Review Post: Forget by N.A. Alcorn

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

Book: Forget (Changing Colors #1)

Author: N.A. Alcorn

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date – 16^th June

Goodreads Book Link

Brooke Sawyer is a successful record producer living in L.A. She has endured a lifetime’s worth of pain, but despite everything she’s been through, she still has the biggest heart. She’d do anything for the ones she loves, even putting their needs above her own.

When she visits Paris for one month, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with gorgeous musician, Dylan Bissette. But he doesn’t know about Brooke’s life back home. He doesn’t know about Jamie.

The best way to keep a secret is to pretend there isn’t one.

~
Falling in love was not part of the plan.
He broke down my walls.
And the moment he whispered, “You’ve wrecked me, Little Wing,” I was done for.
I didn’t mean to fall in love, but Dylan made it too easy.
~
Meeting her was fate.
Pursuing her was a choice.
But falling in love with her was out of my control.
Brooke ruined me for everyone else.
~

Music connects them, but secrets may keep them apart.
This is just the beginning. Changing Colors, Part One

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTTKJ3AErp9tH5NTiRwpQ-AMzfE4Hk_0u

5 Unforgettable Stars

Forget by N. A. Alcorn tells the story of Brooke, an American visiting Paris, who meets and starts to fall heart first for Dylan, a half British half French swoon worthy musician. It follows these two as their serious sparks start to fly, and they find themselves having many more feelings than either of them planned for.

I have to say that I loved every single phenomenally vibrant word of this book.

I loved Brooke and how fantastically authentic and truly wonderful she was. I loved Dylan and was completely under his charming spell in about a nanosecond. I loved that I laughed hysterically more times than I could count. I loved all of the varied and thoughtfully crafted emotion and heat and vulnerability that weaved its way so superbly throughout this book. I loved how music played such an integral part to the plot, to these characters, and to all they experience.

I loved everything.

It was just phenomenal to experience from beginning to end, and I couldn’t get enough of Brooke and Dylan and their heart squeezing story. This author’s outstanding writing brought these two and their book world to life, and I for one cannot wait for the chance to spend more times with these utterly amazing characters.

What was absolutely unforgettable about Forget:

Brooke’s vulnerability. Brooke was such a fantastic character to get to know, and I loved that I got to know the “real” her over the course of this story. You see many sides to Brooke, the side she puts up to protect herself and then the side that is really her. As you read Forget you will really get to know the real Brooke, aka Paris Brooke, and her vulnerability and rawness will just blow you away because of what it exemplifies about her. She is just so real, and the more you read the more you’ll understand why Brooke is the way she is. When you find out what this girl has gone through, and what she goes through in this book your heart will instantly go to her.
Dylan’s bursting with charm. Now Dylan’s charming self practically stole my heart the instant he and Brooke meet. That man is sweet, and seriously stinking hot, and did I mention the fact that he’s a musician? The more you get to know Dylan’s character the more you’ll want to spend time with him just like Brooke because the pull and just magic that is him is irresistible. That man also feels so much, and I loved the instances in which I got into his head to really feel everything that he does. I am telling you now that there is no way that you can resist him, especially when you start to feel and experience what he shares with Brooke.
A firework level connection and pull. Let me tell you that these two had an instant connection that this author phenomenally creates. You feel it the instant they meet and their connection just pulls you into them because of the sparks these two share. It is fiery, it is hot as all get out, and it just burns off the page in such a way that brings a certain kind of blush to your face. It also just makes you realize the power of what these two share together.
The power of Millie. Now Millie just might be my favorite character in this book, behind Dylan and Brooke of course. I loved that lady and the wisdom and meaning that surrounded her. The words that she shared, the memories she evokes, and just the power that is her is just beautiful and so utterly meaningful. The power of Millie will just warm your heart. It’ll make you think and feel and wonder about the possibilities this world holds, and it’ll make you want to live your life the way that Millie did, with no regrets. Trust me on that one!
The magic of Paris. N.A. Alcorn does an outstanding job of capturing the magical city of Paris. That city is almost like a third main character in this book, and I loved that I was fully encapsulated within the magic it evoked throughout this entire book. That magic just brought this book and these characters to life because I felt like I was right there with them feeling and experiencing that vibrant feel of the city with them, which was extraordinary to experience while reading.
The questions that come up along the way. Now this book brings up a lot of questions, some of which are answered and some of which aren’t. (But stay tuned folks because there’s a book 2 that I cannot wait for!) I loved how those questions perfectly came up throughout what was happening with Brooke and Dylan. Those questions intrigued me and made me that much more enthralled with what I was reading because I couldn’t wait to figure out what was going to happen next, and if I was going to get an answer to one of those fantastic questions I had. Those questions pull you into this story heart first, and while you don’t get all the answers yet, you do get enough to realize that there is so much more to these characters than meets the eye, especially with Brooke, and that is utterly wonderful to experience.
The honesty. Honesty plays an interesting and phenomenal role in Forget. There are so many raw and vulnerable moments from both of these characters where they are both so fantastically honest. Moments where they put it all out there on display for the other to see. Then there are moments where there’s not so much honesty, where you know there is more going on beneath the surface, and those moments are just as telling. Those moments surrounding honesty fit so magnificently into the story, and just illuminated so much about Brooke and Dylan.
All the laughs a girl could ask for. Having read all of N.A. Alcorn’s other books, I was none too surprised to find myself laughing hysterically more often than not in this book. Through Brooke’s inner thoughts, her conversations with her best friend Lindsay, and through some seriously engaging moments with Dylan, I could not stop laughing at what was being said. That laughter broke up the tension and build in this book so fantastically, and it just made me love reading this book because of the laughs that it brought.
More emotion than you can shake a stick at. This book had an outstanding level of varied emotion in it thanks to the phenomenal writing of this author. You get to feel every single thing these characters do, and even better you understand why they’re feeling it. The level of emotion in this book allows you feel Brooke and Dylan’s story on a whole new level. You hurt with them, you love with them, and you care with them. You feel everything with them and that makes this book all the more extraordinary to read.

Brooke, Dylan, their lively, music filled, and superbly emotional story will have you feeling and thinking and caring like crazy. It’ll give you moments that’ll make you laugh, moments that will squeeze your heart because of what these two experience and go through, and moments that will break you and simultaneously send your heart to these characters because of what they go through.

Forget will give you so much of everything that makes a book an extraordinary read. The way that N.A. Alcorn crafts this story allows you the outstanding opportunity to take it all in and to feel every word of it deep in your heart. When you reach that last page you will literally be counting down the days until you can become fully encapsulated within the magic and connection that emanates so beautifully from it.

This story and Brooke and Dylan will engage you right from the start, and even in those moments in this book that kind of make you want to scream and possibly throw your Kindle clear across the room, you will be oh so happy at what those two and their extraordinary story give you as the reader.

You’ll want to take in every beautiful, mesmerizing, heart squeezing, and lively moment Forget gives you, because what you get is nothing short of amazing.

N.A. Alcorn resides in Northern Kentucky with her husband and son. Never following the norm, her style of romance “flies [outside the box.]” She is the author of the wildly hilarious Infamous Series, and has also delved into romantic suspense with her third release, Covertly Strong.

She loves music, can’t take a proper selfie if her life depended on it, refuses to parallel park, and probably has the most obnoxious laugh you’ll ever hear. If she could live off coffee and Reese’s Cups, she’d be one happy lady.

Procrastinator at heart, N.A. tells herself she’ll meet every deadline. Tomorrow. She’ll finish it tomorrow, she swears.

She loves meeting readers. Always feel free to send her an email or message.

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16Jun2015

Releasing Now: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Uncategorized by mkcooke

Meet Millie and David (Tag) in the newest stand alone by Amy Harmon

“She said I was like a song. Her favorite song.”

NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Se7hHB

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Aggc5t

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She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

**This is David ‘Tag’ Taggert’s book, a supporting character introduced in The Law of Moses. This is a stand-alone story.

Amelie and Henry didn’t come by the gym the next day. On Saturday, I thought I saw them once, beyond the wall of windows along the front of the gym, but when I looked again they were gone. I shrugged, deciding Henry must not have been as excited by the idea as Amelie thought he would be. A few minutes later I looked up to see them hovering near the speed bags, Amelie holding firmly to Henry’s arm, Henry looking as if he was about to bolt and drag his poor sister with him. They were garnering some strange looks—Henry with his crazy bedhead, his darting glances, and jittery hands and Amelie because she stood so still and looked so out of place in a gym filled with muscles and men.

I called a quick halt to my bout, escaping Axel, who was trying to pummel me into next week, and slid between the ropes that cordoned off one of the octagons.

“Amelie! Henry!” I called, noting how Amelie’s face was immediately wreathed in a relieved smile, a smile so wide it spread to her eyes, giving the illusion of sparkle and life. But Henry started backing up, pulling his sister with him.

“Yo, Henry. Hold up, man.” I stopped several feet from them and lowered my voice. “Did you know that Jack Dempsey versus Jess Willard was the very first fight to be broadcast over the radio?”

Henry stopped moving and his hands stilled.

“Do you know what year that was, Henry?”

“1919,” Henry said in a whisper. “The first televised fight was in 1931. Benny Leonard vs. Mickey Walker.”

“I didn’t know that.” Actually, I had only known about the Dempsey, Willard fight because I’d seen a biography on Dempsey on Netflix the night before. God bless Netflix. The mention of the radio had made me think of Henry and the sportscast blaring from his bedroom. “You wanna tell me more?”

“David ‘Tag’ Taggert, light heavyweight contender with a professional record of eighteen wins, two losses, ten knock outs.”

“You checked up on me, huh?”

Henry’s mouth twitched, and he looked away shyly.

“You did! What else did you find out? That all the ladies love me, that I’m the best looking fighter, pound for pound, in the universe?”

Henry looked confused for a second, and I realized he was searching his mind for that stat. I laughed. “Just kidding, buddy.”

“Six-foot three, 215 pounds, most often compared to Forrest Griffin and Michael Bisping?” Henry’s voice rose on the end, clearly seeking approval.

“I’m more charming than Bisping, and I have better ears than Forrest. But they could both probably kick my ass.”

“He said ass, Amelie!” Henry whispered, half shocked.

“Yes he did, Henry. It’s okay. That’s how fighters talk,” Amelie soothed.

“Can I say ass?” Henry whispered again, curiously.

“You can,” I cut in, “after you learn how to fight.”

Buy The Song of David

Buy the song on iTunes: http://apple.co/1JPQEht

Music & Lyrics by Amy Harmon and Paul Travis – Song of David: iTunes

Music Video on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1IRtMja

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Amy Harmon is a USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written seven novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Law of Moses, is now available. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com

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10Jun2015

Releasing Now: Sweet Ache by K. Bromberg

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Meet Hawke & Quinlan in SWEET ACHE – the newest Rock Star stand-alone in the Driven Series by K. Bromberg!

NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1JhAg96

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FNdJll

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The New York Times bestselling author of Slow Burn turns up the heat when a sexy bet turns into so much more….

Hawkin Play, the bad boy rock star with a good guy heart, has lived a lifetime of cleaning up after his twin brother’s mistakes. Hunter’s most recent screwup could land Hawke in jail and risk the band’s future. Hawke agrees to guest lecture at a local college to stay in the judge’s good graces—and a bet with his bandmate to seduce his sexy teaching assistant is icing on the cake.

Quinlan Westin is harder to bed than Hawke imagined. She knows his type and is determined to avoid the rocker at all costs—even if their attraction runs deeper than simple lust.

Just as Hawke might finally be winning over the girl, his brother has other plans. When Hunter realizes his twin finally has a weakness, he’ll stop at nothing to take advantage….

Quinlan

I walk toward him, the sight of him slightly unkempt with a carefree smile he hasn’t possessed for days calls to my libido on so many levels it’s ridiculous. He brings a shot of something to his mouth and I don’t even give a second thought to what it is because I know I’ll taste it on my lips momentarily.

He hums deep in his throat when I step up into his body and there is something so inherently sexy about the sound—knowing that I caused that reaction—that together with the feel of his firm body against mine lets me know there will be no interruptions this time.

He looks at me, eyes darkening and one hand sliding beneath my shirt a beat before our lips meet in a hungry, no-holds-barred kiss. His empty bottle clatters on the counter behind him so that his other hand can join in the temptation. I lose myself in the taste of the tequila on his tongue, and the hypnotizing feeling of his hands on my body.

The music thumps hard around us, the noise buzzes, and the faint scent of cigarette smoke wafts in from outside but it’s as if none of it hits me because I’m consumed by everything about him: his taste, his cologne, the groan I can’t hear but can feel against our connected chests, the heat of his body. I don’t care who’s watching because it’s almost as if the overwhelming emotions that he’s experienced all week long are manifesting themselves into our mutual desperation.

“Upstairs. Now,” he murmurs against my lips, and I’ve never heard more perfect words. He grasps the bottle of tequila behind him in one hand and my hand in the other without saying anything further and walks with purpose through the crowd. I can’t see his face but he must have a determined look on it because not one person stops him to talk when that’s been the norm for the evening thus far. At the bottom of the stairs, I catch the eyes of the three wannabe women and just smirk. Call me bitchy, but I can’t help it, I’m with the one they were hoping to land tonight.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K. Bromberg is that reserved woman sitting in the corner who has you all fooled about the wild child inside of her—the one she lets out every time her fingertips touch the computer keyboard.

K. lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. When she needs a break from the daily chaos of her life, you can most likely find her on the treadmill or with Kindle in hand, devouring the pages of a good, saucy book.

On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Her debut novels, Driven, Fueled, and Crashed of The Driven Trilogy were well received and went on to become multi-platform bestsellers as well as landing on the New York Times and USA Today lists. Her other works include a short story, UnRaveled, and a companion piece to The Driven Trilogy titled Raced. She is currently working on three stand alone Driven novels, Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, and Hard Beat. She also plans to release a novel addressing the 10 year gap at the ending of Crashed in late fall 2015

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8Jun2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: The Very Second Time by Author M. Mabie

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

The Very Second Time

—M. Mabie—

Synopsis

“Look into my eyes. Again.”

“Again, Felix. Always.”

This isn’t a story about how two young lovers meet, get to know each other, and how they effortlessly fall in love.

We’ve done that…repeatedly.

You don’t have to worry about the “Will they?” or “Won’t they?” We’re soulmates, but don’t assume our ending is a happy one.

Oh, it ends all right. And it ends. Then, it ends again.

No matter how hard I fight to save him, the outcome is permanently the same. Still—if there’s a shot—I have to try. He would. He’d be able to save me if our roles were reversed. I won’t give up until my last breath.

I always knew we’d be together for years and years; I just didn’t imagine it would be the same ones… over and over again.

If first impressions mean everything, then what happens… the very second time? What happens to forever? This isn’t a story about how two young lovers meet, get to know each other, and how they effortlessly fall in love.

They didn’t expect this either, but fate doesn’t come with a warning.

Add The Very Second Time to your Goodreads TRB HERE.

Listen to The Very Second Time’s playlist HERE.

The Very Second Time is a standalone novel. It is a one part contemporary romance and one part time-travel romance.

Expected release date is October 13, 2015. Pre-order will be available in the near future. For more information, feel free to contact M. Mabie at mmabie.ccom.

Cover design by: by Hang Le

M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes unconventional love stories and tries to embody “real-life romance.”

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne’s World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

M. Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie Website | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Other Books by M. Mabie Fade In (Standalone Contemporary Romance) | Bait: Book One in the Wake Series | Sail: Book Two in the Wake Series

4Jun2015

Releasing Now: Conviction by Corinne Michaels

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Uncategorized by mkcooke

Liam and Natalie’s return in Conviction by Corinne Michaels!

Find out how their story continues….

NOW AVAILABLE

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Book Two in the Consolation Duet

I fell in love with Liam only to be left shattered into a million pieces. Again. The idea of being without him cripples me but the reality is, he’s gone.

He doesn’t understand and I can’t make him.

If only he’d see the conviction behind my words—then he’d still be here.

Excerpt #1

Time isn’t something I ever thought much about.

It ebbs and flows, but it never changes. I can’t make it stop—no matter how much I want to. There’s no way to rewind the clock or halt it. In this moment, all I want is to make the world stop and go back to when I was happy and ready to tackle the world. Just two short minutes ago, there was no worry about how my day would go. I was going away with the man I love, the one who healed me. But time isn’t my friend. It slaps me in the face and laughs as I stand here wondering how the hell any of this is happening. I don’t want to move forward, and I sure as hell don’t want to slow it down.

Excerpt #2

His voice is thick and husky as he refuses to break from my eyes. “Tell me you’re real.”

“I’m real.”

“Tell me you’re really here.”

“I’m here with you.” My hand rises, and I press my thumb to his lips. “I’m here for you. I’m here with only you. I need you so much.”

His eyes close as I rub my thumb, savoring the rough feel on my skin.

“Stay with me,” he pleads.

Liam’s hands rest on each side of my face as I drag him down further. “There’s nowhere else I want to be.” Our lips meet, and I lose myself.

Consolation (Book One

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Book Trailer ➙ https://youtu.be/FErL5y4_OhQ

Playlist ➙ http://spoti.fi/1cd3DfH

Blurb

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.

He wasn’t even on my radar.

He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

Corinne Michaels is an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. She’s 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.

Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn’t ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha Navy SEALs are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart.

Contact Corinne

Website: http://www.corinnemichaels.com

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

Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorcorinnemichaels

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4Jun2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: Fighting Shadows by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Add Fighting Shadows to your TBR list on Goodreads!

http://bit.ly/1M2gxtv

RELEASE DATE: July 7th

I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.

My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.

Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.

Until I met her.

Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.

I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.

Fighting the shadows of our past.

Fighting to reclaim my future.

Fighting for her.

Fighting Shadows Excerpt

Fighting Shadows

Prologue

Ash

“Where the fuck have you been?” a man’s voice growled as soon as I entered the conference room.

My eyes flashed to his for only a single second before I recognized them. The door had barely clicked behind me but I already wanted nothing more than to bolt. My heart raced and my mouth dried.

I had to get out of there.

“Um…” I stalled, giving myself time to formulate a plan.

“Sit. Down,” he ordered, pushing out the chair next to him, but there was no way I was getting that close.

“I’m good,” I said, taking a step backwards toward the door.

“Don’t even think about it,” he snapped. “I swear to God, if you so much as open that door…” His words may have trailed off, but the threat was clearly stated.

I swallowed hard, and slowly walked to the chair farthest away from him, perching on the very edge—waiting for just the right moment to escape.

He looked down at the name badge around my neck and quirked an eyebrow.

“Victoria?”

“You can call me Tori if it’s easier.” I tried to fake a smile, but it only seemed to infuriate him. He took several calming breaths, which did nothing to dampen the blaze brewing in his angry eyes.

“I’ve been looking for you, Ash.” He snarled my name.

“Oh, yeah? Well, mystery solved. Here I am.” I pushed back to my feet, but was halted when his fist pounded against the table. I jumped as my whole body flinched from the surprise.

When the room fell silent, I slowly looked back up to find him staring at me with a murderous glare. Even sitting down I could tell he was huge, and as he held my gaze, the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders strained against the cotton of his grey Henley. He blinked at me for several seconds before finding his voice again.

“You live in a homeless shelter,” he stated definitively, as if the words told a story all of their own.

And maybe they did.

“I work at a homeless shelter,” I quickly corrected.

Only he corrected me just as fast. “In exchange for a permanent place to live…In. A. Homeless. Shelter.” He enunciated every single syllable.

I looked away, because it was the truth.

A truth that I hated.

But the God’s honest truth nonetheless.

Tears welled in my eyes and I battled to keep them at bay.

My life was hard, but him being there made it infinitely harder. If I could just escape that room, I could disappear again. It wasn’t ideal, but neither was him showing up.

“I want you to leave.” I lied with all the false courage I could muster.

“I can’t do that. You stole something of mine.”

“Look, I don’t have your book anymore.”

A knowing smirk lifted one side of his mouth. “Liar,” he whispered, reaching into the chair beside him, revealing the tattered book and ceremoniously dropping it on the table.

My eyes went wide, and without a conscious thought, I dove across the table after it.

That was mine.

Not even he could have it.

Just as quickly as the book appeared, he snatched it away and grabbed my wrist.

I slid off the table and tried to pull my arm from his grasp. It was a worthless attempt though because even if he had suddenly released me, his blue eyes held me frozen in place.

“Three fucking years,” he seethed.

“I had to,” I squeaked out as the tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Three. Fucking. Years, Ash. You took something that belonged to me.” He released my arm and pushed to his feet.

My mouth fell open and a loud gasp escaped as he took two impossible steps forward.

Pinning me against the wall with his hard body, he lifted a hand to my throat and glided it up until his thumb stroked over my bottom lip. Using my chin, he turned my head, and dragged his nose up my neck, stopping at my ear.

Sucking in a deep breath, he released it on a gravelly demand. “And I want her back.”

My breath hitched.

I’d waited years to hear those words.

If only I could have trusted them.

“Flint, please.”

About the Author:

Aly Martinez

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

3Jun2015

Review Post: The Best Medicine by Elizabeth Hayley

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

The Best Medicine by Elizabeth Hayley

Releasing: June 2, 2015

The first novel in a sparkling and sexy new contemporary romance series about four best friends looking for love in all the right places—and the one woman who discovers that it takes more than an impeccable bedside manner to make dreams come true…

Lauren Hastings is finally ready to enter the real world. At twenty-six, she’s about to get her master’s in psychology, and she’s well on her way to beginning the career of her dreams—until she suffers public humiliation and has to endure something she thought she’d never have to deal with again: a part-time job.

A gig at Trinity Hospital isn’t exactly Lauren’s definition of a good time, but Dr. Scott Jacobs quickly changes her mind. He’s straight-up gorgeous, and he always gets what he wants. And that includes Lauren. It’s an ideal arrangement for both of them. No strings. Just fun—at least at first.

But feelings quickly begin to run deeper than either Lauren or Scott is willing to admit, causing issues neither of them want to confront. After all, who wants to risk the perfect relationship on something as terrifying, as messy, and as unpredictable as love?

5 PHENOMENAL STARS

When I sat down to read The Best Medicine by Elizabeth Hayley I knew that I should probably expect some hysterical laugh out loud moments and lines, some searing hot moments filled to the brim with some serious heat, and characters that would engage the heck out of me because of how phenomenally these authors write.

Well, The Best Medicine gave me all of that, and more.

It gave me more humor and wit that had one seriously big smile on my face. (My jaw actually kind of hurt after reading this book because of how much I was laughing and smiling while reading. Seriously.) It gave me more heat and fire and connection between these two characters than I knew what to do with, and that just amplified every single thing they shared in this outstanding book. It also gave me two dynamic, headstrong, and enrapturing characters that I immensely enjoyed getting to know over the course of this book.

Basically, The Best Medicine gave me a whole lot of incredible things, and it is most assuredly one of my top reads for the year.

I loved this book. Every wonderful aspect of it was amazing, and outstandingly written, and just fanfreakingtastic. What can I say? I really, really loved this book.

I LOVED, and I mean loved Scott and Lauren’s story. I felt connected to it while reading. I loved getting to experience this story with them, through both of their eyes, as it allowed me to feel so connected to them and what was happening.

I felt what they felt. I thought what they thought. I experienced the same things they experienced. I laughed at the same things they did, blushed probably a tad more than they actually did, and I sure as hell felt the insanely hot connection between these two. I so totally understood them too. I got their hesitations, their wonderings, their anger, their passion, their connection, their longing, their insecurities. I got it all. Every single wondrous and unforgettable little bit.

Experiencing all of that with these two remarkable characters was possible because of the extraordinary writing of Elizabeth Hayley. Their writing is seamless and fresh and witty, and just allows you to get right into the thick of this story with these characters. Their writing gives you the chance to get to know these characters, layer by thoughtfully crafted layer, and you get the phenomenal opportunity to understand and love them more the deeper you get into their story.

Elizabeth Hayley’s writing gives you the opportunity to fully experience what you’re reading, and there is truly nothing better than that. It probably also helps that this book, like their others is brimming with more charm, humor, sarcasm, and the best kind of ridiculousness than you can shake a stick at.

One thing that Elizabeth Hayley most certainly knows how to do, is create unique and vibrant characters that I love and am practically chomping at the bit to get to know. Case in point: Scott and Lauren. (And ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS!)

Lauren’s character was spirited and vibrant in the most fantastic ways. That girl is real, and honest, and tells it like it is. I had mad respect for her because of that. She’s fiercely determined and sharp as a tack too. She’s also someone who can appreciate being completely ridiculous, and is spontaneous in the best possible ways. I especially loved how thoughtful she was, and how that was exemplified so fantastically throughout this book. Let me tell you, that girl is with it. The more I got to know her character, the more I loved her and wanted to be friends with her. And all of her friends for that matter.

I loved that as the story progressed and I got to know Lauren’s character more, I got to understand more of her past and her personality. Like all of the characters in this book, Lauren has many thoughtfully written layers to her, and it was nothing short of phenomenal to learn more about her, her past, and her choices and the vulnerabilities that came with them. Getting to know her on that level had my heart going to her repeatedly, and just reiterated over and over again how exceptional of a character she was.

Did I mention she’s hysterical, and witty, and kind of the best? Because she’s all that and more. I truly heart that girl something fierce.

Now Scott’s character was one that I was instantly pulled into. There’s definitely a level of cockiness to him and that man is certainly very stubborn, but oh is he charming. He’s also insanely good to imagine in a lab coat. Hot doctor. Need I say more? He is a man who gets what he wants, and he’s definitely got a strong determined side to him. Underneath all of that though is a man with a truly good heart who isn’t looking for any kind of commitment. He likes to keep people at a distant, especially those of the female persuasion, but Lauren gets to him in such a way that brings out so many things about Scott’s dynamic character.

What I think I liked most about Scott was that there was much more to him than initially meets the eye. Scott hides behind a lot of things, and it was simply outstanding to see, learn, and experience the reasoning behind why he made the choices he did. You really get to know a lot more about his past, and why things are the way they are with him. As much as I sometimes wish I could’ve reached in and shook his character for the nonsense he thought and did, because of how his past and feelings are so superbly written, I just got it and him. I knew and understood his character, and exploring those layers of him was just fantastic because it allowed him to feel so immensely real.

Did I mention he’s a really good looking doctor who is bound and determined to melt your heart? And something else for that matter… That man has full on McDreamy status with me.

Lauren and Scott’s relationship, or non-relationship if you ask them, was superb. It had the perfect amount of heat and passion and sexiness to it. These two characters are practically firecrackers together, and when they come together things get sparkly, insanely hot, and explosive within a matter of seconds. All of that chemistry and pull towards one another just heightened everything they shared, and pulled me more into their story.

Reading these two try and figure out what in the world they had going and where it was all possibly headed or not headed was fantastic. Elizabeth Hayley truly captures every single aspect and feeling that goes along with these two trying to figure all of that out. Those two also know their way around some good banter, and they can really go at it with one another, but that’s what just makes them so spectacular.

The Best Medicine is a book that not only gave me Lauren and Scott, but it also gave me the fabulous distinctive people that came with them, aka their friends and family members. Each of those little gems were engaging, and fun, and had me loving their unique personalities. They had me laughing out loud, feeling like I was part of a really cool group of authentic and seriously entertaining people, and they just helped glue every fabulous part of this story together. I for one cannot wait to spend more time getting to know all of them better as this series continues.

Lauren and Scott’s story in The Best Medicine is a lot of things. It’s funny and charming with the right amount of heat that is balanced superbly with a thoughtfully crafted story that just doesn’t quit. In this book Elizabeth Hayley gives you a story with so many incredible aspects to it. The way all of the tremendously well written pieces of these remarkable characters and their outstanding story comes together will just leave you in complete elation because of what it gives you and allows you to experience.

All those feelings. All those heated and passion filled moments. All that realness. All that fun. All those exceptionally written layers.

You get to experience it all, and that’s just part of what makes this book an exceptional read.

The writing duo that is Elizabeth Hayley are two of my favorite authors for a reason. They give you everything in one amazing package. Exceptional writing and storytelling, characters that are just about every positive adjective under the sun, and a reading experience that allows you to escape and fall hopelessly in love with the world and people they’ve so wonderfully created.

The Best Medicine is guaranteed to give you so many magnificent things, but most of all, it will give you a book that will give you one helluva reading experience that you truly won’t want to have end.

And did I also happen to mention that there’s a hot doctor in this book?…

~The Best Medicine~

Amazon B&N KOBO

Be sure to check out Elizabeth Hayley’s other books because they are all AMAZING!

~Pieces of Perfect~

Amazon

~Sex Snob~

Amazon

~Picking Up the Pieces~

Amazon

~Perfectly Ever After~

Amazon

**Read my 5* Review**

~Pieces Series Box Set~

(Pieces of Perfect, Picking Up the Pieces, and Perfectly Ever After) All 3 for one price!

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To learn more about Elizabeth Hayley and their books check out the following links:

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1Jun2015

Review Post: Catch and Release by Ella Fox

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

Catch and Release

By Ella Fox

AVAILABLE NOW!

ONLY $0.99

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1HCr2Wa

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1JLuHAw

Love endures all things.

Darby McKenzie’s heart started beating funny the day that she met Trace Chamberlain. She was four, he was five, and that meeting altered the course of both their lives forever.

Trace was born into a nightmare. Before meeting Darby and her family, the only love he ever knew was that of his twin brother. The two of them endured years of abuse that left scars. The permanent kind.

For Trace, meeting Darby was like catching a rainbow. She exploded into his life in a pop of Technicolor that awakened his senses. She wasn’t just his best friend—she was his life. His touchstone, his safety, his heart—she was everything.

Darby had been through it all with Trace and her love for him never wavered for a second. But no amount of love could make Trace believe that he was worthy of her. Knowing that she deserved better, Trace pushed her away, when what he really wanted was to pull her closer. Emotionally destroyed and bitter from the back and forth, Darby finally let go and decided to move on.

Sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to understand that you need to change. Realizing that losing Darby means losing everything, Trace sets out to fight for the love of his life.

Is it too late for Darby and Trace to have a happily ever after?

4.5 Fantastic Stars

Catch and Release was a beautifully emotionally book that took me on a truly phenomenal journey with these extremely authentic characters. It not only gave me Darby and Trace’s heart squeezing story, it gave me every single thoughtfully crafted emotion and feeling they had. Every one of their doubts and heartbreaks they had along the way. All of their vulnerabilities. All of their ups and downs. All of the moments that defined their relationship. Every single magnificent piece of their journey together.

I got it all in Catch and Release, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with that.

I have been waiting for this story since I read Catch My Fall. That was actually the first book I ever read by this author, and it’s was solidified her as one of my favorites. While falling in love with Mia and Tristan’s story in that book, I got to fall in love with Darby and Trace too. I knew those two had one helluva past, and I was ecstatic to get to experience that in this book.

This book and their past and story gave me so much more than I expected, and I enjoyed every single fantastic word that this book gave me.

What was absolutely fantastic about Catch and Release:

Darby is strong as all get out. Darby is probably one of the strongest female characters that I have ever read. She is fiery and sassy, and is as vibrant as can be. That is her through and through, and I relished in getting to read the strong female character that she was. Darby has so much fight in her and that just defines her character in the best way. I loved getting to know her over the course of this book and seeing that strength come out in so many different and magnificent ways. My heart just went to that girl because no matter what she was strong and determined and gave it all she had, and that just made her golden to me.
Trace’s heartbreaking past. Having read Catch My Fall, I knew that Trace and his brother Tristan had a horrendous childhood. Catch and Release lets you see Trace’s childhood first hand, and let me tell you, that will just break your heart for him. It’ll also have your heart instantly going to him and his brother for what they endured. As much as it pulled at my heart to read about Trace’s past, I thought it was phenomenal to see how that past in turn affected him as he continued on and with his relationship with Darby. Seeing and really experiencing his character’s past gave me a new and utterly exceptional understanding of his character, which connected me so much into him and his story.
The depth of feeling. You really feel over and over again in Catch and Release how deeply Trace and Darby feel for one another. This book gives you the extraordinary opportunity to see Darby and Trace’s relationship right from the beginning and through so many stages. Getting to experience that allows you to fully feel and know how deeply these two feel for one another. When you feel that reading this book it’ll make you hope with all of your heart that these two can figure out a way to make it work because you know how truly and deeply they love each other.
Understanding the past. One of my very favorite aspects of this book was getting to understand the past of both of these characters. This book starts at the beginning of Darby and Trace. You get chance to see them grow and develop as individuals. You also get to see how their relationship evolves over the course of the book too. I loved how Ella Fox gave me these characters’ pasts because it allowed me such a magnificent understanding of them both. It also made me fall in love with both of their characters, as well as what they were fighting for. Getting the pasts of these characters is just one of the many aspects that pulled me in so deeply to what I was reading in this fantastic story.
The heartbreaking moments. Catch and Release has a lot of heartbreaking moments. Whether your heart is breaking for Trace and all that he has to go through and experience. Whether it’s for Darby and experiencing what it’s like for her to watch Trace go through those things, or when she’s losing parts of herself because of what is and isn’t happening in their relationship. Whether it’s for Darby and Trace as the push and pull in their relationship slowly starts to take its toll. Whatever it is, this book will give you so many heartbreaking moments. You might think it’s strange that I enjoyed reading that, but that heartbreak emotionally connected me to these two from the instant I met them. It allowed me to fight for them, care for them, and just love them wholly. Those heartbreaking moments gave me Darby and Trace at their most vulnerable moments, and made my heart go to them again and again.
The level of fight that defines this book and characters. I loved the level of fight that was in Catch and Release. In this story you get many different types of fight from all of the characters. Trace is fighting against what he’s feeling for Darby. Darby is fighting for Trace to realize he is good and whole and so immensely worth it. They’re both fighting with the feelings they share for one another. I have to say it was also just refreshing to read a story where the female character is the one with the fight, the one who tries to help and heal. I love these kinds of stories and that’s just one of the many reasons I loved this book. The fight goes on and on, and the way that fight thoughtfully weaves itself into this story is nothing short of wonderful.

Catch and Release tells the emotional journey of two characters that I just loved to pieces. This story gave me so much of them, and I guarantee that you will fall heart first in love with both Trace and Darby as they try to figure out what could happen if they really gave it a shot.

I really cannot recommend this book to you more. It is beautiful, emotional and just downright phenomenal. Trace and Darby and their heart pulling story will just pull you in, and you won’t want it to let you go.

This story will give you so many emotionally intense moments that will have your heart going to these characters over and over again. You will feel for them. You will love with them. You will break with them. You will try to heal with them. You will fight for it all right along with them.

You will do it all with them, and that is just part of what makes this book an exceptional read.

Catch My Fall (Book One)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1KcahyF

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BirhOJ

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KqNx0U

iBooks: http://apple.co/1FKubCU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1PD4h8N

Blurb

Mia Reeves faith, trust and sense of security were all taken away in the blink of an eye. In need of a fresh start, she settles into a new town and begins to make a new life.

Tristan Chamberlain has always kept girls at arm’s length and he has no intention of changing. He’s caring, smart, handsome, but he’s also dealing with a lifetime of guilt that’s slowly but surely destroying him.

Sometimes what you run from is the one thing that will save you.

Separately, they’re both free-falling. Together, they’re about to find that love can create the strongest safety net of all.

About the Author:

Ella Fox writes like a woman possessed whenever she gets the chance! She is the author of The Hart Family Series, The Renegade Saints Series and The Catch 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.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Email | Website |

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1Jun2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: Be My Temptation by Rachel Brookes

Posted in Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Title: Be My Temptation

Series: Book 2 of The Crawford Brothers (can be read as a standalone).

Author: Rachel Brookes

Release Date: June 29^th 2015

Sign up to be notified when Be My Temptation is live: http://eepurl.com/boAgqz

Cover Designer: Wicked by Design

Photographer: Perrywinkle Photography

One night connected them. One decision separated them. One craving tempted them.

Ashlyn Hart was done with men, or at least those outside of her books. After stupidly falling for the charms of her cheating ex and having her heart broken yet again, she decided to create a new life. One that involved a career change, a new wardrobe, and the possibility of moving abroad. There was just one hurdle: the confident, stubborn and insanely-tempting Josh Crawford.

Josh Crawford hid behind the cliché bachelor lifestyle and a never-ending parade of women. He knew the game and played it well, but the night he tasted perfection four years ago never left him. Back then, he made a spur of the moment decision, one that he has battled with ever since. But beneath the playboy façade was a yearning that wouldn’t disappear. A craving for the only woman who could bring him to his knees: Ashlyn Hart. Two weeks changes everything. One night unravels the deepest of desires. A simple taste unleashes memories that can’t be tamed. When the girl who dreams of a happily ever after collides with the guy who lives the ultimate cliffhanger, what ending awaits them? Will fear overshadow love? Will the past play hindrance to the future, or will temptation conquer it all?

Prologue

Four years earlier

Josh

Jesus Christ, she was tight.

The more I edged in, the tighter her body squeezed my cock, which inevitably sent pleasure spiraling through me. The feeling of tightness, combined with her tiny whimpers, were like music to my ears, and acted as the perfect melody for the act I was about to perform. This moment started with a fleeting glance across the bar, a connection of our eyes, and the offering of a smirk; the same smirk I’d been known to use to get into the pants and apartments of girls plenty of times before.

I wondered if the look across the bar tonight was when she thought what was happening started. She would be sorely mistaken if she did. I had noticed Ashlyn Hart long ago. Ashlyn Hart was the stunning, blond-haired girl with the insane green eyes and kissable lips that grabbed my attention the start of freshman year. I first noticed her in the library, surrounded by books. Her glasses were sitting on the edge of her nose, and she was chewing on the end of a pen. Her blonde hair was piled on the top of her head, with loose strands surrounding her face, and she looked completely in her zone. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Yep, I certainly noticed her for all the right reasons, and tonight was no different.

Tonight was the first night in God only knows how long that I succeeded in getting my older brother Ky to leave the seclusion of our apartment. He didn’t even fight me, which was surprising. The moment we arrived at our local bar he started downing beers, while I started scoping out the other patrons, looking for some fun for the night. It seemed that fun would come in the form of Ashlyn Hart, and my eyes latched onto her fiercely.

She was toward the back, standing close to the guy I knew was her older brother, Austin. They were in a serious conversation, his hands on her shoulders, and she was looking up at him with wide eyes and a worry-filled face. Rumor around campus was that Ashlyn was from a well-off family from the West Coast, but she didn’t have much to do with them. Apparently she had fled for the east as soon as she finished high school and was here under a scholarship, which could explain why she always was studying. Although Austin was five or so years older than her, he would randomly come and visit, and I had seen her out with him a few times.

As soon as I saw her dodge her way through the crowd and head to the bar, I swooped in. She was a beautiful girl, and since I was a guy with an overactive imagination and a cock that really liked beautiful girls, she was definitely on my radar. Ashlyn was unique and refreshing. And though she hid behind her glasses and oversized clothing, her eyes, flawless face, and womanly curves that would be dangerous to any guy’s libido, grabbed a tight hold of my attention.

Tonight, my plan was to test the waters, to see if she could be my fun for the night. I stepped up beside her at the packed bar as she waited to be served, and that would be the first of many times she’d shock me for the night. When Ashlyn greeted me by name, offered me a flirty smile, and gave me the indication that she was just as willing to test the waters as I was, I was completely floored. Where had this sassy woman been hiding? My interest skyrocketed, and I needed more. As we drank beer, I bought pizza for us both and she showed me another side of her, a side that had been hidden in the books and sweaters. Austin, her brother, had gone long ago, and at that moment all I saw was her, and all I wanted was all of Ashlyn Hart. It would seem that she had plans to give me all of her.

Now as she was wedged below me, looking up at me with the widest and most eager eyes I had ever seen, I couldn’t believe my luck. Her face was flushed, her lips parted, and her tits rose with every deep breath she took. She was a fucking delight to look at. My hands cupped her face and, with eager intent, my lips fell to hers as I feasted on the perfect pout that was previously covered with bright-red lipstick. I had been craving this moment for a long time, and I wasn’t afraid to admit that. I didn’t know what got my attention most, whether it was the innocent look she had going on, which she completely obliterated tonight, or the fact that I never actually saw her with any other guys or girls. She was a one-woman show—a woman of mystery, and I would make it my mission to discover who she was.

“Fuck me, you’re so tight.” I moaned against her neck as I shifted my hips higher and attempted to push further into her slick wetness. Her whimpers increased, and her nails dug into my back, grating their way down to my ass with every tiny movement I made. Everything spun around me the moment I hit a barrier inside of her.

She couldn’t be.

“Please don’t stop,” Ashlyn begged softly. I tore my face from the confines of her neck and my eyes met pleading green pits of desire that flickered with anxiety.

She was a virgin.

There was no way in hell I was doing this. No fucking way. I had never taken a girls virginity, and I wouldn’t be starting tonight. I shifted and slowly began pulling out, but halted when her hands gripped my naked ass and held me in place.

“I don’t deserve this,” I whispered into the electric air as I avoided her gaze.

“Josh, do you really think I would have come here, kissed you like I’ve never kissed a guy before, gotten naked, and let it go as far as it has if I didn’t want it?”

“Do you really want your first time to be with someone you barely know? I have wanted inside you from the moment I saw you, and it’s because I’m just a guy who wants to fuck. You deserve romance, candles, and the whole shebang for your first time.”

Her face twisted as a smile graced her lips and her eyes softened. “You bought me beer and pizza.”

“Fucking hell, woman. Buying you beer and pizza does not entitle me entrance to your virginal pussy.”

“Can you please stop saying virgin?”

“But you are a virgin; a sexy as fuck virgin, but still a virgin.”

“Why are we even having this conversation?” She rolled her eyes, spitting the kind of sass that I was quickly learning was fucking incredible for my libido.

My gaze roamed over her face, and I found a woman who wanted exactly what I could give her. She tempted me from the very moment I laid eyes on her, and the confident woman now writhing beneath me was a woman I had never seen her portray before. The oversized sweaters, the glasses that sat on the edge of her nose, and the top knot she always sported were long gone. Now I was witnessing a sexy woman who wanted to give me her greatest gift. Her eyes burned with desire, and her lips were swollen from my earlier attack.

“Fuck!” I groaned and buried my face in her neck. Why was I even hesitating? If this was any other girl, I would have fucked her hard and fast and she would be on her way home, so why was I hesitating? I moaned as Ashlyn started lifting her hips and moving her body. My cock with a mind of its own found her hot, eager pussy, but soon I was reminded of what was at stake when I once again hit the barrier.

I pulled out quickly and slid off the bed with a huff.

“Josh!” Ashlyn called and covered her eyes with her arm. As I reached the door, I twisted back to look at her. She was stunning, and seeing her in my bed, naked and glorious, was crazy to comprehend. She had gone from being a one-night stand to someone who wanted me to become a forever memory. You always remembered the person who took your virginity. Fuck, I remember exactly who took mine when I was seventeen. Did I want to be a forever memory to Ashlyn Hart?

I shook my head and rushed out of the room with only one thing on my mind.

I’d give this girl romance.

As I scrounged around the living room for candles—why the fuck Ky and I had candles was anyone’s guess—I heard movement coming from down the hall. The layout of the apartment allowed me to see into my bedroom, so I turned and saw Ashlyn sitting up on my bed, pulling on her shirt and fixing her hair.

Something in me switched as I began witnessing the loss of sassy Ashlyn, and I refused to allow her to leave. Everything about tonight had shifted, and now all I had was a carnal need to give her everything she wanted and then some.

“Do not cover yourself, Ashlyn. Lie back down, keep that shirt off, and be ready for me.” I knew I was being bossy, but I couldn’t let her leave. Her eyes shot wide, and her head whipped around to look down the hall at me. Thankfully, she wasn’t offended by my harsh tone. As if in slow motion, her hands disappeared behind her back and unclasped her bra, letting her plump tits bounce in freedom before she slowly lay back down. Fuck me dead, she was a vision of stunning beauty. I rushed around frantically, and finally found what I was looking for.

“What are you doing?” Ashlyn asked softly, her eyes following my every move as I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me.

Without responding, I switched off the lights, and in the darkness stumbled my way to the dresser. A glow permeated the room as I ignited three vanilla-scented candles. Her shocked gasp rang through the room, and my eyes slammed shut at the intensity of the situation. What the fuck was I doing?

“Josh.” Her voice was so delicate that it sounded like it would shatter if I didn’t acknowledge her.

I slowly turned to face her, and then crawled on the bed until my body covered hers.

“I’m not taking your virginity without giving you a little piece of romance, Ashy.”

That would be the first time I’d use her nickname, and that would be the first time she would slowly take hold of my heart.

Ashlyn

I woke to a delicious ache throbbing between my thighs, and a heavy arm over my naked stomach. I was on my back, my legs entwined with another’s, and warm breath tickling my neck. I was completely and utterly satisfied.

My mind was alive as I reminisced about every detail of the night before. Everything was so clear and concise, and locked so tightly in my memory bank that there was no chance I’d ever forget it. I’d handed my virginity to Josh Crawford on a platter, and he took it like it was his last meal.

With a subtle move, I turned my head until I was face to face with him. His eyes were closed, leaving his long lashes to caress his cheeks, and his even breathing told me he was still in a deep sleep. The lips that had devoured every inch of my body continued to taunt me as my gaze lingered over him.

Last night, after he brought the candles into the room, he climbed onto the bed and hovered over me. I would never forget the look that filtered over his face in those few seconds before his lips fell back to mine. He looked at me like I was the most precious commodity; like I was a gem that he wanted to discover and keep for eternity. It shocked me.

Josh spent the next thirty minutes kissing and caressing my body with his fingers, hands, and mouth until he thought I was ready. I was a panting mess. In one swift move, he pushed deep inside of me. I didn’t know what to expect. Yes, it hurt, but only for a brief moment. Then I felt my body tremble with delight, and it felt like a thousand fireworks were set off in one go.

I knew of Josh, but I didn’t know Josh. Does that make sense? I admired him from afar. He was dangerously sexy, and he’d wreaked havoc on my body and thoughts for months, even though he had absolutely no clue. His eyes reminded me of pots of melted dark chocolate, his lips were luscious, and he always had the just-got-fucked hair going on. His reputation around campus was that of a legend. I knew he slept around; I had overheard plenty of girls talking about him, and just how well-endowed he was, but that didn’t stop me. If anything, it encouraged me. The question was bound to circulate: why did Ashlyn Hart give Josh Crawford, practically a stranger, her virginity? The answer was simple: my virginity was mine to give.

I wanted spontaneity, I wanted craziness, and I wanted someone who knew what they were doing. My life had been so structured and mapped out that I wanted to be in charge for once. I wanted to make the decision. I knew their virginity was a huge deal to some people; those who waited their whole lives to find that special someone to share it with. But I was never that girl. Judge me as you will.

I slowly lifted Josh’s arm from my naked stomach and held my breath as he scrunched his face and shifted in bed. After sliding out, I stood completely naked next to him and waited. Now that would be an awkward good morning—him finding me naked and staring at him. Once he settled, I moved quickly and rounded his room, grabbing my panties, bra, jeans, and top that Josh had thrown around. I dressed quickly, threw my hair into a crazy-ass bun on the top of my head, and snuck out of his room, but not before giving him one last longing look. I was free. Or so I thought.

I gasped loudly, and my clutch fell from my hands and crashed to the floor as I rounded the hall and came face to face with Ky Crawford. Not only did he wear scruff better than most men, but the same could be said for the sweatpants that hung loosely on his hips. I knew who Ky Crawford was. Everyone knew who Ky Crawford was. He was the key witness against Jeremy Davis, who was charged and later convicted of the attack and rape of Eden Rivers. He was also the guy who had been destroying himself ever since.

His head jerked up at the sound of my clutch colliding with the floor tiles, and shock covered his face as his eyes ran over me.

“I’m sorry, I was just leaving,” I said in a rush, crouching down to salvage my things while humiliation took over.

He crouched down beside me, and I cringed as he started to help pick up my lip-gloss and loose change. “You stayed here?”

“Um, yes. With Josh,” I stammered, then jammed the last of my things into my clutch and rose to my feet.

“Well, fuck me,” he said, amusement hitting his words as he joined me on his feet.

The small talk was making me flustered. Two attractive Crawfords in one day was too much for any girl to endure. “Sorry to bother you. I was just leaving.”

“I’ve seen you around campus. You’re in some of Josh’s classes.” Ky stepped away and headed to the kitchen. He moved straight to the coffee maker, switched it on, then pulled two mugs from the overhead cupboard. My eyes trained on him, and when he poured two steaming-hot, freshly-brewed coffees for him and Josh, I knew I had to get out of there. To say I was shocked beyond comprehension when he handed me a mug was an understatement.

Well, this was completely weird and unexpected. I lifted the coffee to my lips and sighed as the hot liquid flooded my veins and helped push aside the exhaustion that was quickly gripping my still-humming body.

I looked at him over the top of the mug before I asked, “Do you provide coffee to all the girls your brother brings home?”

His smile replaced the confused look I saw earlier. “He never brings girls back. Consider this a celebratory coffee. I think little Josh Crawford may be growing up.”

Nervous laughter left my body as I tried to cover my shock. Josh never bought girls home, but here I was. I stammered as I said, “It’s just a one night thing. He’ll probably never see me again.”

“You can’t be missed. I’ve seen you around campus. I’m pretty certain every man with a functioning cock has seen you.”

I choked on my coffee at his blatant disregard of subtlety. “You Crawford boys aren’t afraid to say what you really think, are you?”

“Over the past six months, I’ve learned that you just have to say what you think. Screw the consequences, because you don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance again.”

I watched as his eyes lost the sparkle and darted away from mine. Suddenly, the urge to offer this stranger comfort took over, and I decided to provide a little humor to get the sparkle back, so I took Ky’s advice and laid it out for him.

“Last night your brother rocked my world and bought me pizza and beer. And now you’ve made me the best coffee I’ve ever had. I might just get used to the Crawford brothers.”

He clinked his mug against mine and smiled. “My brother would be an idiot not to keep hold of you.”

“Well, yeah, I’m clearly a catch.”

And that was the first time I thought of Josh like that.

Rachel Brookes is the author of The Breathe Series and The Crawford Brothers and lives on the east coast of Australia where beaches, kangaroos and surfers roam free. She spends her days writing stories that contain a dash of drama, a cup of romance, a spoonful of sexiness and delicious men to season. She is crazy for The Walking Dead, a fan of long island iced teas, a cupcake creator and a lover of book boyfriends. Rachel sometimes forgets to eat, sleep has become non-existent and more often than not she can’t remember the last time she cleaned her apartment, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she steps away from her laptop, you’ll find her reading, people watching, taking photos and planning her next big adventure.

She is also obsessed with social media, so come say hi.

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29May2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: Reveal by Elle Brooks

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Reveal

by: Elle Brooks

Add to your GR TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25621106-reveal

I used to believe in destiny.

I was six years old when I first took to the stage, and I’ve danced every day since. It’s the biggest part of who I am. The fuel that drives me forward.

My oxygen…
My life…
My soul.

The stars were perfectly aligned, and my fairy tale had slowly begun to play out like a beautifully scripted passage from a romance novel. I was all set to live my happily ever after…

Until I wasn’t.

If dancing was my heart, Daniel was the blood that kept it beating. I was content with supporting him as he worked towards his music dreams, but then he disappeared, leaving me scared, alone and suffocating under the crushing weight of his debts.

It’s said that opportunity often comes disguised as misfortune.

When one door closes, another one opens. But I wasn’t prepared for it to belong to Reveal, one of New York City’s most exclusive Burlesque Clubs.

It feels as though the universe is conspiring against me until fate thrusts two very different men into the equation. And what they have in common, no one could have predicted.

Destiny may have delivered them both, but who stays is my choice.

*****5 Unforgettable Stars*****

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$50 Amazon Gift Card

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The Very Second Time

—M. Mabie—

Synopsis

“Look into my eyes. Again.”

“Again, Felix. Always.”

Add The Very Second Time to your Goodreads TRB HERE.

Listen to The Very Second Time’s playlist HERE.

Cover design by: by Hang Le

Connect with M. Mabie Website | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Other Books by M. Mabie Fade In (Standalone Contemporary Romance) | Bait: Book One in the Wake Series | Sail: Book Two in the Wake Series

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The Best Medicine by Elizabeth Hayley

Releasing: June 2, 2015

*****5 PHENOMENAL STARS*****

~The Best Medicine~

Be sure to check out Elizabeth Hayley’s other books because they are all AMAZING!

~Pieces of Perfect~

~Sex Snob~

~Picking Up the Pieces~

~Perfectly Ever After~

~Pieces Series Box Set~

To learn more about Elizabeth Hayley and their books check out the following links:

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Catch and Release

By Ella Fox

*****4.5 Fantastic Stars*****

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Reveal

by: Elle Brooks

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5 Unforgettable Stars

5 PHENOMENAL STARS

4.5 Fantastic Stars