"In Your Arms" (Shannyn Schroeder) ★★★★ BOOK TOUR with GIVEAWAY!!

A KNIGHT IN SHINING LEATHER…

IN YOUR ARMS

For Your Love #2

Shannyn Schroeder

Releasing Dec 27th, 2016

Zebra Shout

A KNIGHT IN SHINING LEATHER…

Sean O'Malley has never tried to hide who he is. He shows it in the motorcycle thrumming between the legs of his tight jeans…the shaggy hair that falls in his gorgeous eyes…the wicked gleam in his smile when he asks Emma out for a drink. Sean is a rebel, a bad boy, and a ton of fun: exactly the kind of guy she's sworn off forever.

Emma isn't just the prim kindergarten teacher she appears to be. And somehow Sean can tell. As soon as he pulls up to her overheated car he knows that a fast bike and a cold beer will fix her rotten day better than compliments or a bubble bath. Her straitlaced exterior and her wild heart light him up. But Emma wants to escape her past and settle down—and if her desk jockey dates don't understand where she comes from, at least she doesn't worry about them bringing her back.

One weekend of intense connection can't change the paths Sean and Emma have chosen. But with a little space to be themselves together, maybe the rest of the world can wait...

EXCERPT

The blast of air-conditioning hit them as the automatic door swung open. Emma paused, looked up and around, and turned toward the bakery. Sean followed. She kept walking, and he stopped by the coffee cakes. A chocolate-chip cake sounded good.

“What about this?” He held up the plastic container.

“Uh-uh. It needs to be birthday cake.”

Sean held on to the coffee cake but followed her to the refrigerated section. She looked at the display for a minute before choosing one. As great as Emma seemed, she sure had some weird quirks. She picked out a round cake with Happy Birthday written in blue handwriting. Red, yellow, and blue icing balloons decorated the edge.

Emma said nothing. With the cake in hand, she turned toward the register. Although she quickly offered answers to his questions, she wasn’t like other girls he knew, who would fill silence with any kind of pointless chatter.

“You okay?” he asked when they got to the self-checkout.

“I will be.” She scanned her cake, and he jumped in to scan his too before she could finish the transaction. Then he swiped his card to pay.

“You didn’t have to buy my cake.”

“I know I didn’t have to, but if I have a crappy day and someone buys me a beer, that beer tastes even better going down.”

His answer got the reaction he’d hoped for. A smile. Emboldened by her smile, he pushed on. “So why does it have to be birthday cake?”

She sighed and he thought she might not answer. “Birthday cake was the one thing my mom got right when I was a kid.”

He waited, hoping she’d explain, because how could anyone mess up store-bought birthday cake? They walked through the automatic door, and the heat of the afternoon swamped him.

“You met her. Even with that brief encounter, you can probably tell Brandi is far from a stellar mom. A lot of things were uncertain when I was little. But birthday cake was something we could always count on. It didn’t matter where we were living or even if she had a job, Mom made sure we had birthday cake on our birthdays.”

“It’s weird now that you mention it. I guess I always took birthday cake for granted. In my family, we’re all adults and we still make a trip to Blackstone’s to get a birthday cake.”

“For me, birthday cake is comfort.” She leaned over and bumped his shoulder as they walked. “I keep some in my freezer because you never know when you’re going to have a bad day.”

“Seriously?”

“Well, it’s not like I buy a cake and eat it all by myself in one sitting. It would be a waste to throw it out, so I cut it into pieces and freeze it.”

The walk back to his house was too quick. Sean liked Emma talking about herself. He didn’t know how he’d even managed not to realize how much he missed having a girlfriend. Then he remembered that every girl at some point pushed for something more than he wanted to give. He wasn’t about to put a ring on anyone’s finger. That kind of commitment would ruin his easygoing lifestyle.

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CAT'S REVIEW

IN YOUR ARMS by Shannyn Schroeder.  In this tale, we have Sean and Emma, two souls that think they just want to "have fun" and not commit.  I enjoyed Ms. Schroeder's take on this scenario and liked both characters.  It was fun to see Emma try to be the good girl while Sean shockingly realizes that he wants to be more than the bad boy.  I enjoyed the author's take on the role reversal and it was certainly captivating to watch these two figure it out.  I will be honest and say at times, though, I did struggle a bit to get through because of some of the characters' thought processes, however, it was rewarding and well worth finishing and I am glad I did.  This is a pleasant read that can be read fairly quickly and perfect for a cold winter day.  (received ARC for honest review from NetGalley)

★★★★

Shannyn Schroeder is the author of the O’Leary series, contemporary romances centered around a large Irish-American family in Chicago and the Hot & Nerdy series about 3 nerdy friends finding love. Her new series (For Your Love) will release this summer with the first title Under Your Skin. When she’s not wrangling her three kids or writing, she watches a ton of TV and loves to bake cookies.

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TROUBLEMAKER (Linda Howard) ★★★.5 - BOOK TOUR with GIVEAWAY!

BOOK INFORMATION

Troublemaker

By: Linda Howard

Releasing December 27, 2016
Avon

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BOOK SUMMARY

A thrilling, fast-paced novel of romantic suspense from sensational New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Linda Howard.

For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

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EXCERPT

From TROUBLEMAKER by Linda Howard. Copyright © 2016 by Linda Howard. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

It was dark, the other side of nine-thirty, when he pulled into his parking slot at the condo. It had been late when he’d docked the Shark, then he’d cleaned his tackle and locked it away before heading home. He’d also made a brief stop at a grocery to cover his basic food needs; he hooked the plastic bags on his fingers and dragged them with him as he slid out of the seat. A click of the remote locked the truck.

The condos were at least thirty years old, six rows of two-story buildings made of brick and pebbled concrete. He supposed the effect was supposed to be modern and uncluttered—and maybe it had been thirty years ago, but now it was nothing more than butt-ugly. Each ground-floor unit, like his, had its own little patio, while the upper-story condos had balconies that struck him as fairly useless but that were used a lot during the summer for grilling and such.

The plastic bags rustled and banged against his left leg with every step, reminding him of why he hated buying groceries. After the fact, he always thought that he should throw a backpack in his truck and leave it there for hauling in what few groceries he bought, but he wasn’t home often enough for it to be a habit so he’d forget about the backpack. He’d also almost forgotten he didn’t have any coffee left, but the grocery’s sign had caught his eye and he’d whipped into the parking lot without time to signal, resulting in a few indignant horn blasts. Couldn’t be helped; he had to have coffee.

A concrete support pillar and some tall shrubbery partially blocked his view of the condo building, something that grated but the homeowners’ association wasn’t willing to do away with part of its mature landscaping and shady trees just because he didn’t like it. He couldn’t explain that the greenery provided points of ambush because civilians simply didn’t get shit like that, so he dealt with it. It wasn’t as if he had a lot to worry about; the crime rate in these units was very low, and was in fact a selling point for the young families who made up the majority of residents.

Still—habits were a bitch, but he couldn’t ignore half a lifetime of training. To keep from walking around a blind corner, he swung wide into the street the way he always did so he was approaching straight on; there wasn’t a lot of traffic in the condo development, and he didn’t often have to wait until a car passed.

But even with a direct approach, he still didn’t like it. Sometimes, such as now, he liked it less than at other times, and he couldn’t have said why. He didn’t have to; instinct was what it was.

He stopped in his tracks.

Sometimes . . . such as now.

The sudden surge of awareness was like an electric shock, sending all of his senses into hyperalert. He instinctively moved his right hand to the pistol snugged into the holster at the small of his back even as he tried to pick up any movement in the shrubbery that shouldn’t have been there, anything that was responsible for making the back of his neck suddenly prickle. He couldn’t see anything, but still his senses were screaming. Something was there, even if it wasn’t anything danger—

The thought hadn’t completely formed when the shadows of the shrubbery moved slightly, black on black. More adrenaline shot through his system, and Morgan acted without thought, training taking over as he dropped the plastic bags and dove to the left, leaving his right hand free as he pulled his weapon.

His body was still airborne, stretched out, when he saw a faint flash and a sledgehammer hit him in the chest.

He had two distant but clear thoughts: Suppressor. Subsonic round.

He slammed to the ground, the impact almost as jarring as the sledgehammer to the chest. He rolled with it, the pistol grip fitting into his palm as if his hand and the weapon had been made together, one functioning unit. One part of his brain knew he’d been hit and hit hard, but the other part stayed ruthlessly focused outward, intent on doing what he needed to do. He fired toward where he’d seen the flash, the sound sharp in the crisp night air, but he knew only a rank amateur would stay in the same place so he tracked his next shot away from the shrubbery, following the barely seen black-on-black shadow, and pulled the trigger again.

His mind disconnected from the shock waves of pain rolling through his body because that was the only way he could function. His thoughts raced, analyzing probabilities and angles of fire, selecting the best option even as adrenaline overrode the devastation and kept his body moving. Without being aware that he was moving, he rolled behind a fireplug, and didn’t realize where he was until he was already there. A fireplug wasn’t much cover, but it was some.

His vision was wavering, things rushing at him then drawing back, as if pushed and pulled by an invisible tide of air. Peripherally, he was aware of entrance lights coming on, of curtains being pulled back as his neighbors peeked out to see what the hell was going on. He blinked fiercely, trying to stay focused. Yes—the increase of light brought a man’s form into dim view and he fired a third shot, controlled the upward kick of the muzzle, fired again. The dark form toppled to the ground and lay still.

God, his chest hurt. Shit. This had really fucked up his tattoo.

His vision wavered again, but he grimly held on, keeping his weapon trained on the downed threat. “Down” didn’t mean “out.” If he let go, let the darkness come, the other guy might get up and finish the job. Dead didn’t count until it was confirmed dead, and he couldn’t confirm shit right now.

But doors were opening, people were shouting. The sounds were distorted and strangely far away, the lights fading. Through the growing shadows he thought he saw some of the braver souls venturing out, investigating the gunfire. Words swam at him, around him, and some of them sank into his consciousness.

“Shawn! Are you crazy?” A woman’s voice, both angry and afraid.

“Just call the cops,” said a man—maybe Shawn, maybe someone else.

“I already did,” said a third voice.

“What the hell is going on?”

More noise, more voices added to the chorus as people began approaching, cautiously at first, then with more confidence when nothing else happened. Morgan tried to call out, say something, make any kind of noise, but the effort was beyond him. He could feel his breath hitching as the distant pain rolled closer, like a tidal wave that was about to swamp him.

This might be it for me, he thought, and was almost too tired to care. He tried to control his breathing because he’d heard that hitching sound before and it was never good. He didn’t have to hang on long, he thought—maybe half an hour, if people would get the lead out of their asses and get him to the hospital. But half an hour seemed like an eternity when he wasn’t certain he could hang on even one more minute.

He rested his head on the concrete sidewalk, feeling the chill of it. His outstretched hand was just resting on the winter-dead grass at the edge of the sidewalk and he had the distant thought that it was kind of nice to be touching the earth. If this was it for him, well, it sucked to go, but all in all this wasn’t too bad, considering all the grisly ways he could have gone.

But, damn it, he was fucking pissed because if he died, he didn’t know who had killed him or, more importantly, why.

Someone bent over him, a vague shape swimming out of focus. He had to send MacNamara a warning, and with his last ounce of strength he gasped out, “Ambush.”

CAT'S REVIEW

"Troublemaker" by Linda Howard.  Having read many Linda Howard books in the past, I was looking forward to checking this one out.  This story has mystery and intrigue, some danger and a beautiful dog that melts the heart.  The first few chapters really were intense and grabbed my interest wholeheartedly.  However, the story did slow a bit after that and it seemed to become a bit more about the dog than Morgan and Bo, our lovely couple.  I liked both Morgan and Bo, and the two together worked for me.  Bo is independent and strong and, at first resists Morgan. Morgan, recovering from injuries, is quite the smooth one when it comes to Bo.  Although the romance is a bit of a slow sizzle that grows, it seemed to be true. The dangerous intrigue is at the forefront, although that was also pushed to the side for a bit.  Ms. Howard does wrap things up nicely and I was once again gripped by the telling tale of danger and love.  Overall, I think this is a good one to grab a cup of coffee and snuggle by the fire with.  (received copy for honest review)

★★★.5

AUTHOR INFO

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, and Dying to Please. She lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.

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BOOK INFORMATION

Title: COMPLETELY YOURS

Author: Erin Nicholas

Series: Opposites Attract, #1

On Sale: December 20, 2016

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $5.99 USD

eBook:  $3.99 USD

BOOK SUMMARY

The first book in a brand new contemporary romance series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas about three geeky girls and the hunky guys who fall for them.

Kiera Connelly leads a quiet life, and that's just how she likes it. She's built a name as a graphic designer and meets up with her friends online, all from the comfort of her living room couch. But when a rare outing turns disastrous, Kiera finds herself up close and way too personal with an unbelievably hot real-life hero.

Zach Ashley doesn't see himself as a hero. He's just a regular guy who gets to help people every day as an EMT. But when he's called to a scene and has to treat his most gorgeous patient ever, he finds himself mixing work with pleasure. He never hesitates to put his life on the line...but will he ever risk his heart?

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EXCERPT

She was still watching the ambulance, and she nodded absently. “Okay.”

He moved in front of her and crouched to get on eye level. “You can go right over and see them at the hospital. Mass General. If you’re not family, they might not be able to tell you much, but if you can get in touch with their families, they can come and sit with you, right?”

She nodded again but Zach wasn’t sure she’d heard him. He really wanted to know that someone was going to be there with her. Shock in survivors wasn’t uncommon. The that-could’ve-been-me thing could kick in at any moment if it hadn’t already. But there was nothing like seeing someone you cared about hurt.

He put his hands on her arms again, this time rubbing up and down and just ignoring how good her skin felt against his rough palms. Mostly. He needed to comfort her more than he needed to worry about how she made him feel.

“Do you know where Mass General is?” He didn’t love the idea of her driving herself over there. She was clearly overwhelmed.

Kiera nodded. “Yes.”

“You can get there?” he asked.

She nodded again.

Okay. So…

“Zach! Let’s go!”

Zach glanced over at Reed. His co-workers needed help so he was going to be here for a while. He couldn’t be messing around, obsessing about a woman who liked to play dress-up. “Kiera, I need to go but…”

“Yeah, of course.” She shook her head and looked around. “You go.”

“But…” But nothing. She was fine, and he was needed by people who weren’t fine. “Okay.”

He had the fleeting thought that he wanted to kiss her goodbye. But that was crazy. They’d just met. In the middle of an emergency. No way should he kiss her.

Finally, he let go of her and stepped back. But not touching her didn’t do a thing to make him not want to touch her. He forced himself to turn away and head toward Reed, trying to clear his mind of green and gold sweet-smelling flowers as he went. But when he got about twenty feet from her, he glanced back.

And she was still standing there. Hugging herself. Looking lost.

Fuck.

“I’ll be right there,” he told Reed.

Reed glanced back. “Dude…”

“I know.” And he did. He needed to not be distracted. But the only way that was going to happen was if he knew for sure that Kiera was taken care of.

He jogged back to her side. “Hey princess, what’s up?”

She looked at him, and her look of confusion cleared. That made him feel stupidly good.

“I don’t have a way…”

She trailed off, and Zach frowned. “You don’t feel up to driving?”

“We brought Sophie’s car, and her fob thingy is with her.”

Ah. A little issue. “You have someone you can call?”

“I didn’t bring my phone.”

“You can use mine.”

“No one’s home. I live with Maya and Sophie,” she said. “Obviously, they’re not… there.”

Her voice wobbled, and Zach worked on not grabbing her and hugging her.

They’d just fucking met. Hugging and kissing wasn’t appropriate. Dammit.

“How about a cab?”

“I don’t have any money.”

He looked her over again, revisiting the curves he realized he’d already memorized. He could give her money for a cab of course. He could get her home. But she’d be home alone. He could get her to the hospital, but they wouldn’t talk to her and she’d be stuck in the waiting room for God knew how long. Alone.

And leaving her alone was simply something he could not do.

“You need to come with me.” He reached out and snagged her hand before he could tell himself that holding her hand was a bad idea.

Because it was. Her hand felt good in his, and the way she curled her fingers around his tightly and followed him without question felt good. And the idea that he was going to get to spend more time with her felt good. And all of that was bad. And yet, he pulled her along with him through the convention hall and into the heart of the chaos.

 “What are we doing?” she asked.

“I need to go help with some more injured. And I need you to stick with me.”

“Me? Why?”

He looked over at her. Her cape floated behind her, and for the first time, he noticed the golden sword swinging at her left hip. Damn. That was kind of hot. “Because you’re a gorgeous kick-ass warrior princess, and the people in here are gonna need some gorgeous kick-ass stuff.”

She looked at him with surprise, but as he held her gaze, he saw something that turned him on even more than her smelling like candy—a spark of determination. She pulled up straighter as she walked, and he felt her hand tighten on his.

“Kick ass. Right. I can do that.”

He smiled. “And I could use some help from an interpreter.”

“An interpreter? I speak some Spanish but that’s about it.”

“You don’t speak geek?” He hoped he wasn’t committing a faux pau in calling her, and all of this, geeky.

But she actually gave him a half smile. “Oh, geek. Yes, I’m fluent.”

AUTHOR INFO

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they're shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

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"Max" (Sawyer Bennett) ★★★★★ AVAILABLE NOW!!!

BOOK SUMMARY

The ice is a cold mistress. As the league’s most eligible goalie, Max Fournier has access to his fair share of willing puck bunnies, but right now he’s more interested in bringing home another championship than a one-night stand. A romantic at heart, Max believes in love; he’s just not great at relationships. So when he finally meets a nice girl who’s not blinded by his celebrity, he’s feeling the heat—and the pressure to save her from herself.

Between working two jobs and raising her sister’s kids, Julianne Bradley doesn’t have time for sports—or men. All she knows about Max is that he’s the sexiest customer to ever grace her gas-station counter. And he sees past her tired eyes and makes Jules yearn for things she can’t have: a glamorous fling, a passionate lover, and the time to enjoy both. Max makes her feel like Cinderella, even though Jules has enough baggage to crush a glass slipper. Luckily, he’s no prince—only a fierce competitor determined to win her heart.

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CAT'S REVIEW

"Max" by Sawyer Bennett.  Well, all I can say about this one is!  HOLY SMOKES!  Max is the ultimate book boyfriend.  He almost comes across as too perfect!  He is smokin' hot, of course, but what is so great about him is that he is smokin' on the inside too.  His adoration for not only Julianne but the kids too was off the charts.  His patience and kindness knew no bounds when it came to them.  As for Julianne, my heart hurt for her.  To go through so much and have so much on one's shoulders, can drag anyone down.  Yet, she's a fighter and keeps plugging away.  Despite the hardships, she is still loving and kind and because of the hardships, she's a bit guarded as well.  While it isn't necessary to read the other books in this series (but why wouldn't you!), there are appearances by characters from those previous books and I loved seeing them again.  The Cold Fury Hockey Series by Ms. Bennett is pretty much on the top of my list for favorite!  The characters are always well thought out and have a depth to them that make them believable and real.  The stories are also very deep in emotion and feelings, with all the makings of greatness - love and romance, angst, sports hunks and beautiful damsels (not always in distress though).  Ms. Bennett's writing style is one that is flows and the reader never feels lost or unsure of what is happening or where the scene is taking place.  I do feel that Max was a touch lighter than the previous stories, however, I loved it just the same and didn't put it down until it was finished.  I also wanted more and cannot wait until Roman's story coming up next.  Thank you, Ms. Bennett, for once again penning such a beautiful love story that held my heart and soul in it's grasp.     (received copy for honest review) 

★★★★★

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