September 8, 2014 by Tina Williams

~PLAYING WITH FIRE ANTHOLOGY~ PRE-ORDER RELEASE BLITZ!

Pre-order this super anthology of Romantic Suspense novels, coming November 4th and available for 12 days ONLY! All profits go towards RAINN, the anti-sexual assault organization. Scroll down to find out what’s in the anthology, register for the Facebook Release Party and enter the Rafflecopter, where a $160 gift card is up for grabs!

✦✦ Playing with Fire Pre-Order is LIVE!! ✦✦

Playing with Fire: Twelve Romantic Suspense Novels that Sparked Bestselling Series

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12 Authors… 12 Bestselling Novels… Available for only 12 days!

Coming November 4th- November 15th!

Available for Pre-Order Now!

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AMAZON ✦ KOBO ✦ iTUNES

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Over 817,000 words and 2,200 pages for only $2.99! That’s the lowest price the retailer allows for such a large e-book!

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100% of the profits of this anthology go to RAINN: Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network- the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization!

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Join the Facebook Release Party ➪ HERE!

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CLICK HERE ➪ Rafflecopter giveaway

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Books in this Anthology:

Sarah Robinson – Tainted Bodies (The Photographer Trilogy)

Alyson Raynes – Deception (The Fixer Series)

Kim Black – Discovered (The Cover Series)

Pepper Winters – Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark Series)

Chelle Bliss – Throttle Me (Men of Inked Series)

LP Dover – Meant for Me (Second Chances Standalone Series)

Aleatha Romig – Consequences (Consequences Series)

TK Leigh – A Beautiful Mess (Beautiful Mess Series)

Brooke Cumberland – The Intern (The Intern Serials)

Clarissa Wild – Fierce (Fierce Series)

Missy Johnson – Desire (Desire Series)

Roxy Sloane – Seduction (The Seduction Series)

August 31, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Blog Tour & Giveaway Romantic Suspense BROSLIN BRIDE (Broslin Creek series) by NY Times Best-Selling author, Dana Marton

Last chance to win an e-book of your choice from the Broslin Bride series by New York Times Best-Selling Author, Dana Marton!! A fantastic way to begin the series or carry on with your collection! Read on for the details and good luck with entering. Caroline and Tina 🙂

areadersreviewblog

NY Times Best-Selling author, Dana Marton, has recently released her fifth book of her romantic suspense Broslin Creek series, BROSLIN BRIDE, and she is now launching her first book blog tour of the UK. Not only do we have the pleasure in sharing with you the cover and blurb for this fantastic novel, but we are also lucky to share with you an excerpt, author info, a GIVEAWAY (scroll to the end for info on this), links and much more…..

BROSLIN BRIDE BLURB: Luanne Mayfair might have killed her boss a little. Fine, a lot. Pretty much all the way. Okay, it sounds bad when you say it like that. But he was a sleazebag. Honest. The maids at the Mushroom Mile Motel that Earl Cosgrove managed often prayed for lightning to strike the lecherous bastard. Alas, God had seen fit to send Luanne instead.

Excerpt: Luanne Mayfair might have killed her…

View original post 1,095 more words

August 19, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Blog Tour & Giveaway Romantic Suspense BROSLIN BRIDE (Broslin Creek series) by NY Times Best-Selling author, Dana Marton

Excerpt: Luanne Mayfair might have killed her boss a little. Fine, a lot. Pretty much all the way. God, that sounded bad. But he was a sleazebag. Honest. The maids at the Mushroom Mile Motel that Earl Cosgrove managed often prayed for lightning to strike the lecherous bastard. Alas, God had seen fit to send Luanne instead.

Now you’ve gone and done it, she thought the morning after as she stood on the sidewalk in front of the fifties ranch home she rented in her hometown of Broslin, PA. She squinted against the early summer sun. Her red 1989 Mustang sitting by the curb had come from the used-car lot with its share of nicks and dents. But the damage to the front was new.

Gone and done it.

She’d done a horrible, terrible, despicable thing. Guilt and regret made her knees wobble. Whatever the punishment was, she deserved it.

Except, she couldn’t go to prison. She had her four-year-old twin sisters to take care of. She was Mia and Daisy’s sole guardian.

Luanne drew air in big, gulping breaths to wrestle down the shock and nausea. Get moving. One foot in front of the other. She couldn’t stand there and stare all morning. She had to find a way to get away with murder.

Dana Marton Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Dana Marton has thrilled and entertained millions of readers around the globe with her fast-paced stories about strong women and honorable men who fight side by side for justice and survival.

Kirkus Reviews calls her writing “compelling and honest.” RT Book Review Magazine said, “Marton knows what makes a hero…her characters are sure to become reader favorites.” Her writing has been acclaimed by critics, called, “gripping,” “intense and chilling,” “full of action,” “a thrilling adventure,” and wholeheartedly recommended to readers. Dana is the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, the Readers’ Choice Award, and Best Intrigue, among other awards. Her book, TALL, DARK, AND LETHAL was nominated for the prestigious Rita Award. DEATHSCAPE reached the #1 spot on Amazon’s Romantic Suspense Bestseller list.

Dana has a Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction, and is continuously studying the art and craft of writing, attending several workshops, seminars and conferences each year. Her number one goal is to bring the best books she possibly can to her readers.

Keeping in touch with readers is Dana’s favorite part of being an author. Please connect with her via her web site (www.danamarton.com) or her Facebook page (www.facebook.com/danamarton).

Having lived around the world, Dana currently creates her compelling stories in a small and lovely little town in Pennsylvania. The fictional town of her bestselling Broslin Creek series is based on her real life home where she fights her addictions to reading, garage sales, coffee and chocolate. If you know a good twelve-step program to help her with any of that, she’d be interested in hearing about it!

Links:

Website: https://danamarton.com/ sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE novella!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaMarton

Twitter: @DanaMarton

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

As Broslin Bride is the fifth book of the Broslin Creek series we thought it only best to give you the blurbs of the previous four novels of the series:

Deathwatch (Broslin Creek #1): As the only person who can identify the most notorious hit man in the country, Kat Bridges is running for her life.
Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She’s scared spitless. He’s completely burned-out on violence. Neither of them has any trust left to give.
If the best of the FBI couldn’t protect her from the country’s most notorious assassin, does a burned-out small town cop have a prayer?

Deathscape (Broslin Creek #2): After a near-death experience, artist Ashley Price is compelled to paint visions of the dead, and fears she’s gone crazy. Then she paints a man buried alive and, recognizing the surroundings, she rushes to save him.
Instead of being grateful to her for rescuing him, Detective Jack Sullivan accuses her of being in league with a serial killer. He swears he will put her behind bars. Except, the more time he spends with her, the more he falls under her spell. Can he trust her, or is he walking into another deadly trap?

Deathtrap (Broslin Creek #3): She’d been “the sick girl” for most of her life. She refused to go straight to “the weird girl”. Heart-transplant recipient Sophie Curtis has been in her own antiseptic bubble for so long, she just might not be able to venture out into the real world again. Her spooky body memories are scary enough, but then she finds herself in the cross hairs of a killer.
“Love was blind, people said. But lust was blind, deaf and reckless.” Ethan Bing hadn’t been a great romantic before he became a cop. Whatever shred of optimism he had left after becoming Broslin Chief of Police had been seared out of him by the unsolved murder of his wife two years before. A new case brings the killer within reach just as Sophie pops into his life. She gets through his defenses like no other before, but soon it becomes clear that she’s been selected as the killer’s next victim.

Deathblow (Broslin Creek #4): Former small-town football hero turned cop, Joe Kessler never met a linebacker, perp, or a woman he couldn’t handle. Then a troubled single mom walks into his life, and the only place this hot jock will ever see ‘easy’ again is in the dictionary.
Hiding out in Broslin, PA was working pretty well for Wendy Belle until Cop Casanova took her under his protection. Now she’ll either lose her life to one man, or her heart to another.

Books 1-3 of the Broslin Creek series (Deathwatch, Deathscape and Deathtrap) as shown above are in a boxed set which is due to go on sale for only 99c between August 22nd and August 26th!!! Don’t miss out!! Plus Book One, Deathwatch, is usually FREE on most sites!!!

AND we are also hosting a GIVEAWAY where one lucky winner can win an e-book of one of the novels from the Broslin Creek series that the winner gets to choose!! To have a chance to win all we ask is that you add your name to the comments below and/or on our post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AReadersReview!! The CLOSING DATE for entries is AUGUST 31ST 2014!!

Good luck, guys!

Caroline and Tina 🙂

May 21, 2014 by Tina Williams

~ COVER REVEAL & EXCERPT ~ SEAL My Destiny, by Sharon Hamilton

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – SEAL My Destiny

SERIES – SEAL Brotherhood #6

AUTHOR – Sharon Hamilton

GENRE – Romantic Suspense

PUBLICATION DATE – June, 1, 2014

LENTH (Pages/# Words) – Full Length Novel

PUBLISHER – Al Publishing

Navy SEAL Luke Paulsen, on the verge of PTSD stemming from the death of his fiancée and a brutal tour overseas, knows he is damaged goods and unsuitable for relationships. While paying respects to a fallen comrade, he is unprepared for the chemical attraction he feels for the carefree dark-haired beauty playing in the surf one evening.

Julie Christensen befriends the troubled SEAL, motivated by her yearning to soothe the young man’s troubled soul. Fueled by intense mutual desire, they succumb to one night of mind-numbing passion. Afterwards, he is unable to shed the memory of his lost love and disappears.

When they meet again at a wedding that will forever bring their two families together, their passion and longing for one another forces them to confront their pasts in order to find a future together.
But soon the trauma of his service separates them. Julie goes back to teaching and Luke deploys for North Africa with SEAL Team 3. Upon his return, he receives a frantic call that Julie’s life is in danger. Will he make it in time to save the woman he now knows he wants to marry and spend the rest of his life with?

Pre-orders available now

AMAZON KINDLE US / AMAZON KINDLE CA / AMAZON KINDLE UK

He wanted to say something but suddenly became hesitant. Everything had gone so fast, he didn’t want to spook her. He was unafraid to show her how much he loved being with her, especially since she’d promised to visit him in Coronado and they’d see where things went from there. It would have been like the cart before the horse, but he wanted to ask her to marry him at that impulsive moment, but he held himself back. Being the wife of a SEAL was a special assignment and there was no training for that, except the school of hard knocks. There was a community of wives that looked out for each other. And not all the stories from overseas made it home to them. The smart wives knew this. He knew it was a lot to ask of someone. He didn’t want to fall for a lady who didn’t really understand what she’d be getting herself into. But that was a completely crazy thought, because he’d already fallen for her. He decided he’d just put it out of his mind, and not discuss anything future-related, to keep the pressure off them both. Nothing wrong with having a little bit of—well, a lot of—fun in the next few days before his deployment. He held her under the starlight. Feeling eyes on him, he saw Julie’s parents eyeing him from their kitchen window, smiling. He couldn’t keep up the eye contact because odds weren’t in his favor. He wasn’t prince charming, or Sir Galahad riding in on his white horse. He was just a guy other guys sent in to blow stuff up, grab people and hopefully get out before getting shot or caught. And his intentions, although he liked to think of them as honorable, were merely to do everything in his power to be as irresistible as possible to her so that when he left, he’d be the one hard to miss. And then maybe she’d wait for him. Maybe she’d wait until he got fully well. It was a lot of ifs. The music stopped while he was kissing her ear through her hair, while he was holding her tighter as she melted into him. He liked that they were dancing because their thighs made soft caresses and the dress, that yummy dress, made all that noise. He just knew every time he heard the sound of layers of chiffon, he’d get hard. It was going to be something he’d have for the rest of his life.

AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR

Sharon’s award-winning almost-erotic Navy SEAL stories of the SEAL Brotherhood, have consistently made best sellers lists and review sites. Her characters follow a spicy road to redemption through passion and true love. She has been an Amazon top 100 author in Romantic Suspense since last fall.

Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve read before, since they don’t have to go to ground and can walk around in the full light of the sun. Honeymoon Bite, Book 1 of the Golden Vampires of Tuscany Series was recently named the #1 Gothic Romance by Amazon. It is now available on Audible.

Her Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one. You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.

Sharon lives in Sonoma County, California with her husband, and two Dobermans. A lifelong organic gardener, when she’s not writing, she’s getting vera vera dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmer’s Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.

Amazon Author Page / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Google+ / Goodreads / Shelfari

Tour Organized By:

April 7, 2014 by Tina Williams

A Reckless Soul, A Secrets of the Zodiac Series #2, by Elizabeth Cole

Romantic and Suspenseful Regency Spy Novel

A Reckless Soul is the second book in the Secrets of the Zodiac, a series that blends romantic suspense with the rich background of the Regency period. I reviewed the first book in the series, A Heartless Design last year and loved it!Just in case you missed my review you can find it by scrolling down after you have read my thoughts on A Reckless Soul.

Book Blurb for A Reckless Soul

A seductive agent, a disillusioned lord, and a web of deceit only they can untangle…

Sophie Bertrand is skilled in acting, espionage, and the subtle art of seduction. An independent spirit, she fought her way from rough streets to the top secret circle of spies known as the Zodiac. Her newest assignment is one of her most delicate yet: hunt down a traitor within Britain’s own government. But there’s a catch…this time she can’t work alone.

Bruce Allander has a title, honor, wealth…but he’d trade it all to restore his family. The Zodiac gives him a chance for justice in a world that’s already taken too much from him. Now he finds himself close to this captivating Frenchwoman—possibly too close. Sophie defies all his expectations, yet in her he senses a kindred soul.

Passion draws the two together, but a web of betrayals threatens to tear them apart. To survive, they have to trust each other. They have to be a little reckless…

A RECKLESS SOUL is the second book in the Secrets of the Zodiac, a series that blends romantic suspense with the rich background of the Regency period.

My Review

Having read Elizabeth’s Cole’s A Heartless Design, the first book in the series, which I LOVED, I had high expectations of this book, the second in the series. I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed and I ADORED this read!

To secure the evidence for a traitor in the British government, the Zodiac agents in this novel must impersonate another couple at a house party hosted by a Frenchman of questionable morals. Although both agents, Sophie and Bruce, prefer to work alone, with the safety of the country on the line the stakes are high and they must put their personal prejudices aside to fulfil their mission’s objectives. Their mission is fraught with danger and deceit and the author once again weaves an inventive plot containing strong male and female leads and credible adversaries. If you like suspense with your Regency romance, complete with lashings of danger, sexy scenes and characters who turn the rules of the establishment on its head, than this series is for you.

The hero and the heroine in this novel are fascinating characters. Sophie, as Libra, the only female agent, is far from your usual simpering Regency miss. She is an independent woman, skilled in the art of seduction and disguise. She prides herself on the success of her missions and uses her body and mind to reach her goals, taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Her life is totally devoted to her work for the Zodiac, the organisation whose agents commit their very lives to protect the safety of the realm. Sophie has a low opinion of men in general and includes Bruce in this category after sparks fly at their initial meetings. Despite this, she is attracted to him and throughout their mission, where they are compelled to work very closely together, finds it increasingly difficult to maintain her usual emotional distance.

Bruce, agent Scorpio, is a Viscount. He is a lonely man, his parents are both deceased and his brother is estranged. As the eldest son he knows that he will have to continue the family line one day but not whilst he is working as an agent. In contrast to Sophie, he takes great care to plan his mission down to the last detail. He is not happy at all with Sophie’s approach of seizing the initiative, believing it is risky, although he does acknowledge her many skills, particularly in the art of seduction…… Bruce is both attracted to and confounded by Sophie, torn between protecting her and strangling her! He also begins to question whether or not he can trust her given the fact that she is French and could be working for the enemy as a double agent……

When this couple are not performing their assigned roles they are either involved in a heated exchange or trying to fight their feelings for each other. The sexual tension between them is high and there are a number of passionate and heartfelt lovemaking scenes, the emotional intensity of which rapidly increase as the tale progresses. This novel has a strong plot and is also one sexy read!

Although much of the plot concerns Sophie and Bruce at the house party, we also get to meet other agents, including their handler Aries and Sebastien Thorne and his wife Cordelia, the hero and heroine of A Heartless Design. The villains and their methods are truly evil and there is never a dull moment.

I recommend A Reckless Soul to readers who enjoy a Regency romance, especially those who enjoy some adventure, mystery and suspense and a strong male and unconventional female lead.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to be by the publisher for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Publisher

Skyspark Books http://www.skysparkbooks.com/a-reckless-soul/

Connect with the Author

http://elizabethcole.co/

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethColeWrites

March 14, 2014 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR Forever Doomed, by Mary Ann Kempher

A Readers Review Blog is THRILLED to be participating in the blog tour for FOREVER DOOMED, a sexy romantic suspense. Read on for the book blurb, an exciting excerpt and 10 fun facts about the author Mary Ann Kempher!

book blurb

It’s not wise to wander the cruise ship Forever alone at night. You might not live to see daylight.

Detective Jack Harney agrees to do an old Army buddy a favor. Curt Noble had some personal business to attend to, he didn’t say what. What he did say was he needed someone to temporarily take over his duties as head of security on the struggling cruise ship Forever. Jack hesitates, but he owes Curt his life so agrees. He’s told the worst mischief he can expect to encounter will be the occasional shoplifter, or drunk. Instead, one week into the cruise, a beautiful red head and a member of the crew are ruthlessly murdered. Are the two murders connected? It’s up to Jack to find out. He must find the killer before the ship returns to Tampa’s port, or worse, before another dead body is found. This won’t be easy. The ship is old, it’s security systems outdated, and clues are few, or so it seems at first

It’s not just a sense of obligation that motivates Jack to agree to Curt’s request;

Jack moved thousands of miles, started over, and still can’t get Amy O’Brian out of his heart or mind. When she shows up on the ship, as part of a large wedding party, Jack must fight to stay focused. To make matters worse, Amy isn’t his only distraction; a sexy and mysterious woman has made it her mission to seduce Jack.

As the body count rises, and time slips away, Jack has to ask himself, “Did someone commit the perfect crime?”

forever doomed

maryann kempher

goodreads

purchase links

amazon us | amazon uk | barnes & Noble | kobo

excerpt

She quickly opened the pantry door and stepped inside. Oh good, my cake. By the sound of the wind, rain, and even the occasional thunder, she could tell the back door had finally been opened. She cracked the pantry door an inch and peeked out. A tall, muscular man was there, he was making a sandwich. She’d wait him out. The lights in the kitchen flickered on and off, then on again. Suddenly, another man entered the kitchen. Jeez, I’m never gonna get out of here.

“What are you doing in here?” she heard him ask. His tone concerned her. He seemed annoyed, maybe even angry. At least I’m not the only person in the kitchen that’s not supposed to be here.

The other man didn’t answer. He picked up a rolling pin and hit the guy on the side of the head, hard. The man fell to the floor with a thud. His head lay outside where she was hiding. Through the crack in the door, she could see blood on the side of his head, his eyes wide open and vacant. She swallowed hard and willed herself not to freak out. She’d need all her composure so she didn’t give herself away. She watched, shocked, as the man rushed to the kitchen’s swinging doors, looked out, then quickly returned. He picked up the dead guy and walked outside.

She wasn’t thinking straight. Should she wait, see if he was coming back? Should she run like hell and hope he didn’t see? She did what any good stripper would do. She went to the other side of her cake, bent down, and with all her strength pushed that cake out of the pantry, through the kitchen, and out of the cafeteria. She pulled up the hood up on her overcoat and kept it there until she arrived at her destination.

ten fun facts about maryann

1. I spent my honeymoon in Saudi Arabia. Someone approached our guide and offered to buy me.

2. I spent a year in Korea, about 90 miles from Seoul.

3. I’ve written two books. My first is a romance with a murder mystery, my second is a mystery with a dash of romance.

4. I grew up in Milwaukee Wisconsin, but moved to Reno NV when I was 15 years old.

5. My first job was at the Circus Circus casino in Reno. On their second floor, they have arcade games similar to a carnival, and a stage where acts are performed. I worked all the different games.

6. I’ve been married for 21 years.

7. My favorite food is spicy squid. My least favorite is cabbage.

8. I love to travel, but don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. My last big trip was to New York City. My last mini-trip was to St. Augustine Florida.

9. My first book is entered into a contest hosted by Romance Writers of America. Fingers crossed.

10. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice.

about the author

MaryAnn Kempher loves to write mystery with a dash of romance. She spent her teen years spent living in Reno NV where her first book, Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder is set. The setting for her second book, Forever Doomed, was inspired by her love of the ocean. Her writing influences include favorite authors Agatha Christie, Jane Austen and Janet Evanovich. Her guilty pleasures include any and all sweets, including a good cup of Mocha. She is married with two children.

contact maryann

facebook | website | twitter | goodreads

previous books

goodreads

Instead of feeding her late-night appetite, a midnight food run nearly gets 28-year-old Katherine O’Brian killed. She’s the only person to see the man who brutally murdered a local woman, and the killer is hell-bent on making sure she doesn’t talk.

Scott Mitchell left a broken engagement behind when he moved to Reno, and the last thing he needs is more melodrama. But when he and Katherine are paired for a college project, that’s what he gets. It can be very distracting when someone is out to kill your lab partner. Together, they try to figure out what the police haven’t been able to—the identity of the murderer. Passion flares, but with Katherine’s life in danger, romance seems like more than a bad idea.

Scott and Katherine will face jealousy, misunderstandings, lust, and rivals, not to mention attempted murder—and all before their first real date

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February 20, 2014 by Tina Williams

Not Another Soldier, by Samantha Holt

We are THRILLED to welcome Samantha Holt to A Readers Review Blog today. Samantha has long been one of our favourite authors of historical romance and now she has published her first full length contemporary romantic suspense, NOT ANOTHER SOLDIER, which we reviewed a few weeks ago. We are showcasing this today by participating in the book’s blog tour organised by My Family’s Heart Reviews and Tours.

Read on for the book blurb and purchase links and read a super hot teaser which will have you panting for more! Also find out how to connect with Samantha and enter the giveaway to win some super prizes. Tina and Caroline 🙂

Title: Not Another Solider
Author: Samantha Holt
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 17th January 2014

I’ve just buried my husband. I was going to divorce him and now he’s dead.

After five years as a military wife, Sienna is moving on. She’s keen to leave behind the misery of her marriage to Rob but for some reason the past won’t let her go. It doesn’t help that her closest friend, Nick, is also a soldier. Unfortunately Sienna is struggling to deny her attraction to the sexy marine, even knowing there can be no future in it. When the injured soldier admits he wants her just as badly, and has always wanted her, the fight to control her feelings becomes harder.

And now she’s learning things about her late husband that surprise even her. When the secrets of Rob’s life come to light, Sienna finds herself involved with some very nasty people and Nick is determined to protect her, no matter what.

As the danger grows to both her heart and her life, Sienna needs to decide if it was the army that was the problem or her late husband. Is Nick worth the heartache of being a military spouse again? And will he be able to protect her from the ring of drug dealers slowly closing in?

AMAZON KINDLE | GOODREADS

Drawing in a breath, I open the door. Hopefully Nick’s all settled and I won’t even have to—

He’s sitting on my bed.

Damn the man. He studies me, slow and languorously, and I flex my fingers, longing to splay my hands across myself. My simple PJs now feel sexy and I’m definitely showing off too much skin.

“Can I—” I cough. “Is everything okay?”

Nick nods slowly, his eyes saying everything is more than okay. My skin heats and I hope he can’t see the redness that’s no doubt in my cheeks and on my chest.

“Yeah,” he says finally, gaze lingering on my bare legs. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine.”

Though I don’t sound fine. Having your heart going the same rate as a freight train or your blood boiling beneath your skin probably isn’t fine. But that wasn’t what he meant.

He doesn’t look convinced.

“It’s been a crazy day and I am a little shaken but I’m okay, I swear. I just need a little rest and I need to get this place back to normal and then I’ll be great.”

Nick takes a moment to study me once more and stands. “All right. Just checkin’.”

“Oh.” I go to my closet. “Here’s some blankets.” I draw out two old ones that I usually use if the temperature drops and pass them over.

“Thanks.” He takes them from me.

“Do you need something to sleep in?” I bend down and rummage through the bottom drawer. “I might have some old T-shirts.” I find one and come up to standing.

His eyes are wary and he looks tense, slightly like he’s going to explode at any moment.

Baffled, I thrust out the T-shirt. “It’s one of Rob’s. I don’t know why I still have them really. Or would it be weird wearing his stuff?” He doesn’t respond so I hesitate before turning around and chucking the T-shirt back in the drawer. That was a stupid idea. “Sorry, guess it would be.”

With a wry laugh, he nods. “Yeah, I don’t want to be wearing his stuff, but I got to tell you, babe, I’m more worried about your night clothes.”

“What?”

“If you’re sleeping like that,” he motions with one hand down me, “then it’s going to make me sleeping there,” now he points to the couch, “a real trial. ‘Cause when you bend over in those shorts, all I want to do is take you to bed and peel them from you.”

Samantha lives in a small village in England with her gorgeous twin girls and husband who is a trained bodyguard and ex-soldier (Yes, seriously!). She traditionally writes historical romances involving chivalrous knights and hot highlanders, but occasionally dabbles in contemporary romance. When she reluctantly leaves her computer, she enjoys exploring old ruins and indulging an early midlife crisis. Adrenaline filled suggestions for the bucket list are always welcome!

Find Samantha on Facebook

Prizes
1 Paperback copy of Not Another Soldier
3 x $2.99 ebook of readers choice

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Tour Hosted By:

February 14, 2014 by Tina Williams

Spotlight on Forever Doomed, by Mary Ann Kempher

Today’s Book Spotlight is on Mary Ann Kempher’s Romantic Suspense FOREVER DOOMED!

Scroll down to peek at the book blurb and cover, read an excerpt, check out the purchase links and find out about the author and her previous work.

book blurb

It’s not wise to wander the cruise ship Forever alone at night. You might not live to see daylight.

It’s not just a sense of obligation that motivates Jack to agree to Curt’s request;

As the body count rises, and time slips away, Jack has to ask himself, “Did someone commit the perfect crime?”

forever doomed

maryann kempher

goodreads

purchase links

amazon us | amazon uk | barnes & noble | kobo

excerpt

Jack watched Marni leave, torn. Did he think she’d killed Pam? No, but she was keeping something from him, something to do with Pam’s murder. He looked down at his arm, seeing her small hand. His heart was still beating hard. It had taken real effort to hide his feelings when she’d touched him. After a few minutes, he started walking, and was soon standing outside Marni’s cabin door. He hesitated. He told himself he was just going there to talk to her, to try to make her tell him what he sensed she was holding back. But that was a lie. He reached up and knocked. She opened the door wearing a towel.

“I was about to take a shower,” she said.

Jack didn’t respond. He walked into her room, shoving the door shut behind him. He took hold of her towel and pulled her tightly against his body, his mouth covering hers, his tongue searching for hers, his hands yanking the towel off and tossing it to the floor. He easily picked up Marni and carried her to the bed. She pulled his shirt up over his head, her hands running themselves through his thick chest hair. She reached for his belt buckle, undoing it slowly, her eyes watching his. Then she pulled his pants down and gasped.

Oh my.

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Scott and Katherine will face jealousy, misunderstandings, lust, and rivals, not to mention attempted murder—and all before their first real date

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February 3, 2014 by Caroline Barker

The Lakeside Legacy (a South Carolina Romantic Suspence, Book 1) by Jean Jennett

Mystery, action and a HOT romance! (Warning: recommended for 18yrs+)

Book blurb (please scroll down for the review): What Krista Lucas finds when she arrives in picturesque Camden, South Carolina, is beyond all expectations. Her biological father, a man she never knew, has left her a large house in town and beautiful lakeside wooded acreage. How he came to own the property is a mystery Krista needs to solve for her own peace of mind.

Jake Thornton maintains that his family owns the house and land, and he can prove it with a document his own father left.

… Or can he?

Jake isn’t the only one with an interest in the property. His three brothers are ready and eager to develop the land, and nothing is going to stop them.

Including Krista Lucas.

With Krista’s life in danger, whose side will Jake take? His family … or Krista? Will the truth be discovered in time?

Early readers have said that The Lakeside Legacy has it all: suspense, danger, mystery, romance … and love.

The Lakeside Legacy is the first book in the South Carolina Romantic Suspense series.

WARNING: This book contains graphic sexual descriptions.

Review:

I LOVED The Lakeside Legacy. It is more than a love story. It has everything: romance, mystery, action, suspense and sensual scenes. Not only is there a great romance blossoming between Krista and Jake, it is like a Romeo and Juliet scenario. These two strong characters are from opposing families where the house and land surrounding the lake are concerned. Both believe that they are the proprietor, and both believe they have the proof.

Initially, Krista is oblivious to another claim for the ownership of the land, believing it to be her inheritance. And so, after moving to South Carolina to her new home and being befriended by Jake she feels that she is moving forward with her life. Her feelings for Jake become apparent and the possibility of romance is close.

I love the way in which Jean Jennett builds up the love scenes. This really takes the intensity to an almost unbearable pleasure as it is so good. And at a moment when Krista feels comfortable to love again, after what happened to her in Manhattan, Jake’s family and the developers have other plans, making any chance of a romance impossible.

Jake’s family and developers are quite relentless and will do all they can to get Krista out of the picture. But what is Jake to do? Does he stand by his family, to claim the house that he was once raised in, the land that could be developed, or does he choose to protect Krista?

There are some dark, fearsome moments with threats and attacks towards Krista that really put the reader on edge. The suspense is quite intense and the reader has no clue as to what will happen next. The following excerpt is written in context of when Krista is alone on a dark evening. Most of the townspeople are being entertained at a festival and she decides to walk on into the town alone.

“She didn’t notice a pickup truck parked a block up the street, didn’t see it roll forward with its lights off, and didn’t see a man jump out of the passenger side at the end of her driveway.”

The Lakeside Legacy provides a great deal of mystery: who does the house/land really belong to? What will become of Krista? What happened all those years ago between their fathers? Who will the property be left to and how will this affect Krista and Jake’s feelings for each other?

This novel also holds a smaller mystery as to what happened in Manhattan with Krista. As the novel continues and unfolds the reader is given an insight every now and again into what happened. This makes the reader understand why Krista does not run from this threatening situation. In some way she is facing her own demons. After what happened in Manhattan, she is not going to let this one ride. She is defiant and will fight for her rightful inheritance until the bitter end.

One of my favourite aspects of this book is that, although the reader is provided with Krista’s point of view, we also have an insight into Jake’s. This allows the reader to connect strongly to both of them and understand both claims. The reader sympathises at times with Jake’s predicament, whilst still annoyed that he befriended Krista in the beginning.

I love reading about significant background characters, even if they only show a brief appearance. And Frank Arcola is a great character who I would have liked reading more about. It would be a shame to elaborate much more without spoiling the story but he is a very strong and meaningful part of the story. I also liked reading about Jake’s brother, Nick, who was someone to confide in, someone to talk to, and someone who could try to put the other brothers straight. I was hoping to read a little more of him towards the end.

I clearly enjoyed this book very much. Whereas most authors tend to concentrate on the one genre in particular, I found that there was always an element of meaningful action and love in The Lakeside Legacy. There is never a dull moment. And the sexy scenes in The Lakeside legacy are fantastic. It is a great suspense. I’ll look forward to reading the next book in the South Carolina series.

I would like to thank the author, Jean Jennett, for providing a copy of The Lakeside Legacy in return for an honest and fair review.

You can find The Lakeside Legacy on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

January 10, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Summer in Rye (novella) by Lucy Oliver

Summer in Rye

Book blurb: A tragedy brought Eva Brookwell and Samuel Shaw back into each other’s lives. But will lies from the past destroy their chances of a future?

Left penniless after the death of her philandering father, Eva Brookwell takes a job as a governess at Rye Hall, but didn’t expect to find her young charges scarred and blinded from smallpox. Rye Hall is an unhappy house with a tyrannical master and Eva is forced to turn to her pupils’ uncle, Samuel Shaw for help.

Eva and Samuel had once been engaged, until his lies drove them apart. Still in love with him, Eva knows she could never trust him again; however he is her only ally in the dark and disturbed household she now lives in.

Absolutely gripping, high intensity and powerful novella! It will certainly steam up your cold January evening!

Summer in Rye is an exceptionally captivating historical love story, with truly good, strong characters that instantly draw the reader in. It has a hot and steamy moment, with the ongoing tension that Eva is feeling for all of the right AND wrong reasons. This intensity continues through the whole story as Eva battles her feelings for Samuel against her fear of the future turning out the only way she can possibly see it to be.

It must be quite tragic and embarrassing for Eva, coming from a well-to-do family, having to work as a governess for a family that are already only too aware of her downfall. However, Eva is a strong woman and holds her head high. Although not made to feel too welcome by Lady Florence Shaw (Samuel’s sister-in-law), after meeting the children she feels compelled to ensure their wellbeing and make a living to support her mother and sister.

For this novella, Lucy Oliver has packed a great deal of emotion and described the relationship that Eva has with each character really well. There are only a few characters but the reader is provided with a great idea of who they are and what they care most for. Eva clearly has to decide on her feelings for Samuel, try to maintain a civil relationship with Florence and also be aware of the intentions of Edward, Samuel’s brother, towards her.

Eva’s feelings for Samuel may only be explored in one moment. It is very erotic and sensual, with the reader believing that this will be the only time these two greatly matched people will ever be as one. Eva finds it difficult to follow her heart entirely and decides to have what she can, while she can – without the risk that she may someday marry Samuel, for him to gallivant with mistresses and push her aside just as her father did to her mother.

Despite of all the doubts that Eva has regarding Samuel’s love, it is pretty obvious to the reader that he thinks fondly of her from the first time the reader is acquainted with him. It isn’t too long before we realise that Samuel loves everything there is to love about Eva. As a reader, I longed to strongly urge Eva to just go and be with him. He is hers, completely. The feelings that these two characters have are overwhelmingly strong. And I love that Eva keeps him at arms length mostly and considers her family. She is using her mind but instinct should surely show her to follow her heart on this occasion.

The story’s novella length is perfect as the story continues at a steady pace with every intensity and passion you can imagine. There is certainly no opportunity for the mind to wander anywhere else. Lucy Oliver’s writing style is quite direct and easy to follow, at a good pace and leaves the reader intrigued with the characters and how they feel for each other.

There is no reason why Summer in Rye couldn’t be a Top Seller. I would certainly like to read more of Lucy Oliver’s work in the future.

I think one conclusion I can draw from this is for all those doubtful ones amongst us to go and grab the bull by it’s horns. Go grab your man, girls, before you miss that chance. Sometimes it is good to follow your heart, especially when it is being heard by another!

A copy of Summer in Rye was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

Summer in Rye is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker