Wednesday, August 5

***RELEASE DAY BLITZ, DOUBLE REVIEW & GIVEAWAY*** An Act of Redemption by KC Lynn


Title: An Act of Redemption (An Act of Honor #1)
Author: K.C. Lynn
Release Date: August 5, 2015
Add to your TBR: Goodreads
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | B&N | Kobo



Synopsis

She saw in him what no one else could see. 



He found in her what he could never find.


One moment changed everything but, even with a break in time, their connection could never be severed.

In the beginning he may have been her salvation, but in the end she will be his redemption.

***

This is Book One in the Acts Of Honor series, the spin-off series to Men Of Honor. It’s told in dual POV, has an HEA with no cliffhanger and it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend that you read the Men Of Honor series prior, as characters play recurring roles in both series.

Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.


***



Gillian's Review

An Act of Redemption by KC Lynn is a pure act of restoration in love, trust and the mighty powerful second chance.

How do you trust again what once destroyed you but made you whole at the same time?

How do you forgive when it's impossible to forget?

How can you love when love isn't nearly the right concept for how you feel about another human being?

How can we give a second chance just that...the chance?

Honour. Passion. Love. Regret. Forgiveness. Trust. Brotherhood. Healing. These are the words that encompass what An Act of Redemption truly represents. The struggle is real, but the love is forever. I just cannot stop thinking about this book.

KC Lynn I have no words to properly use to articulate or to properly convey just how beautifully broken and wonderful Anna and Logan’s story truly is. I have been shattered to smithereens and my soul has been touched so deeply by the words you manage to twist and string together so methodically, turning each one to fit beautifully into your emotionally charged stories. The words you pen are so perfect that I just really can't even.

You my friend are an enigma. Your story lines epic, each and every character always managing to burrow themselves deep into my book whoring heart. You really are the one that ruins me EVERYTIME! After having had the privilege of reading Anna and Logan’s incredible fight I am completely book hungover- I'm talking this book annihilated me leaving me an emotional disaster, needing a support group and a huge bottle of wine along with a new t-shirt as my tears just didn’t stop. Tears of sadness, but most of all tears of joy and relief, its like getting on a crazy roller coaster with you KC, but all I can say is thank you! I fucking loved every single second of it.

Despite feeling like I've been put through the ringer, I sit here and write this review with a huge smile on my face because the fight to get here was an epic journey. A journey of self-discovery, trusting what makes you whole, forgiving but knowing forgetting isn't healing, and finally second chances do come, but realizing you're worth them is the struggle. Watching Logan and Anna journey to these revelations was brilliant, resulting in their restoration as a whole.

Finally a little note to the author;
Oh my KC Lynn!! Woman you will be the death of my poor poor book loving whoring heart. I just can't imagine my life without your characters, their families and best of all their stories and messages. Thank you so much for always giving me the grand master of the mother fucking feels. You are honestly an unstoppable force and an inspiration and the Queen of the feels.

★★☆ Beyond 5 INCREDIBLE Stars ☆★★

Reviewed by Gillian Grybas

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Alissa's Review

“My Anna,” he murmurs. “Tell me, baby, tell me you’re my Anna.” 

“I’m your Anna, “ I whisper, not being able to deny him, especially because it’s the truth. 
The story of Anna and Logan is everything I thought it would be- more actually- yet very different than I expected. KC Lynn’s writing gets better and more beautiful with each passing book. An Act of Redemption is proof of that.

After closing the door behind me I fall back against it and slip to the floor in agony. Hugging my knees to my chest I remember that time four years ago. A time that left the deepest of scars, not only on my heart but my soul. 

Anna has owned a piece of my soul since Fighting Temptation. If you’ve read the Men of Honor series then you know firsthand the overpowering story of what Anna has been through. If you haven’t then- well, SOMETHING IS CLEARLY WRONG WIT YOU!!! (hahahaha, Kidding! Well-kind of ;) ) Its a brilliant series and definitely a must read, but you do not have to have read it at all in order to fully enjoy every bit of An Act of Redemption. 

It’s clear right from the beginning that Anna and Logan share an unbreakable bond. They met young and were each lost or broken in their own way. They are fictional living proof that sometimes all it takes is that one person to heal all the broken you feel within yourself.

“I hold him close and revel in the intimacy of our hearts beating together as one. In the midst of the beautiful silence I realize that, together, we’ve healed my soul.” - Anna 

Not only the love- but the overwhelming friendship that these two characters share is so beautiful it will bring tears to your eyes. I cried more than I will ever admit while reading An Act of Redemption- which is no surprise because KC’s writing is absolutely beautiful (I’ve said that already right? Well clearly it needed to be said again-because its true) and the descriptions she uses are ones that will forever be seared into your heart.

Logan- I think my heart just did a little backflip just writing his name. That boy- or shall I say man?!?! Either one- the boy or the man- had me. I completely fell for every action, every word he spoke. His understanding with Anna, his patience, his need to keep her safe and willingness to give up everything he is just to try to make sure she is able to live the life he dreams of for her. It was all just so emotional.

“I’ll always chase away your demons, baby.” 

“Maybe one day you will let me chase yours away.” 
Something painful flashes in his gaze before his eyes fall closed and he drops his forehead to mine. 
“You do, Anna, just being near you quiets them.” 

When he looked at her- it was almost as I felt it. When he spoke to her- I got goosebumps from the passion of his words. Logan’s life was a jumbled mess and I broke for all the torment he had to live through. But seeing him heal and literally feeling the unspeakable peace that Anna brought him is something I rarely find in a book and will never forget. When an author is able to actually make you feel what a character would be feeling at a specific moment with just a few words on a page- is something special and that you don’t find too often. But that is exactly what KC does. She is my go to feel good author that I can always count on for quality, emotion and hilarity.

The base of this storyline is phenomenal. Its quality. It’s a fast paced storyline with a slow building drama. Its full on right from the start- you don’t have that feeling like ‘ok its finally getting good…’. Right from the start you are hit with everything Anna and Logan and it will suck you in and you won’t want to stop reading. My only regret was not taking little mini breaks to savor it piece by piece. 

If you’ve read the Men of Honor series then you are going to love getting more of all the guys and their families in An Act of Redemption. You will also meet a couple of new characters- my favorite being Sarge. Its amazing how one sideline character can really make you think of how you look at the world. 

KC Lynn is a must read author for me- I kinda love her as you may be able to tell. But whether you have read her or not- give this release a shot. You’re sure to become a lifelong fan like me.

★★☆ 5 Remarkable as Always Stars ☆★★
Reviewed by Alissa Evanson



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Other Work by K.C. Lynn


The Men of Honor Series

You will not break me for I am unbreakable. I will live with integrity, fight with honor and die for what’s right.



Precious lives were saved when three brave Navy SEALs went against orders, embarking on a rescue mission of their own. A mission that will never be forgotten and changed the course of their lives forever. While they will never regret their decision, it came with heavy consequence. 


Now they must fight to protect the women they love while also battling the new and existing demons that torture their souls, from death, corruption, destruction and war. These men are strong, honorable and will do everything they can to overcome the past that continues to haunt them. 

These are their stories.

Fighting Temptation~ Jaxson and Julia’s story. 

Sweet Temptation~ Sawyer and Grace’s story. 

Resisting Temptation~ Cade and Faith’s story. 

The Final Temptation~ Cooper and Kayla’s novella. 




Beautifully Insightful
Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon CA  |  B&N  | Kobo

Synopsis
Emily Michaels ~ Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Like you never fit in, or you weren’t good enough? This is how I have felt for as long as I can remember. I see the world differently than everyone else, I feel everything differently and I reflect on life differently. And being different in my world is not a good thing. I live in a place that’s divided between the rich and the poor, the beautiful and the unbeautiful, the prestigious and the mediocre. I have always belonged in the first category, because my father was the Governor of Georgia.

Growing up around people I could never relate with, my life had always been lonely, that was until my senior year when I met the one boy who would change my life forever. A boy who my parents would never approve of because he didn’t come from money or the same social class. He rode a motorcycle, had tattoos and was considered to be from the wrong side of the tracks. Yet he was still envied by many.

Ryder Jameson was someone who every guy feared, and one who every girl wanted to be touched by. He didn’t do attachments, or have friends… until me. And for the first time in my life I finally felt like I belonged. When I was with him, my different didn’t feel wrong or ugly. He made me feel beautiful- insightfully beautiful. Then one day my world came crashing down on me, and it would be six years before I'd once again see the boy I fell in love with.


Ryder Jameson ~ After working my ass off I am given the opportunity of a lifetime, and if I pull it off I will be the youngest FBI agent to run one of the biggest undercover operations in history. Only the case that gets thrown in front of me leads me back to the one place I swore I would never return to, and to the only girl who’s ever mattered to me.

Except Emily Michaels is not the same girl I left behind. She still looks the same, she’s still beautiful inside and out, but there’s one thing that’s very different about her, one very big thing, and it’s something I didn’t think was possible.


Ryder and I come from a world where politics separates us and wealth defines us, but even after all this time we will not let it divide us. Here is our story.

This is a standalone novel with an HEA and is told in dual POV. Due to mature subject mature, such a explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.
***

About the Author

K.C. Lynn is a small town girl living in Western Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and they have four amazing children: two lovely girls and a set of handsome twin boys. It was her love for romance books that gave K.C. the courage to sit down and write her own novel. When she is not in her writing cave, pounding out new characters and stories, she can be found living between the pages of a book, meeting new tattooed, hot alpha males with very big…Hearts.



Follow K.C. Lynn
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***

Giveaway


Tuesday, August 4

***RELEASE DAY BLITZ, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY*** The Scheme by Mia Kayla

The Scheme Banner


Title: The Scheme
Author: Mia Kayla
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 25, 2015
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Ibooks 


Synopsis

Brian Benson is the nice guy every girl dreams of marrying. Too bad he’s off the market—for good. He’s sworn off women since the last girl he dated broke his heart. Determined to start over in New York, his sole focus is to climb the corporate ladder—no distractions.

Until one minor collision propels him into the path of small-town-girl but bombshell babe, Kendy Miller. Kendy walks with a sass she was born with. Single and ready to mingle, she’s on the prowl. Moving from her tiny town of Bowlesville to work as a nurse at New York Cornell Hospital, she is introduced to Dr. Hot Pants. She feels it in her bones—he only belongs to her. When Kendy formulates a grand scheme to land Dr. Hot Pants and uses Brian to do it, Brian is all in because he could use a little fun. Things were going to plan, until one night lines were crossed, kisses were exchanged and clothes flew off. Fate collides, fortunes are tested and plans backfire, but Kendy is still determined to land her doctor. Problem is… Brian was only there to assist in the plot. Falling in love with the girl wasn’t part of THE SCHEME. 



Review
Finally The Good Guy Wins!

Awwwwwwwww!!!

This is my first book by Mia Kayla and i've gotta say i really enjoyed it!

This book follows the story of Brian and Kendy. Brian is a career guy. He had his heart broken and moved away from home to New York. He made the decision to throw himself into work and to climb the corporate ladder. Kendy also new to New York left home for a new life in the city after having her heart and soul broken by her first love.

The story starts with Kendy setting her sights on a Doctor that she works with. She is determined to make him hers as years ago a fortune teller predicted her broken heart would be mended by someone she meets at work. On one of her shifts she meets someone from her past, Brian. They had met through her cousin and best friend Beth who had dated him for a while. Brian attended the ER after agreeing to go out with his roommate and best friend Trey who had to convince him to go out and have fun. Unfortunately a little too much fun was had and Brian ended up in a fight which required him getting stitches. After meeting Kendy he can't get her out of his head and ends up attending a club he knows she will be. As the night ends they reach an agreement to be FTFing (you'll find out what that means in the book) and the story goes from here.

This is such a feel good book. Most of the book i read with a little smile on my face and a warm heart. Brian was so sweet but also hot. He's just such a good guy, the one you root for to get the girl. Kendy had a great sense of humor that had me chuckling but i gotta be honest i could have smacked her upside the head on more than one occasion for not seeing what was in front of her!

Overall i really enjoyed this book, a little angst but not laid down with it, and a whole lotta sweetness that'll make you sigh and swoon. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a sweet smiley read. There's not really any action in it but sometimes it's just nice to sit and read a book and smile!

***4.5 stars***

Reviewed by Kerry Fletcher


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About The Author

Mia Kayla is a New Adult/Contemporary Romance writer who lives in Illinois. She is the wife to the husband of the year and mommy to three unbelievable cute little girls who have multiplied her grey hairs. 

In her free time she loves reading romance novels, jamming to boy bands, catching up on celebrity gossip and designing flowers for weddings. Most of the time, she can be caught on the train with her nose in a book sporting a cheeky grin because the main characters finally get their happily-ever-after at the end. She loves reading about happy endings but has more fun writing them. 


Mia's Other Books





Giveaway




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***BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY*** Curve Ball by Sloan Johnson

Title: Curve Ball
Series: Homeruns #2
Author: Sloan Johnson
Genre: MM Sports Romance
Published: July 29, 2015
Jason Klein’s living with the fallout from a decision he knew was the right one at the time. He never told anyone about the love of his life, which left him to mourn alone when he found out the man he gave his heart to had been killed in combat. Now, his heart has had time to heal, but he’s not sure he’s ready to let himself move on. Until he meets Cam Morgan…

Without a job lined up following graduation, Cam Morgan took his best friend up on his offer to move to Milwaukee and stay with him until he could get on his feet. The last thing he wanted to do the day after getting to town was go to a party filled with a bunch of jocks. Sure, they were “professional athletes” but Cam was convinced that bigger bank accounts didn’t make them any more accepting of people like him. He certainly didn’t expect to meet Jason, the Mavericks’ catcher who broke every stereotype he’d had.

What started out as one hot, sweaty night together quickly grows into something deeper. Jason welcomes Cam into his home and his life, but now he has to teach the younger man that it’s not a sign of weakness to let people help you.



Review

This was my first book by this author.

So this story is based around Jason who is a ball player who for the last 7 years has remained pretty much alone mourning his lost first love. He meets Cam at a party when he arrives with his team mate Drew. Cam was picked on by Jock's during school for being Gay and he has a lot of insecurities regarding this. Drew has always been there to rescue him but Cam feels he needs to stand on his own two feet and fight his own battles. When Jason and Cam meet Jason feels a connection to him he hasn't allowed himself to feel in years since his loss. Cam feels a little uncomfortable but attracted to Jason but because of his past he fears the worst of Jason assuming he's just another jock. The story goes from here following their relationship and struggles to overcome their pasts.

I thought this story was very sweet and there was a nice relationship between Jason and Cam. I also enjoyed the supporting characters. The story line was quite good it kept me reading and i also liked the style in which it was written. The only reason i didn't give it 5 stars is because i felt it just lacked a little something for me. Not even sure what but a little more excitement maybe? I also think Jason's background needed to be elaborated on more.

Overall i enjoyed it and would recommend the book. I will be going to buy the first in this series (i didn't know it was a series going into it...DOH!) and i will be going for part 3 too.

It absolutely can be read as a stand alone but maybe if i had read book 1 i might have got to know the characters more fully.

***4 STARS***

Reviewed by Kerry Fletcher


Curve Ball Excerpt © Sloan Johnson 2015

“If you have something to say to me, just say it.” I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel to keep from shaking Drew. He was one of the youngest guys on the team, and right now, his immaturity showed through brightly. It was about time someone knocked some sense into him, before he wound up earning a bad reputation, both on the field and off. “I won’t apologize, because I haven’t done a damn thing to offend you.”
“Really? I shouldn’t be pissed off that I had no clue you were gay?” Drew seethed, his brown eyes narrow slits as he glared at me. “And I should be totally cool with you loading up my friend in the middle of the night to take him back to your place, right?”
“Yeah, actually you should,” I quipped, twisting the wheel tighter. “Cam is a grown man, and if you truly care about him, you should be fucking ecstatic that he’s getting out there to meet people.”
Drew muttered something to himself as he went back to staring out the window. His shoulders slumped forward and he seemed to shrink in his seat. I knew that look. It wasn’t one worn by a concerned or pissed off friend, it was the look of a man who felt the love of his life slipping away from him.
“How long have you felt this way about him?” I asked. My chest tightened, knowing that I wouldn’t stand between them. Drew and I might not be close, but I liked to think of him as a friend, a brother on the team.
“Doesn’t matter.” The response was so quiet I could barely hear the words. As I pulled up to the stoplight, I placed my hand on Drew’s shoulder, unsurprised when he jerked away.
“It does,” I assured him. “And you have to know I wouldn’t have done anything with him if I’d known.”
“Don’t say that. I’ve known for a long time that he’d never feel for me what I do for him.” I suddenly missed the anger Drew showed earlier. “If the way he looked this morning is any indication, you’re exactly what he needs in his life. And if I put my own feelings aside, you’re more than that. You’re what he’s always wanted.”
That was not how I expected this conversation to go. It started exactly as I’d seen it in my mind, but I hadn’t expected Drew to step aside. Maybe I was wrong in thinking that he was immature and selfish.
“Drew, if you say the word, I’ll back off. I’m not willing to destroy two friendships just for a few nights of fun.”
“The only way I’d ask you to do that is if that’s all this is for you.” I pulled up in front of the grocery store, but neither of us moved to open our doors. “Cam is one of the best guys I know. He’s got a big heart, but sometimes, he’s a little too open with it. If you’re only in this for a couple of hot nights, then yeah you should walk away from him.”
I felt backed into a corner. Sure, I’d thought about what it’d be like to explore something more with Cam, but I wasn’t in a place to do that. It had nothing to do with being on the road most of the year and everything to do with my own inability to be open with those around me. I’d grown accustomed to never letting anyone get too close, and Cam had already seen more than people I’d known for years. There was no way I’d be able to hold back if last night and tonight turned into something more.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” It was the most I could promise him. 


Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.



Monday, August 3

*** Blog Tour and Review *** Smolder #2 Ignite Series by Kate Benson





BLOG TOUR 

Smolder 
Ignite Series 
Kate Benson 
Released July 23 



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Synopsis for Smolder by Kate Benson 

Copyright © 2015 Kate Benson 


Two years after a misunderstanding pulls free-spirited Addison Greyson from tenacious Zeke Turner’s life, fate finds a way to give her back. 

Not all reunions are simple, though. 

Between a sordid arrangement she made to save her father, the secret she vowed to keep and her twisted new reality, Addie returns to Zeke a different girl. 

When their attraction to each other proves too much to deny, they reunite in secret, rekindling their long lost love in the shadows. Their feelings ignite into something more and staying apart is no longer an option. 

Fighting to stay together when it seems the whole world wants them apart won’t be easy. 

They soon realize it never was. 

Will giving into the desires that smolder beneath the surface be the one thing that saves them? 

Or will they find out the hard way that some things are best kept secret? 

Smolder is the second and final anticipated installment in The Ignite Series. It is full-length and multi-POV. 






My Review

If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would undoubtable be Sweet.  Smolder is Book Two in the Ignite Series, and follows on from where we were left pining, after the huge cliff hanger from Ignite (book one), which sees Addie and Zeke reunited after two years apart.

For those of you who haven’t read Ignite, it is a coming of age, childhood best friends turned to lovers story, about Addie and Zeke.  These two are so cute together!  Addie has this fantastic, free spirited personality which not many people understand, and Zeke is just this all round, boy next door, nice guy, who sees past Addie’s eccentricities to who she really is.

Ignite had us heartbroken, as we watched these two ripped apart and then left reeling at the horrible turn of events, that sees Addie forced to sacrifice herself and her freedom in order to protect the ones she loves.  It also introduces us to Chad.  Ugh! This guy makes my skin crawl!  Forced to live under his orders, we watch as Addie and Zeke fight to hold on to each other as they struggle to hide a truth that could land them, and everyone they care about in danger.

I really liked the idea behind this book series, Kate Benson has taken the time to create interesting plot twists that make this not only a sweet love story but also provides a darker, more sensual side to these characters lives, that leaves you wanting to know more.  Both books were well written, and both the lead and secondary characters were portrayed in a way that fully allows you to immerse yourselves into their headspace and really absorb their emotions.

Personally, my only wish would have been to be able to read more detail and scenes relating to the darker elements of the book, and Addie’s interactions with Chad to build up the suspense in the storyline a little more (but that’s not to say that it suffered without it).  All in all it was a really sweet story, full of ups and downs and life altering decisions all wrapped up with an ending which left me feeling all warm and fuzzy as I read it’s final pages.


★★☆ 3.5 Stars ☆★★
Reviewed by Carly Carter

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Author Bio 

I grew up in Texas and moved to Florida when I met the love of my life 14 years ago. I wrote my first poem when I was five and it was about my love affair with pickles. I still love pickles but I like to think my writing has grown since then. 

I absolutely adore anything to do with books whether it's writing them or devouring them in one sitting. I live on music, love, and sweet tea. I am known for my silly but blunt personality. I've been lucky enough to find the love of my life, marry him and now we're working on our happily ever after. 

He inspires me in everything I do, but especially in telling love stories. I'm an ordinary girl living an extraordinary love and I'm so happy I get to share it with the world through my writing. 



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