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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

"He's So Fine" (Jill Shalvis) ★★★★★ Release Day Blitz!! with Giveaway!!


BOOK SUMMARY

For Olivia Bentley, Lucky Harbor is more than the town where she runs her new vintage shop. It's the place where folks are friendly to strangers-and nobody knows her real name. Olivia does a good job of keeping her past buried, not getting too cozy with anyone . . . until she sees a man drowning. Suddenly she's rushing into the surf, getting up close and personal with the hottest guy she's ever laid hands on.

Charter boat captain Cole Donovan has no problem with a gorgeous woman throwing her arms around his neck in an effort to "save" him. In fact, he'd like to spend a lot more time skin-to-skin with Olivia. He's just not expecting that real trouble is about to come her way. Will it bring her deeper into Cole's heart, or will it be the end of Olivia's days in little Lucky Harbor? 

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Cat's Review

"He's So Fine" by Jill Shalvis.  This is the 11th installment of the Lucky Harbor series.  Although I have yet to read all 11, I have read many and each one makes me yearn to live in Lucky Harbor!  The small town atmosphere is perfect.  The people are nosy but caring and everyone knows everyone.  The environment that makes up Lucky Harbor is breathtaking (at least in my mind - based on Ms. Shalvis' descriptions).  And, then we have all the alpha males living there (of course, they are all almost snatched up!!)  "He's So Fine" is Cole and Olivia's story.  We met Cole in the last book, (It's In His Kiss) and all I can say is YUMMY!  He loves his family and his friends fiercely and he's real handy to have around as he can fix anything.  Even so, he doesn't always trust easily, especially when it comes to his heart.  He meets Olivia when she "saves" him from drowning.  The sparks fly but will it be enough when he learns that Olivia has lied about her past?  Olivia has moved to Lucky Harbor to escape.  She doesn't want anyone to know who she was so she lies.  This bothered me a bit but I can see why she did it.  Olivia is independent and private but a loving soul too.  Of course, there are moments that made me laugh and moments that made me cry too.  Ms. Shalvis has a knack of getting the reader to feel what the characters feel and see what they see.  It was fun to see Becca and Olivia become friends too, and of course, Sam and Tanner are Yummy as ever!   If you enjoy contemporary romance, this is one I would recommend highly.   Note - this can be easily read as a stand alone, despite being part of a series.

★★★★★



AUTHOR BIO


New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.


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Monday, September 29, 2014

"Storm Mistress" (Brandy L. Rivers) ★★★★ with GIVEAWAY!!!


BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Storm Mistress
SERIES – Others of Seattle: Book 2 (stands alone)
AUTHOR – Brandy L Rivers
GENRE – Adult Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 9-15-2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 108k
PUBLISHER – Brandy L Rivers
COVER ARTIST – Brandy L Rivers


BOOK SUMMARY

Nothing is as it seems…
Everything Isadora Starling wants is right there in front of her, but Toryn is off limits. He’s her best friend. She’s been denying her heart all these years, afraid to lose him.
Toryn Flame has a long past full of secrets. None of which he can share with Isadora, the only person who truly matters to him. She’s the one woman who has never shown a hint of lust toward him, but even if she did, pursuing her is forbidden.
That all changes when the family Isa doesn’t know decides it’s time to reveal who and what she is. After Isa’s recent attack, their motives are unclear.
His only goal is protecting Isa. Toryn will do everything in his power to keep her safe, including going against orders from his king.
Toryn’s only fear is losing Isa’s trust. Once the truth is revealed, can she forgive him for years of misdirection and omissions? Can she come to terms with a world she doesn’t want or know?

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EXCERPT
Pounding music flowed over Isadora Starling as she walked into her bar, Shenanigans. Only one thing was on her mind, finding someone who would take her home and rock her world. She was smoking hot and she knew it.
Taking note of every man whose head turned in her direction, she emphasized the already-seductive sway of her hips as she sashayed to the bar with purpose. As usual, her eyes kept drifting back to the only man in the place who made her mouth water. Unfortunately, her best friend was not on the menu.
She slid into a booth and turned toward her business partner, Lana, one of the few women she truly trusted.
Lana’s molten silver eyes landed on her. A smirk twisted her lips. “Back so soon?”
Isa lifted a shoulder in a shrug before stating, “I’m on a mission.”
Perusing the sultry make-up and her come-ravish-me outfit, Lana snorted. “I can see that. What are you drinking?”
“Double Grey Goose, straight up.”
“One of those nights?” There was a grimace on her face.
Isa responded with a one fingered salute before turning back to the crowd with the intention of finding a man.
Lana cut in with, “I still think you should drag him home and get each other out of your systems.”
By him, she meant Isa’s best friend, Toryn Flame. More than gorgeous, he was fucking beautiful, masculine perfection. His dazzling blue topaz eyes were lined in guyliner, not that his eyes needed any help attracting attention with his ten-mile long lashes. Silky black hair was teased up in a sexy tousle calling to her fingers. The man was a sex god, in snug leather pants and half-buttoned black silk shirt open far enough to display his sculpted chest and the beginning of washboard abs.
Forbidden, though she had a never-ending supply of fantasies starring Toryn. The current was her craving to lick every ridge of muscle on her way down to the golden zipper straining over an impressive bulge she wished she could ignore.
They were firmly stuck in the friend zone. He didn’t see her that way, and despite the fact he was sensuality walking, she wasn’t supposed to want him.
Frustrated, she turned back to Lana with a cold stare. “Have you forgotten he prefers men? Last time I checked,” she looked down and shook her tits for emphasis, “I have all the wrong parts. Besides, he’s my friend, my best friend and he,” she glanced back to watch Toryn tongue-fuck his boytoy, “is all over his man, Leon.”
One scarlet brow rose in challenge. “Bullshit, I’ve seen him take women home.”
“Please, when was the last time? Tiffany? And that rare occurrence was over a year ago.”
Lana’s mouth dropped open, “Oh my god, you are fucking blind, Isadora. He’s only with Leon to distract himself from you.” With a glare, Lana slid the vodka to her.
Isa would give anything for that to be the truth. Forcing the desperate sentiment from her mind, she took the shot in a single gulp, causing Lana to grimace.
Driving her point home, Isa nodded back to the two hottest men in the place. “Toryn is with Leon. Has been for nearly two months, which is some kind of record for him.”
Actually, they had been dating exactly seven weeks, which was damn near a miracle. Aside from Leon, he hadn’t been with a single person more than twice since she’d met him nearly ten years ago. Somehow his lack of commitment made her want him all the more. She always loved a challenge, and secretly wished she could be the one to snare him permanently.
Of course, if she told Lana she was counting the days Toryn stayed with Leon, it would prove her point. A point Isa was going to deny until her desire finally died.
With a devilish smirk, Lana shrugged. “He’d dump him for you in a heartbeat.”
A glance back at Toryn easily reminded her how wrong Lana was. Toryn was grinding his hips into Leon who was hungrily kissing down Toryn’s throat. They were too hot and heavy for their public display of sexual chemistry to merely be a distraction.
“Then why is he taking Leon home tonight? And don’t tell me he’s not. Do you see them?” Isadora pointed back at them with a wicked grin. It was a gorgeous sight.
Licking her lips and watching like every other woman, and most of the men, in the nearly anything goes bar, she nodded. “Oh, I do, but you don’t see the way he looks at you. Like he’s making love to you with his eyes. When you aren’t watching Toryn, he always stares at you.”
Lana filled the shot glass.
In all the years they’d been friends, Toryn had never made a move, so Lana was wrong, very depressingly wrong. Isa slammed back the second dose and glared back at Lana. “You’re full of shit. Pour me another.”
“I’m not. I still say you’re fucking blind,” Lana taunted as she refilled the glass. “If he wasn’t so hung up on you, I would make a move on him.”
That hurt.
Wait… what? Hung up on me? Yeah, might need to have her committed.
Isa took another glance at Toryn and Leon, then grinned at Lana. “If you can pry him from Leon, he’s all yours.”
Thankfully, Lana changed the subject. “Where’s Mike?”
Well-intentioned, maybe, but her new topic wasn’t much better. Isa downed the third shot before answering, “Don’t know. Don’t care. Of course it would be a hell of a lot easier to get laid if he were around.” He was her favorite fallback romp in the sack.
“You torture that poor man. If you’d let him, he’d fall in love with you.”
Which was exactly the reason she hadn’t called and was attempting to avoid him… though in desperate times...
Mentally shaking herself, she quipped, “We don’t work as a couple. Sure, explosive in bed, awesome on the dance floor, but that is where our good chemistry ends. We would drive each other batshit crazy—and I’m not talking about the scorch the sheets way—in a matter of days. Not to mention the fact Roxy hates my fucking guts.”
“Only because you’re stringing her brother along. Plus, she has a valid point. I’m still convinced you fell for Toryn years ago. Like two seconds after you met him.”
She was right, but Isa wasn’t going there. “Go to hell.”
“Only when you join me.”
Isa slid the empty glass at Lana and batted her lashes. “Anyone I should consider?”
With an accusatory glare, she answered, “Plenty of them. Except, don’t take the hot blond home.” She glanced down at the end of the bar for about the hundredth time since Isa sat down.
All Isa saw was the healthy fall of shiny blond hair, way too long and perfect to be on any man’s head.
“I don’t go for blonds.” Isa smirked before turning toward the crowd. Of its own accord, her gaze landed on Toryn, who winked at her.
Lana pulled her back to reality with bite in her tone. “Knowing you, you’ll take him home to spite me.”
Isa spun back around, her hands landing on the counter as her eyes narrowed. “I would not. When was the last time?”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Last week, when you took Reese home.”
“Oh,” she shrugged sheepishly, “that hardly counts. You didn’t warn me beforehand. If you had simply told me, I would have found someone else.” It was the truth, Isa never meant to hurt anyone, and especially not her friends. There had been plenty of other options. She honestly hadn’t realized Lana was interested.
“Why don’t I believe you?” she muttered. The question stung. Of course, her payback sucked. Lana turned around and hired the guy the very next day, even after Isa begged her not to.
“I’m not selfish, Lana. I wouldn’t do that to you,” she whined.
“Hmph,” Lana didn’t look convinced, but a smirk formed as she looked over Isa’s shoulder.
Isa fought back a smile as she felt Toryn’s approach. He had a presence she could feel and as much as she hated her weakness, it felt good to have him close. Toryn leaned his long hard body against hers.
Lana grinned as if her point was made.
One corner of Isa’s mouth lifted. “I would be more worried about Toryn taking Blondy home.”
“Bitch,” she gasped.
“Grey Goose?” Toryn licked his full lips as his brow cocked. “One of those nights, Isa?”
Her eyes nearly rolled out of her head, “Okay, everyone stop! I had a long day, and I’m horny as hell. It’s not like I’m driving home. No more judging. Just let me find a man for the night.”
The guy sitting next to her turned with a smile that chilled her blood. His deep blue eyes seemed wrong, his skin too pale, almost blue. She’d seen him before, but couldn’t place where.
Isa glared back. “Not you.”
Amusement danced through his eyes as they dropped to his drink with a chuckle.
Toryn grinned at Lana. “Two Loves and one is for my sweet Isadora.” His eyes held a mischievous sparkle.
Isa snorted. “Is that so?”
“Don’t argue,” he purred in a way that made her want to scratch her nails down his back while riding him into the night.
With a groan, she smiled back at Lana and tossed down enough cash to cover her vodka and the Loves, plus a generous tip. “Where’s Leon?”
Avoiding answering, Toryn quickly finished the drink and placed his empty glass with a purposeful thunk on the counter. “Let’s dance.”
She let the question slide and followed his lead after finishing her cocktail.
Maybe she had a bit too much, too fast, because the world tilted. Still, she managed to walk straight.
“Leon won’t be jealous?”
“Nope, he plans to join us soon.” She could feel his eyes caress down her body and back up. “He told me to tell you that you’re on fire tonight.”
“He always says that.”
He pulled her close and his lips grazed over her ear. “Only because it’s true.”
The warmth of his breath and rumble of his voice only heightened the ache between her legs. Such a damned tease. And if he didn’t do it with everyone, she might think he really felt something for her.




CHARACTER BIOS


Isadora Starling
Dark hair, green eyes, beautiful.
Orphan
Owns the bar Shenanigans with her business partner Lana Solei
Sassy, full of fire, and loves life.
She’s madly in love with her best friend but denies it profusely.
Has an open relationship with Michael Nights.

Toryn Flame
Runs a security firm with friends Lonny and Scotty.
Black hair, blue topaz colored eyes.
Fiercely loyal, protective, but loves to have fun.
Lead singer of local band Revolt.
In love with Isadora, but can’t tell her for a list of reasons a hundred miles long.
Close friends with Leon.

Remus Arc
Works for Toryn’s security firm.
Drummer for Revolt
Can’t be trusted.

Leon
Old friend of Toryn’s.
Runs a gym in San Francisco, but opening one in Seattle.

Lana Solei
Red hair, gray eyes, has an attitude.
Isadora’s business partner

Morrigan
The oldest Storm Mistress and will teach Isadora what she knows.

Alenathos
Water dragon with his own goals.



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CAT'S REVIEW

"Storm Mistress" by Brandy L. Rivers.  This is the story of Isadora and Toryn - two best friends that are in love with each other but deny it, thinking the other isn't.   Isadora - at times, I loved her and at times, I didn't like her much.   As the story progresses and she learns truths about herself, I did grow to like her more and more.   Toryn was terrific!  He was strong and protective yet seemed a bit shy at times when it came to expressing his love for Isa.   Oh, and did I mention that this book is pretty HOT at times too!!  At times, I was a bit confused as to who was who.  Most that I was confused about did get cleared up eventually.  This could have been due to the fact that I haven't read the first book of the series, but I'm not sure.  However, this didn't take away from the fact that I couldn't put it down.  Most of my confusion did get cleared up eventually.  I would recommend this story if you enjoy paranormal romance.   

★★★★





AUTHOR BIO


Brandy L Rivers is the author of the Others of Edenton Series. There are more Others of Edenton in the works. She is also working on the Others of Seattle series.
As an avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. She has a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and put out there eventually.
She lives in Western Washington with her husband and three kids, where she is already working on future stories in the series.

If you are interested in receiving emails about future book releases, please sign up for her email distribution list by visiting her site at:


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