Feeling Fictional: July 2018

Tuesday, 31 July 2018

July 2018 Recap

I know in my June recap I promised that things would return to normal around here in July but you might have noticed that hasn't happened! Nothing has gone wrong this month (my Mum & Dad are both doing brilliantly and my health has improved too!) but I think I'm still a little burned out in general. I've been running this blog since January 2010 and have rarely taken much of a break so I think this was probably long overdue and I've actually really enjoyed taking most of the month off.

I've been binge reading one of my all time favourite series (Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews) and it's been so nice to just devour those books one after the other without taking any breaks or having to stop to write reviews. The last book, Magic Triumphs, is published in August but I was lucky enough to get an arc so I've been able to read right through to the end and I loved every minute of it.

I am planning to get back into the swing of things blogging wise but I'm going to take it slowly throughout August and hopefully get things back to normal in September. Hopefully you'll bear with me until then (but to be honest you're probably pleased to get a break from me LOL).

Books read in previous months but reviewed in July:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

The Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik (Novella) (Read in March, review coming soon)
The Girl in the Tower - Katherine Arden (Read in April, review coming soon)
Steal the Day - Lexi Blake (Read in April, review coming soon)
The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman (Read in April, review coming soon)
Recklessly Royal - Nichole Chase (Read in May, review coming soon)
Temeraire - Naomi Novik (Read in May, review coming soon)
Furyborn - Claire Legrand (Read in May, review coming soon)
Monstress, Vol 2: The Blood - Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (Graphic Novel) (Read in May, review coming soon)
Iron and Magic - Ilona Andrews (Read 3 Times!) (Read in May & June, review coming soon)
Spellslinger - Sebastien de Castell (Read in June, review coming soon)
Theirs for the Night - Katee Robert (Novella) (Read in June, review coming soon)
Vengeance in Death - J.D. Robb (Read in June, review coming soon)
Barbarian's Prize - Ruby Dixon (Read in June, review coming soon)
City of Bastards - Andrew Shvarts (Read in June, review coming soon)
Her Cocky Doctors - Tara Crescent (Read in June, review coming soon)
The Mermaid - Christina Henry (Read in June, review coming soon)
The Bone Farm - Dean Koontz (Audiobook Novella) (Read in June, review coming soon)
Lifel1k3 - Jay Kristoff (Read in June, review coming soon)
Thunderhead - Neal Shusterman (Read in June, review coming soon)
The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling (Read in June, review coming soon)
The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang (Read in June, review coming soon)
Okami - Renee Ahdieh (Short Story) (Read in June, review coming soon)
Yumi - Renee Ahdieh (Short Story) (Read in June, review coming soon)

Books read in July:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

Make Me Crave - Katee Robert (Review coming soon)
No Mercy - Sherrilyn Kenyon (Review coming soon)
Archangel's Prophecy - Nalini Singh (Review coming soon)
Magic Triumphs - Ilona Andrews (Review coming soon)
A Questionable Client - Ilona Andrews (Short Story) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Burns - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Strikes - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Mourns - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Siren Beloved - Lexi Blake
Magic Dreams - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Slays - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Tests - Ilona Andrews (Short Story) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Gifts - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Gunmetal Magic - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Rises - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Steals - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Shifts - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Stars - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Magic Binds - Ilona Andrews (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
Iron and Magic - Ilona Andrews (Read for the 4th time!) (Review coming soon)
Magic Triumphs - Ilona Andrews (Read for the 2nd time!) (Review coming soon)

Other July Posts

July Books of the Month:

(Choices are made from books reviewed this month and the links will take you to my reviews)

My top YA read in July:

I didn't read any YA books in July

My top NA read in July:

I didn't read any NA books in July

My top adult read in July:

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (read my review here)

I don't normally count rereads for the book of the month but, like I already mentioned, this month was ALL about my Kate Daniels re-re-re-reread! Magic Bites isn't the strongest book in the series but it is the first book so you definitely need to start there if you're new to this world. It's one of my all time favourite series (I've read most of the books at least 5 times!) and each instalment just gets better and better. The series is full of so many wonderful characters, action, magic, all kinds of weird & interesting magical creatures and mythology from all around the world - there really is something for everyone in there and I just love every minute of it!

July Events:

I've been lucky enough to attend a couple of fab events this month. The first was the Orion Blogger Brunch where we got to find out about all the fabulous books they'll be publishing over the next few months and we had the chance to meet both Ed McDonald and Catriona Ward as well as listen to Candice Carty-Williams talk about her 2019 debut novel. I'm going to be doing a full write up soon but I added SO MANY books to my wish list that it's a little crazy LOL.

I was also invited to attend the Penguin YA Secret Society Party which was a fab event with Sally Green, Melissa Albert, Elizabeth Klehforth and Emily Barr. The venue was VERY hot but we got to drink cocktails, nibble chocolate, have glitter tattoos, pose for silly photos and chat with the authors so it was definitely worth it.

I'm going to do full write ups for both of these events soon but I want to say a massive thank you to Orion and Penguin for inviting me, I had such a brilliant time at both events!

My Challenge Updates:

Here are the 2018 challenges I've signed up for:
2018 Read 100 Books in a Year Challenge - Read 112/200
2018 British Books Challenge - Read 9/20
2018 New Author Challenge - Read 12/20
2018 Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Challenge - Read 62/100
2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge - Read 15/20

Sunday, 29 July 2018

Event Report: HQ Fiction Summer Showcase

Back in June (yes, I know I'm ridiculously late posting this write up but I've been taking a badly needed blogging break!) I was lucky enough to get invited to attend the HQ Fiction Summer Showcase with my friend Kirsty (from The Overflowing Library). We got to spend the evening doing what we love most - talk books with lots of enthusiastic publishing peeps, fellow bloggers and most importantly authors. Unfortunately we didn't quite get around to everyone (there were a LOT of wonderful authors there!) but we did come home with a whole stack of exciting books and HQ have so many brilliant books coming out over the next few months that I want to tell you about!

First though check out this gorgeous view from the HQ offices, you can see halfway across London!

The first author we spoke to was Wray Delaney (who you may also know by the name of Sally Gardner under which she writes books for children) who was there to talk about her upcoming book The Beauty of the Wolf. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling but with the genders switched and I couldn't be more excited about it. I love fairytale retellings in general but Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favourite so I can't wait to dive into the gorgeous proof I came home with. Unfortunately we have to wait until February 2019 for it to publish so there isn't a final cover, or even an official blurb yet but here's what Amazon currently has to say about it:

'What some might call beauty, I find monstrous'

A stunning retelling of Beauty and the Beast, for fans of The Essex Serpent, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and The Silent Companions.

While you're waiting for The Beauty of the Wolf you might want to check out Wray's first adult book, An Almond for A Parrott.

‘I would like to make myself the heroine of this story – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…’

London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must…

Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows.

She is Tully Truegood.

Orphan, whore, magician’s apprentice.

Murderer?

We also met Simon Worrall who was there to talk about his debut novel The White of Love. This is a love story set in WWII that was inspired by a stack of old letters that he found written to his mother by her fiancé during the war. He had some of the letters with him so it was lovely to be able to look through them and I can't wait to read the book.

Torn apart by war, their letters meant everything…

‘My love. I am writing to you without knowing where you are but I will find you after all these long months…’

3rd September 1938. Martin Preston is in his second year of Oxford when his world is split in two by a beautiful redhead, Nancy Whelan. A whirlwind romance blossoms in the Buckinghamshire countryside as dark clouds begin to gather in Europe.

3rd September 1939. Britain declares war on Germany. Martin is sent to the battlefields of France, but as their letters cross the channel, he tells Nancy their love will keep him safe. Then, one day, his letters stop.

3rd September 1940. It’s four months since Nancy last heard from Martin. She knows he is still alive. And she’ll do anything to find him. But what she discovers will change her life forever…

Next up was Sarah Morgan who was there to talk about her feel good summer romance, How To Keep a Secret, which sounds like the perfect holiday beach read. We also got a sneak preview of her upcoming November release, The Christmas Sisters, which is going to be another fab holiday read.

This summer one family will discover that together, they can do anything.

Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren's teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family?

When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment . . .

Jenny Oliver told us all about her latest summer romance, The House We called Home, which is set on the Cornish coast and sounds like another great beach read.

Irresistible, feel-good summer fiction, from Top 10 bestseller Jenny Oliver

The house where Stella and her sister Amy grew up never changes – the red front door, the breath-taking view over the Cornish coast, her parents in their usual spots on the sofa. Except this summer, things feel a little different…

Stella’s father is nowhere to be seen, yet her mother – in suspiciously new Per Una jeans – seems curiously unfazed by his absence, and more eager to talk about her mysterious dog-walking buddy Mitch.

Stella’s sister Amy has returned home with a new boyfriend she can barely stand and a secret to hide, and Stella’s husband Jack has something he wants to get off his chest too. Even Frank Sinatra, the dog, has a guilty air about him.

This summer, change is in the air for the Whitethorns…

Warm, funny and gloriously feel-good, this is the perfect summer read for fans of Veronica Henry and Milly Johnson.

Nicola Cornick was there to talk about her upcoming book, The Woman in the Lake, which is being published in March 2019. She also had copies of her previous book, The Phantom Tree, which I'm looking forward to reading.

‘I see it all again: the silver moon swimming beneath the water and the golden gown billowing out about her…’

1765: Lady Isabella Gerard asks her maid to take her new golden gown and destroy it. Its shimmering beauty has been tainted by the actions of her husband the night before.

Three months later: Lord Eustace Gerard stands beside the lake looking down at the woman in the golden gown. As the body slowly rolls over to reveal her face, it’s clear this is not his intended victim…

1996: Fenella Brightwell steals a stunning gown from a stately home. Twenty years later and reeling from the end of an abusive marriage, she wonders if it has cursed her all this time. Now she’s determined to discover the history behind the beautiful golden dress…

Seni Glaister's new book, Mr Doubler Begins Again, is another one you'll have to wait a little while for as it's not published until January 2019 but it sounds like it's going to be a really heartwarming story so I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Not every journey takes you far from home…

Mr Doubler lives all alone at Mirth Farm, on top of a hill.

Back when she was around, Doubler’s wife was always surrounded by friends. But Doubler is different. The only company he needs are his potato plants and his housekeeper, Mrs Millwood, who visits every day.

So when Mrs Millwood is taken ill, it ruins everything – and Doubler begins to worry that he might have lost his way. But could the kindness of strangers be enough to bring him down from the hill?

We got to speak to Adele Parks about her new book, I Invited Her In, that is publishing in September. In her own words "Think of the worst thing your friend could do to you. This is worse" which of course left us all trying to figure out what it could possibly be!

A gripping story of friendship and betrayal from international best-selling author Adele Parks

‘I invited her in… and she took everything.’

When Mel hears from a long-lost friend in need of help, she doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends back in the day, sharing the highs and lows of student life, until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out of her studies.

Now, seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married, having raised her son on her own before meeting her husband, Ben. Now they share gorgeous girls and have a chaotic but happy family home, with three children.

Abi, meanwhile, followed her lover to LA for a glamorous life of parties, celebrity and indulgence. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating on her. Seventeen years wasted, and nothing to show for it. So what Abi needs now is a true friend to lean on, to share her grief over a glass of wine, and to have some time to heal. And what better place than Mel’s house, with her lovely kids, and supportive husband…

This dark, unsettling tale of the reunion of long-lost friends is thoroughly gripping exploration of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge from Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks.

Liz Fenwick was there to talk about her book, The Path to the Sea, which isn't published until April 2019 and currently has no cover or blurb on Amazon. It's got a Cornish setting though and I think it's going to be another lovely holiday type read. Since I don't have any information about The Path to the Sea to share with you I'm going to tell you about her last release, One Cornish Summer, instead (this was actually published by Orion so shhhh, don't tell anyone LOL).

Against the beauty of Cornwall, a story of two women struggling with their past: one cannot remember hers, the other cannot forget...

When Hebe receives a life-changing diagnosis at only 53, she struggles to make sense of what it will mean for her, her job and the man she loves. With memories slipping away by the day, she flees to the one place she has always felt safe and peaceful - Cornwall, and the house her family spent so many summers in.

Lucy is having her own crisis, and seizes the chance to follow her aunt to Cornwall. Curious about what has driven Hebe there after so many years, she also has to battle with the secret she has kept since her family's last summer there more than ten years ago.

Both women will learn that memories live in our hearts and that sharing secrets can set you free... But can they find their way back to the things that are truly important to them?

Sara Alexander's latest book, The Secret Legacy, is set in 1950s Italy sounds fab. I'm looking forward to taking a virtual trip to somewhere I've never been before in this one!

A sweeping 1950s Italian love affair and the perfect summer reading escape for fans of Santa Montefiore, Victoria Hislop and Dinah Jeffries.

Some loves are worth sacrificing everything for…

Do our secrets make us who we are?

Santina is spending her final days at her home, Villa San Vito, in the beautiful Italian town of Positano. As she decides the fate of the magnificent eighteenth century palazzo she must confront the choices that led her here.

In 1949, hoping to escape poverty, young Santina becomes housekeeper to a distinguished British major and his creative, impulsive wife, Adeline.

When they move to Positano, Santina joins them, raising their daughter as Adeline’s mental health declines. With each passing year, Santina becomes more deeply entwined with the family, trying to navigate her complicated feelings for a man who is much more than an employer―while hiding secrets that could shatter the only home she knows . . .

Before I finish the post I have to share a couple more pics of that fabulous view from the HQ offices!

I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at HQ for inviting me to the event and of course to all of the brilliant authors that spent time chatting with us about their books. My to read mountain grew quite a bit that night but I'm excited to read all of the books I came home with. The hardest part is trying to decide which ones to read first!

Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Cover Reveal: Fighting the Fire - Laura Kaye

From New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye, comes the next standalone title in her Warrior Fight Club series, FIGHTING THE FIRE. Check out Laura’s note below and the beautiful cover! Then join the Warrior Fight Club world today!

A note from Laura Kaye:

I love enemies-to-lovers stories because they’re so much fun to write and absolutely delicious to read! And Sean Riddick and Dani England from my upcoming Fighting the Fire are absolutely incendiary together! They’re both bad asses in their own right—both veterans, both fighters, both stubborn as hell. And boy does this cover art capture them so well—the intensity, the passion, the push and pull. Gah, I hope you love it as much as I do!

If you haven’t started my wounded Warrior Fight Club series yet, you can jump in anywhere because they’re all sexy standalone romances! So start at the beginning with Fighting for Everything or grab the about-to-release Fighting for What’s His. And here’s where you reserve your copy of Sean and Dani’s hot, hot story:

PRE-ORDER on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

Coming in ebook, paperback, and audiobook

About FIGHTING THE FIRE (Warrior Fight Club #3, 10/16/18):

The more they fight, the more desire consumes them…

There’s only one thing firefighter Sean Riddick doesn’t like about Warrior Fight Club, and that’s Daniela England, the sexiest, snarkiest, most irritating woman he’s ever known. But MMA training keeps the Navy vet grounded, so Sean’s not about to give it up, no matter how many times he goes toe to toe with Dani—or how bad he wants to take her to the mats.

A former Army nurse and the widow of a fallen soldier, Dani is done with the military and with military men. Fight club is the only thing that eases her nightmares, which means she has to put up with Riddick. He might be sex on a stick, but he’s infuriating and everything she’s vowed to avoid.

But when an accident throws Sean and Dani together, all that fight bursts into a night of red-hot passion. Now they’re addicted to the heat and must decide if the one person they’ve most resisted might be exactly what they’ve both been looking for.

PRE-ORDER on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

Check out the whole Warrior Fight Club Series:

Fighting for Everything – Available now!

Fighting for What’s His – August 7, 2018 – Preorder!

Fighting the Fire – October 16, 2018

Worth Fighting For – March 12, 2019

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Tuesday, 17 July 2018

Review: Siren Beloved - Lexi Blake

Aidan O’Malley walked away from his fiancée, Lexi, and their best friend, Lucas, after a night of passion left him shaken to his core. Years later, Aidan returns home from Iraq haunted by all he has lost. The enemy broke his body, destroying his dreams of a career in music. Worse still, he lost Lexi and Lucas. That damage he’d done all by himself. While he can’t restore what combat took from him, he’s determined to reclaim the two loves of his life.

Lucas Cameron is a changed man. After connecting with his brother, he found the discipline to get his life on track. His legal career is flourishing, but his love life is a train wreck. The woman he loves is spiraling out of control. After Aidan abandoned them, Lucas and Lexi clung together but no matter how hard he tries, Lucas can’t find a way to heal the wounds that Lexi carries.

Lexi Moore feels like a jigsaw puzzle with too many missing pieces. Losing Aidan was hard, but the true reason for her shattered spirit is a secret she only shares with her beloved Lucas. She knows she is drowning and the time has come to heal, but the holes in her heart hold her back from moving on. Shedding the burden she carries is her only hope for a happy future, but she fears she will never have the strength to reveal her secret.

When Aidan walks back into their lives, Lucas and Lexi know everything is about to change. But as they fight to reconcile their past and reclaim what they lost, a vicious predator stalks Lexi. In order to stop the killer, all three must confront the secrets they’ve carried…before they’re buried by them.

Texas Sirens Series:
(Originally published under the pen name Sophie Oak)
Small Town Siren
Siren in the City
Siren Enslaved
Siren Beloved
Siren in Waiting
Siren in Bloom
Siren Unleashed
Sirens in Bliss (Crossover with the Texas Sirens Series)
Siren Reborn

Nights in Bliss Series:
(Originally published under the pen name Sophie Oak)
Three to Ride
Two to Love
One to Keep
Lost in Bliss
Found in Bliss
Pure Bliss
Chasing Bliss
Once Upon a Time in Bliss
Back in Bliss
Sirens in Bliss (Crossover with the Texas Sirens Series)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
After a night of passion shocked him to his core Aidan walked away from his fiancee Lexi and their best friend Lucas, he just couldn't wrap his head around his attraction to two people and was worried about what his conservative family and town would think of such an unconventional relationship. That was years ago though and after a devastating attack in Iraq left him badly wounded he's come to realise how short life can be - too short to walk away from the people he loves the most. Now Aidan is back and willing to do whatever it takes to convince Lexi and Lucas that this time he's serious. Lexi has been struggling since Aidan left, Lucas has tried to help her keep it together but they're both floundering. Aidan could be the key to getting their lives back on track but that's only if he manages to earn their trust again and with a stalker hot on Lexi's tail time is running out for a happily ever after.

If you've read the previous books in this series you'll already be familiar with some of the characters in this one - Lexi is Abby's daughter and Lucas is Jack's younger brother - so I was already looking forward to seeing them find happiness. Aidan has been mentioned before but we only know him as the ex-fiance who broke Abby's heart when he ended their engagement so I was really curious to meet the man both Lexi and Lucas were in love with. I have to admit I wasn't a fan of the way Aidan chose to walk back into their lives, it felt a little manipulative and I was really surprised that Julian, and particularly Jack, went along with it. I did feel Lexi and Lucas' reactions to that were completely understandable though so I was glad that it kind of backfired on him!

Lucas is a more forgiving character and he was willing to listen to Aidan's side of the story, I think given his own background that made a lot of sense, he's already been given second chances so knows what it's like to mess up. Lexi went through a lot after Aidan walked away so she's much more wary of getting hurt again, she only really agrees to speak to Aidan for Lucas' sake but she can't deny that she still has feelings for him. The three of them worked really well together and I enjoyed seeing them find their way back to each other after all this time apart, they all had their own issues that they brought to the relationship but they were all really supportive of each other and willing to listen to each other which is important.

There's no denying that Lexi Blake writes fantastic romances with scorching hot chemistry and Lexi, Lucas and Aidan were no exception to that. This series really amps up the heat levels but it also has some really sweet and fun moments so I loved getting the chance to catch up with previous characters and their growing families. I'm not sure which characters are up next but I really hope we get to see more of both Aidan's brother Bo and Master Leo, the rest of this series is definitely on my wish list though and I can't wait for the next book!

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.

Paperback / Kindle:

Blog Tour: Siren Beloved - Lexi Blake

AVAILABLE NOW

Lexi realized she was in serious trouble the minute the words left Lucas’s mouth. Hell, she’d realized she was in trouble the minute she opened her mouth. What was she thinking? She knew damn well how to behave in a dungeon, but something about this Master made her want to push him. Damn it. She’d been this way all of her life. She had to push. She thought about taking a step back, but before she could make her feet move, Master A had her in a fireman’s hold.

“Hey!” She shouted as her world upended. She turned her head up to throw a desperate look Lucas’s way.

Lucas stood there, a stony cold look on his face. In that moment, he was all Dom, and she’d never seen him look hotter. There was a confidence about him she had rarely seen when he was around her. Lucas was utterly in command at work, but his surety faltered when she walked into the room. Even when he performed a scene with her, she knew he worried about her comfort. He didn’t look worried now. He looked ready.

Her heart started to pound as Master A turned, and she lost sight of Lucas.

“I need a chair, Lucas.” The words came out of the Master’s mouth like a judge delivering a sentence.

“Yes, Sir.” Lucas’s words were silky smooth. There was not a hint of hesitation now. She could hear him moving to do Master A’s bidding.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, though she was a bit less hostile now. She’d fucked up. She was glad Julian wasn’t around to witness it, though Leo would probably tell him. Tears pricked her eyes. Damn, she was proving to Leo she couldn’t handle the lifestyle. “Look, Sir, I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to be rude to you, but I was merely pointing out that Lucas and I had a plan for tonight.”

Reason. She could reason with him, surely. It worked on all the men in her life. Of course, usually she was looking at them instead of trying to plead her case to a group of back muscles. The muscles were unbelievably tight, but his skin—oh, his skin had been decimated in his lower back. It was a mess of white, puckered flesh, and she could see both neat, surgical lines, and jagged edges. She reached out to touch the mass of scars, but she was jerked back over his shoulder and set on her feet before she could make it. She wobbled on her heels, but Master A’s big hands held her shoulders.

“I don’t think you understand how this is going to go, sub. I am the Master, and you are the one being punished. I won’t put up with a spoiled princess telling me how her punishment will go. It will go the way I say it will go. First, you will pay for the insult to me, and then we’ll proceed to the sawhorse.”

“I don’t like the sawhorse.” The words came out breathy and small, because she was beginning to understand that this was serious.

Master A didn’t look like he was planning on giving in. And she hated being called a spoiled princess, but a part of her worried that he was right. The last few years, she’d allowed herself to become spoiled and dependent. She’d fled from everything that hurt her. She’d hidden. She’d let her stepfathers and Lucas coddle and provide for her so she didn’t have to face the truth.

Master A didn’t flinch. “I don’t care. Lucas has done the best he can, but the truth is he wasn’t trained to be a Dom. He might enjoy it from time to time, but he prefers bottoming. You require a firm hand. If you don’t want it, then you’re free to leave. No one is holding you against your will. This is all about consensual play, so you have to make the choice. Do you want the session to continue?”

She hated this part. This was the part that she’d never understood. She had to make the choice, and she couldn’t put it off on anyone else. She wanted for him to simply do it. Then she could blame him later, but that wasn’t what The Club was about. She’d been coming here for over a year, and she finally had to decide to make the choice—stay and put herself in the hands of a stranger, or go and never know what it was like. And then there was the fact that Master A was right. Lucas needed something she couldn’t give him.

She cast her eyes down submissively. How bad could it be? “Yes, Sir.”

“Then strip.”

About Lexi Blake:

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Saturday, 14 July 2018

Cover Reveal: Cougar Creek Mates Series - Felicity Heaton

New York Times best-selling paranormal romance author Felicity Heaton has a special four book cover reveal today for her thrilling new shifter romance series, Cougar Creek Mates. Set in her popular Eternal Mates world, Cougar Creek Mates takes you into the deep Canadian wilderness to a secret place that's home to a cougar shifter pride led by four sexy brothers, each guaranteed to steal your heart and set it racing! With all four books in the series releasing just weeks apart, this is going to be one hot summer.

Check out the covers, and discover more about the books, including where you can pre-order!

Claimed by her Cougar
(Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 1)

Felicity Heaton

Having lost his parents and mate in a brutal attack on his cougar shifter pride by a hunter organisation, Rath burns with a need to keep humans off his land and out of his life. He'll do whatever it takes to protect his pride from them, but when a lone female wanders into his territory, it isn't a burning need to drive her away he's feeling and it isn't his pride that needs protecting - it's his heart.

Down on her luck, Ivy follows a lead to a spot where she hopes to photograph black bears, but what she discovers there is a mountain of a man who lacks manners and seems determined to drive her off his property - a man who stirs unbidden fire in her veins and a strange sense of home.

With a pride gathering on the verge of happening at Cougar Creek and the air charged with a mating heat, the last thing Rath needs is a human on his land, especially one as beautiful and alluring as Ivy, one who rouses a fierce need to fight for her, but he can't convince himself to let her go... and that proves dangerous for them both.

Due for release on 28th July 2018

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Captured by her Cougar

(Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 2)

Felicity Heaton

In the wake of an Archangel attack on Cougar Creek, Storm is seething with a need for revenge against the hunter organisation and the key to it might be the petite blonde mortal he’s locked in his cabin, one he’s determined to make sing for him. Only the beauty has a fiery temperament to match his own, and the more time he spends with her, the more she stokes a fire inside him. One that fills him with a startling and undeniable need to make her sing in another way—in his arms.

Gabriella isn’t going to take her captivity lying down. She’s going to give the pig-headed brute holding her against her will hell until he finally believes she’s innocent. He might be a cougar shifter, but she isn’t afraid of him. Or at least she isn’t afraid of what he is. The way he affects her, the flames that lick through her whenever they’re close, terrifies her though, because the longer she’s around the towering sexy-as-sin shifter, the hotter that fire blazes, and it’s only a matter of time before it burns away all her restraint.

With the mating heat and the attack bringing cougars back to the creek, Gabriella is a complication Storm doesn’t need, but she’s one that he wants… because she might just be his one true mate.

Due for release on 18th August 2018

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Courted by her Cougar

(Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 3)

Felicity Heaton

Madness is sweeping through Cougar Creek, and Flint wants no part of it. The fever has two of his brothers in love already, and Flint is damned if he’s giving up the bachelor life to tie himself to one female, but when a perimeter sweep has him running into an exotic and enthralling beauty who rouses his instincts as a cougar shifter and a male, the hunt is on.

All Yasmin is interested in is making sure her friend, Ivy, is safe, but the alluring black-haired man with a wicked smile she meets on the path to the creek has her thinking about other things. When an incident at Cougar Creek leads to her revealing a secret, and Flint’s persistence pushes her to a rash decision, her entire world is in danger of being turned upside down.

With the gathering in full swing, and males determined to prove their worth to Yasmin, Flint discovers he’s not immune to the madness sweeping through the creek, because he’ll do whatever it takes to claim victory and win Yasmin’s heart… no matter how dangerous it is.

Due for release on 8th September 2018

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Craved by her Cougar

(Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 4)

Felicity Heaton

For the last twenty years, Cobalt has burned with a need of one female, a beautiful raven-haired cougar who captured his heart the moment he set eyes on her. His position as pride protector has been a blessing at past mating gatherings, keeping females away, but this time it feels like the worst of curses, because the female who has bewitched him so thoroughly is taking part for the first time and all he can do is watch as males battle for her.

As much as she hates the way her mother controls everything in her life, Ember is thankful for it as she constantly turns away suitors, unaware of the pain she’s sparing Ember from with every male she rejects. Every male who isn’t the gorgeous blond with darkness in his eyes and an easy smile she burns for with an intensity that scares her, awakens feelings in her that have her verging on doing something reckless. Damaged goods he might be, dangerous and unpredictable, but with every contest over her that pulls her closer to her doom, she grows more determined to follow her heart, no matter the consequences.

With every fight over the right to Ember, the tethers on Cobalt’s feelings twist and threaten to snap, a torment he cannot bear and one that has him willing to risk it all, because a single kiss would make even the harshest punishment worth it. He would die for one moment with her… his fated mate.

Due for release on 29th September 2018

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Book 1: Claimed by her Cougar (coming 28th July 2018)
Book 2: Captured by her Cougar (coming 18th August 2018)
Book 3: Courted by her Cougar (coming 8th September 2018)
Book 4: Craved by her Cougar (coming 29th September 2018)

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: