Cover Reveal: Uncovering Me by Scarlett Edwards
Uncovering You
(Uncovering You, #1)
By: Scarlett Edwards
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: March 27, 2014
Genre: Dark Romance
A collar with no leash. A prison with no walls. And a life stripped of meaning.
I am presented with a vile contract and asked to sign. It outlines the terms of my servitude. The only information I have about my captor are the two small letters inked at the bottom:
J.S.Armed with only my memories, I must do everything I can to avoid becoming ensnared in his twisted mind games. But in the end, it all comes down to one choice:
Resist and die.
Or submit, and sign my life away.
I’m Scarlett Edwards. I wrote my first book as a college sophomore. After six months of edits, it made its debut as Yours to Savor.
That was at the start of 2013. I’ve written more books since then.
It’s funny how quickly life changes. I used to think I’d need a degree to get a “Real Job.” Then I wrote a few books, they got somewhat popular, and now I’m living the life as a full-time romance author.
Thanks to all my readers for making my dreams come true!
Review: How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
How to Run with a Naked Werewolf
(Naked Werewolf, #3)
By: Molly Harper
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: Dec. 31, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
Down, Boy
Anna Moder has just witnessed a shooting, seen her car pulverized, and rescued a wounded stranger only to discover he’s really a werewolf. And by her recent standards, things are actually looking up. Lycanthropes don’t faze Anna. Doctoring a wolf pack outside Grundy, Alaska, is the closest thing to home life she’s known in years. But hitching a ride to Anchorage with long-absent pack member Caleb Graham that’s a risk. Part of her itches to whack his nose with a newspaper. The rest is trying unsuccessfully to keep her own paws off every delicious inch of him.
The problem is, Caleb employs his lupine tracking abilities as a notquite-legal bounty hunter, and Anna is suspicious of both him and his profession. On the run from her past, with old problems closing in, she’d like to stay far, far away from anybody with connections to the law. Caleb, however, seems determined to keep her close. Are his intentions noble, or is he working a more predatory angle?
Anna’s been dreaming of returning to a semi-normal life, but now she’s experiencing a strange new urge . . . to join Caleb in running with the wolves.
This was an interesting story. Anna’s been on the run from her husband for a while now. She’s learned to become resourceful and it also helps that she has a doctorate degree. So she’s been able to blend into the crowd and find jobs every time she’s moved. However, no matter how bad she wants to remain anonymous among the crowd, she can’t stand by and watch someone get killed. Little does she know that the guy she’s saving is a werewolf. A werewolf who’s also a bounty hunter.
“I was the ass-backward Red Riding Hood.”
I liked that Anna had previous experiences with werewolves and doesn’t take long to warm up to the fact that Caleb is one. In fact, she knows it the night she saves his life. She was a pretty strong character who had been beaten down enough and wasn’t going to take it anymore. She’s not only not scared of Caleb but she also isn’t intimidated by him to obey his every command. She ends up being quite the asset to Caleb and his work.
Caleb is a werewolf, so you expect some sort of possessiveness when it comes to Anna. However, his character was also consistent. He didn’t go from alpha male to whimpering pansy all because he found his mate. Nope, he stayed the same throughout the book and I really enjoyed it.
This was a great continuation of the story. You could technically read this one as a stand alone. I have only read the first in the series and jumped right to this one and had no problems following along. Granted, some of the characters from the first book come into play towards the end of this book, but the majority of the story focuses on Anna and Caleb. Maybe Anna played a roll in the last book? She definitely had a connection to the people from the original book so who knows. Either way, this is a great series for any paranormal romance lover.
“Note to self: Stop making comparisons between Dog the Bounty Hunger and Caleb. He wouldn’t find them amusing, and I couldn’t stop picturing Caleb with a libido-killing haircut. Also, I liked to think I was above calling him Wolf the Bounty Hunter – even behind his back.”
Excerpt: Rumor Has It by Elizabeth Grace
Rumor Has It
(Limelight, #1)
By: Elizabeth Grace
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Dec. 2, 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance
All publicity is good publicity, right? Unless you’re recent college grad Ellie Wagner and an embarrassing video of you and your boyfriend goes viral. Every man in your life abandons you, but who knew a one-minute clip of your latest doomed relationship would brand you a slut, prevent you from getting your perfect job, and force you to keep doing the one thing you swore you’d never do again…live with your mother.
But staying with mom and her latest boy-toy (is this husband number four or five?) until your life turns around might not be all bad. Especially when you fall – literally – at the feet of a sexy, green-eyed stranger who offers you freedom and a life of luxury on a gold-rimmed platter.
There’s only one little problem – the man of your dreams is none other than Mason Nash, the latest hip-hop star busting up the music charts. Fame and fortune are his calling cards and he’s vying to steal the show on a new reality TV series that will catapult him into mainstream stardom. Hello spotlight.
The man behind the famous persona is perfect for Ellie in every way, but can she overcome the ugly pitfalls that come with Mason’s celebrity status? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and the independent life she longs for? After all, fame and fortune aren’t always what they seem and not all publicity is good publicity…
I stood in the corner of the pool as Mason crept toward me; going so slow his movements only caused the faintest ripple on top of the water. Those ripples reached me and splashed up over my breasts and I could feel my nipples tighten. Mason noticed, too.
His eyes moved from mine down to my chest and I saw his nostrils flare as he took in a breath.
To my dismay when he reached me he didn’t touch me. He lingered close enough that I could feel his body heat, only an inch or two away, and I wanted to launch myself on to him. I was desperate for the feel of his skin against mine.
He reached one hand up to the nape of my neck. I thought he would pull me in to kiss him and my body tensed, ready for it. Instead his other hand came up to my breast and moved the triangle of my bikini top to the side so that my breast was exposed. He’d done it in such a way that he’d barely made contact with my skin. I let out a small moan from the back of my throat out of frustration.
“Quiet. I want to take you in.”
Normally I’d be offended by a guy telling me to be quiet but he did it in such a way that it only made me hotter. He repeated the process with the other breast and I couldn’t help it. I let out a soft moan again.
“You keep making sounds like that and I’ll draw this out even longer. Is that what you want?”
“No. God, no,” I whispered.
He stood admiring my breasts. “Beautiful. God, you are so damn beautiful.”
I have a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a HOT spot for alpha males! I currently live outside Toronto, Canada with my hubby, two small children and cat spawned by the devil. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share my love of reading and writing with others. Things I can tell you that sum me up…I’m a sugar and carb addict, self-professed Gandy Girl, a disaster in the kitchen, a LOVER of all music, I enjoy reality TV and I’m an early riser! When I have a moment to breath you can usually find me typing furiously on the keyboard to get my next story on paper, or curled up reading about someone else’s HEA. The second book in my Limelight series, Picture Perfect, is set to release at the end of March 2014.
Excerpt: Cornerstone by Kelly Walker
Cornerstone
(Souls of STones, #1)
By: Kelly Walker
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Nov. 30, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Epic Fantasy combines with Young Adult romance in this stunning new adventure set in a richly developed medieval world.
When Emariya Warren learns enemy forces have captured her father, she’ll do anything to save him. Anything. Even marry a mysterious prince she knows nothing about in order to rally the strength to arrange a rescue. During her journey to Torian’s foreign castle, Emariya comes face to face with her mother’s killers–and a deadly secret.
Not only does Emariya possess a powerful but unexpected magical gift passed down through each of her families, the prince she’s promised to marry possesses a third, and an ominous prophecy has warned the three gifts must never be combined.
If she breaks her promise to marry Torian, she won’t be able to save her father and if she keeps it, she may bring a curse upon everything she holds dear. Determining which choice is best won’t be easy, but when she meets the gorgeous prince who may desire more than just her heart, she realizes she will have to fight just to have a choice at all.
Her heart wants him desperately. Her head begs her to run. If she doesn’t want to share her mother’s fate, she’ll have to find a way to untangle the truth from the lies in time to save herself.
Discover the heartbreaking betrayals, fascinating magic and fated love of Cornerstone.
The man who had found Garith in the woods spoke again. “Imagine someone with all three Gifts. The ability to hear the future. The knowledge of the past, as well as the guidance of the spirits. And the ability to harness the earth to your will. Someone with the power of all three Stones would be unstoppable.”
The man across from them spoke quietly, and solemnly.
“Souls of the Stones, their sights we bear,
Sounds of the Stones, their secrets we share,
Will of the soil blood will flow,
Should three Stones one ever know.
What once were one split thrice,
Over whispers and sights,
Soil prevails, behold its might,
Blood and Stones as one brings darkest night.”
Their leader spoke up again. “For years, we have worked to ensure that just such a union doesn’t occur. If Lady Warren weds Prince Torian, all of the Three Corners will be at risk. Son, do you understand why we can’t let that happen? That prophecy has been passed down for generations. Like our fathers before us, we have been dedicated to ensuring that it isn’t fulfilled. Our mission is to see to it that the Bloodlines stay separate, and that never again is there a union like there was between Valencia and Oren. It’s just too dangerous.”
“Emariya couldn’t have known,” Garith said sadly.
“Maybe not. But Prince Torian surely knows. It may be that he is intentionally trying to bind the lines, to harness the power to unite Eltar and Sheas to Thalmas by force. With the three Gifts at his disposal, he could do exactly that,” Russell insisted.
“If Emariya knew, she would never marry him. No matter what, she would never want to jeopardize the safety of everyone in Eltar.”
“Then we’ll tell her. It sounds like she is being used unknowingly. If she is truly innocent in this, once we tell her, she will return home. Will you come with us?”
Garith nodded. On his own he’d never find her, and now more than ever he was desperate to get to her. These men seemed to know the woods well. His best bet was to stick with them, and hopefully along the way he would learn more about the Stones. It would be fine, he told himself.
They would find Riya, tell her of the lore of the Cornerstones, and she would choose not to marry the prince after all.
Kelly Walker is a YA and NA author of several romantic titles, including the Souls of the Stones series. She has an unhealthy appreciation for chocolate, and a soft spot for rescued animals. Her best lessons on writing came from a lifetime of reading. She loves the fantastical, and the magical, and believes a captivating romance can be the most realistic magic of all. Kelly, her husband and her two children share their Virginia home with three dogs who walk her, and two cats who permit her to occasionally share their couch.
Review: Significance by Shelly Crane
Significance
(Significance, #1)
Shelly Crane
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: June 12, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating:
Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who’s had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she’s graduating – barely – and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.
Then she saves the life of Caleb and instantly knows there’s something about him that’s intriguing. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.
They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she’s ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.
Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb’s enemies know he’s imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.
Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?
This book reminded me a lot of Twilight. You had the boy sneaking in her bedroom window, the main character’s parents are divorced and she’s living with her father, the girl meeting the boys family and everyone instantly loving her, people of his kind attacking her to get to him, her friend becoming possessive and challenging her boyfriend at every turn, her needing to prepare herself to leave her father to make a life with the boy because humans can’t know about their kind, therefore she must disappear… oh and there is even a Bella and Alice in this one. All the Twilight flags were flying even before the author felt the need to add that one of the characters love Twilight. For me… this kind of took away from the book. There were so many similarities to the Twilight saga that I kind of didn’t feel like I was reading a new book but rather fan-fiction.
What I did like about this book was that the author thought outside the box about this imprinting thing. I mean, whatever Caleb is (I never did fully grasp it), they don’t imprint on humans. Actually they haven’t been imprinting in years and there is a huge rule about dating and procreating outside of imprinting. Imagine how messy things could get if after 20 years of marriage and two kids, your husband shakes the hand of your new neighbor who just moved in and #BAM# he’s all of a sudden obsessed with them. Yeah, that’s kind of how the imprinting work. So the whole no dating rule made sense. I even liked that when you imprint you come into a certain power. That power then helps keep your clan (family) safe from other clans.
Like I said there were things I liked about the book and disliked. I also felt that the book was quite winded in some parts and found myself skimming through certain areas. I think the book could use a good polishing but the base story was good. However, I don’t think I will be continuing on with this series.
“You don’t love people for what they can give you. You don’t love them because of what they do for you or how good you make them look.”
Review: Torn From You by Nashoda Rose
Torn From You
(Tear Asunder, #1)
By: Nashoda Rose
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Dec. 7, 2013
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating:
Love is like an avalanche. It hits hard, fast and without mercy.
At least it did for me when Sculpt, the lead singer of the rock band Tear Asunder knocked me off my feet. Literally, because he’s also a fighter, illegally of course, and he taught me how to fight. He also taught me how to love and I fell hard for him. I mean the guy could do sweet, when he wasn’t doing bossy, and I like sweet.
Then it all shattered.
Kidnapped.
Starved.
Beaten.
I was alone and fighting to survive.
When I heard Sculpt’s voice, I thought he was there to save me.I was wrong.
You really need to read Without You before starting the series. It will help you understand the relationship between Emily and Sculpt prior to her abduction. It also puts the reader in a state of confusion as to why Sculpt is part of the human sex slave business. It definitely sets the stage for the series.
This book was pretty much set into two part. The first 50% are of Emily’s time in captivity and all the horrible things that happen to her. The second half of the story is set 2 years in the future and focuses on how damaged she is from the whole ordeal. It doesn’t help when Sculpt comes back into the picture because everything comes rushing back.
I found myself really interested in the first half of the story and sort of lost interested during the second half. Maybe it had to do with Emily’s character. She was a little wishy-washy to me. She’s be strong and stubborn one moment and then the next she’d be panting over Sculpt. I also couldn’t stand the multiple times Sculpt would tell Emily to stop “lego building” in her head. The chick did a lot of internal thinking so there for he commentated on her “lego building” just about twice every chapter. He told her to stop lego building just about as much as he “chin lifted” (nod) to someone. The guy was chin lifting all over the place.
Aside from the few issues I had, the story was interesting. I think a lot of the second half could have been cut out to keep the pace going. I’m not really sure if I’d read another book from this series. I just didn’t really connect with the characters like I’d hope to.
“Maybe love couldn’t be forgotten. But maybe, just maybe it could be smothered by hate.” -Emily
Lucky Shamrock Giveaway Hop Sign-Ups
Rules:
• Each participant will host their own giveaway.
• The giveaway must contain something festive for the holiday. It can be anything from the MC’s being Irish, Ireland setting or simply a green cover. If you can’t find a book or want to let your readers decide, you can always give away a gift card.
• Only one entry for your giveaway and it must be a freebie (no strings attached). That’s right, no mandatory following. With people only able to enter once, it will literally be those with a little luck on their side who win.
• When linking up, please list whether your giveaway is int, US, US/CAN, etc.
Review: The Professional: Part III by Kresley Cole
The Professional
Part III
By: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: Jan. 20, 2014
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest – and most forbidden – fantasies can come true…
We start out right where Part 2 left off at… in a BDSM club. Yup, we start off right in the action. However, this isn’t really a lust filled part of the story. Sure it starts out as such but it becomes deeper the more you read.
Natalie isn’t happy that Sevastyan isn’t opening himself up to her. He expect her to marry him but every day she finds that he’s distancing himself from her. He shuts down the second he gets home from “meetings” and she’s had enough. Either he opens up to her or she leaves him. And boy does he have one doosey of a story to tell. I liked that even though there isn’t that suspense from the first book or the sex filled scenes of the second, this one dove deep into the psyche of Sevastyan. We learn of his past, how he ended up on the streets and understand why that’s changed him into the man he is.
This was a great end to an amazing story. I do feel that breaking it into separate parts kept me from truly diving into it because of the breaks between parts. It was like pausing a great movie mid scene and then going back a month later and pressing play. I was no longer fully in the moment. Which is why the part I enjoyed the most was the first one. However, I plan on going back and starting the story over and reading it from start to finish. I have a feeling that after doing so I will walk away with a deeper love for the story and the characters within.
“What would happen if you found out that most of my life had been everything unheroic? What if you discovered that I’m hated – and that I hate myself for every time I lost?” -Sevastyan
Previous reviews from The Professional
Part I
Part II
Excerpt: Wind Chime Cafe by Sophie Moss
Wind Chime Cafe
(Wind Chime, #1)
By: Sophie Moss
Publisher: Sea Rose Publishing
Published: Feb. 7, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Romance
When single mother, Annie Malone, purchases a quirky Main Street café on Heron Island, she thinks she’s finally turned her dream of opening her own restaurant into a reality. Hearing rumors that a developer is about to build a five-star resort on the sleepy Chesapeake Bay island, she plans to transform the café into a premier upscale bistro. But Navy SEAL, Will Dozier, has no intention of selling his grandparents’ property to a developer. Back on Heron Island for the first time in ten years and secretly struggling with PTSD, Will decides that a fling with the new girl is the perfect way to help him “get his head straight.” The last thing Will expects is to fall in love…with his hometown and with Annie. But Will’s life and career are in San Diego with the SEALs. Can Annie’s love and the healing magic of the island be enough to convince him to stay?
Will drove into town. He felt like a live wire, ragged and fraying around the edges, ready to snap. He hadn’t slept. Again.
He was running on adrenaline now—every sense heightened, every thought twisted and fragmented.
It wouldn’t be the first time. He recognized the feeling. He’d experienced it on enough overseas ops. It had fueled him through Hell Week ten years ago when he’d first joined the SEALs. One of the reasons the instructors pushed them so hard in BUD/S was to see if they could carry out a mission in an exhausted haze.
He knew how to function in this state.
It was all mental.
He just had to get control of his mind.
Marshes and soybean fields gave way to the playing fields of the Heron Island
Elementary School. Faded orange soccer nets flanked the flat stretch of grass, and he
slowed when he spotted a woman with long red hair sitting alone on the bleachers.
Wasn’t that the woman he’d met last night?
What was she doing at the elementary school?
Unless…
Shit. Did she have a kid?
That would explain why she hadn’t wanted him to come in last night, why she’d kept looking back toward the stairs leading up to the apartment. He tapped his fingers over the steering wheel. Kids complicated things. He didn’t do complicated.
But he wanted to see her.
He’d thought of little else while he’d lain awake last night, staring at the ceiling.
Turning the wheel at the last minute, he steered the SUV into the parking lot. He pulled into a parking spot facing the playing fields and cut the engine. Screw it. He had six weeks to figure out how to un-complicate things.
He climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked across the grass to where she sat. When she lifted her gaze, he expected her to say something sarcastic about the chicken tenders she’d given him last night. He wasn’t prepared for the pale face and haunted eyes that stared back at him.
Whoa.
There was nothing uncomplicated about that. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Her hands were wrapped around the bench on either side of her, curled into a death grip. “You don’t look fine.”
“Thanks.”
“No,” Will said, backpedaling. “I mean, you look like you could use someone to talk
“Actually, I’d really like to be alone right now.”
Will paused a few yards away from her. He hadn’t risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy without recognizing that most of the time, when one of his men said they wanted to be alone, what they really needed was someone to talk to. He wouldn’t let one of his men off that easily, and he sure as hell wasn’t leaving Annie alone in the middle of a panic attack. Not until she told him what was wrong.
“Look,” she said after several moments of silence when he made no move to leave. “I just dropped my daughter off for her first day at a new school, and I’m worried about her. I want to stay close by in case she needs me.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“She’s eight.”
Eight? Will’s gaze combed over Annie’s face. She didn’t look old enough to have an eight-year-old daughter. He’d pinned her as twenty-six, twenty-seven at the most. She must have been pretty young when she’d gotten pregnant.
He took a moment to study her. She was wearing a stretchy black top and dark jeans again. She wore her hair long and loose, spilling in red waves over her shoulders. The wind whipped a touch of color back into her cheeks, but her eyes still held a hint of fear.
What was she afraid of?
“You’re not wearing a ring,” Will said, “so I’m guessing the father’s not part of the picture.”
“No.” Annie brushed her hair out of her eyes. “He’s not part of the picture.”
Will wondered if he’d ever been part of the picture. Or if he could have something to do with what she was afraid of. “If your daughter’s eight, shouldn’t you be used to leaving her at school by now?”
“It’s a new school. She doesn’t know anyone here.”
Still, he thought. She seemed pretty shaken up for someone who was just dropping her kid off at school. “What grade is your daughter in?”
“Second.”
“Who’s her teacher?”
“Becca Haddaway.”
Becca? No kidding? “I didn’t know Becca was a teacher.”
“I thought you said you grew up here?”
“I did.” Will rocked back on his heels. “I haven’t been back in a while.”
Annie glanced back up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “How long is a while?”
“Listen,” Will said, changing the subject, “you look like you could use something to eat, and I bet your daughter doesn’t want you hanging around when she comes out for recess. Let me take you to breakfast.”
Annie shook her head. “I need to stay here.”
“For how long?”
“Until I’m ready.”
“You can’t say no to a fried egg sandwich from The Tackle Box. I’ll even throw in a bottle of orange juice.” He smiled down at her, trying to put her at ease. “We can call it a date.”
“I told you last night. I’m not dating you.”
“Why not?” Will feigned a hurt expression. “Don’t I look dateable?”
“Yes,” she said. “You look perfectly dateable. For someone else.”
“But not you?”
“No. Not me.”
“Why not?”
Annie’s gaze drifted to the brightly colored playground and row of swings near the school. “Because I don’t date.”
Will walked to the bleachers, lowering himself to the bench beside her. “Ever?”
“That’s right.”
“That seems closed-minded.”
“It’s not closed-minded. It’s just easier.”
Will’s eyes widened in mock horror. “What’s easy about not dating?”
“Well, for starters,” she answered, “not having to explain to my daughter where I’m going and who I’m going with.”
“Your daughter’s busy with school right now, so you don’t have to explain anything.”
“But I’d have to tell her later. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
Will studied her for several moments. “You tell your daughter everything?”
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
Will leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. Before she could react, before she could do anything, he eased back and winked. “Let me know what she has to say about that.”
Sophie Moss is an award-winning author of contemporary and fantasy romance. She currently lives in San Diego, California, where she’s working on her next novel. When she’s not writing, she’s walking the beach, testing out a new dessert recipe, or fiddling in her garden. Sophie loves to hear from readers.
