Release Day: Kristen Ashley's First Traditionally Published Book

Every time a Kristen Ashley book is released is a good day. Today, April 2 is the official release day for Own the Wind. It's the first book in the Chaos series and it's also the first book that is traditionally published. You may have seen all the buzz regarding her indie books and I'm not surprised - they are really, really good. I love the blurb for Own the Wind and can't wait to start reading it. I am curious to see how they will compare to her other books, particularly because this book will now have the benefit of being well-edited. As long as the way she tells a story is there, I'm all for it!

Happy Book Birthday!

Too hot to handle . . .

Tabitha Allen grew up in the thick of Chaos-the Chaos Motorcycle Club, that is. Her father is Chaos' leader, and the club has always had her back. But one rider was different from the start. When Tabby was running wild, Shy Cage was there. When tragedy tore her life apart, he helped her piece it back together. And now, Tabby's thinking about much more than friendship . . .

Tabby is everything Shy's ever wanted, but everything he thinks he can't have. She's beautiful, smart, and as his friend's daughter, untouchable. Shy never expected more than friendship, so when Tabby indicates she wants more-much more-he feels like the luckiest man alive. But even lucky men can crash and burn . . . 

Here's the cover for the next book in the Chaos series, Fire Inside. 

Review: Angels Fall by Nora Roberts

Angels Fall by Nora Roberts

Genre: Romantic Suspense

I always enjoy Nora Roberts's romantic suspense books. I just like the combination of romance and suspense which are paired together wonderfully. This is was the case here. After all Reece has been through (she has a pretty tragic past) I wanted her to find peace and love. I knew that to have this she also needed to face her past, which she definitely did. I was really involved in the mystery. It took almost to the end for me to solve the mystery and it was a good one. Is Reece going crazy, or is there something more sinister going on? In comes Brody, whose traits match his name well. He's rugged, gruffy and very much like a mountain man. It works considering the environment. I really liked the setting. I could understand why Reece would run away to such a wild and isolate, yet beautiful place.

Other romantic suspenses by Nora Roberts:
High Noon
Midnight Bayou
Blue Smoke
The Search
The Witness

Right after reading this I knew I wanted to see the film version just to see the story come to life. It wasn't as good as the novel but I did enjoy seeing the setting and the characters act out certain scenes.

 

Winners

 The winner from the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop has been randomly selected and contacted.

Congratulations, 

Jessica Schank Snow, you've won The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent

 

...and the winner from the Aleatha Romig Giveaway has also been randomly selected and contacted.

Congratulations,  

Sara you've won Consequences and Truth by Aleatha Romig

Review: Mirror Image by Sandra Brown

Mirror Image by Sandra Brown

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Thriller

It's hard to imagine being in Avery's shoes, especially since she survived a horrific plane crash and undergoes drastic facial reconstructive surgery. It's to the point where she looks just like another woman and finds herself playing the role of wife to that woman's husband. That said, the plot was an interesting one and I found myself quickly turning the pages. It turns out the person she impersonates isn't a normal everyday wife, but one to a powerful man with many enemies. Being a reporter she takes it upon herself to investigate and uncover the mystery and stay away from the danger that lurks everywhere. There was some great chemistry between Avery and Tate. I found it hard at times that he really couldn't tell Avery apart from Carole, his wife that Avery is pretending to be. Aside from that the plot was complex with a lot of players involved and the mystery kept me guessing as to who were the bad guys. The story was fast-paced, had dangerous moments, and romance. These are all the things I like in a romantic suspense. It isn't my favorite book by Sandra Brown but still a good read.

Recommendation:
Obsession by Karen Robards

New Releases and Pre-order deals

There are some amazing deals to be had on recent releases and pre-orders of mature adult and adult romances.

 

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen (The Secret #3)

The Redemption of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen (The Coincidence #2)

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski (Sequel to The Edge of Never)

Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan (Breathing series #3)

Jagged by Kristen Ashley (Colorado Mountain #5)

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
All The Way by Jennifer Probst
Never Too Far by Abbi Glines
Pretending He's Mine by Lauren Blakely
Play with Me by Kristen Proby
Relentless by Cassia Leo
Wait for You by J. Lynn
Suicide Note by Teresa Mummert
On Every Street by Karina Halle
Shattered Promises by Jessica Sorensen 

Giveaway: Lucky Leprechaun Hop

Thank you to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer & Books Complete Me & Author Cindy Thomas for co-hosting. Click on the image to check out the other participating blogs.

★ Giveaway ★
Kindle edition of The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent

Kaylie Flynn was luckier than most children left to the Texas foster care system, blessed with a foster mother who taught her the comfort of home…and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie. Now, Kaylie has journeyed back to Hope Springs to open a café in the charming Victorian she once shared with her foster family — and to finally find answers about her past and where she came from. Yet Kaylie’s carefully laid plans quickly become complicated. The house needs far more work than she realized, and Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires, stirs up feelings she hasn’t felt in a long while. When an unexpected crisis threatens to unravel her dreams, Kaylie seems to have all the ingredients for a perfect disaster — or quite possibly the perfect love.

★ Open to anyone who can accept a Kindle book from Amazon.com.

★ To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with your email address. Leave your GFC name if you follow for an extra entry.

★  Ends midnight March 22. I will randomly select a winner. Good luck!

Review: For You by Kristen Ashley

For You by Kristen Ashley

Series: The 'Burg #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense

This is one of my favorite book by Kristen Ashley ever. It's a second chance romance with a great suspenseful mystery. Like most of Ashley's couples, Colt and Feb have this amazing chemistry even when they are not together. They have this long history that is both mysterious and painful. Even when keeping his distance, Colt is still super protective of Feb, which is one of many great trait he has. Feb is also a great character. She has a unique personality and quirks that makes her really lovable. She wasn't perfect but has her flaws and hardships. I was really rooting for them and curious as to what went wrong. Well, I got my answer to that in a really interesting plot. I did wish it didn't take them so long to find each other again but I'm so glad they did. If you are new to her books, definitely try this one.

The 'Burg series order:

Giveaway: Consequences and Truth by Aleatha Romig

I'm excited to give one of you a chance to win an e-copy set of Consequences and Truth, generously donated by Aleatha Romig. I recently read both of these and was instantly hooked. You can read my review of Consequences and Truth here and here. There are so many twists and turns in this thriller you won't know what to expect. I know after reading the first book I was desperate to see what happened next. Over on Goodreads, Consequences currently has over 6000 ratings with an average rating over 4.0. Here's a chance to see what all the buzz is about.

★ Giveaway ★
E-copies of Consequences and Truth by Aleatha Romig

★  To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment along with your email address.

★  Ends midnight March 23. I will randomly select a winner who will win e-copies of both books. Good luck!

Connect with the author:

 Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Review: Truth by Aleatha Romig

Truth by Aleatha Romig

Series: Consequences #2
Genre Thriller

If you haven't read Consequences then you need to read it! It was such a thrill ride with such an ending that I absolutely needed to find the Truth and learn more about these characters. Ms. Romig did not let me down! The twists and turns and compelling characters which I found in the first book have returned with more mysteries and higher stakes. There are new characters introduced who added to the plot. One of the best thing about the series is definitely the plot. It's so intelligent and has so many layers and characters and significant events involved. Everything matters, from the people, the past and present events, and especially people's actions which always have consequences. Tony, the villain is back and I found he was even more interesting because he has so many faces to him. He's still cunning but he has a weakness and that is Claire. She has toughened up and isn't about to allow herself to be controlled by Tony (or so she thinks). Claire has her much fought for freedom but quickly realizes she is far from escaping Tony and his plan. What exactly is his plan? What past actions is Claire paying for? Who is the mastermind? All this will be revealed in this book and it is revealed in an addictive way. The book switches from characters and although it's not always clear purpose at first,  it does eventually make sense. Towards the end, I was in for another twist. Some things I expected and some I did not. What I expected and got was a compelling read.

Series order:
Consequences
Truth
Convicted

Check out the giveaway to win both Consequences and Truth!

Review: Consequences by Aleatha Romig

Consequences is one of those books that will leave you stunned in the end. You'll be trying to wrap your mind around every single event that has happened and be wanting more. There are so many twists and turns, you may think you know what is coming and you'll second guess that. I enjoyed every minute of this thrill ride. I was curious about the premise and am so glad I decided to try it. The story is a long one and it took a while to pick up but once it did I really got into it. Basically, it's about a woman who is abducted and held hostage by a man with a hidden agenda. Claire doesn't know what to make of Anthony. One minute he's charming and other times he is chillingly scary. There are moments that she finds herself falling for him (Stockholm Syndrome) and others where she finds him unbearable. Where it gets interesting is how Claire manages to get under his skin. She toughens up and earns his admiration. There is a game to be played and the question is who will be the pawn? Despite being a long story I flew through it pretty quickly. Sometimes Claire frustrated me and I wondered why she didn't try harder to escape and other times I could see where she was coming from. Anthony was a very interesting villain. The cliffhanger ending will have you desperate to find the Truth.

Consequences and Truth by Aleatha Romig
Genre: Thriller

Check out the giveaway to win both Consequences and Truth here! 

 

Review: Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Catherine takes us step in step into her dark past and the post-traumatic world she now lives in. Having barely escaped alive from an abusive man she lives with OCD and has some major trust issues. It was so interesting to see how her normal world changed into a scary one and now into a dysfunctional life where she spends her days checking and double-checking locks, obsesses over what to wear, when to wear and which days to buy groceries. All this is the result of her terrible experience with Lee, the man who tormented her and held her under his control during their relationship. I like seeing both Cathy's past and present. It was interesting to see how events unfolded and how she came to be. When Lee is released it turns suspenseful and I anticipated every move. It wasn't easy for her but I was proud to see Cathy begin to trust again and gain strength to face her future.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Genre: General Fiction, Thriller

Winner

The winner from the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop has been randomly selected and contacted.

Congratulations, 

Ash, you've won The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

Best Love Stories

These are some of my favorite love stories. They made me cry, smile and fall in love. I know not every love story is going to be easy but that means they tend to be emotional and those are the kinds I enjoy best. In fact, I like for a love story to take work and go through good and bad times. I picked the ones that stayed with me long after.

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred All I can say is keep plenty of tissues handy! It's a second chance story and these two are so tormented and desperately in need of a happily ever after.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers I don't read a lot of Christian fiction but this is one of those stories I wish everyone could read. It is dark at times and heart-wrenching. The hero is so patient and shows her what love is and how it can heal.

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward It's book three of the vampire series so it's probably best if you read them in order. I cried reading this. Zsadist is probably one of the most tortured alpha hero I've ever encountered.

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons It's a forbidden love story and the couple's journey towards love is a long but unforgettable one. You'll have to read the sequel to find a happy ending though.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas One of my favorite romance by her. The woman faced domestic violence in a former relationship and the hero teaches her to love again. I love Hardy! He first makes an appearance in Sugar Daddy (the book before this one), although he's not a hero but it gives us a look into his life growing up.

  Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson Sometimes sad but mostly sweet. Alex is a wonderful hero and I love seeing him and Annie fall in love in a simple and touching way.

Paradise by Judith McNaught You can't really go wrong with a book by her and she writes some of the best second chance romances. Paradise is one of them.

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips If you want a great romance with some humor then definitely try her books. Her characters are so much fun!