Sunday, January 15, 2017

Review for The Wake Series by M Mabie


BAIT
by M MABIE

He was trouble from the start, but I couldn't resist.
She was the best kind of trouble. The kind that was so wrong, it felt right.

I’ve tried and failed to stay away from him.
I’ve done everything in my power to make her mine and keep her.

He’s almost impossible to say no to.
She never tells me yes.

We’re always fighting.
When we’re not fighting, we’re… well… making up.

He makes me laugh so hard.
I miss her laugh the most.

I'm a liar.
She knows the truth, but won’t admit it.

Sometimes, I wish I'd never met him.
I wish we could meet all over again. I'd do better.

His girlfriend knows.
The guy she’s with is a fool.

I’ll never love anyone like I love him.
She doesn’t love me enough to choose us.

It was the wrong place.
It was the wrong time.

It should have been him.
It will always be her.


REVIEW: 5 Angsty Fantastic Stars!!
"I've already warned you. You won't be able to get enough. Now, here's your chance to stop this, while you still have the willpower." He was both menacing and tempting.

Sometimes a book is recommended to me and I say, "Wow! That looks really good. I want to read that." So, that was me....and this was the book. I saw it when it was releasing and was really intrigued by the synopsis. I knew it was a series, and I knew to wait until the rest of the books were out before I started it.

I *knew* this.
Words: Marked.

Well, a dear friend gifted it to me, begging me to read it. She was exclaiming how great it was and how much she loved it. It was on her "Best Books of 2014" list. Ok....I guess I should read it, right? Yeah....I'm now sitting in the corner, rocking myself and holding my knees up to my chest, begging for more. I want more.

MORE TORTURE
Yes, I said torture.

I've said time and time again, angst is what I need/crave/have-to-have in a book to make me fall in love with it. I just need that heart-stopping, heart-racing, push and pull that makes you bite your fingernails while you hold your kindle and feverishly read and devour the words on the pages.

This book was UH-mazing. Phenomenal. WOW.

And now I can be considered a stalker. I literally stalk M Mabie's page while I anxiously await Sail being released. I am obsessed....I'm sure, clinically.

Why does something that is so wrong.....feel so right? Sometimes, what we know as wrong, is actually right. I believe in true love...I believe in deep, soul-crushing, mind blowing love. I believe in doing right....but I also understand guilty feelings and curiosity. Sometimes our heart speaks louder than our mind....and sometimes we have to listen to it. Rationale be damned.

The way in which this story was told was the *perfect* way to tell it....the POV change was perfect and seamless and it really worked The amount of angst in the book was off the charts good. The heroine was strong, but weak against her own desires. Blake knew right from wrong, but her draw to Casey was undeniable and she was powerless against it. While I read this book, I felt the want and the need....the desire for more.

What was so different about this book was the fact that when things didn't go their way, they didn't throw some fit....nope, they FOUGHT for their love, after some deep thinking and harsh realities. Their pull towards each other was two sided. They both needed each other and wanted each other. I really enjoyed this push and pull they had and this is what I crave in a really good book. I felt their pain, their reasoning, their love....I felt it all and this book was one that will go down as a favorite for me in 2015.

Blake knew what she was doing. Casey knew what he was doing. This is a story about the depths of desire and truth your heart will put you through for your one true love. The one you're meant to be with. Love will drag you through the depths of hell to get you where you need to go....it isn't always hearts and flowers.

To say that I am anxiously awaiting Sail, that would be a gross understatement. That book is high up on my list of 'push everything aside to read'. I need more Casey and Blake. Their relationship was one of a kind....and I need more of it.

"There was no rational reason for any of this. Even I knew that. But I wanted her. That was fact."
~BEE



This isn’t just a two-year long one-night stand. It’s my life.
This is my life. Our life. It isn’t just some careless affair.

 I’ve made the worst decisions a woman could, but I’ll earn my second chance.
She can try keeping all the guilt for herself, but I’m just as much to blame.

Loving Casey wasn’t my biggest mistake. Fighting it for so long was.
I’ll show her how fearless our love makes me. I’ll protect her torn heart.

He still has magic in his eyes. He’s the man who makes me happy.
Her voice still brings me to my knees. She says my name like it’s sacred.

I live for the day when I’m his. To take care of him. To love him the way he deserves.
I can’t wait to be all she needs. I can give her a happy life, security and so much love.

Sometimes two ships never meet in the night, but ours did.
Sometimes the water is rough. It beats you all to hell, until you have no choice but get stronger.

Our love story reads more like a tragedy, but to me it’s clean and pure.
Let them point their fingers. Without a love like ours, they haven’t really lived. I pity them.

I’m a cheating wife and a villain. I am his honeybee.
I’m a snake in the grass and I sleep best when I’m lying next to his wife.

I want to be his everything.
I’m nothing without her anyway.

This isn’t even close to over.
It’ll never be over.


REVIEW: 4.5 stars
"I trusted his heart, my heart's other half, but I needed to be his. Needed him to be mine."

Fair warning....I highlighted SO much during this book...it was hard to get all my feelings in ONE spot just to sit down to write this review. To say that I was happy with this book....I can't say it enough. I loved it. I want more...I don't ever want to leave Casey and Blake's world. It is so full of love and emotion and depth and feeling. It is FULL. It is overflowing. It is complete. It is WOW in a book.

If I didn't love Casey by the end of book one, Bait, then I certainly was head over heels in love with him after this book!!! Holy hotness! If I ever wanted a follow up to an angsty, rocking-in-the-corner-after-finishing-a-book, this book would be it. Let me say this, the tempo in this one was so very different. It was the balm to the burn. This book was a slow, sensual rocking motion in the water, whereas Bait was the stormy rocking sea. The different tempo in this book was such a huge transition, it said so much about their relationship. Unquestionably and undeniably, this was an amazing story. Superbly written and executed.

I loved how Casey decided he was going to finally step up and be the man that Blake needed...not the normal one-night stand guy he had been for the two years prior. His character grew so much...it was so great to see him transform before our very eyes.

The push and pull and angst that we experienced in Bait was NOT in this book....however, the slow burning love with anticipation was very prevalent in this book. I loved it! Absolutely loved it. It was a slower, easier read and I didn't feel like I was on the edge of my seat with worry about what was going to happen. I will admit, I was waiting for the ball to drop....I was waiting for something to happen. But, like I said....this was the balm to soothe the evil, aching burn Ms. Mabie left us with after Bait. This book made EVERYTHING better....I absolutely fell deeper in love with Casey. Blake found her 'self' and actually came out of her shell....this book was full of revelations, growing and understanding. It was, simply put, beautiful.

The exploration we took with Casey and Blake was amazing....we got to learn more about what made him tick and what sparked feelings and emotions in him. We learned what made Blake purr and what pushed her to the limits that she needed to push to get to where she needed to be. They are SO hot with each other...they are the type that burns with anticipation and slow deep feeling. The fight in these two to become to each other what they had tried to deny for so long, but realized was impossible, was an amazing feeling to read. I loved their relationship and the direction it took.

Ms. Mabie has a way with her words....she uses them to evoke such emotion and power over your heart that you can't help but get lost in Casey and Blake's story. I laughed during this book, I swooned and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I am more in love than ever with these two, and can't believe I have another book to look forward to!

The end of this book had me frantically messaging the author asking for an understanding....so to say that I can't wait for book #3, that is a gross misunderstanding. To put it bluntly, the next book shall be nothing short of amazing, knowing Ms. Mabie.

"The best things are worth waiting a little for, honeybee. Otherwise, fairy tales would start with happily ever after."
~BEE

Amazon US | B&N | KOBO | Amazon UK



I believe in love at first sight.
Now I know soulmates exist.

 Nothing has ever been easy for us.
Every fight, every struggle, has been worth it.

I’m stubborn, but what woman isn’t?
She’s hard work and I love the overtime.

He’s frustrating and unpredictable. I hope he never changes.
I love driving her crazy. That’s half the fun.

Lou’s sexy curls.
Honeybee’s pink nose.

He still looks at me like I’m precious and unflawed.
She treats me like I’m the center of her world.

Our future will be full of happiness.
Despite everything, we’re two of the lucky ones.

I took the bait.
She was a lucky catch.

He is the wind in my sail.
She’s the anchor that grounds me.

The wake our love made is beautiful.
Every day I thank God for her.

No matter the hurdles, we’ve jumped them side-by-side.
No matter the obstacles, we’ve made it through together.

For better or for worse, I’d do it again.
I’ll love and protect her all the days of my life.

We made it.
We always will.

Anchor is the third book in the bestselling Wake Series. In this widely anticipated series finale, you'll see Lou and Honeybee get all they've ever wanted and more.
REVIEW
"Love doesn't give a fuck about a piece of paper. When are you going to realize that this isn't just love? There isn't even a word for this."

So, if you read my review of SAIL, you would know that I freaked out and messaged the author asking WHY?? WHAT?? How was there another book??? I got my HEA in SAIL, but was surely convinced that I was missing something. So, I eagerly anticipated this book....I was SO excited it was coming out and I couldn't WAIT to read it!!!

The book came. I started it. Truthfully? I was LOVING Casey and Blake. They are THE perfect couple....problems and all. I have them on my 2015 Favorites List for just that. I love them....beyond reason. This couple puts the smile on my face and the sigh in my heart. They really are perfect.

This book mainly focused on (no surprise) the planning and time leading up to their wedding and all the 'fun' that goes with it. There wasn't the angst we got in Bait, or the drama we got in Sail....but I will say my FAVORITE parts about this whole book were:

◆ The alternating and DIFFERENT points of view; not typical and I LOVED it
◆ The desire and sexiness of these two; never-ending
◆ The epilogue was phenomenal

I loved what Mabie did in the POV's in this book and I seriously got overly excited at the 'possibilities' as to what she will do next. I loved the story within the story. I am anxious for more of that.

The desire these two characters had for each other? I can definitively say, without a doubt, that these two had a magnetism that no other characters have ever had....that I have ever read. It really showed what honest, true, soul-crushing love will do to you/for you/with you.

This epilogue was IT. I loved it. It was literally the frosting on the cake. The be-all and end-all to this amazing story.

Something to note: I found this book somewhat slow in the beginning and I really needed to focus to read and stay engaged, but after I actually got into it more, I couldn't put it down. Even though Sail left off at a completed story for ME, this book was chock full of fluff and love with no expectations. The best part was seeing Casey's emotions take over him. Good and Bad. Also, a little but of some other characters....hmmm????

If I ever felt like a series was done and finished PERFECTLY, this series was it. M Mabie really found a place on my must-reads list and I will continue to read her after what she did with my heart with this series. I will truly miss Casey and Blake....they took me by surprise and wrapped me up in their love.

"My thoughts were stained with him, the same as my heart."
~BEE

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | B&N | iBooks |Kobo


◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆
~MEET M MABIE~
M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes unconventional love stories and tries to embody "real-life romance."

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

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

~CONNECT WITH MO~

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Friday, January 13, 2017

Book Review and Giveaway for Lucian Divine by Renee Carlino



LUCIAN DIVINE
by RENEE CARLINO

“My guardian angel is a drunk.”
Evelyn Casey's life is at a standstill. She's in her mid-twenties, struggling with the dating scene in San Francisco. Nothing seems to be working out, and she’s starting to think that she’ll live out her days in her crummy apartment with her overbearing roommate, Brooklyn. It's absurd, but sometimes Evey longs for a guardian angel to show up and save the day.

And then he does. Seriously. His name is Lucian and he's a guardian angel, been on the job for two thousand years. His sudden presence in her life is both good—he's brilliant, witty, and warm—and bad—he's brilliant, witty, warm, and hot as ----. But as perfect as Lucian seems, he’s got problems of his own. He’s taken up drinking and he’s brazenly inserted himself into Evey’s life, going against the greatest cosmic law ever created.

For Evey, the rules are simple: You are not allowed to hook up with your guardian angel. But sometimes fulfilling your destiny requires a leap of faith, a confrontation with God.

Yes, God as in God.


REVIEW: 3 STARS
"Angels ignored me, God ignored me, I couldn't even get a retweet on Twitter....but at least I had Evey."

Sitting down and reading this story was what I was looking forward to doing with my New Years Day....call me boring, I know, but I was excited to have a day all to myself for just reading. Going in, I knew this was a PNR book related to angels and mystical beings. Simple enough. I have read one other like this so I was excited to see another take on it. This is my third book by Renee Carlino and while I am glad I finished this one, I am confused and saddened by how I feel about it. Unfortunately, the broken flow of the wording and the gaping holes in the storyline made for a rough read for about 40% of the book. I enjoyed the book up until about 35% and then started to see the flow return around the 80% mark, but the in between part was tedious and stilted. It started out really strong and ended really strong, but I truly struggled in the middle.

From what I've read of Renee already, I know she has a penchant for writing beautiful love stories that are heartfelt and emotional with a deep meaning behind them.  This one had all that....it truly did, it just felt like it lacked a little fine tuning and content evaluation. This didn't feel like Renee's writing to me and I am hoping it was just me.

I don't know if this was supposed to be funny, but it definitely provided some giggle-worthy moments and some smiles, for sure. I also couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a serious book because while there were some serious moments, many of them left me shaking my head. Like, how did we go from happy to pissed off with our roommate? Or with Lucian? Or her mother? Where was the misunderstanding? I seriously missed what caused any of the issues that caused problems between the characters in this book. Evey's emotions were all over the place, and so were Brooklyn's. It was as if none of the reactions and emotions made any sense to me, yet there they were in word form. I had a serious case of whiplash trying to figure out how we went from best friends to hurtling insults at each other. Or from new acquaintances (although their hearts knew they were meant for each other) to being immediately in love. No buildup or discovery to their relationship, but it was written, so it shall be. So when I say that it felt stilted or disjointed, I just feel like we missed some parts of the story all together and that made reading it a little awkward. It almost felt like we were getting a line by line description about the happenings of the book instead of an actual story to sink into and absorb. I didn't feel a part of it. I didn't really connect...

I'll admit I almost quit reading this book, but it was suggested that I continue because the ending was worth it. That's the honest truth....the ending *IS* worth it and I am glad I saw it through. Some of the curiosities that surround guardian angels and who believes what were really interesting to read. I liked the little nuances Carlino threw in to make the angels more relatable, and somewhat comical. I can imagine some people might get offended about angels using Tinder to hook up with other angels, but take it for what it was worth. Some descriptions and explanations were pretty neat to imagine as seen through Carlino's words. Definitely some good with the bad.

I don't want this to be a negative review, because for all that I didn't enjoy about it, I found other things that I did like. Again, the love Lucian had for Evey was heartfelt and pure and I loved watching him work through everything going on with him. I want to gift a copy of this out because I know without a doubt that someone will love this book. To enter, go HERE.

"Love is selfish, isn't it?"
~BEE

~MEET RENEE CARLINO~
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

~CONNECT WITH RENEE~
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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Book Review and Giveaway for Clam Jam by RC Boldt


CLAM JAM
by RC BOLDT

“Clam Jam”
Definition: the female equivalent of a cock block.

Example: You’re chatting with a guy you’re interested in and your friend comes along and lays claim to him. 

Maggie

That’s my life—except it’s worse. My friend who keeps “jamming” me is my gay roommate and if that isn’t a W.T.F. moment, I’m not sure what is.

Fact: He went home with three—yes, three—of the guys I had been so sure were into me.
Fact: He’s really pissing me off. I mean, hello? I’m trying to get back in the saddle, but I’ll never manage to get a boyfriend before the age of fifty if he keeps this up.
Fact: Secretly, I wonder what it would be like if he weren’t gay. Why do all the hot, sweet, tender-hearted guys have to be gay?
Fact: My gay-dar needs a serious tune-up.

Ry

The day I interviewed for the room to rent, everything changed. I knew I had met “the girl”, except there was one small problem: she didn’t want anything to do with men. I recognized a top-notch force field when I saw one. She’d been burned badly and didn’t want to deal with a heterosexual guy as a roommate. I could’ve turned around and found another place to live, but I wanted to live there—with her.

So I had to go “undercover”.

Fact: I’m in love with my roommate.
Fact: I’m a likely candidate for carpal tunnel surgery since all the action I’ve had for the past year has been my hand.
Fact: She’s going to hate me if I come clean now.
Fact: I’m not giving up. Which means, I’ll just have to continue to run defense until I figure out a way to get Maggie to see the “real” me.

The me that loves her.
The me that would never do her wrong.
Until then, I’ll keep running off every guy who shows any interest.
Until then, I’ll continue to Clam Jam.



REVIEW: 4.5 HILARIOUS STARS
"I'm sorry, but did my panties just go poof? Up in smoke? Because the look in his eyes made my hoo-ha feel like it was on fire."

I saw the synopsis for this book and immediately knew I wanted to read it. I mean, c'mon seriously....how can you read that and NOT laugh and wonder how it will work out?? From the get-go, this book had me giggling because of Maggie's humor, but also Ry's quick wit and comebacks. OMG...so freaking funny!! I'm a slow reader by nature since I like to absorb the book, per se, but I read this all in one day. I started early in the morning and ended late that night, but I couldn't put it down! This was an "ignoring life for the win" kinda book!

With a title like Clam Jam, I seriously had to wonder how crude this book was going to be. I didn't want some shock-jock style book. I wanted funny. I wanted well timed comedy, with some love and a little drama. Well, I totally got funny, and then some. This book read like a romantic comedy/chick flick mix and it was honestly the easiest read I've had all year. Ok, so it was my first read I have had this year, but I can promise you that I am glad I started my year off with this little ditty!! The humor was SO good. I'm still giggling while looking over my highlights and rereading some of the parts. There is so much to quote, but then I would give away too much. I seriously can't wait to gift out a copy of this one!!

Maggie's inner dialogue was hilarious. It was comical and entertaining, to say the least, and most definitely one that you could read over and over and not tire of it. I seriously mean it when I say I laughed good and hard while reading this book!!! She is so freaking funny!! Ry's devotion to Maggie was the perfect example of the right man doing anything possible for the one he loves. He makes me smile with everything he selflessly did for her....ok, and to her, but most definitely for her. This was unconditional love at it's finest. RC did a really good job making these two characters different and perfect for each other. I could see the caring side of Ry while dealing with the sarcastic side of Maggie. Total match made in heaven.

For the record, their sexy time was HOT. Very very hot....like, imagination running wild, lip-biting kinda HOT. 

While sooome things may have been a little forced or awkward, the storyline between these two was spot on. The humor was smooth and it wasn't cliche at all. I liked that I didn't see anything coming from the humor aspect of it. Like, I honestly laughed about every page or every other page...it truly was that funny. Were some of the actions and reactions to the storyline and plot predictable? Yes, to a certain degree it was....but in an 80's flick kinda way. You knew what was going to happen, but the buildup and the play-out was the best part of this book. The discovery of HOW it was going to work out was the best part. We learned right along with Maggie, and the drama that ensued was definitely smile-worthy. It was really really good. I look forward to reading more from RC Boldt, and based on her author bio, the sarcasm is strong with that one. I will most definitely be following her. RC is a new-to-me author and I wanted to make this year a year to try out new authors. I am so glad I took the plunge on this one.

If my tongue had a voice of it's own, it would probably say something like, "Just the tip. That’s all I want.” The tip of my tongue tracing over Ry’s abs, that is. You know, just to prove someone Photoshopped him. Or not. 

Because I’ll take one for the team. I’m a giver like that. People might even think of canonizing me as a saint after all this. Really.
~BEE

PURCHASE






EXCERPT

“Ryland James!” I bang on his bathroom door, hollering loudly. “Did you eat the last—”

The door swings open, drawing my speech to a sudden halt because … ooooh, sweet, dripping wet abs.

My eyes are riveted.

He’s got a towel wrapped around his waist, and I don’t even realize I’m moving until Ry releases a sharp hiss at my touch. Because my finger is tracing over the slight indentations in his abdominal muscles.

“Um …” He clears his throat, his voice husky and deep. “Mags?”

“Uh-huh,” I murmur absently, my fingertip stopping one of the trickling droplets of water on his skin, tracing it down over his belly button, and—

His fingers grasp my wrist, drawing my hand to a halt, and my eyes dart up to his in alarm because crap. That was like an out-of-body experience.

“Oh, crap. I’m sorry. I just really, um … crap.” That’s all I can utter. Nonsense. No one would believe I have my graduate degree if they heard me right now.

If my tongue had a voice of its own, it would probably say something like, “Just the tip. That’s all I want.” The tip of my tongue tracing over Ry’s abs, that is. You know, just to prove someone Photoshopped him. Or not.

Because I’ll take one for the team. I’m a giver like that. People might even think of canonizing me as a saint after all this. Really.

Oh, and then … Abracadabra! Poof! He’d no longer be gay, profess his undying love for me, and wouldn’t ever leave me for another guy.

Or woman.

Wow. That scenario even sounds crazy in my head.

Shaking off my thoughts, I take one more glance down at his abs—just one more glance—and that’s when I see it.

“Oh, boy,” I breathe out. Ry is hard, tenting the towel, and I really want it to drop. Accidentally, of course. Like an “oops” moment. Totally harmless and innocent.

Oh. My. God. I’m a horrible person. I’m thinking of my roommate’s penis! My roommate who has quickly become one of my best friends.

Oh, the shame!

Where did this inner slut come from? It’s like she’s been lying in wait—for him, apparently.

But, really. I can take a little peek, right?


~MEET RC BOLDT~
RC Boldt is the wife of Mr. Boldt, a retired Navy Chief, mother of Little Miss Boldt, and former teacher of many students. She currently lives on the southeastern coast of North Carolina, enjoys long walks on the beach, running, reading, people watching, and singing karaoke. If you're in the mood for some killer homemade mojitos, can't recall the lyrics to a particular 80's song, or just need to hang around a nonconformist who will do almost anything for a laugh, she's your girl.

~CONNECT WITH RC~

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Monday, January 9, 2017

Excerpt Reveal for Egomaniac by Vi Keeland


EXCERPT

*DREW*

I hate New Year’s Eve.

Two hours in traffic to make it not even the nine miles home from LaGuardia. It was after ten o’clock at night. Why weren’t all these people at a party by now? Whatever tension two weeks in Hawaii had relieved was already back to coiling tighter and tighter inside me as the town car inched its way uptown.

I tried not to think about all the work I was coming back to—the endless string of other people’s problems to compound my own:

She cheated.
He cheated.
Get me full custody of the kids.
She can’t have the house in Vail.
All she wants is my money.

She hasn’t given me a blowjob in three years. Listen, asshole, you’re fifty, bald, pompous, and shaped like an egg. She’s twenty-three, hot, and has tits so young they almost reach up to her chin. You want to fix this marriage? Come home with ten Gs in fresh, crisp bills, and tell her to get on her knees. You’ll get your blowjob. She’ll get her spending money. Let’s not pretend it was ever more than it really was. That doesn’t work for you? Unlike your soon-to- be ex-wife, I’ll take a check. Make that out to Drew M. Jagger, Attorney at Law.

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling slightly claustrophobic in the back of the Uber, and looked out the window. An old lady with a walker passed us.

“I’ll get out here,” I barked at the driver.

“But you have luggage?”

I was already exiting the back of the car. “Pop the trunk. It’s not like we’re moving anyway.”

Traffic was at a dead stop, and it was only two blocks to my building. Tossing a hundred-dollar tip at the driver, I grabbed my suitcase from the trunk and took in a deep breath of Manhattan.

I loved this city as much as I hated it.

575 Park Avenue was a restored pre-war on the southeast corner of Sixty-Third Street—it was an address that gave people preconceived notions about you.

Someone with my last name had occupied the building since before the place was converted into overpriced co-ops. Which is why my office was allowed to remain on the ground floor when other commercial tenants were tossed out years ago. I also lived on the top floor.

“Welcome back, Mr. Jagger.” The uniformed doorman greeted me as he swung open the lobby door.

“Thanks, Ed. I miss anything while I was gone?”

“Nah. Same old, same old. Peeked in on your construction the other day, though. Looking good.”

“They use the service entrance down Sixty-Third like they were supposed to?”

Ed nodded. “Sure did. Barely heard them the last few days.”

I dropped my luggage inside my apartment, then headed back downstairs in the elevator to check things out. For the last two weeks, while I was screwing off in Honolulu, my office space had been getting a total renovation. Cracks in the high, plastered ceilings were to be patched and painted, and new floors installed to replace the old, worn parquet.

Thick plastic remained taped over all of the interior doorways when I walked in. The little furniture I hadn’t put in storage was also still covered with tarps. Shit.

They aren’t done yet. The contractor had assured me there would only be finish work left by the time I returned. I was right to be skeptical.

Flicking on the lights, I was happy to find the lobby completely done, though.

Finally, a New Year’s Eve with no horrible surprises for a change.

I took a quick look around, pleased with what I found, and was just about to leave when I noticed a light streaming from under the door of a small file room at the end of the hallway.

Thinking nothing of it, I headed to turn it off.

Now, I’m six foot two and a half, two hundred and five pounds, and maybe it was just my frame of mind, my not expecting to see anyone, but when I opened the door to the file room, finding her there scared the living crap out of me.

She screamed.

I took a step back through the door.

She got up, stood on the chair, and began yelling at me, waving her cell phone in the air.

“I’ll call the police!” Her fingers shook as she dialed nine, then one, and hovered over the last one. “Get out now, and I won’t call!”

I could have lunged for her, and the phone would have been out of her hand before she realized she hadn’t dialed the final digit. But she looked terrified, so I retreated another step and put my hands up in surrender.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” I used my best soothing, calm voice. “You don’t need to call the police. This is my office.”

“Do I look stupid to you? You just broke into my office.”

“Your office? I think you took a wrong turn at the corner of Crazy and Nutjob.”

She wobbled atop the chair, holding both arms out to regain her balance, and then…her skirt fell to her feet.

“Get out!” She crouched down and grabbed her skirt, tugging it up to her waist as she turned her back to me.

“Do you take medication, ma’am?”

“Medication? Ma’am? Are you joking?”

“You know what?” I motioned to the phone she was still holding. “Why don’t you push that last one and get the police over here. They can drive you back to whatever loony bin you escaped from.”

Her eyes widened.

For a crazy person—now that I was really looking—she was pretty damn cute. Fiery red hair piled on top of her head seemed to match her firecracker personality. Although from the looks of her blazing blue eyes, I was glad I’d held off on telling her that.

She pushed one and proceeded to report the crime of entering one’s own office. “I’d like to report a robbery.”

“Robbery?” I arched an eyebrow and looked around. A lone folding chair and crappy metal folding table were the only furniture in the entire space. “What exactly am I stealing? Your winning personality?”

She amended her complaint to the police. “A breaking and entering. I’d like to report a breaking and entering at 575 Park Avenue.” She paused and listened. “No, I don’t think he’s armed. But he’s big. Really big. At least six feet. Maybe bigger.”

I smirked. “And strong. Don’t forget to tell them I’m strong, too. Want me to flex for you? And maybe you should tell them I have green eyes. Wouldn’t want the police to confuse me with all the other really big thieves hanging out in my office.”

After she hung up, she stayed standing on the chair, still glaring at me.

“Was there also a mouse?” I asked.

“A mouse?”

“Considering you jumped up on that chair.” I chuckled.

“You find this funny?”

“Oddly, I do. And I have no fucking idea why. It should annoy the crap out of me that I come home from a two-week vacation and find a squatter in my office.”

“Squatter? I’m no squatter. This is my office. I moved in a week ago.” She bobbled again while standing on her chair.

“Why don’t you get down? You’re going to fall off that thing and get hurt.”

“How do I know you’re not going to hurt me when I get down?”

I shook my head and contained my laugh. “Sweetheart, look at the size of me. Look at the size of you. Standing on that chair isn’t doing jack shit to keep you safe. If I wanted to hurt you, you’d be out cold on the floor already.”

“I take Krav Maga classes twice a week.”

“Twice a week? Really? Thanks for the warning.”

“You don’t have to ridicule me. Maybe I could hurt you. For an intruder, you’re really kind of rude, you know.”

“Get down.”

After a full minute stare-off, she climbed off the chair.

“See? You’re as safe on the ground as you were up there.”

“What do you want from here?”

“You didn’t call the police, did you? You almost had me there for a second.”

“I didn’t. But I can.”

“Now why would you go and do that? So they can arrest you for breaking and entering?”

She pointed down at her makeshift desk. For the first time, I noticed papers all over the place. “I told you. This is my office. I’m working late tonight because the construction crew was so loud today that I couldn’t get done what I needed to. Why would anyone break and enter to work at ten-thirty at night on New Year’s Eve?”

Construction crew? My construction crew? Something was going on here.

“You were here with the construction crew today?”

“Yes.”

I scratched my chin, half believing her. “What’s the foreman’s name?”

“Tommy.”

Shit. She was telling the truth. Well, at least some of it had to be the truth.

“You said you moved in a week ago?”

“That’s right.”

“And you rented the space from whom, exactly?”

“John Cougar.”

Both my brows shot up this time. “John Cougar? Did he drop the Mellencamp, by chance?”

“How should I know?”

This wasn’t sounding good. “And you paid this John Cougar?”

“Of course. That’s how renting an office suite works. Two months’ security, first and last month’s rent.”

I shut my eyes and shook my head. “Shit.”

“What?”

“You got conned. How much did all of that cost you? Two months’ security, first and last month? Four months in total?”

“Ten thousand dollars.”

“Please tell me you didn’t pay cash.”

Something finally clicked, and the color drained from her pretty face. “He said his bank was closed in the evening, and he couldn’t give me the keys until my check cleared. If I gave him cash, I could move in right away.”

“You paid John Cougar forty thousand dollars in cash?”

“No!”

“Thank God.”

“I paid him ten thousand in cash.”

“I thought you said you paid four months.”

“I did. It was twenty-five hundred a month.”

That did it. Of all the crazy shit I’d heard so far, thinking she could get space on Park Avenue for twenty-five hundred a month took the cake. I broke out in a fit of laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re not from New York, are you?”

“No. I just moved here from Oklahoma. What does that have to do with anything?”

I took a step closer. “I hate to break the news to you, Oklahoma, but you got ripped off. This is my office. I’ve been here for three years. My father the thirty before that. I was on vacation the last two weeks and had the office remodeled while I was gone. Someone named after a singer scammed you into giving him cash to rent an office he had no right to rent. Doorman’s name is Ed. Walk through the main building entrance, and he’ll verify everything I just said.”

“That can’t be.”

“What do you do that you need office space?”

“I’m a psychologist.”

I held out my hand. “I’m an attorney. Let me see your contract.”

Her face fell. “He hasn’t brought it by yet. He said the landlord was in Brazil on vacation, and I could move in, and he would come back on the first to collect the rent and bring me the contract to sign.”

“You’ve been scammed.”

“But I paid him ten thousand dollars!”

“Which is another thing that should have tipped you off. You couldn’t rent a closet on Park Avenue for twenty-five hundred a month. Didn’t you find it strange that you were getting a place like this for next to nothing?”

“I thought I was getting a deal.”

I shook my head. “You got a deal alright. A raw deal.”

She covered her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.”



EGOMANIAC
by VI KEELAND

The night I met Drew Jagger, he’d just broken into my new Park Avenue office.
I dialed 9-1-1 before proceeding to attack him with my fancy new Krav Maga skills.
He quickly restrained me, then chuckled, finding my attempted assault amusing.

Of course, my intruder had to be arrogant.
Only, turned out, he wasn’t an intruder at all.

Drew was the rightful occupant of my new office. He’d been on vacation while his posh space was renovated.
Which was how a scammer got away with leasing me office space that wasn’t really available for rent.
I was swindled out of ten grand.

The next day, after hours at the police station, Drew took pity on me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange for answering his phones while his secretary was out, he’d let me stay until I found a new place.
I probably should have acted grateful and kept my mouth shut when I overheard the advice he was spewing to his clients. But I couldn’t help giving him a piece of my mind.
I never expected my body to react every time we argued. Especially when that was all we seemed to be able to do.

The two of us were complete opposites. Drew was a bitter, angry, gorgeous-as-all-hell, destroyer of relationships. And my job was to help people save their marriages.
The only thing the two of us had in common was the space we were sharing.
And an attraction that was getting harder to deny by the day.

◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆     ◆

~MEET VI KEELAND~
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

~CONNECT WITH VI~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER

VI'S BOOKS ON AMAZON: http://amzn.to/29qKfzU


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Thursday, January 5, 2017

Excerpt for Real Good Man by Meghan March


EXCERPT

Finally, fifteen minutes after we said we’d meet, Logan Brantley walks into the tapas bar. Every curse word known to woman—and several I make up on the fly—flash through my brain.

This isn’t fair. Logan Brantley is even sexier when he’s not dressed in camo and carrying a big gun. More than one head swings in his direction. Women flip their hair and uncross and re-cross their legs as he steps up to the hostess stand.

A shaft of possessiveness lights up inside me, right along with nervous energy and my pounding heart.

Back off, bitches. He’s not here for you.

I hear the low rumble of his deep drawl when he speaks to the hostess. She gestures in my direction, and he turns. Piercing blue eyes find me at the table where a lone water glass sits in front of me.

Liquid courage should definitely have been on the menu. Why didn’t I order a drink?

Because I’m an idiot. Because I thought I could handle this.

Now my heart is hammering so loud, my voice will probably be inaudible, or even worse—quaver when I speak.

Logan walks toward me with long, sure strides. He’s taller than I realized. And broader. And bigger.

Everywhere. He’s wearing a black Henley that stretches across his chest, leaving no doubt of the fact that the man is built. And his jeans. Jesus. They’re worn and snug in all the right places.

The picture I found was clearly not recent, and it’s not just the fact that his brown hair is longer and shaggier. He’s one of those men who age well.

Logan stops in front of me when he reaches the tall bar table. He says nothing as his gaze drops to the toes of my boots and drags up every inch of my body.

“You’re a hard woman to find.”

REAL GOOD MAN
by MEGHAN MARCH

Fall for a woman over text messages? No way in hell.

Reality can never be as good as the fantasy, right?

Wrong. It’s better.

Banner Regent is smart, funny, and she’s so far out of my league, she might as well be royalty.

I’m a mechanic from Kentucky. She’s a New York City party girl.

We were never supposed to meet, but one text started something neither of us saw coming.

How do you seduce the woman who already has everything?

Show her what it’s like to be with a real good man.


PURCHASE LINKS










~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


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