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🐺RELEASE BLITZ🐺-MONSTER IN MY SHADOW: A DARK PARANORMAL SMALL-TOWN SHIFTER ROMANCE (RAVENSWOOD BOOK 1), BY LANA SKY

#ParanormalRomance #NewSeries #AuthorLanaSky #TwistedRomance #ShifterRomance #FatedLovers #DarkRomance #SmallTownRomance #FangsAndClaws #Cursed #NeedToReadItNow #ReadMoreRomance #Bookstagram #NewRelease #booklover #bookish #bookworm #bookaddict⁠

BLURB

Note to self: Beware of the tall, beautiful stranger with feral eyes.

Small-town life is all I’ve ever known—until he appears. He stalks me from the shadows while wordlessly begging me to draw near. After a fateful night, my world will never be the same.

I should want to run from him.

He claims he won’t hurt me—even though every fiber of his being urges him to.

I don’t have a choice but to trust him.

We’re linked in a way that goes beyond mere attraction, or even lust—and anyone who threatens that bond will rue the day he ever crossed their path.

Even if that person is me.

A new dark paranormal small-town shifter romance from Lana Sky. Enter the world of Ravenswood where curses are as real as the things that go bump in the night and sprout fangs and claws. Monster in My Shadow is the first book in a trilogy.

All Retailers ➜ https://books2read.com/MonsterShadow

My Review

Fantastic start to a new trilogy – 5 stars

Monster in My Shadow is a fantastic start to a new trilogy by Lana Sky. This slow burn shifter romance, set in a small town, is full of mystery, danger and suspense and an overriding sense of menace. I was glued to my Kindle throughout and particularly liked the unique take on the fated mate’s trope.

Kaydee Blanchette, a young woman who works in a local bar, has felt the eyes of the handsome and mysterious Liwai Raven on her for years. His attention has gotten under her skin, and although he attracts her something about seems off. A shocking event brings them together, affecting them on a visceral level and they both struggle with the consequences as their lives and their plans for the future are turned upside down…

Indeed, both Kaydee and Liwai are in for a hell of a ride as secrets, and more are revealed, and they strive to come to terms with the decisions they make. I loved their pairing – the bookish, innocent, and bespectacled heroine with the character of Liwai, the dark and brooding outcast who is rumoured to have done very bad things… Kaydee feels drawn to him, but at the same time is fearful of what she may find. As for Liwai, his actions are mercurial, and he appears at war with himself. He says she is safe with him, but what if it is a lie?

I enjoyed how the character of Kaydee, grows as she ventures out of the comfort zone of her hometown, and embarks on a journey to make sense of events and their impact on her and others. There are so many layers to this book outside of the central romance and it is a cracking read! The character of the schoolgirl Renae, a member of Liwai’s household is also worthy of special note, as she plays such a key role in the book and is a fascinating character in her own right.

The book ends on a cliffhanger and I am looking forward to Monster in my Heart, the next book in the trilogy.

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author, and I am voluntarily leaving a fair and honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lana Sky is a reclusive writer in the United States who spends most of her time daydreaming about complex male characters and parenting her Cockapoo Joey. She writes dark, twisted romance across several genres. Her titles include everything from mafia romance to vampires.

AUTHOR LINKS

May 27, 2022 by Tina Williams

Cover Reveal for Love You Again by Julia Kent

COVER REVEAL—Love You Again (Love You, Maine, Book 2) by Julia Kent (@jkentauthor) #romanticcomedy #romcom #contemporaryromance #romance

Release date: July 19, 2022

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Najla Qamber, Qamber Designs (https://www.qamberdesignsmedia.com/)

Audiobook Narrators: Erin Mallon and Teddy Hamilton

Tropes/Themes: Small Town, Second Chance, Single Dad/Nanny, Slow Burn

Retailer Description:

An unexpected rescue rekindles an old romance between a single dad widower and a woman caught in a small town scandal that made her flee the one place where she belongs. Can a second chance at first love end in a happily ever after?

Luke Luview has given up on love. Finally ready to let go of his late wife’s clothes, the grieving small-town police officer and single dad thinks he’s hearing things when he opens the charity box door. Who knocks from the inside of a donation bin?

The raccoon he assumes is in there turns out to be way prettier – and very familiar. Rescuing the first girl he ever kissed means life has dealt him a wild card with Kylie Hood, his late wife’s best friend who left town suddenly fifteen years ago under a cloud of scandal.

Kylie Hood will never depend on a man again. Dumped by her boyfriend and fired by his parents from her children’s programming job at their ski resort in rural Maine, she hits rock bottom while throwing out her ex’s clothes — along with her phone and car keys.

Being rescued by Luke Luview, of all people, is a gift and a curse. The boy she once loved is now all grown up, everything her ex wasn’t – and absolutely off limits.

Accepting his offer to be his temporary nanny while she job searches in New York City, Kylie falls hard for his sweet daughter, and even harder for Luke. A clause in her employment contract means they can’t fraternize, but fate has other plans, and forbidden fruit is twice as sweet.

As the town she reluctantly left years ago accepts her more and more, and Luke makes it clear he wants ta second chance with her in their close-knit community, Kylie has to decide: an exciting new career in Manhattan on her own, or an instant family and a sense of belonging in her small hometown?

And as Luke wrestles with the pain of being left behind by his wife’s accidental death, he has to balance his responsibilities to his daughter with his own needs. Needs he’s ignored for far too long.

Needs only Kylie can meet.

But not if she leaves.

Can Luke and Kylie rekindle their first love and find a new future together in a place where love conquers all?

If you’re looking for a fun read about first kisses and second chances, featuring a hot single-dad police officer and his accidental nanny, set in a small town in New England, with a golden retriever named Jester, a heroine whose dream in life is to run a fairy camp, and a hero who wants to build a place where everyone belongs–then this is your book.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe some edible glitter, and get your happy meter ready as you read the second book in the Love You, Maine, series–where love isn’t just a feeling… it’s a way of life.

✓Standalone

✓Slow burn

✓Single dad widower

✓Nanny/police officer

✓Second chance

… and a golden retriever named Jester

Buy Links:

Audible: COMING SOON

Amazon Audio: COMING SOON

iTunes: COMING SOON

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Social Media Links:

Excerpt:

A white puff of air filled the space between him and the steering wheel, and he realized he’d sighed. How long had he been sitting here, mind and memory in the past? Shoving his hands into gloves, he opened the rear door, grabbed the white plastic bag, and made his way to the front of the bin.

Determined, focused, and grim: That was Luke Luview these days. A bad match for a town that existed to make people feel good about love.

Living in Love You, Maine–heck, being a Luview–was never harder than when you had a broken heart.

Time to let go of some of the pain.

“AAAAAAooooooooo,” called out a band of coyotes in the distance, making Luke jolt. His personal weapon was at home. He didn’t carry it in the glove compartment or on his body when he was off duty, but as the coyote population grew in the area, maybe he should.

A few feet from the donation bin’s front, he looked at the lever to pull down, squeezing the bag slightly. A whiff of Amber’s perfume caught his nose, so faint he almost imagined it.

Colleen had washed all the clothes a few weeks ago, so he knew he imagined Amber’s scent. Didn’t matter. He’d take the illusion. That was how much he hurt.

A skitter inside the box made him frown.

Damn animals. They got in those bins all the time. He felt sorry for the poor sap who emptied these metal boxes, carting all the goods to the warehouse in Manchester where they cleaned and sorted, getting it all ready for the second-hand retail stores.

Just do this, he thought, swallowing hard as the coyotes mated in the distance. The sound was violent and creepy, but for whatever reason, it felt fitting.

Throwing the tangible reminders of that terrible day into the donation box felt dangerous, too.

“I love you, Amber,” he murmured. “But I have to let you go. Have to let that day go. Harriet needs a daddy who isn’t tied down by grief. Just because I’m doing this doesn’t mean I love you any less, though.”

Tears pricked his eyes. “Why is this so hard? Because it’s hard,” he said with a huff. “That’s what you would say if you were here. You’d hug me and comfort me and tell me feelings are meant to be felt or they’d be called something else. You’d have all the right words. I don’t have any. I just have a big hole in my life, Amber. And you’re never going to fill it. Colleen says I can’t feel guilty for moving on. I don’t. But I sure do feel weird.”

And then he reached for the handle, pulled it down, and threw the bag in while calling out loudly, “I love you.”

To his utter shock, she replied from the darkness of the box, “I’m in here!”

Cover reveal organized by Writer Marketing Services.

August 14, 2014 by Tina Williams

Back to Storafalt (Finally Ever After), by Holley Trent ~ REVIEW

Will Love Succeed Second Time Around?

Contemporary Romance – 61 pages

Book Blurb

He stood her up. Now she’s standing out.

The last time Justine Eklund had heard from Gray Voss was when he’d agreed to take her to her sister’s wedding. He stood her up. Twelve years later, he’s back in Wyoming as the new owner of Storafalt’s only pharmacy. He didn’t come alone, though. He brought along the small cowboy town’s best-kept secret—his preteen son, Danny.

Gray wants to pick up where he left off. He never stopped loving the beautiful rabble-rouser, and thinks she’ll fit seamlessly into his little family. Justine yearns to reignite that old torch, but she’s wary. She’s not convinced her high school sweetheart will stick around.

Storafalt’s only school is on a rapid decline, so Gray may have no choice but to return Danny to the life they built in Austin. If he goes, there’s no way Justine can go with them. Unlike Gray, she’s rooted too deeply to leave.

My Review

This novella, packs in real punch as it contains plenty of emotional angst, humour and a smexy scene or two – the opening scene in particular is very memorable! Gray, the hero and Justine, the heroine, immediately reconnect after an absence of 12 years, but Justine is reluctant to trust him again and commit to a relationship, after he let her down in the past. Add to this the unexpected complication of Gray’s son Danny and the scene is set for the hero having to do all he can to convince the heroine that he is the man for her.

I enjoyed the small town setting of the story in which the couple’s lack of anonymity brings their actions into sharp focus. Gray is a real hottie and we come to understand his reasons for standing Justine up when he did. Justine is smart cookie and a thoroughly likeable heroine, with strong ties to Storafelt. The couple must grapple with the realities of life that maturity brings to achieve their HEA and to win her heart Gray needs to encourage Justine to trust in him again and boy does he have his work cut out!

However,it is not always easy to return to the place of our youth and rekindle your first love. The author manages to reflect both characters’ dilemmas in a sensitive and humorous way and we are left wondering if life in Storafalt will be enough to meet Gray’s expectations and whether Justine will decide to risk trusting him again. I enjoyed how this tale panned out and also the author’s pacing and writing style and her characterisations of the main couple and the supporting characters.

I would definitely read another book by Holley Trent and recommend Back to Storafalt to readers of contemporary romance who like tale of second chances.

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