Review Post: Empty Promises by Elle Brooks

Empty Promises (Promises, #3)

by Elle Brooks

Title: Empty Promises (Promises Series Book #3)

Author: Elle Brooks

Genre: NA | YA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 27th 2015

Buy Links:

Synopsis2

Emily ~

What would you do if you knew when you were going to die?

Would you will death to come and claim you quickly?

Or would you pray for more time?


It wasn’t until I knew that I was about to die, that I decided to really live.

And it wasn’t until I gave up on love, that I finally found it.

Just not in any of the places that I’d been searching.

Sometimes you don’t get the fairytale happily ever after,

but if you’re lucky,

you get so much more.

You get a perfect beginning that you can keep hold of until the end.

My Review*****5 Heartfelt Stars****

I will shamefully admit that Empty Promises was the first thing I ever read by Elle Brooks, though after reading this utterly phenomenal novella, I can assuredly tell you that it will most certainly not be the last of what I read from this fantastic author.

I loved this novella. I was enraptured by the beautiful and heartbreaking and just breathtaking story between the pages of it the instant I began reading it. The characters, the story, the meaning behind it all in this novella just blew me away, and I was fully captivated by the heartfelt beauty that just exuded from this story.

Empty Promises is a prequel novella to Elle Brooks Promises Series, and it tells the story of Emily. Emily is really something else, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever really had the chance to experience a character like hers, but that’s what I loved about her. That’s what made this novella so unforgettable and just downright amazing because it gave me the wonderful chance to experience something I’d never experienced before.

And while I’ll be completely honest that this story and Emily and Lucas had my heart breaking at times and made big old baby tears fall down my face, in the end it was sincerely beautiful with an immense amount of meaning and feeling that just reiterated how spectacular this story was.

What I absolutely loves about Empty Promises:

  • The power of Emily. I don’t know if I have the right amount of words to capture the wondrous being that is Emily. She is very raw and real at times because of what she’s going through, and her honesty and vulnerability weaves its way through this story in such a remarkable way. Emily just makes you want to love her the instant you meet her. She’s just got a heart of gold and is bound and determined to make her last few months on this Earth all that they can be. Honestly, I have mad respect for Emily’s character because of what she faces with her head held high, and how she pushes through, and gives it her all even when most would just give into it. Emily is fierce in her own magnificent way, she is just a force to be reckoned with, and I guarantee by the end of her story you will just be in awe of her. I know I was.
  • Lucas Wade stole my heart. Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. That boy stole my heart. Period. I could honestly go on and on about how much I loved his character for days, and it still would not be enough to capture how much I was just enamored by him. He is the definition of swoon-worthy. And not just because I imagine him as being someone who’s really enticing to look at, though he definitely has that going for him. No, I loved Lucas because of the heart of that boy. His heart spoke volumes and it made my heart fall head over heels for him. The feeling, the meaning, and just the amount of everything that came from that boy’s heart had me melting, and of course, swooning. Lucas Wade officially stole a piece of my heart in this novella because of his heart and all that he does for Emily, and that boy is just golden in my eyes.
  • All the heart pulling moments. There are more moments in Empty Promises that will pull at your heart than you can shake a stick at. They will squeeze your heart because you know how hard and painful the events of this novella are for these characters to experience. Elle Brooks creates these characters in such ways that you fully feel what they’re feeling and experiencing, and that just amplifies everything. Every heartbreaking moment, every moment that makes you want to cry, every emotion they have and experience, and just every moment that pulls at your heart for what Emily, Blair, Emily’s family, and Lucas are going through. It pulls at your heart, but those moments are what make you feel this story. It’s what makes this story and its characters the memorable and superb thing that it is.
  • Plenty of balancing fun. Now I don’t want you thinking that this book was all about the sad moments, because it wasn’t. There were so many instances and moments where I laughed my butt off at what was happening. Right when everything was so tough, or I felt like my heart was hurting like crazy, Elle Brooks created a moment to break the tension. A moment where I as the reader could not hold in the hysterical laughter at some of the brilliantly funny and very realistic awkward things that were happening. And the best part was that those funny moments, those moments of authentic laughter and light, just perfectly balanced with everything else going on in the story. It made it all whole, and just brought everything together in such a wonderful way.
  • Blair and Emily’s friendship. Emily and Blair’s friendship made this novella for me. Their friendship together was well layered and thoughtfully crafted over the entire story, and it just felt real. Elle Brooks completely captures what it means to have a best friend with the way you talk and feel and do things in ways that only best friends do, and what a friendship like that really entails. You could just tell how important they both were to one another. Reading their friendship just made me happy because it allowed me the chance to experience through Emily what true, honest to God friendship can do for you and make you feel.
  • A plethora of engaging characters. One of my favorite aspects of this novella was meeting all the exuberant and dynamic characters of this series, and I’m practically chomping at the bit to get more of them in the next two books. Blair, Ethan, Brie, Casey, and just everyone else who I met in this story drew me into it all more. They are all seriously engaging, and they just all felt so real to read. Elle Brooks creates a group of characters you want to spend time with, and that really is just fantastic to have when you’re reading this story.
  • The beautiful meaning and power of this novella. I could probably go on and on about the beautiful and breathtakingly heartfelt meaning behind this story. There is such a power to the words you will experience with Emily and everyone around her, and I think it’s literally impossible for these words and the emotional meaning behind them to not strike you somewhere. This story and Emily make you feel and think and wonder and just experience it all. Getting the chance to read and experience that is honestly one of the best feelings in the world, and Empty Promises gives that to you again and again.

Empty Promises tells the story of Emily. Of how she realizes what it means to truly live when she’s about to die. Of how she realizes the power of a person and love, and what it can bring. Of how endings truly can bring about some of the most beautiful and heart melting beginnings that a girl could ask for.

I loved this novella. I cannot say those four words enough. It made me feel. I laughed, I cried like a baby, my heart hurt and my heart soared at times, and in the end I fell in love. In love with these exceptional characters, in love with this meaningful, emotional, and genuine story, and in love with what I got to feel and experience on every single page.

This story gave me everything I didn’t even know I needed, and it is a spectacular beginning to the Promises Series which I plan on finishing just as soon as I finish this review. Elle Brooks’ fantastic writing and storytelling will bring this story, Emily, and every other little extraordinary aspect of Empty Promises to life. It will give you everything and more, and in the end you’ll be beyond thrilled that you had the chance to experience the power and magnificence of Empty Promises.

 

Excerpt

“Where’s Dad?” I ask as I watch Mom pull a packet of coffee from the back of the cupboard.

“He’s gone for a run, sweetie,” she says matter-of- factly before throwing me a smile. Mom’s got a great game face. If I’d not overheard her conversation, I’d have no clue she was just upset.

“Okay, I have an idea, and I want you to just trust me, so grab your things and come with me. We’re going out.”

Mom looks a little bewildered by my cryptic request before she shrugs and grins. “Fine, lead the way, Emily.”

We climb into her car and I scroll through my phone until I find the address of the nearest bridal store. I locate one three miles away and begin inputting it into the GPS. Mom looks at the address, and I can see the gears in her head turning as she tries to work out the address and wonders what would have me dragging her out the house for. She’s a good sport and doesn’t seem too put out that I’m refusing to tell her what it is we’re doing as we make the short journey.
A few minutes roll by before we pull up outside Dana’s Bridal Boutique, and the GPS signals that we’ve reached our destination on the left. Mom looks at me questioningly and I give her a rueful smile. There’s only a bakery, coffee shop and the bridal store on this small stretch of road.

“I overheard you and Dad talking this morning.” She still looks confused so I point to the Bridal Boutique. She covers her mouth with her hand as she leans back into her seat, her eyes crinkling as realization dawns. “You were talking about the fact that you should go first, and that you’ll never see me in my wedding dress, or be there with me at the delivery of your first grandchild. Well, there’s little I can do about an immaculate conception,” I shrug, “but this,” I point to the store again. “This I can do.”

I watch as a million different emotions wage war behind her sapphire eyes before she admits defeat, closes them tightly and slumps forward resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. I watch quietly as she holds a finger up to me, signaling she needs a minute. When she finally opens them again, they’re glassy but she seems to have recovered her composure enough to step outside the car. I don’t know what to make of the situation, and honestly, I’m regretting my decision as I climb out and round the car. Maybe this was a stupid idea and is too much for her. Hell, maybe it’s too much for me. I’m about to apologize and tell her so when she finally speaks.

“You really are something kind of wonderful, Emily,” she says before ambushing me in a fiercely tight hug. I sigh and feel a little of the tension drain from my shoulders, like someone’s just turned on an invisible faucet to ease some of the pressure.

“I’m sorry you heard that conversation. I was just having a weak moment. We don’t have to do this,” she whispers into my hair and squeezes before pushing me back to see my face.

“I’m glad I did hear, and I want to do this. Is that weird?” I answer, and it’s the truth. I am glad I overheard their conversation. I hate that she feels like she needs to be strong one hundred percent of the time for me. It’s not healthy.

“It’s not weird at all, Emily.”

“Good. Okay, enough of this.” I square my shoulders. “Let’s get in there and go play dress up.”

author

Hello…

I’m a little neurotic; I function on a tiny amount of sleep and a huge amount of caffeine. I love green skittles and have an irrational fear of stormy weather. When I’m not writing about super hot college guys, you can generally find me googling them…All in the name of research of course. I can be persuaded to do just about anything with the promise of a good book or a bottle of bubbles. Oh, and I also love to write.

 

Elle is the author of the Promises Series including:

Book #1 is “Promises Hurt” released in August 2014.

Book #2 is “Forgotten Promises” released November 2014.

Stalk Elle…

Releasing Now: Slow Burn by K. Bromberg

slow burn - blog tour

Meet Becks & Haddie in SLOW BURN – the newest stand alone in the

Driven Series by K. Bromberg!

slow burn - live

NOW AVAILABLE

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/19L7vnB

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Eyutb7

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

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1DH7ewU

slow burn teaser 2

Excerpt

He bites his bottom lip and grimaces. “Fuck!” He growls out to the trees above him and then rolls his shoulders to dissipate some of the stress I see settling there. “Semantics aren’t an excuse. An omission is the same as lying Haddie, but you’re missing the point entirely. It’s not whether it was a lie or not. It’s so damn far from that. It’s you using the sex we’ve had to numb yourself when it should do the exact opposite. It should light your body on fire and burrow so deep under your skin that all you think about is the next time you can have me…because fuck if that’s not what you’ve done to me. So I call your bluff. I’ll keep calling it every fucking day until you admit you want me, that being with me does that to you too…but you won’t will you?” I just remain still, face impassive, body raging with emotion beneath the surface. “You’d rather stand there and tell me you prefer the numb, the void, the nothing, than admit you need me.”

His eyes have their own language as we stare at each other, the power of his words bringing tears to my eyes and knocking the words from my lips. “I was just doing what I thought was best, protecting everyone from more hurt, more everything.” And I hate the numb, I scream silently. I hate it so fucking much that every time we touch you make me feel so alive I realize how dead I’ve felt inside over the past year.

I don’t know why I don’t tell him the rest. Like if I do then I’m just sealing my fate by Murphy’s fucking Law so I keep quiet.

“Really? That’s all you’ve got for me? Next time make sure your eyes and your lips match up City because you’re just adding insult to injury right now. Your refusal to answer is infuriating. Need me Haddie. Use me as your goddamn emotional punching bag or your real one for that matter but fucking need me. I’m not some schmuck who’s going to bolt at the first rough patch and the fact that you still don’t see that is a crock.” He blows out a loud breath, jaw clenched, anger palpable. “I’m so fucking pissed but I’m also so fucking mesmerized by you right now and I don’t know what the hell to do or say. All I know is that protecting someone from the truth is just another way of shutting them out.”

slow burn teaser 7

Synopsis2

slow burn cover

ONE NIGHT. THAT’S ALL IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

Reeling from the sudden loss of her sister, Haddie Montgomery has sworn off relationships. All she wanted from Beckett Daniels was a sexy distraction to help her escape her pain for just a little while….There weren’t supposed to be any strings attached—so why can’t she shake the memory of that unforgettable night from her thoughts? Or the taste of his kiss from her lips?

No matter how hard Haddie tries to forget about him, Becks relentlessly tries to prove that she should start living for today. But she is determined to avoid romantic commitment, and she can always use her ex-boyfriend’s reappearance to help snuff out the slow burn within her that Becks has sparked….

Or will fate force her to realize that this kind of connection doesn’t come along very often and a chance at love is worth the risk?

Slow Burn Playlist

Playlist Share link: https://play.spotify.com/user/1284237839/playlist/7IAxqdPZElGUABulkrinU3

author

kristy bromberg

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

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon

 

 

Re-Releasing Now: Unexpected & Undone by Amy Marie

 

 Unexpected by Amy Marie
(#1 of the Unexpected Series)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads

Synopsis2
At twenty-seven Erin Decker has the perfect life; a thriving career, a dream home she shares with her best friend Noelle, and a secure relationship with Robert, her handsome and faithful boyfriend. Or so she thinks.

When her visions of a marriage proposal are met with the ultimate betrayal, Erin finds herself in the arms of sexy and strong-willed distraction, Walker Prescott.

Her summer becomes life changing as she realizes Walker has left her with a tiny piece of himself and no way to find him…until he suddenly shows up and turns her world upside down.

Can she let go of her past to make way for a future she never saw coming?

Can Walker be exactly what Erin needs?

Will he give her the perfect life she so desperately craves in the most unexpected way?

Warning: This book is intended for readers 18 and Up. Strong language and explicit sexual scenes.

 

Excerpt
“You won’t come again until I am balls deep inside you. Do you understand?” His harsh tone coming from next to my ear and then his body lifts off me.
I’m naked, face down, in a strange hotel room, halfway to my second orgasm of the night with a man I barely know. Within seconds, he has returned to my back, but now I feel his arousal at my entrance teasing and taunting as his knees spread my thighs apart. Had he gotten rid of his pants that fast?
His lips are back by my ear, whispering, “I didn’t go to the bar tonight expecting this, but I’m so fucking glad it’s happening. You think my tongue and fingers can make you feel good? Wait until I get inside you. I’ll make you want to be more adventurous.”

Undone by Amy Marie
(#2 of the Unexpected Series

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads

Synopsis2
Trent Decker’s life was turned upside down when Alex, his longtime girlfriend, abandoned him and their newborn son. Trying to put order back in his chaotic life, he never expects to fall for his sister’s best friend, Noelle. When another man seems to be stealing her heart, the years of holding his feelings for her inside come out. He lays it all on the line, hoping she chooses him. Noelle’s indecisiveness and an unanticipated visit from his past, causes him to take a step back and focus on making things right for his son, but can he stay away?

Noelle Grant prides herself on her life being in perfect order: a great job, great friends and the occasional fling to satisfy her needs. When her latest conquest, Jace, crashes into her life, she believes he may be the one to keep for more than just a night or two. That is until Trent, her best friend’s sexy, little brother, makes his feelings known and turns her structured world inside out. Exploring her feelings for both men adds complications and when Trent starts to pull away she believes Jace is what she needs. But is he what she wants?

Will Noelle stay with the safer choice or will she risk everything for the one who makes her come completely undone?


Excerpt
I catch up to her just as she gets to the top of the steps and push my front into her back making it flushed against the corner of the railing just out of sight.
Her hair glides through my fingers easily as I push it aside and give her the gentlest of kisses on her shoulder blade. She’s wearing a green tank top and tight jean shorts that barely cover the bottom of her ass. My hands grip her hips and I whisper, “Ask me your question and I’ll give you that kiss you’re begging for.”
Her head leans back exposing her neck to me and I take a tiny nip. “Ask me, Noe.”
“Do you think of me?” She finally gives in.
“All the fucking time.” I kiss just under her ear listening to her quiet moans escape.
“I mean do you think of me…when you’re alone? At night? In the shower?”
“When I stroke myself, Noelle? I told you. All. The. Fucking. Time.” I bite at the edge of her ear. “Now turn around.”
She obeys, and I can see her nipples peaking through her top as her breasts rise and fall rapidly. She wants me and if we were in my bed, I would have her surrendering herself to me.
“Do you want that kiss still?”
Gripping my t-shirt she aggressively brings her lips towards mine. “Desperately.”


author

Amy-Marie was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and now resides in Virginia
 
Beach with her fantastically crazy husband and two kids.
 
As an avid reader, she never dreamed of writing her own novel until the characters
 
started haunting her at night and in the shower.  Wanting to get it down on paper she set off
on the journey that is more than she could have ever dreamed.
 
When not writing she can be found carting her kids around, breaking up their fights,
 
cleaning up messes, teaching Zumba, or reading.
 
 
AUTHOR MEDIA LINKS:
 
Twitter@authoramymarie
AuthorAmyMarie@yahoo.com

Buy The Book

Buy the Books for just $0.99 during the Blog Tour

 
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Book #3 coming soon
Undeniable 


add it to your TBR
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Giveaway
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Releasing Now: Wilde Forever by Suzanne Halliday

RD Wilde Heart banner.jpg

Release Day

Wilde Heart (Wilde Women Book 2)

USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday

Get ready for Rhiann and Liam’s story!

Goodreads:


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24737989-wilde-heart?from_search=true

Wildeheart cover

Buy The Book

http://amzn.to/1AwWaAj

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id969867008

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wilde-hart

Synopsis2

Is there a statute of limitation on heartbreak? Rhiann Baron-Wilde hopes so. Surely eight years is long enough…right?

After chasing her dream of living in New York and working in the fashion industry, Rhi suddenly isn’t so sure that’s what she really wants to do anymore.
After all, the hush-hush stories she’s been writing—stuff about white knights and forever after—are calling to her.

Then, Liam Ashforth turns up eight long years after walking away from their secret love affair. And not just any old reappearance—not him! No, he’s come
back as her boss in a move that shakes up Rhiann’s whole world.

Liam makes it clear—he wants her back. But can she believe him? Should she trust him again? After all, they hadn’t exactly parted as friends. Then again,
maybe this is her very own happily ever after?

But secrets and lies have a way of coming back to haunt in sometimes surprising ways and an unexpected twist that threatens more than their feelings puts
these two to the ultimate test.

Wilde Heart is the second book in the Wilde Women series about three sisters who weren’t exactly looking for love by Bestselling romantica author, Suzanne
Halliday

Wilde Forever (Wilde Women Book 1)

wilde forever

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23161412-wilde-forever

Amazon http://amzn.to/1widdUz

B&N

http://bit.ly/1wzwg03

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Synopsis:

After an ugly divorce, Brynn Baron-Wilde swore off men and created a new life in a quaint upstate touristy town where she runs a successful bakery and
tearoom. Brynn has everything mapped out and she’s got no time for distractions.

And then along came Jackson Merrill – former Army medic turned talented renovation specialist. Jax enters Brynn’s well-ordered life and proceeds to shake
up her world.

He’s a bit on the dented and dinged side after his military service and she’s dealing with a stealth attack from her grandmother who’s added manipulative
clauses to her will that threaten Brynn’s hold on her house and business.

Sometimes fate and destiny have a sense of humor along with some questionable timing. Are these two destined to be together or will her reluctance and his
issues keep them apart? When a stunning turn of events complicates things even more, things sure do get interesting – meddling parents and all.

author

USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday

https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneHallidayAuthor/timeline

http://suzannehallidayauthor.blogspot.com/

https://plus.google.com/108331615626691958938/posts

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8047413.Suzanne_Halliday

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Releasing Now: Empty Promises by Elle Brooks

 

   Empty Promises (Promises, #3) 

by Elle Brooks 

Title: Empty Promises (Promises Series Book #3)

Author: Elle Brooks 

Genre: NA | YA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 27th 2015

Buy Link: 

Synopsis2

Emily ~

What would you do if you knew when you were going to die? 

Would you will death to come and claim you quickly? 

Or would you pray for more time? 


It wasn’t until I knew that I was about to die, that I decided to really live. 

And it wasn’t until I gave up on love, that I finally found it. 

Just not in any of the places that I’d been searching. 

Sometimes you don’t get the fairytale happily ever after, 

but if you’re lucky, 

you get so much more. 

You get a perfect beginning that you can keep hold of until the end.

 

 

 

EMPTY Promises Elle Brooks

Excerpt…

“Where’s Dad?” I ask as I watch Mom pull a packet of coffee from the back of the cupboard.

“He’s gone for a run, sweetie,” she says matter-of- factly before throwing me a smile. Mom’s got a great game face. If I’d not overheard her conversation, I’d have no clue she was just upset.

“Okay, I have an idea, and I want you to just trust me, so grab your things and come with me. We’re going out.”

Mom looks a little bewildered by my cryptic request before she shrugs and grins. “Fine, lead the way, Emily.”

We climb into her car and I scroll through my phone until I find the address of the nearest bridal store. I locate one three miles away and begin inputting it into the GPS. Mom looks at the address, and I can see the gears in her head turning as she tries to work out the address and wonders what would have me dragging her out the house for. She’s a good sport and doesn’t seem too put out that I’m refusing to tell her what it is we’re doing as we make the short journey.
A few minutes roll by before we pull up outside Dana’s Bridal Boutique, and the GPS signals that we’ve reached our destination on the left. Mom looks at me questioningly and I give her a rueful smile. There’s only a bakery, coffee shop and the bridal store on this small stretch of road.

“I overheard you and Dad talking this morning.” She still looks confused so I point to the Bridal Boutique. She covers her mouth with her hand as she leans back into her seat, her eyes crinkling as realization dawns. “You were talking about the fact that you should go first, and that you’ll never see me in my wedding dress, or be there with me at the delivery of your first grandchild. Well, there’s little I can do about an immaculate conception,” I shrug, “but this,” I point to the store again. “This I can do.”

I watch as a million different emotions wage war behind her sapphire eyes before she admits defeat, closes them tightly and slumps forward resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. I watch quietly as she holds a finger up to me, signaling she needs a minute. When she finally opens them again, they’re glassy but she seems to have recovered her composure enough to step outside the car. I don’t know what to make of the situation, and honestly, I’m regretting my decision as I climb out and round the car. Maybe this was a stupid idea and is too much for her. Hell, maybe it’s too much for me. I’m about to apologize and tell her so when she finally speaks.

“You really are something kind of wonderful, Emily,” she says before ambushing me in a fiercely tight hug. I sigh and feel a little of the tension drain from my shoulders, like someone’s just turned on an invisible faucet to ease some of the pressure.

“I’m sorry you heard that conversation. I was just having a weak moment. We don’t have to do this,” she whispers into my hair and squeezes before pushing me back to see my face.

“I’m glad I did hear, and I want to do this. Is that weird?” I answer, and it’s the truth. I am glad I overheard their conversation. I hate that she feels like she needs to be strong one hundred percent of the time for me. It’s not healthy.

“It’s not weird at all, Emily.”

“Good. Okay, enough of this.” I square my shoulders. “Let’s get in there and go play dress up.”

Author Q & A:

I had the amazing opportunity to ask Elle some questions about Empty Promises, her books, and some other fun things!! Be sure to check out the interview below!!

*Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write Empty Promises and the rest of your Promises Series? (Like a specific event, or a character that just came to you?)

Wow, that’s actually a really tough question. It wasn’t one particular thing; it was a culmination of events, ideas and timing that allowed me to write this series. I had an idea for the story, and yes, in part it was inspired by an event. My beautiful daughter was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. Throughout her treatment, I witnessed things that I never expected to in a million years. I watched some pretty amazing children, my own included; beat the dreadful disease that is cancer. On the flip side, I also observed the most heroic children anyone could ever have the absolute pleasure of meeting, make the most of each and every day, with poise and grace, knowing that they were dying. It took a long time for me to be in a place where I could write my series, and whether people love it, hate it, or are indifferent. I couldn’t be more proud.

*Empty Promises is a prequel novella to the other books you’ve written. Did you know the events of this book before you wrote Promises Hurt and Forgotten Promises?

Yes. I had a clear sense of Emily’s story before I had even finished the first book, Promises Hurt. I hadn’t counted on the arrival of one character though. Lucas Wade crept up on me, and once I had his character in my mind, I couldn’t shake it. #PoorLucas

*I know it’s tough to pick, but if there’s one thing you would want a reader to take away from Empty Promises, what would it be and why?

You’re right it is really hard! I think if anything, I want people to read Emily’s story and be inspired to live each day wearing a smile. How wonderful would the world be, if everyone were thankful for today, and hopeful for tomorrow? We don’t get a say in the life that we are born into, but we do have a choice in how we live it.

*What’s something on your bucket list that you hope to one day check off?

I have lots of things on my bucket list from visiting the original 7 natural wonders of the world, to attending a premier. If I could cross only one thing off, it would be to one day make the New York Times Bestseller list .

*What’s the one thing you cannot live without while writing? (i.e. coffee, gum, etc.)

Music. It’s very inspirational. I love to listen while I’m writing, although it does have to be on very low in the background. Oh, and coffee, but I’ll admit, sometimes it’s substituted for wine.

*What’s the best and worst thing about being an author/writer?

I can’t turn my brain off! I look at everything and think, how would that work in a book!

*Do you have a favorite scene from Empty Promises, and if so why is it your favorite?

My favorite scene is Lucas asking Emily to let him try and win her heart. That boy melts me. Sigh. He’s aware that what he’s asking will most definitely break his heart sooner rather than later, but he plows ahead regardless, and not just because of an item on a list, but because he truly believes Emily deserves to know true love.

*If you could spend the day with only one of your characters, who would you pick and what would you do?

Oh, I’d spend the day with Brie, she’s nuts, just like me! We’d go hottie spotting. Stalking sounds so… creepy. 😉

*What’s up next for you now that the Promises Series is finished?

I’m currently working on a new standalone novel. It will be a little sexier than the Promises series, but hopefully just as entertaining. It’s top secret at the moment, but I can tell you that I am LOVING writing it.

THANK YOU so much to Elle for answering my questions!! I have already read Empty Promises, and I LOVED it!! Be sure to stay tuned for my review post of this MUST READ!!

 

author

 

 

Hello…

I’m a little neurotic; I function on a tiny amount of sleep and a huge amount of caffeine. I love green skittles and have an irrational fear of stormy weather. When I’m not writing about super hot college guys, you can generally find me googling them…All in the name of research of course. I can be persuaded to do just about anything with the promise of a good book or a bottle of bubbles. Oh, and I also love to write. 

 

Elle is the author of the Promises Series including:

Book #1 is “Promises Hurt” released in August 2014. 

Book #2 is “Forgotten Promises” released November 2014. 

Stalk Elle…

 

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Review Post: Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

fighting silence blog tour

Meet Till & Eliza in Aly Martinez’s newest fighter series!

NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1CF0YEq

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Lhhn62

 Synopsis2

fighting silence ebook cover

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?

I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

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

Fighting for my career.

Fighting the impending silence.

Fighting for her.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.

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Excerpt

“That wasn’t yours to take away,” he exploded into the otherwise silent night. His words echoed off the surrounding buildings, each wave slicing me to the quick all over again. “That was our place. Not yours.” His voice cracked right alongside my heart.

“Yeah, well, there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t yours to take either.” I held his gaze, desperately trying to be strong, but as his eyes grew wide, I whimpered.

His long legs strode forward, stopping only inches away from me. He was crowding me, but he still leaned in closer to my face. “There is nothing in this world that was ever more mine than you,” he stated. Though it was the absolute truth, I wished with all my heart that it were a lie.

“Till,” I cried, swiping the tears from my eyes.

“Why!” he shouted, causing his muscles to tense under the force. “Goddamn it! I needed that place.”

Porch lights flashed on from the surrounding apartments, illuminating not only the dark but also my rage.

I shoved my hands into his chest. “What about what I needed? You left! I waited in that fucking apartment for weeks.”

He didn’t budge, but my bare feet slipped, sending me toward the ground. Impossibly fast, Till’s hand snaked out and caught my arm. I didn’t let his chivalrous gesture douse my fire. I had six months’ worth of words to say to the man I was irrevocably in love with.

“You took what you wanted. Then you left me.”

“Doodle,” he whispered.

I had been perilously close to the edge of insanity, and with one single word, he’d pushed me over.

I lost it completely.

Pounding my fists against his chest, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “It’s Eliza! My name is fucking Eliza! Not Doodle!” I spun to march away, but Till’s arms folded around me, lifting me off my feet to restrain me.

I was miniscule compared to him. There was no use in fighting, but I still kicked my legs, irrationally desperate to get away from him—but only because I knew I couldn’t keep him for forever.

“Stop it!” he growled into my ear. “I know your Goddamn name—probably better than I know my own.”

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My Review

*****5 Huge Stars*****

You know that moment when you’re reading a book and you just kind of realize that what you’re experiencing is just going to blow you away? That moment when you know you’re going to love it? That moment you’re sold?

That moment is why I read books. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

I had that moment on about page 2 of Fighting Silence. I kid you not. The instant I started this book, I was enamored by Till Page. Heck, even after finishing, I am still fully under his spell. There is just something about Till, and don’t even get me started on Eliza because I heart that girl like there’s no tomorrow.

Fighting Silence was another spectacular book by Aly Martinez, though I’m not surprised one little bit, because all of the books by her have continued to just hit it out of the park.

The distinctive characters, the extremely engaging stories, and all the outstandingly well-crafted emotions she brings to the page just leave me with some serious book hangovers and just in awe of what I’ve read.

Fighting Silence was no different and I honestly don’t know if I have the right words to really capture how much I loved this book, but I am sure as heck going to try.

What was out of this world about Fighting Silence:

  • Till’s unending fight and heart. Be still, my beating heart because Till Page has taken over it, and I don’t think I want it back. Till is one fine specimen of a male character with an extraordinary level of fight and heart. The balance of that is kind of the best. He puts his fight and heart on the line again and again. He fights for what he needs to, and gives it his all no matter what. His character practically melted my heart…and other things on just about every page. He is so gosh darn endearing, and he will just show you over and over how truly exceptional he is with all that he does and feels. The lengths he goes to for everyone and everything will just leave you in awe of how much fight and outstanding heart he has.
  • Tenacious Eliza. Oh Eliza, how I adore that feisty woman. Seriously. I love that girl. A lot. She is spunky and tenacious as all get out. The way she pushes for what she wants, and what she knows will make her happy, will just make you happy. And you’ll have mad respect for that girl because it takes a lot to take on Till Page, and to show him who’s boss. Eliza is just such a strong female character with such an authentic personality that will have you connecting to her and loving every ounce of push she’s got. Her character just felt so real, and her kickass determined self will have wanting to give her the biggest high five.
  • All the feels & heat. Fighting Silence had more feelings, emotions, and fantastic heat than you can shake a stick at. This book will have you feeling and experiencing every emotion under the sun, and you’re going to bask in all of that. All the excitement and adrenaline, all the love and hurt, and all those moments of doubt and pushing back. It all just works seamlessly, and it brings Till and Eliza’s story to life. It connects you instantly to them, and has you feeling all that they go through individually and together. I especially loved how much I felt from Till, because boy does that man feel. And what those two share is nothing short of a firework level connection. It’s beautiful and breathtaking and you’ll just be amazed by it. You might also find yourself fanning yourself more than once. Just saying.
  • Fantasy vs. Reality. There is a lot with fantasy and reality in this book, and no I don’t mean magical powers and spells, although I’m quite positive I’m still fully under the spell that these characters created. Eliza and Till’s story is a lot about finding that common ground between finding how to take what you’ve always dreamed of and trying to find how you might be able to fit it into what you really have. It’s a tricky thing, but boy is it glorious. I won’t tell you more because you’ve just got to experience this aspect for yourself, but let’s just say you’ll have a newfound appreciation for windows and doors after reading this book. And maybe purgatory too.
  • The best supporting characters around. Aly Martinez knows characters. She knows how to develop them, bring them to life, and how to make them memorable. I could not get enough of the supporting characters in Fighting Silence, and they all come together in some truly memorable ways. Flint. Sweet baby Jesus in a wicker basket do I need his book like yesterday. And Quarry? That quick witted little boy is my new best friend. (Yes I’m making his 12 year old self my best friend. You’ll get it when you meet him.) All of the supporting characters will pull you in the instant you meet them because of how wonderfully distinctive they are.
  • Adrenaline pumping moments. There are many adrenaline pumping moments in this book. Moments that will literally stop your heart from beating and cause your breath to catch. Some are when Till is fighting in that ring, some are when Eliza is doing all her utterly fantastic pushing, and some will take you by complete surprise, but that’s what makes this book the remarkable thing it is. All those moments will just keep you beyond enthralled, and you won’t be able to put this book down until you reach the end.
  • The feeling and importance of family. Fighting Silence had such a feeling of family to it. I felt part of that family that was created. You repeatedly feel how important all of these characters are to one another. Aly Martinez develops all of their different relationships fantastically, and you feel it in your bones how deeply they’re all connected. That sense of family will pull you in with welcoming arms, and you’ll never want to stop feeling that because it shows exactly what these characters are fighting for. Even if it scares the daylights out of them.
  • The balance between the heavy and light. This book has some heavy moments to it. Moments that will just have your heart breaking for what these characters go through. But then, there are moments that will bring the biggest freaking smile to your face, and others that will have you laughing your butt off. (Thank you Quarry!) The balance of those moments provides you with one helluva read. It pushes you as the reader, and just when you think you’ve reached the limit of heaviness your heart can take, you get a moment of pure unadulterated lightness that just shines through.
  • All the fight in more ways than one. Fighting is in the title of this book for a reason. There is a helluva lot of fight in so many dynamically layered ways. Till is fighting, in and out of the ring. Eliza is fighting just as much. They’re fighting individual hurdles and ones they face together. Sometimes they’re fighting each other, while at others they’re fighting outsiders. All of that fight just shows you how much perseverance and sheer determination these characters have to fight for what they want, and it just shows you their truly amazing colors.
  • Buckets and buckets of charm. Eliza & Till, their story, and just everyone and everything around them are bursting with charm. Buckets of charm. That charm will just warm your heart and will have you loving every little thing this fabulous book has to offer. It’s going to pull you into the world of this book, it’s going to make you smile and laugh, and it’s going to make your heart oh so happy. Even in those moments of needed heaviness when your heart just breaks for these characters, that charm will see you through.

Fighting Silence is another phenomenal book by Aly Martinez. I could honestly go on and on about how much I loved it. Till and Eliza’s story is full of heart and unending fight and so much amazingness that will just leave you in awe of what you’re reading, and what it’s giving you the chance to experience in all of its thoughtfully crafted pages.

Like I said, I knew by page 2 that this book was going to be outstanding, and by the end of it, I was head over heels in love with all that it gave me. I got to experience a crap ton of moments that had my pulse racing, my breath catching, and my heart melting. Sometimes within mere minutes of one another.

Fighting Silence gave it all, and I gladly took it. Every single last little wonderful effing bit. You’re going to want to take it all in too. Trust me. Till won’t let you down, and neither will Eliza, and in the end you’ll just be begging for the moment you can get back into their spectacular world.

author

aly martineez

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

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Releasing Now: Beautiful Dangerous by Penny Dee

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RELEASE DAY BLITZ

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Title: Beautiful Dangerous

Author: Penny Dee

Synopsis2

 It seemed like a good idea at the time. Get over my break-up by having a one-night stand with a rock ‘n’ roll hottie and move on with my life. Going on tour as official photographer to the world’s number one band was not part of the plan. 
Have you ever dreamed of being plucked out of the crowd by one of the hottest rock stars in the world?
I didn’t even know who Ozstryker were when my reckless sister Beth dragged me along to their concert. I went solely to keep her out of trouble, not for me to get tangled up with the famous guitarist renowned for his magnificent shirtless torso and talented fast hands. 
I had no intention of becoming a groupie, let alone anything else. But when Jax Ozstryker invited me on a date, I decided it was time for a little fun. Not that the night ended how I had planned – or how he planned, for that matter – I got a job and he didn’t get laid.
Now I’m on tour with the biggest band in the world with my crazy, unpredictable sister for company and a beautiful dangerous attraction for my new boss. I never dreamed life could be so crazy. Or complicated.
But this is life on the road – where nothing makes sense and everything is possible.

 

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author

I have written stories for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first book when I was five years old. It was called, The Goodies, and it was a short story about driving to the shops to get some milk. Needless to say, it was a very short book and hardly the page turner. It was also illustrated in orange felt tip pen because it was the only felt tip pen left in the pencil case that wasn’t dried up and useless.

My first attempt at writing romance was in high school when my athletic ambitions were replaced with Sunday sessions in my bestfriends bedroom, smoking cigarettes and writing smut about the hot guy at school. They were dreadfully crude stories. Lots of awkward fumblings in the dark or a series of awful first kisses. They were also very straight forward. Very straight to the point. Because I didn’t have a clue about what I was talking about. And I used terrible words such as “shaft”, “her moist warmth” and “velvet cavern”…yeah, they were awesome.

In following years I wisely gave up the cigarettes, became Mum to the “best kid in the world” and married a vastly understanding and supportive soul who tolerated the complete absence of my inner domestic goddess. Through a lot of trial and error, I think I may have started to write stories other people would want to read … without an orange felt tip pen in sight…

 

Where You Can Find Penny:

Penny’s Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Review Post: Absolute Love by Erin Everleigh

Absolute Love by Erin Everleigh 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis2

Phoebe thought she had her Happily Ever After. She had a beautiful little girl and was married to the man of her dreams.

But the unexpected death of her mother causes Phoebe’s world to come crashing down.

Confronted with the realization that the missing pieces of her past are lost to her forever, she watches herself morph into a person she no longer recognizes. A person she quickly grows to hate.

Barely making it through each day, Phoebe struggles to repress her darkest thoughts. But at night, she is held captive in nightmares from which she cannot escape.

With her marriage dangling by a thread, Phoebe fears a future with Justin may no longer be possible.

Refusing to give up, Justin fights for the life they used to share. But when he stumbles upon what could be the missing piece to Phoebe’s past, he is faced with a choice that could cost him everything.

When you feel like all hope is lost, is there a love that can transcend all and revive a broken soul?

My Review

****4.5 Stars****

Absolute Love is a story about what happens when a life changing event puts you on a path where you never expected to be. This fantastic and thoughtfully crafted book explored what it’s like to feel like you’re losing yourself with every breath you take, when you feel like there might be no way up, no way back.

It’s also a story about what will see you through that. What will see you through that darkness that consumes you, and what will ultimately bring you back to life.

This book is about how life can send you spinning round and round, searching for what you need, what you’re missing, but how it can also come into such sharp focus at times because of the people around you. And that focus is worth everything. This book exemplifies that ideal, and I absolutely loved that.

The moment I began this book I was very interested to see where the events of the book would take these characters. I knew the premise of this book from the synopsis, but I wasn’t prepared for how all the aspects of this wonderful book would come together.

I knew Phoebe’s story would be emotional and that it would probably hurt my heart at times to read because I knew she was in for a fight, a fight to find herself and what was missing. But that fight and her journey as a character is part of the reason I loved this book. Phoebe was such an endearing character and I immediately connected to her and the authenticity I felt from her. I felt for her the instant I met her, and this author does a phenomenal job of showing and capturing all that Phoebe thinks and feels in such a way that her character felt so very real to me. You get into her head, and you just get her. You get her fears, you understand why she has them, you know why she feels the way she does and why she questions, and you just understand why things have gone the way they have. Getting to know Phoebe the way you do in this book will just have your caring for her and hoping with all you’ve got that Phoebe can find herself once again.

Then this author brought in Justin’s point of view, and I was completely sold. The moment you meet him is the moment you realize that that man is ready to do whatever it takes to get back his love, his Phoebe. Justin’s point of view was such a fantastic addition to the story because it gave you the chance to see exactly how he was feeling with things with Phoebe, and to really experience the heartfelt and hard fought things he was doing to try to get his wife back. That is one determined man, and that determination defined his character in such a memorable way. It also just allowed you to see and feel what it’s like to give everything you’ve got for the one person you know you can’t live without. I also loved stepping into his head as it allowed me as the reader to learn more about how Phoebe and Justin came to be, and that just pulled me more and more into it all because I knew what they were both fighting so hard for.

Absolute Love had so many layers to it, and that’s what I really enjoyed about it. You had the story of Phoebe’s loss as she tried to make sense of everything she was going through. You had the fantastic aspect of Phoebe’s dreams that added such an engaging and thoughtful element to this story. You had the puzzle pieces to the whole picture that begin to take place over the course of the book.

Along with that you also had the journey and evolution that was occurring in Phoebe and Justin’s relationship, and reading those two try to figure it all out was just marvelous. Their relationship in this book definitely goes on a journey with many ups and downs, which all felt extremely authentic. It just worked, and as much I wished they weren’t experiencing the hurt and the questions and the doubts, the way this author takes these characters through this story was magnificent to read.

I was so happy that I got to read and experience everything with them, and even in those moments where my heart broke for all the pain they felt and all they were going through, I loved how much I learned about them. How much I felt from them. You could tell they wanted so much to go back to the way things had been between them, but that they didn’t know if that was even possible. Reading them give it everything they had was just fantastic, and it made me so vested in their story. I was with them through all that fight, all those ups and downs, and in the end I was beyond thrilled with the experience I had with them.

One seriously unique aspect to this book was the element of Phoebe’s dreams and how those played into the story. I loved getting to read them because it felt like getting a deeper view into Phoebe, and what she was going through. It also added to the mystery aspect of this book as Phoebe tries to put together the missing pieces of her past in her effort to put herself back together again. The author created and added these dreams to the story in such a seamless way, and it really just brought this book to life for me. Each dream was like a piece to the puzzle, and it gave me such a fantastic level of insight, and it really just intrigued me. I loved this aspect and it was just another reason I really enjoyed this book.

Overall, I loved Absolute Love. This was definitely an emotional book that puts these characters to the test, but this author creates their story and develops it in such a way that will have you along for that magnificently emotional ride. You’re going to love what you experience with them, and in the end you’re going to love everything this book gives you.

Absolute Love has such beautiful writing, thoughtfully developed and layered characters that scream authenticity, and a seriously engaging story that I truly could not put down. You’re going to be just as much invested in finding those missing pieces as Phoebe and Justin are. The moment you start this book you will be captivated by these characters, their heart pulling story, all the emotions and feels that accompany their journey together.

This book is about many things. It’s about trying to find yourself after you’ve felt completely lost. It’s about the journeys that life can take you on, and how those journeys can bring you to places you never thought you’d be. This book is also about love. About what love can give you, where it can take you, and ultimately how it can change you in ways you never expected.

Absolute Love is a truly beautiful book, and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience everything it gave me. Phoebe and Justin’s story will pull you in the instant you start it, and I guarantee you are going to love the journey you get to take with those two!

Absolute Love

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author

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Canadian born and raised, Erin Everleigh, is the mom of three girls, who always keep her on her toes – twins age 7 and an older sister who is 9.  She has a self-confessed addiction to reading that her family will certainly corroborate, and you will rarely find her without her kindle at arm’s length constantly feeding this obsession.  She is the author of newly released novel, Absolute Love.  A story that composed itself in her head, which she could no longer ignore.  After months of writing out chapters on her iPhone, she finally opened up her laptop and decided to take the plunge.

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Review Post: Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan

Unexpected fate tour use

Meet Cohen & Danielle in the newest stand alone

in the Hope Town Series by Harper Sloan!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Aguv8a

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1z4HNQJ

Nook: http://bit.ly/16PbeyN

 unexpected fate cover

 Synopsis2

 (Stand alone)

Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.

Or I should say recognize him for who he was.

I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.

My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.

Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.

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My Review

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

Cohen Cage was probably my favorite character from Harper Sloan’s Corps Security Series, behind Maddox Locke of course. The moment I met his spunky little 4 year old self in Cage, I adored him. He had vibrant personality out the yin yang, so it was no surprise at all that I could not wait to get my hands on his book.

I had no doubt going into this that I was going to be captivated by him and his story now that he was all grown up. (And boy has he grown up, by the way!)

What I didn’t know was that I was going to be just as enraptured by one Dani Reid. That girl is the epitome of what a strong independent female character looks and acts like, and I was just blown away by her character.

Unexpected Fate tells Dani and Cohen’s heart racing story. They’ve known each other their entire lives and their relationship together has changed and evolved over the years, but the events of Unexpected Fate are forcing them to face some hard and heated truths about what they share. Or what they hope to share.

Their story is passionate, and heart pulling, and feeling as all get out, and it will have you enamored by the amazingness that is Cohen and Dani the instant you start it.

What I loved about Unexpected Fate:

  • All the good just keeps getting better! It’s no secret that I effing loved every book in Harper Sloan’s Corps Security Series. This new series follows the many children of those characters. I loved that this story had all the feelings and everything I loved about the Corps Security series, but it was different enough to feel like it was setting its own path. It had a different kind of feeling to it, which worked for this book. It still had the alpha male and the sassy female that was the best kind of counterpart, but there was a different intensity level. Harper Sloan built upon the amazingness of her former series and pushed it even further with the start of this one.
  • Cohen Cage come on down. I simply can’t get enough of Cohen’s unforgettable character. I adored him a precocious 4 year old, and 20 years later I loved him as a grown up, tough as all get out, passionate man. He still had the many aspects that made my heart melt, and the intensity of that man is nothing short of firework level. Cohen Cage is a force to be reckoned with, and seeing his evolution from the character I knew and adored, to the one I know now and am enamored by, is just magnificent. After reading this book I have no doubt whatsoever that Cohen Cage has permanently stolen a little pieces of my heart.
  • Dani Reid is in the building. Dani is one strong and sassy female. She is just a gem of a female character. She’s feisty, and strong willed, and charming as all get out, and there is no way that you won’t be pulled in by that girl. Reading her character was kind of like reading the best of both worlds from Axel and Izzy’s characters from the previous series. You see so much of them in her, but she’s also just got this dynamic of a personality that’s all her, that just shines through. The strength and determination of Dani defines her in the best way, and you’ll have mad respect for that girl and all she is when you’re reading her story.
  • A connection years in the making. Even if you’ve never read any of the other books that come before this one, Harper Sloan does a fantastic job of showing how much Dani and Cohen mean to one another. Throughout this book Dani and Cohen explore how their feelings for one another have changed over the course of their shared pasts, and you will see some serious evolution with them and their connection over this book. The way their deep and intense connection changes will have your heart bursting and will have you believing and feeling in everything you experience while reading.
  • Holy hot fireworks. I will tell you that Harper Sloan knows how to write some intensity and passionate togetherness. The sparkle, the heat, the wham bam thank you ma’am, or whatever else you want to call it is searing hot. Like I need a fan or I’m going to pass out from this level of heat, kind of hot. It sparks off the page like the biggest Fourth of July fireworks show you’ve ever seen. It’s going to bring a certain blush to your face and all that heat, intensity, and passion will just bring Dani and Cohen’s relationship and desires to life.
  • Dani and Axel’s relationship. I loved seeing Dani and Axel’s father daughter relationship. Seeing characters who I already loved wholeheartedly become parents with adult children was phenomenal. You can just tell how much Dani values her relationship with her father, and how much Axel would walk through fire for his little girl, and it kind of just left me speechless at how much I loved that. Reading their relationship and bond brought some tears to my eyes because it made me beyond thrilled to get to experience that. I can’t say enough how much Harper Sloan captured the dynamics of their bond, and there’s no way you won’t feel that.
  • The events of the book. I ain’t telling you crap about what happens in this book because need to read this book and experience the magnificence that it is on your own. But let me tell you, the fast paced of it works well, and it keeps you hooked in like nobody’s business from beginning to end. The events of this book will have your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, all while you’re just experiencing the outstanding possibilities that are Dani and Cohen.
  • The feeling of family. One of my favorite aspects of this book was getting to spend time with the characters I already love, while also getting to know a whole new set of characters that I’ve come to love immensely. I was beyond thrilled to get to know the children of characters I’ve already been enraptured by, and they each have such unique personalities that burst through this book in the best way. I know that each and every one of them has a story to tell, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll get them all someday! When you’re reading this book you feel like you’re part of the crazy family that makes up this series. They’re going to leave you feeling whole and protected and welcomed into that amazing family, and you will just bask in that.
  • Balancing it all. Harper Sloan knows how to balance a book to give you every little thing you need. She gives you a relationship and all the possibilities along with that, more emotion and feeling than you can shake a stick at, tons of heat and unending sparks, and enough drama to just keep you enthralled in it all. Everything balances seamlessly, and you get just enough of everything to satisfy every want and desire you have of this book and Dani and Cohen’s story.
  • The theme of fate. This book explores the theme of fate. That theme weaves its way perfectly into the story, and it’s the breathing force and fire behind what happens. That idea is what guides Dani and Cohen to decide if what they’re feeling is fated, and if it’s worth risking everything for. That theme just makes this book, and the way it’s in the story is just extraordinary because of what it makes you feel and how it fully envelops you with all that is encompassed by that unexpected fate.

This book is all about the unexpected, fate, love, pain, and every little thing that comes in between. It explores so much, and gives you so much amazingness. Dani and Cohen’s relationship and their attempt at seeing where things could go is nothing short of wonderful, and you are going to love all the moments they give you.

There are moments that’ll make you blush, and others that will have you bursting with what you’re reading. Some moments will try to break your heart, while others will attempt to seal those cracks. There are plenty of moments that will have you laughing at the humor and personality of this book and its characters. It all just balances flawlessly and gives you the whole dang package.

Unexpected Fate will take you on one helluva journey that will lead you and them to some pretty unexpected places, but I am promising you that you will love every second you get to spend in this superb book with them.

I for one am sold on this new series, and I cannot wait to see what’s next for the exceptional group of characters brought to life in this utterly outstanding book, this phenomenal series, and this unforgettable world.

unexpected fate 212

 

Excerpt

 

“Dani-girl.” His voice, that rich rumble of masculine excellence, washes over me and I shiver again before cursing under my breath. The rumble of his low laughter tells me that he definitely didn’t miss that little move.

Kill me now.

“Hey, Coh,” I say with a smile. “What brings you in? Last minute, I might add.” I pat the chair before walking around and holding the back while he sits down.

When his scent hits my nose, I almost come on the spot. Lord, he smells good. I wonder what he would smell like while his body covered mine, all sweaty from hours of good lovemaking. I run my fingers through the longer lengths on the top and feel my cheeks heat slightly, thinking about doing the same when his face is buried between my legs.

“…needed a trim.”

Shit. I missed what he said because, naturally, I was thinking about him naked. Naked and thrusting into my body. Naked and feasting between my spread thighs.

“You feeling okay? I thought Nate said you were better?”

“Uh, I’m fine. Just—is it hot in here?” I fan my face and avoid his eyes.

He’s silent, so I take that as a sign that it’s safe to bring my attention back to him.

Big mistake there. His knowing eyes are boring right into mine. The chocolate depths sparkling in a way that makes it clear he has a good idea about where my mind was going.

“Did you hear what I said, Dani-girl?”

“Of course I did, Cohen. What, did you think I was standing here daydreaming?” I joke.

“Well, yeah, that’s exactly what I think.” His eyes darken and he smirks a devilish grin. “Did you know you talk in your sleep, Dani?” he asks, and I drop my comb.

Oh, God. Shut up, shut up, shut up. This is not happening. No way.

“No, I don’t,” I childishly snap.

“Dani, you do. So, yeah, I do think you were standing there daydreaming. Want to know why?” He uses his booted foot to move his chair so that he’s facing me, and then he leans in so that his face is dangerously close to mine. Even when he’s seated, his head is almost level with my own. Curse my horizontally challenged self. “While you were zoning off into space with your fingers running through my hair, you had this smile on your lips. The same smile you had the other day when you were dreaming. About me, Dani. And don’t deny it, because you don’t moan my name if you’re dreaming about another man. Yes, Dani, you very much do talk in your sleep.” He smiles again before leaning back and looking down to his phone. “Clean up my neck please, cut the length off the top, and give me a buzz on the sides. Other than that, you’re clear to continue with your thoughts.”

I must have been standing there like an idiot because he looks up from his phone, laughs to himself, and, with one tan hand, reaches out and pushes my mouth closed.

“You’re going to catch flies that way, Dani-girl. One day, maybe you can clue me in on what those dreams are about.”

Drives me insane, the control he has over me. There isn’t a single person in the world, other than Cohen, who can turn me into a ridiculously stupid, sputtering fool. My normal confidence disappears. And clearly, he isn’t as oblivious to my feelings as I originally thought.

How in the hell am I supposed to handle this?

Wait a minute. Cohen or not, I’m not going to let him pull my strings when I know he is just doing this to make me feel uncomfortable.

So, time to call his bluff.

“Why? You planning on doing something about it?”

He looks up sharply, clearly not having expected me to actually say something in return since he was going for shock value.

“Try me,” he demands, his voice thick and even deeper than normal.

I throw my head back and reach out to run my fingers thought his hair again, just barely suppressing the shivers. Curling my fingers slightly so that I can grab a good hold, I lean in and pull his head back at the same time. With my nose just a hair away from his and our breaths mingling together, I say, “Cohen, you couldn’t handle the truth of my thoughts when it comes to you and we both know it. So how about you let me know when you’re ready for me to clue you in.” I give his hair a light tug and smile when he swallows loudly and shifts in his seat. “Ready for that trim?” I ask with a wink, and I’m rewarded with his groan.

I have no idea how I do it, but I manage to get through his cut without coming unglued. I can see Lyn trying to get my attention from across the room. Stella had to leave after she overheard my words to Cohen because her giggles were getting the best of her. Cohen has remained silent the whole time. His eyes though… They’re speaking louder than his words ever could.

They haven’t left my reflection in the mirror since I started. I can feel them every time I shift. When I stopped to go grab another comb after I dropped my fourth one, I felt his gaze follow me across the room to Stella’s station. The few times I stopped cutting to meet his eyes, the heated promise written all over his face almost did me in. I almost just said ‘fuck it’ and climbed on his lap to have a go regardless of the people watching our every move.

I finish the last buzz of my clippers around his right ear and move to brush all the stray hair off. “All done,” I say softly and unclip his cape.

He stands, shoving his phone in the back pocket of his jeans, and walks over to stand in front of me. I continue to pretend I’m busy with the cape I just removed, brushing stray hairs off here and there, when his hand comes up, his finger and thumb hitting my chin, and my face is lifted until I have no choice but to look in his eyes.

“Do not tease me, Dani. It’s not a game you want to play if you don’t intend to follow through.”

“I-I wasn’t… I wouldn’t,” I stammer.

“You did, and I have no doubt you’ll have the brilliant idea to do it again. The next time you allude to those dirty thoughts I know you have about me, don’t think for a second that I won’t drag you to the closest bed to show you just how fucking dirty they’ll get.” He leans close, his scent hitting my nostrils, and I involuntarily inhale deeply, earning me a rumbled chuckle. “What you don’t know, Dani—because contrary to what you think, you don’t know me well enough to assume what having me would really be like. But I promise you this: every little thought that you have had that causes you to moan my name while scissoring those perfect legs back and forth, praying for completion—it would be so much hotter than you could ever imagine.” He gives me a soft, sweet kiss against my temple that has fire racing from that spot all over my body until it ends in the awareness that I’m pretty sure I just came in my pants.

unexpected fate 212-2

author

harper

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husband’s chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Releasing Now: Sing Like Nobody’s Listening by SJ McCoy

Sing Like Nobody’s Listening Release Day Blitz

 
Title : Sing Like Nobody’s Listening  
Author : SJ McCoy
Release date : February 22nd
 
Kenzie Reid is a survivor. She’s been out on her own since she was seventeen years old. She may not have much to show for it, but she’s made her own way in the world. Other than her sister, Megan, no one has ever cared whether she lived or died—not even her own parents. 

When Kenzie visits Summer Lake to make sure Megan is okay there, the quaint little town threatens to cast its spell over her, too. The place has its attractions, not the least of which is Chase, the lead singer with the local band. Kenzie knows attraction doesn’t last though and besides, she’s not cut out for small town life. 

Chase Harper lives a life many guys would envy. He sings in a band, hangs with his guys, can have any woman he wants—and usually does. When he meets Kenzie, he soon realizes he’d gladly give it all up. He believes what they have could be a one-of-a-kind, but first he’ll have to convince her that it’s more than just a one-off.  

Will two people who weren’t looking for a relationship learn to trust one another enough to make it work?
 
Buy Links:
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Kenzie was stunned by the effect he had on her. He took his time looking her over. She felt powerless as her body responded to him. She was used to men checking her out, but usually she was more aware of the effect she had on them than they had on her. Men were simple creatures. They were aroused by what they saw, and they only saw the facade. They saw the short skirts, the clingy tops, the brash blonde who gave as good as she got—usually better. As Chase’s gaze took her in, it felt like he was seeing past all of that, seeing her naked, in every respect. She’d have to be careful with this one. He was a pro.
He slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. His lips curled up into a satisfied smile, knowing the effect he’d had on her. “Yeah. I was wondering where you’d gotten to, lover.” He narrowed his eyes, his smile sending shivers down Kenzie’s back. “I told you earlier. You’ll be coming with me tonight.”
Kenzie barely registered the girl walking away. She was too busy trying to catch her breath, attempting to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, and the heat starting to build between her legs. Damn him he was hot! For the first time she could remember, she wanted to back off. This guy was dangerous. “Don’t you think that’s a little presumptuous?” She arched an eyebrow at him.
As he grinned at her, his eyes told her he knew, knew that she was backpedaling. “Not at all. I think our earlier conversation was quite explicit about what we both want.” As he spoke, he reached out and placed his hand on her hip, his fingertips tracing the small of her back while his thumb circled her hip bone.
Smooth move! She had to give him that—and if he didn’t stop it soon, she’d give him anything he wanted and more. The heat between her legs was spreading through her as a deep desire for him while he held her gaze.
“Unless I misunderstood?” He drew her a little closer. “I know what I want.” His eyes were mesmerizing, a gorgeous hazel color not unlike her own. They were laughing down at her as he asked, “You’re not really going to tell me you don’t want me, are you?”
Kenzie shook her head. She wasn’t about to admit how badly she wanted him either or that she might have finally met her match. She took a deep breath and smiled back at him. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Chase. We both know I want you.” She gave a little chuckle. “Almost as much you want me, but I can’t tonight.”
She was relieved to see the disappointment, quickly followed by determination, cross his face. She was back in the driver’s seat. “Why not, darlin’? What could be more important than taking this back to my place?”
“My little sister is much more important. I’m only here for the weekend. I can’t just abandon her because some guy wants to sleep with me.” It was true. No matter how much she wanted Chase, she needed to figure out what Megan was getting herself into. Her first impression of Michael hadn’t done much to reassure her. She really shouldn’t go home with this guy tonight. She needed to stay with Megan.
Chase laughed. The sound of it, so deep and genuine, made her smile. “I wasn’t planning on letting you sleep.”
She grinned back at him. “Figure of speech. I wouldn’t let you get any rest either.”
“So why are you playing with me if we’re not going to do this?”
“I didn’t say we’re not going to do this, did I? I said I can’t tonight.”
His grin was so sexy! “So are you saying you can tomorrow night?”
“Maybe.”
He shook his head at her and caught her hand. “Come with me a minute? I want to show you something.”
She nodded and let him lead her away from the crowd. They walked all the way to the end of the deck and down the steps onto the beach. It was dark down here, the noise from the Boathouse was dulled by the steady lapping of the water against the stones on the shore.
Kenzie had to catch her breath again when he came to a stop and she looked up at him. He was gorgeous! The moonlight shone on his face as he pulled her towards him. He was smiling down at her.
“So what did you want to show me?”
“What you’re going to be missing.” As he spoke, he closed his arms around her, crushing her to his hard chest. His lips came down on hers as one hand slid down to clasp her ass and hold her against another hard part of him.
Kenzie’s mind spun away as her hands came up to tangle in his hair. He was biting her lips, demanding entry. She bit back, nibbling his lower lip. He closed both hands around her ass while he walked her backward until he had her up against one of the concrete blocks that supported the deck. Caught between his hands and thrusting hips, she moaned. Chase took advantage of her parted lips and claimed her mouth, his tongue sliding inside exploring, demanding. She moved her hips with his as she kissed him back, grasping his ass, moving him in her time. She parted her legs a little, needing to feel his hard cock pressing into her. God she wanted him! She wanted him out of his jeans and inside her panties. Why the hell had she chickened out? His fingers were teasing her nipple through her dress, driving her crazy. She couldn’t remember ever wanting a man like she wanted Chase right now.
Footsteps came thundering down the steps from the deck, laughter and voices brought her back to her senses. She broke away from him. At least she broke away from his lips. His arms tightened around her middle, his cock pressed deeper between her legs, making her hang on to his shoulders. The look in his eyes took her breath away when he spoke. “Come with me? We can’t stop this now.”
If it weren’t for the look in his eyes, she would have agreed with him. But his eyes were talking about a whole lot more than just the amazing sex they could be having. He looked confused, dazed, and desperate not to let go. Perhaps she could have ignored that. Her own desire might have been enough to override what she saw in his eyes—if it weren’t for the fact that it mirrored what she felt. A kiss had never made her feel this mixed up before. She wanted to explore it, explore him, his mind as well as his body. But that was far too scary. She’d been right from the beginning. This man was dangerous!
“We have to stop this now!” She pushed him off her, a little disappointed that he made no attempt to pin her there and convince her. She started to walk away from him, back towards the steps up to the deck.
“Are you even going to tell me your name?”
She turned back and smiled at him. “Kenzie.”
He caught up with her and closed his arms around her waist. Again she was powerless to stop him. Truth be told, she didn’t want him to stop. Seeming to sense that, he drew her closer with a smile.
“I like it. I never heard that name before.”
She smiled back. “That’s because I’m one of a kind.”
Hi, I’m SJ. A coffee addict, lover of chocolate and drinker of good red wines. I’m a lost soul and a hopeless romantic. Reading and writing are necessary parts of who I am. Though perhaps not as necessary as coffee! I can drink coffee without writing, but I can’t write without coffee. 

I grew up loving romance novels, my first boyfriends were book boyfriends, but life intervened, as it tends to do, and I wandered down the paths of non fiction for many years. My life changed completely a couple of years ago and I returned to Romance to find my escape.

I write ‘Sweet N Steamy’ stories because to me there is enough angst and darkness in real life. My favorite romances are happy escapes with a focus on fun, friendships and happily-ever-afters, just like the ones I write. 

These days I live in beautiful Montana, the last best place. If I’m not reading or writing you’ll find me just down the road in the park – Yellowstone. I have deer, eagles and the occasional bear for company, and I like it that way :0)