A is for Alpha B is for Books : April 2016

Saturday, April 30

* REVIEW * Falling Completely by Aidan Willows

Falling Completely

by Aidan Willows

(Starling Falls #1)

Published: January 14, 2016

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

MALIYA

Falling in love is not for me. I don’t do relationships, they never end well.

I don’t believe in fate, soul mates or happy, fairy tale endings. I’m definitely not a sweet little princess in search of her prince.

I have a plan to follow and falling in love is not part of that plan.

Nothing is going to change my mind.

Not even a domineering, gorgeous, blue-eyed firefighter who seems to be everywhere I go.

CALEB

The moment I saw her, I knew.

I knew the funny, curvy, raven haired beauty was supposed to be mine.

She may not agree with me at the moment, but I’m a patient man.

I’m not afraid to play dirty to get what I want.

And I want Maliya Abbott.

When her sister decides to move from London, across the Atlantic Ocean to Starling Falls to run an estranged relative’s bakery, Maliya Abbott is pretty sure her sister has lost her ever-loving mind.

Not wanting to be separated from the only family she has left, Maliya goes with her, a move that was only supposed to last a year. After all, training to be a doctor at the same University her parents did had always been her goal.

What she hadn’t planned on, was meeting Caleb Jameson. A man who is adamant they are destined to be together. That would be great, if she actually believed in any of that crap.

She also hadn’t planned on his insane, lovable, meddling family trying to derail her plans.

Maliya is a smart girl. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want. She definitely wants to go to Oxford University and train to become a doctor. She definitely does NOT want anything to do with Caleb Jameson.

Now, if only she could get her stupid heart to listen to her head.

Authors Note: 18+ For mature readers only. Book contains graphic language, scenes of a very sexual nature, a dirty-talking and determined alpha male, a sassy and food obsessed heroine who talks to herself far too much, a cynical and suspicious geriatric aunt, a meddlesome family, some very unhelpful friends, a mind controlling goldfish and a possibly cannibalistic cat…

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My Review

I love finding new authors. I love finding new authors that can make me laugh. I love finding new authors that have me swooning from the beginning. I love finding new authors that keep me captivated until the very end only to leave me excited for the next one. Aidan Willows' debut Falling Completely was everything I love in a book. I am in love with these characters and I can't wait for the next story in the series to be told.

Maliya Abbott is a snarky and sassy pediatric nurse that uproots her life to help her sister follow her dream across the pond. As the oldest sister and after having lost their parents, Maliya has always been there for her sister Niki and when Niki decides she wants move to help her grandaunt run her bakery, she can't say no. Postponing her entrance to medical school for a year is the least she can do. Maliya expects early hours at the bakery and starting over at a new hospital, but what she never expects is to meet a blue-eyed firefighter who makes her want to throw caution to the wind and give in to the domineering alpha who insists they're soul mates.

Caleb Jameson knew from the first time he saw Maliya that she was meant to be his. Now he just needs to convince her of that. Thank goodness he's patient and determined because his angel puts up a fight. But with his family behind him, he knows he can convince her they're meant to be. It may just take a little persuading. With humor, massive amounts of swoon, and lots of emotion, Maliya and Jameson are sure to be Falling Completely.

From the very first word to the very last, I was smitten with this story. So much sass. So much banter. So much alpha dominance. I laughed out loud and held me chest as emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Maliya and Caleb were perfect for each other. The delicious push and pull had me glued to my Kindle with just the right amount of angst. Both had such strong personalities but the wonderful writing was able to balance it perfectly. Each gave as good as they got and it was plainly obvious how much they love and appreciated each other throughout the whole book even before they admitted it. Plus the addition of the Jameson clan and Maliya sister Niki create secondary characters that I fell just as hard for. Their stories were set up so well that I'm anxious to see them play out and absolutely can't wait for more from Starling Falls.

Reviewed by Paige

★★☆ 5 "Debut Perfection" Stars ☆★★

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About the Author

Aidan Willows

Aidan Willows lives in London, England. She graduated from the University of London with a degree in Psychology.

After spending an absurd amount of time in the company of her e-reader, she finally decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and finally let loose all those imaginary friends she has floating around in her head.

She is an avid reader, daydreamer, tea fanatic, amateur baker (though her and bread have a tempestuous relationship), appreciator of all things whiskey related and she generally watches far too much television.

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RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW The Heart by Kate Stewart

Jack

For the last ten years, I've roamed the globe, captivated by the world around me. I've seen the seven wonders and admired sunsets from every continent. I'd lived and loved and that was enough for me. It would have to be.

I was content, satisfied with my collection of experiences . . . until a phone call led me down a road less traveled.

If I'd known my fascination would pique and be forever quenched only a few hundred miles from where my curiosity had been born, I may have never set sail.

Rose

Stripped of the future I'd planned with the love of my life, my family and my career were now all that mattered. I'd lived and loved and that was enough. It would have to be.

I struggled to move forward, to discard the part of me that held out hope for my obliterated heart. But I was bred a romantic, so it was easier said than done.

The chances of being struck by lightning are 1 in 960,000.

The odds of being struck twice are 1 in 9 million.

I risked those odds every minute, often cursing the dark sky, praying for static and a rumble of thunder, but it never came.

No, that second bolt hit me on a clear day.

The Heart can be read as a stand alone but it is HIGHLY recommended you read the first two books in the series first.

The Reluctant Romantics Series

The Fall

The Mind 1.5

The Heart

Books that compliment the series (Room 212, Never Me.)

Explicit Sex and Strong Language

My Review

There are times when a series grabs you and makes you feel all the things you never knew you could feel. The Reluctant Romantics is that series for me. I fell hard for the angsty journey Dallas and Dean took in The Fall. I laughed and sobbed my way through Rose and Grant's heartbreaking journey in The Mind. And I laughed, cried (happy tears, mostly), and smiled in pure happiness in The Heart while Jack helped Rose rebuild her life. This book is everything I love about reading. Once I started, I could not put it down. It may be Kate Stewart's best work yet and I'm still riding the high from this emotional and beautiful journey.

Rose has suffered unimaginable heartbreak. She lost her best friend and fiancee Grant in a car accident one week before their wedding. For the next three years she's focused on finishing her training to become a surgeon, her niece and nephew and trying to keep Grant's memory alive. But what she's finding is that she's stagnant. She can't let go even, though, she's starting to realize it's time. But true love doesn't end just because the other person isn't there anymore and she still mourns what was so tragically taken from her. Yet the knew contractor helping build her and her sister's dream cancer center finally makes her realize what she hasn't had in so long.

Jack has put his past behind him. He, too, has suffered tragedy but has taken steps to get past it. He traded in his suit and collar job for working with his hands and traveling. When his mentor Seth, Rose's dad, asks for his help designing and building his daughters' medical practice, he gladly lends a hand. It doesn't hurt that he meets Rose and is instantly taken by her. But Rose's obvious reluctance to start anything more than friendship and his deep affection for her dad make him wary to delve too deeply into his feelings. However spending time together proves a catalyst that neither can ignore. Rose and Jack fall into a comfortable, quiet relationship that only builds in intensity as time moves on. Yet neither has been completely honest and old demons never stay buried.

The Heart is a standalone yet is a continuation of a series. I think you'll get the most out of it by starting at the beginning but it can be read on its own. While this really starts years after Rose's story first began, we're given a look into her life with Grant with chapter breaks and chapter headings. I loved those. I smiled and swallowed the lump in my throat each time but it was a perfect way to transition the story. Plus even with such sad subject matter, I found myself giggling and laughing out loud on several occasions. Kate did a fabulous job of balancing this story and making me really feel like I was on Rose's path right alongside her. Her heartbreak and guilt and joy at falling for Jack was honest and true to her story and her character.

And Jack. Oh my sweet Jack. He was the light that shined throughout the whole story. You'd think it would be hard to follow in Grant's footsteps but he was so perfect for Rose and her growth. Just like Rose, I didn't love Grant less, just differently. Jack had his own struggles but he was always so open and honest and just so real. He had a quiet intensity to him and a depth I found refreshing. He was also so sexy and take charge. Absolutely yummy in the car, in the bed room, the hall way, you get the picture. While both he and Rose made mistakes, by the end I was just so in love with them and their full circle love story.

I also cannot forget to mention that epilogue. It was TO DIE FOR. Seriously. Best series ending ever. Now I just need to go start at the beginning agin because I just cannot let these characters go yet. They have become some of my very favorite and I won't soon forget them.

Reviewed by Paige

★★☆ 5 "You Own Me" Stars ☆★★

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AMAZON

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A native of Dallas, Kate Stewart now resides in beautiful Charleston, S.C. She lives with her husband of 9 years, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie.

Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring the city her creative muse. Since the move in 2010, Kate has written and published four novels including Room 212, Never Me, Loving the White Liar and The Fall.

Kate writes messy, sexy, angst filled romance books with 'hard to get' happy endings because it's what she loves as a reader. She has a scary addiction to chocolate milk and a deep love for rap music specifically the genius known as Marshall Mathers.

In addition to her addiction to romance, Kate also lets her alter ego take over on occasion and writes erotic suspense under the pen Angelica Chase.

Check out Kate's works as Angelica

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Friday, April 29

* RELEASE BOOST & GIVEAWAY * Shameless by Lex Martin

Title: Shameless

Author: Lex Martin

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Blurb

Brady…

What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing.

Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart.

I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things.

Katherine…

When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me.

What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love.

I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.

Shameless is an adult contemporary romance/spinoff featuring a character from The Dearest Series, but it can be read as a complete standalone.

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Purchase Links

Last chance to get your copy for only 99c!!!

AMAZON US / UK / UNIVERSAL

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Also Available

The Dearest Series Boxed Set is FREE on KU for a limited time. Get all three Dearest Series books, including Dearest Clementine, Finding Dandelion and Kissing Madeline, as well as Dearest Series bonus scenes and the first chapter of Shameless.

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / UNIVERSAL

Author Bio

Lex writes adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, she's lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.

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* COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY * Damage Me by Shana Vanterpool

Damage Me

Shana Vanterpool

(Crystal Gulf #2)

Published by: Swoon Romance

Publication date: July 5th 2016

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE and CONTENT WARNING: This story contains triggers for rape victims and soldiers. I did my best to remain respectful to the healing process for both. Hillary’s feelings are hers alone and ONLY represent how she feels about her attack. Dylan’s emotions about his time at war are his ALONE. You are all strong and beautiful, and you will soar again! ***

A broken soldier …

Dylan Meyer lived his life fast and hard, doing anything to keep his emotions masked. In Crystal Gulf, Texas, women, drugs, and alcohol are in abundance. After all, it’s a college town. But eventually, his lifestyle caught up to him. The birth of his daughter, Aubrey, forced him to grow up and take responsibility for his actions. He let his vices go, cleaned up his act, and allowed himself to fall for Harley Evans.

But Dylan is a liar.

He lied to himself. To Harley. To his best friend, Bach. And then he lied himself right into a U.S. Army uniform. When he went to war, he left Harley with his best friend in hopes that he’d look out for her while he was deployed. Not in his darkest nightmares did he think Bach and Harley would fall in love.

A fallen angel …

Hillary Hayes is an eighteen-year-old sophomore in college who understands the importance of rules. She’s followed them her entire life. She gets perfect grades, avoids dating, and won’t stray from the future her mother mapped out. On the outside, she’s perfect. Inside, she’s drowning.

That carefully crafted future disappears when she downs a beer at a party. What’s left of that night is the wreckage of the girl she used to be.

Until she meets Dylan. Her brother’s best friend.

When Dylan returns from war, he can’t move past the betrayal. His daughter’s growing up without him. Flashbacks and PTSD from his time in Afghanistan consume him. He loses himself in a dark depression. There is no light in his darkness …until he meets Hillary. His best friend’s little sister is the only good thing among all the bad.

He’s her safe place.

She’s his light.

Can two damaged souls ever find peace, or is the damage too much to overcome?

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Crystal Gulf #1:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Wqy9Xb
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Wqz0ag
Kobo: http://bit.ly/237d04t

Author Bio:

When I walk into a book store I feel at home. When I smell the pages of a brand new book things make sense. When I read I am who I always wanted to be. I read to escape and I write so others can as well. My family, my actress dog Bella, coffee, and a steamy love story are a few of my most precious things. My Sweet Demise is my debut new-adult contemporary romance novel. Keep up to date with future releases: shanavanterpoolauthor.wordpress.com

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* BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY * The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid

The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid

Publication Date: April 12, 2016

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Humor

How can someone so smokin’ hot be so bad in bed? I mean, Sean Cassidy is absolute rubbish. RUBBISH. He is the epitome of walking, talking false advertising and I want a refund! Plus he’s an arsehole. So… what is wrong with me that I can’t stop thinking about him? The Pixie and the Player is a full-length, romantic comedy novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the second book in the Rugby Series. THE PIXIE Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby. As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble. THE PLAYER Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone. His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamous player, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick. THE PLAN Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world—and Lucy’s big brother in particular—that this is the real deal? Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.

My Review

There's a reason that L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid are two of my favorite authors. If it's at all possible, their writing only gets better and when you put them together, it's just magic. I loved The Hooker and the Hermit, but they just blew me away with The Player and the Pixie. From the building antagonistic relationship to the panty-melting sex scenes to the swoon-worthy redemption, I had a smile on my face the whole way through. I loved it so much I started reading slower when the ending neared because I did not want it to end. Lucy and Sean have definitely become one of my favorite fictional couples to ever grace my Kindle.

Lucy is Ronan's little sister from The Hooker and the Hermit. She's the outgoing, vibrant sister that Ronan is really protective of. Sean is the guy who seemingly stole Ronan's ex from him. Ronan and Sean hate each other. But there is so much more to Lucy and Sean than anyone knows. Both have struggles that they're trying to hide from people and at times even from themselves. When Sean runs into Lucy randomly one day, their banter from before starts to heat up in a way neither expects. As much as Lucy wants to hate the guy who has always been a grade A jerk, there are times that his facade falls away and she's really interested in that new guy. Sean wants to get to Lucy at first because he knows it'll annoy Ronan to no end. But when he actually gets to know Lucy, she warms him up in a way that he's never felt before.

As Sean and Lucy spend time together during the short while he's in New York, they come to a kind of agreement. Ronan can definitely not find out and it's just going to be sex. Lucy soon realizes that underneath all the bravado Sean shows, there's a place that only she's privy to and only she can reach. But as time moves on, Sean and Lucy start to develop feelings that just aren't acceptable. Together they are a fierce combination of lust and love but neither can really admit so much without worrying about the fallout. And what a fallout it would be.

I have to say that after reading about how horrible Sean was in book 1, I was amazed at how quickly I felt for him. There was so much depth to him and he turned into one of the most sympathetic characters I've read in a while. Lucy had her own troubles and she was the perfect mix of stubborn and sassy. I loved them each separately but together they were just beautiful. Both Lucy and Sean were wonderfully flawed and able to bring out the best in each other. The "problem" they faced was surprisingly unique and had me clutching my chest in sympathy but also fanning myself because of just how HOT it was too. Getting to see more of Ronan and Annie was awesome as well and getting a sneak peek into book 3 left me salivating for more.

Reviewed by Paige

★★☆ 5 "Teach Me" Stars ☆★★

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L.H. Cosway

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

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Penny Reid

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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Thursday, April 28

REVIEW Sidebarred by Emma Chase

Sidebarred

by Emma Chase

(The Legal Briefs 3.5)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Published Date: April 24, 2016

Goodreads

Synopsis

There was a time when Jake Becker had it all together. He was controlled, driven, ruthless—in and out of the courtroom.

Then, six irresistible orphans and their heartbreakingly beautiful aunt crashed into his perfectly ordered life. They changed everything. They changed him. Now he’s a husband, an upstanding member of society, a father figure—a family man. And he’s pretty damn good at it.

Sure, he has to referee sibling smackdowns, re-learn algebra, ensure his clients stay of jail, and keep his wife happy—but it finally feels like he’s got it together again....

So, of course something has to screw it all up. It’s huge. Life-changing. Kind of terrifying.

And it will be the most amazing, perfect thing he’ll ever do.

Buy Links

iBooks - apple.co/1V71neL

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1VyHKfE

B&N - bit.ly/1V71k2z

Kobo - bit.ly/1V71jf2

Smashwords - bit.ly/1SVxckt

My Review

Sidebarred is the culmination of the three book Legal Briefs series. It's a novella that follows up with the three couples we met in each previous book: Stanton and Sofia, Brent and Kennedy but mainly focusing on Jake and Chelsea. Taking place a couple years after the series ended, Sidebarred shows life for the three couples and how Jake and Chelsea are adjusting to instant parenthood and married life.

This short story kept a smile on my face as I was able to reminisce with some of my favorite characters as well as watch them overcome new challenges. Jake and the rest of the crew were hilarious as usual and getting to see just these hard nosed lawyers turn into big ol' softies had me giggling and swooning at the same time.

Emma Chase did a phenominal job once again of portraying the male point of view as well as giving a true depiction of life with so many little ones running around. I adored the fact that we also got a peak way into the future. This was seriously one of the best extended epilogues I've read in a while and it makes me want to start all over again from the beginning.

Reviewed by Paige

★★☆ 5 "Happily Ever After" Stars ☆★★

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Other Books in the Series

Overruled: Amazon

Sustained: Amazon

Appealed: Amazon

About the Author

Emma Chase lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two misbehaving (but really cute) dogs. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

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* COVER REVEAL * Teach Me Dirty by Jade West

Teach Me Dirty

Author: Jade West

Genre: Erotic Romance

They tell me it’s unhealthy, just a stupid crush. They tell me it’s infatuation, and will never come to anything. Never mean anything.

Because what would I know, right?

I haven’t even finished school. I’m just a silly little girl.

And no little girl should want the things I want from him.

No little girl should have the thoughts I have…

But they’re wrong.

I really do love Mr Roberts.

I love Mr Roberts because he’s the most amazing man, the most amazing artist, the most amazing teacher that could ever have existed.

And what if… just what if Mr Roberts wants me, too?

What if Mr Roberts really does want to Teach Me Dirty?

Jade West is a contemporary erotic author, real life submissive, and former sex chat-line operator, who is plenty used to getting people all steamed up with her dirty mouth. Her debut release, Dirty Bad Wrong, smashed into the Amazon top 100 in February 2015, followed by Dirty Bad Savage in June - an Amazon top 100 bestseller in 4 countries. Dirty Bad Strangers topped the erotica chart, reaching an impressive 13 overall in the US Kindle Store, and the latest tale of debauchery, Dirty Bad Secrets - returning to the heart of Club Explicit has just been unleashed on the public.