January 27, 2016 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Defaced: A Dark Romance Novel (The Monster Trilogy Book 1), by Marissa Farrar

Dark Romance/Suspense

Adult/18+ Read

Book Blurb

Monster
Hidden away from society by his criminal father, there lives a man who has never entered the outside world. Now, having taken over his father’s business, he has all the money and power he could dream of, yet still he refuses to let himself be viewed by the rest of society.

Lily
Traumatised by an event in her past, Lily Drayton has a phobia of being touched. Though she helps people externally with her skills as a laser therapist, she refuses to let anyone in, emotionally or physically. When Lily is kidnapped on the way home from work one evening, she discovers she’s not the only person who keeps themselves cut off from the rest of the world.

Defaced
A man owns her now—a man both dangerous and enigmatic. Drawn by his dual beauty and hidden pain, he awakens something inside her, something she believed was long dead. Brought to a room without windows, she’s given an impossible task: to make her owner acceptable to the outside world.

Can altering his face change who he is as a man, or is he truly a monster, both inside and out?

My Review ~ Five stars

Dark, Conflicted and Sizzling

Defaced, the first book in Marissa Farrar’s The Monster Trilogy is a dark and beautiful love story of two damaged souls who come together in extraordinary circumstances. It has elements of beauty and the beast, but it is a fairy tale for adults only as it contains scenes of abduction, human trafficking, violence, abuse and its aftermath. It also has blistering erotic scenes between the hero and heroine. It is the first book that I have read by the author and as I’m a dark romance junkie I one clicked this read as soon as I read the plot!

The author pairs Monster, a man who conceals his physical appearance from the world, with a woman who has her own demons. Lily has a phobia of human touch, beyond the physical contact she needs to make with her patients as part of her job as a laser therapist. Yet Monster needs Lily’s skills and she finds herself abducted and brought to his home……. Monster has prepared carefully for Lily’s abduction and thinks that he knows all that there is to know about her….

I found the scenes where Lily is abducted particularly brutal and the author does a fantastic job of showing us how terrified Lily is. The methods Monster employs to ‘persuade’ Lily to use her skills to alter his appearance are also difficult to contemplate, but make for an addictive psychological read. Their romance is a slow burn, for although they are attracted to each other from the off, there are a host of internal conflicts they both face due to their traumatised pasts.

I was on tender hooks waiting to see if Lily could have a future with a criminal as cold, calculating and ruthless as Monster. Could he be the man of her dreams or is he a true monster? Also is there a place for Lily in Monster’s life, as he takes up the mantle left by his deceased father?

I admit Monster is the sort of hero that I love, a dominant tortured alpha, and bringing together Monster with Lily was a masterstroke by the author. The read, which has plenty of emotional depth, is full of sexual tension, hot love-making, danger and suspense.

I’m eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Lily and Monster’s unorthodox romance!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

Goodreads

Blog

Facebook

January 25, 2016 by Tina Williams

SALE BLITZ & SURPRISE RELEASE: Imperfect/Perfect Truth by Ava Harrison (includes excerpt)

“Once upon a time my marriage was built on love…

Until it wasn’t.”

Imperfect Truth by Ava Harrison is NOW ON SALE FOR ONLY $0.99!

Amazon US: Amazon UK:

As a special treat to her loyal fans. Ava has released a SURPRISE FREE EPILOGUE.

Perfect Truth is NOW LIVE!

Amazon US: Amazon UK:

Blurb

I’m a blogger. He’s a writer.

He was my weakness.

I was his muse.

Once upon a time my marriage was built on love…

Until it wasn’t.

Where had we gone wrong?

I had given up hope…

But then he messaged me,

And his words intoxicated me.

Made me believe in love again.

Made me believe in truth.

My imperfect truth…

Want to know what happened to Ava after Imperfect Truth?

Read Perfect Truth NOW for FREE!

**Price is subject to change. May not be available outside the US**

Amazon US:

Excerpt: Perfect Truth by Ava Harrison

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

I stare at my phone then back in the mirror. No way. It can’t be, can it? My brain counts backward. Four weeks. Nah, no chance. I was alone four weeks ago. See, overreacting as usual. Wait…

What was I doing two weeks ago?

A memory creeps into my brain. Oh, I totally remember what I was doing. My cheeks flush at the vision now playing out in my head. That was one hell of a night…and morning…and following afternoon. I vaguely remember champagne, whip cream and… holy shit, handcuffs? A loud, boisterous laugh escapes my mouth. Yep, one hell of a night. Could it be? Could I be?

My heartbeat starts to accelerate, as the reality of the situation hits me head on. Oh my God. I totally am. It’s only been three months since things have been good. Are we ready for this? Is he ready? Shit…

Am I ready?

My arm accidentally runs against my chest. Goddamn that hurts.

Yep, better get ready.

***

My feet take brisk steps as I make my way to Jules apartment. I don’t think I have ever walked so fast in my life, my impending fate exciting me to the core.

A light sweat breaks out across my forehead the closer I get to my destination, the crisp fall air doing nothing to calm the excitement radiating from my body. As I approach the building, I nod my head in a familiar gesture to the doorman and then head over to the elevator. Once inside I press the floor and wait for the doors to close. My foot nervously taps until the elevator arrives on Jules floor. Heading down the hall to her apartment, I knock once before Jules yells for me to come inside.

I’m greeted by a foul smell permeating through the air when I walk inside her apartment and my stomach turns over. Why is she cooking again? I’ve noticed a trend over the last few months. The happier I become, the more distant Jules appears, her eyes looking more and more hollow as the days pass. She often seems tired, worn out. Now, the tell-tale signs that something is amiss hangs in the air, a baking monstrosity gone wrong. Jules only bakes when she needs to think and, unfortunately, she has been baking a lot.

“Jules, where are you?”

“Ava? What are you doing here?” Her voice is far off, echoing through the hallway that leads to her bedroom.

“I’m late,”

*This is a free epilogue to Imperfect Truth. This is not a standalone or a novel.

You must read Imperfect Truth NOW ONLY $0.99 to read this book.

About the Author

Ava Harrison is a New Yorker, born and bred.

When she’s not journaling her life, you can find her window shopping, cooking dinner for her family, or curled up on her couch reading a book.

Connect to Ava

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ava-Harrison/984568204896418?fref=ts

Twitter: @avaharrison333

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/avaharrison333/

Perfectly Flawed Support Group on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/778471848896125/

January 21, 2016 by Tina Williams

SALES BLITZ ~ Shuttergirl, by C.D. Reiss (includes excerpt)

Are you ready for a different kind of love story?

Meet Michael & Laine in this Hollywood themed second chance romance by CD Reiss!

NOW ON SALE for ONLY $0.99!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1RXBv1n

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FlYvSs

Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/1d3hzub

iBooks – http://apple.co/1KS8bUC

Kobo – http://bit.ly/1bBO020

ShutterGirl Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2QJM0key0&feature=youtu.be

Blurb

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER

I never forgot her.

Not for one minute. Not from the last time I saw her, at seventeen, to today. I measured all women against her and all women came up short. But being with her was unfeasible in high school, and it’s taboo now. I see her sometimes, but I’ve never spoken to her. She runs, or I run. We’re in the same town, on the same block, in the same building, and the gulf between us is just too wide to cross. Until tonight. —- He was my high school crush, back when I lived in a world that didn’t want me. He was the perfect boy, and I was the outcast kid from the other side of town. And when he held my hand I thought I could fit in, just a little. I thought I could be his and he could be mine. Then he left, and my life fell apart. Now we are the king and queen of opposite sides of Hollywood. And we haven’t spoken a word to each other. Until tonight.

Excerpt #1

I stroked his hair, waist deep in peace, all worry gone for the moment, and floating in no more than an ocean of gratitude. I must have been more vulnerable than I realized, or he’d reopened some wound with his kindness, because though my sweet reverie stayed, as the minutes passed, a layer of need fitted itself on top of it.

I needed to tell him, if not the details, the outlines of who I was.

“I want you to know,” I whispered, starting somewhere small, then everything I didn’t want to say spilled out. “I have stuff. I’ve never been to jail, but you know, it’s stuff, and it’s ugly, and it scares me. Because, I mean, you’re so perfect, and I’m… I’m just a mess. I’m not whole. I’m a bunch of pieces of a person I cobbled together.” My eyes got wet when I thought of the comparisons between us and that picture in my silverware drawer. “So if you have to move on when you realize that, I’ll understand. You have an image, and if anyone understands protecting a career, it’s me. I mean, I’ll be mad, don’t get that wrong, but also.” I swallowed and blinked, shifting my head so he wouldn’t feel the tear on his forehead. “I won’t blame you.”

I waited for an answer. Anything. A change in position or a word on any subject. The weather. Sports. Something. But all he did was breathe.

I smiled so wide, tears fell into my mouth. He was sleeping.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CD Reiss

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.

Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

Stalk Her:

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

January 20, 2016 by Tina Williams

REVIEW – A Cupcake Christmas (Touchstone, #5), by Beth Barany

Magical and Upbeat

Banish the winter blues and indulge in this magical romance by Beth Barany featuring a sexy elf and cupcakes – a yummy combination! This short novel (or long novella of 43,000 words) is now available (Amazon, iBooks, and Kobo: $0.99). Scroll down to read my review.

Book Blurb

What if you risked losing your baking legacy by cooking up a love truly special? Florian MacMillian needs a final job to complete his baking resume—preferably a job where he’s unlikely to blow things up with his unruly magic—before returning to the North Pole and taking his rightful place as Master Baker to all the elves. Kate Delore desperately needs help in her fast-growing cupcake business. Florian is a perfect fit, so she brings him on as baker. For a short time, Florian is happily up to his elbows in batter, and Kate’s business is booming. But when things heat up between them, Florian wonders if he should risk his legacy to cook up something truly special.

To find out more about this book visit Beth.

http://author.bethbarany.com/books/a-cupcake-christmas-a-christmas-elf-story-romance/

My Review * (Five Stars)

A Magical and Upbeat Romance

This is a magical and upbeat romance between Kate, a young cupcake entrepreneur, and Florian, a Master Baker in the making, who unbeknownst to the humans around him, just happens to be an elf who is one of Santa’s nephews!

It’s an enchanting read that will help banish the winter blues. Kate is a hardworking young businesswoman who is striving to get her cupcake business off the ground and as such has little time for romance. However, when she takes on Florian to assist her over the busy Christmas period, attraction blooms between them and she fights a losing battle to keep their relationship strictly business. They are such a good fit together, in and outside work!

Florian is not only a hard worker, but he is a talented baker and helps Kate to feel more relaxed about life and more optimistic about where she can take her business. Yet despite their attraction, Florian has only agreed to work for Kate on a temporary basis as he is looking forward to returning to his own world to assume the role of Master Baker that was destined to be his.

The author does a great job of illustrating the conflicts within both Kate and Florian when it comes to their romance, and I was eager to find out if this particular elf was just for Christmas! Indeed, the read contains plenty of tension and emotional turmoil plus increasing mayhem and magic as the plot unravels!

A Cupcake Christmas, book 5 in the author’s Touchstone series, is the first book I have read by Beth Barany and it was a delightful read! I recommend it to readers who are looking for a feel-good romance with a magical twist.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon: Kobo: iBooks:

Goodreads: Site: Twitter: Facebook

January 18, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Release Day Innocence of Love by Holly J Gill

Innocence of Love

Release Day!

This book comes as part of a series!

Genre: Contemporary Romance with sexual tension

Published by: Holly J. Gill

Word count: 110.256

Tagline

Two directions, one past

Lives tipped upside down.

Forgiveness and pain.

Love and respect.

Can two hearts heal?

Quote: ‘I never make promises I don’t keep!’

Blurb

Calvin Edward’s life has been tipped upside down, never had he imagined encounter his first one true love. Only she held a massive secret from him for nine years— his son. His flesh and blood. How could have Sophie denied ever telling him about his child, now adopted to another family? Struggling with his emotions for Sophie, he has to deal with how to handle his son. Could he find it in his heart to forgive Sophie or is all lost?

Sophie Richards couldn’t believe the turn of events— how could the man who saved her turn out to be her first partner? Now the truth is out, her secrets discovered and finally she shared all her pain, never to have imagined the one man who showed her true care and affection is the father to her first child. She loves him, only Calvin resents her. How could she ever say sorry?

Excerpt

“I don’t hate you…I

would never hate you. I just wish you had come to me, I would’ve helped you. I

would certainly not have seen you out on the street or allowed you to have him

adopted.”

“Calvin, please don’t.”

Her eyes filled with tears. Her heart ached to his kindness that she really

didn’t deserve.

“I want to be here to

support you and Kacey.”

Sophie snapped her head

to glare at him. “She isn’t yours.” He stared back at her horrified. His lips pressed

firmly together, eyes peering harshly at her. She swallowed heavily and could

feel her heart being ripped out of her chest. “Sorry,” she managed to say

feeling larger knots in her tummy.

“I just want to help

you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I want to.

Regardless!”

With that, Calvin stood.

She watched him walk away,

heading toward the main building indecisive if to chase after him to explain.

So fed-up of allowing her mouth to run away with her, but the truth was Kacey wasn’t

his to worry about.

Sophie allowed him to

go. She hitched her breath, aching in every limb.

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada
Smashwords

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

Book 1 Innocence

Author Bio

Holly is a wife, mum of three grown

up and not starting to flee their nests she’s also a proud nana

to twins. Holly lives in England a town called Grimsby. The J in her

name stands for Jody. She enjoys spending quality time surrounded with her

family. Her and hubby have a secret hideaway for peace and quiet in a

sweet idyllic campsite where they like to pitch a tent close to York one

of her favourite cities. Holly also likes touring around the UK,

sight-seeing, visiting stately homes and castles. Her hobbies are reading,

writing, socializing and listening to music.

Writing is where

Holly’s heart is…

Where

to find Holly

Books

available from Holly J. Gill

Erotic

Romance series

Desires

January 16, 2016 by Tina Williams

~Rennillia 2~ by M. Sembera ~ Pre-release Promotion

The truth is simple. It’s what comes after that makes things complicated.

#Msembera #rennilliaseries #Ren2 #99cent

Why not pre-order Rennillia 2 for 99c and grab hold of book 1, also for 99c at the same time?

Pre-order: http://amzn.to/1PsBiPn

Rennillia 1 Now Available only 99¢: http://amzn.to/1PsBhep

January 14, 2016 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Hunting for Spring, by Katherine McIntyre

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance

Book Blurb

Hunters are a lonely breed, and Conor’s no exception, until the day he meets Brenna. Even though she slinks in unannounced and kills the wight he was hunting down, the girl’s a mystery and he can’t get that blinding smile or those gorgeous curves off his mind. Since they’re both after the same caster who’s unleashing these monsters, he suggests teaming up, and despite her initial reluctance, the hungry way she scans him down promises something powerful.

However, her secrets have repercussions, and faster than Conor can lift his Glock, he’s drawn into the web of kidnappings and Unseelie mischief, all concealing the machinations of a darker foe—one that plans to bring Philly to ruin.

My Review

A Hunter meets his match – 5 magical stars!

This is a fast paced and engaging urban fantasy romance which pairs Conor, a hunter of otherworldly abominations, with the mysterious Brenna. It is the second book that I have read by Katherine McIntyre, the other being the Steampunk romance Stolen Petals (click the title for review), and I hugely enjoyed it.

After his life is unexpectedly saved by Brennna, Conor joins her on her quest to rescue her stolen pendant from a common foe. He becomes spellbound by Brenna’s combination of bravery and vulnerability, sensing a kindred spirit and does all in his power to protect her when her life is threatened. Brenna, who is hiding a secret finds herself becoming more and more attracted to this hunter which could well prove dangerous. When faced with her worst fear, can Brenna stay alive long enough for Conor to rescue her? Also can they survive treachery and the threat posed by the Unseelie world seeping into the human realm?

The romance is overall a sweet one, containing a sizzling love-making scene and oodles of sexual tension! I particularly liked how their relationship grows and how the author showed us what the characters were thinking about each other through their actions, rather than words.

The fae world is hidden from normal human folk and I loved the imagery the author conjures up in her descriptions of the evil Unseelie, who lurk in the shadows and increasingly threaten the lives of others. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the deadly and magical fae world which part of the book takes place in.

Another super read from this author, which I recommend to lovers of urban fantasy/paranormal romance.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon US Amazon UK

Connect with the Author

Website: http://www.katherine-mcintyre.com

Tumblr: http://www.booksteacoffee.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kmcintyremt

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

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

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28113978-hunting-for-spring

January 12, 2016 by Tina Williams

Release Blitz ~ Moondancing by Celia J Anderson (includes excerpt)

Out Now

Moondancing by Celia J Anderson (@celiaanderson1) #romance #contemporary #ebook

Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Together since their teens, Molly and Jake have four children, a house in a sleepy village and jobs that bore them to distraction. Their marriage is an accident waiting to happen. When Nick arrives in Mayfield, young, disturbed and in desperate need of mother-love, Molly doesn’t realise that he will be the catalyst that blows everything apart. Add a headmaster whose wife doesn’t understand him and Molly’s unpredictable, frustrated best friend to the mix, and the blue touch paper has been well and truly lit.

Buy links: Goodreads:

Excerpt:

‘But who’s going to do our lunch if Mum’s staying in bed?’ asks Max.

‘If people need things putting in boxes, they’ll have to find them and put them in themselves for once,’ says Jake through gritted teeth, as he tries to make toast, unload the dishwasher, find clean socks for Hattie’s netball match and avoid the small pile of cat-sick by the table leg. He sighs and mops up the squelchy mess on the floor before Theo spreads it around the kitchen with her big boots.

It’s only the third day of term so the foolproof system for school mornings hasn’t kicked in yet. Even the two kittens look offended, meowing around Theo’s feet as she rifles through her schoolbag for her lost homework.

Jake feels as if he’s dropped into some alien, much less relaxing world. His early morning routine usually involves sitting at the kitchen table drinking strong coffee and keeping some kind of order while Molly dashes around serving up milky tea, bacon sandwiches, and muesli. As she cling-films sandwiches, throws yogurts and chocolate biscuits into plastic bags and sorts out last-minute crises, she talks him through the day ahead. She likes him to know what’s going on.

Theo still hasn’t found her homework. Jake and Molly’s eldest daughter is reasonably chilled, as a rule, but today she’s in a filthy mood. Her form tutor has given a final warning that if anyone else comes to school with purple streaks in their hair, he’ll make them wear his grey woolly hat to lessons. Theo’s managed to cover the offending bit of her fringe with black poster paint, having run out of dye, but she knows if it rains things could go badly wrong.

Jake can hear Theo muttering as she abandons the homework search and opens a tin of food for the yowling kittens, gashing her finger in the process, and bleeding all over Sam’s newly-made tuna sandwiches. She spits out all the rudest words she knows, and so does Sam, which makes Hattie run round the table screaming, ‘He said the “F” word, Dad, and she said “bugger”.’

Jake’s patience, never his strong point, runs out. ‘At your age,’ he thunders, ‘me and my little brother did all the chores for our mum before breakfast, went to school without moaning, and then came back and did our paper rounds. We weren’t spoiled like you lot – you’re all an absolute disgrace.’

Theo pulls herself up to her full five feet four inches. She hasn’t been allowed to have a paper round due to Molly’s fear of possible rapists and muggers on the loose. It’s a peaceful village normally, but there’s a first for everything.

Author Bio:

Celia J Anderson loves cake, champagne and her family, although not in that order. Moondancing is the first book she ever completed but it needed a couple of years relaxing in the cupboard before it was ready to be revamped to follow Sweet Proposal, Little Boxes and Living the Dream out into the world.

One eighth of the Romaniacs, to be found at https://theromaniacgroup.wordpress.com, Celia regularly blogs with this sparkling group of writers who support each other through the journey to publishing and beyond. Her ultimate aims are to spend less time on Facebook, have a few less chins and to walk five miles a day – she feels the three may be connected…

http://celiajanderson.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/CeliaJAndersonAuthor

http://www.twitter.com/celiaanderson1

January 8, 2016 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ To Win Her Trust (Players book 2), by Mackenzie Crowne

Contemporary Romance

Can she trust this player with her heart?

Ever since experiencing a childhood trauma, reclusive artist CC Calhoun has suffered from panic attacks. But when a fateful kiss from handsome wide receiver, Kevin “Tuck” Tucker, is enough to stop one of those episodes cold, she wonders if guarding her heart has been the right choice. Will going on a test date with Tuck open her to trusting someone for the first time in years? Or will she wind up being just another notch in the football player’s bedpost?

Tuck has a reputation for charming women into bed, but after his kiss with CC, he’s left aching for more. When he proposes a second date, his attraction to the sexy blonde looks like the makings of true love—something he’s never quite believed in—until now. But when Tuck discovers CC’s childhood secrets, will the pro athlete be tough enough to stay by her side—or will he betray her hard-earned trust?

My Review ~ 5 Stars

Heart-Warming and Sexy!

Mackenzie Crowne’s contemporary romance To Win Her Trust is the second book in Mackenzie Crowne’s Player series and it is a fab read, containing a strong but vulnerable heroine and a sexy hero who is just what she needs to heal her emotional scars! I haven’t read the first book To Win Her Love, the hero and heroine of which also appear in this novel, but this read works perfectly well as a standalone and I would definitely read works by this author again.

When reading romance I do have a penchant for tortured characters and Mackenzie Crowne does an excellent job with how she depicts and develops the character of CC the heroine. CC is a virtual recluse on account of childhood trauma, being prone to severe and debilitating panic attacks when she is in social situations. Although her work as an artist means that she can to a large extent control her exposure to people and places, events conspire to trigger one as she exits a coffee shop. She is stunned when a kiss from a handsome stranger immediately calls a halt to the attack.

And as for Tuck the hero what can I say? He is a sexy but lovable rogue. Although this star football player has a reputation as a man whore, I loved that he is so empathetic and has a good and kind heart. He has a strong attraction to CC, entranced by her combination of sass and vulnerability. He wants her and, as he has a few weeks before he departs on his team’s training camp, he seeks her out and they strike a deal: Tuck will spend three weeks before camp dating CC, with the aim of helping her to overcome her social anxiety and fear of dating, (at the same time trying his level best to seduce her)!

CC is grateful for his help and confident that she can avoid falling for him. After all, Tuck has a reputation as a serious celebrity gigolo and a serial dater and is hardly the type that she desires for keeps! Of course, as this is a romance novel, their deal has unexpected repercussions: sexual tension and passion reach a crescendo and they both start to realise that they may find it difficult to walk away from each other….. Add to the mix an interfering mother, an estranged father, CC’s issues from her traumatic past and well-meaning friends, we get a well written and balanced heart-warming and sexy read in which the hero and the heroine need to risk their hearts before a HEA can be reached, I found it to be hugely entertaining.

To Win Her Trust is a sexy, emotional (and often humorous) read, which I recommend to lovers of contemporary romance.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this novel was given to me by the author or the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon.com Amazon.uk

Connect with the Author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821344.Mackenzie_Crowne

http://mackenziecrowne.com/wp/

https://twitter.com/search?q=mackenzie%20crowne&src=typd

https://www.facebook.com/mackenzie.crowne.5

January 6, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW ~ Dark and Stormy Knight (The Knights of Avalon, #2) by Nina Mason (includes giveaway)

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Erotic

Adult/18+ read

Title: Dark and Stormy Knight

Author: Nina Mason

Series and Order: The Knights of Avalon, #2

Other books in the series: Starry Knight, #1 (released in August 2015), and Knight of Enchantment, #3 (releasing Aug. 30, 2016)

Genres: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Erotic

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Heat Level: Very steamy with light BDSM

Formats: E-book and paperback

Online Retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo & Google Play

Book Blurb

She’ll risk everything for their love—even her life.

Aspiring screenwriter Gwyn Morland is ready for her big break. That means securing the film rights to elusive author Lady Ruthven’s acclaimed novel—which means traveling to Scotland. It’s a trip timid Gwyn isn’t prepared for, and her fears seem justified when her tour bus careens over a cliff outside of Castle Glenarvon. But the plot thickens when Gwyn is rescued from the brink of death by a handsome and mysterious stranger…

Leith MacQuill is not only the writer behind Lady Ruthven’s novel, but a shape-shifting faery knight bearing a tragic curse: the woman he gives his heart to will die. Saving Gwyn proves to be a dangerous choice when he finds himself falling for her the longer she stays in the castle. Not even his usual BDSM role-playing games are enough to thwart the intense desire they feel for each other. But to stay together, Gwyn and Leith must embark on a dangerous mission into Avalon, the realm of the faeries. Will their love be strong enough to conquer the curse? Or will Gwyn’s new life be stolen from her before it’s even begun?

Here’s a little bit about The Knights of Avalon series in Nina’s own words:

The Knights of Avalon, the four-part erotic PNR/UF series, was born of a simple idea: to write a series incorporating different forms of divination. From that kernel grew the far more complex world of the series. The “knights” of Avalon, the enchanted otherworld isle featured in Arthurian and Celtic legend, were Scottish noblemen who, after falling in battle, were taken by the fairies to serve as breeding drones to their queen. Each of the four books in the series tells the story of a particular knight and the heroine whose love saves him from his unhappy existence.

Each knight in the series grapples with a different relationship with Morgan Le Fay, the cruel and selfish queen of Avalon. Callum Lyon, the hero of STARRY KNIGHT (book one), is free of Morgan’s influence, having escaped enslavement by faking his own death. Leith MacQuill, the hero of DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT (book two), was expelled from Avalon after the queen discovered his affair with one of her scouts. In book three, KNIGHT OF ENCHANTMENT, Axel Lochlann, a Scottish runemaster of Viking descent, guards the portal between Hitherworld (our realm) and Thitherworld (the otherworldly realm). The fourth knight, Finn MacKnight, doesn’t know what he is or that he’s destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of the queen’s overthrow by a “natural-born” drone. Because of this prophecy, Morgan kills all the male children she bears and punishes the knights who father them.

Avalonian knights are vampire-like, but not vampires per se. Members of the Unseelie Fae, they drink blood and can assume the form of any creature they choose, but generally take the form of a particular animal to hunt. Callum’s preferred form is a lion, Leith’s is a Kellas Cat (a cross between a wild cat and a domestic cat found only in Scotland), Axel’s is a gyrfalcon, and Finn’s will be a jaguar.

My Review ~Five Stars

Wickedly Sexy BDSM themed Erotic Paranormal Romance

This is the second book in the author’s The Knights of Avalon series and it is one wild and sexy ride as Nina Mason blends historical fact and ancient mythology to produce another deliciously erotic paranormal romance. The tale contains a sassy heroine who grows in strength as the novel progresses and a handsome but tortured hero, with a penchant for BDSM, a combination which ticked all of my boxes!

In Dark and Stormy Knight, Gwyn has travelled from the States to Scotland to secure the film rights to a novel written by the elusive author Lady Ruthven. Gwyn’s tour bus is involved in a terrible accident and Gwyn alone survives, thanks to the intervention of none other than Leith MacQuill. Gwyn is surprised when she discovers that Leith is in fact the real author hiding behind the pseudonym! This discovery is nothing compared to her realisation that Leith is in reality a shape-shifting faery Knight with a tragic curse that any woman he gives his heart to will die.

I loved the character of Gwyn. She starts off regarding herself as meek, but boy does she grow in strength of character as the book progresses! She not only steps up to the challenge of the deliciously naughty BDSM roleplaying games her saviour and host invites her to partake in, but also undertakes to enter the faery realm and do all in her power to break the curse. What a girl!

The handsome and tortured Leith also comes into his own once he meets Gwyn, after bearing the weight of his curse for centuries. Desperate to sell the film rights to secure funds for his beloved castle, he needs to keep Gwyn sweet whilst avoiding falling for her at all costs, to ensure that she does not succumb to his curse. I loved that however much he tries to resist her that it is a losing battle (they are just so right together!) and when he realises that she will risk all to break his curse, he becomes determined to free himself and secure a future with the woman he loves. All hell breaks loose once the couple descend into the Faery realm and the scenes which are set there are hugely entertaining. The love-making scenes between Gwyn and Leith are divinely done, combining sizzling eroticism with witty banter.

As I stated, I haven’t read the first book in the series, Starry Knight, (although the hero of this novel, Callum Lyon, does make a brief appearance in this one). Needless to say, Callum’s story and any future instalments are now on my reading list!

Recommended for fans of paranormal romance who like a sizzling read!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

About the author

Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert.

In addition to Dark and Stormy Knight, she is the author of the following books: Starry Knight (Knights of Avalon #1), Devil in Duke’s Clothing (Royal Pains #1), The Duke’s Bedeviled Bride (Royal Pains #2), The Devil’s Masquerade (Royal Pains #3), The Queen of Swords, and The Tin Man.

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Here are some of the places you can find Nina Mason online:

Author Website: http://ninamasonauthor.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ninamasonromance

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninamasonauthor

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor

YouTube: http://youtube.com/ninamasonauthor

Amazon Author’s Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nina-Mason/e/B00J5N2PX8

Kensington Author’s Page: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31680