Sunday, April 30, 2017

Release Blitz & Review - Live Out Loud - Marie Meyer


LIVE OUT LOUD by Marie Meyer

(April 30, 2017; Forever Yours eBook; $3.99)





BLURB:

I thought I'd live in silence forever . . . and then I met him.

I'll never be able to hear, but music has always been a source of comfort for me. Rather than listen to the rhythm, I can actually feel the beat pulsing through me. It's pure bliss. So the moment I saw Thorin playing his guitar, I was mesmerized. I'd never seen anything more beautiful . . . or intimate. I couldn't tell where his body ended and the song began. He's everything I need in my life . . . I'm falling fast, hard, and deep.

I want him more than anything. But while I live in silence, Thor lives in secrets. He's holding something back-something that's keeping this intensity, this longing from being real. And the silence may be too loud to bear . . .



Buy the Book!
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2lM3cTQ





Excerpt: 
Shit, sweetheart, where’s the fire? 
“Hey, Red, hold up,” I say, trying to get her attention. I don’t want to startle her, but it’s no use, she can’t hear me over the noise of the club. If I don’t stop her now, she’ll leave and I won’t get her number. I drop my hand onto her shoulder and she goes rigid under my touch.
Smooth, Kline. Way to scare the poor girl. 
Very slowly, she turns around, almost as if she’s expecting to see the Grim Reaper standing behind her. When our gazes meet, her shoulders relax and she lets out a deep breath. Up close, she’s even more beautiful. And Jesus…her eyes. When I caught her gaze for a few seconds on stage, I knew there was something special about her eyes; I just couldn’t see them clearly. Up close, they’re extraordinary. I’ve never seen eyes like hers before…the color of emerald sea glass. A long forgotten memory surfaces, one of my earliest…walking along the beach as a kid…with my dad…before everything went to hell. 
I shake off the phantom thought and focus on the girl. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just…I…” I stumble over my words like I’m a thirteen-year-old boy. What the hell’s my problem? She’s not the first chick you’ve ever talked to. Spit the damn words out, Thor. “I saw you while I was up on stage, and I was hoping to get your number, I’d really like to take you out sometime.” 
There. I said it. Not hard. 
She smiles widely and nods. Lifting her hands between us, I notice her fingers move. Graceful and deliberate hand motions. Is she using sign language?  
“She can read your lips.”
I glance to my right. A tall girl with long, half black, half blond hair flanks her side. Pretty, but pales in comparison to her friend. 
“Read my lips?” I shake my head, not understanding. I point to the redheaded beauty and direct my question to her friend. “She’s deaf?”
There’s a tap on my shoulder and my eyes snap back to Red’s. Moving her hands again, she signs something, and I’m clueless. Her lips move, but she doesn’t speak. And apparently, I’m shit at lipreading. But at least her expression is playful. That’s a plus, right?
She lowers her arms and smiles. Damn, I love how the right side of her lips pulls up higher than the left. 
I’ve never had to chase down a girl. For some reason, chicks dig guys in a band. They’ve always pursued me. But, the one time I see a girl so gorgeous, and take the time to run after her, she can’t even hear me.
I look at her friend. “What did she just say?”
Red’s friend folds her arms over her chest, wearing the same beatific smile she did when I stopped them. “She answered your question. Yes, she’s deaf. She also asked if you still want her number.” 
I stare at the girl. With wild red curls framing her face and a mischievous smirk, she waits for my answer. Hell yeah, I do. 


~ ~ ~



OUR REVIEW:




“A rarely touched kind of love story, 5 stars”

Harper is all about defying the odds. Ever since she was little people have handled her with kid gloves. Don’t do this, don’t do that. Someone may hurt you or your feelings. You may be smart but you won't make it. She’s heard it all but hasn’t let it stop her. Because she doesn’t see her deafness as a disability. 

Thor is the typical bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s a musician just trying to get his break. Then one night a woman catches his eye, when he approaches her and discovers she's deaf it doesn’t make him want her less. Either they will end up friends or lovers, he doesn’t care as long as she’s in his life. Will the bad boy get his happily ever after with the rich girl?

Meyer knocked this one out of the dang park. Thor is swoon worthy and pure sin but in touch with his sweet side. He learns ASL for her, not because she asked but because he wanted to. Harper is a strong, independent woman who only fully blossoms with Thor's help. They make each other the best people they can be.

I absolutely loved it. Meyer gave the deaf community a beautiful voice when they are so often over looked. Then there are the secondary characters and they all tie the story into a perfect bow.


Here are a couple quotes from Live Out Loud I loved;

“With just one look, she makes me believe I’m some sort of superhero. How did a screw up like me end up with her?”

“The fact that Thor wants to learn, and is eager, it’s the most incredible feeling in the world, like my cells are infused with nitrous oxide—a hint of sweetness in my mouth along with a light, giddy disposition chasing away all the sad memories of my childhood. Who needs laughing gas when Thorin Kline’s around?”

“I love his hands. Talented, skilled, beautiful. Able to coax music from a silent instrument. They can make a car purr with life. Gentle. Protective. Strong. Loud when they speak.”


Star Ratings:

Plot- 5/5
Characters- 5/5
Heat- 5/5
Writing styles- 5/5
Overall- 5/5



~ ~ ~

About the Author
Marie Meyer is a teacher who spends her days in the classroom and her nights writing heartfelt romances. She is a proud mommy and enjoys helping her oldest daughter train for the Special Olympics, making up silly stories with her youngest daughter, and bingeing on weeks of DVR'd television with her husband.




Social Media Links
Add Live Out Loud to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2muPJ1u



Giveaway

Enter to win 1 of 15 free ebook downloads of Live Out Loud! http://bit.ly/2ol7lM5





Friday, April 28, 2017

Release Blitz & Review - Dazed - Maria Macdonald

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Book: Dazed
Series: The Deliverance Series
Author: Maria Macdonald

Synopsis

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People say the heart wants what it wants and will not be denied.

Those people are fools.

I’m a practiced hand at hiding from the world. The scars I bear are invisible to all but me, and I use them to sustain the walls I’ve built around myself.

He knocked my simple life into disarray and infiltrated my carefully constructed defenses.

The tight control I maintain is at breaking point, and ever since our eyes connected across a lunch hall, my world has been off balance.

I can’t have him, and he can’t have me.

I know it.

He knows it.

I’m just not sure that Tarrant Reigns has ever followed anyone’s rules.

Everything and everyone is against us.

Even his brother.

Caden brought us together, but now he’s standing in our way.


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Purchase Links

Amazon USA



OUR REVIEW:


“Not your typical love triangle, 5 stars”

Laura is the type of girl who keeps her head down and only has one friend, her roommate Morgan. That is until she meets Caden, and then she is drawn into her colleges spotlight. 

Caden quickly becomes one of her best friends. She’s protecting him from his secret coming out while trying to hide a secret of her own.

Tarrant wanted Laura from the first time he saw her, too bad his brother Caden got to her first. Will he be able to resist the temptation that is Laura? Can Tarrant set aside his own self doubt and finally realize he deserves happiness too?

He's the typical bad boy and she's the good girl. Things are bound to get messy and feelings will get hurt. Deliverance, everyone seeks it but will they get it?

I loved Laura, Morgan, Caden, and Tarrant. I was immediately sucked in and invested in the story and the people. I understood where each of them were coming from. Laura, Caden, and Morgan have a friendship so tight it’s basically the definition of friendship goals. When one is struggling they all feel it. 

This is probably one of Macdonald's more clean romance stories but it doesn't take away from the story. It's also her first New Adult story and as far as I’m concerned she hit the ball out of the park. 

Here are a few quotes from the story I loved;

“His arms move, changing gears so smooth and fast that you’d have to concentrate to really see the jerk as he shifts from fourth to fifth. I find myself wondering what it would feel like if he used his hands on me.”

“Most girls want the logs, they might think they want the tinder because it ignites so quickly, the fire is instant, but in the long run, they want something that will last.”

“There’s no strings with you, but I wish there were. I need to wrap up in them, tie myself to you so completely that I’ll never unravel. You’re pure, and together baby we can make our own rainbow.”
“… sometimes, when you mix something pure, with something dirty, you create something beautiful.”

Star Ratings:
Plot- 5/5
Characters- 5/5
Heat- 5/5
Writing style- 5/5
Overall- 5/5


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Early Feedback

Dazed has a hot tattooed bad boy, plenty of angst, and a sassy heroine. What more could you ask for? It's a page turner that'll have you rooting for the main characters from the get go.
~ Author Kirsty E Moseley. 

In a genre so inundated with over the top heroes and heroines, Maria MacDonald's Dazed is pure magic. Her ability to create such an intricately woven love story shines through in this novel giving the reader a restored hope in true love.Don't miss out on this evocative, sweet and at times laugh out loud five star MUST read. 
~ Author A.M Johnson.


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About The Author

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Maria is a full time working Mum, she has two beautiful daughters, both of whom love books as much as she does. 

Maria has loved to write since she was a little girl. 

Reading and loving books, as well as blogging, has inspired her to write and publish.

Maria, her husband and children now reside in Wiltshire, England.

You can stalk maria here:


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Thursday, April 27, 2017

Release Blitz & Review - Boomerangers - Heather M. Orgeron





Title: Boomerangers
Author: Heather M. Orgeron
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 27, 2017



Blurb


Boomerangers [boo-muh-rang-ers] noun, informal: an adult that moves back home to live with a parent after a period of independence.



Spencer



I love sex. I love the power, the intimacy, the euphoria it brings. Too bad I’m not having any . . . You’d think as New Orleans’ most renowned sex therapist that I’d be swimming in single men. In a way, I am . . . except for the fact that one is in diapers and the other two are drowning in preteen hormones. As a single mother of three, my days are devoted to my clients and my kids, and my nights are spent with Fabio, my trusty vibrator. When my world begins to unravel, I have no choice but to move back home. And when my high school sweetheart comes waltzing back into my life, comedy and chaos ensue.



What can I say? I never said I could pick ’em, but you can bet your ass I know how to fix ’em.



Cooper



As soon as the ink dried on my divorce papers, I made myself a solemn vow: I was done with relationships. Moving home to take over my father’s firm was the plan, until Spencer decided to return, along with three souvenirs from the life she’s lived without me.



I’ve been in love with the girl next door for nearly all of my life; the rest was spent trying to forget her. I’d give almost anything for a second chance with her, but I have no time for distractions—especially the kind that involve diapers, bottles, and eighteen-year commitments.



The problem is, she’s already got me by the balls . . . and I’m beginning to feel the noose tightening around my heart.










OUR REVIEW:

Boomerangers is a second chance romantic comedy book. It's about a woman named Spencer who is 33 years old with 3 children by 2 different men. She's a sex therapist for NOLA Sexual Health. 
Her life is about to change drastically due to her boss Dillon, sleeping with a client. She has to move back home to Cedar Grove, and next door neighbor Cooper aka Coop, who broke her heart when they were teenagers. 

 Cooper has been in love with Spencer all these years. He doesn't like children but is jealous that it's not his family with Spencer. Can Spencer and Cooper have a 2nd chance romance being adults and with kids in the picture? You'll have to find out to read this one!

To be honest, I wasn't fond of how the story started. However, as the story progressed the characters and context got better. Spencer's children are what makes this book a comedy. I can just picture little ones saying what her kids said and literally laughing at it. 

 Some readers can maybe relate to Spencer of how her life isn't easy, uprooting her family and moving back home with her Mom. Her children always come first.
I really liked Cooper and him trying hard for Spencer to love him back. The way he handled her kids made me say 'aww'.

The ending was my favorite.

Heather M. Orgeron is a new to me author and I can't wait to read more of her books. Her writing grabs you. The characters can be realistic. If you like reading books like me by new authors and/or want to read a 2nd chance romance that will have you laughing, then I recommend this book to you.



Quotes I liked:

“He just needs time to fall in love with 'em, baby.”

“Sharing my children with others has never come easy, but it's because I was trying to do it with the wrong people. Your love for my boys, your dedication and passion for their happiness and their well-being means more to me than you will ever know.”

“When did you get a hamburger, Mommy? I'm hungry. I want one, too.”
“You got our order wrong. We ordered hot dogs.”


Star Ratings:
Plot- 4/5
Characters-5/5
Heat- 3/5
Writing Style- 4/5
Overall Rating- 4/5



Purchase Links:

99c for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited









Author Bio


Heather M. Orgeron is a Cajun girl with a big heart and a passion for romance. She married her high school sweetheart two months after graduation and her life has been a fairytale ever since. She’s the queen of her castle, reigning over five sons and one bossy little princess who has made it her mission in life to steal her Momma’s throne. When she’s not writing, you will find her hidden beneath mounds of laundry and piles of dirty dishes or locked in her tower(aka the bathroom) soaking in the tub with a good book. She’s always been an avid reader and has recently discovered a love for cultivating romantic stories of her own.



Author Links







Wednesday, April 26, 2017

REVIEW - Esperance (Heart Lines #3) - Heather Hildenbrand




TITLE - Esperance (Heart Lines #3)
AUTHOR - Heather Hildenbrand








(Released 27th April)





BLURB:

She is his only hope. If only he wanted to be saved.

Alex is cured... sort of. After letting the mysterious Indra work her magic, the venom is gone but so is Alex’s ability to feel. He’s not dead, but he’s not really alive either. Numb inside, he turns his back on Sam and everyone else. The only person he’ll really listen to is his new master…

Sam’s angry and lost. Her destiny was to heal, but so far, all she’s done is hurt herself and others. When Alex chooses another woman’s healing over hers, Sam’s doubts and fears become the very thing that separate her from her true potential. Despite Sam’s broken heart, she is determined to make her magic work, no matter the cost. No price can be higher than the one she paid watching Alex walk away.

Sam will do whatever it takes. And she’ll never stop trying to change Alex’s mind—and his heart.

But Alex has his orders and he doesn’t care who they affect. Love hurts. But in this case, it just might kill…

Book 3 in the Heart Lines Series.

Reading order:
Remembrance
Inheritance
Esperance
Imbalance (available for pre-order now)




REVIEW:


This series just keeps getting better. I love each book,  but Esperance has got to be my favorite so far.  I love the plot twists, mystery, and all the wonderful drama. If you haven't started this series yet, you are missing out!

This book keeps following the plot of the series as a whole. Man the plot twist in this one caught me by surprise. I really thought I knew who the bad guy was. Boy was I wrong. Who knows though, maybe another plot twist will be thrown and I'll have been right.  I love how this author doesn't hold any punches.

The characters in this book have been developing throughout the series. I believe that this book really tested their strength and loyalty, even more than the others. It is hard enough getting to know and trust someone normally. Throw in a supernatural bad guy and lots of danger and it just adds to the complexity. I love these characters. I am invested til the end.

This book was very interesting. There was heat in this book, but it was different from the others. Due to a specific situation, the dynamics of the characters were drastically changed. This added some tension between the characters, which I believe added to the heat between characters. 

I have always loved the writing style of this author. She writes in an easily understandable way, even when introducing a new world. The pace of her books, including this one, is always steady. She is able to develop her characters in a way that the readers become invested and have to know what happens next. I love this about her.

In conclusion, this is a wonderful book. I loved learning more about what is happening in this universe and with these characters. I have recommended this series to others. Can't wait for the next book.


Star Ratings:
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Heat: 5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Overall: 5/5





REVIEW - Boomerangers - Heather M. Orgeron





TITLE - Boomerangers
AUTHOR - Heather M. Orgeron








BLURB:





Boomerangers [boo-muh-rang-ers] noun, informal: an adult that moves back home to live with a parent after a period of independence.


Spencer

I love sex. I love the power, the intimacy, the euphoria it brings. Too bad I’m not having any . . . You’d think as New Orleans’ most renowned sex therapist that I’d be swimming in single men. In a way, I am . . . except for the fact that one is in diapers and the other two are drowning in preteen hormones. As a single mother of three, my days are devoted to my clients and my kids, and my nights are spent with Fabio, my trusty vibrator. When my world begins to unravel, I have no choice but to move back home. And when my high school sweetheart comes waltzing back into my life, comedy and chaos ensue.

What can I say? I never said I could pick ’em, but you can bet your ass I know how to fix ’em.

Cooper

As soon as the ink dried on my divorce papers, I made myself a solemn vow: I was done with relationships. Moving home to take over my father’s firm was the plan, until Spencer decided to return, along with three souvenirs from the life she’s lived without me. 

I’ve been in love with the girl next door for nearly all of my life; the rest was spent trying to forget her. I’d give almost anything for a second chance with her, but I have no time for distractions—especially the kind that involve diapers, bottles, and eighteen-year commitments. 

The problem is, she’s already got me by the balls . . . and I’m beginning to feel the noose tightening around my heart.



REVIEW:


Boomerangers is a second chance romantic comedy book. It's about a woman named Spencer who is 33 years old with 3 children by 2 different men. She's a sex therapist for NOLA Sexual Health. One day her life is about to change due to her boss, Dillon sleeping with a client. She has to move back home to Cedar Grove. Next door neighbor Cooper aka Coop broke her heart when teenagers. Cooper has been in love with Spencer all those years. He doesn't like children and is jealous that that's not his family with Spencer. Can Spencer and Cooper have a 2nd chance romance being adults and with kids in the picture? You'll have to find out to read this one!

To be honest, I wasn't fond of how the story started. However, as the story progressed the characters and context got better. Spencer's children is what makes this book a comedy. I can just picture little ones saying what her kids said and literally laughing at it. Some readers maybe can relate to Spencer of how her life isn't easy, uprooting her family and moving back home with her Mom. Her children always come first.
I really liked Cooper and him trying hard for Spencer to love him back. The way he handled her kids made me say awe.
The ending was my favorite.

Heather M. Orgeron is a new to me author and I can't wait to read more of her books. Her writing grabs you. The characters can be realistic. If you like reading books like me by new authors and/or want to read a 2nd chance romance that will have you laughing than I recommend this book to you.



Quotes I liked:

“He just needs time to fall in love with 'em, baby.”

“Sharing my children with others has never come easy, but it's because I was trying to do it with the wrong people. Your love for my boys, your dedication and passion for their happiness and their well-being means more to me than you will ever know.”

“When did you get a hamburger, Mommy? I'm hungry. I want one, too.”
“You got our order wrong. We ordered hot dogs.”



Star Ratings:
Plot- 4/5
Characters-5/5
Heat- 3/5
Writing Style- 4/5
 Overall Rating- 4/5












Blog Tour & Review - Hidden Depth - Brenda Rothert




HIDDEN DEPTH by Brenda Rothert is LIVE! 






Purchase now:


BLURB:

I had it all.
Breaking into the entertainment business as a teenager wasn’t easy. I spent years of my childhood traveling, auditioning and hoping my big break would come. And when I did, I rose to a level I never imagined.
Elle Tyler: model, singer and actress. I couldn’t go anywhere without security anymore. It was everything I ever wanted and more - fame, fortune and worldwide recognition. At age twenty-four, I was living a dream. 
But a single act of violence shattered my fairytale existence. In a matter of seconds, all the goodness in me was ripped to shreds. Overnight, the people around me dropped away, moving on to find the next big thing. I gave up on myself, becoming a woman so dark and forlorn I no longer recognized myself.
But the stranger who saved me that day, Justin Lockhart, never gave up on me. He still saw light through my darkness. And as we grew closer, I started to see it, too. And I also started to see that before that terrible day, maybe I didn’t really have it all. Maybe I was always missing the only thing that really matters.







OUR REVIEW:

“Serious content, sweet love story, 5 stars”

Elle is on top of the world and on top of her game. She's rich, famous, and doing what she loves. Until someone decides to try and take it all away from her. Luckily for her Justin won't let her drown. 

This is the story of a girl who wants not only success on a professional level but success in love as well. Will she have to choose or can she have both?

Justin was in the right place at the right time and saved Elle's life. If only he came a minute or two sooner and he could have saved some recovery time. Some times you find love in unexpected places but will it last?

I loved this story right out of the gate. It was serious and deep. Your heart will drop for Elle and what she goes through. You’ll want to kiss Justin for having killer instincts and going with them. With that said if you have any sort of problem with books with assault, I don’t recommend this story. But I will say Elle's come back is strong and inspiring. Take the time and read Hidden Depth.


Star Ratings:
Plot- 5/5
Characters-5/5
Heat-5/5
Writing style- 5/5
Overall- 5/5



------


AUTHOR BIO: 


Brenda Rothert is an Illinois native who was a print journalist for nine years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked back. From new adult to steamy contemporary romance, Brenda creates fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke, chocolate, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.