Book Review and Giveaway for Singe by Aly Martinez

SINGE
by ALY MARTINEZ

She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched her fall into that inferno. Over and over, I failed to save her.

I hadn’t been able to reach her, and the guilt only burned hotter over time. Four years later, I was the unreachable one.

Heroes aren’t always saints. Sometimes, we’re nothing more than jaded sinners driven by sleepless nights and hearts full of darkness.

And then I met her. She was a dreamer who managed to soothe my scars and heal my wounds.

But, as the flames closed in around us, I feared I wasn’t the right man to save her. That is until I realized she was the one woman I’d burn the world down to protect.

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Review: 4.5 burning stars!!
"The fire blazed between us with only one way to extinguish it."

YOU GUYS!!!! Thisss book....my goodness, this book. This book did all sorts of things to me. Aly Martinez is one of those authors that just "does it" for me. I know I have a tight few favorites, for sure, but I hold them very close and always make time for them. No matter what. I know I will always have a good read with her and I have never been let down. Singe was no different, and for being the first book in a new series, I am eagerly anticipating more. The Guardian Protection family is a lovable crew, and I can't wait to hear more of their stories.

The pain radiating from the words in this book is not to be missed....the pain in the words is real and the words are very intense with deep meaning. Aly's words move me and I love the flow she has. Her books are a gripping read every time, but there is always a deep, satisfying love that I constantly find myself admiring. There's no thinking when reading her books. There's just living, feeling, breathing.....absorbing her words.

This book was a past/present storyline and it really worked with this book. We lived in the present, but felt the past. I mean felt...the emotions that drove these two to be who they are and why they lived how they did really worked for me. We got to see two powerfully painful pasts merging as one, healing as one. It was absolutely beautiful.

The excitement I have after reading the first book is HIGH. There is no way Aly can introduce to us the characters that she did and not give them all their own story.....there just isn't. I really enjoyed all the guys on the crew and loved how much they loved Rhion. I felt very connected to the entire crew and really enjoyed their personalities that we saw. And putting this out there -- Rhion was freaking hilarious and I loved her sarcastic side. I don't think it was really a coping mechanism because she was a very strong woman, but I know that it seemed to come naturally and easily. I laughed out loud quite a few times at things she said. I woke my husband up while reading late at night!! Even Jude's mouth (and smirk!!!) made me smile, but I think she was awesome and this couple is sure to be on my favorites list!

You wonder why a guaranteed "good read" list of authors is so tight.
Aly. Fucking. Martinez. 
She sets the bar high.

"His eyes burned with some emotion I couldn't quite read, but I felt the singe all the same."
~BEE

PURCHASE SINGE:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kG5KAu

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kQyB5S

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kC4kru

ENTER HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AN ECOPY.

~MEET ALY MARTINEZ~

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five- including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, 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. 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.

~CONNECT WITH ALY~

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ARC REVIEW
AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Book Review and Giveaway for Fake Fiancee by Ilsa Madden Mills

FAKE FIANCÉE

by ILSA MADDEN MILLS

They say nothing compares to your first kiss,
But our first kiss was orchestrated for an audience.
Our second kiss…that one was REAL.
He cradled my face like he was terrified he’d f*ck it up.
He stared into my eyes until the air buzzed.
Soft and slow, full of sighs and little laughs,
He inhaled me like I was the finest Belgian chocolate,
And he'd never get another piece.
A nip of his teeth, his hand at my waist...
And I was lost.
I forgot he was paying me to be his fake fiancée.
I forgot we weren’t REAL.
Our kiss was pure magic, and before you laugh and say those kinds of kisses don’t exist…
Then you’ve never touched lips with Max Kent, the hottest quarterback in college history.

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REVIEW: 3.5 STARS

"I believe that whatever's meant to be will be."

If you know me or have been following my page for even a little bit, you know the meaning behind that quote will have an impact on me: FATE. Lucky me, I got two books in a row that spotlighted that characteristic. As I started to read this one, I had high hopes for it. I have had some hit or miss stories from Ilsa, so I knew going into this one it may or may not be a good outcome. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. While it was a little outlandish in some parts and some of the plot points were super cliché, in the end it finished on a positive note for me. There wasn't a lot of depth to this story, and some slightly vapid and immature side characters, but that allowed it to stay light and easy, making it an enjoyable read overall. 

With this review fluctuating between a heavy 3* and  light 4* read for me, let me explain why I can and will still easily recommend this one. This may seem long-winded, but I want to be able to explain that while I may have enjoyed it, there were some aspects that didn't allow me to rate it very high.

Characters: 

Sunny was a strong woman; so strong and quite admirable. I enjoyed her character and really liked her strength in staying true to herself in the beginning. She was determined and hard headed as well, and that added another layer to her that I was easily able to connect with, being a stubborn one myself.

Max was, what else? SEXY. He was definitely one that played the field in his younger days, but he had his eye on the prize. Determination was key with him. The end result was his 'goal', and he had plans to make it work out for him. He had a soft side that I was able to connect with, which is rare for me. I don't normally do softer-sided heroes, but Max just worked in all the right ways. He was so sweet, and when his softer, sweeter side came out in him, I was falling for him.

LOVE:

The love between Max and Sunny may have started out as a farse, but obviously grew into something far more meaningful than either of them originally anticipated. I liked watching them fight their attraction and maneuver through the murky waters of their imaginary relationship while trying to maintain their separate identities....only to have that come back and knock them down with the reality of their true feelings. That was fun to read.  Their love was my favorite part of the entire book. 

Please let me explain what gave me pause, but don't let it deter you because, again, it is an enjoyable read. 

THEY WERE SO back and forth with their questions about their feelings when one minute he would proclaim how much he liked her, and then she would internally debate the availability of his heart, the truth of his feelings and the possibility of a relationship. I understand original reservations on it, but it kept going on for the majority of the book. It got to be a little much for me. I don't much enjoy the back and forth so much. And then the anger that didn't match the actions....that was hard, but again, I had to remember they were young. Still didn't make sense to me, but they are young. 

THE SIDE-CHARACTERS WERE so very annoying to the point of an eye roll. And cliché. The immaturity of the main characters actions were bugging me but I could overlook them due to their age, but adding to it the side-characters' over the top craziness and it was insane. Seriously, insane. I also had to understand that they were young and careless, not thinking to their future by their actions, but it sadly removed me from the depth that could have been in this story.

THE MANY DIFFERENT plot devices that caused my head to spin. The ex girlfriend/ex boyfriend/villain/daddy issues/booby-trapping/stalker/OTT drama all played a part in their history, but it got to be a little overwhelming. Pick one or two, but ALL of those wore on me and pulled me out of the sincerity of their love. I wanted to read about them, and yes the drama they dealt with, but that was a lot of stuff going on. Honestly, all of the drama wasn't necessary because they had a great love story to be told and I really enjoyed that part. I wanted to focus more on that part of it. I felt like we got to live their relationship with them, and that was a very definite upside.

Now having said all that, I would still easily recommend this to someone that wanted a read that they could get immersed in and read straight through. It is a one-sitting book that will make you smile. None of this is meant as rude, I just wanted to point out my reasons for loving it and rolling my eyes at it. Debatable, discussable points that I would love to hear other sides. Despite the cover being extremely sexy, this was a sweet NA book.

"It was as if I was standing at a crossroads and I couldn't decide which direction I wanted to move."
~BEE

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kQXfnd

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

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2lqLNeD

IF YOU HAVEN'T PICKED IT UP YET, ENTER ON MY BLOG POST FOR YOUR CHANCE AT A COPY.

~MEET ILSA MADDEN-MILLS~

New York Times and USA Today best‐selling author Ilsa Madden‐Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.

She's addicted to all things fantasy, including unicorns and sword‐wielding heroes in books. Other fascinations include frothy coffee beverages, dark chocolate, Instagram, Ian Somerhalder (seriously hot), astronomy (she's a Gemini), Sephora make‐up, and tattoos.

She has a degree in English and a Master's in Education.

When she's not pecking away on her computer, she shops for cool magnets, paints old furniture, and eats her weight in sushi.

~CONNECT WITH ILSA~

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ARC REVIEW

Excerpt for Switch by Adriana Locke

Excerpt

We both know we aren’t just talking about a moved stapler or a mishmash of files. As that really sets in, the air around us gets heavier. Hotter. Hazardous.

“Those things always lead to dangerous situations,” he says, his eyes trained on me.

I shift in my seat, the throb between my legs growing stronger by the second. “People do it every day and survive.”

“They may survive, but don’t things get messy?”

“Only if they do it right.”

His chair flies backwards and he’s to his feet and next to me before I know what’s happening. He doesn’t ask that I stand, but he doesn’t have to. It’s implied and my body reacts accordingly to his silent command.

We stand face-to-face, our breathing ragged. Our chests heave with the anticipation, the possibility, of what might come next.

“You are, quite possibly, the most dangerous of them all,” he says, his voice rough.

“Why is that?” I breathe.

“There’s no plan for you.”

“But you’ve already penciled me in, haven’t you, Graham?” I ask, finding the courage to play this little game with him. Being strictly professional is incredibly hard, and this is way too easy.

I can flirt with the best of them in a bar or on a college campus. But here, with him, it’s a game all its own. A level I had no idea I’d ever be a contender in. Maybe I’m not, but I’m going to play the hell out of it while I’m here … even though if I keep it up, I might not be here for long.

“What do you want, Mallory?”

“I want to do all the things you ask of me and do them better than you ever expected they could be done.”

A rumble emits from his throat as his eyes darken. My knees go weak and I grab the table with my left hand to ensure I don’t fall.

He licks his lips and flips his gaze to my mouth. I think I whimper as I lift my chin, waiting to see what he does next. My entire body is on fire for this man, my heart thumping so hard I’m sure he can hear it.

He moves so my back is pressed against the table, our food long forgotten. His hands are on either side of me, caging me in. Our eyes locked together, he leans in, a slow smirk spreading across his gorgeous face.

“Excuse me, Mr. Landry. Ford is here to see you,” Raza chirps through the line.

We exhale simultaneously, a giggle escaping with mine. There’s nothing funny about this, but the energy has to come out in some way.

“Mr. Landry?” she asks again.

“I’ll be right out. Thank you, Raza.”

“Oh, you’re so welcome, sir.” The line clicks off and Graham marches across the room and punches a button. The light on top indicates he’s not to be disturbed.

I busy myself with cleaning up our lunch, and before he’s at my side again, I have everything bundled up.

“Thanks for lunch,” I say like nothing just happened.

“Mallory …” He runs his hand through his hair, leaving one lock sticking up. Knowing what that will look like if we walk out together, I reach up, hesitating for a split second, before smoothing it out.

His hair is silky against my fingers. He jumps when I touch him at first, but doesn’t back away. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing went on in here. I refuse for it to look like something did. That’s the way rumors get spread, Mr. Landry.”

“Mallory, I …”

I get a final look at his face, reach up and straighten his tie as his eyes go wide, then turn towards the door. “I’ll send Ford in.”

“Mallory!”

“Yeah?” I turn to see him over my shoulder. He’s standing by the table, his hands in his pockets looking frazzled. When he doesn’t respond, I place my hand on the knob. “I’ll have that file back to you before I leave today. Thanks again for lunch.”

I walk out before I can change my mind.

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SWITCH

by ADRIANA LOCKE

Mallory Sims is late for her first day of work.

After spilling her tea, she discovers she has no gas in her car. Add that her arm keeps sticking to her dress from syrup left on the console of her car, flustered feels like an understatement.

Then she sees her new boss.

Graham Landry is the epitome of NSFW in his custom-fit suit, black-rimmed glasses, and a look so stern her libido doesn’t stand a chance. Being flustered is just the start of her problems.

Her punctuality is only the start of his. With a pink slip in hand, he’s been waiting on his new secretary to show up only to let her go. Then she rushes in with her doe eyes and rambling excuses, smelling like bacon and lavender. The termination paper falls to the side as she falls in his arms.

This is a disaster in the making. Not because of his pinpoint exactness or her free spirit, but because when they’re together, the sparks that fly threaten to burn the whole place down.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE LANDRY FAMILY SERIES

#1 Sway

US: http://amzn.to/2knPFwV

UK: http://amzn.to/2gQc0RW

CA: http://amzn.to/2hwPGAx

AU: http://amzn.to/2h3HVyj

Audible: http://bit.ly/SwayAudible

Free in Kindle Unlimited

#2 Swing

US: http://amzn.to/2llM5Yf

UK: http://amzn.to/2gU6uSB

CA: http://amzn.to/2gKF6RP

AU: http://amzn.to/2hakm7c

Free in Kindle Unlimited

~MEET ADRIANA LOCKE~

USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket. 

Please contact Adriana at www.adrianalocke.com. She loves to hear from readers.

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Review and Giveaway for Keeping Her Wet by M Robinson

KEEPING HER WET

by M ROBINSON

Ten couples.
Twenty characters.
Ten chapters.
A collection of ten hot scenes from all ten of my standalone books. Each couple will have a chapter dedicated to them. New and never read before.

Sebastian and Ysabelle- The VIP Trilogy
Mika and The Madam- The VIP Trilogy
Devon and Brooke- Tempting Bad
James and Gianna- Two Sides Gianna
Lucas and Alex- Complicate Me (The Good Ol’ Boys)
Jacob and Lily- Forbid Me (The Good Ol’ Boys)
Dylan and Aubrey- Undo Me (The Good Ol’ Boys)
Austin and Briggs- Crave Me (The Good Ol’ Boys)
Martinez and Lexi- El Diablo
Creed and Mia- Road to Nowhere & Ends Here

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REVIEW: HAVE A LOVER OR A B.O.B. AND EXTRA BATTERIES CLOSE BY....Just saying

This book lives up to it's name.

I'm just going to point this out: Dylan and Aubrey have once again proven why I love their love story the most.....they are SO hot together!!! They are my favorite couple out of all of her couples. I swooned so hard when I read them originally, and to add another snippet to their life for me to enjoy was pure sexy fun!

I have loved Robinson's books since I first picked up Complicate Me and steamrolled right on through the entire Good Ol Boys series. I have been a fan....and I always wondered, how do you write 4 books in a series of alpha men and they don't sound the same!!? And then to carry on with spin-offs? Proof of her storytelling abilities!! Love her work.

While there really isn't much to this novella other than a whole helluva lot of HOT SEX, it was nice to peek in on some of my favorite couples and get that momentary smile again, remembering how they were when I originally read them. This was a naughty treat, for sure, but a fun one as well. It also introduced me to some other couples that I have yet to meet.....but I have purchased all their books!! Hahaha!!

If you want a no holds barred read with a lot of smooth lovin', this is the novella you will want to pick up. Again, not a lot of meat and potatoes.....well, there's a LOT of meat, but you get what I am saying. Pure, unadulterated, HOT scenes to enjoy for all of your favorite characters!!

~BEE

PURCHASE KEEPING HER WET: http://amzn.to/2kBUfbG

AND OF COURSE I'M GIFTING A COPY HERE. 

◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆

~MEET M ROBINSON~

Best Selling Author M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.

She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left.

She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.

~CONNECT WITH M~

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ARC REVIEW

Excerpt for Mack Daddy by Penelope Ward

 EXCERPT

Copyright © 2016 by Penelope Ward

It was the evening of our monthly PTO meeting. On the agenda was to designate the volunteers for several fundraisers that would take place in the spring.

Setting up the refreshments and a coffee urn in the hallway outside of the classroom, I couldn’t wait to get this over with so that I could go home, get into my pajamas, and relax. It was always exhausting to have evening commitments when the workday ran so late to begin with.

A deep voice from behind startled me. “A keg would be much more fun, wouldn’t it?”

I turned around to find Mack standing there, holding a box of chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket.

“What are you doing here?”

He placed the cookies on the table. “This is the parent and teachers meeting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but…” I hesitated, not even knowing what to say.

He finished my sentence. “But I’m not supposed to be included in that group?” Mack snapped his finger. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought PTO stood for ‘pissing teacher off.’ My bad.”

“Well, if that were the case, you might be in the right place.”

“This is the right place for me tonight.”

“This meeting is for serious participants.”

“I’m serious about the teacher. Does that count?”

“No.”

“Actually, in all seriousness, I’d also like to help. It’s the least I can do after crashing your school year. I really would like to be as involved as I can in Jonah’s education.

That’s the truth, okay? Getting to spend time with you is an added benefit.”

What could I say? He had just as much right to be here as anyone else.

“Just be aware that this isn’t the right place to be joking around or distracting the other attendees, for that matter.”

“I don’t plan on distracting anyone but you.”

“Yeah, well you have quite the fan base here. We have a very strict agenda to adhere to.”

He moved in closer and just stared me down for a bit. The contact caused my skin to prickle and my nipples to harden. “Don’t worry,” he said as he looked down, seeming to notice that my nipples were piercing through the fabric of my shirt. “Your points are well noted, Miss O’Hara.” He wriggled his brows. “I’ll see you inside.”

I hated that he knew he was having an effect on me. If my body had this kind of response now, what would have happened if he’d actually done more? Spontaneous impregnation? Some things just never change, and my reaction to this man was an example of that.

A long table sat in the middle of the spare classroom where we held the meeting.

There wasn’t a single man in the room besides Mack. He was like the centerpiece.

I took my seat at the end of the table. “So, shall we get started?” Looking down at my list, I said, “First on the agenda is the book fair. We need to elect someone to be in charge of it and coordinate the volunteers.”

Mack raised his hand.

“Yes?” I asked.

“That sounds like it’s right down my alley. I’d like to volunteer to run the book fair.”

“What makes you want that task? It’s a lot of responsibility.”

He thought about it for a moment then said, “I write children’s books. I think I’d be a perfect fit.”

“That’s a good point,” one of the women said. “He might be the perfect fit.”

I’m sure you’re thinking he’d be the perfect fit, alright…in your vagina.

“Okay…but I hope you know that there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into organizing that particular event. It takes place over the course of an entire weekend. You have to place orders with the bookseller, do inventory, delegate tasks, and arrange for an onsite food vendor because many people just come for the food. Ultimately, the food is the bait.”

“I can bait people. I’m a master baiter.” He paused. “I mean…I can handle it. I’ll get a shitload of people to sign up.”

An attending nun gave him a dirty look for his use of foul language.

He cleared his throat, seeming to regret his choice of terminology. “I’ll get people to attend. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll put your name down as a possibility. We’ll take a vote at the end.”

“Thank you.”

Looking around the room, I asked, “Is there anyone else here who is interested in taking the reigns on the book fair?”

Not a single person budged.

One woman said, “No, but I’ll be happy to help Mack with whatever he needs.”

I’m sure you will.

Mack nodded then offered a smug smile. “Thank you.” He then took a bite of his cookie and winked at me.

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MACK DADDY

by PENELOPE WARD

They called him Mack Daddy. No, seriously, his name was Mack. Short for Mackenzie. 

Thus, the nickname. Perfect, right? 

So was he: perfect. The perfect physical male specimen.

At the private school where I taught, Mack Morrison was the only man around in a sea of women.

Everyone wanted a piece of the hot single father of the sweet little boy. I was riddled with jealousy, because they didn’t know that—to me—he was much more. 

They didn’t know about our past. 

He’d chosen my school for his son on purpose, because Mack and I, we had unfinished business. 

As my friend Lorelai so eloquently put it: “Unfinished business between two people who are clearly attracted to each other is like an eternal case of blue balls.” And I was suffering in pain from my case.

I was still intensely attracted to Mack. I tried to resist him, immersing myself further into a relationship with another man just to protect my heart. 

Not to mention, getting involved with a parent was strictly against school rules. But seeing Mack day in and day out was breaking me down.

And soon I might be breaking all the rules.

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~MEET PENELOPE WARD~

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island. 

~CONNECT WITH PENELOPE~

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