Tuesday, December 26, 2017

[Blog Tour * Reviews] WHORE by Willow Aster @WillowAster


“I need a reason to exist.”
Beautiful, intelligent, independent, strong-willed, wealthy—Lilith Fontenot seems by all appearances, to have it all. But that’s not how the highest paid prostitute in New Orleans sees herself.
A stain on society. A scourge. A waste. Outsider. Prisoner…
Any idyllic dream of the normal life she may have once imagined, Lilith buried long ago. Her only plan now is survival.
But mob boss Nico Santelli and community center owner Soti Christos have not given up on Lilith. Each has his own very specific, very opposing, plans for her, and neither will rest until it becomes a reality.
WHORE is a singularly bracing take on an ancient tale of tireless love, betrayal, and the possibility of redemption.

Whore by Willow Aster is now LIVE!!!
PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF WHORE TODAY!
After reading the synopsis I thought I knew what I was going to read but boy was I wrong so wrong. 
From the start the story had me hooked I dived straight in and didn’t come up for air. Lilith is a fascinating character to read she’s a woman who will challenge your ideals and perceptions. Beautiful, polished, articulate and intoxicating to men she got under my skin. I loved her she’s a beguiling mix of worldly woman and innocent who’s lived a controlled and sheltered life. 
Soti Christos unlikely saviour or a man with as many secrets as Lilith. I couldn’t work him out at the start I kept waiting for a bomb to drop for the real Soti to be revealed. The deeper into the story I got the realisation of the kind of man he is was slowly revealed and oh how I loved him. 
Nico Santelli, mob boss dangerous criminal and Lilith’s first love. A man who has an obsessive love for Lili who will stop at nothing to get his own way.
This book was everything, it is emotional, heartbreaking don’t doubt Lili’s strength because she has it in abundance. As strange as it may seem this is a story that shows the depth of true love 
Worthy of so much more than the 5 stars available.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
I take a sudden deep breath and my breasts brush against his chest. The contact surprises us both. I do it again, intentionally this time, trying to gain control in the only way I know how. His neck flushes and he takes a step back. I enjoy the rush it gives me, knowing that I affect him too. “Hey, would you like to come around the corner with me to—” I swallow my surprise and shake my head, holding my hand up before he says anything else. “Please,” he says louder. “What’s your name?” “I am Sotirios … Soti.” “Soti, what makes you think you know anything about me?” He tries to make eye contact, but I focus on a spot just past his left ear. “I just want to help you…” His words trail off. The wind blows my hair forward, a sheet of black coming between us until I smooth the long strands down on either side. I gaze down the street and see a blurry little girl with black hair down to her waist in middle school, standing shy and hopeful in front of a group of girls. “We know what you are,” they said. They hurled spit and names on her and she stood there, taking it, until the teacher came and helped her. Help only got me so far. “You listen to me, okay?” I say so softly he leans in to hear me. “I was born for this.” When my eyes finally land on his again, I know his face will haunt me forever. He looks as bleak as I feel. I clear my throat. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.” With that, I loop my hand through the arm of my next income source, calculating how I can get the most money out of him for the least amount of time. It takes every ounce of willpower I own to not look Soti’s way one more time. Once we round the corner and I know he’s out of sight, all the adrenaline leaves my body, and I’m actually glad to have someone to hold onto. I avoid my reflection as we walk back to the house. I don’t want to know what the rest of the world sees when they look at me. 

 

Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, and the upcoming release, Whore. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming and make fun of her for reading while cooking.

[Release Blitz] SHELTER by Jay Crownover @JayCrownover @InkSlingerPR #Giveaway

   
   

His life is chaos and confusion. It’s a storm of uncertainty and raging emotion.

Sutton Warner is a mess. Everything in his life feels like it’s unraveling.

He’s let a lot of people down lately, including his daughter. Sutton always promised his little girl he would never disappoint her and that he would always be there when she needed him. Until he wasn’t.

The truth is, he’s used to disappointing the women in his life. First was his mother who couldn’t find a reason to stick around when he was growing up. Then there’s his ex. The woman who takes unbridled delight in making his life incredibly complicated. Luckily, his daughter is still young enough to believe her old man is some kind of hero. But, he knows the day is coming when she realizes the truth, that he’s just a man with some serious flaws and a list of ever-growing weaknesses.

Finally, there’s the woman he’s desperately trying to forget with every shot tossed back and each pill popped.

He more than disappointed Emrys…he almost got her killed.

Her love is steady and sure. It’s a shelter shaped by conviction and silent assurance.

Emrys Santos is lost. Everything in her life feels pointless and futile.

She’s been busy running away from her feelings and all the people who love her the most—including her best friend, the one person who knows exactly what she’s been through. They promised to always stick together and to lean on one another. It was a promise Em had to break so she could lick her wounds and figure out her next move. For once, there is no easy way out of the tangled web of emotions she’s caught up in, and right now, she recognizes that all roads lead back to Wyoming…and back to Sutton.

The man she nearly got killed.

Shelter is a standalone novel, the second book in the Getaway series, which features the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women who dare to love them. These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.

   

SHELTER is now available! Grab your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Audible

 

Add to your Goodreads


            

EXCERPT: 

I’d been fooled once by the promise of quiet nights and serene days in the sunshine. I believed the brochure when it said I could leave my worries at home and escape to a simpler, quieter kind of life. I let myself be lured in by the picturesque landscape and stunning mountains. I foolishly fell prey to the temptation of leaving my current set of troubles behind in San Francisco while I hid away in the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming. I now knew firsthand the glossy brochure that brought me to Wyoming the first time was nothing more than a bunch of pretty, packaged lies. I knew the bar brawl erupting in front of me was hardly the worst thing that could happen here. In fact, the level of bloodshed and violence was child’s play compared to what I’d witnessed the last time I’d stepped foot in this small, quaint town. Well, I hadn’t really been in Sheridan last time I was here. I’d spent most of my time in the backwoods that surrounded the Warner brothers’ ranch, which was still a good forty-five minutes outside of this tiny town. The ranch was where I was currently trying to get to so I could see my best friend. When I left Wyoming, I told myself I would never come back. Ever. I told myself there was nothing here for me but bad memories and heartache. I was a pro at lying to myself, at telling myself exactly what I needed to hear to justify my actions. I could convince myself of anything, like it was okay that my last boyfriend stole my grandmother’s silver when I kicked him out because he needed it more than I did. I had no problem believing that pulling Leo out of the city was the only way to heal her broken heart even though she didn’t want to go. It was easier to distract her than it was to watch her wallow. I persuaded myself into believing what I needed to heal was space and solitude. I held onto that until time passed and I was still a mess. I was sick of my own company and of hiding from everything I was feeling. I was the one who always went out of my way to fix everyone else around me, it wasn’t exactly a shock to learn I didn’t have the skills to repair myself. I spent my days helping others focus on their goals, on doing better and achieving more, so I didn’t have to think about the lack of any ambition of my own. I turned thirty at the end of the year and I was still trying to figure out what and who I wanted to be when I grew up. I’d been aimless for a long time; the only direction in my life come from the fact I knew all the way down to my bones that I had to go back to Wyoming and face off with Sutton Warner.         


And don’t miss the first standalone novel in the Getaway series, RETREAT, on sale for just $.99! Grab your copy today! RETREAT on Amazon RETREAT on Other Retailers


         

And preorder you copy of the third standalone novel in the Getaway series, ESCAPE, releasing January 30, 2018! ESCAPE on Amazon ESCAPE on Other Retailers Goodreads


         
Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

       

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

#Tour #Reviews TEAM PLAYER: A Christmas Anthology @jennw23

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Eleven authors. Eleven Novellas. 
This is one thick . . . book. 
Christmas just became a whole lot merrier...

TEAM PLAYER, A Christmas Anthology featuring titles by LJ Shen, Kennedy Ryan, Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Emma Scott, Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Sara Ney, Meghan Quinn, Kate Stewart and Rochelle Paige is available NOW!
TeamPlayerBookCover6x9_BW_828


Publication Date: December 14th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary/Sports Romance


BLURB

Hot jocks. We love them all.
Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score!
The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick…book.
The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist.
*This anthology does not contain calories, just eleven original, never-before-seen stories by the following authors: Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, LJ Shen, Meghan Quinn, Rochelle Paige, Ella Fox, Kate Stewart, Emma Scott, and Sara Ney. We aren’t responsible for melted devices.




One Good Man by Emma Scott

I’m not sure what I expected to read with this story, no that’s not true I expected a fluffy story about a spoilt entitled football player but I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

The author has packed so much in this novella, the characters, the story but what comes shining through for me is the emotion and the connection between the main characters.


Sin Bin by Mandi Beck

Jason is on an NHL player back home on a flying visit when he meets Stella a young woman who instantly he’s attracted to.

I liked Stella she may only be 20 but she’s a woman who knows scar she wants and that’s a night with Jason. This was an enjoyable sexy and hot quick romantic story.


Out of Formation by Ella Fox

This was an enjoyable read about Elena and Colin who have known each other for years and have danced around the chemistry between them.

It’s not an insta love story more like a love that has been slowly building and when Colin comes home bursts to life.

The End Zone by LJ Shen

I love the way the author writes her men, they set their sites on the woman they want and like a heat seeking missile they zero in on the target. 

Jolie and Sage life long friends now college flat mates have an unshakable bond. Loved these two they are funny the banter was hilarious but can they cope when the dynamics of the relationship changes. 
A great short story.


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Sin Bin by Mandi Beck 4 stars

Talk about a naughty time! What happens in the Sin Bin....yeah, you'll see! It's sweet, naughty and a perfect pick me up. On and off the ice it's hot!


Yard Sale by Charleigh Rose 4 stars

Oh yes, indeed! A hot tattooed bad boy snowboarder...(licking my lips, pardon me) with a filthy mind and a sinful body who just happens to specialize in orgasms. Honey, if you aren't reading it, you don't know what you're missing. 


Sweeping the Series by Kate Stewart 5 stars

Heartache, hurt, and bitterness weighing you down! Well just pick up the Makavoy plan and be on your way to hot mess central! It's not the best-laid plan but it seems to work for Ren... except it really isn't. 

In true Kate Stewart fashion, Sweeping the Series wins the trophy. It's funny, has ridiculous- I mean absolutely ridiculous lying awesome shenanigans, and even has the feels. Anger, disgust, love, hope....you will feel it all in this quick hit. 

Watch it because bases are loaded and you won't believe who comes off the bench...


Full Court Press by Kennedy Ryan 5 stars

Full Court Press is a second chance, one that might have been story. It has feels. It has lust. It has angst. It's sexy, sweet, and all sorts of delicious naughty but I have to say I think the best part was the timeline. I liked that it wasn't insta-love but insta-curious. There's just something about the build up and angst. Kennedy Ryan nailed this 5 star, I mean, 3 point jump shot!


Slapped Into Love by Rochelle Paige 4 stars

Hockey hottie and the girl who ghosted him...Yeah checked egos aren't happening. Or are they!?! Sexy and fun Slapped Into Love will keep you smiling.


Out of Formation by Ella Fox 4 stars

No conformity in this hot little number. Ella Fox has us panting for the new coach. Student teacher romance with a twist that isn't offered in most. It's sweet and all sorts of naughty.


Back In the Game by Meghan Quinn 5 stars

Perfection is Meghan Quinn's single dad hockey player. If my drool leaks through this review, I apologize but hot damn. Single dad hockey player....did you read that!?! 

Let's try again!!! Hot, professional hockey playing single dad to a little girl...are you picking up what I'm putting down!?! Should I draw the lines...gorgeous, sweet, and loves kids!?! Sexy, brawny, and can tussle...in the sheets too..

I'm shaking my head at you if you haven't caught on yet. It's okay I will take deep breaths, shake out my arms, glare with my best evil eye, and show you the buy links. Do it! 

Oh and that little hint about her next book and how it follows...epic tease.


One Good Man by Emma Scott 4 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by One Good Man. I have read and enjoyed Emma Scott before but I have a weird penchant for ignoring "recent historical" romances. So when I saw it took place in the 70s part of me cringed. No real explanation, just what happened. However, I loved One Good Man. Despite my weird aversion, I dove in. Doesn't hurt that there's a French hottie as the lead male...hello, Accent! 

It's definitely more serious in nature than some of the others in the anthology but no less fitting. It has its own brand of intensity and it's well written. I may have even smirked. I totally did. Adrian will bring everyone to their knees. One cocky smirk at a time.


Switch Hitter by Sara Ney 5 stars

Switch Hitter is all kinds of mischief. It's the perfect difficult situation. Forget older brother's best friend taboo. Twin sisters boyfriend takes the cake. Especially when he's a Latino hottie who would whisper naughty things...too bad he isn't yours. 


The End Zone by LJ Shen 5 stars

The End Zone is better than the friend zone. Jolie knows all about being stuck in the friend zone. Years of pining and lusting after her bestie have made her adept at navigating it. But now things seem to be changing...

This sweet little morsel is full of everything a full sized book has. I love when novella pack just as much punch as a full-size novel.

reviewed for Naughty Book Blog and Sweet Spot Sisterhood


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Read Today!

(FREE in Kindle Unlimited)
Amazon: US | Universal


* * *

Meet the authors:

LJ Shen
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat. Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people’s birthdays and never sends Christmas cards. She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.
Connect with LJ Shen


Kennedy Ryan:
Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.
Connect with Kennedy


Adriana Locke:
A contemporary romance author running on coffee and sticky kisses from my rowdy four little boys. From Indiana, I’m a true Mid-Westerner. Life, for me, is about family, faith, and food. When I’m not running my kiddos around or having a lunch date of fajitas with my husband (and high school sweetheart), you can find me outside. I love a good sunny day almost as much as I love candy, random quotes, and steamy bad boys in fantastic books. I’m on nearly every social media platform. Please find me on the ones you frequent – I love chatting with readers.
Connect with Adriana


Mandi Beck:
Mandi Beck has been an avid reader all of her life. A deep love for books always had her jotting down little stories on napkins, notebooks, and her hand. As an adult she was further submerged into the book world through book clubs and the epicness of social media. It was then that she graduated to writing her stories on her phone and then finally on a proper computer. A nursing student, mother to two rambunctious and somewhat rotten boys, and stepmom to two great girls away at college, she shares her time with her husband in Chicago where she was born and raised. Mandi is a diehard hockey fan and blames the Blackhawks when her deadlines are not met.
Connect with Mandi


Emma Scott:
I write romances with flawed characters, characters with artistic hearts: builders, poets, and writers of various makes and models. I love to write book lovers; those who have found refuge, companionship, and escape in books, much as we do in real life. I like realism, honesty, authenticity in storytelling. I love to write about enduring love, soul-deep love, in as real a setting as I can make, but with big smooshy HEAs. I believe in diversity, open-mindedness, and inclusion. I like sweetness mixed with steam, love conquering all, and above all, hope. Love always wins.
Connect with Emma


Charleigh Rose:
We are a duo of an international best-selling author and a blogger who teamed up to write the taboo, thought-provoking stories we want our audience to have--without filters. Both Charleigh and Rose are committed to giving you witty, sexy, intelligent novels that will leave you wanting more.
Connect with Charleigh


Ella Fox:
When she’s not writing, Ella indulges the gypsy in her blood and travels the country. Ella loves reading, movies, music, buying make-up, reading Tmz, Twitter and pedicures… not necessarily in that order. She has a wild sense of humor and loves to laugh. Her favorite thing in the world is hanging out with her family and watching comedy movies.
Connect with Ella


Sara Ney:
Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
Connect with Sara


Meghan Quinn:
A BLONDE AT HEART Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped. Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking. Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!
Connect with Meghan


Kate Stewart:
Kate Stewart lives in Charleston, S.C. with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. A native of Dallas, Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring it her creative muse. Kate pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader. A lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap, she dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity only and does a horrible job of playing the ukulele. Aside from running a mile without collapsing, traveling is the only other must on her bucket list. On occasion, she does very well at vodka.
Connect with Kate


Rochelle Paige:
Rochelle Paige is the Amazon bestselling author of nineteen books. She absolutely adores reading and her friends growing up used to tease her when she trailed after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. She loves stories with alpha males, sassy heroines, hot sex and happily ever afters. She is a bit of a genre hopper in both her reading and her writing. So far she's written books in several romance sub-genres including new adult, contemporary, paranormal and romantic suspense. She is the mother of two wonderful sons who inspired her to chase her dream of being an author. She wants them to learn from her that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.
Connect with Rochelle




#NewRelease #Reviews BLOCK PARTY by Stylo Fantome @StyloFantome @GiveMeBooksBlog





Title: Block Party
Series: Twin Estates #3
Author: Stylo Fantôme
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 19, 2017



Blurb

Things you need for a good Block Party:

1. Awesome food

2. Great Music

3. Fun games

4. A secret spot to hook up with your even-more-secret girlfriend.

Liam Edenhoff is a simple creature. He likes women, tacos, and sex. As long as he has those in his life, everything is good. He's finally realizing maybe he's just not cut out for relationships - surely there's got to be a woman out there who'd be okay with roof top margaritas, casual sex, and no attachments.

Enter a new neighbor - one who is allergic to commitment and prefers her sex casual but frequent. She's seen him at his worst and is still willing to play his games, on three conditions - discretion is a must, casual is key, and absolutely no drama. Sounds like the perfect arrangement. What could go wrong?

Famous last words when dealing with neighbors.

This story contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature, multiple uses of coarse language, and more tacos than is healthy or sane to read about. Reader discretion is advised. 

This is the third installment in the Twin Estates series


ADD TO GOODREADS



Over the course of the previous books Liam was the character I was drawn to the most so to finally his book made me very happy.

I’m not going to lie when Ayumi was first mentioned I was confused she had kind of passed me by in the other stories. Nicknamed the ice queen by Liam she’s a woman who gives off stay away vibes. The more we learn about Ayumi we see how lonely she is apart from work she really has nothing else in her life and when you meet the mother you get an understanding of why. 

As I said Liam was my favourite, I always felt that there was more to him that we weren’t seeing. Still reeling from the Katya fallout he’s made some stupid decisions one in particular is too close to home. He’s the joker with the one liners and the reputation as a ladies man but with Ayumi we see a more thoughtful man who’s finally realising that Katya wasn’t his one ( at last ).

This book didn’t have as much sex as book one it dealt more with the dynamics of the relationships of all the characters. I will admit that for me the first half of the book was a little slow for me but the action picked up in the second half. 

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Where are all my taco eating commitment-phobe lovers? Who loves a hot sex club owner that more than knows how to work it? The good time guy that made you more aware and your heart hurt for him in The Neighborhood...

Liam may not act in an ideal way but he is loveable. He just doesn't seem to understand love and in love. He certainly never anticipated a certain woman making him think of the difference.

It's not about growing up or being serious. For Liam it's about being able to be himself, something isn't comfortable doing around many people at all. For her it's about experiencing tons of emotions, something she hasn't allowed to happen in a long time. 

Sometimes opposites really do work and others it ends in a wildly out of control inferno. Guess you'll just have to see which...

reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
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Author Bio


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

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

Yeah. I think that about sums me up.


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