The Reading Addict: Coming Home series

Showing posts with label Coming Home series. Show all posts

Friday, July 28, 2017

Kiss my Boots by Harper Sloan (spotlight and GIVEAWAY) ADULT title

Kiss My Boots
by Harper Sloan

ADULT title

Book 2 in The Coming Home Series

Pocket Books

July 18, 2017

9781501155215

$7.99

About the book:

Hang on to your Stetsons this summer, because you’re in for one wild ride! Get lost in the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Harper Sloan’s Coming Home series, KISS MY BOOTS. In the second installment, the wildest Davis of them all is looking for love…maybe.

Quinn Davis prefers to live her life quietly. She’s the stereotypical tomboy with two overprotective big brothers who have always looked out for her. Of course, it doesn’t help that her heart has already been hardened when it comes to devilishly handsome cowboys with silver tongues. That is, until Tate Montgomery comes riding back into town. Their first meeting, however, is far from something out of a fairy tale and only further convinces Quinn that men aren’t worth her time.

Growing up, the one time Tate ever truly felt at home was during the long, sweltering summer months he spent at his gram and paw’s farm in Pine Oak, Texas. Now, Tate has returned to his childhood sanctuary seeking a fresh start—but if he’s being entirely honest, he’s not just back for the Wranglers and Stetsons. During those summers, Quinn was a friend turned young love who Tate lost when life threw him a curveball and he cut all ties to his past, but all it takes is one glance at the raven-haired beauty, who he did his best to forget, for him to realize just how much he’s been missing…

Can two people who have stopped believing in love take a chance to find it in each other again? Or will the pain of the past prove too great a hurdle to conquer?

KISS MY BOOTS is the second go-round in this Texas-set series filled with sizzle, heart, and plenty of cowboys!

Praise for Kiss My Boots, Book 2:

“[A] steamy book for your summer reading list…Modern Cliterature...Enjoy [this] lusty [passage] adapted from summer’s raciest reads…”

—Cosmopolitan, July 2017

Praise for Lost Rider, Book 1:

“Sloan hits it out of the park with her first Coming Home contemporary western romance…Maverick is a perfect hero: multilayered, complicated, deeply damaged, yet blooming with the new promise of love. Leighton is appealing and real, as are a strong supporting cast of characters whom readers will be glad to follow into sequels. Sloan enhances the gripping story with country songs that open each chapter. This absolutely spectacular effort catapults Sloan to the top of her genre.”

—Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

“The first book in Sloan’s Coming Home series is a supersexy second-chance read with a handsome ex-rodeo cowboy hero and the girl he left behind. The characters are well written and the bedroom scenes are hot…Sloan does a wonderful job with portraying the secondary characters, and it looks like Quinn’s story, which is next up, is going to be a good one.”

—RT VIP Salon

“Sloan brings plenty of heat to this otherwise very thoughtful, building love story, the first in her Coming Home series…Maverick’s pursuit of Leighton and her slow acceptance ignites the vivid ranch and small-town settings. Contemporary western romances are challenging to write, and Sloan makes it fun to read about realistic ways cowboys can fit into modern society. Readers will look forward to learning how the uncovered family secrets affect siblings Clay and Quinn in future books.”

—Booklist

“Sloan begins a new Western series with engaging characters and an appealing small-town setting; her second-chance-at-love romance resonates emotionally…Sloan knows her way around sexual tension and emotional intensity.”

—Kirkus

About the author:

Harper Sloan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Corps Security and Hope Town series. She started writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night. Harper lives in Georgia with her family. Visit her at AuthorHarperSloan.com or Facebook.com/HarperSloanBooks.

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GIVEAWAY

One review copy of Book 1, Lost Rider is the giveaway prize! Be sure to check out all participating sites on the blog tour for more Giveaways. Please note, you can only win one giveaway and must have a U.S. address.

To enter, please leave a comment about the best apology gift you have received or heard of someone receiving. Please remember to leave a valid e-mail address. A winner will be chosen using Random.org from those who have commented by August 4, 2017.

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Kiss My Boots blog tour:

July 18

The Librarian Talks

Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Collector of Book Boyfriends

Dirty Girl Romance

Four Chicks Flipping Pages

Always Reviewing

Reviews by Crystal

Bookbitch

Abigail Books Addiction

A Midlife Wife

July 19

Margie’s Must Reads

Lovely Reads

Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance

Swoonworthy

Positively Book Crazy

July 20

Passionate Encounters

An Asian Chick and Her Cat Walk into a Book Blog

July 21

Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It

Tigris Eden

Literati Literature Lovers

Celticlady’s Reviews

Little Black Book Reviews

July 22

July 24

July 25

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Jathan & Heather

Coffee, Books & My Kindle

July 26

Babbling About Books, and More

Everyday Gyaan

July 28

The Reading Addict

Reading Between the Wines

July 29

Lori’s Reading Corner

July 31

JoJo the Bookaholic

August 1

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Sexy Book Reviews

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Homefront by Jessica Scott

Homefront

by
Jessica Scott
4/7/2015

Blurb:

He's always loved her...

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to get stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to the reality.

She's never stopped loving him...

Melanie never stopped worrying about Gale each time he headed off to war. But he's never been there when she needed him and she's had fifteen years to steel her heart against him. But when Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him. Can Mel trust her heart to a man who has always let her down?

Excerpt:

“What if he comes here?”

“He won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You’re right,” he admitted finally. He sighed heavily. “I’ve known him a long time and this doesn’t gel with what I know of him. He's not going to hurt you.”

“You sound so certain.” Her fingers danced over his ribs, as though she wasn’t sure where to place her hands. “Why?”

“Because you’re mine,” he said, giving voice to the powerful feelings he could finally identify for what they were. “And if he puts his hands on you or our daughter, I’ll kill him.”

And then he kissed her.

It was a powerful kiss, filled with a riot of emotions that had started building in him years ago when she’d first left him. It was a kiss filled with fear. With uncertainty.

With desire.

He gave in to the maelstrom inside him, holding back only enough to be certain that he wasn't crossing the line.

Mel opened to his kiss, wanting badly to push away the sadness and the fear and the worry that had been squeezing the air from her lungs since she’d found Gale outside her office.

There was fear in her response, a tacit admission that this was something fleeting and yet, it was the only tangible thing between them. He shifted then until their bodies pressed together, until she breathed with him and felt part of her soul take flight from the bonds of worry and sadness and daily life.

Her fingers flexed against his ribs. Gale felt the moment she gave in to the kiss, savored the moment of her surrender. Her body relaxed against his, fitting perfectly against his chest.

This was something good. Something pure. Untainted by the darkness that had caused him to seek her out today, needing her when he needed to lean. This. This was what he craved. His wife’s touch. His wife’s taste.

She was not his wife.

That ugly piece of reality crashed into him and he stiffened.

Mel felt it instantly, her body tensing. “What?”

The words lodged in his throat. There was no way he could admit the feelings that churned inside him. That he still thought of her as his wife after all these years.

He nipped at her bottom lip, hoping to distract her. “We should do this more often.”

He felt her smile beneath his lips. “You think so?” There was something light and breathless in her words.

“Very much so.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. The edge of her jaw. He traced the outside edge of her ear with the tip of his tongue. Felt the pleasure of her gasp against his cheek. His teeth scraped over her earlobe. “That’s nice,” she breathed.

“You like that?”

“Yeah.” He closed his eyes, pulling her tight, needing the comfort of her touch, the pleasure to drive away the darkness. He breathed in her scent, holding her close. Her pulse scattered against his cheek and for a moment, he simply held her.

“You make me crazy, Melanie,” he whispered.

Buy:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

About Jessica Scott: USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house. She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice. She's pursuing a graduate degree in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Find Jessica Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | TSU

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My review:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Homefront by Jessica Scott is a contemporary military romance novella that is tangentially connected with the ‘Coming Home’ series. Sergeant First Class Gale Sorren has struggled with many issues related to the mess his personal life has been, complete with a disillusioned ex-wife and a daughter who hasn’t had him in her life. His attempt to reconnect to them is complicated by the challenges he faces as he juggles his military duties with trying to rectify his failings as a husband and a father. The lines between professional and personal obligations begin to blur when he discovers that he is not the only one having trouble balancing the pressures of military and personal responsibilities, and once again he must decide how to deal with following the rules or following his heart, hopefully with less disastrous results this time.

Part of the charm of this author’s storytelling is her ability to make the reader understand so much of a world that is foreign to many of us, the strictly regimented world of the military that circumscribes the actions of individuals who are intensely loyal, dedicated and courageous. These enthralling tales of men and women who must face their deepest fears, undergo daunting training, and experience the horrors of war, explore the havoc that is wrought on their personal lives as obligations to their country and fellow soldiers conflict with inclinations and the pull of those left behind.

It is heartwrenching to watch Gale Sorren’s anguish as he is forced to make decisions that pit his dedication and training against his personal commitments and obligations, but heartwarming to watch him work through his demons and show the wonderful hero and caring person that he is. There are several very serious issues touched upon in this compelling story and the beautiful lyricism and vivid imagery employed by the author serve to make one root for positive outcomes and groan when obstacles are encountered. One of my favorite passages that demonstrates the kind of man the hero is reads, “For all his strength, the fate of one young boy had undone this man. And it was this, this simple admission that he was willing to take a stand for a boy that was not his own, that undid the bindings around her heart just a little more.” Sigh. How can you not root for someone like Gale? This is a story that will make you laugh and cry, just like the others written by this incredibly talented author, and I can’t wait to read more about the complex and fascinating people in this world.

A copy of this title was provided for an honest review.

Submitted to Night Owl Reviews

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Before I Fall by Jessica Scott (Release day spotlight and review)

Before I Fall
by Jessica Scott

Blurb:

Stay focused. Get a job. Save her father's life.

Beth Lamont knows far too much about the harsh realities of life her gilded classmates have only read about in class. She'll do whatever it takes to take care of her father, even if that means tutoring a guy like Noah - a guy who represents everything she hates about the war, soldiers and what the Army has done to her family.

Noah Warren doesn't know how to be a student. All he knows is war. But he's going to college now to fulfill a promise, and he doesn't break his promises. Except he doesn't count on his tutor being drop-dead gorgeous and distracting as hell. One look at Beth threatens to unravel the careful lies Noah has constructed around him.

A simple arrangement turns into something neither of them can deny. And a war that neither of them can forget could destroy them both.

Goodreads

Excerpt

Noah

I hate being on campus. I feel old. Which isn't entirely logical because I'm only a few years older than most of the kids plugged in and tuned out around me. Part of me envies them. The casual nonchalance as they stroll from class to class, listening to music without a care in the world.

It feels surreal. Like a dream that I’m going to wake up from any minute now and find that I’m still in Iraq with LT and the guys. A few months ago, I was patrolling a shithole town in the middle of Iraq where we had no official boots on the ground and now I'm here. I feel like I've been ripped out of my normal.

Hell, I don't even know what to wear to class. This is not a problem I've had for the last few years.

I erred on the side of caution - khakis and a button-down polo. I hope I don't look like a fucking douchebag. LT would be proud of me. I think. But he's not here to tell me what to do, and I'm so far out of my fucking league it's not even funny.

I almost grin at the thought. LT is still looking after me. His parents are both academics, and it is because of him that I am even here. I told him there was no fucking way I was going to make it into the business school because math was basically a foreign language to me. He said tough shit and had helped me apply.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, distracting me from the fact that my happy ass is lost on campus. Kind of hard to navigate when the terrain is buildings and mopeds as opposed to burned-out city streets and destroyed mosques.

Stats tutor contact info: Beth Lamont. E-mail her, don't text.

Apparently, LT was serious about making sure I didn't fail. Class hasn't even started yet, and here I am with my very own tutor. I’m paying for it out of pocket. There were limits to how much pride I could swallow.

Half the students around me looked like they'd turn sixteen shades of purple if I said the wrong thing. Like, look out, here’s the crazy-ass veteran, one bad day away from shooting the place up. The other half probably expect the former soldier to speak in broken English and be barely literate because we’re too poor and dumb to go to college. Douchebags. It’s bad enough that I wanted to put on my ruck and get the hell out of this place.

I stop myself. I need to get working on that whole cussing thing, too. Can’t be swearing like I’m back with the guys or calling my classmates names. Not if I wanted to fit in and not be the angry veteran stereotype.

I’m not sure about this. Not any of it. I never figured I was the college type - at least not this kind of college.

I tap out an e-mail to the tutor and ask when she's available to meet. The response comes back quickly. A surprise, really. I can’t tell you how many e-mails I sent trying to get my schedule fixed and nothing. Silence. Hell, the idea of actually responding to someone seems foreign. I had to physically go to the registrar’s office to get a simple question answered about a form. No one would answer a damn e-mail, and you could forget about a phone call. Sometimes, I think they'd be more comfortable with carrier pigeons. Or not having to interact at all. I can't imagine what my old platoon would do to this place.

Noon at The Grind.

Which is about as useful information as giving me directions in Arabic because I have no idea a) what The Grind is or b) where it might be.

I respond to her e-mail and tell her that, saving her contact information in my phone. If she’s going to be my tutor, who knows when I’ll need to get a hold of her in a complete panic.

Library coffee shop. Central campus.

Okay then. This ought to be interesting.

I head to my first class. Business Statistics. Great. Guess I’ll get my head wrapped around it before I meet the tutor. That should be fun.

I’m pretty sure that fun and statistics don’t belong in the same sentence but whatever. It’s a required course, so I guess that's where I’m going to be.

My hands start sweating the minute I step into the classroom.

Hello, school anxiety. Fuck. I forgot how much I hate school. I snag a seat at the back of the room, the wall behind me so I can see the doors and windows. I hate the idea of someone coming in behind me. Call it PTSD or whatever, but I hate not being able to see who’s coming or going.

I reach into my backpack and pull out a small pill bottle. My anxiety is tripping at a double-time, and I'm going to have a goddamned heart attack at this rate.

I hate the pills more than I hate being in a classroom again, but there's not much I can do about it. Not if I want to do this right.

And LT would pretty much haunt me if I fuck this up.

I choke down the bitter pill and pull out my notebook as the rest of the class filters in.

I flip to the back of the notebook and start taking notes.

Observations. Old habit from Iraq. Keeps me sane, I guess.

The females have some kind of religious objection to pants. Yoga pants might as well be full-on burqas. I've seen actual tights being worn as outer garments and no one bats an eye. It feels strange seeing so much flesh after being in Iraq where the only flesh you saw was burned and bloody...

Well, wasn't that a happy fucking thought.

Jesus. I scrub my hands over my face. Need to put that shit aside, a.s.a.p.

Professor Blake comes in, and I immediately turn my attention to the front of the classroom. She looks stern today, but that’s a front. She’s got to look mean in front of these young kids. She’s nothing like she was when we talked about enrollment before I started. She was one of the few people who did respond to e-mails at this place.

"Good morning. I'm Professor Blake, and this is my TA Beth Lamont. If you have problems or issues, go to her. She speaks for me and has my full faith and confidence. If you want to pass this class, pay attention because she knows this information inside and out."

Beth Lamont. Hello, tutor.

I lose the rest of whatever Professor Blake has to say. Because Beth Lamont is like some kind of stats goddess. Add in that she's drop-dead smoking hot, but it's her eyes that grab hold of me. Piercing green, so bright that you can see them from across the room She looks at me, and I can feel my entire body standing at the position of attention. It's been a long time since a woman made me stand up and take notice. And I'm supposed to focus on stats around her? I'll be lucky to remember how to write my name in crayons around her.

I am completely fucked.

Buy links:

Amazon

iTunes/iBooks

Kindle
BN nook

GooglePlay

Kobo

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She's pursuing a graduate degree in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

(and don't forget to follow Jessica at her Amazon Author page)

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My Review

4.5 out of 5 stars

Before I Fall by Jessica Scott is a new adult contemporary romance that centers around veteran Noah Warren, and his complex and attractive statistics tutor, Beth Lamont. The unwilling attraction they feel for each other is complicated by Noah's struggle with his wounds from war, both physical and emotional, and Beth's endless fight to get care for her father. The relationship must overcome many obstacles, but one may be too much to get past.

The combination of angst and romance that seems to be a hallmark of new adult romances is wonderfully presented in this enthralling story. I am not a particular fan of the trend to tell stories in the first person, but this story is deftly told and gives both a vivid look at some of the aftermath of war on both participants and family, but also shows some of the challenges of college life. The depiction of the gradually unfolding connection between two people who are almost at the end of their respective ropes and the complications of their juggling personal and professional roles draws one into the spell that is woven by a talented author who fortunately seems to have endless stories to tell. I look forward to discovering what else she has in store for her fans, both old and new.

A copy of this title was provided to me for my honest review.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

All I Want for Christmas Is You by Jessica Scott (Spotlight, GIVEAWAY)

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Summary

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left - and she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what's coming for them. It's going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart.

Excerpt

It was not a gentle kiss. It was not tame or timid or questioning.

It burned her down to the root of Sam's soul. It touched something deep and dark and hidden.

Something she'd thought was long since dead and buried and gone.

Patrick’s tongue slid against hers, stroking to life the very sensations she thought she'd never feel again.

It was electric, the feel of his mouth against hers. The scrape of stubble against her chin, the taste of him. The smell of his skin.

He nipped her. Pinched her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it. And she sighed at the pleasure, at the raw ache his taste and touch aroused in her, pushing aside the darkness that haunted her.

Sam felt him. Felt everything. The heat of his skin. The warmth that drew her closer. That made her want to crawl into his lap and unzip his pants and push up that damned flannel shirt until they were skin to skin and there was nothing between them but sweat and heat.

One hand slid down her side. Tugged at her fleece and...

"Dear lord how many layers of clothing do you have on under this thing," he muttered against her lips.

She smiled. "You weren't wondering why I wasn't cold?"

"Well you'd be a champ at strip poker right about now," he murmured.

Then his fingers found her skin and she was no longer thinking.

Goodreads Link

Buy Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Google Play

Biography

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.

She's pursuing a PhD in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Social Networking Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

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The novella Home For Christmas: A Holiday Duet is also included in November 11th release HOME FOR CHRISTMAS with Joann Ross.

Buy Links

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Google Play

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure

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The Reading Addict

Friday, July 28, 2017

Kiss my Boots by Harper Sloan (spotlight and GIVEAWAY) ADULT title