Book Review for Rushing In by Lexi Ryan

RUSHING IN

by LEXI RYAN

The favor seemed simple: Keep my new stepsister out of trouble for one summer.

I’ve never met Grace Lee, but Mom tells me she’s a quiet and artsy college student with a troubled past. When I agreed to let her stay with me, I thought it was no big deal. I expected to share my apartment with a sullen girl who’d spend hours locked in her room.

I didn’t expect a walking fantasy determined to make me lose my cool.

I didn’t expect a woman with secrets so dark, so deep, I’d throw away everything if it would save her from the past.

Rushing in to do this favor is turning my life upside down—and not just because Grace needs her ass spanked. Keep her out of trouble? Grace is the trouble. And I want in.

RUSHING IN is a standalone novel and the second in The Blackhawk Boys series.

Football. Secrets. Lies. Passion. These boys don’t play fair. Which Blackhawk Boy will steal your heart?

ADD TO GOODREADS

◆   ◆   ◆   ◆   ◆   ◆

REVIEW: 4 STARS

"Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe we're just asking for trouble and drama."

After reading Spinning Out, I automatically knew I was on board for Rushing In. But after reading the synopsis for this story, it immediately sucked me in!!! I knew without a doubt I had to read it. After all, it's Lexi, and it was a forbidden story! Check and check! Lexi excels at writing a multitude of emotions and acclimating your heart to feel each one. I felt a range of emotions with this book; from eye-rolling to gasping, from anger to love, from giggly to swoony.

I know Lexi can tell a great story. A story that's going to pull me in and wrap me up. And she did. Once you get over the awkwardness of their predicament, you can't help but enjoy their situation for the opportunity it brings. While this story was a little bit different than the norm, and the situation wasn't really exactly realistic to me, I think it added a great basis for a beautiful love story to begin. And when I say beautiful, it was just that. A love so pure and driven by the immediate understanding that your heart met it's mate that you can't help but root for them. And now they must fight for that love. Hard.

You have a seemingly bold, strong girl and you have a star athlete. Deep down, everything is ok. Right? Well, everything is NOT how it appears. As we come to find out, Grace has some deep seated issues that stem from her teenage years, and they are relatable in every way -- self esteem issues, feeling self conscious, trying to be someone you aren't, and then devastatingly dealing with the aftermath of your actions. The stigmas. The consequences. They are all there, messing with your psyche in a way that you can't escape the horrible thoughts that invade your mind. I truly felt so sorry for Grace. BUT, her wit and quick comebacks, her sarcasm and her no-holds-barred mouth made me laugh quite a few times. She hid her insecurity behind all of this, and she was easily relatable in that aspect.

As for Dash!! I don't even know where to begin....you have the boy next door, a goody-two-shoes-rule-follower that does good in the world, has the NFL in his sights and is making a name for himself. He's confident. He's smart. He's great with the ladies. I mean, swoon, right? Again, not everything is how it appears. His story is not an uncommon one, but he is an extraordinary man and he hooked me right in. He was such a good boy with an alpha streak running wild in him. I loved how much control he had....and I loved watching him LOSE that control! Seriously, he is what book boyfriends are made of. He was sweet when he needed to be, he was strong when he needed to be, but we had an extra element of insecurity mixed with a kind soft heart. He was so freaking sweet. I really loved his character.

One of my favorite things about this book was the fact that we literally saw it from the inside out, not the outside looking in....and that was a great way to read this story. We feel her pain. We see his insecurity. We see them struggle, apart and together. Their journey to their HEA was read in one sitting because I couldn't put this book down!! This was an intricate story weaved with good characters and strong writing. I loved getting to visit Mia and Arrow, as well as the others. And dammit.....I may have completely fallen in love with Bailey and Mason. They certainly have a story to tell. But while I wait for their story, Sebastian's is next in the lineup!! He is ALPHA to the max and I have a crush on him!!!

"The longest month waiting to see you is better than the shortest moment when i thought I'd lost you."

~BEE

◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆

THE SERIES:

Book 1 - SPINNING OUT (Arrow's story)
Add to GOODREADS

  Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aW1EQl

Book 2 - RUSHING IN (Christopher's story)

Add to: GOODREADS

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hcBtZy

Book 3 - GOING UNDER - Coming December 6th (Sebastian's story)

Add to: GOODREADS

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY

◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆

~MEET LEXI RYAN~

Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids--a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

~CONNECT WITH LEXI~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER     WEBSITE

ARC REVIEW

AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Dual Book Review for TEN and SIX by Ker Dukey

SIX

by KER DUKEY

Men By Numbers Series

I grew up in the foster system and bounced around from place to place. I know what you’re thinking. Bad things happened to me and fucked me up? Don’t feel bad for me. I didn’t know a privileged life, therefore I didn’t miss one. I was what I was and I made it work. I actually had a few good homes in my lifetime, met some good people, but that’s not what my story’s about. It’s not a Romeo and Juliet saga either, even if our stories do revolve around a similar basis. I knew a real love, a rare love, a love between two people that were never supposed to fall in love. Rival gang members are never allowed to fall in love and it cost us everything. The things I learned growing up the way I did is this: Love is deadly and often not real. People come and go and only the rare few stick around when shit gets tough. I learned the hard way what lurks behind false smiles, and that deceitful truths get whispered in sexual moans. I was taught that dark souls are not born but created, and you can avoid them, hide from them or learn and become them.

Revenge sculpted and molded me into the darkest of souls, and with my wrath comes agony and torment more severe than hell itself. I took out six of the men who hurt my woman and I will be coming for the rest. Get in my way and I’ll come for you too.

ADD TO GOODREADS

TEN

Ten years old I fell in love

Ten years was the price of that love

Ten years later our world’s re-collide

Alexandria (Alex)

My brother Jonah was possessive when it came to the things he owned; this unfortunately included the people in his life. The forbidden love between his best friend and me was just that… forbidden. 

Our families were from different walks of life and as a sheriff’s daughter being with a Moore’s kid would never be tolerated. To my parents their son and Dalton Moore were on different paths and their friendship would end as soon as college began but it was my brother who had a craving for trouble. He was always looking for danger, committing petty crimes and getting away with it because Dalton would take the fall, blackening his already stained name. When Jonah found out we broke the rules by loving each other, his consequences impacted us all with immeasurable suffering. 

Betrayal comes with a debt and it would be paid by all of us. 

One with their heart, 

one with their mind 

and one would pay in blood.

ADD TO GOODREADS

REVIEW: 4 STARS

"Love knows no reason, no sin. It doesn't see or hear, it just is."

Oh gosh....where to start!!? I binge read this weekend. I read both TEN and SIX by Ker Dukey, and I didn't want to stop!!! This review is for SIX, but I will include TEN in it as well, since I read them one after the other. We meet SIX in TEN, but these are both standalones. I did fall for SIX in TEN though....and let me say, he is a tall drink of water. With lemon. Pucker up. He's a bitter one.

That whole paragraph was fun to write. HA!

To say these books were addicting, that would be an understatement. I really enjoyed these storylines and didn't want to put them down. I have never read two books in ONE weekend....seriously. The draw to these books was the fact that I have never read gritty books before, and there was a hint of forbidden to them. I've always read heavy angst, super emotional love stories. Sometimes I even throw in a rom-com for good measure. But this one? This series has gripped me and I cannot wait for MORE. MORE, I tell you. I loved the surge of adrenaline every time something was happening and someone needed to 'take care of something'.

It was gritty.
It was brutal.
It was disturbing at time.

But the love was amazing. The love enveloped while you sorted out what was happening. The love....the love was strong. These big Billy Bad-Asses had soft spots that only their women brought out in them.

Ker Dukey made you FEEL this love between ALL her characters. I seriously never questioned anything ever once. Dalton and Alex were inseparable from such a young age. The love was unstoppable. Six and Misty had this pull that was covered by innocence and curiosity. She was innocent and curious and He didn't want to give in to his own curiosity. I swear....I read both of these books one after the other, and the rush I got from everything going on was addictive! I really enjoyed both of these books and would easily recommend them to anyone!

"I lose gravity when he's around me -- my whole being descending into chaos and struggling to find ground."

~BEE

PURCHASE TEN:  http://amzn.to/2bwpoxf

PURCHASE SIX:  http://amzn.to/2bxs3nk

~MEET KER DUKEY~

My books all tend to be darker romance, edge of you seat, angst filled reads. My advice to my readers when starting one of my titles...prepare for the unexpected.

I have always had a passion for storytelling, whether it be through lyrics or bed time stories with my sisters growing up. We also used to put on performances by acting out stories. I wanted to become an actress from an early age so I could live out many roles but unfortunately I learned early on that my mind was too active...(I would end up wanting to change the script)

I would watch films or TV shows and think of ways they could have improved the story if they took another direction so I thought it best that I tell my own.

My mum would always have a book in her hand when I was young and passed on her love for reading, inspiring me to venture into writing my own. I tend to have a darker edge to my writing. Not all love stories are made from light; some are created in darkness but are just as powerful and worth telling.

When I'm not lost in the world of characters I love spending time with my family. I'm a mum and that comes first in my life but when I do get down time I love attending music concerts or reading events with my younger sister.

Come find me on facebook where i love interacting with my readers.

~CONNECT WITH KER~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

Excerpt for Chasing Charlie by Aria Cole

Excerpt

“I’m not sure how they raise men in your country, but here, you should look a woman in the eye when you speak to her.” Her eyes gleamed with some sort of flirty challenge.

“I apologize,” I growled, discarding the box of bottles at my feet and lunging across the small space between us.

Her hands were in my hair, her thigh hooked around my waist. Now she felt my cock, hard and pounding between us and pressed against the seam of her skirt, the very goddamn place it’d been itching to be all night.

“You’re an Irish bastard,” she said as her teeth nipped at my bottom lip.

My hands clawed at her arse before I hoisted her on my hips and pressed her against the metal shelves behind her.

“Looks like you’ve got a thing for bastards then.”

I nipped at the tender flesh beneath her ear before laving my tongue up the line of her throat. A low whimper fell from her lips and landed a sucker-­punch to my balls. My hips worked against her body, my hands roaming her torso and teasing at the neckline of her top.

“Jesus, I want to taste you.” I trailed my tongue across the swell of one breast. Her fingers thrust in my hair as a tremor pulsed through her body. “I want to see what you’re wearing under this hot little skirt.”

I fisted at the tight skirt, desperate to shove my hand beneath her panties and coax that soft, wet pussy to an orgasm with my fingers. And then my tongue. God, how my tongue ached to taste every inch of that perfection. I was going mad with the thoughts of how she would taste.

My hand found its way beneath the elastic of her panties, my fingers soaked instantly by her silky juices. I nearly came in my pants from just a single touch. I slid another finger through her hot lips and circled her clit slowly with my thumb. Breaths shuddered out of her body, her nipples hardening even further. Without a second thought, I pulled the low neckline of her top down, the creamy round flesh of her breast spilling out of the cup of her bra. I tugged the lace out of my way with my teeth, and finally, my lips attached to the dusky pink bud. I drew out the delicate flesh in slow, torturous sucks.

Soft mewls fell past her perfect pink lips as I worked her soft body. I couldn’t wait to hear her come, my name biting past her lips as I pushed her to a mind­-blowing orgasm.

“Christ, you feel this good in my hands. I can’t wait to taste this sweet pussy.”

“Irish,” she sighed, her eyes falling closed when I pressed my thumb to the bud of her clit, applying pressure until her nails cut into the skin at my shoulder and her head fell back against a box.

“Name’s Liam, beautiful, and I can’t wait to hear you scream it from the rooftops.”

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

NOW ONLY $0.99 & FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED! 

 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bKHF7N

 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2c3mn6f

CHASING CHARLIE

by ARIA COLE

Charlie de Rossi has spent every summer of her life tending her dad's bar. Raised to be one of the boys, she pulls no punches and takes no shit from any man. She's had to learn the hard way that life isn't about the wine or the roses, but when the new bartender turns out to be a handsome Irish import, everything she thought she knew about life and love is challenged in a single heartbeat.

Far from the only life he's ever known, Liam Fitzpatrick knows he should ignore the wild, intoxicating need that pulses through his veins whenever the boss's daughter is near, but the moment Liam first caught sight of Charlie he knew her sassy mouth and sexy curves were made to be wrapped around his body. After just one night of tending bar together, the magnetism proves too much for either of them to bear and in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness, Charlie breaks every law she has and finds her legs locked around Liam's waist, his lips coaxing her into mouth-watering submission.

Scared to lose her heart again, Charlie tries to avoid the sexy, stubborn Irishman that's hijacked her thoughts, but Liam makes himself damn hard to ignore. One taste of her won't ever be enough to satisfy the hunger she's awakened and he is determined to show her what she's missing. She's holding the key to his forever and he won't ever give up on chasing Charlie.

~MEET ARIA COLE~

Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache. 

Aria's new release BLACK is the first in her modern fairy tale series. For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn't take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!

~CONNECT WITH ARIA~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

Review for Author Anonymous by EK Blair

AUTHOR ANONYMOUS: A TRUE STORY

by EK BLAIR

A TRUE STORY told through the voice of New York Times Bestselling author E.K. Blair.

She’s an author.
She’s a mother.
She’s a wife.
She’s a fraud.

A woman marked and bound by her own deceit, this is the astounding tale of how one choice knocked her world from its axis forcing her to battle through a year of scandal and betrayal, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

This is an intoxicatingly risqué stand-alone true story tangled in lust, heartbreak, and contrition.

ADD TO GOODREADS
  ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆

REVIEW: 5 JAW DROPPING STARS
"The thing is, when emotions are involved, all hell breaks loose. It's the single most powerful thing we have no control over."

I have sat on this review for a few days now; mulling it over, trying to figure out how to best effectively explain what this book did to me and HOW it made me feel. WHAT it made me feel. I think the easiest thing to do, honestly, is to break it up into two parts. There is SO much to discuss when it comes to this book. I am sure I will leave out some parts, but I REALLY want to discuss this with people after they've read it. So many points to consider. 

~~ First of all, as an author, EK Blair did an amazing job writing such a controversial, yet emotional and honest book. She set my emotions going from the very first page, and kept me on the edge of my seat during the entire book. Seriously. The entire time I was reading, I was entranced. Not only did I get invited into someone's world for a first hand look at what had happened, but I also got to 'live' it through Ek's words. I applaud EK for writing this as well as she did, but also Anonymous' willingness to have her story told. Brave? Maybe, but it was definitely an intriguing story to read. It was so easy to follow and get caught up in. 

Powerful and compelling, this was emotional turmoil wrapped up into one amazing story. This was raw, this was angering, this was eye-opening.

~~ As for the story, and what went on, this story made me feel so many warring emotions: sorrow, pain, anger and elation, just to name a few. I felt the gamut of emotions with this one.

Sorrow because it really makes you stop and think about what causes someone to look outside their marriage and actually be able to go through with it. Whether it's a negligent spouse, an angry lover or a curious mind, there are people out there that can fill any crack in a seemingly perfectly strong marriage. This story is the perfect example. I knew she was confused, she was selfish and she was lost....but I also knew she was searching for something she was missing, and I felt that she needed to find that in order to come to terms with what was going on overall in her world, just so she could fix it. 

Pain because I had to see her husband's broken heart when the gut-wrenching truth came out. The pain with the realization that his whole world was about to be upheaved. But, also, believe it or not....the raw emotion that Anonymous felt as she navigated her feelings and finally accepting that her fears were going to come to fruition. I needed to remind myself as I read this book that it was a true story. Nothing was made up. This was the raw, dirty truth behind a sordid affair. This was a REAL family going through REAL pain. 

Anger because I couldn't believe the lengths she went through to do what she did. The betrayal? The lies? It all played into this tale and was integral to the overall storyline, and it is obviously what pushed it along, but my gosh. I literally read it with my hand over my mouth, wide eyed and gasping.

Elation because, who doesn't love the feelings you get with a new love? The new excitement of meeting someone new and falling in love all over again? I will be the first to admit, I fell in love with both men. I did. But the deal is, they both gave her something she needed and craved at some point. They both filled something necessary for her to be happy. I loved His "no fucks given" attitude, I loved His dominance and I loved how He took care of her and allowed her to release her own fears and inhibitions. He made her question her norm and grow from it. But, I also loved her husband because he comforted her and made her understand what it felt to be deeply loved. Her husband was the first real love she felt and I loved watching them fall in love with each other. 

I fell in love with both men in this book....and I was so angry at Anonymous. But, by the time I was done, I had a better understanding of her world, her insecurities, her issues/failures as a wife/mom, and it made me stop and think about how this really is so many different women's stories. It was mine at one point. It's legit. 

This book will test every moral dilemma you've ever experienced, from the mundane to the seedy. It did for me....because I was rooting for the affair!! Why?? Why would I root for the demise of a love that looked so perfect from the outside? Because I understood that 'high' feeling she got with Him and how He made her feel. I understood her desire to feel loved, needed and taken care of. I think that is something everyone craves deep down. I felt her remorse, but I felt her 'high'. I felt the lust and the pain. I felt so much. I warred with my own emotions while reading this book, and the discussions I have already had with many readers tells me that this will not be a book put down lightly. So many sides to argue, points to make, and questions to ponder.

"I never meant to hurt you. You're every part of me and I can't lose you."
~BEE

◆     ◆     ◆     ◆    ◆

~MEET EK BLAIR~

New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling author, E.K. Blair, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her books. A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody and has been noted as 'The Queen of Dark and Twisted'. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She's a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.

~CONNECT WITH EK~

FACEBOOK      AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

*ARC Review*

Book Review: King of Wall Street by Louise Bay

KING OF WALL STREET 

by LOUISE BAY

THE KING OF WALL STREET IS BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES BY AN AMBITIOUS BOMBSHELL.

I keep my two worlds separate.

At work, I’m King of Wall Street. The heaviest hitters in Manhattan come to me to make money. They do whatever I say because I’m always right. I’m shrewd. Exacting. Some say ruthless.

At home, I’m a single dad trying to keep his fourteen year old daughter a kid for as long as possible. If my daughter does what I say, somewhere there’s a snowball surviving in hell. And nothing I say is ever right.

When Harper Jayne starts as a junior researcher at my firm, the barriers between my worlds begin to dissolve. She’s the most infuriating woman I’ve ever worked with.

I don’t like the way she bends over the photocopier—it makes my mouth water.

I hate the way she’s so eager to do a good job—it makes my dick twitch.

And I can’t stand the way she wears her hair up exposing her long neck. It makes me want to strip her naked, bend her over my desk and trail my tongue all over her body.

If my two worlds are going to collide, Harper Jayne will have to learn that I don't just rule the boardroom. I’m in charge of the bedroom, too.

ADD TO GOODREADS

REVIEW: 3-3.5 Stars

"Results, not effort, get rewarded."

The King is HOT. HE is hot.....the sex scenes in this book are HOT. Like, combustible, melting your ereader hot....and that is something I need to point out. When the naughty time came, I was wide-eyed and cheshire-cat grinning while I read it. Hahaha!!! Off the charts, insanely HOT. Ok, enough of that....but dayum!! HOT.

Ok....phew!! Moving on. (HOT)

I liked the plot to this book. A forbidden love with a man that has no time for relationships, but definitely likes the ladies. All of the sudden "SHE" walks in and his life changes. Perfect storyline, right? I love it! I genuinely liked Max and who he was. He had a good head on his shoulders and was a good man who worked hard and was a go-getter in the world of business. Getting a glimpse of him in his family life with two super assertive sisters made him completely relatable and it just made it easier to fall in love with him. It certainly provided some laughable moments and I enjoyed them a lot!!! 

Harper was a very bold/strong woman, but some of her characteristics grated on my nerves. She was super whiney about things and she jumped to conclusions way too quickly -- to the point of annoying me. I had a hard time with that side of her. She had a rough past with her father, and that apparently seemed to be the catalyst for all her problems and anger issues she had. Now, backing up....we are introduced to her as a very determined and hard working girl who went to college to get this dream job that she wanted, but, as we are going through the entire book with her moaning about her dad and how he ruined her childhood, I have to ask at what point is she going to take charge of her future and live it the way she want to.  She had a chip on her shoulder the entire time and she wanted to prove to her father that she is worthy. When it was just her and Max together, I could really enjoy them. They were comfortable and found this relaxing manner between the two of them.

I was looking forward to this alpha, dominating, super forbidden love story and just knew that it was going to make me smile. I think I had a love-hate relationship with this book. I felt like I had to push through a few times because there was too much time spent on the actual logistics of the job they were working on and I had to tune it out. It was a little too in depth for me to the point of boring me. That sounds weird, I know, because I love a story with depth and good character involvement. But some of the details and discussions of the job bored me when she went into great detail about it. I don't think it was the kind of detail I was hoping for.

Overall, this book did make me smile, and the ending was smile inducing sweetness. It was funny in some parts, and super sexy in others (read: HOT). It really was the perfect ending for this couple. I loved Harper's best friend Grace, and I hope to see her get a story. I will definitely read more by her and want to check out her Empire State Series!

"The only way I survived in the office was by avoiding him, but that was like trying to avoid gravity. My pull toward him was inevitable."

~BEE

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2bFd7G9

~MEET LOUISE BAY~

USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels - the kind she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful and Hopeful and the novella series; The Empire State Series, What the Lightning Sees and Calling Me. The novels and together the series are stand-alone although there are some overlapping characters.

Ruined by romantic mini-series of the eighties, Louise loves all things romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.

Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

~CONNECT WITH LOUISE~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

Book Review: Bad Judgment by Meghan March

Synopsis:

He’s so arrogant.

     She’s so self-righteous.

I can’t stand him.

     I want her.

He’s a distraction I don’t need.

     She’ll say yes eventually because I’m not giving up.

Justine Porter is stuck between a rock and a stripper pole. She lost her law school scholarship, which means she has two choices to keep her life on track: strip for her tuition or tutor the most distractingly sexy guy in her class—the one she’s been turning down for two years straight. It should be an easy choice, but tutoring Ryker Grant could derail her plans to graduate with honors faster than two-for-one night at the Déjà Vu. Then again, topless has never really been her color.

She could take the easy road, just this once . . . but the deal has enough loopholes to trip anyone up.

Who knew they taught bad judgment in law school?

ADD TO GOODREADS

REVIEW: 3 Stars
"I want her addicted to me. It's only fair, because I'll never get enough of her."

This was my first read of Meghan March's and she came highly recommended to me, so I was anxious to jump in. Sometimes these recommendations result in finding your next favorite author or book, and sometimes not. Now, before I upset anyone....I will say this much; I most definitely want to read more by her. I don't think this was a bad book, it just didn't hit the definition for 'really good'. It felt very cliché in too many spots for me, so I was a little disappointed. I hate writing a review that isn't glowing.....but this book will definitely satisfy for some, but that is what I love about this book world. The discussions to follow. Who liked what, who didn't like what.

This book had some good banter that I caught myself giggling through in some spots, and it also had some sexy moments that I really enjoyed.  I couldn't put it down, though, because I had to know what was going on and how all the different storylines fit with each other. There was a lot going on, admittedly some a little over the top, but I honestly had to find out from one shock and awe moment to the next what was going to happen. Some over the top moments, some parts probably not really necessary to the overall storyline/plot, but an easy read nonetheless. I will admit that I was fairly easily able to call out most of the twists and I hate figuring things out!

I didn't like how down on herself Justine was after things started to unravel, and for no reason, either. She had her own mini pity party a few times, and that made no sense to me. It didn't match the super smart, super determined girl we originally started to read about, so that turn in character was a little off-putting for me. Overall, she was a strong character and she was quite apathetic towards Ryker, which made it all the more fun to laugh at how hard he was trying to win her over.

Ryker Grant was this ridiculously hot, very sexy classmate that apparently had no drive in school anymore, so he got a tutor in the super smart, super determined girl that he so desperately wanted to date. This guy was determined to get the girl and didn't let anything stand in his way.

Overall, I didn't feel the deep love between these two characters, and wasn't able to connect like I had hoped. I had a hard time rating this book because of the high recommendations, but I also know that I have some more of her books to read and I will most definitely read them. I usually love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but I think this one had too many variables for me.

"This isn't an itch, Justine. I've been there, done that. This is something completely fucking different."
~BEE

Did you see the excerpt I posted on the blog? Read it HERE.

Amazon US → http://amzn.to/2bkQJzl

Amazon UK → http://bit.ly/BJAmazonUK

Amazon CA → http://bit.ly/BJAmazonCA

Amazon AU → http://bit.ly/BJAmazonAU

BN → http://bit.ly/BadJudgmentBN

Kobo → http://bit.ly/BadJudgmentKobo

iBooks: http → http://bit.ly/BadJudgmentiBooks

Google Play → http://bit.ly/BadJudgmentGP

~MEET MEGHAN MARCH~

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She's also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she's ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

~CONNECT WITH MEGHAN~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON      GOODREADS      TWITTER

Excerpt Reveal for The Hard Way by Katie Ashley

Excerpt

Fuuuuuuuuuck! This seriously was not happening. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, apparently the universe didn’t just hate me. It fucking despised me. Not only was I stuck working forty hours a week at this shithole, but now I had the worst blast from my past standing before me. Avery Fucking Prescott.

In every “manwhore with seemingly no soul’s” world, there is one girl he regrets. One girl he thinks about from time to time. One girl he measures all the other ones against. One girl he even cries about when he’s shitfaced.

Mine was Avery Fucking Prescott.

I couldn’t help noticing that the Avery standing in front of me didn’t seem the same. Sure, she still had the same long, dark hair that she swept back in one of those ponytail things. Gone were the glasses, which made it a lot easier to see her green eyes that had flecks of gold in them. Of course, today there was pure and unadulterated hate burning in them directed at me where back in the day, there had been love.

But I had managed to kill that love by being a prick. Yeah, I’m sure you’re thinking that isn’t all too shocking based on the pure stupidity you’ve seen me exhibit so far. The thing is that Avery brought out the good that was buried deep down inside me. The good that you needed a fucking bulldozer to unearth.

While there were slight differences in her appearance, her entire personality seemed different, and no, I don’t mean just about how she hated me with a fiery passion. She wasn’t the wide­-eyed, innocent farm girl who seemed so out of place at Harlington Prep. It was like she’d had a personality transplant. It reminded of me of what happened to my older sister, Catherine, the summer she turned fifteen, and my mother sent her off to some glamour school shit to detox the awkward out of her. When she came back a month later, it was like she had become a Stepford Kid. Catherine no longer took the time to play with me. She had “more important” things to do like contouring her brows or preparing for cotillions. Things were never the same between us after that.

My ego couldn’t help wondering if what had happened between us had caused the seismic shift in Avery. Like I’d broken the Old Avery with my actions, and this was what had been rebuilt in its place. But another voice rationalized that unlike me, Avery had probably gotten her shit together in the last three years. College had matured her.

After a few moments of a silent standoff, Avery said, “Hello again, Cade.” Her words might have been polite, but her voice was strained. I could tell it was taking everything within her not to go off on me.

“Oh, you two know each other?” Tammy or Theresa, or whatever the hell her name was, questioned.

Do we know each other? Oh yeah, we know each other. Like in the biblical sense. I can even tell you about the heart­ shaped birthmark on the inside of her right thigh.

But I knew I would mortify the hell out of Avery if I said anything like that in front of her boss. So instead, I cocked my brows at Avery for her to take the lead on how she wanted us to respond to that question.

“A little. We went to high school together,” she replied diplomatically. The wounded look that momentarily flashed in her eyes told an entirely different story—the story where I played the villain.

But Tammy didn’t seem to pick up on it. “Well, isn’t it a small world?” she mused.

“Yeah,” Avery and I said in unison.

Tammy smiled at me. “I was just about to sing all of Avery’s praises to you, but since you know her, I don’t need to waste my breath, right?”

“Right,” I muttered.

“Well, then. I’ll leave you two alone to catch up, and for Avery to show you the ropes.”

“Thank you, Tamar,” Avery said politely.

Oh it was Tamar. Shit, I needed to remember that. “Yeah, thanks, Tamar.”

Tamar started out of the door and then stopped. She threw a grin over her shoulder.

“Now, Avery, just because you know Cade, you can’t go easy on him. He has a debt to pay to Georgia Tech’s athletic department.”

Avery glared at me before flashing a fake smile at Tamar. “Oh, I promise to make him earn his keep.”

Apparently Tamar wasn’t picking up on the heavy tension between us.

“Unfuckingbeliveable,” I muttered under my breath.

“Excuse me?” Avery demanded.

I held up my hands. “Nothing.”

Avery crossed her arms over her chest. “I never thought I’d have to see you again.”

She shook her head at me, which caused her ponytail to swish back and forth like a whip. “Yet here you are standing before me. I guess, I must’ve done something epic to piss the universe off this much to put you back in my path.”

Whoa, that was sure as hell not what I was expecting. “I could say the same.”

Her green eyes narrowed to fury­-filled slits. “Excuse me? You have some nerve to stand here in front of me and say that considering what you did.”

She was right. Only an epic tool would not immediately apologize for what I did to her. It should have been the first words out of my mouth. And not just to make things run smoothly here at The Ark, but because it was the right thing to do. After all, she had truly been an innocent in the whole fucked up situation of me being an emotionally crippled bastard. I’d let her be tortured by a psychotic chick who thought she belonged to me. I’d humiliated her with my deceptive words and cruel actions. But the greatest of my crimes was I had broken her heart.

But in this instance, I was being King Epic Tool because I couldn’t get those words to come out of my mouth. It wasn’t something I struggled with today. I’d had three years to stay those two words. Hell, I’d started off a hundred texts, but I’d never sent them. I’d even done a few stalkerish drives by her house to say how sorry I was in person, but being an emotional pansy ass, I had never gotten out of the car.

So instead of taking the emotional high road, I went slumming. “It’s been three years, Prescott. You really need to get over that.”

ADD TO GOODREADS

THE HARD WAY

by KATIE ASHLEY

Cade Hall has always been the golden boy of the gridiron. Because of his talent at football, coupled with his father’s wealth, he’s always gotten his way. But when a night of drunken debauchery lands him in hot water with the college athletic board, neither his influential father nor his charming grin can save him. He finds it a total buzz kill when he is sentenced to community service with troubled youth at an inner-city shelter. But his nightmare is only beginning when his greatest high school regret is the very one in charge of the program, and she has him by the balls in more ways than one.

For Avery Prescott, senior year was a nightmare of epic proportions, and Cade Hall played the lead villain. After she fled her small town for college in the bright lights of Atlanta, she thought she had escaped the painful memories of her past. She never could have imagined Cade would waltz through the door of the outreach program she presided over. But Avery has news for Cade--she isn’t the same shy, doormat of a girl she was in high school. Since she holds Cade's football future in her hands, she’s more than ready to make payback a real bitch.

Will the two stay in the defensive zone or discover that sometimes life's greatest lessons are learned the hard way?

~MEET KATIE ASHLEY~

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, and her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo. 

With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.

~CONNECT WITH KATIE~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

Excerpt for Dirty Talk by SL Scott

Excerpt

~Luke Anders~

“What if I touched you right where you want to be touched?” I slide my hand up her thigh, inching her skirt up slowly. Her breath catches, the quiet gasp making me smile. “What if I touched you right where you pretend to be so protective? I know you. I know you like it dirty . . . maybe even a little rough.”

She finds her voice, though it’s affected, sexy. “A lot.”

“What is that?”

Clearing her throat, she says, “I like it rough. Really rough.”

The right side of my mouth curves up, my hand stalling just below the apex of her thighs when my phone buzzes. I release a sigh. Grabbing the phone from my pocket, I sit up and read the text: Let’s get the fuck out of here. I look back at the black­haired raven I’ve left squirming on the metal barstool next to me. Pity. I’d like to explore exactly how she likes it, but duty calls.

Standing up suddenly, I grab my wallet and slap some bills down for the drinks.

“What are you doing?” she demands, desperation lacing her tone as her eyes go wide.

I tuck my wallet back into the inside pocket of my Vittori suit jacket and kiss her on the cheek. Since I’m there, I add with a wink, “I bet we’d be so fucking good together.” Straightening upright, I smirk. “My apologies. I hate to run, but unfortunately, I have a prior engagement I can’t get out of. Maybe we can pick this up another time. I’ll see you around, sweetheart.”

She huffs. “You’re a playboy bastard, Luke Anders,” rolls off her tongue in frustrated anger as she spins back to the bar.

I know. Not turning back, I nod. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a playboy or a bastard. Name­calling doesn’t bother me. Not getting laid tonight does.

Pushing open the exit door that leads to the alley, my asshole friends are waiting near the car they’ve pulled around.

The rusting red door slams shut, the click of the lock heard loudly behind me. The alley is quiet compared to the loud music that blares inside the club. “Fuckers.” With my arms out wide, I yell, “What the fuck? Where’s the fire? I was closing the deal.”

“We were saving you, man. Trust me on that.” My best friend is standing in front of the car with his arms crossed over his chest. Danny Weston is one of the best people I know, but right now, he’s pissing me the fuck off.

“Saving me from what?”

“Ask Blaise. He has firsthand knowledge.”

When I shoot an annoyed look in Blaise’s direction, he clams up. With hands up in surrender, he backs away toward the driver’s door. “I can’t help that the ladies love me.” Thus confirming he’s already hit that pretty kitty.

I walk to the passenger’s side of the car, punching Danny on the arm when I pass him. “Shit, man, just give me a heads­-up next time. I wasted some of my best lines on her.”

Danny claims the front seat, so I duck into the back seat of a restored 1969 black Gran Torino. Cocky behind the wheel, Blaise takes off before we even have our seatbelts on, and says, “Stop hitting on everyone that takes pity on you then.”

“Fuck you. I can get any woman I want. No one’s taking pity on me.”

Danny breaks into the argument, “You guys really need to find a new hobby.”

“One­ night stands are plenty entertaining,” Blaise retorts, smiling.

Danny puts his arm on the back of the seat and turns toward me. “I’m not going to lecture you—”

“Again,” I add.

“Again,” he repeats while rolling his eyes. “But we’ve talked about this a fuck ton of times. She’s not Jane and until you figure out what the hell is going on there, or if anything is going on there, these women are all the same—just another disappointment you’re going to have in the morning because they’re not her.”

Blaise verbally steps in, “Damn, dude, why so deep? You’re bringing me down.”

Danny laughs. I don’t. We’ve been friends for many years now, so Danny knows my game. He knows me well enough to know what I’m doing. Until I sort out this mess with the first woman I ever loved, the rest are just regrets waiting to happen, along with the regrets I can’t take back. But I know him well too. We relate in a way that Blaise doesn’t understand, on a level that one day he’d be lucky to experience. No matter what I’ve been through with Jane, I’ve loved, hard. I know what it means to love and to be loved. I have no regrets when it comes to Jane, except one: letting her go.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Because first love deserves a second chance

Standalone Contemporary Romance

You met Danny's best friend, Luke Anders in Models on Top.

Now it's time to really get to know this dirty talking, sexy producer in his own standalone contemporary romance.

DIRTY TALK

One month.

One movie.

One shot at a second chance.

I fell madly in love at first sight with Jane Lewis.

The girl with bright blue eyes, a pretty smile, and great ass owned my heart. I thought she was happy with the status quo, but ten years later, I foolishly let her go. Despite dating other women, no one compares to my first love. We are meant to be together, and I’m going to try my damnedest to convince her of that.

Luke Anders tricked me. The deal was sealed before I knew he was behind it.

We agreed to be just friends. Simple. Easy. But it’s not just the weather that’s hot in Texas. I was a fool to think I could resist him. He knows how to work his charms and those kissable lips, that great jaw, and biceps. We are here to work, but he has become downright distracting.

I’m strong. I can handle one month of his flirtatious sexual torture. But if I happen to fall in bed with that sexy bastard for a night, or three, does that make me weak? Asking for a friend, of course.

I guess I’m about to find out when love gets messy, it’s not just the talk that’s dirty.

DIRTY TALK RELEASES SEPTEMBER1st

SWEET TALK (BOOK 1,  formerly Models On Top)

Everything you’ve heard about modeling is true, and you haven’t heard the half of it.

It’s glamorous. 

It’s sexy.

And yes, the line between work and reality often blurs. 

We’re not just prototypes of perfection. Models have feelings and desires, too. We may be genetically gifted, but we’re still human. 

I’m only human. Yes, an extraordinary specimen that earns more in a day than most make in a year, but this eight pack didn’t create itself. I spend hours working on this body. The good looks just come natural. *Winks* Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I’m Danny Weston, Supermodel. 

But one path was traded for another when I chose this career. Ten years later, I would trade my career to have it back. To have her back.

Reese Carmichael is the one woman I would give it all up for, and the only one I can’t have. Yet. 

PURCHASE Sweet Talk:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2b166x1

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2b0IBll

~MEET SL SCOTT~

New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and willing her days away lost in a good book and the movies.

With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald. She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the world those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones. This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. She dreams of seeing one of her own books made into a movie one day as well as returning to Europe. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.

~CONNECT WITH SL~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON      GOODREADS     TWITTER