. But I do. Nothing has ever made me feel this insane with need. Nothing has taken up so much space in my head. I can’t fucking help it, Annie.” His grey gaze sinks into me, my heart steadying to an even thrum. His head starts to shake mildly, his splayed hand moving up to the back of my head and fisting my hair. “I don’t want to help it,” he growls. “I want you. I don’t care how wrong it is.” His clenched fist tightens, gripping my hair harshly. “I know I’ve been on your mind since I fucked you every which way in that hotel room. Stop denying it. Don’t insult me and tell me you don’t crave that amazing feeling all over again. I can see it in your eyes every damn time I look into them. You. Want. Me.”

It’s me who moves in first. All me. I lunge forward and smash my lips to his, the magnetic force winning. His words winning. Jack winning. My heart winning. I coax his mouth open with hard, hungry kisses. I’ve lost my mind to a craving too powerful to fight off. And, like Jack, I don’t care how wrong it is.

Lost.

Yet as he walks me backward until my back slams into the wall, I feel found again.

I cry out, and Jack moans. We’re clumsy and desperate. He’s pushing me up the wall with the force of his kiss, then he’s rolling away, taking me with him until it’s his back slamming into the wall. It’s the elevator all over again. The atmosphere is sizzling. I’m on fire. He scoops me up, pinning me to him, and carries me into my bedroom. I focus on him. Only him and the return of feelings that I’ve fantasized about since that unforgettable night. All the guilt is abandoning me, and I let it, unprepared to let anything stop me from taking the forbidden.

 

 

About the Author

Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands’ town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys. Working for her father’s construction business full-time, she tried to ignore the lingering idea of writing until it became impossible. She wrote in secret for a long time before finally finding the courage to unleash her creative streak, and in October 2012 she released This Man. She took a chance on a story with some intense characters and sparked incredible reactions from women all over the world. Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters have become her passion, a passion she now shares with her devoted readers.

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Releasing Now: A Better Place by Jennifer Van Wyk

Title: A Better Place
Author: Jennifer Van Wyk
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing

Because fighting for love is always worth it.

After James Cole’s wife walked out on him, he put his dreams aside to raise his daughter. But now she’s grown and he’s ready for more.

When the opportunity arises to own a restaurant, his life-long dream, he can’t deny that it’s meant to be. And for more reasons than one.

He’s kept his heart closed off since the day his wife walked away. He’s never found someone who he thought was worth opening himself up to. But one look at her, and he knew she was everything.

Carly Hanson has a secret. A secret only she and her teenage son, Jack, know about. She’s built a new life but kept herself carefully guarded.

The day Carly stumbled, literally, into James, her world was turned upside down. She tries to keep him strictly as a friend, but he’s relentless in his pursuit. Can he break down the walls she’s so firmly built? Can he get her to join him in… A Better Place?

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“Can I come in?” he asks, still standing on my front porch under the soft glow of the porch light.

“Oh! Yeah. Of course. Let me just let Jack know you’re here,” I say over my shoulder as I make my way back into the house.

“Wait. Can I talk to you? Just for a quick second?” he asks, reaching out and touching my hand and stopping me.

“Sure.” I nod my head. “What about?” I ask as I lean against the back of the couch in the living room. I reach over and grab one of the cream-colored throw pillows and hug it to my chest. It gives me a sense of comfort, and stops me from fidgeting — or reaching out and tugging him close to kiss the crap out of him. That might not give him the right idea for just staying friends.

“I have a favor to ask,” he hedges but hastily continues, “and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important, and it’s a strictly friendship favor. I promise.”

“James. I know I’ve been a little… determined to keep it in the friend-zone, and you’ve never crossed the line. I can’t tell you how much your patience means to me. I trust you. I promise.”

“Yeah? I’m not being too pushy?”

“No.”

“Okay. Good. That’s good. I would never want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable.”

There’s not a single molecule in my body that doesn’t believe that. “I know. And you haven’t.”

“Would you go to a wedding with me?” he blurts out.

“What?!” I ask, surprise evident in my voice.

“I’m sorry. I just kind of blurted that out, huh? Let me start over. My niece, Emily, is getting married a few weeks after Christmas. It’s only about two hours from here, but I wondered if you would be my plus-one? And I’d love for you to meet Lily, and she’s been so swamped lately that she hasn’t had a chance to spend much time here. I guess she’ll be here for Christmas, so maybe you can meet then, but yeah. And, Tess will be there, obviously, so you would know someone.”

“I don’t know, James. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m honored that you invited me, or thought of me…”

“No one else I would think of,” he murmurs before I continue with my protest that I know will just fall flat anyway.

“You don’t want to bring someone else?”

“Like who?” he challenges, turning his head to the side.

I shrug my shoulders and say the only name that comes to mind. “Christine?”

They actually seem like a logical couple to me, both being in the food-service industry. Both being single parents of daughters. But even though there’s so much that seems right about those two together — and I love Christine dearly — the thought of it makes me physically ill.

He’s shaking his head before I even finish saying her name.

“There’s no one else I would rather bring with me to this wedding, Carly. Jack can come with us, if you’re worried about it being too date-like. I told you I would keep it in the friend-zone, and I don’t go back on my promises. But that doesn’t mean that I want to stop getting to know you better or spending time with you.”

“Can I think about it?” I ask, already knowing that he’ll break me down, and my answer will be yes.

His smile stretches across his scruff-covered face. I was never big on facial hair, but the way James does it makes shaving seem like it should be a crime. Apparently, anything James does makes me change my views. Tattoos? Used to make me turn the other direction. Now? Hot enough to lick. Facial hair? Used to make me think lazy and dingy. Now? I want to run my fingers through it and lick. Either I’m severely hard up, or James is getting burrowed deep under my skin.

“Of course. But let me sweeten the pot. This way you can answer that question that you’ve been dying to have answered since the moment you met me.”

I giggle quietly. “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“Who’s the cooler uncle, Dean or myself?”

I almost burst out laughing. He’s so lighthearted and full of life. He’s truly just a fun guy to be around — always a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He could have become a bitter and cynical man after being left to raise a daughter on his own. Instead he embraced it.

“Oh, that question! I already figured it out!”

“It’s not hard to realize, right?” he said as he puffed his chest out a bit, giving me an impish grin.

“Nope. Dean is obviously the way cooler one between you two.” I press my lips together to stop the smile threatening to take over my face.

“Carly,” he warns playfully as he takes a step toward me.

“What? He’s probably not boring, and I’m sure way better looking.”

“Oh really?”

Two steps.

I nod my head seriously. “And in way better shape,” I say, almost choking on the words.

“You think so?”

Another step.

“I’m positive. And cooking? Pssshhh. Hands down, I bet he’s better in the…”

I squeal and take off running through the house as James advances one step closer, a deep growl escaping his throat.

I burst out laughing. Heavy footfalls follow me, making my heart race in anticipation. I round the kitchen island and spread my hands across it, breathless from laughing and running. “Maybe I had it wrong this whole time, and he’s Captain and you’re Private?”

“Take it back,” he says, smiling, his own hands spread wide across the wooden countertop of the island.

I turn my head to the side. “What? Take what back?” I ask innocently.

“Carly,” he warns again.

I tap my finger on my chin, feeling more playful and lighter than I have in years. “Hmmm, maybe I will have to come with you to the wedding. See what the younger Cole brother has to live up to.”

His eyes flash, and I know I’m in trouble, but I can’t seem to stop. “Oh, you think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

I giggle and shrug my shoulders as I start to take steps toward him. He turns and saunters my way, flipping his ball cap backward, our eyes never leaving each other’s. “I think I’m a little funny,” I say as I continue walking toward him, holding my finger and thumb up with only a little space apart.

“Funny or delusional?”

Saunter.

Step.

I guffaw and press my hand to my chest. “Delusional? Who’s the delusional one here?”

Saunter.

Step.

“You’ll see.”

Saunter.

Step.

“I’ll see the awesomeness of Dean? I have no doubts.”

Saunter.

Step.

And I’m suddenly hanging upside down over James’s shoulder being carried back into the living room.

“Aggghhh! James! Put me dow…” I laugh. “I’ll pee! James! Seriously!” I’m laughing so hard that tears are already forming in my eyes.

He tosses me on the couch and pounces, his large body covering mine in a very non-friendly way, but I don’t say a thing. I can’t say a thing. While we have not been overly touchy in the weeks that we’ve known each other, we also haven’t refrained from showing each other small amounts of affection. He always puts his hand on the small of my back when we’re walking, and he’s held my hand when we were crossing the street to go for supper. This, though? This is by far the most affection and feeling we have shown each other.

“Take it back,” he repeats, his eyes heated and voice husky, his arms pinning my hands above me, our fingers threaded together so perfectly it felt like they were made for each other.

“Hmm? What was that?”

“I said…” He lowers his face so we’re nose to nose. “…take…” His nose skims the length of my neck. “…it…” Deep inhale. “…back.”

Heart flutters.

Flips.

Flops.

Kaboom!

My breathing picks up, and I know in this moment that I have two choices:

 

  1. Melt into a pile of goo. Which I’m basically well on my way to doing.
  2. Take matters into my own hands.

 

I choose option two.

I pull my hands free, frame his face, and pull him down closer. His eyes heat and flit over mine questioningly. And I do something I’ve been wanting to do for what feels like ever.

I lick him, from jawline to temple.

I lay my head back down on the pillow and watch as his face transforms from lust-filled to incredulous.

“Did you just… lick me?”

“I did.”

“I don’t know what to do with that,” he admits.

He pushes himself into sitting position, and I shimmy up the couch, crossing my legs and tucking my hair behind my ears. He’s facing forward. Slowly he turns his face toward me. “You licked me,” he says like he still can’t believe it.

“Yup,” I say. I have no clue why I did it, other than I just wanted to, so giving an explanation isn’t even an option at this point.

“First time your tongue was on me…” He trails off, looking away again.

A giggle bursts out of me, and I quickly put my hand up to my mouth to hold it in.

James shakes his head at me, stands up, and places his hands on his hips. He narrows his eyes and points at me. “Now you have to go to the wedding with me.”

“For the lick?”

“Wedding for the lick.” My eyes widen, and he continues. “That’s right. I said it. You licked me. Therefore, we wedding.”

“That’s not even grammatically correct!” Stupid argument? Probably.

“That’s your defense against going?”

“Hey! It’s true!”

“Be that as it may, doesn’t change the fact that you licked me. And we’re now going to a wedding. Together. Hi, Plus-One.”

I hear a deep snort from the other side of the room and gasp when I see Jack standing in the doorway to the living room, his broad shoulder leaning against the opening, an amused expression on his face.

“You guys are so weird,” he says, pointing to the two of us.

“You say weird. I say awesome,” James says. “Just wait and see who the best Cole man is when you both join me for Emily’s wedding.”

“Why am I being sucked in to this thing?” he asks. “I hate weddings. I don’t wedding.”

“Maggie will be there. In a dress. She’s a bridesmaid.”

“I’ll be there.”

James snorts and looks my way, winks, and my entire body goes up in flames. Bye-bye wall I built so strongly.

James huffed and puffed, and it blew right down.

jennifer-van-wyk

From the Ground Up was Jennifer’s first published novel, with the hopes of many more to come. Jennifer makes her home in small town Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen. Jennifer’s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. When she’s not writing or editing/proofreading manuscripts for the many talented authors she’s come to love, you can find her cheering the loudest at her kids’ sporting events, sipping coffee or iced tea out of a mason jar with her Kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.

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Review Post: The Brightest Sunset by Aly Martinez

The conclusion of this new, highly emotional must-read duet by Aly Martinez is LIVE! Buy THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET now!

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.

Bullshit.

Words destroyed me.

“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”

“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”

“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.

Lies.

Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the pain and the fear, they would have no power over me. But, as the years passed, the hate and the anger left behind began to control me.

Two words—that was all it took to plunge my life into darkness.

“He’s gone.”

In the end, it was four soft, silky words that gave me hope of another sunrise.

“Hi. I’m Charlotte Mills.”

*****5 Unforgettable and Amazing Stars*****

Let me start this review by saying that I am a proud emotional masochist when it comes to reading. I absolutely LOVE it when a book makes me feel it all, when it literally takes my breath away with the level of raw and authentic emotion it has to give me, and when that book breaks me, breaks all of my emotions and feels, and physically hurts my heart. Because let me tell you, when you experience a book with that exceptional level of emotion, it hurts in the most unforgettable way. In a way that is tangible. In a way that is wholly real. And in a way that hurts so damn good.

So. Damn. Good.

I sometimes like to joke that I like to be emotionally murdered by the books I read, and honestly that is beyond true because I do love me some highly emotional and heartbreaking feels. I want to live and breathe and feel and be consumed by those emotions and feels. I want them to be tangible. I want them to shake me to my core. I want them to blow me away with all they have. And yes, I want them to murder my emotional masochistic heart to pieces because I want to feel it ALL, and getting and experiencing that level of emotion is what truly shows me how completely consumed I am in what I’m reading.

Let me tell you, The Darkest Sunrise the first book in this amazing duet murdered all of my emotions…and I LOVED every amazing and all-feeling moment of that. And just when I thought all of my feels and emotions were sufficiently murdered in a way that gave my emotional masochist heart what it wanted, Aly Martinez went and murdered them again in The Brightest Sunset….and you know what? I LOVED every moment of that even more than I did in The Darkest Sunrise because that’s how truly exceptional those feels, the level of varied and deep emotion, and everything I got with these characters was.

The Brightest Sunset was the absolute PERFECT conclusion to this duet.

It was emotional. It was real. It was exactly what I needed, and even more of what I didn’t even know I needed from these characters. It was superbly written and crafted. It blew me away through every page, and that is honestly just a fraction of what made this one of the best books I have EVER read.

This book wowed me on every level. It had me feeling and experiencing every part of this book, this story, and these characters as it all unfolded in front of my eyes and heart. This story had me crying like a baby at times (read: in every single chapter of this book), and physically feeling the emotional toll and affect this story’s events had on its characters through every single page. It had me laughing my ass off and smirking like a fool with the banter and spark of these characters, all while loving the connection and fire they shared through it all.

I feel as if I could go on and on about how much I loved The Brightest Sunset, how much it made me feel and experience, how much it gave me while I read this story, and I wouldn’t even come close to capturing what it was like to read this conclusion to this unforgettable duet and to live and breathe this story with Porter and Charlotte.

I could not have asked for a more fitting continuation and ending to these characters’ journeys, or a more emotionally gripping and satisfying conclusion to what they shared together.

To put it simply, The Brightest Sunset was a book that captured every phenomenal aspect of this duet into a spectacular conclusion that delivered on every level.

As I sit here writing this review, all I can truly think about is how much I loved this book, and how much I really don’t want to tell you much of anything that happens in it because I would never want to spoil this story for you. The conclusion that Aly Martinez so thoughtfully crafted in The Brightest Sunset is so epic, so fitting, and just so damn good that me revealing even just a little bit of what actually happens in this ending would take away from the literal amazingness of this ending and what it’s like to experience it.

What I will say though is that The Brightest Sunset continues everything I loved and felt for these characters through every word, sentence, paragraph, page and chapter in the most incredible, all-feeling, and distinctive way. This book invested me more in Porter and Charlotte and what they shared together. It had my heart in it even more than I thought was humanly possible with what those two share and go through as they try to figure out what they hell they are doing. This book pushed them both, and me right along with them, to their emotional limits. It pushed them to places they never thought they’d be.

Places they feared and dreamed of, places they thought were always going to be out of reach for them, places that scared them in the best way possible. Places that showed them who they really are, who they truly wanted to be, and who they were ready to fight like hell with all that they had to find.

What I got with both Porter and Charlotte deepened the connection I had with their characters and their intertwined journeys. This book made me love them more, it allowed me to feel for them more, hurt and break for them more, hope for them with all that I had, all while basking in every breathtaking moment I got with them as this story unfolded. The depth I got with their characters, and the exceptional level of understanding I had with what they were going through, what they feared, and what was literally taking over every part of their lives and heads and hearts, seared me to them completely.

Those two took ahold of my heart, my emotions, and my very soul, and I honestly don’t want those three things back yet because that’s how much I loved every breath of what I got with Porter and Charlotte in this book.

I have to say that one of my favorite aspects of this book was getting more of Porter’s emotional journey and fight to heal. The Darkest Sunrise gave me all of that and more with Charlotte, with Porter right there with her every step of the way in the exact way she needed. This book flipped that dynamic in a way, putting Charlotte in a place to be there for Porter as he found that way through the darkness, through the pain and anger and anguish, and through the literal heartbreak to find the light he needed and so deserved. Both of the books in this duet give you the exceptionally interwoven journeys of these characters and what they share and are trying to build together, but I can’t say enough how truly incredible it was to get those different dynamics in each book.

To experience him helping her try to heal, to then experience her helping him try to heal, to experience all of the phenomenal supporting characters along the way supporting them in the exact way they needed, and in the end experiencing what it was like for Charlotte and Porter to continue that push and pull towards healing and light was EVERYTHING.

The way that Aly Martinez creates that dynamic in both of these books, through every page of this unforgettable story, and how that continues to show what these characters are sharing and trying to build with one another was perfection.

It was so real. So heartfelt. So genuine. So beautiful. So raw and intense and heart squeezing. It was so Porter. So Charlotte. And so them.

I know I have probably spent most of this review rambling about emotional murdering and talking around what happens in this story to avoid spoilers, but let me just say that if there are two books that you NEED in your life, it is The Darkest Sunrise and The Brightest Sunset. I could say that a million times over, and I would still need to say it again because that is how truly incredible these books are.

What Porter and Charlotte so authentically, so viscerally, and so honestly give you in both of these books, and especially in this conclusion, will wow you, move you, break you, make you, heal you, and in the end will have you knowing that every heartbreak, every ounce of pain and emotion, and every breath of what they went through was damn worth it.

This book deserves more than 5 stars. It deserves them all. And then some. It deserves the highest praises because that is how phenomenal it is. What Aly Martinez gives you in this book with these characters as they fight that good fight, as they try to wade through the emotional superstorm that is their lives and their “normal”, and as they attempt to put the pieces of themselves back together again is everything.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

As I sit here writing this review I find myself not wanting to end it all because that’s how much I completely love these characters and what I got with them in this book and this duet. Even though those two made me cry in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER for one reason or another, even though they pushed my heart and soul to its emotional limit, and even though they broke me and shattered me again and again, I will be forever grateful for all of that because all of that gave me them.

All of that gave me their powerful and meaningful story. All of that gave me the most unadulterated and perfect level of emotion and connection as it all came to be. All of that gave me Porter. All of that gave me Charlotte. All of that gave me Travis and Hannah and Sloth and Rita and Brady and Tom.

All of that gave me one of the most exceptional stories that I have EVER read, a story that I know will stay embedded in my heart and soul forever because that is how damn good it is, and that is how much it permanently pulled me to these characters.

What can I say about The Brightest Sunset?

It made me laugh at times to the point that my cheeks hurt. It made me smile in the most heartfelt and genuine way. It made me cry and feel. Everything. It made me blush something fierce, and allowed me to experience the most incredible fire burning between Charlotte and Porter. It gave me one of the most meaningful stories and character journeys I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

And in the end it gave me Porter and Charlotte. Their lightness. Their darkness. Their hearts. Their love. Their passion. Their flaws. Their highs and lows and everything in between.

It gave me every part of them, every part of what they shared, and every part of their unforgettable story, and it truly doesn’t get better than that.

Trust. Me.

So just do yourself a favor and read these incredible books. Fall in love with Porter and Charlotte. Feel every word and syllable of their story. Live every moment that Aly Martinez so exceptionally creates.

Read this book. Live it. Feel it. Love it. Let it emotionally murder you, and put you back together again and again. Take in and experience every single second of The Darkest Sunrise and The Brightest Sunset.

It would be wrong not to.

 

 

 

The Brightest Sunset–Book Two in the Darkest Sunrise Duet by Aly Martinez

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2sX0Yo9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2tG4oJ9
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The Darkest Sunrise (Book One in the Darkest Sunrise Duet) is now #LIVE and #FREE on #KU for #KindleUnlimited users!
#OneClick your copy today if you haven’t yet!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2tYlkMY
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Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2u5dCAX
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2u4XsHs

 
————-

AUTHOR BIO:

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: www.alymartinez.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlyMartinez/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyMartinezAuth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoralymartinez/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AlyMartinez

Amazon: http://bit.ly/AlyMartinezAmazon