Showing posts with label Pocket Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pocket Books. 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:

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Unraveled by Jennifer Estep (spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) LTP

unraveled blog tour banner


by
Jennifer Estep


Blurb: What could go wrong when you’re trying to unravel a decades-old conspiracy?

As the current queen of the Ashland underworld, you would think that I, Gin Blanco, would know all about some secret society controlling things from behind the scenes. I might be the Spider, the city’s most fearsome assassin, but all my Ice and Stone elemental magic hasn’t done me a lick of good in learning more about “the Circle”. Despite my continued investigations, the trail’s gone as cold as the coming winter.

So when Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, gets word of a surprising inheritance, we figure why not skip town for someplace less dangerous for a few days? That place: Bullet Pointe, a fancy hotel resort complex plus Old West theme park that Finn now owns lock, stock, and barrel. At first, all the struttin’ cowboys and sassy saloon girls are just hokey fun. But add in some shady coincidences and Circle assassins lurking all around, and vacationing becomes wilder—and deadlier—than any of us expected.

Good thing this assassin brought plenty of knives to the gunfight…

Unraveled (Elemental Assassin #15) | Jennifer Estep | Pocket Books | $7.99 | 400 pages | August 30, 2016 | ISBN: 978-1501142215 | Goodreads link

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Excerpt #4


“Why couldn’t Lane sit out here with you?” Phillip asked. “Or Jo-Jo or even Sophia for that matter? Why did I get elected to freeze my balls off tonight?”

Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, was often my partner in crime in all things Spider-related, while Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux healed me and cleaned up the blood and bodies I left in my wake.

“Because Finn is still dealing with the mess that Deirdre Shaw left behind at First Trust bank, and Jo-Jo and Sophia had tickets to The Nutcracker tonight,” I said, ticking our friends off on my hand. “And of course, you know that Owen promised Eva that he’d help out with that holiday toy drive she’s leading over at the community college.”

“I would have been happy to help Eva with her toy drive,” Phillip grumbled again. “Thrilled. Ecstatic even.”

Despite their roughly ten-year age difference, Phillip was crazy about Eva Grayson, Owen’s younger sister, although he was waiting for her to finish college and grow up a bit before pursuing a real relationship with her.



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About Jennifer Estep:

jennifer step author picJennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. Unwanted, e-novella #14.5 in the series, was released on July 18. Unraveled, book #15, will be released on Aug. 30.
Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series. She is also the author of the Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series and the Bigtime paranormal romance series.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.


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GIVEAWAY



a Rafflecopter giveaway  


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My review is at this link...sorry for the delay!

I will say that I loved it (4.5 out of 5 stars) and it's exciting and full of those things that make me love Gin and her friends...snark, excitement, ruthlessness, and great analytical powers to go with her Elemental ones!

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Jennifer Estep’s Unraveled Blog Tour runs August 15-September 2! Here are the lovely stops, swing by to check out reviews, Q&As, and to enter the giveaway!


TOUR STOPS
8/15: Tome Tender (review + giveaway)
8/16: DianaMCKiaradB (review + excerpt)
8/17: BJ’s Reviews (excerpt)
8/18: Rantings of a Reading Addict (review + excerpt)
8/19: The Book Nympho (review + giveaway)
8/21: A Book Fanatic Obsession (review + excerpt), Story Forge (Q&A + excerpt)
8/22: Books and Things (review + giveaway), Angel’s Guilty Pleasures (excerpt + giveaway)
8/23: Cover2Cover (excerpt + giveaway)
8/25: Goldilox and the Three Weres (review + giveaway)
8/26: LilyElement Book Reviews (review), Urban Fantasy Investigations (excerpt + giveaway)
8/27: Book Junkiez (review + excerpt), Will Read for Feels (excerpt + giveaway)
8/28: The Book Crumb Trail (review + giveaway)
8/29: Diane’s Book Blog (excerpt + giveaway), Bad Bird Reads (review + giveaway)
8/30: Slippery Words (review + excerpt + Q&A), Gizmo’s Reviews (review + excerpt)
8/31: Bambi Unbridled (review + giveaway)
9/1: Bookish Things & More (review + excerpt)
9/2: Books That Hook (review + excerpt)





Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Between a Vamp and a Hard Place (spotlight and review) ADULT title




This is an ADULT title

Between a Vamp and a Hard Place (Pocket Books; December 29, 2015; $7.99) by Jessica Sims, a sexy paranormal romance in the wickedly funny spirit of bestselling authors Kerrelyn Sparks and Molly Harper which features an estate broker and a 600-year-old vampire out for revenge
 
Lindsey Hughes loves antiques and couldn’t be happier to make a living in the estate sale business. Hughes loves antiques and couldn’t be happier to make a living in the estate sale business. But when her assistant accidentally buys an entire estate without her approval, Lindsey is forced to clean up the mess herself.

Lindsey travels to the newly purchased, age-old house in Venice, Italy, and soon discovers more than she (never) bargained for. While digging through the hoarder’s trove that fills every floor, she finds a secret staircase behind a wall that leads to a strange coffin…with an even stranger inhabitant.

Vampire Rand FitzWulf has been in his coffin for 600 years. But now that he’s awake, he’s ravenous, and there’s a delicious-smelling woman with a rare blood type in his basement. Luckily, Lindsey has more to offer than blood: she agrees to travel throughout Europe with Rand to help him get revenge on the one who turned him. But as the unlikely pair grows closer, will the billionaire vampire be overtaken by his thirst for blood—or his thirst for love?
 
(note from ELF:  There are a few inconsistencies in the blurb, and I read a note from the author that said she had tried to correct it, to no avail...so, Rand is not a billionaire vampire, the estate is in an apartment...but there is indeed a basement, lol)



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My review:

4.25 out of 5 stars



Between a Vamp and a Hard Place by Jessica Sims (aka Jessica Clare/Jill Myles) is a paranormal romance that spotlights the adventures of Lindsey Hughes, a struggling antique dealer whose partner gambles their future on an estate of hoarded material in…Venice!  There are plenty of unexpected obstacles encountered, not least of which is a vampire named Sir Rand FitzWulf, who is not only fascinated by Lindsey’s very rare blood, but also expects her to aid him in his quest to find his comrades-in-arms, despite her protests.  Unfortunately, the search is not without its dangers and Lindsey may wind up losing not only her heart but her life.

This imaginative story combines intriguing facts with a fun tweak on traditional lore about vampires.  The exotic locale, unexpected discoveries, and comfortable and snarky relationship between Lindsey and her BFF Gemma all combine in an entertaining read that sneaks in a few history lessons along the way.  The sensual connection between Lindsey and Rand provides plenty of sizzle while the danger that escalates over the course of the tale provides highs and lows for Lindsey’s professional and personal future.  I love the combination of humor and paranormal elements, and, even though I typically don’t like time-travel complications, I was fascinated by the glimpse of history through Rand’s eyes.  The quirky way Gemma redeems herself is a perfect twist and I hope to see her have her own time in the spotlight.  This was a fun tongue-in-cheek story and I look forward to many more!

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

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Shadow Fall by Laura Griffin (Spotlight, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) TBT




Shadow Fall
The Tracers #9
By: Laura Griffin
Releasing September 22, 2015
Pocket Books  

Blurb
In the ninth romantic suspense novel in the New York Times bestselling Tracers series, author Laura Griffin brings back her elite cadre of forensic experts as they hunt down the most brutal serial killer yet.

Special Agent Tara Rushing arrives at a grisly murder scene and quickly discovers she’s got a serial killer on her hands. The killer is meticulous, making sure to wipe up even the smallest traces of evidence…but the Delphi Center experts are on the case.

The local sheriff has a suspect all picked out—ex-Marine and current security expert Liam Wolfe. Despite all her digging, Tara knows very little about Liam when she shows up at his sprawling Texas compound, which serves as headquarters for Wolfe Security, and she’s surprised by her intense physical reaction to him.

As she and Liam grow closer, Tara finds herself depending on his skills and expertise to help her track a killer. But when another body turns up, Tara must decide if she can trust the man who’s quickly stealing her heart.




The ninth novel in the Tracers series that combines gripping plot twists with spine-tingling romance, Shadow Fall once again proves that “Laura Griffin gets better with each book” (The Romance Reviews).




Excerpt
Tara looked out the window again and realized her pulse was still thrumming. He unnerved her. It wasn’t just his size, it was his attitude. Maybe she was self-conscious because he’d caught her off guard. She was definitely embarrassed that she’d pulled her weapon on him.
She adjusted the vent and got a waft of hot air. His attitude bothered her, but she liked his truck. It smelled like leather and earth and felt deliciously warm. She forced herself to ignore the flutter of nerves generated by being alone in the dark with him. The nerves weren’t from fear but something else. And she wondered which was worse, being afraid of a man she was investigating or being attracted to him?

“You shouldn’t come out here alone.”

She looked at him. “Why not?”

“We’ve got more than a few meth heads around here. You don’t want to walk up on something, not without backup.”

She watched his face in the dimness, uneasy with the protective tone of his voice.

“We confirmed the ID today,” she said.

“I know.”

That ticked her off.

“Won’t be long till the media has it,” he added.

“Where are you getting your information?”

He didn’t answer.

“And the other day,” she said, “how’d you know we were here, me and M.J.? Are you having us tailed?”

Even if he was, he’d probably never admit it. But she at least needed to ask and get his reaction. Shadowing investigators could definitely be considered suspicious behavior.

Although she had to be honest with herself. She didn’t consider him a real suspect. Despite his links to the victim, she simply didn’t feel it.

“I’m guessing you filmed us approaching your property and ran my plate,” she said.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Nothing that cloak-and- dagger.” He glanced at her. “I’m friends with Crystal.”

“Who’s Crystal?”

“She waited on you at the Waffle Stop. Bright red hair, eyebrow ring.”

She turned to face the window. “Small-town grapevine. And here I’ve been all impressed with your spying abilities.”

“You should be.” He pulled up to her Explorer and parked. “We’re the best there is.”

She looked at him in the darkness, so confident it bordered on arrogance. And the crazy thing was she believed him. She bought into it completely—he was that good.

His eyes locked on hers, and the air between them felt charged with electricity. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her heart skittered. Was he going to kiss her? He eased closer, watching her, making her heart pound.



GoodreadsLink

Goodreads Series Link


Buy Links:  AmazonB & N | iTunes | Kobo  






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Author Info

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author LAURA GRIFFIN started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA Award winner (for the books Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.





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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Link to Follow Tour

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My review:
5 out of 5 stars


Shadow Fall by Laura Griffin is part of the ‘Tracers’ series and follows FBI Special Agent Tara Rushing who is thrust into a murder investigation that threatens to spiral out of control.  She must deal with not only the hostility and lack of cooperation by the local law enforcement, but also with the uncomfortable feelings evoked by a potential suspect, Liam Wolfe.  The quest to solve the case necessitates that she work with all kinds of resources, and involving the experts at the Delphi Center gives her a wealth of information, but she must rely on her instincts and her guts to catch a killer and distinguish between those who would help and those who would harm, and lives depend on her making the right call.

This exciting romantic suspense story is one of those that captures the attention immediately and ratchets up the tension to keep one enthralled throughout the entire journey.  The characters are revealed with the author’s usual dexterity, with additional layers gradually added to give them depth and charisma.  I love that the heroine is a warrior driven to protect, unique in her inclusion on a SWAT team, and capable of impressing and surprising the hero.  Her tenacity and ferocity make her a perfect addition to the series and the mystery and quiet competence that surround the hero makes him a wonderful foil for her.  I also appreciate that some of the secondary characters manage to be distinctive and I hope that they get larger roles in subsequent stories as I would love to learn more about them.  Sadly, some of those in the background are almost stereotypical but I get the feeling that this is intentional, in order to confuse the issues in places.  One should be forewarned that there is a fair degree of violence but this is one of those stories that keeps the reader captivated and a little jumpy in the best way and compelled to lose sleep in order to see what happens.  This is a great addition to an excellent series and I look forward to reading addition stories featuring these fascinating folks.

© Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.



 The first four in the series...

                     



 My review for Snapped is at this link


The next four in the series...


                      

My review for Twisted is at this link
My review for Scorched is at this link
My review for Exposed is at this link
My review for Beyond Limits is at this link

(can you tell I like the series?)

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Luck Be a Lady by Meredith Duran (spotlight and GIVEAWAY)






“This flawless novel in the Rules for the Reckless series, set in 1866 London, pivots seamlessly to Catherine Everleigh and Nick O’Shea, lively characters who won readers’ hearts in Lady Be Good…These intelligent, multilayered characters embody the best aspects of this wonderfully indulgent series.”
Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Luck Be A Lady
 
“Hot on the heels of Lady Be Good comes Catherine Everleigh’s story, and readers know they’ll be in for a fun, sexy and poignant roller coaster ride. Well paced, simmering with sexual tension and peopled with memorable characters, this is a love story to be savored.”
—RT Book Reviews gives TOP PICK HOT REVIEW for Luck Be A Lady
 
The 2015 RITA Award for Historical Romance has been awarded to FOOL ME TWICE, 2nd in the Rules for the Reckless series by Meredith Duran!
Rules for the Reckless #4
Meredith Duran
August 25, 2015
Pocket Books
ISBN: 9781476741369
$7.99
ABOUT LUCK BE A LADY:
LUCK BE A LADY in this fourth sexy novel in the Rules for the Reckless series!
 
THE WALLFLOWER
They call her the “Ice Queen.” Catherine Everleigh is London’s loveliest heiress, but a bitter lesson in heartbreak has taught her to keep to herself. All she wants is her birthright—the auction house that was stolen from her. To win this war, she’ll need a powerful ally. Who better than infamous and merciless crime lord Nicholas O’Shea? A marriage of convenience will no doubt serve them both.
 
THE CRIME LORD
Having conquered the city’s underworld, Nick seeks a new challenge. Marrying Catherine will give him the appearance of legitimacy—and access to her world of the law-abiding elite. No one needs to know he’s coveted Catherine for a year now—their arrangement is strictly business, free from the troubling weaknesses of love. Seduction, however, is a different matter—an enticing game he means to ensure she enjoys, whether she wishes to or not...
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MEREDITH DURAN is the author of eight previous novels, including The Duke of Shadows (winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Romance Writing Competition); Wicked Becomes You (included on the Woman’s World List of Best Beach Reads for Summer 2010), and the USA TODAY bestseller Fool Me Twice. She blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history, and for convincing her that princely love is no prize if it doesn’t come with a happily-ever-after. She enjoys collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth-century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women. Visit her at MeredithDuran.com, or catch up with her on Twitter: @meredithduran and Facebook: AuthorMeredithDuran.
Buy buttons for Luck Be a Lady
B&N
BAM
GOOGLE PLAY (ebook)
  


Tour links:


BLOG TOUR
8/24       HEROES & HEARTBREAKERS
8/25       TWO CLASSY CHICS
8/26       BOOKTALK WITH EILEEN
8/28       HARLEQUIN JUNKIE
8/31       LIVE TO READ
9/1         MRS LEIF’S TWO FANGS ABOUT IT
9/2         THE LOVELY BOOKS
9/3         WTF ARE YOU READING
9/4         SIMPLY ANGELA
9/5         COFFEE TIME ROMANCE
9/7         MARTINI TIMES
9/8         BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
9/9         MICHELLE & LESLIE'S BOOK PICKS
9/10       NIGHT OWL ROMANCE
9/10       THE LUSTY LITERATE
9/11       THE ROMANCE DISH
9/16       CELTIC LADY'S REVIEWS
9/18       ROMANCING RAKES
9/19       RAMBLINGS FROM THIS CHICK
10/2       ASHLEY'S BOOKSHELF


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GIVEAWAY


A set of 3 books, including this one, is available for giveaway, in the United States only.  Winner will be chosen using Randomizer on October 1, 2015, from those who who have left a comment with a valid e-mail address stating what appeals most about historical romances and a favorite author or two. 


Thanks for visiting!


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My review:

4.25 out of 5 stars

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 Luck Be a Lady by Meredith Duran presents the story of Catherine Everleigh, who honors her father’s legacy and indulges her own passion as the guiding force for her family’s renowned auction house.  Unfortunately, her brother does not share her reverence for their inheritance and is determined to pursue his own aims, even if it results in the destruction of the business.  Catherine is desperate enough to enlist the aid of the rogue, Nicholas (Nick) O’Shea, uncle of the woman who disrupted Catherine’s plan for a marriage of convenience.  Nick has his own aspirations, and whether Catherine will help further them remains to be seen, but his unwilling fascination with her and the unholy contract she insists on makes him determined to follow his gut instincts which have guided him all of his life.  His heart, however, may have another plan.



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Despite the fact that I have been humming the song with the same title ever since I started reading this book (earworm, lol), I enjoyed getting a glimpse of historical England that is unlike the fare presented in the usual historical romances that I read.  The fascination with discovering true collector’s pieces and distinguishing them from frauds is nicely portrayed, even as a portrait of the divide between the classes and the conflict between pragmatism and dictates of society is highlighted in the comparison and contrast between Catherine and Nick’s history and current roles.  There is a wealth of detail about various aspects of life during this period of history which enrich this story, which, although connected to previous books, can be read as a stand-alone with no problem.  I enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching Catherine defend her position as a successful businesswoman and I look forward to reading other books by this author.