{Review}{Giveaway} Enraptured by Ginger Voight

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Rachel Dennehy had a crazy thought. If she could just start over somewhere else, she could forget about her sad and tragic past and all the ghosts that chased her. When an email landed in her inbox, to tutor a difficult student whose father just happened to be the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the nation, the apple was a bit too enticing for Rachel to refuse. She moves from Texas to Beverly Hills, where she is tasked with turning around her wealthy pupil’s bad attitude. It is a bad attitude that stems almost entirely from his parents’ ugly divorce and even uglier custody battle.

That her new boss Andrew, or Drew, Fullerton is one of the handsomest and most eligible bachelors in the world means nothing to Rachel. She has absolutely no plans to ever marry or have kids of her own. Her priority is teaching nine-year-old Jonathan, who needs her guidance and her direction and... most importantly... her friendship.

Drew’s brother, Alex, however, assumes otherwise. He basically accuses her of being a gold-digging opportunist upon their first meeting. This sets the two immediately at odds, though they both have young Jonathan’s best interest at heart. Alex believes that Rachel is a “ringer,” a wholesome alternative to edge Jonathan’s socialite mother out of the running for custody, since she left Drew after her own salacious affair with a younger man. He wastes no time in telling Rachel that as long as she stays in her job, she will keep Jonathan from his real mother, and that is the driving force behind Drew's interest.

Unfortunately the more he tries to warn her away from Drew, the closer he ultimately propels her toward her charming boss. Drew never questions her motivation or her presence because Jonathan thrives under her tutelage, and Drew is beguiled by her no-nonsense attitude that challenges him from the start.

Rachel navigates these choppy waters solely to protect Jonathan. She sees the adults in the family as self-serving; most of whom are far more interested in hurting each other than taking care of this fragile, vulnerable boy. Her heart traps her into this sticky web, despite her own history of loss and betrayal. How long will she last? More importantly, what will she be required to give to save these Fullerton men who continually tug her in three different directions?

The saga begins with the first book, titled “Enticed,” due to release in early 2014. Author Ginger Voight returns to the dream-making landscape of Los Angeles, in a new tale that throws back the curtain on the dangerous power, appeal and excess of the privileged. Only by the time this tale is done, one principle character will pay the ultimate price as they all race toward that elusive happily ever after.

The saga continues for Rachel Dennehy, the tenacious small-town teacher caught in between two compelling, powerful brothers.

****This is Book 2 in the series. Blurb may contain spoilers for Book 1.****

In Book 2 of the Fullerton Family Saga, teacher Rachel Dennehy heads back to California to save her favorite little boy from his rapid downward spiral. She feels responsible for Jonathan's destructive behavior, knowing it was her broken promise that sent him off the rails. She moves in with Alex, a man who had been her nemesis for so long. Thrust together with the shared goal of saving Jonathan, they find more in common than they had realized.

In fact, it is Alex who comes to her rescue Drew confronts Rachel over her “betrayal.” The chemistry still burns hot between them, but Rachel cannot forgive Drew’s cruel deception. Unfortunately he is unwilling to let her go. Drew Fullerton doesn't like to lose, especially to his younger brother. So he proceeds with his plan to win her back, using every trick in the book to force her hand, including his son.

Young Jonathan holds fast to his dream of a real family, which tears her in yet another direction. Her heart is torn between the three Fullertons, all of whom need her in very different ways. Someone is going to get hurt, no matter what she does. She struggles to do what is right, even when she finds it puts her at direct odds with what she wants.

How far must Rachel go to win back Jonathan’s trust, and protect the men she has grown to love?

In the third and final book of the Fullerton Family Saga, long-simmering secrets explode with disastrous consequences. The fractured Fullertons face their biggest challenges yet, and every single one must rise to their own personal challenges and beat their demons once and for all - no matter what it takes.

In the conclusion of this best-selling, highly rated series, author Ginger Voight once again raises the stakes for her characters and her readers. These characters you have grown to love (and hate) are faced with heart-wrenching challenges that will test them unlike anything they've experienced so far. In the end, only love can save them. It is a message of hope, family and forgiveness amidst the exciting backdrop of excess and power.

My Thoughts

This saga really blew my mind and even three days after finishing, I still have no idea what to really say about it...

The first two books literally make you want to punch babies and puppies everywhere but they were a serious warm-up to the craziness that ensued in the third and final book. 

When I got to the end, my mouth was seriously hanging open from the sheer debauchery that happened. I wasn't even sad, I was more pissed than anything... 

I thought I wanted to strangle Rachel in the first two books, along with both Alex and Drew but oh no, no, no it was nothing compared to the fuckedupness that happened in Enraptured...

When Enraptured starts we are back in the crazy lives of Drew and Rachel. Rachel is still claiming to do everything she can for Jonathan, rather than what she really wants. She ignores her own desires and heart so Jonathan can have a family that he always dreamed about, even though the same kid got pissed in the first book when he found out his dad and Rachel were together... 

There were a lot of back and forth going on in all three books and my mind seriously needed a shot or some damn medication to level out my highs and lows. 

I understood a lot of how Rachel was feeling, I know she was attached to Jonathan but it still drove me up the wall that she basically catered, mostly, to only his needs. She would be strong in her own way, one second, but as soon as Jonathan asked her to do something, she would bend over backwards to accommodate him, even if it meant her heart and soul were at stake. 

 This series was like a highly addictive soap opera that you hate watching because they leave you with more questions than answers but you can't help but keep watching because you have to know what the hell is going to happen. Fortunately though, this book gives all the information so you aren't left wondering. Everything is tied up and I would say it is wrapped in a pretty bow but it is more like a fucked up, lopsided, half untangled bow that you are unsure of what to do with...

This series definitely had a Consequence series vibe to it, I didn't know whether I was loving it or hating it because everything was all over the place but thankfully Enraptured did finally level out and people started changing, relationships took a turn for the better but then you get your heart shattered into a million pieces so, again, you have no idea how to feel.

Honestly, I don't know if Ginger is a writing God or just plain evil... Probably a combination of the two. But overall, I give this series a 4/5 and if you want to be taken on a wile ride full of frustration and rip your hair out moments, then I strongly suggest READING this series...

Ginger Voight is prolific author, freelance writer and optioned screenwriter. Her fiction is diverse, with novels like the edgy, coming-of-age drama DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, and the fun family adventure for kids of all ages, COMIC SQUAD.

Having grown up reading different authors like Danielle Steel and Stephen King, Ginger has always been drawn more to story than to genre. This shows up in her various stories. Titles such as MY IMMORTAL and TASTE OF BLOOD are a delicious, heady mix of horror, suspense, and romance.

Genre romance, however, has held a special place in her heart, ever since she read her first Harlequin novel when she was only eleven. As a result, Ginger is making a name for herself writing romances of her own, starring women who look more like the average American woman rather than those traditionally represented in the size-biased American media. Her Rubenesque romances were created especially for those heroines with fuller figures, who can still get the man of their dreams if only they believe they can. Such titles include UNDER TEXAS SKIES, LOVE PLUS ONE, THE GROUPIE TRILOGY, THE FIERCE TRILOGY and PICTURE POSTCARDS.

Ginger was included in the best-selling book by Smith Magazine NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING, featuring her six-word memoir.

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{Review} Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. 

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go.

My Thoughts

Ok, this review is a little late due to technical difficulties I was having with my computer. It was supposed to be posted last week and I have been playing catch up with my blog ever since!! 

Hard As You Can starts off backtracking a little bit to the rescue scene from Hard As It Gets but this time it is told from Crystal's point of view. She tells us what happened from her end and why she helped the team free Charlie from the grasp of the local gang. 

Crystal risked her life to help them and Shane has an inclination she just might be trapped under the thumb of the gang as well and wants to help her. He can't explain why he wants to help her (other than the demons that haunt him about his sister) and his subconscious won't let him forget Crystal. But when he tries to get close to her, Crystal completely wards off all his attempts because she is scared of a lot of things and the biggest one is her high level gang banger boyfriend. 

This book had a lot of twists and aggravating moments that made me want to rip my hair out one minute and then throw the book the other. 

I enjoyed this book but I did not like it as much as I loved the first one. There wasn't much story added to the overall theme of getting the team's name back in good standing, which is what I loved the most about the first book. This one was focused on more of Shane and Crystal's lives and what they regret and all their demons. Not much given to the questions I had after reading the first book. 

I also didn't really FEEL the connection between Shane and Crystal. The writing was focused mostly on each character, individually, and not a lot on them together. I just didn't feel anything and I was hoping for a happy outcome but it didn't bother me either way. I didn't get any butterflies rolling around my tummy or anything that would make me want to go to the ends of the earth to make them work as a couple. 

(AND come on, they had sex for the first time at the WORST possible time EVER!!) I know if I was in that situation I would have been waaaaaay to worried to even get my vagina to work properly! 

But I am still interested in where this series is taking me and what Laura is planning, because I have a feeling once all the books are out and I see what she is working towards, I will love the overall series HARD CORE!!! 

Based on this individual book though, I will have to give it a 3.5/5. I am still looking forward to the next one and will be anxiously waiting to learn more about these badass, sexy, ex army special operatives!!

Below is the link to check the series out for yourself...

{Review} Masked Innocence by Alessandra Torre

Blog Tour Stop

2/27/14

Masked Innocence 

Synopsis:

The man was sinful. It wasn't just the looks that made him dangerous, it was the cocky confidence that dominated every move, every touch. And the frustrating yet ecstatic fact about the whole package was that he could back it all up… 

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she's starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he's determined to strip her naked of every inhibition, she's in danger of falling too deep and too fast. 

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob…and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she's forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts

Masked Innocence is the second book in this series and whoa was it frekking HOT!!! I thought I was going to get carpal tunnel before I even finished the book ;)...

This book picks up right where book 1 finished off with the "relationship" between Brad and Julia and one thing I absolutely LOVED about this series is, I can never guess what is going to happen or where Mrs. Torre is going to take me until I am already knee deep inside her world. 

By the end of this book, I was totally speechless because I did NOT expect this series to take the huge left turn into crazy town and I was pissed that I didn't have the next book in my greedy little hands yet!!

Brad was still as stubborn as he was in the first book. Julia was just as strong willed as she was in the first book as well. I LOVE that Alessandra really has a sense of her characters and does not change them just to fit her stories. She keeps both characters true to their roots and personality even when you want to strangle every single one of them. 

I LOVE that Julia is not a push over, she gives just as much as she gets. Even when Brad (AKA Joe Manganiello) goes all alpha male on her, she holds her ground and fights back. Determined not to let this massive character overshadow her spark. She's feisty and I loved it. 

What I found even more enlightening is the fact I have always been curious about this "lifestyle" for which Brad and Julia belong too and while reading I think it fueled my curiosity even more. I wanted to know more, the hows, what, whens... Good thing Discovery Health has a series based on the lifestyle so my curiosity can be cured... 

Now my husband thinks I am obsessed with it and is scared I am going to want to leave him and join... Silly husband it's called fantasy... ;)...

Overall, I give this book a 4/5 and I cannot wait until I can read the next!! 

Alessandra, my hand has had a nice break, now bring on the next one!!! 

Look Below For Giveaway, Excerpt, and More About this Author

EXCERPT

I was elbow deep in transcript review when Chace Crawford, in a tuxedo, appeared in my doorway. Okay, so it wasn’t THE Chace Crawford, but enough of a look alike for me to momentarily forget Drueit vs Pace Contracting, which was a feat unto itself. I collected myself and waved him in.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Julia Campbell.”

“I’m Julia.” I stood, stepping forward and shaking the hand he extended.

“I’m Jeff Martin. I have a couriered item for Mr. De Luca, but he isn’t in. He said that I could give it to you.”

I looked at the embossed envelope he extended, my fingers reaching out and taking it before my mind had a chance to process the situation. “Thank you,” I said, smiling at him.

“Certainly.” He gave a small bow and smiled, turning and leaving the room.

I sat back down, leaning the envelope against my computer monitor and staring at it for a brief moment. Being Brad’s girlfriend was turning into a full time job.

I ignored the envelope and returned to the depositions, reading line after line of transcripts until my contacts started to dry out and I leaned back to take a break. The envelope stared at me, beautiful calligraphy dancing beneath exhausted eyes. I reached for my phone, and called Brad’s cell.

***

Brad parked his cart, tipping the bag drop boy and stepping up the wide steps of the hundred-year-old clubhouse. It had been built at a time when opulence and masculinity ruled the design world, and every ounce of the building reeked of old money and tradition. He walked through the wide hall, oil paintings and trophy cases, seeing his group of friends at the entrance to the cigar bar. His phone rang and he paused, glancing down and seeing Julia’s name. That took longer than expected. He smiled, holding up a finger to the men and stepping aside, leaning against the wall and answering the call.

“Hello, beautiful.”

“Hey. You got something.”

“And…did you open it?” He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her response.

“No,” she said indignantly. “It has your name on it.”

“Well, I had the courier bring it to you for a reason. It’s an invitation to a party.”

“And…?”

God, the woman was feisty. “And, I’d like you to come with me.”

She sighed into the phone. “As your secret girlfriend, I think I’m exempt from any of the boring social events you old people go to.”

Brad smiled at her words, moving off the wall and stepping forward. “It’s an orgy.”

Her breath caught, and he wished he were having this conversation in person. “Oh.”

“But... if that’s too dull and old-mannish for you, I can invite someone else.”

She hissed into the phone. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I most definitely would.”

There was silence for a minute and Brad stopped walking and waited.

“Where’s the party?”

“Does it matter?”

“Humor me.”

“I’m assuming it’s at the hosts’ home. In Irongate.”

“Oooh ... fancy. Do you know anyone who will be there?”

“I know the hosts. They typically throw a relatively small party, fifteen or twenty couples, a few singles. There will be group play and private rooms. If you feel up to it, we could just observe, maybe hook up with a single or a couple in a private room if you want. Or, we can just stop in, let you see how it works, and leave.”

There was a pause, rustled papers, then an abrupt response. “Okay.”

Her agreement came quicker than he expected, and he grinned into the phone.

 “Okay. You officially have a date. Read the invitation, we’ll talk later.” He smiled into the phone, then looked up as one of his friends walked by, slapping him on the shoulder. “I have to go.”

About the Author

Alessandra Torre is a new author who focuses on contemporary erotica. Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, was published in July 2012, and was an Erotica #1 Bestseller for two weeks. The sequel to Blindfolded, Masked Innocence, will be released in February 2014.

Alessandra lives in the Southern United States and is married, with one young child. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and playing with her dogs. Her favorite authors include Lisa Gardner, Gillian Flynn, and Jennifer Crusie.
Learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or her Facebook fan page.

Website: http://www.alessandratorre.com 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReadAlessandra 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AlessandraTorre0 

Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/l3ru9sm 

Goodreads book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16094203-masked-innocence?from_search=true 

Goodreads author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452845.Alessandra_Torre 

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{Review} Market for Love by Jill Elaine Hughes

Heroine Miranda Johansson has had a very bad day. The strait-laced, ultraconservative stock-market analyst in Chicago’s LaSalle Street financial district just lost eighty-seven million dollars of her clients’ money in a massive stock-market implosion. And if that weren’t bad enough, she just had wild, no-holds-barred sex with a complete stranger on her coffee break----and that complete stranger turns out to be her new boss! Can Miranda get control of herself without losing her job, and her mind? Or will her sexy new boss completely derail her self-discipline, her stock portfolio, and her career? (Not to mention the sudden intrusion of his manipulative ex-girlfriend---a scheming, ruthless woman who controls half of Wall Street.)

Will Miranda survive the ups and downs of her new love life, which is just as volatile and unpredictable as the market? Or will her new romance go down the tubes along with the economy? Only time will tell.

My Thoughts

This book was full of humor, hot sex, and more ups and down than a bipolar off her meds. It was fast paced without losing information and it is centered around stock and numbers but doesn't make you want to bang your head against the wall from the jargon being used. The author is conscious enough to know that most normal people are not stock enthusiasts ;)... 

The chemistry is instant between Miranda and Max. So instant, the story starts off with a post-coital introduction of names. I mean, I am all for a little game of guess who just gave me an orgasm...

But just as things are heating up between them, Miranda cools WAY the hell down because once she finds out who her orgasm giver is, she can't risk her pride or dignity. 

Of course that is until Max decides she will NOT run from him and he WILL have her... 

He is very Alpha male and just talking about him makes me want to squirm! 

There were some twists and turns and WTF moments that pissed me off to no end but the constant movement in this story kept me entertained and turning the pages to see what was going to happen. I was in just enough angst to make me anxious but almost as soon as I was determined not to keep reading (because I needed a break), the author would pull me out of it and make me happy again... and by happy, I mean horny!

The only issue I really had was the fact that it was so fast paced I didn't get enough lull to where I could really fall in love with the main characters as a couple. They didn't really do anything other than work unless there was a drama happening. It didn't deter me from the story but I just needed a little more happy and laid back moments... 

Overall, I give this book a 4/5 and if you want a sexy fast paced story with stubborn characters that seem to complete one another, then I'd pick up this book today, and get down and dirty with it!!

{Review}{Giveaway} Beautifully Awake by Riley Mackenzie

Blog Tour Stop

11/19/13

Beautifully Awake 

by

Riley Mackenzie

Synopsis:

Diagnosis: Sleep-running

Treatment: Truth

Prognosis: Beautifully Awake

Lili Porter hates the rain. Bad things happen in the rain. As a small town social worker dedicated to protecting children, she is forced to start over to escape her rural disaster. Determined to follow her father’s advice—head up and chin high—Lili finds herself in a new city, taking on a new system, this time healthcare. In doing so, she gets something she never expected, an intimate behind-the-scenes look at life in the hospital.

Lili learns that a surgeon’s hands have the power to heal more than physical wounds. And a prescription for truth can cure three years of sleep running and leave you beautifully awake

My Thoughts

When I first started this book I was completely sucked in. I was invested and eagerly turning the pages to see what was going to happen with Lili and Chase.
 Getting further into it I realized what a hot piece of ass Chase was and what I wanted to do to him...with my tongue. 

This book had everything I needed/wanted in a great story. Anticipation, little tidbits to tell me that there were issues with both main characters. Sex and I mean steamy, hot, OMG I need to change my fucking panties, sex, and even secondary characters that really blew me away with how well-rounded and full of depth they were in the story. 

Lili had her demons and so did Chase. They were both running from their pasts and what happened to them. But unfortunately you cannot outrun your demons, they will always catch up to you and unless you deal with it head on, you will always be drowning in them. 

 I fell in love with these characters. I was fully invested but once I hit about 80%, I thought the story started dragging. I think it could have ended already but the authors decided to add even more. It became lengthy and over exaggerated so I started skipping paragraphs, just trying to get done. I think some paragraphs could have been deleted or edited and it would have still flowed nicely and not have been so long and drawn out. 

Usually, I am depressed when I know a book is about to end but I just didn't see the point of keeping it going once the secrets came out and everything else happened. Plus, the drama at the end seemed rushed and yes I feel like I am contradicting myself but when you are about to put something like THAT at the end, then you need to make sure there is enough time for the readers to get over it and be happy with where the story ended. 
Instead I am left feeling like WTF?? I needed more of them... 
Not a whole story but maybe an extended epilogue or something??

But everything else in the story was fantastic, sexy, swoony, funny and I absolutely LOVED it.
I loved Dr. Chase Colton, he was exactly how I like my Alpha males. 
Strong, determined, a sex addict who would do anything for the girl he loved, and still have an amazing heart. He is definitely now in my top three favorite alpha males. In good company with Christian and Gideon... 
Yes, people that is how much I LOVED Chase!! 

Overall I wish I could give this book a 5/5 but alas with the execution issues, I have to give this book a strong 4-4.5... It is more than a 4 but less than a 4.5 
so I am going with a 4.25

This book is a *Standalone*

EXCERPT

He was already dressed for the OR in his scrubs, looking ... amazing. The beat beneath my chest started again and my mouth watered, as I not so subtly roamed his body with my hungry eyes. All I wanted was to feel his body against mine, get lost in where I ended and he began. It was all I’d ever want. Forever. I finally got what he meant every time he said mine. He was mine.

“See something you like?” He smirked.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Baby, if you don’t stop looking at me like that I’m never gonna get out of here.”

“Truth. Sounds perfect to me.” Now I smirked.

“Ahh fuck, you’re killing me. You know scrubs don’t hide a hard-on very well.”

I laughed. He had a point there.
Leaning down, he kissed my nose. “Text you in a bit, see how your day is going...” 

“K.”

So was this my life? I sunk back into the fluffy pillows and sighed. I wanted this to be my morning every morning. 

If you want to discover Dr. Chase Colton for yourself go here:

Add to Goodreads: Beautifully Awake 

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About the Authors

Yep. That's an “s.” There are two of us!

We’re East coast girls separated by Long Island Sound who met in Physician Assistant School and have been besties ever since. We can safely say that thirteen miles of water does not get in the way because we talk or text, no exaggeration, at least 150 times a day. No, really, we do—about everything and nothing. Shockingly, we never (we mean never) run out of things to say. Umm, ever. We definitely laugh A LOT and we’re a tad sarcastic. And if we’re being totally honest, one or two people might have, on occasion, used our names and ‘dramatic’ in the same sentence. But it’s hard to trust the sources since they married us.

It only took twelve years, two husbands, five kids, two dogs, and a two-week vacation in Cape Cod later to decide the romance world needed a splash of medicine. Write what you know.

So you can easily find us at 4 o'clock on Bank Street beach with a glass of cold Prosecco brainstorming. And guaranteed if we bump into you, literally, it’s only because our iPhones are glued to our hands (totally out of our control) either writing or editing our next novel (and yes, it is possible to do from your iPhone, we mastered it … damn those straight quotations).

When we are not working on our book or reading the latest angsty romance on our kindles, you basically name it and we have it going on. Soccer, lacrosse, golf, swimming, dance, gymnastics, football, chess, baseball, basketball, skiing, ice skating, school, homework, and more school. 

Oh yeah, did we forget to mention our careers in medicine?

Needless to say, we realized fast that something had to go, so we opted for sleep. It’s completely overrated (yet so AMAZING) and delirium makes everything funnier. Good thing we share a brain and can pretty much complete each other’s sentences (definitely weird, we know), otherwise it might have taken us two years to write Beautifully Awake rather than one.

So that’s our story, who we are … just add AUTHORS to the list!

Connect with the Authors

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Riley-Mackenzie-Authors/444308589010453

Website: http://www.rileymackenzie.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorsrileymac

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7256754.Riley_Mackenzie

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