Cover Reveal & Extract: Razed - Shiloh Walker (+ International Giveaway)

I absolutely loved Wrecked when I read it last year (you can read my review here) so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Shiloh Walker was writing a sequel! Well today I'm thrilled to share the cover for the second book in the Barnes Brothers series Razed. I also have an extract and a fab giveaway to share so make sure you read to the bottom of the post for your chance to win a signed copy of Wrecked!

Razed will be released by Berkley on the 2nd of December and it's already at the top of my Christmas wish list! What do you think of the cover? I love it and that is just how I pictured Keelie and Zane when they were introduced in Wrecked.

About RAZED:

Tattoo artist Keelie Jessup can handle that someone else has claimed the man of her dreams. She’s just not pleased with her remaining options…

Keelie doesn’t believe in the “perfect man.” But the men who are worth the trouble are usually taken—like her business partner Zach Barnes. After a string of bad luck and the lost chance with Zach, Keelie decides that maybe flying solo—and living with suppressed desires—is the key to happiness.

As a photographer, Zane Barnes has an eye for the human form, and his eyes can’t get enough of Keelie’s curves. Unfortunately, Keelie is like most women—always fawning over his little brother, Zach. Zane is about ready to give up, but then a few stolen moments at his brother's wedding have him thinking maybe there's a chance there after all. Now he just has to prove that the perfect man does exist...for her.

About Shiloh Walker:

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid... she fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah... serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, but most all anything romantic. Once upon a time, she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She also writes under the pen name J. C. Daniels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Excerpt from Razed:

Humiliation burned in her.

Rejection turned her blood to ice while her skin shrank down about two sizes too small.

She wanted to sink into the floorboards, turn into something thin and vaporous so she could just disappear.

Pushing against his chest, she focused on the navy blue polo. “Then how about you let me go, huh? My mistake.”

The hand on her throat didn’t move.

It should have felt threatening.

But the feel of him touching her just made her melt that much more…and it was now a heavy ache inside because he—

His lips brushed her ear.

“You want to know what I want from you?” he asked, the words velvet, stroking over her like a caress.

Keelie closed her hands into fists to keep from reaching for him. He was messing with her. It pissed her off—and, to her disgust, it hurt. It almost felt like a betrayal, too, because she hadn’t expected to see this in Zane.

“Back off,” she warned, putting an edge into her voice and preparing herself to make him back off. So what if he had some moves on him? He hadn’t seen her moves yet. Not really.

“I want…” He slid his hand down from her throat, to rest on her chest, fingers spread wide where it rested above her heart.

“This.”

The simplicity of the gesture stunned her into passivity.

She held still as he lifted his head and stared down at her.

She blinked, not moving, as he continued to stand there, his hand on her chest. “I want five minutes of your time…over a cup of coffee. An hour for lunch. I want you to pick up the phone when I call, talk with me for a while,” he said, staring into her eyes while the blue-green of his gaze cut into her.

Then he leaned in and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her chest, just above the neckline of her sweater. “I want to peel your clothes away, learn each and every one of these insanely sexy tattoos…each tattoo, and the reason behind them. I want to know what makes you laugh, and I want to know what makes you mad. I want to know what sort of book you’re reading whenever I’m in the office—I’ve asked, but you always toss it down when I walk by and you never answer me.”

His breath was a caress on her flesh and she broke out into goosebumps.

Her heart raced in her chest and she couldn’t even begin to understand why there was a knot in her chest.

Giveaway Details:

Shiloh Walker is giving one lucky winner a signed paperback of Wrecked along with swag. The giveaway is open internationally and all you have to do to enter is fill out the rafflecopter form below. The winner will be announced via rafflecopter and contacted directly by Shiloh so she can arrange to send out the prize.

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Review: Days of Blood and Starlight - Laini Taylor

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living - one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers' arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone Series:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Night of Cake and Puppets (Novella)
Days of Blood and Starlight
Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Visit Laini Taylor's website or the Daughter of Smoke and Bone website for more information

Review:
I absolutely adored Daughter of Smoke and Bone, in fact it's still one of my favourite YA novels, but I kept putting off reading the sequel. I think I was worried that it wouldn't live up to my incredibly high expectations and I couldn't stand the thought of being disappointed. Since the trilogy is now complete I decided it was about time I put my fear to one side so after re-reading DoSaB I FINALLY picked up Days of Blood and Starlight and now I can't understand what I was worried about. Laini Taylor has managed to follow up with another fantastic instalment to the series and I'm just so relieved that I already have the next book to hand so I don't have to wait to find out how everything ends.

What can I say about this book that would ever do it justice? I just don't think I have the words to describe how wonderful this series is. Laini Taylor's writing is beautiful, it's so incredibly descriptive and she immediately pulls you into this amazing world she has created that is full of wondrous creatures and characters you're bound to fall head over heels for. She manages to put me through the wringer emotionally with every single story she writes and I love her for it.

I adore both Karou and Akiva, they've both made mistakes and neither of them is perfect but that just makes them all the more real to me. I feel their pain, I feel their triumphs and most of all I feel the love they have for each other and how completely and utterly hopeless it seems when they know they can never be together. They were born enemies and the paths they have chosen are tearing them in opposite directions but no matter what they've done to achieve their goals they have the same ultimate objective. They both dream of peace between the angels and the chimera but with so many evil atrocities committed by both sides they can't see a way to make their dream reality.

This story is much darker than the first, Karou and Akiva both have difficult decisions to make and they have to live with the consequences of their actions. They are put under an incredible amount of pressure to do the right thing by their people and that causes resentment and anger to build between them. I have to admit I missed seeing Karou and Akiva together in this story, I so desperately wanted them to be able to forgive each other for the mistakes they've made but I can understand why they had to be apart for much of the story. I have high hopes that we might see them come together to take a stand in the final book but I guess I'll just have to read it to find out for sure. One thing I did really enjoy was seeing how hard Zuzana and Mik fought to help Karou, I loved them in the first book but I think they were even more important in this one and it was nice to see that Karou has such supportive human friends alongside her chimera ones. I also loved Akiva's siblings Liraz and Hazael and enjoyed learning more about the angel's hierarchy and goals.

I don't want to talk about the plot of Days of Blood and Starlight so I've kept this review deliberately vague. I'd much rather people were able to discover the story for themselves by reading the series. These books are right up there with the best, they're beautifully written modern classics and I want to put copies of the books into everyone's hands and force them to read them!

Source: Received from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Captured - S.J. Harper

Join FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s a Siren. He’s a Werewolf.
Their mission is redemption.

Emma Monroe is a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now she works for the FBI and is on temporary assignment in Charleston. Solving this next missing persons case could be the key to ending her ancient curse—unless the temptation that’s her new partner gets in the way.

Zack Armstrong is a Werewolf. Tall, dark, and dangerous, he currently works for one of the bureau’s elite Child Abduction Rapid Deployment teams. In many respects the man is every bit as mysterious as his secret and perilous past. But there are two things he’s certain about, that he’s going to get his man and his woman.

When Zack finds himself suddenly shy a partner and a third child goes missing in Charleston, Emma goes from consultant to CARD team member in the space of a few hours. The abductions of the first two boys ended in murder, an outcome that neither Zack nor Emma can abide. As they race against time to track down the kidnapper and rescue the latest victim, they find themselves fighting something just as treacherous—a growing attraction that can’t be ignored or denied.

Fallen Siren Series:
Captured (Novella)
Cursed
Reckoning
Forsaken (Novella)

Visit S.J. Harper's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed the Cursed when I read it last year so when I was offered a review copy of the prequel novel Captured I jumped at the chance of reading it. Captured may be a prequel but at around 170 pages you certainly get plenty of story and I really enjoyed getting to see Emma and Zack's first meeting. If you are new to the Fallen Siren series then you can definitely start here, you'll even find an extract of Cursed included at the end so you can make a start on it immediately after finishing this. Captured is a fab introduction to the series and it's one I'm really looking forward to continuing.

For those that haven't come across these books before the main character is Emma, a siren who was cursed by the god Demeter and who has spent centuries trying to atone for her sins so that the curse will be lifted. Emma works as an FBI Agent and her current case involves her travelling to Charleston to help find a kidnapped child. Cooper is the third child to be taken and the previous two were found murdered so the FBI need to work fast if they are going to find him alive. Emma has been brought in to work alongside another agent, Zack, and the chemistry between them is sizzling from their very first meeting. Zack is not just an FBI agent, he's also a werewolf, but he doesn't know that Emma is a siren and she will do whatever it takes to keep it a secret from him. Emma may be attracted to Zack she has very good reasons to avoid getting into any kind of relationship and she is determined to keep him at arm's length no matter how charming he is or how much she wishes she could take things further.

Although we get a little information about the curse placed on Emma and what that means for her life this prequel focuses much more on introducing the main characters and showing how well they work together. Don't worry though because you'll get a lot more detail about the supernatural side to the world in the next book and there is enough here to give you a good idea of what to expect from the series. Anyone who has already read Cursed will know that Emma and Zack had worked together previously and I really enjoyed seeing that in a lot more detail. I also liked the mystery of who was behind the kidnappings and didn't put everything together until about the same time that Emma and Zack started to figure things out.

Captured is a nice introduction to the series for newbies but it was also a great way of giving fans of Cursed more background information about the main characters. It helped to tide me over until the next novel, Reckoning, is released in October but it has left me eager to spend more time with these characters.

Source: Received from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Stone Embrace - Danielle Monsch

In the New Realms, love can be the most dangerous battle of all...

Terak has fought all enemies to claim Larissa. It doesn't matter his own Clan looks upon the union with misgivings. It doesn't matter her family see a monster when they see him.

It doesn't matter, because Larissa is his.

And any who would try to take her away? They'll see what a Gargoyle will do to protect his mate.

NOTE: Stone Embrace is not a complete story. It would best be described as an extended 30 page epilogue to the novel Stone Guardian. You'll probably have the most enjoyment reading this story if you have read Stone Guardian and already know the characters and world of the Entwined Realms series.

Entwined Realms Series:
Stone Guardian
Stone Embrace (Free extended epilogue of Stone Guardian)
The Cage King (Novella) (release date to be confirmed)
The Dream Crafter (release date to be confirmed)
Master of Monsters (release date to be confirmed)

Visit Danielle Monsch's website for more information

Review:
Before I start this review I want to point out that Stone Embrace is an extended epilogue to Stone Guardian and is not meant to be read as a stand alone story. If you're new to the series this really isn't a good place to start (but it's a series I HIGHLY recommend so go and grab Stone Guardian now!). You should also be aware that Danielle Monsch wrote this as a FREE extra for her fans so I would recommend getting your copy via All Romance eBooks or iTunes until Amazon fix their pricing (you may wish to send them a link to the cheaper version using their price match feature to encourage them to fix this faster, I already have).

If you read my review of Stone Guardian last year you'll already know how much I loved the first instalment of Danielle Monsch's new paranormal romance series. In fact, along with fellow bloggers Cory, Ange and Brandi we got a little fan girly over the story and we have all been bugging Danielle for more ever since. We did mention at the time that we would have loved more of an epilogue about the main characters Terak and Larissa, in particular I think we were hoping for more hot sex and I believe it was Cory that mentioned she'd like to see a little tail action since Terak is a gargoyle.

I'm very happy to say that Danielle not only heard our plea, she also acted on it and wrote Stone Embrace! I'm not going to go into much detail about what is included in this 30 page extended epilogue, I'm just going to tell you that if you enjoyed Stone Guardian you will love this short story. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Larissa and Terak and this has just left me more eager than ever to continue reading the series.

I had to include a screenshot of the Dedication in my review:

This really made my day so thank you Danielle! Now I can finally cross "corrupt an author" off of my bucket list LOL.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Best Man with Benefits - Samanthe Beck

How far can one favor go...

Logan McCade arrives at his best friend’s wedding overworked and in desperate need of a vacation, only to discover his best man duties have been...expanded. He must coax Colton’s sister out of her shell, or risk her hiding in her room all week. Logan figures he can handle one introverted bridesmaid, but he’s not expecting how much he enjoys “handling” Sophie…or how much she enjoys being handled.

Socializing has never been web designer Sophie Brooks’s strong suit, but she’s determined to shed her wallflower image and embrace the “New Sophie”—a feat made easier with the supremely sexy Logan McCade tempting her to explore all her forbidden fantasies. If she’s not careful, she just might fall for the best man.

Sophie’s sweet, sexy, and delectably awkward demeanor brings much-needed calm to Logan’s hectic life. With the nuptials only days away, Logan is forced to face the possibility that his favor to a friend might have become something else entirely…and that he’s not willing to let Sophie go. Ever.

Wedding Dare Series:
Dare to Resist - Laura Kaye
Falling for the Groomsmen - Diane Alberts
Baiting the Maid of Honor - Tessa Bailey
Seducing the Bridesmaid - Katee Robert
Best Man with Benefits - Samanthe Beck

As well as being part of the multi-author Wedding Dare series, Best Man with Benefits is also part of Samanthe Beck's McCade Brothers series.

McCade Brothers Series:
Lover Undercover
Wicked Games (Novella in the Lovers Unmasked anthology also available as a stand alone ebook)
Falling for the Marine
Best Man with Benefits

Visit Samanthe Beck's website for more information

Review:
Logan has been working his fingers to the bone and is in desperate need of a holiday so he's looking forward to getting some down time at his best friend Colton's wedding. When Colton asks Logan to look after his shy young sister Sophie Logan is happy to agree, surely keeping an eye on one woman can't be too difficult? What he isn't expecting is that the sweet teenage girl he remembered is now a fully grown and beautiful woman. As his best friend's sister Sophie couldn't be more out of bounds but the attraction he feels is impossible to resist. The chemistry between them is fantastic but can Logan find a way to juggle his hectic work life with a permanent relationship?

Seducing the Bridesmaid is part of the Wedding Dare multi-author series which has been written by five of my favourite Brazen authors. The prequel novella, Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye, sets the scene for the rest of the series and introduces us to the original couple Kady and Colton. Each of the following novels, written by Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck, follow the same time line and take place at Kady and Colton's wedding. Each book features a different bridesmaid and sees the four of them daring each other to find a hot groomsman to have fun with for the duration of the wedding. Although the series doesn't have to be read in order I would recommend at least starting with the prequel novella before you go on to read the remaining stories in any order that takes your fancy. There is a crossover of characters and you'll see certain conversations between the friends from several different angles throughout the series and I've really enjoyed seeing how cleverly all of the books have been tied together. Best Man with Benefits by Samanthe Beck is the final story in the series following Dare to Resist, Falling for the Groomsman, Baiting the Maid of Honor and Seducing the Bridesmaid. This is also the third book in Samanthe Beck's McCade Brothers series although it doesn't matter if you've read the previous books or not.

I have to say I think they saved the best until last and Best Man with Benefits was my favourite story in the series, I've now fallen for all three of Samanthe Beck's McCade brothers and I'd highly recommend her books to anyone who is looking for a hot story with fabulous main characters and swoon worthy romance. This author is definitely on my auto-buy list and I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.

I loved Sophie, she is such a normal every day girl, someone who has insecurities about her figure, who is shy and who doesn't like to be the centre of attention. She may be quiet in a crowd but, as Logan quickly discovers, if you get her one to one she has an adventurous streak a mile wide. Not only that but she loves to experiment in the bedroom too - you know what they say about the quiet ones? Sophie more than lives up to that saying! I could easily imagine myself being friends with Sophie and I really enjoyed seeing her coming more and more out of her shell as Logan helped her confidence grow.

Logan is a man with a plan, he has worked his butt off to build his company and make it a success and now he works non stop to keep it at the top. He has trouble letting go and handing responsibility off to anyone else but when Sophie comes along he finally starts to realise what he has been missing by spending all his time chained to a desk. Sophie reminds him what it is like to have fun and she is one distraction that he is more than happy to indulge himself in. I enjoyed everything about this romance but I think I especially loved the epilogue, each of the stories in this series has given us a hint of what is to come for the couples but Best Man with Benefits has an epilogue that ties everything together and gets the whole group back together again. If you've enjoyed the previous books then I'm sure you're going to love this one as much as I did.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Seducing the Bridesmaid - Katee Robert

She has a plan. He’s about to change it.

Regan Wakefield is a headhunter in both name and personality: driven, motivated, and unafraid to pursue what—and who—she wants. Naturally, she’s thrilled when her friend's wedding offers her an opportunity to score Logan McCade, the practically perfect best man. Unfortunately, groomsman Brock McNeil keeps getting in her way, riling her up in the most delicious of ways. But Brock’s smooth southern charm isn't part of the plan...so how exactly did they end up having searing-hot sex?

Regan may pretend the erotic electricity sparking between them is merely a distraction, but Brock knows better. She refuses to see beyond the devil-may-care façade he presents to the world, while he sees straight through hers. Changing her mind—and getting under her skin—is a challenge he can’t resist. And when he wins, Brock will do whatever it takes to convince Regan that the best man for her is him.

Wedding Dare Series:
Dare to Resist - Laura Kaye
Falling for the Groomsmen - Diane Alberts
Baiting the Maid of Honor - Tessa Bailey
Seducing the Bridesmaid - Katee Robert
Best Man with Benefits - Samanthe Beck

Visit Katee Robert's website for more information

Review:
Regan has every intention of using her friend's wedding to catch the eye of her ideal man. She's a head hunter by profession so she's already done her research and on paper the best man Logan is everything she could want in a guy. She hadn't counted on the charms of groomsman Brock though and it looks like he's going to do whatever it takes to waylay her from her goal. Can Brock convince her that he's actually the perfect man for her?

Seducing the Bridesmaid is part of the Wedding Dare multi-author series which has been written by five of my favourite Brazen authors. The prequel novella, Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye, sets the scene for the rest of the series and introduces us to the original couple Kady and Colton. Each of the following novels, written by Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck, follow the same time line and take place at Kady and Colton's wedding. Each book features a different bridesmaid and sees the four of them daring each other to find a hot groomsman to have fun with for the duration of the wedding. Although the series doesn't have to be read in order I would recommend at least starting with the prequel novella before you go on to read the remaining stories in any order that takes your fancy. There is a crossover of characters and you'll see certain conversations between the friends from several different angles throughout the series and I've really enjoyed seeing how cleverly all of the books have been tied together. Seducing the Bridesmaid by Katee Robert is the fourth story in the series following Dare to Resist, Falling for the Groomsman and Baiting the Maid of Honor.


I hate to say it but as much as I love Katee Robert's writing Regan nearly ruined this story for me. I found her incredibly difficult to like because she was so cold and judgemental in the beginning. She takes one look at Brock and decides he's not good enough for her, purely because she doesn't think he's as driven or career oriented as she is. I kept waiting for her to wise up and realise that there was a lot more to Brock underneath his casual surface and if she'd done that on her own I think I could have forgiven her. Unfortunately it takes her doing some digging into his private life to uncover his secrets for her to actually decide he's worth taking a chance on. I was so annoyed by the way she looked down her nose at him for anything long term but was happy to jump in bed with him, not only that but she'd get out of his bed and then immediately go and try hitting on Logan again. I've never spent so much of a romance story wishing the hero would tell the heroine to get stuffed and go off and find someone who was actually worthy of him!

It was Brock that kept me reading, he was a fabulous hero and someone I could easily fall for. He comes across as someone who has no ambition and he does have a nasty habit of playing down his achievements but when you think about the way his father has always treated him it is quite understandable. He has always been compared unfavourably to his older brother and he was desperate for someone to see him as good enough in his own right. I really, really wanted Regan to see the real Brock BEFORE she discovered how successful he was and I was incredibly disappointed that it took her uncovering his secrets for her to see him as worthy. I seriously have no clue what Brock saw in Regan, there was just nothing about her that made me think a guy would fall so madly in love with her that he'd put up with the way she treated him.

I'm still a huge fan of Katee Robert and I have really enjoyed all of the other books in this series but I'm afraid that, for me, Seducing the Bridesmaid was a disappointment. The chemistry between the couple was fantastic and you can count on this author to give you a sexy story but not liking Regan was a big issue for me.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Baiting the Maid of Honor - Tessa Bailey

He’ll own her from the very first touch.

Julie Piper and Reed Lawson have nothing in common. She’s a people-pleasing sorority girl hiding behind her perfect mask. He’s a take-no-prisoners SWAT commander who isolates himself from the world. But when they’re forced together at their friends’ posh destination wedding, one thing is clear—Reed wants Julie more than he wants his next breath. Which is why he’s not about to stand by when she’s dared to seduce another man.

Julie wants neat, tidy sex, so she could get back to what she does best—making everybody else happy. She never expected to slip into a dark bedroom and have her mind blown by rough, demanding hands, and a sinfully filthy mouth—neither of which belong to the best man.

One night should have been all Reed needed to get the blond temptress out of his system, but when one taste is nowhere near enough, he’ll be forced confront the effects of his hellish past. One that may push Julie away forever...just when he realizes he can't live without her.

Wedding Dare Series:
Dare to Resist - Laura Kaye
Falling for the Groomsmen - Diane Alberts
Baiting the Maid of Honor - Tessa Bailey
Seducing the Bridesmaid - Katee Robert
Best Man with Benefits - Samanthe Beck

Visit Tessa Bailey's website for more information.

Review:
Julie spends her whole life trying to please other people and she never puts herself first. The idea of having a holiday fling appeals to her but she is so busy helping organise activities for the wedding guests that she doesn't have much time for a man. Reed is everything Julie shouldn't want in a guy, he's dark and dangerous and should have her running in the opposite direction but there is something about him that she just can't resist. SWAT officer Reed is used to getting what he wants and he's set his sights on Julie, what starts as one night of incredible sex turns into much more when he sees the vulnerable woman underneath the people pleasing exterior. Reed wants to be the one who takes care of Julie but will she let her guard down long enough to let him in?

Baiting the Maid of Honor is part of the Wedding Dare multi-author series which has been written by five of my favourite Brazen authors. The prequel novella, Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye, sets the scene for the rest of the series and introduces us to the original couple Kady and Colton. Each of the following novels, written by Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck, follow the same time line and take place at Kady and Colton's wedding. Each book features a different bridesmaid and sees the four of them daring each other to find a hot groomsman to have fun with for the duration of the wedding. Although the series doesn't have to be read in order I would recommend at least starting with the prequel novella before you go on to read the remaining stories in any order that takes your fancy. There is a crossover of characters and you'll see certain conversations between the friends from several different angles throughout the series and I've really enjoyed seeing how cleverly all of the books have been tied together. Baiting the Maid of Honor by Tessa Bailey is the third story in the series following Dare to Resist and Falling for the Groomsman.

I'm a big fan of Tessa Bailey's dirty talking alpha heroes and Reed is no exception to that, in fact he has a mouth that could melt the panties off of any woman under the age of 100! He's a very easy guy to like and I enjoyed seeing him push Julie's buttons and getting her all riled up. As much as he pushes her I also loved that he is so caring towards her. Her friends tend to take advantage of her need to be helpful and nobody ever seems to offer to take some of her burdens off of her shoulders until Reed comes along. I was actually annoyed at times with the way her friends treated her so it was good to see Reed shake things up a bit.

As much as I loved Reed I do worry that Tessa Bailey is at risk of falling into a bit of a rut with her heroes, they are all cops with very dirty mouths who love to get down and dirty and if you've read any of her Line of Duty series you'll recognise that Reed would fit right in with all of her previous characters (I actually wondered for a moment if we'd already met him but after doing a name search on my kindle I can't find him in the other series). Her stories are all well written and incredibly sexy but I would love to see her write about a different kind of guy for a change. Don't let that put you off Baiting the Maid of Honor though because I've been really enjoying this whole series and if you've liked any of this author's other books then I'm sure you'll love this one just as much.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Falling for the Groomsman - Diane Alberts

She’s the one that got away. He’s the one she can’t forget.

Photojournalist Christine Forsythe is ready to tackle her naughty little to-do list, and who better to tap for the job than a hot groomsman? But when she crashes into her best friend’s older brother, Christine realizes her list needs updating. And fast. Tyler Dresco took her virginity during the best night of her life, then bolted. Now that they’re trapped together at a destination wedding, she’s going to get her revenge.

Tyler has never forgiven himself for how completely he lost control all those years ago. Being in Christine’s arms had felt right...until he realized what he’d taken from her in the hallway of a cheap motel. And oh, how she’s making him pay for it now. The insatiable heat between them has only grown stronger, but every time things heat up, Christine walks away.

With every encounter, things go a little bit further until Christine’s caught in her own trap of seduction. And before their time’s up, Tyler’s not the only one wanting more...

Wedding Dare Series:
Dare to Resist - Laura Kaye
Falling for the Groomsmen - Diane Alberts
Baiting the Maid of Honor - Tessa Bailey
Seducing the Bridesmaid - Katee Robert
Best Man with Benefits - Samanthe Beck

Visit Diane Alberts's website for more information.

Review:
Christine is in need of a little fun and she has every intention of finding a hot groomsman for a week of hot sex at her best friend's destination wedding. The last thing she intends to do is get involved with Tyler, the man who took her virginity eight years ago and then broke her heart by leaving. It would be easier to avoid him if she didn't still find him attractive though and since he seems quite keen on reconnecting she decides now is her perfect chance to get her revenge. Tyler feels terrible for what happened between them when they were teenagers, he knew at the time that she was special but he was scared and ran before he got too involved. He wants to make it up to Christine and since the chemistry is still so good between them he is hoping to convince her to give him another chance. Can Christine get over her fear of Tyler leaving before she pushes him away forever?

I couldn't wait to read the Wedding Dare series, I'm a huge fan of all five authors involved and it's probably one of my most anticipated contemporary romance series of the summer. The prequel novella, Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye, sets the scene for the rest of the series and introduces us to the original couple Kady and Colton. Each of the following novels, written by Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck, follow the same time line and take place at Kady and Colton's wedding. Each book features a different bridesmaid and sees the four of them daring each other to find a hot groomsman to have fun with for the duration of the wedding. Although the series doesn't have to be read in order I would recommend at least starting with the prequel novella before you go on to read the remaining stories in any order that takes your fancy. There is a crossover of characters and you'll see certain conversations between the friends from several different angles throughout the series and I've really enjoyed seeing how cleverly all of the books have been tied together.

Falling for the Groomsman by Diane Alberts is the second story in the series and it didn't disappoint. I always love second chance romances but I have to admit that I was a little worried about the revenge angle, I was nervous that it would make it hard for me to like Christine but I'm glad to say that wasn't the case. It was easy to understand where Christine was coming from and although she talks of getting revenge against Tyler it is very obvious to the reader that revenge is the last thing on her mind when she's actually spending time him. The chemistry between the couple is fantastic and I loved their witty banter and flirting. This story had everything I want from a contemporary romance - great characters, hot, steamy sex and lots of humour. It was a fun read and left me eager to continue reading the rest of the series so I could find out what happened between all the other couples.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Blog Tour: Wedding Dare Multi-Author Series (+ International Giveaway)

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the release of the multi-author Wedding Dare series. I already posted my review of the prequel novella Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye (you can read it here) but my reviews for the remaining four stories will be going up throughout the day today so make sure you keep checking back to read them!

In this post I wanted to give you a little extra information for all of the stories and share the book trailer and the fantastic giveaway that the authors have put together for you.

Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye

Trapped and tempted, this battle of wills rages all night long…

Kady Dresco and Colton Brooks click on a level that defies logic. There are only two problems. One, he’s her older brother’s irritating best friend, and two, they're bidding on the same military security services contract.

When the competition heats up, Colton is torn between wanting to strangle Kady (and her annoying brilliance) and kissing her into submission. Which is a bad idea for a million reasons, because Kady’s submission is exactly what he craves. Being trapped in a tiny motel room with the object of his darkest fantasies will require every ounce of his restraint.

Kady doesn’t want his restraint, but Colton knows better. She deserves love, marriage, and a white picket fence—three things Colton can’t give her. But her proximity and the memory of their steamy near-miss three years ago slowly destroys his resolve. And he’s not sure how much longer he can keep his hands off…or his heart closed.

Find Laura Online

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Falling for the Groomsman by Diane Alberts

She’s the one that got away. He’s the one she can’t forget.

Photojournalist Christine Forsythe is ready to tackle her naughty little to-do list, and who better to tap for the job than a hot groomsman? But when she crashes into her best friend’s older brother, Christine realizes her list needs updating. And fast. Tyler Dresco took her virginity during the best night of her life, then bolted. Now that they’re trapped together at a destination wedding, she’s going to get her revenge.

Tyler has never forgiven himself for how completely he lost control all those years ago. Being in Christine’s arms had felt right...until he realized what he’d taken from her in the hallway of a cheap motel. And oh, how she’s making him pay for it now. The insatiable heat between them has only grown stronger, but every time things heat up, Christine walks away.

With every encounter, things go a little bit further until Christine’s caught in her own trap of seduction. And before their time’s up, Tyler’s not the only one wanting more...

Find Diane Online

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Baiting the Maid of Honor by Tessa Bailey

He’ll own her from the very first touch.

Julie Piper and Reed Lawson have nothing in common. She’s a people-pleasing sorority girl hiding behind her perfect mask. He’s a take-no-prisoners SWAT commander who isolates himself from the world. But when they’re forced together at their friends’ posh destination wedding, one thing is clear—Reed wants Julie more than he wants his next breath. Which is why he’s not about to stand by when she’s dared to seduce another man.

Julie wants neat, tidy sex, so she could get back to what she does best—making everybody else happy. She never expected to slip into a dark bedroom and have her mind blown by rough, demanding hands, and a sinfully filthy mouth—neither of which belong to the best man.

One night should have been all Reed needed to get the blond temptress out of his system, but when one taste is nowhere near enough, he’ll be forced confront the effects of his hellish past. One that may push Julie away forever...just when he realizes he can't live without her.

Find Tessa Online

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Seducing the Bridesmaid by Katee Robert

She has a plan. He’s about to change it.

Regan Wakefield is a headhunter in both name and personality: driven, motivated, and unafraid to pursue what—and who—she wants. Naturally, she’s thrilled when her friend's wedding offers her an opportunity to score Logan McCade, the practically perfect best man. Unfortunately, groomsman Brock McNeil keeps getting in her way, riling her up in the most delicious of ways. But Brock’s smooth southern charm isn't part of the plan...so how exactly did they end up having searing-hot sex?

Regan may pretend the erotic electricity sparking between them is merely a distraction, but Brock knows better. She refuses to see beyond the devil-may-care façade he presents to the world, while he sees straight through hers. Changing her mind—and getting under her skin—is a challenge he can’t resist. And when he wins, Brock will do whatever it takes to convince Regan that the best man for her is him.

Find Katee Online

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Best Man with Benefits by Samanthe Beck

How far can one favor go...

Logan McCade arrives at his best friend’s wedding overworked and in desperate need of a vacation, only to discover his best man duties have been...expanded. He must coax Colton’s sister out of her shell, or risk her hiding in her room all week. Logan figures he can handle one introverted bridesmaid, but he’s not expecting how much he enjoys “handling” Sophie…or how much she enjoys being handled.

Socializing has never been web designer Sophie Brooks’s strong suit, but she’s determined to shed her wallflower image and embrace the “New Sophie”—a feat made easier with the supremely sexy Logan McCade tempting her to explore all her forbidden fantasies. If she’s not careful, she just might fall for the best man.

Sophie’s sweet, sexy, and delectably awkward demeanor brings much-needed calm to Logan’s hectic life. With the nuptials only days away, Logan is forced to face the possibility that his favor to a friend might have become something else entirely…and that he’s not willing to let Sophie go. Ever.

Find Samanthe Online

* Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads *

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Steals and Deals

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Giveaway:

Entangled and the authors have clubbed together to come up with a fantastic prize pack for one lucky winner, who will receive a gift card, a Tiffany necklace and an adult toy! The winner will be announced via rafflecopter and contacted directly by Entangled so they can arrange sending out the prizes.

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Review: When Mr. Dog Bites - Brian Conaghan

Meet the a-mayonnaise-ing Dylan Mint. He's sixteen and he's got Tourette's. His life is a constant fight to keep the bad stuff in - the words that explode out of his mouth, the tics, the growling, howling dog that tries to escape whenever he gets stressed.

A routine visit to the hospital turns Dylan's whole life topsy-turvy when he discovers that he's going to die next March. It's only August, but still - he has THINGS TO DO. So he makes a list - Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It - and sets out to make his wishes come true . . .

Visit Brian Conaghan's page on Goodreads for more information

Review:
I wanted to read When Mr. Dog Bites from the moment I heard about it, I couldn't wait to read about a main character who suffered with Tourette's syndrome because it's a condition I know so very little about. I absolutely loved getting inside Dylan's head and seeing first hand what it is like to live with Tourette's.

Dylan is a great character and in most ways he is just a normal sixteen year old teen, he likes hanging out with his best mate Amir and he can't wait to get a girlfriend and have sex for the first time, but he also struggles with anxiety and his nerves tend to show in the form of tics, cursing or even growling noises. The more he tries to suppress his symptoms the stronger the outbursts usually end up being and he's learnt that in most cases it's easier to just let go and accept what is happening. He has developed routines and coping methods to try and reduce the occurrences but they have by no means been eliminated.

I absolutely adored Dylan, he is such a sweetheart and I love him like a younger brother, in fact, if he was real I think I'd want to adopt him! He is one of my favourite characters of the year and that's high praise when I've read well over 100 books already. I enjoyed his friendship with Amir and how realistic their school life was, things weren't easy for them but they were always there for each other. Going to a special school means facing prejudices from the rest of the world along with coping with all the other issues that any other school child comes across. We also get to see a lot of Dylan's family life, coping with an absent father who is away in the army while his mum struggles to make ends meet and then there is the issue of Dylan's impending death to worry about. His "cack it list" was hilarious and the way he goes about achieving his goals adds a lot of humour to the story.

I love that Brian Conagham tackled so many difficult subjects - everything from disabilities, racism, bullying, family issues and just generally growing up - but he did it with humour and sensitivity. This book is jam packed with swearing and slang so if you're easily offended then it's definitely one that should be avoided. However if you're willing to go into it with an open mind, if you can remember what it was like to actually be a teenager and if you want a book that is realistic, honest and 100% true to life then you will adore When Mr. Dog Bites.

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Come Back to Me - Mila Gray

Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.

But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.

What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.

When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.

Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.

A breathtaking, scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back from the edge of heartbreak.

Come Back to Me Series:
Come Back to Me
This is One Moment

Visit Mila Gray's website for more information

Review:
I'm a HUGE fan of Sarah Alderson, she writes such incredibly hot YA boys so the second I found out that she was writing her first NA book under the name of Mila Gray it went to the top of my wish list! When Sarah sent me a very early copy of Come Back to Me I can't tell you how excited I was to read it, I had high expectations for the story and she utterly smashed them.

Just reading the prologue gave me goosebumps and put a knot of fear in my stomach. You know that something terrible is going to happen but you're not sure exactly what or even who it will happen to. The story then skips back in time to 3 months previously to when Jessa's brother Riley and his best friend Kit have just returned home from their latest detachment with the marines. Jessa has had a crush on Kit for years but she never even dreamed he would be interested in her. It's not long before the sparks start to fly between them though and as they spend more time together they slowly start to fall in love. What I loved most about this book was that Jessa and Kit spend time actually getting to know each other outside of the bedroom, they have fantastic chemistry but they don't feel the need to rush things. In fact because they have known each other for such a long time they have a strong bond of friendship that they are both wary of losing each other if things don't work out between them.

They have to keep their relationship a secret in the beginning partly because they are worried about what Riley's reaction would be but mainly because of Jessa's father. He used to be a marine sniper and is now Kit's Colonel and he isn't the kind of guy you want to get on the wrong side of. Jessa is under a lot of pressure at home, her father is quite obviously suffering with some kind of PTSD and his mood swings make him nearly impossible to live with. Jessa and her mother live in fear of doing something that will upset him or set him off and they spend their whole lives walking on egg shells. Living that way has really started to knock Jessa's confidence so I loved seeing Kit help her rediscover her dreams and learn to stand up for herself. Kit is hot as hell but he's also incredibly thoughtful, sweet and romantic and he is constantly thinking of little ways to cheer Jessa up. He treats her like she is special and she starts to believe that he is right. The chemistry between them is utterly fantastic and they are scorching hot together but the sex scenes are never crude and they're always just as emotional as they are sexy.

Come Back to Me is intense, passionate, romantic and totally swoon worthy. It made me laugh one minute and sob my heart out the next, broke my heart but helped put it back together again and it made me fall in love. Mila Gray captures the intensity of first relationships, that feeling of being head over heels "I can't live without you" in love and she makes you go through it right alongside Jessa and Kit. This isn't just a romance though, it's also a story about family and friendship, about loss and grief but also about finding hope in the darkest times and realising that no matter how hard it gets life goes on. In case I haven't made it obvious enough I absolutely LOVED Come Back to Me and I can't wait to get my hands on anything else that Mila Gray / Sarah Alderson writes in the future!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Before Jamaica Lane - Samantha Young

UK Cover

Edinburgh was going to be a fresh start for Olivia Holloway. Crippled by shyness around the opposite sex. Olivia nevertheless meets gorgeous postgraduate Nate Sawyer and decides it is time to push her fears aside.

Before long, Olivia and Nate form a close friendship and she finds herself confessing her deepest secrets, and Nate, being her best friend, offers to teach her the art of flirting. As Olivia and Nate's friendship turns intense, it blossoms into a passionate love affair.

For the first time Olivia opens her heart, but what she doesn't realize is that Nate has his own fears, and just when she finds herself hopelessly falling for him, Nate's past returns to haunt him.

Will Nate have the courage to confide in Olivia, or will he cut and run? And can Olivia face up to her own fears and keep him?

On Dublin Street Series:
On Dublin Street
Until Fountain Bridge (Novella)
Down London Road
Castle Hill (Novella)
Before Jamaica Lane
Fall from India Place
Echoes of Scotland Street
Valentine (Novella)
Moonlight on Nightingale Way
One King's Way (Novella)
Stars Over Castle Hill (Novella)

Visit Samantha Young's website or the On Dublin Street website for more information

Review:
I've loved this series since I read On Dublin Street but I have to say I think Nate and Olivia are now my favourite couple and Before Jamaica Lane is the best book so far. I always enjoy the friends to lovers trope and I loved that Nate and Olivia had such a strong bond long before things started to get physical between them.

Olivia has always been attracted to Nate but she knows what a player he is so she put him firmly in the friendship only box so she didn't get hurt. She was such a sweet character, sometimes she could be a little too naive and innocent but she had the same kind of insecurities that most women have experienced at some point in their lives which made her very easy to relate to. I quickly warmed to her character and I laughed a lot at how clumsy she could be and the way she kept putting her foot in it. Olivia is a normal girl, someone I could easily picture myself being friends with and I just generally enjoyed spending time with her.

Nate is sexy as hell but he's also a player, his heart was broken when his childhood sweetheart died and there is no way he's ever going to put himself in a position where he could feel so much pain again. Olivia is his best friend and no matter how beautiful he thinks she is he has no intention of taking their relationship beyond friendship. He had no idea how lonely Olivia was though and after she makes a drunken confession he wants to help her overcome her shyness. He offers to teach her the art of seduction so that she can find the man of her dreams but what starts out as just a friends with benefits kind of situation soon becomes so much more. The more he starts to feel for her the more he starts to panic and he makes a very stupid mistake by pushing her away.

Thankfully Nate comes to his senses but Olivia makes him work hard to earn her trust back and I really enjoyed seeing how far she'd come from the shy girl she was at the beginning of the book. I loved Nate for the way he built up Olivia's confidence too, he helped her see herself for who she really was and he made her feel beautiful inside and out.

Before Jamaica Lane is definitely a feel good romance, I smiled and swooned the whole way through reading it and the ending was completely perfect. If you're new to the series then you could probably read this book as a stand alone but I would highly recommend reading the books in order, all of the books have been great and I love the close knit group of family and friends who we've come to know so well throughout the series.

Source: Purchased

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US Cover

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Review: Fall from India Place - Samantha Young

UK Cover

When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D'Alessandro five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only man Hannah ever loved. After one intense night, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.

Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco's life - something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he's determined to make her his.

But just when Marco thinks they're committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the pain she's been hiding from him - a secret that could tear them apart before they've had a real chance to start again . . .

On Dublin Street Series:
On Dublin Street
Until Fountain Bridge (Novella)
Down London Road
Castle Hill (Novella)
Before Jamaica Lane
Fall from India Place
Echoes of Scotland Street
Valentine (Novella)
Moonlight on Nightingale Way
One King's Way (Novella)
Stars Over Castle Hill (Novella)

Visit Samantha Young's website or the On Dublin Street website for more information

Review:
I have become a huge fan of Samantha Young since I first read On Dublin Street and I've really enjoyed getting to know this close knit group of family and friends as I've continued reading the series. Fall from India Place actually jumps forward about five years from the ending of Before Jamaica Lane and here we get to see Ellie and Braden's young sister as a grown woman. I was actually a little nervous that it might be weird seeing Hannah as an adult since I'm so used to seeing her as a teenager but Samantha Young did a fabulous job of laying the foundations for this story in the previous book and it didn't take me long to get used to the time jump. Moving forward five years also gives us the opportunity to catch up with all of our favourite couples and see how they're all getting on now, most of them are married and we also get to see a new additions to the extended family which was fun.

Marco was Hannah's childhood crush and if you've read Before Jamaica Lane then you'll probably recognise him as the boy she was crazy about. The two were close friends but although Hannah always wanted more Marco kept her at a distance until one night when he gave into temptation. Hannah was heartbroken when Marco walked away from her after that and she was even more devastated when she found out he'd left the country and returned to America without even saying goodbye. Now, five years later, Hannah has done her best to put Marco to the back of her mind, she has worked hard to build a good life for herself and is just starting out in her career as an English teacher. She's never been able to trust another man with her heart but apart from that her life is good and she is happy being single. Bumping into Marco unexpectedly at a friend's wedding brings back all the old feelings of hurt and betrayal though. Marco is desperate to explain his actions and make things right between them but Hannah is wary of getting her heart broken again and he is the last person she can trust.

I love a story about second chance romances so I was really looking forward to seeing Marco prove himself to Hannah. As much as I was annoyed at the way he hurt her in the past I think his actions were explained well and I believed how sorry he was for what he did. He had a good reason for leaving and although I think he should have come back sooner I could understand why he hadn't. I felt really sorry for Hannah in the beginning and could see why she was so determined to keep her distance from Marco but in the end I have to admit I started getting more than a little annoyed by the way she kept pushing him away. The tension and drama between them just felt a little overdone and it didn't help that they both had huge secrets that they were keeping. These secrets are even kept from the reader although I have to say they weren't hard to figure out so I knew what was coming long before the big reveal. I found it incredibly frustrating that every time the two of them seemed to come to an understanding something would happen to send Hannah running again. I could understand why she was wary but since Marco had such good reasons for everything he'd done I started to get irritated that Hannah kept blaming him for everything that had happened. I was also annoyed about Marco's secret, he should have been more upfront with her from the beginning and I didn't feel that the story needed the extra drama that the big reveal caused.

Although this wasn't my favourite book in the series it was still an enjoyable read and I finished it in one sitting. Samantha Young has created such a fantastic cast of characters and I love diving back into this world to see what they're all getting up to. The absolute stand out character in this book is Cole (Jo's younger brother) who is now a young man in his own right and who is such a fantastic friend to Hannah. I'm already half in love with him so you can imagine how excited I am that he's getting his own book! The UK paperback of Fall from India Place also includes the story Castle Hill which was previously only available as an ebook. Castle Hill is a fabulous novella featuring Joss and Braden that is set after On Dublin Street and if you haven't already had a chance to read it I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did. You can read my full review of Castle Hill HERE if you're interested.

Source: Received from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review

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US Cover

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