Book Review and Giveaway for Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan

HOOK SHOT
by KENNEDY RYAN

A deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion.

Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.
Cheated on, betrayed, exposed.
My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.
The last thing I need is her.
A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist.
Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans from the moment our eyes meet.
I promised myself I wouldn't trust a woman again, but I've never wanted anyone the way I want Lo.
She's not the plan I made, but she's the risk I have to take.

A warrior. A baller. The one they call Gladiator.
Kenan Ross charged into my life smelling all good, looking even better and snatching my breath from the moment we met.
The last thing I need is him.
I'm working on me. Facing my pain and conquering my demons.
I've seen what trusting a man gets you.
I. Don't. Have. Time. For. This.
But he just keeps coming for me.
Keeps knocking down my defenses and stealing my excuses, one by one.
He never gives up, and now...I'm not sure I want him to.

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REVIEW: 4.5 STARS
"I need simple, but I want you."

It's after reading books like this that I want to sit down with Kennedy Ryan and just talk to her; find out how she does it, where she draws her inspiration from. How does she write a book with so much vivid emotion? I want to explain to her how she affects me so much with her words. All the words she strings together effortlessly with a mere 26 letters. The smallest denominator in our language, and yet she wields them as if they have the strength of a sword. They are so powerful and so moving and I am one of her biggest fans.

There is such an abandon in her storytelling. It flows easily and confidently, and I love that!! I am in complete awe of her storytelling abilities, but I am equally in awe of her characters. They aren't weak. They aren't misguided. They are relatable and understandable, with a pain that is tangible, and an emotional connection that's tantalizing. I just want to know how she does it. It's almost like a subdued intensity. It's so subtle, but anxiety-pang-inducing. Kenan and Lotus have so much chemistry that is undeniably extraordinary. Undeniably. They have this type of connection that most can only dream about....a true soul mate.

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."
Song of Solomon 3:4

Her words are so romantic and they bring out so much more than I could ever begin to describe. I love that Kennedy's books always transport me. She always gives me a love story worthy of my own emotions and reflection. But she also has a knack for stretching my thought processes, beyond my comfort level or understanding. This one tested me on a few different fronts, and while I wasn't completely comfortable with some parts, it was a captivating read that I could settle in and enjoy with wonder. There was a different tone to it that I haven't read in any of her others. It was sobering, sure - there were a lot of difficult times in this one, but there was an edgier feel to it. One from a world I know nothing of. Grittier, dirtier, bolder than anything I would know first hand - the city life, the culture, the vibe. It was just an all encompassing story in that aspect.

And to be perfectly honest, I am very shocked that I didn't highlight as much as I thought I would with this book. There was something different within these pages that bewitched me, sucked me right in, and I never really stopped reading to make notes or highlight much. I have loved these stories, starting with Long Shot with August and Iris to Block Shot with Jared and Banner, and now I can add Hook Shot with Kenan and Lotus to that list. She hasn't given her characters an easy road in this series and I can appreciate each obstacles they all overcame within their own stories. Not easy by any means, because she writes about the kinds of things that aren't spoken freely of and I respect her and commend her for tackling these hard to broach subjects.

Here I am, just a reader sitting on my couch, once again, put in place by her words - completely mesmerized.

Oh! And now I want to try étouffée....

"I was raised on hope and weaned on miracles so the exceptional feels familiar to me."
~BEE

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My Long Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2ubai8W

My Block Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2O6KCjm

My Hook Shot Review: http://bit.ly/2HZTHtO

~MEET KENNEDY RYAN~

I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!

Kennedy Ryan FB Group.

~CONNECT WITH KENNEDY~

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Book Review and Giveaway for VIPER by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine

VIPER
by BROOKE BLAINE AND ELLA FRANK

Scorching chemistry. Red-hot lyrics. An irresistible bad boy.
Halo, the new lead singer for Fallen Angel, never stood a chance against Viper, the legendary lead guitarist for the band.

From the moment Halo set foot in Viper’s lair, the match was lit, threatening to consume the two men with the heat of their desire. But when their casual flings begins to morph into more, will it leave the entire band in flames?

After all, it may have been Halo who fell from grace, but it’s only a matter of time before Viper falls for an angel.

VIPER is the second book of the Fallen Angel Series and should be read following HALO. Halo and Viper’s story concludes in book three, ANGEL.

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REVIEW: 5 Scorching Stars
"Oh, I plan to kiss you, Angel. I'm gonna kiss every single inch of you."

I try really hard not to start a review off about how HOT a book was, but when that is a glaring reality behind Viper's style and demeanor, I don't think I can honestly help it and not do a disservice to his personality. Holy hell. Wow. This book was most definitely hot. And sexy. And naughty. And delicious. Oh my gosh, just....*shivers*. I know, I sound ridiculous but I can't help it. I'm shaking my head at myself and laughing, I promise you that much. Crazy, I know. But Ella and Brooke, I'm gonna need you to keep this writing gig up.

This second book in Ella and Brooke's Fallen Angel Trilogy was nothing short of sexy and fun, but it also allowed a deeper growth that I did not truly anticipate. Detailing a love with so many obstacles and yet, the need outweighed the want in this one. The desire outdid the lust. I am smiling like a love sick fool, and it brought out all the heart eyes from me. I cannot fathom not highly recommending this series to anyone and everyone that is willing to listen to my babbling. It's books like this that make me giddy to write a review and excited to share a copy with someone. They make me so excited that I can't calm down enough to get my thoughts out. Definitely favorites list material right here. My little heart is so full. <sigh>

I can try and pretend to come up with some really cool words to define the love that I have for this story, or these authors, or the characters...but it'll come off as me trying way too hard. Seriously, way too hard. But consider this review as me trying to type out my smile, even though I'm pretty sure I'm failing. I do know that Ella and Brooke's writing is brilliant. I am completely smitten with not only them, but their characters. I love love love what this one did to me. The teasing and meaningful writing they infused into this story read effortlessly. As awkward as it may sound, I didn't know that you could write a well known Rock Star GOD falling in love like this - and make it believable. I loved not only the love story, because that's first and foremost the reason I am here...but the whole navigating unchartered waters through not only Halo's eyes, but Viper's as well. And that is where the story was for me. It was reality crashing with fantasy, and I think they captured that part exceptionally well.

"I didn't need alcohol, because without him, I didn't want to feel a fucking thing."

This story involved a slow, painstakingly guttural ache to see an almost impossible reality shake out. But the pain, the urge, the need to see Viper and Halo figure out this so-called relationship consumed my every waking thoughts immediately upon starting this series, but this book amplified that need. I know I have to make it through another book to get the rest of their story, but I can honestly say VIPER is on my favorites list for 2019 already. So so good. And so hot, in case you missed that.

By the way, the cover on this book cannot be any more perfect. When I envisioned VIPER in HALO, I just knew he was going to be a cocky, confident sonofabitch, but they nailed the broody aspect of him in this picture rather perfectly. It coincided perfectly with the heady, dark and dirty side of him and really accentuated the feel of the book. The naughty side. The dirty side. The hot side. However, after reading this one, though, I think VIPER is synonymous with asshole. Talk about heart palpitations and anxiety pangs. Geez. He made me want to throw things!!! And, of course, watching Ella and Brooke share all their "inspiration" for the other guys in their group just made me itch for more stories out of this band.  In all honesty, it's ridiculous how in love I am with these guys. Absolutely, hands down ridiculous. And now I'm hungover and I don't know what to do. But I do know I will never stop asking for more....

"'This is where you belong', he said in a voice that stroked my cock as effectively as I knew his hand could."
~BEE

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~MEET ELLA FRANK~

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

~CONNECT WITH ELLA~

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~MEET BROOKE BLAINE~

Brooke Blaine is a USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance that ranges from comedy to suspense to erotic. The latter has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.

She is the author of Flash Point, a romantic suspense standalone, as well as the co-author of the erotic series, A Desperate Man, with Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life, bless their hearts. Licked, a romantic comedy, will be released November 11th, 2015 and is the first in the L.A. Liaisons series. 

If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.

~CONNECT WITH BROOKE~

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Book Review and Giveaway for While I Was Away by Stylo Fantome

WHILE I WAS AWAY
by STYLO FANTOME

You were in a car accident.

They say true love can last forever.

You hit your head, which caused your brain to swell.

Can span any distance, stretch across time, last beyond death.

The pressure against your skull damaged your brain.

Which leads one to wonder …

The damage left you unresponsive to most kinds of stimuli.

If you fall in love in your dreams,

And this unresponsive state is what's known as a coma.

Can you find that love when you wake up?

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REVIEW: 4.5 STARS
"You and I, we're something bigger. Something better."

Fantastical
Mystical
Eclectic
Mind Boggling
Super Natural
Wondrous

I can use any and all of those words to describe this newest addicting romance by Stylo Fantôme. I picked up the book and never put it down. What a trip!!! If you like a different type of read, one that makes you think outside the normal spectrum of reality, this is the book for you. This book, for me, was seriously a one-off from my norm, but also one that has me excited to talk about. There were some neat understandings coming to light as I was reading it and I was seriously giddy while I was trying to explain it to someone! This was SO good!!! So neat!

Stylo's writing is definitely a different style. More....eclectic of sorts. The existence that we count as our norm doesn't always come in her books, and while that makes her a sometimes scary pick for me, I have enjoyed more of her books than not. So this one, the journey was so different and so bizarre, yet so catchy and so intriguing. I want to discuss this one!!! The intricacies. The wonder. The love. All of it. I loved this book. I can say, the only issue I had was in the very beginning when we started this trip, er....I mean, this book because I was almost questioning the trope that this was. I was almost wondering if it was a women's fiction/science fiction type of read. But once I settled in, I seriously could not put it down.

"What if this is a dream?"
"Then I hope we don't wake up."

This book had magic written all over it. Thinking waaaay outside the box, but also a jaunt into the in between netherworlds. This book seriously gave me LIFE. It provided me some giggles, some smiles, a few gasps and I actually got teary-eyed. I want to talk and discuss and vent and debate and explain and ARGH!! I want to watch you like a creeper while you read it so I can say, "Right?? I told you so!!" I want to relive this through someone else's eyes. I really, really liked this one and falling in love with this couple just kinda made me slow down and sigh. Fate. Dreams. Reality. Understanding. Oh my gosh....it just made me kinda question things and yet, it made me accept and believe. So. Darn. Good. I want so badly to say, look for this or pay attention to this, but there is so much about this book that you just need to immerse yourself in and discover. Pay attention and soak it up. It's so wonderful. So neat. I know I sound like a broken record now....

And just remember: Here is Now.

"Just because you can't recognize me, doesn't mean your soul can't."
~BEE

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~MEET STYLO FANTÔME~

Crazy woman from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.

I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.

Yeah. I think that about sums me up.

~CONNECT WITH STYLO~

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Excerpt and Giveaway for Force of Nature by SL Scott

~ EXCERPT ~

The pale color of the lace highlights a sheen as if the sun kissed her skin, and I can’t stop myself.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” The smile I receive in return is magnificent. Her surprise at my compliment shocks me, though.

A whispered, “You’re so hot,” leaves her lips. Her hands on my sides urge me back on top, so I move, kissing her again and appreciating the taste of her mouth, her skin, and the way she moves under me. Her body begs for more, and I start to memorize what makes her moan.

A kiss to the lips.

The spot behind her ear.

My hands on her waist.

Fingertips dipping under the lace and teasing.

Her breasts are firm and a good handful. I’d venture to guess a cup size, but it doesn’t matter.

It.

Doesn’t.

Matter.

The thought races through my veins, and I start to digest it. The size of a woman’s tits has always been something I catalogued for entertainment, out of curiosity, and to engage my brain and not just my body. It’s the same as every woman staring below the abs I work so hard to maintain to check out what the good Lord gave me.

But with Winter, it’s different.

Like our time together, this just feels good. She feels good. With her, it’s not a race to the finish. She’s savoring my kisses to her neck and taking the time to kiss mine. She doesn’t want a quick fuck before she ducks to catch a cab home. No, this is different.

New.

Better.

I don’t want this feeling to end although I don’t think I can wait much longer before I explode. I ache to be inside her, so I whisper against the round of her breasts, “Do you want to—”

“Yes. God, yes. Please.”

Lifting my head up to see her face, I smile. “I like you begging for me.”

“I’d like you between my legs.”

“I thought that’s what we were talking about?”

“Your mouth first.”

“First, huh?” She drives me fucking wild. As if I couldn’t get harder, she opens that sexy mouth of hers and makes a request. Confidence is a turn-on. “I can arrange that.” I slip under the covers and tug her legs until she’s flat on her back.

Through laughter, she says, “You’re so bad, Bennett.”

“But I’ll make you feel so good.”

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FORCE OF NATURE

by SL SCOTT

Winter Nobleman is complicated. To say the least.

It was supposed to be simple. Go to Paris, find a client’s daughter, and close a multi-million- dollar deal. Easy. Then I meet her. Stormy blue eyes, quick wit, and the secrets she keeps on the tip of her tongue make me forget my mission for a moment, or six, and why I’m in Paris in the first place—to bring her home.

Distracted by her beauty, I fail to notice the others lurking with missions of their own.

Bennett Everest is the twist I never saw coming. Talk about perfect timing.

He steals my breath the first time I see him and breathes hope back into my heart. He’s a giant in my eyes, a king among men with patience and love to share in spades. Six foot three. Whiskey-colored eyes. Solid gold on the inside.

Despite the dirty deeds of my past, he sees the person I am meant to be and not the person I have become.

If the lies don’t kill us, will the truth set us free?

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~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~

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Book Review and Giveaway for Violent Delights by Jessica Hawkins

VIOLENT DELIGHTS
by JESSICA HAWKINS

In the de la Rosa family, old grudges run deeper than loyalty, and betrayal is a three-letter word: war. But this feud isn’t between enemies. It’s between brothers. And I’m the prize.

I was born a princess among criminals. An untouchable among thieves. Heiress to a life others have killed for, and one I'm prepared to trade for my freedom. I vowed not to leave without Diego, my first love and best friend, but if his ruthless brother has his way, I won’t leave at all. Cristiano de la Rosa is a man as big and bold as his legend. Once upon a time, he was our cartel’s best soldier . . . until he became my family’s worst enemy.

A man like Cristiano will bend fate to his will to get what he wants. Even if it means dragging me to hell—and tearing me from his brother's arms.

“She is mine.” Three words from two different men.
A life, future, and love I don’t get to choose.

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REVIEW: 4+ STARS
"Some things can't be taken. Some things must be given."

Yet again, another winner. SO worthy! Jessica Hawkins' words can totally make me mad in one instance, yet she has the ability to immediately soothe me with her next words. Seeing all the intricacies that are weaved so deep within this story makes me excited for the possibilities for the next two books - my head is already spinning!! I have so many thoughts running through my mind, and so many questions to correlate with those thoughts. Great opener to this newest trilogy and I think it was a fantastic beginning. This was definitely the kind of book you need to go in blind, but also...the kind that you can't help but want to discuss in depth afterwards.

I can definitely appreciate that I was able to pick a team instantly because while one brother was cold and calculating behind a façade, the other one was just cold and calculating with a goal in mind. SO, the cold and calculating one got my vote. HAHA! I love how this story is taking shape already. I can only imagine the amount of discussions I can and will have in the SPOILER ROOM. I know that I've already spilled my guts in there on a few posts, and I see that the conspiracy theories are aplenty. There was so many layers to divide and dissect, and it makes for fun discussions. I won't lie, but it read too quickly for my wants. I was certainly NOT done enjoying this first part of their story....but it ended too quickly! You know a book has you wrapped up when you can discuss all the many different aspects of it and still come away with different thought processes. Some discussions will change my mind on what I think can/will/did happen, and some of it makes me shake my head at the ideas! That's Jessica's writing though. Completely turned my world upside down in one day and now I am left waiting until June, rummaging through my mind with possibilities and conspiracy theories. ABUNDANT, I may add. This wasn't very twisted like I thought it was going to be, so no mind-fuckery was happening, but I will tell you that the twistedness that are these two brothers is pretty crazy. I can feel the angst building up, but this one wasn't too terribly angsty to start, but when Cristiano touches her....ohmygosh. I can *feel* the sexual tension rolling off them and I can't wait to explore it!!!

Jessica provided me a story ripe with manipulations and lies, but scattered in between were some seriously heavy truths as well. I mean, to already be so invested in these characters and to question the meaning behind the most trivial of things, I am shaking my head. Pay attention to the scores!! I loved that I was able to be super angry at the way something was happening - like, seeing red angry, but other times I was under a spell and just knew I was in it for the long haul. Even understanding that there was a discussable meaning and reasoning behind all the happenings didn't make some of the hard parts easy to swallow, and that was a big deal for me. I want those twists and turns. I want that anger and emotional confusion - and Jessica does that soooo well. While it was somewhat predictable at times, the layered truths that Jessica gave us to look forward to unraveling in the next two books left me giddy! I always say I'm such a slow reader, but then I get Jessica's book in my hands and I can't help but fly right through it. Argh!!! I'm all sad now. Is it JUNE yet?? Because NOVEMBER is going to be a loooong wait!! I will need ALL the cookies to survive this wait. She got me good. Real good.

This book ended on a gasp and I was fuming but oh-so-intrigued, so I have NO doubt that the next two books will be heart-poundingly good! I'll admit, for a non-lover of cliffies, this was a great cliffhanger! I'm sure I'm going to be pulled out of my comfort zone here soon. As a matter of fact, I'm counting on it. This is most definitely a case for having to trust the author with the plot because with three books to get through, this first one was rather rough on the heart in a few spots. There is so much to think about and so much to ponder. I am so ready for more!!

"My brother's using you to light the fire, but don't forget - a match also burns."
~BEE

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~MEET JESSICA HAWKINS~

Jessica Hawkins grew up between the purple mountains and under the endless sun of Palm Springs, California.

She studied international business at Arizona State University and has also lived in Costa Rica and New York City. To her, the most intriguing fiction is forbidden, and that's what you'll find in her stories. Currently, she resides wherever her head lands, which is often the unexpected (but warm) keyboard of her trusty MacBook.

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